Show irregular sailing the merchantmen merchantman merchant men of the lath century sailed at very irregular periods depending upon acquiring a ull full cargo passengers were often forced to wait indefinite periods before their departure in the early century the great increase in immigration and mails introduced the transatlantic packet ships as shown by the queen of the west rhey were large vessels carrying both freight and passengers and were advertised to depart at a den aits nits hour of a certain day although slow blow ships they were successful in bringing large numbers of immigrants from ireland and northern europe from 1820 to 1850 |