Packet boat

Packet boats were medium-sized boats designed mainly for domestic mail and freight transport in European countries and in North American rivers and canals. Eventually including basic passenger accommodation, they were used extensively during the 18th and 19th centuries, and had regularly scheduled services.

In the 18th century, packet boats were put into use on the Atlantic Ocean between Great Britain and its colonies, where the services were called the packet trade. In the later 19th century, steam-driven packets were used extensively in the United States on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, supplying forts and trading posts.