Peeps at Postage Stamps

by Stanley C. Johnson

The pictures on the stamps are of interest. The 1 cent portrays both Cartier and Champlain; the 5 cents gives a picture of the latter's house; the 7 cents introduces Montcalm and Wolfe; the 10 cents reveals Quebec in 1700; the 15 cents depicts Champlain's departure for the interior, then an almost unknown world; whilst the 20 cents is inscribed "Cartier's arrival before Quebec."

Another set of commemorative stamps comes from Barbados, its object being to celebrate the heroic exploits of Nelson—the Battle of Trafalgar in particular. The tragedy which was enacted on board the Victory, almost, if we may so express it, at the moment of victory, the mournful journey to England, the lying-in-state at Greenwich, and the funeral in St. Paul's Cathedral, are all too well known to need description; but it is less well known that Horatio Nelson spent many of his early years of seamanship in the West Indies, and particularly in and around the Barbados. It is on this account that a fine monument has been erected to his memory in this Colony, and a set of stamps was issued to mark the unveiling.

Australasia has not given us many celebration stamps, but those which have come from the Antipodes are extremely interesting. What could be more stirring than the design on the three-halfpenny 1901 khaki stamp of New Zealand? It was issued to mark the departure of troops on their way to the fighting-line in South Africa.

Another interesting set of stamps was provided some twenty years ago by New South Wales to remind the world that it had been a colony for just over a century. One of the values bears a portrait of Captain Cook, who discovered the Colony in 1770; whilst another reveals, appropriately enough, the features of Captain Arthur Phillips, the founder of the first convict settlement on these Australian shores. Up till the time of Phillips our prisoners had been banished to America, but after the war, which gained for the New England States their independence, this outlet was closed to our exiles, and fresh fields were found in New South Wales.

Probably no event in history has received more attention on the part of stamp producers than the discoveries of Columbus. The Argentine Republic was, we believe, the first country to honour the memory of this intrepid explorer by the issue of postal labels, but to the United States must be awarded the credit of issuing the finest set of Columbian stamps. This series of postal adhesives is probably one of the grandest collections of historical stamps that has ever been produced, and, fortunately, the lower values are cheap, and easily obtained.

Other commemorative stamps of the United States have been issued—namely, the Omaha, the Pan-American, the Buffalo, and the Panama Exhibition stamps; but though some of them are exceedingly attractive in design, none of them can compare with the Columbus issue in point of interest.

Another intrepid explorer to receive recognition by means of an issue of stamps was Vasco da Gama. To mention his name recalls to mind the wonderful and perilous journey which he was the first to make around the southern point of Africa, and thence to India. Vasco was fortunate in living in Portugal at a time when this kingdom was at the height of its fame and prosperity. Financed by the then King, Manoel, he left Lisbon on July 8, 1497, with four vessels manned by 160 men. He took four long months to reach the island of St. Helena, and whilst rounding the Cape the trials of this brave band of men were terrible in the extreme. Calicut, in India, was reached on May 20, 1498, and after a short and none too pleasant stay among the unfriendly natives, a start for home was made. On returning to Portugal Vasco da Gama received a tremendous ovation from the King and the people.

The Portuguese stamps issued in 1898 to celebrate the fourth centenary of the discovery of the route to India bear very attractive pictures.

Three events of interest have given rise to special stamps in Italy: (a) The fiftieth anniversary of the freedom of Sicily; (b) the jubilee of the kingdom of Italy; and (c) the festivities to commemorate the completion of the Venice Campanile.

To appreciate the meaning of the first two events, we must remember that the present kingdom of Italy was, less than sixty years ago, a number of little states, each contending against its neighbour. Sicily, one of the conflicting areas, was ruled by Ferdinand II. of Spain, a man noted for the harsh and tyrannical rule which he inflicted on his subjects. In answer to an appeal from the men of Sicily, Garibaldi sailed from Genoa with 1,000 followers, landed at Marsala on May 11, 1860, and took Palermo soon afterwards. The people were jubilant at his success, and Ferdinand was quickly deposed. Sicily joined Sardinia, and Victor Emmanuel reigned over the two territories.