ABSTRACT
References to the South American services became more frequent in the directors' reports and the building programme confirmed the substantial change of focus by the Company. New, larger ships were allocated to this route rather than, as had been the case over many years, to the West Indies. The migrant trades from Portugal and Spain to Brazil and Argentina, previously only hinted at by the directors, were now clearly a factor in revenue considerations. Competition on routes between British and South American ports remained fierce: advertisements in The Times in January 1897 listed Pacific Steam's fortnightly service to Brazil, Montevideo and the west coast, with outward calls at peninsular ports for migrants. Houlder Line, Prince Line and Lamport & Holt advertised services from London to Plate ports, and North German Lloyd called at Southampton en route. A new and most important addition to Argentina's export trade and to Royal Mail's increasingly profitable commitment to its South American services developed strongly.
