1977: 33). The majority of the ships came from the Romanian naval shipyards on
the Danube. Only in Galați were built, between 1839 and 1840, 17 ships. Various
merchants are granted the right to be ship-owners and send their ships in the Black
Sea and other seas (Toderașcu 1970: 69). Among the ship-owners, there was the
Moldavian ruler Mihail Sturdza, who is granted, in 1840, the right to use the ship
“Moldavia”, of a capacity of 235 tons.
Starting in 1845–1846, many Greek ship-owners from the Ionic Islands chose, to
sail, out of commercial advantages, under the flags of Moldavia and Wallachia. The
trading to and from the Romanian ports was dominated by the ships under foreign
flags attracted by the enriching business in the Romanian ports. For instance, out of
the 685 ships that entered the port of Bra ˘ila in 1839, 254 were Turkish, 195 were
Greek, 105 from Sardinia, 38 from Russia and only 16 from Wallachia (Ciorbea,
Atanasiu 1995: 38).
In 1857, the first Romanian steamboat starts sailing, namely “Ceocan”, which
transported wood and salt on the Danube and a part of Siret River (B^ ardeanu and
Nicolescu 1979: 145).
After the union of the Romanian principalities in 1859, under the rule of
Alexandru Ioan Cuza, new elements of modernization and order are introduced in
the domain of navigation. The ruler approved of a new model of pavilion, the
obligation for ships to get a document issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or
the Diplomatic Agency in Constantinople. The most important document adopted
was the Law of Navigation for the Commercial Marine. It set the requirements for a
ship to get the Romanian nationality and the documents which were compulsory for
any ship to keep on board (Smaranda 1982: 1–6).
The union between Dobrogea and Romania in 1878 brought free exit to the
Black Sea for Romania. The Romanian state will buy the port of Constanța from a
British company and build the bridge over the Danube, Fetești-Cernavoda ˘, opened
on 14/26 September 1895 by king Charles I. New circumstances for the development of the commercial fleet are thus created.
An absolutely remarkable achievement, at the end of the nineteenth century,
more precisely on 1 November 1890, through the efforts of Grigore Manu, the
director of the State Transport Administration, is represented by the Romanian
River Navigation, a national institution of civil navigation on the Danube. After a
5-year experience, the same Grigore Manu addressed the Parliament the request to
grant the creation of national institution of maritime navigation. Supported by the
great historian N. Iorga and the reputed economist P.S. Aurelian, Grigore Manu’s
endeavor was successful. The Ministers Council issued on 28 April 1895 a decision
through which Grigore Manu had to organize an institution of maritime navigation
in the Ministry of Public Works.
In this respect, Grigore Manu was granted 2.5 million lei, the sum to be used for
the organization, buildings and installations, agencies and storehouses for freight
and for the purchase of the first ships. From an Austrian society the “Medeea” ship
was bought for 150.000 lei, and from “John Carlisle” House from London, the
“Meteor” ship was purchased for 800.000 lei. After a period of reparations, the
“Medeea” left the port of Bra ˘ila for Galați-Sulina-Constanța-Constantinople, in its
34 On Romanian Assertiveness in Navigation on the Black Sea. . .
589
the Danube. Only in Galați were built, between 1839 and 1840, 17 ships. Various
merchants are granted the right to be ship-owners and send their ships in the Black
Sea and other seas (Toderașcu 1970: 69). Among the ship-owners, there was the
Moldavian ruler Mihail Sturdza, who is granted, in 1840, the right to use the ship
“Moldavia”, of a capacity of 235 tons.
Starting in 1845–1846, many Greek ship-owners from the Ionic Islands chose, to
sail, out of commercial advantages, under the flags of Moldavia and Wallachia. The
trading to and from the Romanian ports was dominated by the ships under foreign
flags attracted by the enriching business in the Romanian ports. For instance, out of
the 685 ships that entered the port of Bra ˘ila in 1839, 254 were Turkish, 195 were
Greek, 105 from Sardinia, 38 from Russia and only 16 from Wallachia (Ciorbea,
Atanasiu 1995: 38).
In 1857, the first Romanian steamboat starts sailing, namely “Ceocan”, which
transported wood and salt on the Danube and a part of Siret River (B^ ardeanu and
Nicolescu 1979: 145).
After the union of the Romanian principalities in 1859, under the rule of
Alexandru Ioan Cuza, new elements of modernization and order are introduced in
the domain of navigation. The ruler approved of a new model of pavilion, the
obligation for ships to get a document issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or
the Diplomatic Agency in Constantinople. The most important document adopted
was the Law of Navigation for the Commercial Marine. It set the requirements for a
ship to get the Romanian nationality and the documents which were compulsory for
any ship to keep on board (Smaranda 1982: 1–6).
The union between Dobrogea and Romania in 1878 brought free exit to the
Black Sea for Romania. The Romanian state will buy the port of Constanța from a
British company and build the bridge over the Danube, Fetești-Cernavoda ˘, opened
on 14/26 September 1895 by king Charles I. New circumstances for the development of the commercial fleet are thus created.
An absolutely remarkable achievement, at the end of the nineteenth century,
more precisely on 1 November 1890, through the efforts of Grigore Manu, the
director of the State Transport Administration, is represented by the Romanian
River Navigation, a national institution of civil navigation on the Danube. After a
5-year experience, the same Grigore Manu addressed the Parliament the request to
grant the creation of national institution of maritime navigation. Supported by the
great historian N. Iorga and the reputed economist P.S. Aurelian, Grigore Manu’s
endeavor was successful. The Ministers Council issued on 28 April 1895 a decision
through which Grigore Manu had to organize an institution of maritime navigation
in the Ministry of Public Works.
In this respect, Grigore Manu was granted 2.5 million lei, the sum to be used for
the organization, buildings and installations, agencies and storehouses for freight
and for the purchase of the first ships. From an Austrian society the “Medeea” ship
was bought for 150.000 lei, and from “John Carlisle” House from London, the
“Meteor” ship was purchased for 800.000 lei. After a period of reparations, the
“Medeea” left the port of Bra ˘ila for Galați-Sulina-Constanța-Constantinople, in its
34 On Romanian Assertiveness in Navigation on the Black Sea. . .
589