SS Asiatic (1871)

SS Asiatic (sometimes operated as the RMS Asiatic) was a steamship operated by the White Star Line from 1871 to 1873, a sister ship to SS Tropic (1871). Sold off after only two years, she was renamed SS Ambriz, and eventually wrecked in 1903.

Ship history
Asiatic was built as a cargo ship during the transition from sail to steam power, so was fitted with three fully rigged masts in addition to her 2-cylinder compound steam engine, built by Laird Brothers of Birkenhead. She also had the capacity to carry up to 10 passengers. She was launched by Thomas Royden & Sons of Liverpool on 1 December 1870, and bought by the White Star Line in early 1871. She was first employed on the Calcutta trade, but was transferred to the South American route the following year, under charter to Lamport & Holt Line. From February 1873 she sailed to South America for White Star Line. None of these enterprises proved profitable, and following the loss of the RMS Atlantic in April 1873, the ship was sold to the African Steam Ship Company to raise additional capital.

Renamed Ambriz she was operated on the West African route from September 1873. In December 1883 the ship was refitted and re-engined, and from 1894 served on the Liverpool–New Orleans cotton route. Ambriz was sold in 1896 to the Cie Française Charbonnage et de la Batelage ("French Coaling & Shipping Co."), serving as a coal depot ship, regularly sailing from her base at Madagascar to Europe to replenish. The ship was wrecked off the coast of Madagascar in February 1903.