Introduction

Abstract

When the Royal Navy shifted from sail to steam power, it shackled itself to coal and coaling stations. As the primary defence of British interests and trade abroad, this meant that Britain now required a chain of fuelling stations across the globe that were amply supplied at all times with quality fuel. The importance of the navy to the British economy, as well as its global role, meant that this shift had ramifications that went far beyond warship s. Indeed, it required serious reconsiderations of imperial defence, naval infrastructure, and supply. Moreover, it required significant labour for coaling, a process accomplished largely by hand, necessitating that ships and their crews stopped more regularly at foreign stations. As such, sailors increasingly interacted with indigenous and settler populations.