▁subs id ize ▁Hud dart ' s ▁struggling ▁steam ship ▁line . ▁The ▁Eastern ▁Ext ension ▁Company , ▁which ▁operated ▁a ▁te legraph ▁service ▁linking ▁Australia ▁to ▁Egypt ▁and ▁th ence ▁to ▁Europe , ▁promoted ▁w ides p read ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁whole ▁idea ▁of ▁a ▁Pacific ▁C able . ▁The ▁only ▁sign ▁of ▁Australian ▁interest ▁in ▁trade ▁with ▁Canada ▁disappeared ▁ab rupt ly ▁when ▁expl or atory ▁tal ks ▁between ▁Lar ke ▁and ▁the ▁premier ▁of ▁Victoria ▁were ▁susp ended ▁pending ▁Australian ▁feder ation . ▁ ▁Still , ▁from ▁the ▁Canadian ▁perspective , ▁there ▁seemed ▁every ▁reason ▁to ▁per se vere . ▁Despite ▁initial ▁financial ▁revers es , ▁the ▁Canadian - Austral ian ▁Ste am ship ▁Line ▁managed ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁regular ▁sh ipping ▁service . ▁Bil ater al ▁trade , ▁though ▁still ▁min usc ule , ▁slowly ▁increased ▁as ▁a ▁result . ▁Canadian ▁exports ▁to ▁Australia — pr inci p ally ▁tim ber , ▁can ned ▁sal mon ▁and ▁manufact ured ▁farm ▁implements — tri ple d ▁in ▁value ▁between ▁ 1 8 9 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁Moreover , ▁Canada ▁enjoyed ▁a ▁tid y ▁sur plus : ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁it ▁export ed ▁over ▁$ 1 . 6 ▁million ▁worth ▁of ▁goods ▁to ▁Australia ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁imports ▁worth ▁only ▁$ 6 6 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁Fac il itated ▁by ▁regular ▁steam ship ▁and ▁cable ▁connections , ▁commerce ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁British ▁domin ions ▁seemed ▁certain ▁to ▁expand ▁following