The Cunard line ship 'Saxonia' was launched at the John Brown shipyard, Clydebank, Scotland on 16th December 1899 and set out on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Boston on 22nd May 1900. The passengers would be returning from Boston - a 7-day voyage - or from Queenstown (now Cobh) in Ireland, the only other stop. The ship is referred to both as SS (steam ship) and RMS (Royal Mail ship), implying that the Cunard contract to carry the mails was agreed sometime after her launch. As with many Mitchell & Kenyon films, we can see evidence of staging by the filmmaker. As the workers are unloading the mail, one young sailor picks up a crate marked 'fragile' and 'this way up' and throws to his mate on the quay. Bryony Dixon
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