Indian indenture ships to Fiji

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Between 1879 and 1916, a total of 42 ships made 87 voyages, carrying Indian indentured labourers to Fiji. Initially the ships brought labourers from Calcutta, but from 1903 all ships except two also brought labourers from Madras. A total of 60,965 passengers left India but only 60,553 (including births at sea) arrived in Fiji. A total of 45,439 boarded ships in Calcutta and 15,114 in Madras. Sailing ships took, on average, seventy-three days for the trip while steamers took 30 days. The shipping companies associated with the labour trade were Nourse Line and British-India Steam Navigation Company.

The most important man on these ships was the Surgeon-Superintendent, who supervised the medical care, ventilation, clothing, cleanliness and exercise of the passengers and his authority extended over the Captain. He inspected the stores before departure and reported on any defects during the trip. The Surgeon-Superintendent also intervened to prevent passengers from being mistreated by the crew. He was paid a bonus for each labourer landed alive.

[edit] List of ships

The table below provides details of the 87 voyages made by the 40 ships that brought Indian Indentured Labourers to Fiji. Of these ships, 27 were sailing ships and 13 were steam ships.

Name of Ship	Date of Arrival	Registered Numbers	Number of Arrivals
LeonidasLeonidas	01879-05-15 15 May 1879	000011–463	463
BerarBerar	01882-06-29 29 June 1882	00464464–887	424
PoonahPoonah	01882-09-17 17 September 1882	00888888–1364	477
PoonahPoonah	01883-06-19 19 June 1883	013651365–1860	496
BayardBayard	01883-08-20 20 August 1883	018611861–2354	494
SyriaSyria	01884-05-14 14 May 1884	023552355–2792	438
HowrahHowrah	01884-06-26 26 June 1884	027932793–3287	495
PericlesPericles	01884-07-03 3 July 1884	032883288–3748	461
NewnhamSS Newnham	01884-07-23 23 July 1884	037493749–4323	575
MainMain	01885-04-30 30 April 1885	043244324–5048	725
Ganges IIGanges II	01885-06-27 27 June 1885	050495049–5571	523
BoyneBoyne	01886-04-26 26 April 1886	055725572–6108	537
BruceBruce	01886-05-21 21 May 1886	061096109–6566	458
HerefordHereford	01888-04-24 24 April 1888	065676567–7105	539
MoyMoy	01889-05-03 3 May 1889	071067106–7782	677
RhoneRhone	01890-05-15 15 May 1890	077837783–8367	585
Allan ShawAllan Shaw	01890-06-17 17 June 1890	083688368–8940	573
DanubeDanube	01891-06-15 15 June 1891	089418941–9531	591
JumnaJumna	01891-06-27 27 June 1891	095329532–9978	447
British PeerBritish Peer	01892-04-23 23 April 1892	099799979–10505	527
AvonAvon	01892-05-05 5 May 1892	1050610506–11025	520
HerefordHereford	01892-06-15 15 June 1892	1102611026–11504	479
MoyMoy	01893-04-14 14 April 1893	1150511505–11971	467
JumnaJumna	01893-05-23 23 May 1893	1197211972–12281	310
EmsEms	01894-04-20 20 April 1894	1228212282–12851	570
HerefordHereford	01894-06-28 28 June 1894	1285212852–13362	511
S.S. Vadala	01895-03-26 26 March 1895	1336313363–14109	747
VirawaSS Virawa	01895-04-26 26 April 1895	1411014110–14786	677
ErneErne	01896-04-24 24 April 1896	1478714787–15343	557
ElbeElbe	01896-06-13 13 June 1896	1534415344–15958	615
RhoneRhone	01897-05-11 11 May 1897	1595915959–16611	653
ClydeClyde	01897-06-01 1 June 1897	1661216612–17281	670
MoyMoy	01898-06-01 1 June 1898	1728217282–17849	568
AvonAvon	01899-07-25 25 July 1899	1785017850–18316	467
Ganges IIGanges II	01899-09-03 3 September 1899	1831718317–18780	464
Ganges IIGanges II	01900-06-21 21 June 1900	1878118781–19334	554
ElbeElbe	01900-07-26 26 July 1900	1933519335–19938	604
ArnoArno	01900-07-23 23 July 1900	1993919939–20565	627
RhineRhine	01900-08-30 30 August 1900	2056620566–21056	491
FazilkaSS Fazilka	01901-03-28 28 March 1901	2105721057–21860	804
FultalaSS Fultala	01901-05-12 12 May 1901	2186121861–22669	809
FazilkaSS Fazilka	01901-06-18 18 June 1901	2267022670–23445	776
VirawaSS Virawa	01902-04-26 26 April 1902	2344623446–24163	718
FazilkaSS Fazilka	01902-06-20 20 June 1902	2416424164–25003	840
MerseyMersey	01903-06-13 13 June 1903	2500425004–25588	585
ElbeElbe	01903-08-05 5 August 1903	2558925589–26178	590
ArnoArno	01903-09-04 4 September 1903	2617926179–26812	634
ArnoArno	01904-05-03 3 May 1904	2681326813–27443	631
EmsEms	01904-07-30 30 July 1904	2744427444–27969	526
FultalaSS Fultala	01905-04-10 10 April 1905	2797027970–28796	827
VirawaSS Virawa	01905-07-17 17 July 1905	2879728797–29411	615
WardhaSS Wardha	01905-07-28 28 July 1905	2941229412–30303	892
FultalaSS Fultala	01905-08-17 17 August 1905	3030430304–31093	790
FazilkaSS Fazilka	01906-04-17 17 April 1906	3109431094–31974	881
FultalaSS Fultala	01906-04-28 28 April 1906	3197531975–32775	801
WardhaSS Wardha	01906-06-28 28 June 1906	3277632776–33609	834
FazilkaSS Fazilka	01907-01-28 28 January 1907	3361033610–34484	875
VirawaSS Virawa	01907-03-23 23 March 1907	3448534485–35243	759
FazilkaSS Fazilka	01907-04-25 25 April 1907	3524435244–36039	796
SangolaSS Sangola	01908-03-18 18 March 1908	3604036040–37171	1132
SangolaSS Sangola	01908-06-06 6 June 1908	3717237172–38257	1086
SangolaSS Sangola	01909-02-01 1 February 1909	3825838258–39409	1152
SangolaSS Sangola	01909-04-21 21 April 1909	3941039410–40076	667
SangolaSS Sangola	01910-03-07 7 March 1910	4007740077–41002	926
SanthiaSS Santhia	01910-04-22 22 April 1910	4100341003–42023	1021
SangolaSS Sangola	01910-06-05 5 June 1910	4202442024–42892	869
SanthiaSS Santhia	01910-07-08 8 July 1910	4289342893–43922	1030
MutlahSS Mutlah	01911-05-22 22 May 1911	4392343923–44756	834
SutlejSS Sutlej	01911-06-25 25 June 1911	4475744757–45606	850
GangesSS Ganges	01911-07-22 22 July 1911	4560745607–46466	860
MutlahSS Mutlah	01911-08-18 18 August 1911	4646746467–47329	863
SutlejSS Sutlej	01911-10-04 4 October 1911	4733047330–48140	811
SutlejSS Sutlej	01912-04-27 27 April 1912	4814148141–48997	857
IndusSS Indus	01912-06-08 8 June 1912	4899848998–49801	804
GangesSS Ganges	01912-07-18 18 July 1912	4980249802–50644	843
GangesSS Ganges	01912-11-08 8 November 1912	5064550645–51490	846
GangesSS Ganges	01913-02-21 21 February 1913	5149151491–52261	771
SutlejSS Sutlej	01913-04-11 11 April 1913	5226252262–53069	808
GangesSS Ganges	01913-05-29 29 May 1913	5307053070–53917	848
GangesSS Ganges	01913-09-09 9 September 1913	5391853918–54701	784
ChenabSS Chenab	01914-03-24 24 March 1914	5470254702–55556	855
ChenabSS Chenab	01914-06-16 16 June 1914	5555755557–56273	717
MutlahSS Mutlah	01915-05-07 7 May 1915	5627456274–57125	852
GangesSS Ganges	01915-06-21 21 June 1915	5712657126–57971	846
MutlahSS Mutlah	01915-08-01 1 August 1915	5797257972–58783	812
ChenabSS Chenab	01916-09-01 1 September 1916	5878458784–59665	882
SutlejSS Sutlej	01916-11-11 11 November 1916	5966659666–60553	888