The poster announces the forthcoming departures, of emigrant ships from London and Liverpool giving the tonnage of the ships and their captains. Also provided is general information regarding a steam boat service linking Scottish and Irish ports with the ships if required.

Posters such as these advertising shipping departures are rare survivors. This copy's survival was made possible in part because the notice had been used for letters written by the shipping agents James and William Waddell.

The Rajasthan was a three masted ship rig of 601 tons, 126 by 29 by 22.7 feet in dimension and was built in Bombay in 1837. It actually sailed from London 26 July 1838 (not 1 July as the poster announced) and arrived in South Australia in late December, with 254 passengers.

Prince George was built in Bristol in 1830 and was another ship rigged vessel, somewhat smaller than Rajasthan at 482 tons and 118 feet long and with a beam of 30 feet. It departed from The Downs 12 September and arrived in South Australia 6 December 1838.

The voyage of the Susan is not recorded in Migrant ships for South Australia 1836-1860.

Ship rigged vessels had two or more masts 'all with square sails usually rigged across the width of the hull.'

Haines, Robin. Life and death in the age of sail: the passage to Australia Sydney, N.S.W.: University of New South Wales Press, 2003
Parsons, Ronald. Migrant ships for South Australia, 1836-1866 Gumeracha, S.A.: Gould Books, 1999

Randall, Eliza. And the dog came too: being an account of a voyage from London to South Australia on the ship Templar in 1845 Adelaide: Libraries Board of South Australia, 2001