COLONIAL BEAUTIES

They have never been surpassed; the colonial liners with their allure of the tropics, the open decks and light colours, almost cruise ships. P&O to India via Suez, Ellerman to Cape Town, the Ville-boats to Matadi and Lobito, or a CCN liner on a 50-day round trip from Lisbon to the Portuguese East Africa and back, calling at Funchal, São Tomé, Luanda, Lobito, Moçamedes, Cape Town, Lourenço Marques, Beira, Moçambique, Nacala, Porto Amélia and back..., on the PÁTRIA of 1947 or her sister IMPÉRIO of 1948, both products of Messrs John Brown & Co., Clydebank...

In the B&W photo, the Colonial Liner IMPÉRIO alongside Funchal, Madeira Island in the early sixties, going southbound on another roundtrip. The next port, São Tomé island was one week away, in the Equator...

In full colour, the CCN flagship INFANTE DOM HENRIQUE photographed underway at sea in the late sixties from another Colonial liner. On long voyages, there were always those magic moments at sea as spectacular as the crossing of the line: a small point over the horizon would grow out of nothing into a beautiful fast ship, getting bigger and bigger until she was right there saluting with flags and steam whistles, the two liners sailing at a combined speed of about 40 knots. Another 30 minutes and it had all gone into memory lane... The INFANTE was the largest liner ever purpose built for the Europe - East Africa line, the largest passenger ship built in Belgium, the largest Portuguese liner. She sailed for Africa only during 14 years, from 4th October 1961 until 24th December 1975. Her interior design was influenced by those of the Italia Line flagship ANDREA DORIA..., and her funnel was one of the best examples of a "late LASCROUX-type funnel", giving the ship a modern and somehow agressive look, and deflecting smoke in a very effective way...

Luís Miguel Correia - 2006