A steamship with schooner rig built in 1890 by Palmers of Newcastle to Lloyds A.1 specification, the S.S. Arab was 375ft long with a gross tonnage of 4,248.
She was owned by the Bland Line of Gibraltar, for the Eastern trade and was a familiar sight through the Straits of Gibraltar in the early days of sail with steam.
Gibraltar Philatelic.
Gibraltar SG201
This stamp issued by Gibraltar depicts the ARAB belonging to Bland Gibraltar.
Marcus Henry Bland from Liverpool arrived at Gibraltar in the beginning of the 19th century; he established a shipping agency in 1810 in Gibraltar. His agency was located at his home in Irish Town, the commercial centre of Gibraltar.
The name Gibraltar is a corruption of Gibel Tarik what means mountain of Tarik which name was given to the rock by the Moorish chief Taik-Ibn-Zevad when he landed there on 30 April 711.
In early classical times Gibraltar was called Mons Calpe. On the other side of the Strait you find the hill Mons Abyla what means “apes hill”. These two hills were known as the “Pillars of Hercules”.
First Marcus Henry Bland was only a shipping agent; in 1840 the firm of Middleton, Mackintosh & Bland was formed.
During the middle of the 19th century shipping had so much increased to Gibraltar that the company decided to buy a small cargo vessel which was already in Gibraltar, and use her for the trade across the Strait between Gibraltar and Tangier or for towing the sailing vessels through the Straits or into the port of Gibraltar.
After Middleton and Mackintosh passed away the control of the company was taken over in the early 1860s by M.H.Bland & Co.
The ARAB was the second ship in the fleet of Bland, she was built in September 1857 at Newcastle U.K. as a wooden screw steamer for Mr. James Wilkin, John Peacock (of Gibraltar) and others at Newcastle.
Tonnage 51 gross, 35 net, dim. 73 x 15 x 8ft.
A 2-cyl. steam engine 18 hp, speed 7 knots.
October 1861 the shares in the ship were taken by James Foote (of Gibraltar).
April 1865 bought by M.H.Bland & Co.
04 February 1867 during a trial after repairs, she suffered a boiler explosion, two men died by the explosion.
Thereafter subsequently dismantled.
The booklet Bland Gibraltar, depict a reproduction of the ARAB and the same reproduction was used for the design of the stamp.
Gibraltar 1967 1d sg 201, scott 187.
Source: Bland Gibraltar by Graeme Somner (World Ship Society).