Hello While reading recent posts relating to the ship Tornado, it occurred to me that it mightn't hurt of ask questions about some family brick-walls. My great-grandfather's brother Christopher Dowdall was born in Dublin in the 1830s. From his obituary I learned: "In early life he had been for some years in the service of the East India Company, in the Bombay presidency." [Taranaki Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 2115, 12 July 1873, Page 2] When he signed up with the Army for 10 years in 1854 he was a Private with 2nd European Light Infantry; he travelled to India on the ship York. {FIBIS site] Did this ship belong to the East Indian Company? What would have been the most likely way for him to have travelled from the Bombay presidency in India to Australia? On 18 January 1864 he enrolled at Melbourne, Victoria, with the Melbourne Contingent of Taranaki Military Settlers. He arrived in New Plymouth, NZ, on the ship Gresham, as one of 420 Militia Volunteers on 13 February 1864. They were known as military settlers - receiving land in return for army service. The mystery for me is to discover how he got from India to Australia. Were there regular ships travelling to and from India to Australia at this time, and where might I search for more information. Thanks Paddy