Several accidents occurred to the machinery of the CLERMONT during her first season, but none of them caused any loss of life. There were, however, so many of these mishaps that the incredulous were encouraged in the belief that she was a failure. But the misfortunes of the boat were not limited to accidents to machinery and other legitimate mishaps. They included wilful attempts at her destruction on the part of those who felt that their business was about to be injured by this new system of navigation. Vessels ran foul of her intentionally, and so determined were the sloop owners and others to rid themselves of this dangerous competitor, that it became necessary for the Legislature to interfere. But in spite of all opposition, Fulton forced his way onward and upwards. He replaced his first steamer by a second and larger one, also named the CLERMONT, and, as the passenger trade developed, other steamers were added to the line. American capitalists in different parts of the United States followed his example. Steamers were built so rapidly to ply on the American Atlantic Seaboard, and on the Mississippi and other rivers, that in 1823 (that is sixteen years after the first passenger steamer in the world was built) there were 300 steamers plying on American waters. The St. Lawrence is the chief dividing line between the United States and Canada. It forms the great summer highway for the traffic of British North America. By it the commerce of Europe is brought into the country, and on its bosom is borne outwards the wealth of the forests and the surplus agricultural produce of the Dominion. On the Canadian side of this great river are situated the two important cities of Quebec and Montreal. Two years (1809) after the building of Fulton’s CLERMONT, and three years before the first European steamer began to ply on the River Clyde, the steamboat ACCOMMODATION ran on the St. Lawrence, maintaining a passenger service between Quebec and Montreal. The following account of this vessel, and of her first voyage, appeared in the “Quebec Mercury” of that date:—