Corinphila Auction 291-297 Day 1

Incoming Mail 1853: Entire letter from Madras to Mauritius endorsed "per Screw str. Mauritius", struck on despatch with fine MADRAS / GPO datestamp (March 31) and curved "INDIA PAID" in red, prepaid with "1/-" in red manuscript. Superb strike of oval framed "PACKET LETTER / MAURITIUS" in black (May 16) of arrival. The "Mauritius" was a ship of the General Screw Shipping Co., whose service ran from Plymouth via the Cape to Mauritius.rnNote: In 1850 the company secured the contract to carry the monthly mail between Plymouth and Cape Town for £ 30,000 a year.rnFollowing this, orders were placed with C.J. Mare and Company at Leamouth, London for new ships Queen of the South, Lady Jocelyn, Indiana, Calcutta, Mauritius and Hydaspes. In May 1852 an additional mail contract was secured, for the company to provide a monthly service between England and Madras and Calcutta, via Cape St. Vincent, Ascension Island, St. Helena, Cape Town, Mauritius and Ceylon.