Engravings of the steamships 'Lusitania', 'Khiva', 'Mexican', 'Australia', 'Arizona', 'Zambesi', 'Poonah', 'Nepaul', 'Ganges', 'Geelong', 'Rosetta', 'Umbria' and 'Etruria' (left to right, top to bottom). These ships, from the P&O, Cunard, Orient, Union and Guion Lines, were among 150 merchant vessels that the British Government could have taken over to act as Armed Cruisers in the event of a war with Russia.