AT SEA

Largely built on maritime expansion for trade purposes, The British Empire dominated the seas throughout the 19th century.

In addition to a military navy, Britain also operated the world's largest Marine Merchant Service, which transported both cargo and passengers to and from different colonies in the Empire.

Merchant vessels ranged in size - from small barques and schooners under 100 tons (like the Wonder World, on which Louis sails to the Coral Sea), to full-rigged, thousand-ton ships, to massive steam-powered ocean liners like the Titanic.

Smaller vessels tended to be privately owned and operated by individual shipmasters for their own mercenary purposes, while larger ones were commercially owned by companies like the White Star Line.