List of 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 total of 60,965 passengers left India but only 60,553 arrived in Fiji. A total of 45,439 boarded ships in Calcutta and 15,114 in Madras. Sailing ships took, on average, seventy-three days for the trip while steamers took 30 days. The shipping companies associated with the labour trade were Nourse Line and British-India Steam Navigation Company.
The most important man on these ships was the Surgeon-Superintendent, who supervised the medical care, ventilation, clothing, cleanliness and exercise of the passengers and his authority extended over the Captain. He inspected the stores before departure and reported on any defects during the trip. The Surgeon-Superintendent also intervened to prevent passengers from being mistreated by the crew. He was paid a bonus for each labourer landed alive.

List of ships

The table below provides details of the 87 voyages made by the 40 ships that brought Indian Indentured Labourers to Fiji. Of these ships, 27 were sailing ships and 13 were steam ships.
Name of ShipDate of ArrivalRegistered NumbersNumber of Arrivals
LeonidasLeonidas15 May 1879000011–463463
BerarBerar29 June 188200464464–887424
PoonahPoonah17 September 188200888888–1364477
PoonahPoonah19 June 1883013651365–1860496
BayardBayard20 August 1883018611861–2354494
SyriaSyria14 May 1884023552355–2792438
HowrahHowrah26 June 1884027932793–3287495
PericlesPericles3 July 1884032883288–3748461
Newnham23 July 1884037493749–4323575
MainMain30 April 1885043244324–5048725
Ganges IIGanges27 June 1885050495049–5571523
Boyne26 April 1886055725572–6108537
BruceBruce21 May 1886061096109–6566458
HerefordHereford24 April 1888065676567–7105539
MoyMoy3 May 1889071067106–7782677
RhoneRhone15 May 1890077837783–8367585
Allan ShawAllan Shaw17 June 1890083688368–8940573
DanubeDanube15 June 1891089418941–9531591
JumnaJumna27 June 1891095329532–9978447
British PeerBritish Peer23 April 1892099799979–10505527
AvonAvon5 May 18921050610506–11025520
HerefordHereford15 June 18921102611026–11504479
MoyMoy14 April 18931150511505–11971467
JumnaJumna23 May 18931197211972–12281310
EmsEms20 April 18941228212282–12851570
HerefordHereford28 June 18941285212852–13362511
Vadala26 March 18951336313363–14109747
Virawa26 April 18951411014110–14786677
ErneErne24 April 18961478714787–15343557
ElbeElbe13 June 18961534415344–15958615
RhoneRhone11 May 18971595915959–16611653
ClydeClyde1 June 18971661216612–17281670
MoyMoy1 June 18981728217282–17849568
AvonAvon25 July 18991785017850–18316467
Ganges IIGanges3 September 18991831718317–18780464
Ganges IIGanges21 June 19001878118781–19334554
ElbeElbe26 July 19001933519335–19938604
ArnoArno23 July 19001993919939–20565627
RhineRhine30 August 19002056620566–21056491
Fazilka28 March 19012105721057–21860804
Fultala12 May 19012186121861–22669809
Fazilka18 June 19012267022670–23445776
Virawa26 April 19022344623446–24163718
Fazilka20 June 19022416424164–25003840
MerseyMersey13 June 19032500425004–25588585
ElbeElbe5 August 19032558925589–26178590
ArnoArno4 September 19032617926179–26812634
ArnoArno3 May 19042681326813–27443631
EmsEms30 July 19042744427444–27969526
Fultala10 April 19052797027970–28796827
Virawa17 July 19052879728797–29411615
Wardha28 July 19052941229412–30303892
Fultala17 August 19053030430304–31093790
Fazilka17 April 19063109431094–31974881
Fultala28 April 19063197531975–32775801
Wardha28 June 19063277632776–33609834
Fazilka28 January 19073361033610–34484875
Virawa23 March 19073448534485–35243759
Fazilka25 April 19073524435244–36039796
Sangola18 March 19083604036040–371711132
Sangola6 June 19083717237172–382571086
Sangola1 February 19093825838258–394091152
Sangola21 April 19093941039410–40076667
Sangola7 March 19104007740077–41002926
Santhia22 April 19104100341003–420231021
Sangola5 June 19104202442024–42892869
Santhia8 July 19104289342893–439221030
Mutlah22 May 19114392343923–44756834
Sutlej25 June 19114475744757–45606850
Ganges22 July 19114560745607–46466860
Mutlah18 August 19114646746467–47329863
Sutlej4 October 19114733047330–48140811
Sutlej27 April 19124814148141–48997857
Indus8 June 19124899848998–49801804
Ganges18 July 19124980249802–50644843
Ganges8 November 19125064550645–51490846
Ganges21 February 19135149151491–52261771
Sutlej11 April 19135226252262–53069808
Ganges29 May 19135307053070–53917848
Ganges9 September 19135391853918–54701784
Chenab24 March 19145470254702–55556855
Chenab16 June 19145555755557–56273717
Mutlah7 May 19155627456274–57125852
Ganges21 June 19155712657126–57971846
Mutlah1 August 19155797257972–58783812
Chenab1 September 19165878458784–59665882
Sutlej11 November 19165966659666–60553888