The ''Berar'', named after a region in western
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, was a sailing ship of 902 tons, owned by Tyser & Haviside and was built in 1863 by William Pile at
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
.
Trips to New Zealand
Initially the ''Berar'' was used to carry immigrants to Australia and
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. Under charter to the
Shaw Savill Company, the ship made three trips to New Zealand, two to
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
and one to
Auckland
Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
. Leaving London on 5 February 1865, she reached Wellington on 10 May, a passage of 93 days. Her next voyage was to Auckland. She left London on 22 May 1873, and reached Auckland after a passage of 103 days on 3 September. On this occasion she brought out 308 immigrants, who arrived well, in spite of the fact that it was a large number for a ship of her size.
On 18 October 1874, the ''Berar'' left London for New Zealand, arriving at
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
96 days later, on 22 January 1875. This trip was marred by 21 deaths due to
scarlet fever
Scarlet fever, also known as scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'', a Group A streptococcus (GAS). It most commonly affects children between five and 15 years of age. The signs and symptoms include a sore ...
. A Royal Commission of Enquiry was convened into this outbreak of disease and the consequent deaths.
Trip to Fiji
The ''Berar'' arrived in
Fiji
Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
on 29 June 1882 carrying 424
indenture
An indenture is a legal contract that reflects an agreement between two parties. Although the term is most familiarly used to refer to a labor contract between an employer and a laborer with an indentured servant status, historically indentures we ...
d labourers from
Calcutta
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...
. This was the second indenture ship to Fiji and its journey was uneventful. This was the first ship to make use of the
quarantine
A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...
facilities built on the island of
Nukulau.
Destruction
The ''Berar'' ran aground in 1896 on the south coast of England at Culverhole Point between Axmouth and Lyme Regis and was destroyed.
See also
*
Indian Indenture Ships to Fiji
Between 1879 and 1916, a total of 42 ships made 87 voyages, carrying Indian indentured labourers to Fiji. Initially the ships brought labourers from Calcutta, but from 1903 all ships except two also brought labourers from Madras and Mumbai. A to ...
*
Indian indenture system
The Indian indenture system was a system of indentured servitude, by which more than 1.6million workers from British India were transported to labour in European colonies as a substitute for Atlantic slave trade, slave labour, following the Abol ...
*
Indians in Fiji
Indo-Fijians () are Fijians of South Asian descent whose ancestors were Girmitiyas, indentured labourers. Indo-Fijians trace their ancestry to various regions of the Indian subcontinent.
Although Indo-Fijians constituted a majority of Fiji's ...
References
External links
Painting of Berar
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berar
Indian indenture ships to Fiji
Victorian-era passenger ships of the United Kingdom
Individual sailing vessels
1863 ships
1863 in England
Sailing ships of England
Ships built on the River Wear
Maritime incidents in 1896
1896 in England
Maritime incidents in England