POST OFFICE IN PARADISE - Mail to Foreign Destination Sent through the United States

This page last updated: 10 July 2000

::: Mail to Foreign Destination Sent through the United States :::

Postmarked July 26 at Honolulu and September 5 at San Francisco, this cover for France was carried to San Francisco by the American bark Fanny Major, departing Honolulu July 26, 1856, and arriving San Francisco August 25. It has a New York American Packet postmark of October 1 and a Calais, France Etats-Unis October 20 postmark. Marks on the back show it was delivered in Loudiac, France on October 22, via Brest (October 21), nearly a four month journey, long for the time. Usually, the trip by sail from Honolulu to San Francisco was against the wind and would consume about a month. The trip down to Honolulu would take about two weeks. For a few winter months, the winds would reverse. The Fanny Major took about a month to get to San Francisco. Bad luck struck when the Fanny Major was unable to arrive a day earlier because the Panama steamer left on August 20 and the Fanny Major mail laid over fifteen days for the next steamer on September 5. Slightly under a month long trip between San Francisco and New York via Panama was about right, this letter making it there by October 1. The Atlantic crossing was made to Liverpool and from there the letter was carried by rail and Channel boat to Calais. A 28¢ red rate mark can be seen just to the right of the San Francisco postmark, indicating the sender paid 28¢ in United States postage for the rate to France from San Francisco. In addition, the sender paid 5¢ for the Hawaiian postage and 2¢ for the ship fee. Deciphering rates on mail to foreign countries using tables published by the United States Post Office Department requires caution. Those rates are for mail deposited in the Atlantic States. Mail from San Francisco required an additional 5¢ so that amount must be added when calculating how much a letter from Hawaii would cost.

Postmarked November 18 at Honolulu and December 5, 1858 at San Francisco, carried to San Francisco, carried to San Francisco on the American bark Yankee, departing Honolulu November 18, 1858 and arriving San Francisco December 1. From San Francisco, it went by the Panama steamer to New York where it was postmarked on January 1, then by American packet direct to Calais, France. French postmarks are: Calais, January 15, 1859; Paris, January 16; and Avignon, January 17. This cover was delivered in about two months owing to better wind and a short layover in San Francisco. The 1857 US-French Convention fixed the cost of a letter in quarter ounce increments so a half ounce letter was a double weight letter. This letter was charged the double rate of 30¢ sent direct by the French or American packet, plus the 2¢ ship fee, as indicated by the red manuscript "32." This letter was carried by the American packet as shown by the Calais marking and the "18" credit mark in the New York postmark.

Datelined May 24, 1855 and originating at Honolulu, as shown by the oval PAID mark with a manuscript 25 overstruck with 31. This cover was carried to San Francisco on the American bark Frances Palmer, departing Honolulu June 5, 1855 and arriving San Francisco June 24. The steamer for Panama departed June 30. Postage was paid through to England at the rate of 29¢ from San Francisco plus 2¢ for the ship fee. Less than three months were required for this letter to arrive in England via Panama and New York.

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