Ships to Terra Nova
In 1878, the German bark Priscilla brought 120 Portuguese to the Hawaiian Kingdom from Madeira. Although there had been a number of Portuguese in the Hawaiian Kingdom at the time, this event was the beginning of a massive effort to recruit Portuguese contract laborers to work on the sugar plantations.
From 1878 to 1913, approximately 20,000 Portuguese passengers traveled for months over 15,000 miles from Madeira, the Açores or mainland Portugal to Terra Nova, the New Land. Many migrated to Hawai`i to escape the poor economy, poverty and a cruel military system. They left their family, friends and motherland to pursue a better life for themselves and their family.
On the ships, they had to endure the primitive, unsanitary conditions and the treacherous voyage around the stormy Straits of Magellan. Many became ill. There were deaths and there were births. Plantation labor was harsh, days were long and pay was little. Yet, they endured and their dream of a better life for their offspring was realized.
Clipper Ships in the Honolulu Harbor
Priscilla (German Bark) - no photo available
Departure: 1878 June 1
Funchal, Madeira
Arrival: 1878 September 30
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 121
Passengers: 120
Deaths: 0
Births: 1
Stowaways: 11
Ravenscraig (British Clipper)
Departure: 1879 April 22
Funchal, Madeira
Arrival: 1879 August 23
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 123
Passengers: 416
Deaths: 3
Births: 5
Stowaways: 4
Highflyer (British Bark) - First Voyage
Departure: 1879 October 15
São Miguel, Açores
Arrival: 1880 January 24
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 101
Passengers: 328
Deaths: 2
Births: 4
Stowaways: not reported
Highflyer (British Bark) - Second Voyage
Departure: 1879 December 18
São Miguel, Açores
Arrival: 1881 May 2
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 135
Passengers: 354
Deaths: not reported
Births: not reported
Stowaways: 3
Suffolk (British Bark)
Departure: 1881 May 14
São Miguel, Açores
Arrival: 1881 August 25
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 103
Passengers: 469
Deaths: 8
Births: 12
Stowaways: 10
Earl of Dalhousie (British Bark)
Departure: 1881 December 3
São Miguel, Açores
Arrival: 1882 March 27
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 114
Passengers: 323
Deaths: 1
Births: 5
Stowaways: 22
Honolulu Harbor 1881
Monarch (British Steamship) - no photo available
Departure: 1882 April 12
São Miguel, Açores
Arrival: 1882 June 8
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 57
Passengers: 860
Deaths: 11
Births: 6
Stowaways: 10
Hansa (British Steamship)
Departure: 1882 July 14
São Miguel, Açores
Arrival: 1882 September 15
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 63
Passengers: 1176
Deaths: 25
Births: 11
Stowaways: 22
Note: 1 child born and 1 child died while quarantine.
Abergeldie (British Steamship)
Departure: 1883 March 2
São Miguel, Açores
Arrival: 1883 May 4
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 63
Passengers: 947
Deaths: 9
Births: 15
Stowaways: 1
Hankow (British Steamship)
Departure: 1883 April 27
1883 May 2
Funchal, Madeira
São Miguel, Açores
Arrival: 1883 July 9
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Date at Sea: 73 (Funchal)
68 (São Miguel)
Passengers: 956 (Funchal)
Passengers: 483 (São Miguel)
Deaths: 58
Births: 20
Stowaways: 1
Merchant Street, Honolulu 1881
Bell Rock (British Steamship) - no photo available
Departure: 1883 August 30
São Miguel, Açores
Arrival: 1883 November 1
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 63
Passengers: 1406
Deaths: 8
Births: 6
Stowaways: not reported
Note: 1 child born while in quarantine.
City of Paris (British Steamship)
Departure: 1884 April 8
1884 April 15
Funchal, Madeira
São Miguel, Açores
Arrival: 1884 June 13
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 66 (Funchal)
59 (São Miguel)
Passengers: 577 (Funchal)
Passengers: 315 (São Miguel)
Deaths: 60
Births: 10
Stowaways: 40
Fort and Merchant Streets, Honolulu
Bordeaux (French Steamship) - no photo available
Departure: 1884 July 22
Funchal, Madeira
Arrival: 1884 October 3
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 73
Passengers: 814
Deaths: 72
Births: 12
Stowaways: 20
Dacca (British Bark)
Departure: 1884 September 26
Funchal, Madeira
Arrival: 1885 January 19
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 115
Passengers: 354
Deaths: 5
Births: 1
Stowaways: 46
Stirlingshire (British Clipper)
Departure: 1885 November 27
Funchal, Madeira
Arrival: 1886 March 4
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 97
Passengers: 471
Deaths: 5
Births: 7
Stowaways: 25
Amana (British Steamship) - no photo available
Departure: 1886 April 28
Funchal, Madeira
Arrival: 1886 September 23
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 148
Passengers: 478
Deaths: 4
Births: 11
Stowaways: not reported
Thomas Bell (British Bark)
Departure: 1887 November 8
Funchal, Madeira
Arrival: 1888 April 13
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 156
Passengers: 393
Deaths: 14
Births: 14
Stowaways: 22
Merchant Street, Honolulu 1885
Braunfels (German Steamship)
Departure: 1895 February 10
São Miguel, Açores
Arrival: 1895 April 4
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 53
Passengers: 621
Deaths: 7
Births: 5
Stowaways: not reported
Note: The Braunsfels picked up passengers from Oporto, Portugal before sailing to São Miguel. These passengers are not included.
Victoria (British Steamship)
Departure: 1899 July 8
Funchal, Madeira
Arrival: 1899 September 13
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 67
Passengers: 110
Deaths: 1
Births: 6
Stowaways: 14
Note: The Victoria picked up passengers from Vigo, Spain before sailing to Funchal. These passengers are not included.
Suveric (British Steamship)
Departure: 1906 October 5
1906 October 10
São Miguel, Açores
Funchal, Madeira
Arrival: 1906 December 1
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 57 (São Miguel)
52 (Funchal)
Passengers: 389 (São Miguel)
Passengers: 1060 (Funchal)
Deaths: 16
Births: 9
Stowaways: 37
Deaths: 16
Births: 9
Stowaways: 37
Note: Three children born and one child died in the immigration station.
Kumeric (British Steamship)
Departure: 1907 May 1
Funchal, Madeira
Arrival: 1907 June 27
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 57
Passengers: 1199
Deaths: 3
Births: 3
Stowaways: 74
Swanley (British Steamship)
Departure: 1909 October 20
1909 October 28
São Miguel, Açores
Funchal, Madeira
Arrival: 1909 December 14
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 55 (São Miguel)
48 (Funchal)
Passengers: 111 (São Miguel)
Passengers: 757 (Funchal)
Deaths: 3
Births: 8
Stowaways: 0
Orteric (British Steamship)
Departure: 1911 February 16
Portugal (Oporto & Lisbon) & Gibraltar
Arrival: 1911 April 13
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 48
Passengers: 1451
Deaths: ?
Births: ?
Stowaways: ?
Willesden Voyage I (British Steamship)
Departure: 1911 October 11
Gibraltar
Arrival: 1911 December 3
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 62
Passengers: 545
Deaths: 27
Births: 5
Stowaways: Not reported
Note: The Willesden left Gibraltar with approximately 1,300 Spanish immigrants before arriving in Madeira.These passengers are not included in the passenger total. Deaths and births were both Spanish and Portuguese.
Willesden Voyage II (British Steamship)
Departure: 1913 February 3
Oporto, Portugal
Arrival: 1913 March 30
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Days at Sea: 55
Passengers: 137
Deaths:
Births:
Stowaways:
Note: The Willesden left Gibraltar with approximately 1,300 Spanish immigrants before arriving in Madeira.These passengers are not included in the passenger total. Deaths and births were both Spanish and Portuguese.
