St. George Steam-Packet Co. incorporated, 1822.—Swift passage of the HERO, steam yacht.—Liverpool owned steamers highly commended in Parliamentary Report, 1822.—AARON MANBY, iron steamer.—First steamer between Hull and the Continent, 1823.—City of Dublin Steam-Packet Co. founded, 1823.—H.M.S. LIGHTNING.—General Steam-Packet Co. and the Belfast Steam-Packet Co. established, 1824.—Keen competition, Glasgow and Belfast service, 1825.—Advertising extraordinary.—G. & J. Burns commence business, 1825, as steamship owners.—Competition on the Liverpool and Dublin station.—First steamer from the Thames to Hamburg.—The ENTERPRIZE sails for Calcutta.—Rapid growth of Steam Navigation.—Sailing ship owners petition Parliament, 1826.—The ERIN.—Liverpool and Kingstown Royal Mail Service.—City of Dublin Steam Packet Co. establish a Passenger Service between England, Ireland and France, 1827. The year 1822, witnessed the first operations of what was destined to become one of the most famous of the early Steam-Packet Companies. Projected the previous year, the St. George Steam-Packet Company immediately contracted with Mr. Thomas Wilson, of Liverpool, for two large and powerful steamers, the ST. PATRICK and the ST. GEORGE. The former was intended to trade between Dublin and Liverpool, and Dublin and the Bristol Channel; and the latter between Liverpool, the Isle of Man, and the River Clyde, Mr. Alex. A. Laird, the founder of the well-known firm of Alex. A. Laird & Co., being the agent at Greenock. The ST. PATRICK was launched at 10-30 a.m. on the 21st April, 1822. This event excited great interest in the town of Liverpool, as she was, if not the first steamer ever built in the port, certainly the finest specimen of the ship-building craft produced there up to that date. Her sister ship, the ST. GEORGE, launched the following day, rapidly won for herself a reputation for comfort and speed. After running about six months she made a voyage from Dublin to Liverpool in 11½ hours, the shortest time on record. Eighteen months later she made a passage from Liverpool to Dublin in 10 hours 40 minutes, beating her previous record by 50 minutes. The third steamer was the PRINCE LLEWELLYN, to ply between Liverpool, Beaumaris, Bangor, and Carnarvon. The St. George Steam-Packet Co. continued until 1844, when it was re-constructed, the Cork Steamship Co. taking over its various services and seven of its steamers. [Illustration: Mr. David MacBrayne’s Steamer, INVERARY CASTLE. See Paragraph page 43.] The steam-yacht HERO is credited with a phenomenal speedy voyage on the 26th July, 1822. She is reported to have steamed from London to Margate in 6½ hours, being at the rate of 14 miles an hour. A report relative to steam navigation was laid before the House of Commons (August, 1822). All the steam-packets belonging to Liverpool were named in a manner highly honourable to their owners, commanders and constructors.