Rhine (ship)
The Rhine was a 1,691 ton iron sailing ship with a length of 257.2 feet (78.4 m), breadth of 38.3 feet (11.7 m) and depth of 23.1 feet (7.0 m). She was built by Russel & Company, Port Glasgow for the Nourse Line, named after the river Rhine which starts in Switzerland and flows via Germany and the Netherlands to the North Sea, and launched on 10 December 1885. She was primarily used for the transportation of Indian indentured labourers to the colonies. Details of some of these voyages are as follows:
| Destination | Date of Arrival | Number of Passengers | Deaths During Voyage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinidad | 2 October 1888 | 677 | 5 |
| Suriname | 17 November 1890 | n/a | n/a |
| Trinidad | 13 December 1891 | 657 | 18 |
| Trinidad | 13 November 1892 | 664 | 11 |
| Trinidad | 23 October 1893 | 647 | 9 |
| Trinidad | 1 November 1895 | 680 | 10 |
| Trinidad | 13 December 1896 | 600 | 14 |
| Fiji | 30 August 1900 | 491 | n/a |
| Trinidad | 27 November 1902 | 587 | 2 |
| Trinidad | 18 February 1904 | 621 | 2 |
| Trinidad | 9 May 1905 | 612 | 4 |
| Trinidad | 9 March 1906 | 512 | 2 |
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Owner: | Nourse Line |
| Builder: | Russel & Company, Port Glasgow |
| Launched: | 10 December 1885 |
| History | |
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| Owner: | R.C. Williams of New Brunswick, 1907; W.H. Chandler, Rhine Shipping Company, Montreal, Canada, 1909; G.I. Dewar, Montreal, 1911 |
| History | |
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| Owner: | W. McKissock, Boston, 1915; and finally in 1923 was sold to E.P. Reiss, Boston, 1923, for use as a barge |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Iron-hulled sailing ship |
| Tons burthen: | 1,691 tons |
| Length: | 257.2 ft. |
| Beam: | 38.3 ft. |
| Draught: | 23.1 ft. |
The Rhine was sold by the Nourse Line in 1907 and passed through a number of owners. It was initially sold to R.C. Williams of New Brunswick, Canada, then in 1909 it was sold to W.H. Chandler, who operated the ship as Rhine Shipping Company, Montreal, Canada. In 1911 the Rhine Shipping Company was sold to G.I. Dewar of Montreal, Canada, then in 1915 it was sold to new owners in Boston, then was sold once more to W. McKissock of Boston and finally in 1923 was sold to E.P. Reiss of Boston for use as a barge.
See also
- Indian Indenture Ships to Fiji
- Indian indenture system
References
- Perry, F. W. (1991). Nourse Line. World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-62-2.
- Lubbock, Basil (1981). Coolie ships and oil sailors. Brown, Son & Ferguson. ISBN 0-85174-111-8.