Nelson Line's 42 Years

The following article first appeared in the October 1966 issue of Sea Breezes magazine and has been reproducted here with the current Editor's kind permission.Additional material F.J.W. and T. Robins.

One of the best remembered family concerns in the meat trade between the River Plate and the United Kingdom was that of H. and W. Nelson Ltd., which later became a member of the great R.M.S.P. group and ultimately lost its identity after the formation of Royal Mail Lines Ltd. in 1932. This article tells the story of the company from its origin in the middle 1880s and includes a fleet list of all the ships that flew its flag. Acknowledgment is made to "Royal Mail 1839-1939" by T. A. Bushell and to the Central Record of the World Ship Society for certain historical details

by THE EDITOR

The sale in 1960 by Royal Mail Lines Ltd. of the motorship Highland Monarch for breaking up at Dalmuir, on the Clyde, marked the end of an era in the history of the refrigerated meat trade between the Argentine and the United Kingdom. The last survivor of the former Nelson Line in the Royal Mail fleet, her disposal wrote what is probably the penultimate paragraph in the story of a well-remembered concern which, although it became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the old Royal Mail Steam Packet Company as long ago as 1913, did not lose its identity until it was finally merged with Royal Mail Lines Ltd. during the reorganisation of the affairs of the Royal Mail group in 1932.

The story of the Nelson Line is the story of a pioneer in the carriage of refrigerated cargoes. Although the shipping side of the business was founded in 1890 by the brothers Hugh and William Nelson, the events leading up to its establishment began in the middle 1880s. The Nelson brothers were the sons of James Nelson, who had begun his career as a butcher in Co. Meath, Ireland, in the centre of the Irish cattle breeding industry. Developing as a breeder as well as a butcher, he sent large numbers of cattle to Liverpool, ultimately establishing a butchery business in the great north-west seaport, under the style of James Nelson and Sons. The enterprise flourished to such an extent that multiple shops were opened all over the country; cattle imports from Ireland were soon insufficient to supply the rapidly growing business and Nelson turned his attention to the question of importing supplies of meat from South America.

Accordingly, in 1886 Hugh Nelson went out to the Argentine and founded the Las Palmas meat factory at Zarate, near the mouth of the Parana River. To operate the factory Nelsons River Plate Meat Company was formed and the initial cargo of meat for the Nelson business at home was shipped in the steamer Ranmoor, owned by Steel, Young and Company, of London. In 1889 the company changed its name to Nelsons (New) River Plate Meat Company and, as prospects for development seemed favourable, plans were formulated to acquire a fleet of steamers in order that suitable tonnage would always be available to ship meat and meat products to Britain.

The first of these ships was the Spindrift, a vessel of 3,060 gross tons, built in 1888 for G. C. Gillchrest (W. Lamplough and Company, managers), London. She was bought by James Nelson and Sons in 1889 and, fitted with somewhat primitive refrigerating plant operating on the cold air system, became one of the pioneer vessels in the refrigerated meat trade. In 1890 her name was change to Highland Scot and she was registered under the ownership of the Highland Scot Steamship Co. Ltd., with Hugh and William Nelson as managers. Thus began the Nelson Line, whose ships could always be identified by their attractive and distinctive funnel colours-black top, two narrow white bands separated by a black band and the remainder red. With three exceptions, all subsequent ships in the fleet bore names with the well-known "Highland" prefix.

The principle of refrigeration was in its infancy at that time, but nevertheless the Highland Scot proved a success, and orders were placed for four new ships. Varying from 2,500 to 3,000 gross tons, they were the Highland Chief, completed by Alexander Stephen and Sons Ltd., Glasgow, in May 1890; the Highland Lassie, delivered by Mackie and Thomson, Glasgow, in March 1891; the Highland Mary, a product of Craig, Taylor's Stockton-on-Tees yard in July 1891, and the Highland Glen, completed by the same builders in October 1891. Like the Highland Scot, the four new vessels were registered as individual companies with H. and W. Nelson as managers, and a regular service between the River Plate and Liverpool was established.

In 1892 Nelsons (New) River Plate Meat Company and James Nelson and Sons amalgamated to form James Nelson and Sons Ltd., and in the following year the company's interests in the Argentine were registered on a separate basis under the style of the Las Palmas Produce Co. Ltd. Besides bringing home refrigerated meat, the vessels also carried grain and other cargoes, together with general cargo on the outward voyages, and as the enterprise prospered and developed it was decided to wind up the single ship companies and form a new company to take over the ownership of the five steamers. In this way Nelson Line (Liverpool) Ltd. came into being in 1898, Hugh and William Nelson remaining as managers until July 1901, when the management was formed into a limited liability company known as H. and W. Nelson Ltd.

James Nelson himself died in 1899, by which time the Nelson Line had gained a firm footing in the South American trade, and in that year R. Duncan and Co. Ltd., Port Glasgow, completed the next addition to the fleet. She was the Highland Laird, which, with her gross tonnage of 4,117, was the largest ship in the fleet so far. Still bigger and better refrigerated vessels were envisaged, however, and soon after the turn of the century an extensive new building programme was inaugurated. First came the Highland Brigade (5,640 gross tons), delivered by Wm. Beardmore and Company, Glasgow, in March 1901, which marked the company's entry into the passenger-carrying business. Her accommodation was limited to a small number of first-class passengers, but she proved a popular ship,

HIGHLAND BRIGADE.



Built in 1901 by W. Beardmore & Co., Glasgow.
Tonnage: 5,662g, 3,694n.
Engine: Single screw, triple expansion, three cylinder by builder, 11 kts.
Passengers: 40 1st Class.

Completed for Nelson Line (Liverpool) Ltd in 1901 and sunk by torpedo when south east of St. Catherine's point on the 7th of April 1918.

There followed the Highland Enterprise and the Highland Hope from the yard of Russell and Company, Port Glasgow, in 1903.

Then came three larger vessels of just over 6,000 gross tons from Russell's yard, all completed in 1904. Named Highland Harris, Highland Heather and Highland Watch, they had considerably more passenger accommodation, divided into first- and second-class, and were remarkably successful in establishing the reputation of the company for a reasonable passenger service to the River Plate. The ships had a deadweight capacity of 7,250 tons, and triple-expansion engines giving a speed of 12 knots. Accommodation for the passengers was comfortable but not elaborate, and they soon had a regular clientele among South American travellers who did not care for the grandeur of the Southampton mail ships.

The programme of new construction was supplemented by the purchase of three second-hand vessels. The steamers Otarama and Tekoa, each of about 4,000 gross tons, were bought from the New Zealand Shipping Co. Ltd. in 1902 and renamed Highland Ghillie and Highland Carrie, respectively, while a somewhat smaller ship, the Duke of Portland, was acquired from J. B. Westray and Co., Ltd. in 1905 to become the Highland Fling. She had been built in 1890 as the Moray shire for Turnbull, Martin's Scottish Shire Line and, like the other two ships, had been employed in the Australasian trade. All were fitted with insulated holds and refrigerating plant, making them very suitable vessels for the Nelson Line's South American service.

In 1904 the first of two losses sustained by the Nelson Line prior to the outbreak of the First World War occurred when the Highland Lassie sailed from Swansea for Buenos Aires on December 10 of that year and disappeared without trace. She was posted missing at Lloyd's in March 1905, and nothing was ever heard of her, her loss remaining one of the unsolved mysteries of the sea. The other casualty occurred just over two years later, when the Highland Fling, which had left Falmouth for Cardiff on January 7, 1907, went ashore at Kennock Bay, near the Lizard, and remained fast despite all efforts to refloat her. Eventually the vessel was cut in two and the after-part towed to Falmouth where it was broken up.

HIGHLAND LADDIE.



Built in 1905 by W. Beardmore & Co., Glasgow.
Tonnage: 3,750g, 2,399n.
Engine: Single screw, triple expansion, three cylinder, 355 NHP by builder.

Commenced service in 1905 and only ran for Nelson for two years before being sold on to the Adelaide Steamship Company of Port Adelaide and renamed Lammeroo in 1907. Sold for further trading in 1931 to the Shun Foo S.N. Co of Shanghai becoming Shun Foo, scrapped in 1934.

The pioneer Highland Scot was sold to Harris and Company of Falmouth for breaking up in 1909 and in the same year the Highland Glen was also disposed of for demolition. But it was in 1910 that the biggest single step forward in the history of the Nelson Line was taken with the decision to cater for passenger traffic on a much greater scale and to build no fewer than ten new ships to operate mainly from London. For this purpose Nelson Line (London) Ltd. was formed, a development which was quickly followed by the formation of the Nelson Steam Navigation Co. Ltd., in whose name all the new steamers were registered as they were completed. The purely cargo vessels were transferred to the ownership of Nelson Line (Liverpool) Ltd., and thus by 1911 regular services were in operation from both Thames and Mersey.

HIGHLAND ROVER.



Built in 1910 by Russell & Co., Port Glasgow.
Tonnage: 7,244g, 4,550n.
Engine: Single screw, triple expansion, three cylinder, 830 NHP, 13 kts by Rankin & Blackmore of Greenock.
Passengers: 80 1st Class, 36 intermediate, 400 steerage.
Cargo: 2,000 tons refrigerated meat, 2,000 tons general cargo and space to carry live cattle.

For the carriage of tween deck passengers Nelson Line utilised canvas lifeboats hoisted above the wooden ones, which gave every appearance that the ships of this class had two ranks of lifeboats. The company's general manager Mr A.R.T. Woods designed this particular type of vessel of which nine were launched and for the first time grey hulls and apple green superstructure were introduced. In the March 1910 Nelson Line inaugurated the London-Vigo-Las Palmas-Rio de Janeiro-Montevideo-Buenos Aires service and the outward passage time was twenty-one days. The First Class fare of £34 undercut Nelson Lines main competitor, Royal Mail by £13 and its cabins were far more spacious than that of Royal Mails. Highland Rover was broken up at Dalmuir by Thomas W Ward in 1932.

Orders for the 10 new passenger and cargo liners were divided between the yards of Russell and Company, Port Glasgow, and Cammel Laird and Co. Ltd., Birkenhead. In 1910 came the Highland Brae, Highland Carrie (II), Highland Glen (II), Highland Laddie (II), Highland Pride, Highland Rover and Highland Scot (II); the class was completed with the delivery in 1911 of the Highland Loch, Highland Piper and Highland Warrior. All the ships, which had a gross tonnage of approximately 7,500, were of similar appearance, built to a design by the Nelson Line's general manager, Mr. A. R. T. Woods, who had joined the original Nelson company in 1887 and became general manager of the shipping interests in 1897. Excellent sea boats, they were a very considerable advance on the earlier Nelson ships and could carry over 2,000 tons of meat in their insulated holds. When the last of these new ships had been delivered the Nelson Line owned a fleet with a refrigerated capacity of nearly six million cubic feet.



Highland Glen

Details as Highland Warrior, below

HIGHLAND WARRIOR.



Built in 1911 by Russell & Company, Port Glasgow.
Tonnage: 7,485g, 4,717n.
Engine: Single screw, triple expansion, three cylinder, 830 NHP, 13 kts by Rankin & Blackmore of Greenock.
Passengers: 80 1st Class, 36 intermediate, 400 steerage.

Delivered in the August for the South American service, she was wrecked on Cape Prior on the north east coast of Spain when on passage London-Corunna-South America on 2nd October 1915, all onboard were rescued.

Of the earlier vessels, the first Highland Laddie was sold in 1907 to the Adelaide Steamship Company, who renamed her Lammeroo, while the Highland Mary was bought by the Blue Star Line upon its formation by the Vestley Brothers in 1911 and as the Brodland became one of the first four ships in that now well-known fleet. The Highland Carrie went to Dutch ship-breakers in 1909 while German buyers took the Highland Chief in 1912, renaming her Alexander; a year later she again changed hands, hoisting the French flag as the Ville de Mostaganem, a name she retained until her loss by enemy action in 1915.

In 1911 the rapidly-expanding Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, which was also engaged in the River Plate meat trade, began to show a very keen interest in the affairs of the Nelson Line and rumours circulated to the effect that a take-over by the R.M.S.P. was imminent. These were strongly denied by the Nelson board, but early in 1913 similar reports were again in circulation and in May of that year the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company purchased the whole of the ordinary shares of the three Nelson companies. Sir William Nelson, as he had become, retired from the business, and Sir Owen Philipps, later Lord Kylsant, chairman of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, became chairman of the Nelson Line. The companies, however, retained their separate identities and the Nelson ships contained to sail under their "Highland" names, carrying their customary Nelson funnel colours and house-flag.

The very large meat-carrying capacity of the Nelson ships was of the greatest value to Britain during the First World War, although in those difficult times a number of losses were sustained, not only as the result of enemy action, but also through ordinary marine hazard. The first of these involved the Highland Hope, which was captured by the German cruiser Karlsruhe while outward bound and was scuttled 190 miles south-west of St. Paul's Rocks on September 14, 1914. A similar fate befell the Highland Brae, scuttled on January 14, 1915, after capture by the German cruiser Kronprinz Wilhelm 630 miles north-east of Pernambuco.

The Highland Warrior was wrecked at Santa Comba Point, on the northern coast of Spain, on October 3, 1915, while bound from London to the River Plate, via Corunn,a, ending her brief career of only four years. Another of the passenger ships, the Highland Carrie, which had narrowly escaped destruction when she was mined in 1915, was ultimately lost after a torpedo attack south of the Owers Light Vessel on May 16, 1917, and torpedoes also accounted for the HigHand Brigade and Highland Harris in April 1918 and August 1918, respectively. Lastly, the Highland Scot (II) was wrecked on Marico Island, Brazil, on May 6, 1918, making seven total losses during the war years, including four vessels of the passenger fleet. The Highland Heather survived a torpedo attack while on war service in the Mediterranean in November 1916, and after repairs continued to serve the Nelson Line until 1930, when she was broken up.

Between 1911 and 1920 only one vessel was added to the fleet. She was the Highland Star, which under her original name of Star of Ireland was the last ship of J. P. Corry's Star Line. A steamer of 4,331 gross tons, built in 1903 at Belfast by Workman, Clark and Co. Ltd., she was bought in 1916 and remained under the Nelson house-flag until 1930, when she, too, was sold for breaking up by Thos. W. Ward Ltd., at Inverkeithing, on the Firth of Forth. At the close of hostilities the Nelson Line's fleet numbered 11 vessels, but this was shortly increased to 12 by the addition of the Highland Warrior (II), one of the "G" class standard ships, in 1920. The only turbine vessel to be owned by the Nelson Line, she was also, up to that time, the largest and the fastest in the fleet, with a gross tonnage of 8,442 and a speed of 14 knots. Her big deadweight of 10,450 tons and five holds with a large refrigerated capacity made her an excellent ship for her owners' trade and she performed first-class service, remaining in the fleet until its final absorption into Royal Mail Lines Ltd.

HIGHLAND WARRIOR.



Built in 1920 by Barclay, Curle & Co., Glasgow.
Tonnage: 8?442g, 5,337n.
Engine: Single screw, double reduction-geared turbine, 1,005 HP, 12 kts by builder.
Yard No. 576.

Built as a standard 'G' type and acquired by Nelson Line and named Highland Warrior in 1920. Taken over by Royal Mail in 1932 and renamed Nagoya. Sold in 1936 to Kaye, Son & Company becoming Marlene and after an engine refit emerged with a triple expansion engine by William Denny. Torpedoed and sunk on the 4th of April 1941 when south west of Freetown.

In 1925 it was decided to wind up Nelson Line (Liverpool) Ltd., and its four remaining vessels were transferred to the Nelson Steam Navigation Co. Ltd., which thus became owners of the entire fleet. By that time the Blue Star Line was becoming a formidable competitor of the R.M.S.P. group in the River Plate trade and was planning five large passenger and cargo liners for its London service. The Nelson Line required an answer to this new tonnage and at a special court of the R.M.S.P. directors in October 1926, presided over by Lord Kylsant, it was announced that negotiations were in progress with Harland and Wolff Ltd., Belfast, for the construction of five fast 14,000-ton insulated motorships for the Nelson Line's London-River Plate service.

The design of the new ships was once again in the hands of Mr. A. R. T. Woods, who had now become a director as well as general manager, and with his long experience was a recognised authority on the science and practice of refrigeration. Work proceeded on the Nelson order at Belfast as soon as the labour troubles of 1926 has been settled, and the first vessel, the Highland Monarch, was delivered in October 1928. The following year saw the completion of the Highland Chieftain and Highland Brigade (II), and in 1930 the Highland Hope (II) and Highland Princess were commissioned. All were twin-screw vessels slightly in excess of 14,000 tons gross, propelled by two 8-cylinder Harland-B. and W. double acting 4-stroke oil engines, giving a speed of 15 knots. Insulated spaces for the carriage of chilled meat and other refrigerated cargo totalled well over half a million cubic feet and accommodation was provided for 150 first-class and 70 intermediate-class passengers, together with 500 emigrants. While not particularly good-looking ships, they soon proved very popular with passengers, their solid comfort, with public rooms decorated in Old English style complete with oak beams and panelling in the manner of Tudor houses, attracting many travellers. Their main external characteristics were a long forecastle, island navigation bridge, two very squat funnels placed close together, two pole masts and a cruiser stern.

HIGHLAND MONARCH.



Built in 1928 by Harland & Wolff of Belfast.
Tonnage: 14,139g, 8,734n.
Engines: Twin screw, 4 stroke double acting é x 8 cylinder Burmeister & Wain design by builder, 15 kts.
Passengers: 150 1st Class, 70 intermediate, 500 3rd Class.

Launched on the 3rd May 1928 and made her maiden voyage, London to Buenos Aires on the 18th of October.

Yet another class of vessel superbly designed by the company's general manager, Mr. A.R.T. Wood, all the ships of the class, there were five, were decorated in an 'Old English' style. She made her last sailing for Nelson Line on the 20th of August 1932 before being transferred to Royal Mail with her name remaining the same. Commenced trooping duties in 1939 and continued throughout the war before resuming her commercial service in 1946. Reverted to the River Plate service in 1948 and was finally broken by W.H. Arnott Young of Dalmuir in 1960, the final surviving ship of the Nelson Line.

While the new "Highland" fleet was under construction, the decision was taken to dispose of four of the 1910-11 class of passenger-cargo liners, and accordingly the Highland Glen, Highland Laddie, Highland Loch and Highland Piper were placed on the market. In 1929 all four were bought by Kaye, Son and Co. Ltd., London, to form the nucleus of the fleet of the Jamaica Banana Producers' Steamship Co. Ltd., and were renamed Jamaica Producer, Jamaica Settler, Jamaica Planter and Jamaica Merchant, respectively, to run between London and Kingston. They were replaced in the Nelson fleet by the transfer from the Lamport and Holt Line, also a member of the R.M.S.P. group, of three refrigerated ships, the Meissonier, Moliere and Murillo. Twin-screw steamers of 7,200 gross tons, built by Russell and Company, Port Glasgow, in 1915, they retained their Lamport and Holt names, and were thus the only vessels to carry the Nelson colours that did not bear "Highland" names.

HIGHLAND CHIEFTAN.



Built in 1929 by Harland & Wolff of Belfast.
Tonnage: 14,131g, 8,730n.
Remaining details as Highland Monarch.

Launched on the 21st of June 1928 and delivered on January 26th 1929.

She made her maiden voyage on the London River Plate service on the 21st of February and transferred to Royal Mail in 1932. Commenced wartime trooping duties in 1939 and was damaged on the 11th of October, 1940, during a bombing raid on Liverpool. Didn't resume her commercial operations until 1948 on the River Plate service and was sold out of the fleet in January of 1959 to the Calpe Shipping Company of Gibraltar and converted for use in the whaling industry, renamed Calpean Star. In March of 1960 she suffered rudder damage when off Montevideo and after leaving under tow she suffered a boiler room explosion which resulted in her being abandoned, the wreck wasn't cut up for scrap until 1965.

On September 9, 1929, the company suffered the loss of the Highland Pride, which went ashore on the Carallones Rocks, near Vigo, in dense fog while bound from London to Buenos Aires. Efforts to salve the vessel were unsuccessful and the wreck was later sold for scrap as it lay. Then, just over a year later, the most serious peace-time casualty in the history of the Nelson Line occurred, when the new Highland Hope was totally wrecked on the Farilhoes Rocks, near Peniche, on the Portuguese coast, on November 9, 1930, only 10 months after her completion. Although all passengers and crew were safely taken off, the loss of this almost brand new ship was a grievous blow to the company, coming as it did at a time when they were doing all they could to meet the competition of the Blue Star liners. Nevertheless a replacement was. ordered without delay from Harland and Wolfl" Ltd., Belfast, and she was completed in 1932 as the Highland Patriot.



HIGHLAND BRIGADE.



Built in 1929 by Harland & Wolff of Belfast.
Tonnage: 14,131g, 8,732n.
Remaining details as Highland Monarch.

Launched on the 1st of November 1928 and completed on the 27th of April 1929.

Placed on the company's River Plate service and transferred to Royal Mail in 1932. Commenced trooping duties in 1940 and suffered mine damage off Singapore when loaded with 2,200 Indian troops on the 18th of January 1946, no casualties. Resumed commercial services in 1947 and was sold to John Latsis, Piraeus in 1959 becoming Henrietta for their Genoa-Australia service. Renamed Marianna in 1960 and used as a pilgrim ship for their Mecca service. Arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan on the 29th of June 1965 for breaking.

During the period 1928-30 more of the old ships were disposed of. The Highland Laird of 1889 was bought by Job Bros, and Co. Ltd., the Newfoundland merchants, in 1928, becoming the Blue Peter, and in 1930 the Highland Heather, Highland Star and Highland Watch went to Thos. W. Ward Ltd. in one deal for breaking up, the three vessels realising only £27,000. Apart from the Highland Heather, brought into service for a brief spell following the wreck of the Highland Prince, they had been laid-up at Dunston-on-Tyne since the spring of 1927. Also sold in 1930 was the Highland Enterprise of 1903, the buyers in her case being Kaye, Son and Co. Ltd., for whom she became the Northland; two years later she was bought by the London Whaling Co. Ltd., who renamed her the Thorland, a name she retained under two more subsequent owners until broken up at Faslane as recently as 1951.

HIGHLAND PRINCESS.



Built in 1930 by Harland & Wolff of Belfast.
Tonnage: 14,128g, 8,729n.
Remaining details as Highland Monarch.

Launched on the 11th of April 1929 and completed on the 25th of February 1930.

Transferred to Royal Mail in 1932 and commenced trooping duties in 1939. Resumed commercial operations in 1947 on the London-River Plate service after a complete reconditioning by Harland & Wolff changing her passenger compliment to 100 1st Class and 340 3rd Class. Sold to John Lastis of Piraeus in 1959 becoming Marianna and sold a year later to Czechfracht of Czechoslovakia becoming Slapy, sold on the same year to the Peoples Republic of China becoming the Guanghua, last heard of in 1980 as the Guang Hua.

In 1932 the Highland Rover, last survivor of the 1910-11 building programme, was bought by Thos. W. Ward Ltd. for breaking up at their Grays, Essex, yard, and in that year came the calamitous crash of the great R.M.S.P. group. From the welter of financial entanglement there emerged in August 1932 a completely new company, Royal Mail Lines Ltd., which took over the ships, house-flag and other assets of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company together with the fleets of three wholly-owned subsidiaries-R.M.S.P. Meat Transports Ltd., David Maclver and Co. Ltd. and the Nelson Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. The Nelson ships transferred to Royal Mail Lines Ltd. included the five big motorships, the three former Lamport and Holt steamers and the "G" class standard ship Highland Warrior, and although the five passenger liners retained their "Highland" names, the Nelson funnel colours and house-flag disappeared for ever from the high seas. Of the cargo vessels, the Meissonier, Moliere and Murillo became the Nasina, Nela and Nalon, respectively, and the Highland Warrior was renamed Nagoya, all under the Royal Mail flag.

HIGHLAND PATRIOT.



Built in 1932 by Harland & Wolff of Belfast.
Tonnage: 14,157g, 8,743n.
Remaining details as Highland Monarch.

Launched on the 10th of December 1931 and completed on the 14th of May 1932.

Transferred to Royal Mail in 1932. After being taken up by the Ministry of War Transport she was torpedoed and sunk on the 1st of October 1940 by U-38 when 500 miles west of Bishops Rock inbound for the Clyde, of 143 onboard three were lost.

So ended 42 years of the Nelson Line-a somewhat unhappy conclusion to the career of one of the best examples of family enterprise in British shipping. But it was not the end of the career of the "Highland" ships, for even today that story has not yet reached its final stage. The memory of the Nelson Line has been perpetuated until recent times by four of the 14,000-ton passenger-cargo motorships which have carried on the Royal Mail London-River Plate service with unfailing regularity. Oddly enough, the Highland Patriot, replacement ship for the ill-fated Highland Hope, herself came to an unfortunate end, when she was torpedoed and sunk by a U-boat on October 1, 1940, but the four survivors were superseded a few years ago by Royal Mail's "Three Graces", Amazon, Aragon and Arlanza.

First to be disposed of was the Highland Chieftain, which was bought by the Calpe Shipping Company, of Gibraltar, and renamed Calpean Star for service as a transport in the whaling industry. Her hitherto trouble-free life turned to one of continued misfortune under her new owners; one mishap followed another, and after finally grounding in the River Plate while being towed out of Montevideo in a damaged condition last year, she was cut up for scrap where she lay by local metal merchants.

Mr. John S. Latsis, the Greek shipowner, purchased the Highland Brigade and Highland Princess in 1959 with the intention of placing them on a new Europe-Australia services, a plan which, however, has failed to materialise. The former was at first named Henrietta and the latter became the Marianna, but then Mr. Latsis re-sold the Marianna to Czechoslovakian buyers and the Henrietta was renamed Marianna. This confusing state of affairs was heightened by the fact that while the Marianna (ex-Highland Princess) was en route to Constantza for delivery to her new owners, Mr. Latsis also had the Marianna (ex-Henrietta, en-Highland Brigade) at sea at the same time. Under the Czechoslovakian flag the first Marianna was renamed Slapy, her first voyage being from Constantza to Whampoa-strange waters, indeed, for a "Highland" liner. Subsequently she was sold to the People's Republic of China, and is still afloat as the Guanghua.

With the demolition of the Highland Monarch at Dalmuir, the last of these famous ships disappeared from the British register. How long the two survivors under the Greek and Chinese flags will continue trading is a matter for conjecture, but one things seems certain-the Nelson Line will long be remembered by those associated with the River Plate meat trade as an enterprise which contributed in no small measure to the development of our trade with South America.