Whig Republican. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1840-18??, 1840-11-12
FROM I - t.nn.nefr,,t Advertiser.
An Extraordinary Feat.


An Extraordinary Feat.
You have more than once heard Of the
lenterpriSe of the iton. u Hamilton, own
: er of the popular steamboat Great Britain
and several other boats OIL Lake OntlIlT
4 and the river ST. Lawrence. This gen
tleman is extensively engaged IN the. for
warding business, and is now the o.desl
steamboat proprietor ia this collfltrv. lie
became the owner OF the Frontinac, the
first boat built on the British side OF the
! St Lawrence. lweH recolIect making a
Itripin this boat twenty years ago, when
4 we were nine days in performing the
lrOute from Kingstonto little York, now
the city 81 sI'oros1to Il,st Tue number o.
days that the RrlftasiE, was running across
the .tsantic from a.ililx TO liverpool
Mr.. iiamllton has for some years been
under the impression that Il steamboat
might be consIrtl lei Tor the navigation
Iof the It. Lawrence, mp those stupendous
rapids called the Loll{ Salt, g., d.
Those best acquainted with This naviga-
ton could not lie thought TO believe that
the obstacles which presented themselves
could be overcome. oYever, the en-
ferprising gentleman of whom anspeak-
ing, determined to make the experiment,
and a large boat larger than the Barring
ton, Captain Siler.nul's boat Oh Lake
Cllamp:a.nl was butt under the i.nme-
date direction o. Mr. Hamilton. The
boat, aud al its machinery, were com
pleied at the doek-yard at Niagaf;,, and
when launched she was named the O.it;i-
rio, and is perliaps as fine model as can
be found. Unfortunate v, the machinery
proved too to be too slight, and, when
making her first trip from Toronto down
the lake, one of her puddle-whec.s drop
ped or broke Of, and was never seen any.
more. At the same tins one of her, en-
gines was rendered entirely useless. She
after wards made two or three attempts to
overcome the rapids, but it was found
that the machinery was too slender TO ac-
compiish it. She, however, with one
wheel, proved that her speed was greater
than that ofany other boat Oil these wa
tiers.
1t was finally determined to make an
attempt to transfer her tothe line running
between Montreal aud Quebec. Aitho'
this attempt was thought by some to he
about as feasible As suing down the Falls
OF Niagara, Mr.. ami.tol was willing TO
risk bis splendid vessel. 4 crew of bod
spirits was se-ected, the most experienced
pilots procured : french Canadians for
the Long Saust, and the ether rapids to
the cascades, aud an Indian OF The
Canghnawaga tribe, to guide her over
the I.achine Previous TO making the
attempt, Captain Lewis s,illiard, the 20 n
ma1der Of the boat, a WeI.-tried Yankee
navigator, who has had much experience
on theSt. Lawrence, went down on sew
raj rats of Timber and made al the ex-
aminations and preparations which were
practicable.
On tile mo ming of the | eth of august
the boat left Prescott, and IN less than 9
hours she had passed over all these Isa-
pids, which areso appalling tothe sight,
and was safely moored at the wharf III
Montreal as great an exploit rs was ever
performed by q steamboat OF sach a class.
In conversation with Mr.. Hllliard: he
stated to me that at one period his Cana
dian pilot would gladly have given up
the job, and gone on shore but he be-
haved nobly. Another Individual tod
me that after the boat had safely nlpde the
Teapot the Lachine, the Indian who had
guided her through the passage threw
up MS cap and made three leaps along
the deck, nlanifesting the greatest triumph
at his success.
enquired of Captain billiard whether
any preparation had been nude for their
preservation III case oi accident; he sal
there had not. There was none, nc
even TN extra plank or spar, rs he feared
that that had any thing OF the kind been
seen By the crew the ssw:lite feather
might have been shown.
HI few persons knew that ii was in71
tend 10 bring tie Loaf down the rn pid
and tbs inhabitants of flIis city were as
tonislled Waen they learned the feat
wiaich had been performed and ilad the
boat passed down to Quebec Instead of
remaining III Montreal, many would nor
have believed that the voyage had been
made.
Not SO bad
young lady being dreall a. II fright
ened By 4 pull that had broken ron bis
pasture, allied to ONE men lV,ssloswere in /
the rlcigFlb0rho rood to ssdrive away thiifI
uErT1 EMAN Cow"
large proportion 81 Patriots.
u the town Of Gloucester, Mass with
nf ssa there 8 70 or -,