 In 1861, the firm was involved in the purchase of the "Adelia", a 69 ton tug, which has become known as the first Bland ship; it regularly carried traffic between Gibraltar and Tangier, Morocco in its lifetime.The Bland Group, having identified lucrative commercial opportunities in the shipping industry, embarked on a rapid expansion in the sector through the latter half of the nineteenth century.Having initially focused on transporting freight across the Straits, the firm branched into combined cargo-and-passenger transport using a fleet of multi-purpose vessels; other activities ranged from postal runs on behalf of the Royal Gibraltar Post Office to towing and salvage operations.