Ploughing the seas
’Gainst wind, and tide, and elemental strife.
HOLYHEAD derives its chief prosperity and consequence from being the
Station of the Government Packets, which convey the London and other
English mails to and from Ireland, to which it lies exactly opposite, and
is the shortest and safest passage across St. George’s Channel; and now
that the Railway is completed through to Chester, a new interest is
awakened, and hopes entertained that the port will become one of the
first importance to this remote peninsular of the kingdom. In addition
to Her Majesty’s packets, there are regular steam vessels, in connection
with the Railway Company, that sail from the harbour daily. These are
splendid first class and fast sailing steam-ships; the fittings-up are of
superior character, excellent tables are kept, stewards and stewardesses
are most attentive, the crew are steady, sober, and experienced sailors,
the commanders are true seamen, assiduous in the discharge of their
highly responsible and arduous professional duties, civil and easy in
address, intelligent in conversation, and most desirous to secure, by the
best attention, the comfort and convenience of their passengers—these
form an aggregate of all possible auxiliaries to the enjoyment of a swift
and pleasant run of 4½ hours, which lands you on the Irish shores. These
superb steamers dart boldly forward, like some ocean bird upon its wing,
on their trip across the channel. There is something almost startling in
looking intensely on that strange unconscious power which produces
results of living motion, with a beauty, majesty, and rapidity of action,
without any approach to violence or hurry; it is at such moments that the
light of modern science appears almost too dazzling to the human eye. It
is said that between Holyhead and Dublin no packet has been lost since
the days of Queen Elizabeth. In 1652, a weekly postal communication was
established between Dublin and England, by packet to Holyhead.