The advertisement columns of the _Hampshire Advertiser_ of 1845 refer to the “South-Western Steam Packet Company” as the owners of the cross-channel steamers, and they seemed to have remained so until 1860, when their steamers were taken over by the London and South-Western Railway Company. The merchants of the Channel Islands started an opposition company, called the Weymouth and Channel Islands Steam Packet Company, with the steamers _Aguila_, _Cygnus_, and _Brighton_. This opposition continued until 1888, when the service was taken up by the Great Western Railway Company. After keeping up a keen opposition to the London and South-Western Railway Company for eleven years an amicable arrangement was entered into for a joint service, which still continues. In consequence of the opposition of the Weymouth and Channel Islands Steam Packet Company a South-Western Railway Company’s steamer, the _Wonder_, was sent to Weymouth. This ran until 1860, when the Weymouth service was given up by the London and South-Western Railway and all their energies were concentrated upon the Southampton route. Although steamers ran from Southampton to Jersey and thence to St. Malo from 1845, the regular connection between Jersey and France was by a French company’s steamer called the _Comet_. This company was bought out by the London and South-Western Railway Company in 1867. The latter company then commenced running their steamer _Dumfries_ regularly from Jersey to Granville and St. Malo in connection with the Southampton and Channel Islands service. In 1860 a direct service was opened between Southampton and St. Malo by the new iron screw steamer _St. Malo_, the first of this type built for the London and South-Western Railway. The paddle-steamer _South-Western_, the first iron steamer employed in the Channel Islands service, had a speed of about 12 knots. She was 131 tons net and was sold in 1863. Her floats were taken off and after being rigged for the purpose she was sailed out to Japan.