The Union-Castle fleet is composed partly of those ships which belonged at the time of amalgamation to the old Castle Line, and partly of those which were of the Union Line. In addition to these, new steamships have been since brought out to swell the list. The depression in South Africa consequent on the Boer War necessitated a careful consideration before the addition of other mail steamers, but the _Balmoral Castle_ (_see_ opposite page 220), which was completed in 1910, and her sister the _Edinburgh Castle_, are the largest and most powerful vessels employed in the South African trade. This _Balmoral Castle_ has a gross tonnage of about 13,000, with an indicated horse-power of 12,500, and is fitted with twin-screws. Fitted, of course, with water-tight bulkheads and cellular bottom, every modern improvement has been taken advantage of in her internal arrangement with regard to the service for which she was built. The _Balmoral Castle_ has a deck space larger than that usually given in this line, the first and second class having practically the whole of the boat deck; whilst by joining the poop and promenade deck the third class have their deck space doubled. She is installed with the modern loud-speaking telephones between the bridge and engine-room and the extremities of the ship. Wireless telegraphy has not been installed, but a room has been specially built and equipped if it is decided hereafter to adopt this apparatus. On the fore-mast head a Morse signalling lamp has been placed for long distance signalling, and a semaphore after the Admiralty pattern on the bridge for short distance signalling. She is propelled by two sets of quadruple-expansion engines, and has ten boilers. The White Star Line, in addition to their regular mail and passenger service across the North Atlantic, have three special freight and live-stock steamers--viz. the _Georgic_, of 10,077 tons, the _Cevic_ of 8,301 tons, and the _Bovic_ of 6,583 tons--all of these having twin-screws. Besides these they possess four ships engaged on the New Zealand route, five on the Australian trade, besides two smaller ships for freight. We have already mentioned the _Ivernia_ and _Saxonia_ as belonging to the intermediate, economical types which the Cunard Company own in addition to their bigger liners. They also carry on a Mediterranean service from New York to Gibraltar, the Italian and Adriatic ports, to Algiers and Alexandria. The North German Lloyd Company also own a number of smaller steamships employed in intermediate service to ports other than those served by their fast liners, the largest being of about 6,000 tons.