Pacific Steam Navigation Company
Encyclopedia
The Pacific Steam Navigation Company was a commercial shipping
company that operated in the Pacific coast of South America
, and was the first to use steam ships for commercial traffic in the Pacific Ocean
.
in London
in 1838 and began its operations in 1840 when two steam ships Chile and Peru were commissioned to carry mail
. Early ports of call were Valparaíso, Coquimbo, Huasco
, Copiapó, Cobija
, Iquique
, Arica
, Islay
, Pisco
and Callao
. In 1846 the company expanded its routes to include Huanchaco
, Lambayeque
, Paita
, Guayaquil
, Buenaventura
and Panama City
.
In 1852 the company gained a contract for British Government mail to posts in western South America. Two direct routes were also established - Liverpool
to Callao in 1868 and London
to Sydney
in 1877. In 1905 the London-Sydney route was sold to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
, which purchased the entire company in 1910. The name and routes were retained until Furness Withy
purchased Royal Mail in 1965. Following the purchase the separate Pacific Steam Navigation Company structure was abolished and the vessels rebranded, effectively signalling the end of the Company.
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
company that operated in the Pacific coast of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and was the first to use steam ships for commercial traffic in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
History
The company was founded by William WheelwrightWilliam Wheelwright
William Wheelwright was a businessman who played an essential role in the development of steamboat and train transportation in Chile and other parts of South America...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1838 and began its operations in 1840 when two steam ships Chile and Peru were commissioned to carry mail
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
. Early ports of call were Valparaíso, Coquimbo, Huasco
Huasco, Chile
Huasco is a Chilean city and commune, in the Huasco Province, Atacama Region.The port city of Huasco is located 50 km west of Vallenar and close to the town of Huasco Bajo, which lies on the southern bank of the Huasco River and only a few km from its mouth...
, Copiapó, Cobija
Cobija
The Bolivian city of Cobija is located about 600 km north of La Paz in the Amazon Basin on the border of Brazil and Peru. Cobija lies on banks of the Rio Acre across from the Brazilian city Brasiléia. Cobija lies at an elevation of ca...
, Iquique
Iquique
Iquique is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Atacama Desert and the Pampa del Tamarugal. It had a population of 216,419 as of the 2002 census...
, Arica
Arica, Chile
Arica is a commune and a port city with a population of 185,269 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica and Parinacota Region, located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the capital of both the Arica Province and the Arica and Parinacota Region...
, Islay
Islay Province
Islay Province is the smallest of eight provinces in the Arequipa Region of Peru.-Political division:The province is divided into six districts which are:* Cocachacra * Dean Valdivia * Islay * Mejía...
, Pisco
Pisco, Peru
Pisco is a city located in the Ica Region of Peru, the capital of the Pisco Province. The city is around 9 metres above sea level. Originally the villa of Pisco was founded in 1640, close to the indigenous emplacement of the same name...
and Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
. In 1846 the company expanded its routes to include Huanchaco
Huanchaco
Huanchaco beach is a summer vacation spot located in the northern city of Trujillo, Peru. Huanchaco is famous for a few things but particularly for being a surfer's dream spot and its caballitos de totora. The most famous food here is the ceviche. Huanchaco is nearby the very famous ruins of Chan...
, Lambayeque
Lambayeque
The name Lambayeque originates from "Llampayec", an idol that was worshipped in northern Peru. It can refer to the following Peruvian locations:* The city of Lambayeque, Peru* The Lambayeque District* The Lambayeque Province* The Lambayeque Region...
, Paita
Paita
Paita is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Paita Province which is in the Piura Region. It is a leading seaport in that region...
, Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
, Buenaventura
Buenaventura, Colombia
Buenaventura is a port city and municipality located in the department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia . Buenaventura is the main port of Colombia in the Pacific Ocean....
and Panama City
Panama City
Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
.
In 1852 the company gained a contract for British Government mail to posts in western South America. Two direct routes were also established - Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
to Callao in 1868 and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1877. In 1905 the London-Sydney route was sold to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company was a British shipping company founded in London in 1839 by Scot James Macqueen. After good and bad times it became the largest shipping group in the world in 1927 when it took over the White Star Line....
, which purchased the entire company in 1910. The name and routes were retained until Furness Withy
Furness Withy
Furness Withy was a major British transport business. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange.-History:The Company was founded by Christopher Furness and Henry Withy in 1891 in Hartlepool. This was achieved by the amalgamation of the Furness Line of steamers with the business of Edward Withy and...
purchased Royal Mail in 1965. Following the purchase the separate Pacific Steam Navigation Company structure was abolished and the vessels rebranded, effectively signalling the end of the Company.
Routes
| Years | Type | Principal Route | Ports of call |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1843 - 1923 | Chile - Peru | Valparaiso - coastal ports - Callao | |
| 1846 - 1923 | Chile - Panama | Valparaiso - Callao - Guayaquil - Panama | |
| 1848 - 1923 | Chile (domestic) | Valparaiso - Puerto Montt (Chile) | |
| 1868 - 1920 | Europe - Chile | Liverpool - Bordeaux - Lisbon - Cape Verde - Rio de Janeiro - Montevideo - Punta Arenas - Valparaiso (from 1870) - Arica - Mollendo - Callao | |
| 1877 - 1879 | Mail, passengers | Europe- Argentina | Liverpool - Bordeaux - Buenos Aires |
| 1904 - 1920 | Mail, passengers | Europe - Argentina | Liverpool - La Pallice - Corunna - Vigo - Lisbon - Recife - Salvador - Rio de Janeiro - Montevideo - Buenos Aires - Port Stanley - Punta Arenas - Coronel - Talcahuano - Valparaiso |
| 1914 - 1945 | Panama (domestic) | Cristobal - Panama Canal - Champerico |