140 The Northern Mariner / Le marin du nord of having to come to terms with his successful competitor. Donald Bethune was an extremely ambitious and aggressive entrepreneur who lacked the financial resources to float a new line on his own. After some negotiation, a major portion of the line was sub-contracted to Hamilton and another partnership. Fortunately for Hamilton, the expiration of several of his charters released him from most of his previous obligations with remarkably few penalties, and the Lake Ontario and upper St Lawrence trade entered a new era of decentralized line management.10 The new line, advertised initially as the Royal Mail Steam Packets (there being nothing to prevent its management from appropriating a good name), was effectively operated as two lines. Bethune dominated the Toronto to Kingston trade while the run down river from Kingston was sub-contracted to Hamilton. By tendering two contracts in 1846, the Post Office recognized the split at Kingston and the fact that the St Lawrence canals were opening the river to Montreal. Consequently, although the lake line always required three vessels, the river line gradually grew from two in 1841 to four by 1846. Despite this difference the two lines were parallel in structure. Prior to 1846 there was one principal contractor and two and later three sub-contractors.11 10 Davies, "Development of Liner Trades," 183. Cable, History of P&O; Peter Baskerville, "Donald Bethune's Steamboat Business: A Study of Upper Canadian Commercial and Financial Practice," Ontario History, 67 (1975), 135-49; Lewis, "Until Further Notice," 35-42. 11 N.S. Griffin to Hon D. Daly, 12 Oct. 1846., LAC, RG 3, Series 1, v. 8, 300-1; Kingston Chronicle and Gazette, 14 July 1841, 16 Apr. 1842, 15 July 1843; British Whig, 4 Sept. 1847. Bethune's Princess Royal (Toronto Public Library)