CORINPHILA AUCTIONS 297 - 308 Day 3

1841 (Feb 11): Soldier's prepaid entire letter from Towrang Stockade near Goulburn endorsed at top "Wm. Crook, private 1054, 80th Regt.", correctly counter-signed by the Captain commanding the 8th Company at left; mailed from Marulan to Bolton, England and struck with framed "PAID / AT / MARULAN" handstamp in red and oval "PAID SHIP LETTER / ♚ / FE 16 / 1840 / SYDNEY" in transit, with manuscript '1d.' prepaid. Struck on arrival with circular unframed "INDIA SOLDIERS / 4 / LETTER" due marking in black (Robertson In. Sol. 7). Reverse with "MARULAN /♚ / NEW S. WALES" in black (Feb 14), London cds (July 2) and Bolton arrival cds (July 3) in red. Folds with some internal tape but a rare entire.rnProvenance: Collection Ed Druce (1993); Collection Brian Peace, Prestige, Melbourne, 27 July 2009, lot 1144.rnContent: "Everything is flourioshing, I can get a pound a week and do my duty, by splitting shingles which is used in place of slates for they are 12 shillings a thousand and I can split one thousand six hundred a day...in England a man gets 10 shilling a week, I can get 2 pound and not work so hard for it...England have enough to do with the Chinese" (this last refers to the Opium War).