BRISTOL CHAMBER OP COMMERCE AND SHIPPING. 
53 
No regular service of oil tank steamers is attempted by the Anglo-American Oil 
Company or the British Petroleum Company, but their vessels are frequent visitors to 
Avonmouth, and some of the finest representatives of this class of steamer have been 
accommodated at the port, including the Narragansett, of 5,776 tons net, which brought 
over 10,000 tons of oil on one occasion, and the Iroquois, which is slightly smaller, and 
once brought nearly 9,000 tons. Occasionally, also, tank steamers with molasses are 
seen at Avonmouth. For the rest of its trade Avonmouth is dependent upon the “ tramps,” 
and these vessels, varying from a few hundred tons net up to between two and three 
thousand, play no small part in the prosperity of the port. They bring grain largely, 
some from American ports, and others from India, Burmah, and the Persian Gulf. 
Occasionally a steamer brings frozen meat from the River Plate, but the bulk of that 
class of trade is done by the Australasian liners. 
The other river-mouth docks, at Portishead, are entirely concerned with the “ tramp ” 
traffic, and the serviceable type of vessel employed in that work is frequently to be seen 
at the dock, while occasionally a tank steamer with motor spirit is dealt with. The 
meanderings of the Avon put a limit to the size of the ships which can go to the City Docks. 
Of the regular lines which use the older docks in the heart of Bristol, the Bristol City 
Line has already been referred to. Others engaged in the foreign trade are the Golden 
Cross Line, which maintains a fortnightly service with Mediterranean ports ; the East 
Norway Line, with monthly sailings ; and the Gothenburg Line, running weekly between 
the south of Sweden. There is also a monthly service with the Baltic. Several lines 
operate regularly between Bristol and the North Sea ports, and of these the Bristol Steam 
Navigation Company has its headquarters in Bristol. The Channel Islands and various 
parts of France and Portugal are also in regular communication. Black Sea grain boats 
at one time averaged more than one a day at the City Docks, but of late steamers with 
grain from the Argentine have taken their place. Timber-laden steamers are also fre 
quently accommodated. An interesting feature of the trade is provided by the big sailing 
craft, which generally bring Australian grain. Many of them are famous British-buiit 
ships now flying under foreign colours. Less noticeable, perhaps, but still of considerable 
interest, are the wooden steamers which occasionally bring Norwegian ice. There are 
many lines interested in the coastwise trade which include Bristol in the ports of call, 
amongst them being the Bristol Steam Navigation Co., the City of Cork Steam Packet 
Co., the Clyde Shipping Co., the Bacon Line, Messrs. Langlands’ Princess Line, the Powell 
Line, the Little Western Steamship Co., Messrs. W. Sloan & Co., Pockett’s Ltd., etc., etc. 
Mention should also be made of the fact that Bristol is the headquarters of one of the 
finest pleasure steamer fleets in the United Kingdom. Messrs. P. & A. Campbell have 
been established at the port for nearly thirty years, and, as the result of the recent purchase 
of the Bristol Channel Pleasure Boats, Ltd., operated fourteen steamers in the Bristol 
and English Channels in 1912. 
Magnificent accommodation is afforded at the Royal Edward Dock for ship repair, 
vessels between 800 and 900 feet in length being admissible from the dock basin to the 
graving dock. Two large steamships frequently use the graving dock at the same time. 
Several firms with heavy plant have established shops on dock sites close to the graving 
dock, and further work of this kind is carried on in Bristol yards alongside the floating 
harbour. 
Net Registered Tonnage of Vessels entering the Port of Bristol.* 
foreign. 
COASTWISE. 
TOTAL. 
1851 
147,032 
521,831 
668,863 
1861 
260,861 
529,102 
789,963 
1871 
357,128 
615,283 
972,411 
1881 
534,165 
710,276 
1,244,441 
1891 
639,500 
• 684,231 
1,323,731 
1901 
814,386 
723,868 
1,538,254 
1911 
1,542,425 
828,176 
2,370,601 
1912 
1,586,673 
836,233 
2,422,906 
* For financial year May 1st to April 30th.