Merkara.
The second arrival in 1888 was my paternal great-great-grandmother. She was on board the “Merkara” which departed from London.
Research.
The information below has been gathered from a variety of newspaper articles via TROVE and the British Newspaper Archives websites. As well as the Queensland State Archives and the Queensland State Library for additional information.
Many Australian and British newspapers printed the vessel’s movements so as to advise those expecting an arrival so they knew where a vessel was on any particular date. Limited information is known about the actual voyage.
The Ship.
The “Merkara” was part of the British India Steam Navigation Company. The ship was built in 1875 by Wm Denny & Bros of Dumbarton, Scotland. The ship’s tonnage was 1094 tons with a length of 368.2 feet.
The vessel was under the command of Capt. Jas. Smith with Dr EWG Goodridges as the surgeon superintendent. Mrs Fowler was the Matron.
Assembly.
Passengers assembled prior to the departure. Passengers from Scotland left Dundee by steamer on Saturday, 28 July to connect with the “Merkara” which sailed on 1 August from the Royal Albert docks in London with 239 passengers on board. These were made up of 126 English, 50 Scottish, 59 Irish and 4 from other countries three from Germany and one from the USA).
Voyage Begins.
By 3pm the ship sailed from Gravesend into the North Sea on Wednesday 1 August and made a right-hand turn into the English Channel. As the vessel approached the Isle of Wight on Thursday 2 August the channel pilot escort was discharged around 5pm.
Provisions.
Newspaper reports indicate the weather was fine down the channel to the Mediterranean. On Sunday 5 August, the ship sailed by Cape Caroeiro, north of Lisbon, Portugal. Five days later around midnight the “Merkara” arrived at Malta. The vessel continued its voyage toward the Suez Canal. Coal and fresh provisions were loaded at Port Said on Tuesday 14 August between 2 and 9pm.
Red Sea.
The ship takes about 20 hours to travel through the canal and reaches Suez at about 6pm on Wednesday 15 August. The ship is in port about an hour before travelling into the Red Sea.
Moderately hot days are encountered on the voyage towards Perim Island and arrived at Aden, on the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, on the afternoon of Monday 20 August. The ship is again loaded with coal and provisions ahead of its departure very early on the morning of Tuesday 21 August.
Crossing The Line.
Sailing across the Arabian Sea before “crossing the line” in the Indian Ocean. During this part of the journey, they had fine weather although encountered a moderate monsoon. The exact location is unknown.
The ship approaches the Sunda Straits (located between Java and Sumatra Islands) weather ship encountered high south-east seas and arrived around midnight at Batavia on Tuesday 4 September. During the stay, coal was loaded under strict quarantine conditions. The vessel’s departure was 6am on Thursday 6 September.
Possible Journey.
It is thought the vessel’s journey heading towards Goode Island near Thursday Island was via the Java, Banda & Arafura Seas. The “Merkara” arrived at Thursday Island at about 8am on Saturday 15 September. A strict inspection was conducted by health officials before three passengers disembarked along with 650 packages. Seven hours later the ship departed to commence its journey down the Queensland coast. Fine weather was encountered for the entire journey.
The East Coast Journey
Cooktown was the first port of call on the mainland where 18 passengers disembarked and 53 packages are unloaded on Monday 17 September.
The following day the vessel arrives in Cairns where only three passengers alight and 572 packages of cargo unloaded. About 16 hours later 52 passengers disembark in Townsville along with 1440 cargo packages. The ship is in port until Thursday 20 September departing at 3pm.
Excitement.
By this time, I am fairly sure my great-great-grandmother’s excitement is increasing as Friday 21 September approaches. The ship arrives at Flat-Top Island at 10:30am. She transfers to another vessel to be transported to Mackay with 13 other passengers and 91 packages. 52 days spent onboard the “Merkara” and her journey ends.
Rest of Ship’s Journey.
The rest of the journey to Brisbane is shown in the following table:
| Date | Port | Arrive | Depart | Pass # | Cargo |
| Fri 21 Sep | Flat Top | — | 1:15pm | — | — |
| Sat 22 Sep | Keppel Bay | 6:40am | 2pm | 29 | 1264 |
| Sun 23 Sep | White Cliffs | 7:15am | 7pm | 7 | 893 |
| Mon 24 Sep | Brisbane* | 1:45pm | — | 113 | 14689 |
*The “Merkara” is of Sandy Cape at 1am and Cape Moreton at 11am. The vessel is anchored and berthed at Parbury, Lamb & Co’s South Brisbane wharf. Passengers arrived at the Depot around 7pm.
The surgeon superintendent reported the general health of passengers was good with no sickness during the voyage. There were also no deaths reported. The total number of days of the voyage from London to Brisbane was 55.
Acknowledgements:
Maps: pixabay.com
Ship photo: Queensland State Library
Ancestor Family 