used by Pacific Steam Navigation Company The company was founded by
William Wheelwright in London in 1838 and began operations in 1840 when two steam ships
Chile and
Peru were commissioned to carry mail. Early ports of call were
Valparaíso,
Coquimbo,
Huasco,
Copiapó,
Cobija,
Iquique,
Arica,
Islay,
Pisco and
Callao. In 1846 the company expanded its routes to include
Huanchaco,
Lambayeque,
Paita,
Guayaquil,
Buenaventura and Panama City. The company eventually came to dominate South American shipping routes on the Pacific Coast, driving its competitor, the
Panama Railway's Central American Steamship Line, out of business by the late 1860s. In 1852 the company gained a contract for British Government mail to posts in western South America. Two direct routes were also established – Liverpool to Callao in 1868 and London to Sydney in 1877. In 1905 the company sold its London – Sydney route to the
Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, which bought the entire company in 1910. RMSP's name and routes were retained until
Furness Withy bought Royal Mail in 1965. Following the purchase the separate Pacific Steam Navigation Company structure was gradually abolished and the vessels sold or rebranded, effectively signalling the end of the company by 1984. In 1919, the company began a
house magazine called
Sea Breezes. The journal outlived the company and it still exists, with a focus on international shipping matters. ==Routes==