DISASTER MAIL: 1859 entire letter from Port Albert, Victoria to England, carried by ''S.S. Northam'' bearing Melbourne mark and Port Albert, Victoria crowned oval for JY 15, the ship was stranded on the Shab-barger Reef near Jeddah in the Red Sea, backstamped by Newton Abbot arrival for SP 19, scarce. ? ? Whilst awaiting for assistance the ''S.S. Northam'' was successfully cleared the reef and all the mails and passengers were re-boarded which had been landed on the nearby Island of Myetta and resumed her journey and arrived in Suez on 28th August. (Image)

DISASTER MAIL: 1862 mourning envelope from Melbourne with stamp floated off, carried firstly by the ''S.S. Bombay'' to Ceylon before being transferred to the ''S.S. Colombo'' which foundered on Minicoy Island (Indian Ocean) superbly struck by ''Saved from the Wreck of the Colombo'' framed h/s with London arrival cds DE 31 with Melbourne cds for OC 25, with two flaps missing, still very scarce. (Image)

Victoria: 1893 envelope to Victoria St Croix, Danish West Indies franked by 2½d red on yellow, tied by Melbourne duplex for SE 15, carried by ''S.S. Miowera'' which was stranded at the entrance to Pearl Harbour, backstamped by numerous arrival marks, vey fine. ? ? The passengers and mails were transferred to the steamer Australia which headed for San Franciso rather than the Miowera's original destination of Vancouver. (Image)

1867-81 5s indigo-blue and red (type II), perf 12, fresh large part o.g. Minor gum disturbance, but fine and most attractive, SG 148a (Image)