At first the service was halting because of unavoidable circumstances.  The Pacific Company were unable at once to meet the demands.  Sufficient or competent crews could not be obtained on the California coast during the gold excitement,[GL] at fever heat in 1849.  But it was not long before more ships were put on, and the service improved and prospered.  By September, 1849, the Chagres company had their first completed ship in commission.  This was the Ohio, 2432 tons, built in New York.  By June, 1850, the second, the Georgia (and the third of the line, for the Falcon was retained) was running.  Soon afterwards the Illinois was added.  At about the same time the Pacific company had added two more to their fleet—­the Columbia and the Tennessee.  In 1851 the postmaster-general was authorized to increase the Pacific trips to semi-monthly; and the subsidy was increased.  An additional contract (March 13) was then made with Mr. Aspinwall, as president of the Pacific Mail.[GM] This called for the enlargement of the line within a year, to six steamers; and for semi-monthly trips from Panama to Oregon and back, with stops and mail delivery at named points in California; and increased the company’s subsidy by one hundred and forty-nine thousand two hundred and fifty dollars per annum.  Thus the yearly total became three hundred and forty-eight thousand two hundred and fifty dollars.  Before the semi-monthly trips were begun, San Diego and Monterey were dropped for the regular service, to be served by a slower line.[GN] Also this year (1851) two more steamers were added to the fleet.

By this time on the Atlantic side the Collins Line was in promising operation.  The service had auspiciously begun in 1850 with four of the five steamships called for by the contract.  These were the Atlantic, 2845 tons, the Arctic, 2856 tons, the Baltic, 2723 tons, and the Pacific, 2707 tons, each some seven hundred tons larger than the measurement stipulated—­“at least 2000 tons.”  All were built in New York ship-yards; were especially designed for fast sailing; and in size, model, finish, and fittings were pronounced to be “such steamers as the world had never seen."[GO] In all respects they were superior to the Cunarders with which they were aggressively to compete; and it was the boast of the Americans that they would “beat the English in steam navigation, as they had beaten them in fast sailing.”  All associated with the enterprise were of large experience in maritime affairs.  Mr. Collins, a native of Truro, Cape Cod, and long a shipping merchant of New York, had been at the head of fast clipper-ship lines—­the New Orleans and Vera Cruz packet line, and the more famous “Dramatic line” (the ships named for plays and players) of transatlantic sailers.  The commanders of the steamers were all tried clipper captains.