Details
Newnham – was the first steamship to bring Indian indentured labourers to Fiji, arriving at Suva on 23 July 1884 carrying 575 passengers. The 1296-ton steamer took only 38 days to reach Fiji as it was able to take the shorter route through the Timor sea.
Although a lower death rate was expected because of the shorter trip and fewer cases of pneumonia and bronchitis because the ship avoided the cooler climate of the southerly route, the ship rolled violently during the trip and there were many deaths. The Fiji Government favoured sailing ships also because steamships sailed through hot weather which could foster tropical diseases which could spread in Fiji and also because any diseases on board would have a chance to incubate during the long trip.
The Colonial Sugar Refining Company favoured steamships because their arrival dates could be estimated more accurately, and because they took less time to reach Fiji, the labourers would be fitter and would have time to become acclimatized before participating in the cane crushing season which started in May or June.
Table of Indian Emigrant Ships
| No. | Ship | Arrival Date | Arrivals | Type | Ton |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leonidas | 14 May 1879 | 463 | Sailing Ship | 111 |
| 2 | Berar | 29 June 1882 | 424 | Sailing Ship | 902 |
| 3 | Poonah | 17 September 1882 | 477 | Sailing Ship | 1199 |
| 4 | Poonah | 19 June 1883 | 496 | Sailing Ship | 1199 |
| 5 | Bayard | 20 August 1883 | 494 | Sailing Ship | 1,028 |
| 6 | Syria | 14 May 1884 | 438 | Sailing Ship | 1,010 |
| 7 | Howrah | 26 June 1884 | 495 | Sailing Ship | 1,098 |
| 8 | Pericles | 3 July 1884 | 461 | Sailing Ship | 1,598 |
| 9 | SS Newnham | 23 July 1884 | 575 | Steam Ship | 1296 |
| 10 | Main | 30 April 1885 | 725 | Sailing Ship | 1691 |
| 11 | Ganges | 27 June 1885 | 523 | Sailing Ship | 1,529 |
| 12 | Boyne | 26 April 1886 | 537 | Sailing Ship | 1,403 |
| 13 | Bruce | 21 May 1886 | 458 | Sailing Ship | 1,200 |
| 14 | Hereford | 24 April 1888 | 539 | Sailing Ship | 1456 |
| 15 | Moy | 3 May 1889 | 677 | Sailing Ship | 1,697 |
| 16 | Rhone | 15 May 1890 | 585 | Iron Sailing Ship | 1,768 |
| 17 | Allanshaw | 17 June 1890 | 573 | Iron Sailing Ship | 1,589 |
| 18 | Danube | 15 June 1891 | 591 | Sailing Ship | 1,459 |
| 19 | Jumna | 27 June 1891 | 447 | Iron-hulled full-rigged ship | 1,048 GRT |
| 20 | British Peer | 23 April 1892 | 527 | Three Masted Iron Sailing Ship | 1428 |
| 21 | Avon | 5 May 1892 | 520 | Iron Sailing Ship | 1,572 |
| 22 | Hereford | 15 June 1892 | 479 | Sailing Ship | 1456 |
| 23 | Moy | 14 April 1893 | 467 | Sailing Ship | 1,697 |
| 24 | Jumna | 23 May 1893 | 310 | Iron-hulled full-rigged ship | 1,048 GRT |
| 25 | Ems | 20 April 1894 | 570 | Iron Sailing Ship | 1,829 |
| 26 | Hereford | 28 June 1894 | 511 | Sailing Ship | 1456 |
| 27 | SS Vadala | 26 March 1895 | 747 | Steam Ship | 3,388 |
| 28 | SS Virawa | 26 April 1895 | 677 | Steam Ship | 3,334 |
| 29 | Erne | 24 April 1896 | 557 | Fully rigged sailing ship | 1,692 |
| 30 | Elbe | 13 June 1896 | 615 | Three-masted, iron sailing ship | 1,693 |
| 31 | Rhone | 11 May 1897 | 653 | Iron Sailing Ship | 1,768 |
| 32 | Clyde | 1 June 1897 | 670 | Sailing Ship | 1,840 |
| 33 | Moy | 1 June 1898 | 568 | Sailing Ship | 1,697 |
| 34 | Avon | 25 July 1899 | 467 | Iron Sailing Ship | 1,572 |
| 35 | Ganges | 3 September 1899 | 464 | Sailing Ship | 1,529 |
| 36 | Ganges | 21 June 1900 | 554 | Sailing Ship | 1,529 |
| 37 | Elbe | 26 July 1900 | 604 | Three-masted, iron sailing ship | 1,693 |
| 38 | Arno | 23 July 1900 | 627 | Iron sailing ship | 1,825 |
| 39 | Rhine | 30 August 1900 | 491 | Iron Sailing Ship | 1,691 |
| 40 | SS Fazilka | 28 March 1901 | 804 | Steamship | 4,152 GRT |
| 41 | SS Fultala | 12 May 1901 | 809 | Steamship | 4,155 |
| 42 | SS Fazilka | 18 June 1901 | 776 | Steamship | 4,152 GRT |
| 43 | SS Virawa | 26 April 1902 | 718 | Steam Ship | 3,334 |
| 44 | SS Fazilka | 20 June 1902 | 840 | Steamship | 4,152 GRT |
| 45 | Mersey | 13 June 1903 | 585 | Iron sailing ship | 1,829 |
| 46 | Elbe | 5 August 1903 | 590 | Three-masted, iron sailing ship | 1,693 |
| 47 | Arno | 4 September 1903 | 634 | Iron sailing ship | 1,825 |
| 48 | Arno | 3 May 1904 | 631 | Iron sailing ship | 1,825 |
| 49 | Ems | 30 July 1904 | 526 | Iron Sailing Ship | 1,829 |
| 50 | SS Fultala | 10 April 1905 | 827 | Steamship | 4,155 |
| 51 | SS Virawa | 17 July 1905 | 615 | Steamship | 3,334 |
| 52 | SS Wardha | 28 July 1905 | 892 | Steamship | 3,917 |
| 53 | SS Fultala | 17 August 1905 | 790 | Steamship | 4,155 |
| 54 | SS Fazilka | 17 April 1906 | 881 | Steamship | 4,152 GRT |
| 55 | SS Fultala | 28 April 1906 | 801 | Steamship | 4,155 |
| 56 | SS Wardha | 28 June 1906 | 834 | Steamship | 3,917 |
| 57 | SS Fazilka | 28 January 1907 | 875 | Steamship | 4,152 GRT |
| 58 | SS Virawa | 23 March 1907 | 759 | Steamship | 3,334 |
| 59 | SS Fazilka | 25 April 1907 | 796 | Steamship | 4,152 GRT |
| 60 | SS Sangola | 18 March 1908 | 1132 | Steamship | 5,149 |
| 61 | SS Sangola | 6 June 1908 | 1086 | Steamship | 5,149 |
| 62 | SS Sangola | 1 February 1909 | 1152 | Steamship | 5,149 |
| 63 | SS Sangola | 21 April 1909 | 667 | Steamship | 5,149 |
| 64 | SS Sangola | 7 March 1910 | 926 | Steamship | 5,149 |
| 65 | SS Santhia | 22 April 1910 | 1021 | Steamship | 5,544 |
| 66 | SS Sangola | 5 June 1910 | 869 | Steamship | 5,149 |
| 67 | SS Santhia | 8 July 1910 | 1030 | Steamship | 5,544 |
| 68 | SS Mutlah | 22 May 1911 | 834 | Steamship | 3,393 |
| 69 | SS Sutlej | 25 June 1911 | 850 | Steamship | 3,549 |
| 70 | SS Ganges | 22 July 1911 | 860 | Steamship | 3,475 |
| 71 | SS Mutlah | 18 August 1911 | 863 | Steamship | 3,393 |
| 72 | SS Sutlej | 4 October 1911 | 811 | Steamship | 3,549 |
| 73 | SS Sutlej | 27 April 1912 | 857 | Steamship | 3,549 |
| 74 | SS Indus | 8 June 1912 | 804 | Steamship | 3,393 |
| 75 | SS Ganges | 18 July 1912 | 843 | Steamship | 3,475 |
| 76 | SS Ganges | 8 November 1912 | 846 | Steamship | 3,475 |
| 77 | SS Ganges | 21 February 1913 | 771 | Steamship | 3,475 |
| 78 | SS Sutlej | 11 April 1913 | 808 | Steamship | 3,549 |
| 79 | SS Ganges | 29 May 1913 | 848 | Steamship | 3,475 |
| 80 | SS Ganges | 9 September 1913 | 784 | Steamship | 3,475 |
| 81 | SS Chenab | 24 March 1914 | 855 | Steamship | 3,930 GRT |
| 82 | SS Chenab | 16 June 1914 | 717 | Steamship | 3,930 GRT |
| 83 | SS Mutlah | 7 May 1915 | 852 | Steamship | 3,393 |
| 84 | SS Ganges | 21 June 1915 | 846 | Steamship | 3,475 |
| 85 | SS Mutlah | 1 August 1915 | 812 | Steamship | 3,393 |
| 86 | SS Chenab | 1 September 1916 | 882 | Steamship | 3,930 GRT |
| 87 | SS Sutlej | 11 November 1916 | 888 | Steamship | 3,549 |
News Article from The Baltimore
Author: Fiji Journal
Established 2018