;) | GORGONA, Canal Zone postmark on Barbados stamp arrival dated JUN 9 without year on 1905 2½d Seal (SG.139). Work on the Panama Canal started in 1903 and was completed in 1914, 17,000 canal workers were Barbadian £15 |
;) | Zululand (correspondence October 7, 1907) Lorraine W. Boyce letter to her cousin written "Glendale, Kearsney" and mentions "every thing here is at a standstill, and the Natal Gov’t seem to be quite incapable of carrying on the affairs of the Colony. I think Archibald Forbes was not far out when he spoke of the people in Natal as the xxxxxxx of Creation". (Note: possibly the same Archibald Forbes inside the British square at Ulundi, Natal, as it braced itself to resist thousands of Zulu warriors in 1879, who then rode 300 miles in 50 hours with news of the British victory). 19th letter correspondences of Fred Boyce and Lorraine Wilson Boyce JU 10 1905 - DE 11 1907 (none have outer covers). £20 |
;) ;) | Zululand correspondence (April 9, 1907) Fred Boyce letter mentions "many thanks for £90. I can assure you it will be most useful as every thing in the Colony is so bad. Although it is now eight months since the late rebellion we have not received any compensation. I am very much afraid there will be another row with the natives, if there is it will be a big affair. The native unrest is all owing to having incompetent men in charge of affairs. The natives have lost all faith in the Colonial Gov’t. I feel convinced that if the Colony were to revert to a Crown Colony (the only thing that will save Natal from utter ruin) the natives would be quite peaceful and contented. Natal is not fit financially or otherwise to have Self Gov’t. Tick fever is still rampant but I think some farmers have found a cure although the vet dept declared there was no cure". 17th letter correspondences of Fred Boyce and Lorraine Wilson Boyce JU 10 1905 - DE 11 1907 (none have outer covers). £60 |
;) | Zululand (correspondence January 1, 1907) Lorraine W. Boyce letter written "Durban" mentions "is there no possible way of raising money? Things here seem going from bad to worse and there is no saying what the end of the Asiatic affair will be. Zululand is still very unsettled – there are over 600 mounted men in the country trying to capture rebels, a great number of them are armed and are hiding in the dense bush". 15th letter correspondences of Fred Boyce and Lorraine Wilson Boyce JU 10 1905 - DE 11 1907 (none have outer covers). £80 |
;) ;) | Zululand correspondence (November 27, 1905 mentions Poll Tax leading to the BAMBATHA REBELLION Fred Boyce letter written Mangeni mentions "how pleased I will be to get the photos. I should like one of your Ian in uniform. The property on which we hold 4 claims each has been taken over by a developing syndicate. They intend going down 200 ft and if the reef is as good at that depth as it is at the surface they will float at once. The Poll Tax here has caused great dissatisfaction among all classes. The natives here have refused to pay. There may be trouble when the tax is collected (or tried to be collected rather). The natives have lost all confidence in the Govt which is rotten. Getting ready for a prospecting trip. Pegging off is the order of the day now in Zululand. Copper is all the rage". 8th letter correspondences of Fred Boyce and Lorraine Wilson Boyce JU 10 1905 - DE 11 1907 (none have outer covers). £150 |
;) ;) | India QUARANTINE DEPOSIT for deck passenger to Batticoloa, Ceylon British India Steam Navigation Co., Ltd contract document with The Ceylon Steampship Co. Ltd. headed Paumben 3/5/1911 with combination India KE7 One Anna COURT FEE stamp and CEYLON KE7 5c variously signed etc. Reverse further 15 India KE7 One Anna Court Fee stamps, centrally folded (and will be mailed along fold). Text reads: Received Rs 20/- from A.V. Moosa Nayena being quarantine deposit for deck passenger for Batticoloa for due submission to the inspection of the Medical officer at that port for the Require Number of days. £225 |
;) ;) | The EMPIRE BURE troop transporter 1945 arrival of smoke-stained British Empire Bure (West Africa-Liverpool-Bermuda-Cuba-Trinidad) troop transporter. Story assembled by skipper with 4 newspaper clippings (stowaway, soldier overboard rescue, terrific storm, arrival) with ppc of vessel arriving Cuba, 11 small b/w photographs (skipper, ships cat, local Trinidad views of Empire cinema, Navy House etc) all mailed to Essex, England under KG6 36c rate cover pmkd POS 8 DE 47. £150 |
;) ;) | Poisoned-pen mail to a licentiously got nasty bastard!! A rare example of anonymous poison-pen mail addressed Henry Smythe, 10 West Queen Street, (Kingston) on reverse QV ½d red-brown Post Card mailed at Kingston ID/ MY 18 91. Best full transcript reads Henry Smith mother is Eliza Doby the leader in Wesley Chapel, and George Smythe the parson. Why you don’t go back to St. Anns or christen after your father Smythe? Why you was shipped off to sea? and now you rob money in Colon you can’t go back? Pay Col. Morrice & Co for the goods you trust so long you damn thief. Show this to your friends. I can prove it, bring me up, you are a nasty bastard licentiously got, I know you well in St. Anns as a ragged boy. Face with Advertised and Unclaimed handstamps plus four Returned Letter Branch dated 17 JU 91. Reverse also shows m/script postal endorsements of “Not known” (twice with dates) and “No name”. A most interesting item for research, and why had Henry Smythe also known as Henry Smith disappeared? £75 |