The stamp gives ARABIA (Angleterre translated England 1851) and she is not the American confederate vessel with the same name.
Built as a wooden side-wheel paddlesteamer by R. Steele & Son, Greenock for the British & North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. better known as Cunard Line, (which became the official name of the company in 1878,) Liverpool.
21 June 1852 launched under the name ARABIA.
Tonnage 2.402 gross, dim. 86.62 x 12.50 x 8.36m. beam over paddles 20.27m. Draught 5.79m.
Two masts, brig rigged, two funnels.
Powered by two 1 cyl. side-lever engines, manufactured by Robert Napier and Sons at Glasgow, 3.250 ihp. Speed 12-13 knots. Bunker capacity 1.400 tons coal, but fuel consumption was very high around 120 tons a day.
Her figurehead was of an Arab chieftain.
Accommodation for 180 passengers in one class, cargo space for 750 ton.
She was the first British ship with steam heating throughout and the last wooden-hulled vessel built for Cunard. She had a library, smoking room and children’s nursery. The main saloon was abaft the main mast and had a stained glass dome.
Her engines were the largest ever built British ship of that time. The machinery was so big that boilers and engines had to be installed while the hull was built.
She and the LA PLATA of the Royal Mail Line were the first two-funneled ships ordered by Cunard.
29 Dec. 1852 (or 01 Jan. 1853) she sailed for her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York under command of Capt. C.H.Judkins. Due to bad weather she had to made a call at Halifax for coaling. On her return passage, she recorded the third fastest eastbound passage up to that time.
She proved very fast in calm weather, but very wet in rough weather.
January 1854 her route was altered to Liverpool-Halifax-Boston.
The same year during the Crimean war was she chartered at 50sh a ton a month and used to transport French troops from Marseilles to the Black Sea. During that time carried 289 officers, 5.074 men and 803 horses.
She returned to the Atlantic service in January of 1856, her voyages were either from Liverpool to New York or Boston.
14 August 1858, ARABIA was in collision of Cape Race with the Cunarder EUROPE, both ships were damaged.
03 September 1864 she left Liverpool for her last Trans-Atlantic voyage.
Upon her return she was sold out of service and converted in a sailing ship. Never was she an economically vessel for the company, due to a high consumption of coal.
1868 Wrecked near Halifax.
The intention was that she would carry the name PERSIA, but when the ARABIA (I) sold to the Royal Mail Line on the stocks and was renamed LA PLATA, Cunard already building the second of this class, transferred the name to this vessel.
The yacht in the border has not yet a name.
Mali 1996 1000fr. sgMS?, scott832.