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Starboard view of the S.S. CARMARTHENSHIRE at sea entering Hong Kong Harbour, April 23rd 1897. Unsigned.

S.S. CARMARTHENSHIRE (2929 gross tons). Having been completed by the famous Swan Hunter yard on the Tyne in 1887, the Carmarthenshire became one of the vessels of the famous Shire Line, established in London in 1860 by Captain David Jenkins. Jenkins was born in Exeter in 1824 to a family with its roots in Pembrokeshire, and he went on to establish the first regular shipping service from the UK to Japan in 1869. His ships all bore the names of Welsh counties and it was said that one had to be a Welshman to be considered for employment with the firm! Shire Line eventually became part of the great Royal Mail Group in 1907, but the Carmarthenshire had already been sold out of the service in 1901. Wedi ei hadeiladu gan gwmni enwog Swan Hunter yr Newcastle ym 1887 fe ddaeth y Carmarthenshire yn eiddo 'Shire Line' a sefydlwyd yn Llundain ym 1860 gan Gapten David Jenkins. Ganed Jenkins yn Exeter ym 1824 i deulu oedd yn enedigol o Sir Benfro, ac fe aeth ymlaen i sefydlu'r gwasnaeth cyson cyntaf o longau o Brydain i Siapan erbyn 1869. 'Roedd y llongau i gyd yn dwyn enwau siroedd Cymru, a dywedwyd nad oedd gobaith i neb ond Cymry cael gwaith gyda'r cwmni! Erbyn 1907, aeth y cwmni yn eiddo i'r 'Royal Mail Steam Packet Co.' ond fe gwerthwyd y Carmarthenshire eisioes ym 1901.