Rivals quickly appeared on the scene, for the _Comet_ had shown that what had hitherto been looked upon as an impossible undertaking could now be regarded as a commercial speculation. In 1813 the _Elizabeth_ was built and was followed shortly afterwards by the _Clyde_. The _Elizabeth_ was sent to Liverpool and was the first British steamer to make a sea voyage. The vessel was in charge of Colin Watson, his cousin, neither of them nineteen years of age, and a boy.[33] The engine of the _Elizabeth_ was only 8 horse-power. The three adventurers brought the vessel in safety from Glasgow to Liverpool through a violent gale--a very remarkable performance. This voyage was made in 1815. [33] Letter from Mr. K. Y. Watson in the second edition of Mr. John Kennedy’s “History of Steam Navigation.” [Illustration: THE ORIGINAL ENGINES OF THE “COMET.”] Watson left Glasgow for Grangemouth on May 8, and on the following day started from Grangemouth with the _Elizabeth_, bringing her along the canal. Obstacles of one sort or another caused detention in the canal, specially at Lock No. 27, and Bowling was not reached until May 12. The voyagers arrived at Port Glasgow on the 13th, where another stay was made while the damages sustained in navigating the canal were repaired, and preparations were made for the sea voyage. The Clyde was left on June 2, but the little vessel had to be brought up in Lamlash, Isle of Arran, there being a “dreadful storm at night,” as the captain narrates. They sailed from Lamlash about one o’clock in the afternoon of the 4th, “and after undergoing great peril, reached Port Patrick the same night twelve o’clock.” A lengthy stay was made there, due partly to an accident, the nature of which is not stated, “but principally the want of money,” till Saturday 24th, when they left Port Patrick. The _Elizabeth’s_ adventures were by no means over, for she was obliged to bring up in Ramsey Bay, Isle of Man, an accident throwing off one of her paddles. The financial difficulty having been further overcome to the extent of six guineas, the _Elizabeth_ left the Isle of Man with a fine breeze, “day lovely, but, after working all day and night, we found on the morning of Wednesday 28th, we had been deceived by our compass and were off the coast of Wales. “We again unshipped our paddles, and drifted nearly to Dublin ere we could again get them to work, but luckily did effect that and anchored off George’s Dock Pier, Liverpool.”[34] [34] The full log appears in Mr. Colin Watson’s “Doubly in Crown Service”; the original log is stated to be preserved in Brown’s Museum.