About the date of the despatch of the SIRIUS from Cork, the Directors of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Co. had under consideration the formation of a Transatlantic Steam-Packet Co., with sailings to and from Liverpool. The steamers of this Company were amongst the largest and most famous afloat. A meeting of Directors was held in the Committee Room, Water Street, Liverpool, at which it was decided to open up the new service by the despatch of the P.S. ROYAL WILLIAM as soon as she could be got ready for the voyage. The ROYAL WILLIAM was practically a new steamer, having been built in 1836, being one of four steamers built to compete with the Admiralty steamers for the mail service between Liverpool and Kingstown. She proved herself to be faster than any of the Government mail steamers, and when placed on the Dublin and London station, made a passage from Falmouth to Kingstown, 260 miles, in 23 hours. She was built by Wilson, of Liverpool, and engined by Fawcett & Preston, of the same city. Her length was 175 feet (being 3 feet less than the SIRIUS), beam 27 feet, depth of hold 17 feet 6 inches. Her capacity was 817 tons burden, and she was propelled by engines of 276 h.p. Her coal consumption was about 17 tons per 24 hours, and in fairly smooth water her speed was 11½ knots per hour. She had cabin accommodation for eighty passengers. She sailed from the Prince’s Pier on Thursday evening, 5th July, 1838, having on board thirty-two passengers. Sixty-four years afterwards the present author had several interviews with Mr. Brownrigg, the City of Dublin Co.’s Customs Clerk, who took out the Customs clearance for the ROYAL WILLIAM, and who in spite of his great age remembered clearly the appearance of the vessel as she steamed down the River Mersey on that midsummer evening so long ago. Although she carried no cargo on that voyage, she was so deeply laden with coal for fuel—coal that filled her bunkers, her holds, and even her well-deck—that her paddles were buried six feet, her sponsons were submerged, and it was possible by leaning over the bulwarks to wash one’s hands in the water that surged at the vessel’s sides. Naturally it was an event in which the townspeople of Liverpool and the residents on the Cheshire side of the river took the deepest interest. As she began to move she was greeted with enthusiastic cheers from thousands of spectators who crowded the piers and lined the river side, whilst cannon were fired from Woodside, Monks Ferry, Rock Ferry, and from the steamboats on the river. The ROYAL WILLIAM completed the passage from Liverpool to New York in nineteen days, and the homeward passage in fourteen and a half days. [Illustration: ROYAL WILLIAM P. S. in Mid-Atlantic, 12th July, 1838.]