1872 (6 & 13 May) Envelope with two enclosed letters from an officer A. Hanne on the H.M.S. “Columbine” noting in manuscript “Slave Cruising between Brava and Socotra”. Noted in the letters: “After leaving Seychelles we went to Zanzibar to fill up on provisions. When we arrived there found Livingstone expedition has just arrived in the steamer ‘Abydos’, Dawson the leader of the expedition was on board the ‘Britannia’ with me…” and further describes “We took a new interpreter in here and he said that when he was up at the Lakes he saw Dr. Livingstone who was all right except that his left arm was in a sling from the effects of a lion bite…” This cover is the earliest known officer’s letter from the British anti-slave patrol ships off East Africa. Franked with ten 1858-79 1d red pl.134 tied by “P” numerals. Small portion of backflap missing else fine and rare. (Image)

1874 (Oct 24) Officer’s letter sent from Naval Instructor Joseph D. Paul serving on the H.M.S. “Glasgow” to his fiancée Fanny May Gibbs at London. The log of the “Glasgow” records the ship arriving at Zanzibar from the Comoros Islands on 18 September 1874 and departing for the Seychelles on 5 October. B.I.S.N. Company’s “Euphrates” carried the mails from Zanzibar on 24 September, connecting with the P. & O.’s “Mirzapore” arriving at Southampton on 1 November and London the following day. The cover bears a block of nine and a strip of three GB 1858-79 1d red pl.120 correctly paying the 12d Officer’s rate. Very attractive and rare. Ex Geoffrey Osborne. (Image)

1883 (Oct) Sailor’s concessionary rate pre-printed envelope from H.M.S. Euryalus while at Zanzibar from the Sullivan correspondence sent to Birmingham, England (received 9 November), bearing Great Britain 1880-81 2d tied by oval dumb canceller, initialled by the commanding officer, minor faults, rare, ex Sturton Note: The “Euryalus” was on slave patrol duties off the east coast of Africa. (Image)

1888 (Aug) Sailor’s concessionary rate envelope from the H.M.S. “Griffon” while at Zanzibar, from the Sullivan correspondence sent to Birmingham, England (received 21 September), bearing Great Britain 1887 2d “Jubilee” tied by Foreign Branch “FB” in London, some soiling, ex Sturton (Image)

1889 (Aug) Sailor’s concessionary rate envelope from H.M.S. “Griffon” while at Pemba Island (Zanzibar), from the Sullivan correspondence sent to Birmingham, England (received 21 September), bearing Great Britain 1887 2d “Jubilee” tied by partial oval of 7 bars. The envelope was initialled by the Commanding Officer. Very rare as this is the only example from the slave patrol postal history emanating from Pemba, ex Sturton Notes: Michael Sullivan’s duties were as a skilled shipwright. The “Griffon” was on slave patrol duty off the east African coast. (Image)

1889 Sailor’s concessionary rate envelope from the H.M.S. “Griffon” while a Zanzibar, from the Sullivan correspondence sent to Birmingham, England (received 22 April), bearing Great Britain 188 1d lilac die II pair tied by Foreign Branch “FB” in London, initialled by commanding officer, fine (Image)

1889 (May 6) Incoming Ceylon 5c postal stationery envelope addressed to “HMS Reindeer / Zanzibar or elsewhere”, one of the Anti-Slave patrol ships in action off the East coast of Africa, uprated with four 1886 5c tied by indistinct numerals, with Batticaloa, Colombo and Aden cds, some soiling, very rare if not unique usage to an Anti-Slave ship (Image)