Little Bay was visited by a mixture of steamers and sailing vessels. Many of the steamers were the cutting edge of technology. They loaded up on ore for Swansea in Whales where they would unload it alongside ships from the other colonies. Little Bay was internationally connected to this colonial system. Ships came to Little Bay from Europe, Canada, and the United States. Altogether this kept the town well supplied with goods and information. Little Bay bustled with activity. There were church ships with missionaries, government ships with political officials, and even the occasional military warship. The visitors spent money to the benefit of local businesses like the Little Bay Hotel. The flurry of visitors meant surprises like contraband, stowaways, crime, and disease. Sailors were sometimes arrested and ships could be quarantined for smallpox.
Larger local arrivals were expected because of telegraph announcements and when they were late anxieties ran high. It could mean a shipwreck and lost goods could spell disaster especially if it was late into the season. Ships that ran too late gambled with the ice which could block them. Some ships were often tardy while the most popular captains were always on time. The town praised and celebrated them when they returned. None were as anticipated as the mail steamers.
The following is a list of boats I can place in the 19th century town:
Agenoria (J. Masson) – schooner
Alaska (Robertson) – steamer
Alert – steamer
Anerby or Anerley (J. Raeburn) – steamer
Annie B. – schooner
Annie Maria (Alfred Holston) – racing yacht
Annie Stuart (Osborn) – english schooner
Arina (Alfred E. Haltine/Hotter) – barque
Bear – steamer
Benevolent (Thompson) – steamer
Behera or Beyera – steamer
Bessie – clipper schooner
Billow Crest (Matthews / Smith) – schooner
Bratten – steamer
Bright Faith (George)
Cambeltown (Smith / T. Wilks)
Canada – Her Majesty’s Comus-class screw corvette
Carn Brea (Jenkin) – steamer
Charlotte (Boyde) – fishing schooner
Cheswick (Leighton) – steamship
Corso – sail
Druid (William Kennedy) – Briton-class wooden screw corvette
Eagle – steamer
Embla – Norwegian schooner
Evangeline (Andrew Roberts) – steamer
Falcon (Ash) – coastal screw steamer
Finlaggan (Smith / T. Wilks) – barque
Fiona – colonial cruiser
Fleta – steamer
Foam – Her Majesty’s Ariel-class gunboat
Foscolia (Jones) – British merchant steamer
Four Brothers (Martin Power) – schooner
Glendale (Dickman) – steamer
Harvest Home (Geary) – schooner
Hercules (Christoper / Cross) – costal steamer
Hetty (Fowley) – schooner
Hiawatha (E. R. Burgess) – racing yacht
Hiram Perry Jr. (Robert Hackett) – mining company steamer
Hondeklip (Hughes)
Ingraham
Iolani (Russel) – steamship
James Witchen – barque
Janet & Margret Binford (Tremble) – barquentine
Jesmond – steamer
Jessie (Kent) – schooner
Josy – sailing ship
Kate – racing yacht
Kite – steamer
Lady Agnes (Piper) – English schooner
Lady Glover – steamship
Lavroch – church ship / sloop
Leopard (Field) – supreme court circuit steamer
Little Wonder (Hancock)
Lizzie (M. Delaney) – steam yacht
Lord Duffus
Mary (John Walker) – fishing schooner
Mary Agnus – barque
Mabel (Taylor) – schooner
Maggie (McLean / Isaac Boone) – schooner brig
Mervina
Miranda (Leeseman) – steamer
Neptune (Samuel Blandford) – sealing steamer
Nimrod – schooner
Nushka (Davies)
Partridge (Alfred F. Welldon) – Her Majesty’s Pigmy class gunship
Plover (Samuel Blandford / J. Manuel) – coastal mail steamer
Portia (Ash) – steamer
Pylades (Rolf) – Her Majesty’s war ship
Racilia – (William James) iron steamship
Ranger (Richard Pike) – steamer
Rose (Stephenson) – revenue cruiser
Sarah Jane (Benson) – fishing schooner
Shannadithid (O’Flynn) – racing yacht
Smeaton Tower (Godfree) – steamship
Snowbird – steam yacht
Snowflake – racing yacht
Spinaway – schooner
St. Anne (Trembley) – schooner
Summerset – schooner
Tibbie (Robert Scott) – steam tug
Tiber – steamer
Tinto – steamer
Vanguard (Joshua Pike) – steamer
Victor (Bazan) – schooner
Vindex (John Powell) – schooner brig
Virginia Lake / Conscript (Walsh / Delany) – steamer
Vita – schooner
Volunteer (P. Delaney) – steamer
Voyager (Batcock) – schooner