The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Ship of the M o n t h - cont'd. was to call on the run from D u n nville to the Soo. It is to be assumed that Owen Sound was to be a regular port of call for K A LOOLAH. The "Comet" of May 20, 1853, reported the first visit of the s t e a m er: "We had the pleasure of w e l c o m i n g the steamer K A L O O L A H in port last S a t urday. This is the finest boat that ever entered our harbour, and is i n t e n ded to run the usual trips on the old N o r t h e r n Route, b e t w e e n Sault Ste. M a rie, and S t u r g e o n Bay, by the e n t e r p r i s i n g proprietor Charles Thompson, Esq. Captain McGr egor, the very popular and g e n t l e m a n l y C o mmander of former s e a sons, will be found on the K A L O O L A H as o b l i g i n g as e v e r . " However, as great as the p r ospects appeared, there were to be m a n y p r o t r a c ted delays in her sche dule during the 1853 season. Problems with her engine likely were the cause of erron eous reports that she was wrec k e d on G e o rgian Bay in mid- July. Then, on August 25, the "Goderich H uron Signal" carried the f ollowing story: "The Brit i s h steamer KALOOLAH, plying between this place (Owen S o u n d ? ) and P enetanguishene, or Sturgeon Bay, broke her c r ank-pin on her way up last week. She was some distance below M a n i t o u w a n i n g (sic) where the accident occurred, and they were obliged to send bac k to Toronto to r e pair the damages, w hile some of the passengers came to this place in bark canoes and other small boats. We learn from Angus McDonnell, Esq., who came up this m o r n i n g from the steamer, that Captain M c G r e g o r expected to lose only one trip, and w o u l d be on hand to leave here on her regular trip the first of next w e e k . " Another b r e a k d o w n occur r e d early in N o v ember of 1853. K A L O O L A H was overdue for such an e x t e n d e d period of time that fear began to mount that she had been lost. On Tuesday, N o v ember 14, the "Buffalo D a i l y Courier" reported: "The 'Toronto Globe' says the steamer KALOOLAH, which plies between P e n e t a n g u i s h e n e and the Soo, has not been heard from in some 10 days, and fears are e n t e r t a i n e d that she has f o undered with all on board". On November 17, the "Buffalo D a i l y Republic" stated: "The 'Toronto N orth American' says: -'We are h a p p y to hear that the steamer K A L O O L A H is safe at the M a n i t o u l i n Island. Her m a c h i n e r y is damaged, and part of it was received in this city on S a t urday evening for r e p a i r . '" The "Owen S ound Comet" also carried news of the Novem b e r 18, 1853, that K A L O O L A H "has not been to some in j u r y s u stained on her downward M a n i t o u l i n Islands. Immediate steps were taken w hic h we hope will soon be. A large q u a n t i t y of Bay and Orillia, intended for this place, and intended for Sault Ste. Marie is still h e r e . " situation, as it r e p orted on running for two weeks owing trip somewhere about the to put her in running order goods are still at Sturgeon a great q u a ntity of stuff The next issue of this w e e k l y journal reported: "The 'Globe' of the 18th inst., says of this steamer: 'A n e w crank is been p r e p a r i n g (sic) w ith all speed, and will be d e s p a t c h e d from Toronto tomorrow m o r n i n g (19th i n s t . ). There are seventy passe n g e r s now at Sturg e o n Bay, w a i t i n g for passage to the Sault Ste. Marie. The agent of the C o m p a n y assures us that the K A L OOLAH will make one more trip to and from the Sault, when her repairs are c o m pleted. '" Two weeks later, the residents of Owen Sound were still w a i t i n g for the ship to make an appearance. The "Comet" reported on December 9th: "Some C o cnawaga Indians, living about twelve miles down the Bay, saw the K A L O O L A H passing down towards S t u rgeon Bay on Sunday last. They were near enough to d i s t i n guish the upper deck, and say she was m o v i n g very slowly, p r o b a b l y in c o n s e quence of her m a c h i n e r y being yet out of order, we wil l know in a few days whether she w ill make anot her trip to our port (before) this w i n t e r . " U n f o r tunately, we have no furt her details of this incident, nor of whet h e r or not she was able to provide furt her service to bring a h a p p i e r ending to the season of 1853 to those who d e p e n d e d upon her for e s sential transportation. In the autumn of 1854, a write r from England, on a tour of Canada, recorded