8 few months later he married Marie Louise, daughter of the Emperor Francis, ‘Meanwhile, in 1807, Napoleon, had occupied Portugal, which had refused to close her ports to the English, Soon after he intervened in Spain to depose ‘the Bourbons, giving the crown to his ‘brother Joseph in- stead. ‘The Portu- uese appealed to Britain for help, and ‘in 1808 an English army un- der Wellesley (later Wellington) swas sent to Portu- gal. The Freach Were defeated at Roliga (Portugal, third “Tadepen: dence issue, 1928 4c, 16 ¢. and 0c) and at Vimeird, ‘and were ‘Gompelled to evacuate Portugal, Thus began the Peninsular War, in which in ‘series of masterly campaigns Welling ton drove the French out of Spain (3808-14) angi Btench defeat in Spain revived hopes rurope. In. 1812, N ‘quarrelied. with the ‘Czar and undertook his disastrous campaign ‘against the Russians. Next year a rhew coalition was organized against hhim, and though he won some great victories, he was finally defeated at Leipeig, and the allies invaded France. ‘Among’ other changes, Holland re- sprees independence, with Wiliam ‘Orange (Netherlands, Indepen- dence Centenaryissue, 1913, 2} 6, ete.) ag Soversign-Prince later King) Ta 1814, Napoleon made a supreme effort to continue the war, but was at last obliged to surrender and was ‘exiled to Elba. The Bourbons were restored. But in 1815 Napoleon escaped and returned to France. The “Hundred Days”, however, ended with his defeat at’ Waterloo ‘and his Banishment to St. Helena. He was ‘hither in a British warship, disembarking at Jamestown (the 2d value of the St.” Helena’ 1934 issue shows the quay at Jamestown) and spent some time at the Briars while Longwood, his final abode, was being made ready for him, (Both places are marked on the map shown on the rid. ‘stamp of the same set.) Napoleon died at St Helena in 1821. In 1840 his body was brought back to France and later re-buried in Les Tavalides (France, Wat Invalids’ Relief Fund, 1946). FEBRUARY, 1951 The Post in the New Hebrides By HAROLD G. D. GISBURN include the Torres and Banks Tslande, constitute one of the world’s three Condominivms,or govern= iment by joint authority of two Batons e others being the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and Canton and fendervury). ‘This authority was established in 1900, under the acgis of Great Britain and France, almost precisely 300 years after, the islands? first discovery by Europeans, The latter was in 1606, when the Portuguese." navigator- Pedro de Quiras—then in the service Ts New Hebrides Islands, which “Tierra Austrialis del Espiritu Santo”. ‘The latter portion of the name is stili hheld by the largest island of the group. De Quiras was formerly pilot on Alvarez de Mendana’s voyage which — ec Sie, pare et was soon abandoned; and nothin, re eer oe eae ewes ie" Berroa Eh Bree them in 1774, and re-named them in src tunmeons Sane cera Sante aeeerete oie, fect, and wae. iomerty inhabit! Sates Senne foe ede Sco ee aes islands for’ forced labour. for the See eee ee Sater nas eae teen ee poeges cones tte fora of government, the land orm of it, the is ore in general he axpect of a political no-man's-land. An Anglo-French naval Commission was created in 1887 to rotect the life aad. propert a Rationals, but this! was. not. very successful, and finally, in 1906, the ‘two Powers agreed to ‘set up a joint government with the status of Con- dominium, The general set-up is that cach nation has its own Resident Commis- sioner at the capital (Vila), responsible respectively to the British High Com- missioner for the Westera Pasific and the French High Commissioner (norm- ally the Governor of New Caledonia). Justice is administered “by a joint Court, and French and British District Commissioners operate their districts with parallel authority. In the case fof the Post Office and other govern- ment departments, the head” of a cular ant may be either rench or British, but in each case his second in command will be of the other nationality ‘No postal system existed in the isan until “he Near 1892 any correspondence before that date wou merely have en handed over to the personnel of passing vessels for posting Ee the first convenient Post Office. In this latter ‘year, however, a service was commenced by" the Australian Unie Steam Navigation Co, between vila and Sydney, and an of the New South Wales P.O. was established fat the capital with a supply of N.S.W. Stamps provided for use there, ‘These mainly ‘consisted of the values from #4. to 244, and. stamps of these denominations, and of issues from Yar ‘pane Cooameaty tee i =. Concurrently" the French used. their own, stamps ‘on letters conveyed to New Caledonia for onward transmission. The Australian service was dis- continued after two years, but was re-established in 1896 by the Australian New Hebrides Co, and for this pu two local stamps ‘were tof 34, mauve and black, and 24, browaBRBRUARY, 195 and blue, ‘They were printed by John ‘Sands and Co., of Sydney, Itthographedi_ im sheets of 120, the design featuring a view of Port Vila ‘and. inscribed with the Company's name and. ‘"Tnterisland Postage” These are not uncommonly met with as many mint stamps were later emaindered, but on cover with post- mark they are decidedly scarce This local service lasted for twelve years, bue it lefe much t0 be desire nd in 1608, following Une establish ment of responsible government, the Dfficial Condominium Post Office’ was opened at Vila, Three years later (larch ist, rori) the New Hebrides as aitted to the Univeral Postal Between. these years, (1608-1911) arate provisional issues were emploved Hy the British and French For the former a series was preparocl by" overprinting a stock of coatem- porary stamps of Piji with the inscri ton * new meneaDes cowpoMmNtont 5 and in the case of the French, eertain values of New Caledonia were over- phated souvsucrs ndperpEs ", with MeonDonnivy ” addled later. Followring. the afiliation of the territory with the U.P.U. two new series of definitive stamps. were prepared, each incorporating the mono sans of the tro pardeipaung coun fries, and respectively” inseribed the name in English and French. ‘This ‘Procedure continued until 1938, when currency based on the gol rane was introduced, established on a coelficient fixed from time to time by tho two High Commissioners, From thence fonvwards the stamps have been inscribed with” tis currency, "in centimes and feanes, The postal cancellations of the ap will be found of some interest. Those used in conjunction with New South Wales stamps ware a single circle inscribed "EW KieBRIDHS VILA" fand-on the French stamps "sures HEBRIDES PORT VILA". The Aus: tralian New Hebrides Co. used their own cancellations on the local stamps G@) PORT VILA POST A.xH.Co.TD— New epmipes", and (b) similar but with ““rravecurxe Post” in place of “hone vita Post” (Fig. 1) On the provisional issbes of 1908-11 British series — (@) single cirele—" vita New. uEn- pies” (Fg. 2) cle" PoRT VILA. NEW HEBRIDES", French series :— () double circle" roxr VILA NLLES. uupeapes" (Fig. 3). These Jattor wore continued in use after the appearance of the defiaitive Stamps in rorr. A variety of postmark occurred in 1921 in which the figures GIBBONS’ c O\(= ap io Y, SITAR 195) ae ¥ 2:0 JUN 1948 A, “ SQuee® of the year—-21—wore inverted. At ‘a later period a new cancellation (still in” use) was introduced—a larger single circle reading “EW WEBRIDES vita” (Fig, 4) The Consorinium P.O, also employs STAMP MONTHLY cancellation for use on mail landed from ships, aad this may frequently be found in’ blue a very neat “ paquebot or violet. Teis inseribed viLa XH. Pagvenor in large single circle with Gate ia one line in centze (Fig. 5) and may he found in conjunction with Various. stamps of the Pacife area, eg. Australia, Tiji, British Solomon Tas, ete, "At the present time there are two post offies in the group; the G.P.O, it Vila and a sub-olfice at Santo, and fn the other islands mail is addressed jn the care of various local residents, hhoing conveved in either Jocal trading vessels or. those of Messrs. turns, Philp and Co., Ltd, and the Messageries Maritimes.” 'Ship'marks of various vesucls, eg. the "5.6. woniNba may therefore be foun on occasion. ‘There is.a regular fortnightly air mail service Detween Santo, Vila, Noumea. (New Caledonia) and Sydney by Qantas Fmpire “Airways, Trans-Oceania Aire sways, and Air France, There ia a ‘peculiar fascination attaching to most island colonies, and fon investigation it will be found’ that the New Hebrides is no exception to this, Teis therefore a Little dificult to understand why the group suffers irom philatelic neglect ; its stamps cannot by any means be classed as.dull, and if one considers the New South Wales “sed abroats”, the various cancella- tions, ship-markings, locals, and other postal history items, it will be seoa ‘hat the group offers much in the way of collecting interest. The S.G. Foreign Catalogue HE. impending publication of our now Part, TIT Catalogue {eee this month's front ‘cover sncuncement) marks another step in our retin to @ minimam nember of Yolumes for the whole of the Gibbons atalogve isis what the majority of colle tors desire, and all along it has nover Deen our’ intention ta retain the elativels” numerous small sections fence paper rationing ended and produc: lon Sa" general became. easier’ (Ia Actual aad ironic fact “the paper slevation was ‘never 9 Dad tailor Tationing as it fe at prevent, but this Jb another’ matter ‘which’ has) ‘uot affected our plans—as yet !) We have therefore Jecided that in foture the complete" Big" Gibbons Catalogue sball comprise three volumes Part of ecurse, being british Empire, fand Parts Ti and T1T horesgn Com-ries How to dive the Hoetgn Countries has not proved too great a problem, since 20 bran callectore have told s that they wouk! like to see. colonies Jn the samme book as mother-cotntrls, ‘This has enablod us to plan that the next Part Id Catalogue wil not only include Europe, but also the colonial possessions of European Colonies, ‘The new Part 111 Catalogue which appears next ‘month ‘therclore caters forthe “ Kest of the World "bringin together in one voltine the foreign cotintres of America, Asia and Africa, excluding colonies of European states, Te seplaces the small Pare LIT (United States and" Poscessions), Part IV (Central America), Pare V "(South ‘Ameriea) ‘and Part VIIT (Africa and ‘Asia—Independent States) catalogues. "No date of publication can yet be announced for the next Part II Catar Togte, with the. colonies included, except tha it will not be until some time next year. Meanwhile our 1950 Part TT Europe ‘Catalogue ‘and ite Supplement are at present still avail- able, as is Part VI (Trench Colonies), although unfortunately Pare VIt (Other Enropean Colonies) is now one of print. Tn conclusion, we must emphasize that the above are oor plans for the "Gig. Gibbons" only.” Our. King George VI Catalogue is now an entirely separate item, and its publication will continve annually.