Balsa (Roman town) Balsa (Roman town) Balsa was a Roman coastal town in the province of Lusitania, Conventus Pacensis (capital Pax Julia). The modern location is in the rural estates of Torre d'Aires, Antas and Arroio, parish of Luz de Tavira, county of Tavira, district of Faro, in Algarve, Southern Portugal. Balsa is a pre-Roman place-name with a probable Phoenician etymology: "B'LŠ...", a possible theonym connected with the older Phoenician occupation of neighbouring Tavira. It is mentioned by Pomponius Mela (DC III 1, 7), Pliny (HN IV 35, 116), Ptolemy (GH: II 5, 2), and Marcianus of Heracleia (PME: II, 13). Mints bronze
RMS Lusitania 202nd trans-Atlantic crossing. In the early 20th century German shipping lines were aggressive competitors in the transatlantic trade. In the face of the competition, Cunard responded by trying to outdo them in speed, capacity, and luxury. Cunard used assistance from the British Admiralty to build Lusitania, with the convit that the ship was available as a light merchant cruiser in time of war. Lusitania had gun mounts for deck cannons, but no guns were ever installed. Both "Lusitania" and "Mauretania" were fitted with revolutionary new turbine engines that enabled them to maintain a service speed of . They were equipped