United States and C.S.A. Postal History continued...

**China and the Far East Mails, Foreign Ships**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description
3588		"Canton 3rd December 1792". Dateline on folded letter addressed to "The Commanding Officer on Board the L'Etrusco. Wampoa" (Whampoa), the letter is written in English and signed by Charles de Constant de Rebecque, De Constant lists the cargo accompanying this transmittal letter, docketed on back in Chinese, few filing holes VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE LETTER FROM THE SWISS TRAVELLER AND MERCHANT, CHARLES DE CONSTANT DE REBECQUE, DURING HIS 1792 JOURNEY ON BOARD THE L'ETRUSCO BETWEEN CANTON AND OSTEND. This letter was written and signed by Charles de Constant de Rebecque (1762-1835) in Canton in early December 1792. De Constant, together with Home Riggs Popham (1762-1820) and Jean Baptiste Piron (d.1803), commercial agent for the French Republic, invested £50,000 in a cargo to be carried on Popham's ship L'Etrusco from Canton to Ostend. The captain of the L'Etrusco, to whom this letter is addressed, was John Reid. On arrival at Ostend the L'Etrusco was seized by an English frigate as a prize and towed to the Thames. Popham was considered to have contravened the East India Company's trading monopoly. After a lengthy court case he received compensation of £20,000, incurring considerable losses. Popham is remembered for subsequent inventions in the field of telegraphic signals. The Swiss traveller and merchant, Charles de Constant de Rebecque, is known for his three voyages to Macao and Canton between 1779 and 1793 which earned him the name "le Chinois." His journals and letters, held in the Bibliotheque de Geneve, record his observations on China and details of his trading activities, including his promotion of European watchmaking in China [source: www.samuelgedge.com] (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 2,000-3,000 SOLD for $2,700.00 Will close during Public Auction
3589		"Canton 13 Dec. 92". Dateline on folded letter addressed to the "Commd. Officer of L'Etrusco", short message reads "Sir, Please to receive on Board 400 chests of Tea markd R.C/S the private property of Capt. Popham" and signed "Wright", also with ms. "rec'd on board the Etrusco" and signed "H. Barber", docketed in Chinese on bottom flap, small central hole, some wear, still Very Fine, Capt. Home Riggs Popham (1762-1820) and Jean Baptiste Piron (d.1803), commercial agent for the French Republic, invested £50,000 in a cargo to be carried on Popham's ship L'Etrusco from Canton to Ostend, the captain of the L'Etrusco, to whom this letter is addressed, was John Reid, on arrival at Ostend the L'Etrusco was seized by an English frigate as a prize and towed to the Thames, Popham was considered to have contravened the East India Company's trading monopoly, after a lengthy court case he received compensation of £20,000, incurring considerable losses (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 1,000-1,500 SOLD for $1,000.00 Will close during Public Auction
3590		New York to Canton, China. Sep. 1, 1837 folded letter to Wetmore & Co. in Canton, carried outside the mails with red "Forwarded by Jos. W. Alsop Jr." rectangular framed handstamp with two lines in script, clearly struck on backflap, Very Fine, Alsop and Wetmore were partners at an earlier point (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 400-500 SOLD for $425.00 Will close during Public Auction
3591		Canton, China, to London. "1839 18 July Russell & Co." docketing on folded cover from Canton to Rothschild & Co. in London, sender's ms. directive "pr Morrison via New York", red "Forwarded by Cary & Co. New York" oval backstamp, ms. "per St. James" ship directive probably applied in New York, "Portsmouth/Ship Letter" handstamp, red receiving backstamp (Jan. 23, 1840), ms. due, Very Fine (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 200-300 SOLD for $2,300.00 Will close during Public Auction
3592		Collect/Six Cents/for/Hale & Co. Red framed handstamp on folded letter from Macao to Salem, Mass., datelined "Macao, 19th July 1844" with sender's ship directive "per 'Convoy'", addressed to the owners of the Eliza Ann, red "Wetmore & Cryder New-York" oval forwarder's handstamp on back, file folds, Very Fine, carried from Macao to New York outside the mails, given to Wetmore & Cryder, who in turn gave it to Hale & Co. for its northbound mail to Salem Mass., an extremely rare inbound cover from China carried by Hale & Co. (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 400-500 SOLD for $1,900.00 Will close during Public Auction
3593		Marcellus N.Y. to Bangkok (Siam). "Marcellus N.Y. Apr. 13" blue circular datestamp, "Paid" and "10" handstamps on 1846 folded letter to Dr. Daniel B. Bradley in Bangkok (Siam), in care of missionary group in New York City, forwarded outside of the mails, Jan. 16, 1857 receipt docketing, Very Fine, a rare early letter to Bangkok, the first Protestant missionaries arrived in Bangkok in 1828 from the London Missionary Society representing the Church of England, the American Protestants followed over the next three decades, Dr. Bradley was a prominent American missionary who arrived in 1835 and taught English to Prince Mongkut, the future King Rama IV (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 300-400 SOLD for $3,500.00 Will close during Public Auction
3594		Canton, China, to New York. Aug. 21, 1851 folded letter from Canton, China, to New York City, "LS/17OC17 1851" Maltese Cross datestamp, ms. "76" debit and "96" due handstamp, endorsed "Via Marseilles", Very Fine (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 200-300 SOLD for $600.00 Will close during Public Auction
3595		New York to Shanghai, China. Dec. 8, 1851 folded letter from New York City to Augustine Heard & Co. in Shanghai, China, care of Baring Bros. in London, sender's endorsement "per Asia", "New York 10 Dec. 6" debit datestamp (inverted date), red London receiving backstamp (Dec. 21), ms. "2/" due marking crossed out and re-rated "4/1" paid with red "London Paid" (Dec. 24) circular datestamp, red "VIA MARSEILLES" route handstamp applied by Baring Bros., Hong Kong receiving backstamp (Feb. 12, 1852), Very Fine, scarce double-rate letter to China via Marseilles, this cover and the last make a perfect pair (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 400-500 SOLD for $500.00 Will close during Public Auction
3596		New York to Shanghai, China. Jul. 9, 1852 (per docketing) folded cover from New York City to Augustine Heard & Co. in Shanghai, China, care of Baring Bros. in London, sender's endorsement "pr. Pacific" crossed out, "New York 42 Jul. 10" debit datestamp, red London receiving backstamp (Jul. 21), ms. "2/" due marking crossed out and re-rated "4/" paid with red "London Paid" (Jul. 21) circular datestamp, red "VIA MARSEILLES" route handstamp applied by Baring Bros., Hong Kong receiving backstamp (Sep. 3), Very Fine, scarce double-rate letter to China via Marseilles (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 400-500 SOLD for $475.00 Will close during Public Auction
3597		Cardiff N.Y. to Foochow, China. Ms. "Cardiff July 21" (1852) postmark and "Paid 45" rate on brown cover to Rev. M. C. White in care of English Consul at Foochow ("Fuh Chau"), China, sender's routing "Overland via Southampton", red ms. "24" credit, red "Paid 4 AU 4 1852" transit datestamp, ms. "4" British P.O. rate, Hong Kong receiving backstamp (Oct. 10), with several enclosures, cover slightly worn around edges, Fine, Foochow is considerably rarer as a destination than Canton or Hong Kong (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 400-500 SOLD for $1,100.00 Will close during Public Auction
3598		New York to Shanghai, China. Oct. 5, 1852 folded letter from New York City to Augustine Heard & Co. in Shanghai, China, care of Baring Bros. in London, sender's endorsement "per Africa", "New York 20 Oct. 6" debit datestamp, red London receiving backstamp (Oct. 18), ms. "4/" due marking crossed out and re-rated "4/" paid with red "London Paid" (Oct. 19) circular datestamp, red "VIA SOUTHAMPTON" route handstamp applied by Baring Bros., Hong Kong receiving backstamp (Dec. 13), Very Fine, scarce quadruple-rate letter to China via Southampton (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 400-500 SOLD for $700.00 Will close during Public Auction

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