_BY E. D. BACON._
Newfoundland is an island situated between 46° 37′ and 51° 39′ N. lat.,
and 52° 35′ and 59° 25′ W. long., on the north-east side of the Gulf of
St. Lawrence. The greatest length from north to south is 350 miles, and
average breadth about 130; its estimated area is 40,200 square miles.
The coast of Labrador, on the Continent, is now included in the Colony.
It comprises about 120,000 square miles, but has only 4211 inhabitants.
The island was discovered by John Cabot in 1497. It was as early as 1500
frequented by the Portuguese, Spanish, and French, for its fisheries. Sir
Walter Raleigh and others, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, attempted to
colonize this island, but were not successful. In 1623, Sir G. Calvert,
afterwards Lord Baltimore, established himself in the south-east part of
the island, and appointed his son Governor. In 1634, a party of colonists
were sent over from Ireland, and twenty years after some English
colonists arrived, having emigrated by means of a Parliamentary grant.
At the peace of Utrecht, in 1713, subsequently ratified by the Treaty
of Paris, the exclusive sovereignty of Newfoundland was ceded to Great
Britain, subject to certain rights reserved to France, which are still
in question between the two nations. As already mentioned, Newfoundland
is now (1889) the only North American Colony not included within the
Dominion of Canada.
Newfoundland has never possessed an Official Gazette, but Government
notices appear in the newspaper _The Royal Gazette and Newfoundland
Advertiser_, published at St. John’s. The earliest file of this
newspaper, with the exception of one or two odd numbers, I have found in
this country commences with the year 1875, so I have been unable to gain
any particulars about the stamps of this Colony from that source. The
Report of the Postmaster-General of Great Britain for 1857 I have before
quoted from tells us:
“Inland Posts were established in 1852. In 1853 a reduced
and uniform rate of postage for Letters was established, and
another for Books.
On Letters not exceeding ½ oz. 3d.
Exceeding ½ oz. and not exceeding 1 oz. 6d.
Above 1 oz. ” ” 1½ oz. 9d.
And so on in proportion.
“Newspapers are conveyed free.
“On Books the postage is about 2d. per oz. up to 6 ozs.,
exceeding that weight, 3d. per oz. up to 16 ozs., beyond which
weight they cannot be transmitted through the post.”
Postage stamps are not mentioned, so they had evidently not been
introduced into the Colony at the time the above particulars were sent
over; but 1857 is the year usually given as that in which the first
issue took place. The present rates of postage are as follows:
Letters
Per ½ oz. Newspapers.
In St. John’s 1 cent Free.
Within Colony 3 cents Free.
Europe, United States, and St. Pierre,
Miquelon 5 cents 1 cent.
South America and West Indies 8 cents 2 cents.
Mr. John Delaney was Postmaster-General of the Colony in 1879, and Mr. J.
O. Fraser holds that office at the present time.
I regret, as in the case of Canada, I am unable to give you copies of
any of the official notices of the issue of the stamps of this Colony.
I hope, however, I may shortly be followed by other writers, who may
have greater facilities, and be more successful in obtaining the desired
information than I have been.