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RMS ''Britannia'' was an ocean liner of the British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, later known as Cunard Steamship Company. She was launched on 5 February 1840,〔(RMS ''Britannia'' on Chris' Cunard Page )〕 at the yard of Robert Duncan & Company in Greenock, Scotland. The ship and her sisters, ''Acadia'', ''Caledonia'', and ''Columbia'', were the first ocean liners built by the company. == Description and service == ''Britannia'' was a large ship for the period, 207 feet (63 m) long and 34 feet (10.3 m) across the beam, with three masts. She had paddle wheels and her two-cylinder side-lever engine (from Robert Napier) had a power output of about 740 indicated horsepower. She was relatively fast for the time: her usual speed was about , but she could do better if the winds and currents were favourable. She had a tonnage, or carrying capacity, of 1,154 tons (by the Builder's Old Measurement). She was capable of carrying 115 passengers with a crew of 82.〔Lavery, Brian. "SHIP: The Epic Story of Maritime Adventure", p. 209. ''DK Publishing'' 2004.〕 On her maiden voyage, starting on 4 July 1840, she made Halifax, Nova Scotia from Liverpool, England in 12 days and 10 hours, continuing on to Boston, Massachusetts. The Britannia transported numerous types of cargo alongside its passengers. The cargo included 600 tons of coal; mail due across the Atlantic; livestock for food and milk; and cats to control the rat population. There were 115 first class passengers, with 89 crew members on board. Her first homeward run from Halifax to Liverpool was made in just under 10 days at an average speed of about , setting a new eastbound record which lasted until 1842.〔(The Blue Riband of the North Atlantic )〕 She was joined by her sister ship ''Acadia'' in August 1840, by ''Caledonia'' in October 1840 and by ''Columbia'' in January 1841. All four ships could carry 115 passengers and 225 tons of cargo. The dining saloon was a long deck-house placed on the upper deck and there was also a 'ladies only' saloon. The fare to Halifax was 35 guineas (2,964 GPB in 2015)〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.measuringworth.com/ppoweruk/ )〕 which included wines and spirits as well as food.〔Bernard Dumpleton, “The Story of the Paddle Steamer”, 1973, The Uffington Press, ISBN 0-85475-057-6〕 In January 1842 Charles Dickens and his wife travelled to the United States on ''Britannia''. The weather was bad, he was seasick for most of the voyage and returned home on a sailing ship.〔(MaritimeQuest- SS Britannia/Barbarossa ). Retrieved 1 June 2014.〕〔Dickens, Charles (1850). (''American Notes for General Circulation'' ). Chapters 1, 2 and 16. Project Gutenberg. Retrieved 1 June 2014.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「RMS Britannia」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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