PIGEON-POST.
The intellectual superiority of man has enabled him to bend to his
purposes the various physical powers of the lower animals--as, for
example, the strength of the ox and the fleetness of the horse--and his
observation has taught him also to turn to his use some of the instincts
of the lower creation, though these gifts may lie hidden beyond the
reach of his understanding. Thus the keen scent of the bloodhound, and
the sense which enables the "ship of the desert" to sniff the distant
spring, are equally become subservient to the interests of man; but it
is with reference to another instinct not less remarkable that this
chapter is written--the homing instinct of the carrier-pigeon. This
gentle bird has long been known as a messenger capable of conveying news
from one place to another over considerable distances. It is asserted
that "Hirtius and Brutus, at the siege of Modena, held a correspondence
by pigeons; and Ovid tells us that Taurosthenes, by a pigeon stained
with purple, gave notice to his father of his victory at the Olympic
games, sending it to him at AEgina." In Persia and Turkey pigeons were
trained for this service, and it is stated that every bashaw had some of
these birds reared, in order swiftly to convey news to the seraglio on
occasions of insurrection or other emergency. In somewhat modern times
the best birds were said to be those of Aleppo, which served as couriers
at Alexandretta and Bagdad; but many years ago their services in this
line had to be given up, owing to the Kurd robbers killing the pigeons
in the course of their journey. It does not appear, however, that, until
quite recent times, any great use has been made of these birds by
Western nations, at any rate under any extended scheme for commercial or
peaceful ends. Yet, by what may seem an incongruity, the dove, which is
_par excellence_ the emblem of love and peace, has of late years been
trained for purposes of war by the great Continental States; and it is
impossible to predict how far the fate of nations may be determined
hereafter by the performances of these naturally harmless creatures. The
following particulars from one of the annual reports on the Post-office
will show to what extent service was rendered by carrier-pigeons in
keeping up postal communication with Paris when that city was invested
during the Franco-German war of 1870-71:--
"As the war proceeded and the hostile forces approached Paris, the risk
of interruption to our Indian mails became more and more imminent, and
caused serious uneasiness to the Post-office. This feeling, which was
not long in communicating itself to the public, the subsequent
investment of the capital served to enhance. The mails had now to branch
off at Amiens, and go round by Rouen and Tours, at a cost, in point of
time, of from thirty to forty hours; but even this circuitous route
could not long be depended upon, and nothing remained but to abandon
Marseilles altogether as the line of communication for our Indian mails.
There was only one alternative--to send them through Belgium and Germany
by the Brenner Pass to Brindisi, and thence by Italian packets to
Alexandria.
"But it was in respect to the mails for France herself, and especially
for Paris, that the greatest perplexity prevailed. As soon as Amiens
was threatened--Amiens, the very key-stone of our postal communication
with the interior and south of France--it became evident that the route
_via_ Calais would not remain much longer. The alternative routes that
presented themselves were _via_ Dieppe, and _via_ Cherbourg or St Malo,
and no time was lost in making the necessary arrangements with the
Brighton and South-Western Railway Companies. By both Companies trains
were kept in constant readiness at the terminus in London, and vessels
remained under steam at Newhaven and Southampton, prepared to start at
the shortest notice, according to the course events might take. Late in
the evening of the 26th of November, intelligence was received in London
that the line of communication through Amiens was closed, and the mails
were diverted from Calais to Cherbourg; within the next four days
Cherbourg was exchanged for Dieppe, and Dieppe soon afterwards for St
Malo. As to the means adopted for maintaining communication with Paris,
the pigeon-post has become matter of history. Letters intended for this
novel mode of transmission had to be sent to the headquarters of the
French Post-office at Tours, where, it is understood, they were all
copied in consecutive order, and by a process of photography transferred
in a wonderfully reduced form to a diminutive piece of very thin paper,
such as a pigeon could carry, the photographic process being repeated on
their arrival in Paris, for the purpose of obtaining a larger
impression. They were essential conditions that these letters should be
posted open without cover or envelope, and that they should be
registered; that they should be restricted to twenty words; that they
should be written in French in clear and intelligible language, and that
they should relate solely to private affairs, and contain no allusion
either to the war or to politics. The charge was fixed at 5d. for each
word (the name and address counting as one word), and 6d. for
registration. During the investment, from November 1870 to January 1871,
the number of letters sent from London to Tours, for despatch by
pigeon-post to Paris, was 1234."
Profiting by the example furnished during the progress of the
Franco-German war, the good people of the Fiji Islands have quite
recently established a pigeon-post, to serve them in the peaceful
pursuits of trade. The colony of Fiji is a group of 225 islands, between
which the communications by sailing-vessels or steamers are not very
regular, the former being frequently becalmed or retarded by head-winds,
while the latter are of small power and low speed. An important part of
the trade of the Islands consists in exporting fruit and other produce
to Australia and New Zealand, the largest portion consisting of bananas,
of which a single steamer will sometimes carry about 12,000 bunches. It
is desirable not to cut the bananas till the steamers from Australia and
New Zealand arrive at Fiji, and consequently early news of the event is
most important to planters in the more remote islands; for if the small
schooners or cutters which carry the fruit between the islands arrive
too late for the steamer, the poor planters lose their whole produce,
which, being perishable, has to be thrown overboard. In these
circumstances a pigeon-post has been called into operation: and should
this method of communication be extended to all the important islands,
as it has already been to some, many a cargo will be saved to the poor
planters which would otherwise be wholly lost.
Subjoined is a copy of news by "Pigeon-post," taken from the 'Polynesian
Gazette' of the 10th June 1884. It was conveyed by pigeon from Suva to
Levuka, a distance as the crow flies of about 40 miles, and the time
occupied in transit was 42 minutes, the actual flight to the home of the
pigeon taking but 30 minutes:--
"LATEST NEWS FROM SUVA.
"_Per Pigeon-post._
"The following despatch, dated Suva, Sunday, 3 P.M., was received at
Nasova at 3.42 same day:--
"'Hero' arrived midnight, left Melbourne 26th, Newcastle 29th.
Passengers--Mrs Fowler and child, Mrs Cusack and family, Mrs Blythe and
child, Messrs F. Hughes, Fullarton, J. Sims, J. B. Matthews, T. Rose,
and A. H. Chambers.
"Agents-General of Queensland and Victoria gone to France to interview
Ministers _in re_ recidivistes question. Marylebone won match, one
innings and 115 runs; Australians have since defeated Birmingham eleven.
'Gunga,' Capt. Fleetwood, leaves Sydney 24th ult. New Zealand football
team beat N.S. Wales, 34 points to _nil_. 'Cintra' at Newcastle, loading
coal for Melbourne, same time as 'Hero.' A.S.N. Co. bought Adelaide
Simpsons Birkgate and Fenterden.
"'Wairarapa' and 'Penguin' just arrived, further news when admitted to
pratique.
"_Monday_, 5 P.M.
"'Penguin' may be expected in Levuka mid-day to-morrow, Tuesday.
"'Wairarapa' leaves for Levuka at daylight on Wednesday. 'Hero' leaves
at 10.30 on Tuesday, for Deuba, and may be expected to arrive in Levuka
on Wednesday night."
It is right to add that the "Pigeon-post" of Fiji is not connected with
the Postal Department, but is carried on as a private enterprise.