Interiors of Steamliner Paul Lecat, Company Messageries Marititimes

The steamliner began his career on September 22, 1912 on the Far East line. In 1914, it was, with its 13,000 gross tonnage, the largest and most luxurious of the Company’s liners, the only one able to offer “luxury” cabins, equivalent to the North Atlantic lines.

Some excerpts of the travel story on Jeanne Marie Méchin aboard the Paul Lecat in November 1923 between Marseille and Saigon. These letters take a month to reach France till the France-Indochina air mail link reduced the time to one week. …

November 25, 1923 André:

…Since this morning we have seen the coast of Sumatra. It seems that we will be in Saigon on the 29th and I will know my assignment straight away. If we go to Hanoi we will continue on the same boat to Haiphong. …

• Back to France

July 17, 1924 – Cape Saint Jacques

…My last letter shipped here, without going through Saigon. It is the launch which will pick up the pilot on board, who will in fact postpone the connection from Cape Town. We can say that it’s at the last minute since the boat only slows down and doesn’t stop! Saigon being on a river that the main couriers sail up, they take from Cape Town, the last place on the open sea, a pilot who knows the river well, (they are generally former naval officers) and it is they who have the responsibility of the boat until Saigon. When they leave they leave the pilot in front of the Cape, in the boat which comes to pick him up. …

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