Baron of Renfrew (ship) was exempt from the high taxes on imported timber. She was built by Charles Wood, Anse du Fort, Quebec, Canada, on his own account. She followed the construction of a similar disposable ship, the barque "Columbus" built the year before. On August 23, 1825 under the command of captain Matthew Walker the ship left Quebec with a crew of 25 men and a cargo of 9000 tons timber (probably ship and cargo weight, both timber) bound for London, England. On October 21 of the same year the ship appeared in the English Channel but stranded the day after on the
Cargo ship of exotic cargo; 11 tons of raw copper, jars, glass, ivory, gold, spices, and treasures from Canaan, Greece, Egypt, and Africa. The desire to operate trade routes over longer distances, and throughout more seasons of the year, motivated improvements in ship design during the Middle Ages. Before the middle of the 19th century, the incidence of piracy resulted in most cargo ships being armed, sometimes quite heavily, as in the case of the Manila galleons and East Indiamen. They were also sometimes escorted by warships. Piracy is still quite common in some waters, particularly in the Malacca Straits, a narrow