The B.I SUNDAY

For larger version scroll down.



'One wonders what William Mackinnon would think from the Hereafter, in which he so staunchly believed, of such as the Kenya or the Uganda as she enters, to dominate, the East African harbours - of radar, echo-sounding gear, internal combustion engines, refrigeration, silent cargo winches and all the rest of it. One hopes he may have seen from the Shades the gathering in the harbour of Mombasa on Sunday, September 16th , 1951, when every available berth was occupied by a B.I. vessel.

They still call it 'B.I. Sunday.' The Kenya had just arrived on her maiden voyage. Also alongside the wharves were the ships Mantola, Mombasa, Modasa, Karanja, Tabora and Kampala, most of them sizeable vessels. The motor-ship Sofala was up on the slipway for overhaul. Altogether, 56, 807 gross tons of B.I. shipping packed out the harbour of Mombasa that day.'

This extract was taken from B.I. Centenary 1856 - 1956 by George Blake.