The opposition which the Manx Company has had to fight has been severe. Its first steamer, the _Mona’s Isle_, on her first voyage found herself pitted against the _Sophia Jane_, the boat which afterwards made the first steam voyage to Australia. It would be more correct to say that in this case the _Mona’s Isle_ was the opposition boat, as the _Sophia Jane_, which belonged to the St. George Company, was already on the service. The older boat got in first by something less than two minutes. But new steamers seldom attain their best speed at first, and the newcomer soon developed such speed that the old boat was left behind on every voyage afterwards in which they competed, and once came in after a rough trip three and a half hours behind. The rivalry resulted in the usual rate war, and the St. George Company brought its fares down to 6_d._ single. But neither this step nor the placing of the splendid steamer _St. George_ on the service did the Manx Company any harm. The first race between their vessels was remarkable for an ingenious piece of seamanship on the part of the commander of the _Mona’s Isle_. The little paddle-boats of those days usually felt a strong beam wind to such an extent that the paddle on the windward side would be out of the water half of the time, and that on the lee side half buried owing to the boat heeling over. The captain, judging that the dirty weather which then prevailed would continue next day, spent the night before the race in shifting the cargo and coal on board his boat to the windward side. When the two vessels left the Mersey in the morning the _St. George_ was in beautiful trim, and the Manx boat was leaning over on one side in a fashion which caused those who did not understand what had been done to laugh at her. When the open sea was reached it was the _St. George’s_ turn to heel over before the gale, and the _Mona’s Isle_ went along practically on an even keel, using both her paddles to the best advantage, while the _St. George_ had one nearly buried and the other beating the air uselessly much of the time. Of course the _Mona’s Isle_ won. This incident is interesting as it shows the daring nature of the expedients which the captains of the little steamers of those times were prepared to adopt. [Illustration: THE “ELLAN VANNIN” (THE FOREGOING ALTERED TO A SCREW STEAMER AND RENAMED, 1883).]