belem's history
1907-1908, the Demange’s interlude
On Mr Crouan’s death, at the age of 85, his son-in-law took his business back, but the Menier’s factory in Noisiel decided to import its cocoa through Le Havre, closer to the factory. Deprived of its usual freight and undergoing the competition of steamers, the shipowning company was liquidated in 1906.
The Belem was acquired the shipowners Demange Frères for their line of Cayenne. In this occasion, the colour of her hull changed from black to grey with a line of sham ports.
Chauvelon remained her captain but the goods are not anymore the same: goodbye she-mules and sheeps, place to more heterogeneous loads charged in Nantes. A matter of providing supplies the famous territory for its penal colony.
After her unloasing in French Guyana, the Belem didn’t return directly to Nantes because there was no freight to be brought back from this colony which produced few things. She will make stopovers during her three voyages under Demange’s name so successively to the island of Aruba, to Martinique and finally to the Barbados. Of these voyages, she bring back in France sugar for the chocolate factory Menier.
After these three campaigns, the shipowning company Demange Frères was also liquidated.