0 , 0 0 0 ▁b ales ▁of ▁w ool . ▁The ▁cargo ▁holds ▁were ▁served ▁by ▁twenty - five ▁der r icks . ▁ ▁The ▁ships ▁all ▁had ▁a ▁single ▁fun nel ▁and ▁four ▁m asts ▁with ▁sch oon er ▁rig ging ; ▁plans ▁had ▁apparently ▁been ▁drawn ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁design ▁stage ▁for ▁the ▁ships ▁to ▁be ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁s ails , ▁but ▁this ▁idea ▁was ▁abandoned . ▁They ▁were ▁power ed ▁by ▁two ▁quad ru ple - exp ansion ▁steam ▁engines ▁through ▁two ▁prop ellers , ▁with ▁a ▁service ▁speed ▁of ▁around ▁. ▁ ▁Care ers ▁ ▁Afr ic ▁ ▁Afr ic ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁the ▁five ▁ships ▁to ▁be ▁launched , ▁although ▁not ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁sail ▁to ▁Australia , ▁She ▁was ▁launched ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁November ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁making ▁her ▁ma iden ▁voyage ▁on ▁ 8 ▁February ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁from ▁Liverpool ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁as ▁a ▁test ▁run , ▁after ▁further ▁work ▁she ▁entered ▁service ▁on ▁the ▁Australia ▁service ▁on ▁ 9 ▁September . ▁Afr ic ▁and ▁her ▁sister s ▁carried ▁troops ▁and ▁horses ▁during ▁the ▁Bo er ▁War ▁( 1 9 0 0 – 1 9 0 2 ), ▁which ▁often ▁inter fer ed ▁with ▁their ▁schedule , ▁it ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁until ▁the ▁war ▁concluded ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁that ▁White ▁Star ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁put ▁their ▁planned ▁regular ▁month ly ▁service ▁into ▁effect . ▁After ▁twelve ▁years ▁of ▁une vent ful ▁pe ac etime ▁service