The Brazilian Flotilla of the Compagnie des Chargeurs Runis, 1880

Founded in 1872, the Compagnie des Chargeurs Runis of Le Havre was the sixth French shipping line to establish a transatlantic service to Brazil but expanded rapidly to become the principal operator on the route. Initially serving only Brazil as port facilities on the River Plate at Montevideo and Buenos Aires were not sufficiently developed, the initial two ships were joined by a further six in 1873, and, by the late 1870s, the company was dominating the South American route.