Why did Theodor Fontane use the name "Swallow" for the ship in "John Maynard"?

Norman Barry has written essays on this topic. He has also located a 1967 Fontane Blätter article that sheds some light on this question, and he has provided a transcription of the original article and an English translation of it. To these he has added his speculations on the name of the ship used in "The Helmsman of Lake Erie." These are all presented in PDF format through the links below.

The Mysterious Swallow in Theodor Fontane's "John Maynard" by Norman Barry (2007)

 

The Swallow Revisited by Norman Barry (2009)

 

Weiteres zu „John Maynard“: Der Schiffsname „Schwalbe“ by the editorial staff of the Fontane Blätter

 

More about "John Maynard": The Ship's Name, The Swallow Norman Barry's translation of the above article

 

The Author's Signature: The Good Ship Jersey in "The Helmsman of Lake Erie," and the Significance of the Geography of New Jersey in the Works of James Fenimore Cooper by Norman Barry