The adoption of steam engines for oceangoing vessels in the mid nineteenth century revolutionized shipping. On the face of it shipbuilders were presented with two choices. They could either strive to improve the sailing ship, or they could design a vessel that employed steam as the primary source of power. In fact, the choice was not that straightforward. There was another alternative; to design (or fit) sailing ships with an auxiliary steam engine. The significance and commercial importance of auxiliary steamers has been largely overlooked. This article reviews the role of these vessels and assesses their financial and logistical advantages in comparison with sailing ships or fully steam powered ships using the business of William Schaw Lindsay as a case study.1

中文翻译：

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William Schaw Lindsay 和远洋辅助轮船

19 世纪中叶远洋船舶采用蒸汽机彻底改变了航运业。从表面上看，造船商面临两种选择。他们要么努力改进帆船，要么设计一艘以蒸汽为主要动力来源的船只。事实上，选择并没有那么简单。还有另一种选择；设计（或安装）带有辅助蒸汽机的帆船。辅助蒸汽机的重要性和商业重要性在很大程度上被忽视了。本文以威廉·肖·林赛 (William Schaw Lindsay) 的业务为例，回顾了这些船舶的作用，并评估了它们与帆船或全蒸汽动力船舶相比的财务和物流优势。 1