Description:

1849 entire letter headed "Brisbane NSW/Moreton Bay/July 3d 1849" to "Shanghai/China" & endorsed "pr first Ship", apparently carried privately to Sydney where 'PAID SHIP LETTER/[crown]/JY*9/1849/SYDNEY' d/s struck in red, light 'HONG-KONG/20OC/1849' transit b/s, redirected to San Francisco with faint 'SHIP'-in-circle & 'SAN FRANCISCO/9/MAY/Cal' cds both in red on the face. Surely the most outstanding origin/destination cover of the Moreton Bay District period.



The writer, a ship's captain, offers sanctimonious condolences for the death of an infant then empathically adds "...my beloved Jane and children are all in most excellent health..." He continues "I put into this port on the 19th of last may for provisions & have been detained here much longer than I expected...I hope to collect about 50 more [tons of cargo] before I leave for Hong Kong..."