French merchant ship Ville de la Ciotat fitted out as auxiliary cruiser according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad no. 4 dated 1892-1893

An item referred to the magazine Le Yacht reported that the French steamship Ville de la Ciotat recently launched at Ciotat for account of Messageries Maritimes was to be fitted out as an auxiliary cruiser. She was a sister ship of the Armand Béhic and to serve on the shipping line via Singapore towards China. Displacement 8.700 (loaded) tons and as dimensions 153,9 x 15,2 x 11,25 (hold) metres. The Belleville boilers and the triple expansion engine supplied 7.500 hp. Coal bunker capacity. The armament was 6-14cm guns and 10-3,7cm revolver guns.