A plan of the emigrant ship St Vincent.

Repro ID: A0806

Description: An 'Illustrated London News' plan of the 'St Vincent', as fitted out for emigrants to Australia in 1844. Built in 1829, she had been used as a convict ship. The plan shows bunk spaces on the between below deck. Even the biggest cabin, shown on the right, is only 9 feet 6 inches by 9 feet (2.9 m by 2.7 m). The ship took between three and five months to make each voyage. Bad weather and overcrowding left many emigrants pale and sickly. On arrival, the passengers would undergo a medical inspection and the sick (and sometimes the whole ship) would be quarantined. Only after all this could they make a start in their new home.

Creator: 'The Illustrated London News'

Date: 13 April 1844

Credit line: National Maritime Museum, London