"This volume comprises the text of a 500-page copy letter-book kept by Captain Daniel Jenkins (1871-1922) between 1902 and 1908 and subsequently in 1910-11, during periods when he was in command of several Cardiff tramp steamers. These letters are probably unique in that it seems likely they are the sole remaining first-hand record of the trades plied by such vessels in the early twentieth century. What we learn from them is that there was far more to the south Wales shipping industry at the time than simply exporting coal. Not only did the tramp steamers distribute what was at that time the world's premium fuel source to countries lacking in their own energy resources, but they also played a vital part in the provision of basic foodstuffs for the growing industrial populations of the UK and northern Europe. They add to our understanding of the incredibly complex economy and society that existed in south Wales and beyond in the early years of the twentieth century."--Front flap of jacket.