Tagus / Principe de Viana 1899 5,545 gross tons, length 410ft x beam 30ft, two funnels, two masts, single screw, speed 15 knots, accommodation for 200-1st, 30-2nd and 250-3rd class passengers. Built by Robert Napier Sons & Co, Glasgow, she was launched for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co's Southampton - West Indies service on 27th Jun.1899. Her maiden voyage started 15th Nov.1899 and she continued on this route until 1914 with the exception of a period in 1900 when she was used as a Boer War troop transport. Between 1914 and 1918 she was used as a hospital ship and in 1920 was sold to Hijos de Jose Taya, Barcelona and renamed PRINCIPE DE VIANA. Scrapped in 1926. The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company received the mail contract for the West Indies and commenced operating in 1841. A West Indies inter-island service was also operated. In 1850 services expanded to South America. Several short lived routes were operated and in 1906 Owen Philipps, who later became Lord Kylsant became Chairman of the company. A joint service with Holland America Line to the Pacific coast of North America started in 1921. In 1932 the giant Kylsant Shipping empire collapsed and Lord Kylsant was jailed for issuing a false prospectus. Royal Mail Steam Packet Company went into liquidation, Royal Mail Lines Limited was formed and took over the assets of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, the Nelson Line and David MacIver & Company. The Royal Mail Line was taken over in 1965 by Furness, Withy & Company and ships often interchanged between the Royal Mail Line, Furness and Shaw Savill & Albion Lines fleets. By 1972 Royal Mail had virtually disappeared as a separate shipping line.