“Of the vessels launched in the United Kingdom 16 are capable of a speed of 17 knots and above. The fastest of these vessels is the turbine yacht _Winchester_ (26 knots). The fastest merchant vessels are five steamers intended for Channel service (two turbine and three twin-screw vessels), all of which attain the high speed of 22 knots.” Of late years the P. & O. Company has added several magnificent vessels to its fleet, of a size and degree of equipment superior to any of their predecessors, mostly of the “M” class, so called because all their names begin with that letter. These are _Moldavia_, _Mongolia_, _Macedonia_, _Marmora_, _Mooltan_, _Morea_, and _Malwa_, and they mark a new epoch in the history of the company’s shipbuilding operations, as they far exceed in size the largest previous type as represented by the _China_, _Persia_, _Egypt_, and others, which in their turn were far ahead of all the steamers before them. The _Marmora_ and _Macedonia_, built at Belfast by Messrs. Harland and Wolff, are each of 10,500 tons, and are 530 feet long by 60 feet broad, with a moulded depth of 37 feet. Accommodation is provided for 377 first and 187 second saloon passengers. The _Moldavia_ and _Mongolia_, built at Greenock by Messrs. Caird and Co., have a gross register of about 10,000 tons, and are 520 feet long by 58 feet broad and 33 feet deep. They have been fitted for the conveyance of 348 first and 166 second saloon passengers. The arrangements in connection with the passenger accommodation are in advance of anything hitherto attained in the company’s steamers in respect to comfort, roominess, light, and ventilation. All the cabins are on the main, spar, hurricane, and boat decks, and most of the inside ones are lighted from the outside of the ship by a passage-way to the scuttle. The vessels have a coal capacity of 2000 tons in bunkers and reserves, and have a limited cargo space of about 3500 tons, half this space being fitted with the most up-to-date appliances for the conveyance of refrigerated produce. The fifth of this class of steamers, the _Mooltan_, was built by Messrs. Caird and Co., Greenock. The _Morea_ and _Malwa_ combined the best features of all these steam-ships. They are of 11,000 tons register, with engines of 15,000 indicated horse-power driving twin screws, giving them a speed of 18 knots. The former was built by Messrs. Barclay, Curle and Co., being the largest which has yet left their yards. This shipbuilding firm, by the way, claims to be the oldest on the Upper Clyde, and has probably built and engined first-class mail steamers for as many companies as any other shipbuilding establishment in existence. The _Malwa_ was built by Caird and Co. It is thirty-eight years since Barclay, Curle and Co. began building for the P. & O. line, their first steamer being the _Zambesi_ in 1873. [Illustration: THE “ST. LOUIS” (AMERICAN LINE).] [Illustration: THE “MOREA” (P. & O. LINE).]