Etymology From packet, meaning the packets of mail that were carried. For the passenger boats, the name derives from the boats that carried mail (and sometimes passengers) on rivers or canals, from which these services evolved.
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Historical An ocean-going ship chartered by the government to carry the mail and official communications.
For every trunk, portmanteau, chest, box, bag, bundle, packet, or parcel, conveyed from any inn to the Custom-house, and from thence to or on board any boat, passage vessel, or packet boat, or landed from any boat, passage vessel or packet boat, and conveyed to the Custom-house, and from thence to any inn, or to the Custom-house only, or direct to any inn, or to any part of the town, not exceeding 28lbs in weight, whether carried by barrow, knot, or hand1817, J. HORN, H.'s Description of Dover, page 119:
But the case of Rex v. Jones establishes the principle, that a packet boat employed by his Majesty to carry mails is rateable.1822, Sir James Dowling, Archer Ryland, Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Court of King's Bench:
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The packet boat on which Harvey should have travelled hoisted sail in the evening, leaving behind a smouldering Kentishman on the shore, where he was forced to spend the night.2012, Thomas Wright, William Harvey: A Life in Circulation:
We were rather annoyed upon our arrival by the master of the packet boat wishing us to engage our places at once; we told him we had not yet made up our minds when we should go, which was a fact as we were divided in opinion.2014, George Smart, H. Bertram Cox, C. L. E. Cox, Leaves from the Journals of Sir George Smart, page 11:
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Historical A boat that carried mail, cargo, and, in later years, some passengers along a regularly scheduled route up and down a river or canal.
On the night in question the plaintiff's boat had arrived at the harbour of Moyvalley, shortly before the arrival of the packet boat; and after touching at the Moyvalley side, so as to give facility to one of the persons on board to hand out oats for the purpose of feeding the horses engaged in drawing the boat, the persons on board pushed the boat with poles across towards the opposite side of the canal, within a few yards of another boat, which was moored close to the opposite bank, in which position the plaintiff's boat was, when the packet boat entered the harbour or station.1849, The Irish Jurist - Volume 1, page 26:
Whenever any boats or floats moving in opposite directions, approach a place in the Canal which is less than thirty feet wide on its surface, or which will not safely permit their passing, it shall be the duty of the master of the boat or float ascending the Canal, to stop at such distance from such narrow place as may be convenient for the descending boat or float to pass through such narrow place, and there wait until such passage is effected: Provided, however that a descending boat or float, that is not a licensed packet boat which is about thus to meet an ascending licensed packet boat, shall stop and give place for the said licensed packet boat, first to pass through the said narrow place;- and, provided, also, that descending rafts shall, in all such cases, stop and give place for boats and every other description of ascending floats first to pass through the same.2007, Historic Resource Study: Chesapeake & Ohio Canal:
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For her, none of the advantages of canalling could make up for the horrors she found in spending a night on board a packet boat: 'I would never advise ladies to travel by canal, unless the boats are quite new and clean; or at least, far better kept than any that I saw or heard of on this canal.2013, Ronald E. Shaw, Erie Water West: A History of the Erie Canal, 1792-1854:
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Historical A boat specifically designed to provide transportation to passengers on a regular schedule up and down a river or canal.
On the canal is a packet boat with a few passengers visible on top.2003, Janey Levy, The Erie Canal, page 22:
In the 1980s, the Apple Grove Resaurant brought back history when it offered packet boat rides on the canal.2005, Avis A. Townsend, Medina:
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Here, she's a force for reconciliation, although it's tempting to imagine Gardner meeting Keel on the packet boat and seducing him rather than sending him back to Grayson.2012, Todd Decker, Show Boat: Performing Race in an American Musical:
She proved to be a barco de aviso, or packet-boat, that was going with letters form Panama to Lima.1810, Alexandre Olivier Exquemelin, The History of the Bucaniers of America, page 365:
The chief consul complains that, during , a certain period, every packet-boat that passed from Dover to Calais, brought over a cargo of libels.1820, Great Britain. Parliament, The Parliamentary History of England from the Earliest Period to the year 1803:
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From this port the ten destined for Monterey sailed on the packet-boat "San Antonio," on the 2d of January of the year 1771, and after fifty-two days of rather trying voyage, on account of many bad storms, they arrived without incident at the port of San Diego on the 12th of March.2009, Francisco Palou, Francisco Palou's Life and Apostolic Labors of the Venerable Father Junipero Serra:
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River or canal boat that carries mail.
The declaration contains ten counts, and in substance, they all and each of them charge, that Bromley, the defendant, was the captain of the packet-boat Empire, which regularly performed trips, at stated periods, between two places, from on to the other of which places the United States mail was regularly converyed, under the authority of the Post-Office Department, to wit, between Albion and Rochester;1852, William Cranch, Henry Wheaton, Reports of Cases Argued and Adjudged in the Supreme Court of the United States:
Propelling the packet-boat up the stream was the most laborious and dangerous employment which can be imagined. The Indians were unceasing in their efforts to destory small parties of whites, as they were passing up or down the river Ohio. There were then but few places between Cincinnati and Wheeling, for the packet-boat to rest at night safely.2009, John McDonald, Biographical Sketches of General Nathaniel Massie, page 85:
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Passenger boat.
A canal packet-boat leaves here daily at 9 o'clock for Whitehall, and runs through in about 22 hours.1839, Robert J. Vandewater, The Tourist, Or Pocket Manual for Travellers on the Hudson, page 80:
The packet-boat came in sight, white and slow as a deliberate swan, drew reflectively down the shining reach of water, and sidled to the landing.1994, Mary Johnston, Marjorie Spruill Wheeler, Hagar, page 8:
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Her essay then refers to one of the best-known captains of any Middlesex Canal packet-boat — Silas Tyler.2009, Alan Seaburg, Life on the Middlesex Canal, page 70: