BRITISH KING / WERKENDAM / HARBIN 1881
3559 gross tons, length 410.3ft x beam 39ft, one funnel, four masts, single screw, speed 12 knots. Launched in Jan.1881 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast for British Shipowners Ltd, she was chartered to American Line on completion, and sailed on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Philadelphia on 9th Apr.1881. Her last sailing from Philadelphia to Liverpool started on 29th May 1882 and on 20th Jan.1883 was chartered to the New Zealand Shipping Co and Shaw, Savill & Albion Line for their joint London - New Zealand service. After four voyages, she returned to American Line's Liverpool - Philadelphia run in Dec.1884. She continued this service until making her last sailing on 6th Nov.1889 with the exception of one Liverpool - Queenstown (Cobh) - New York voyage for Guion Line in May 1885. Sold to the Holland America Line in 1889, she was renamed WERKENDAM and started Rotterdam - New York sailings on 22nd Feb.1890. Her last voyage on this service started 8th Mar.1900 and she was then sold to the Chinese Eastern Railway and renamed HARBIN. She was scuttled by the Russians at Port Arthur in 1904. [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.3,p.941]