Indian indenture ships to Fiji

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

[edit] Notes:

  • The number following the name of the ship denotes the voyage number (to Fiji).
  • "SS" in front of the name of the ship denotes that it was a steam ship.
  • From 1905 all ships were steam ships.

[edit] See also

Indian indenture system

Languages