There are a great number of ways in which mail is delivered all around the world. However, the most unique and innovative I have come across was for the island of Niuafo’ou, the most northerly island in the Kingdom of Tonga, in the south Pacific half way between Samoa and Fiji.
In 1882, William Travers, a plantation manager came up with an idea for mail delivery to the island which had no harbour and no beaches.
He approached the Tongan postal authorities to have the ships of the Union Steamship Company which traveled between Samoa and Fiji seal his mail in a biscuit tin and throw it overboard as they passed the island. He then had a swimmer venture out into the ocean and retrieve the tin.
To send mail he wrapped it in grease-proof paper, attached it to a short stick for buoyancy and had a strong swimmer take it out to a passing ship. The local fisherman were quite used to swimming in the ocean which they did clinging to a long buoyant fau pole that was cut from a type of hibiscus. By putting the pole under one arm they could float and fish for hours. In this way Tin Can Mail was borne.
In 1921 Charles Ramsey came to the island as plantation manager and took over the job of swimming for the mail. He was the only white man ever to undertake this task and did so 112 times.
If a ship passed in the night it would blow its siren and swimmers would go out in a group to search for the mail tin. Bonfires would be lit on the island to guide them back. Tin Can Mail continued for over 100 years until an airfield was built on the island in 1983 and sadly it all came to an end.
If you are interested in learning more about the hobby of stamp collecting, please feel free to attend a regular meeting of the Coin and Stamp Club held at the Victory Lutheran Church on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.
Dennis Vickery. Collector’s Corner is contributed by the Medicine Hat Coin and Stamp Club. For questions or comments about coin or stamp collection email medhatcsc@live.com
