The s.s. Nairnshire,  ran in conjunction with the Federal and Houlder Lines on the trade of the New Zealand-African and West Coast ports of England.

She was built in the year 1899, at Thomson's Clyde Bank Yards, Glasgow, Scotland.

Her length is 420 feet, beam fifty-four feet seven inches, and depth of hold twenty-eight feet eight inches.

Her net tonnage is 3289, and her weight, when loaded, about 9,000 tons.

The vessel's indicated horse-power is 3000 and, when fully loaded, she runs at about 2,800 horse-power.

The space of her insulated chambers is 280,000 cubic feet, or equal to the carriage of 95,000 sheep, of the average weight of sixty pounds each.

The total number of the crew, including captain, officers, and engineers, is sixty-four. There is accommodation for fifty steerage and twelve saloon passengers.