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The Pacific Mail Steamship Company was one of the first major trans-Pacific steamship passenger lines to run from California to Japan and China.
Passenger service began in [[1867]]. The company ran 350-ton steamships, the largest wooden ships ever built in the West,<ref>Far smaller than [[Zheng He|Zheng He's]] treasure ships.</ref> which carried a great amount of coal to power the 23-day crossing. The crews were entirely Chinese, recruited in [[Shanghai]].
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==References==
*"Paddlewheels on the Pacific," Gallery label, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Maritime Museum.
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[[Category:Meiji Period]]
[[Category:Economics]]