Country ships filled the smaller regional trade

What were country ships?

They were generally smaller, privately owned merchant vessels serving regional ports and trades outside the company's large-ship system.

The distinction clarifies the mixed composition of the China Fleet and other convoys. Company East Indiamen supplied the largest hulls, while country ships connected ports outside the company's factory network. Their smaller scale and individual ownership made them a different commercial layer rather than miniature versions of the company's principal ships. At Pulo Aura, eleven country ships enlarged the convoy but were sheltered behind the armed East Indiamen when Dance prepared for battle.