Iraq: 1860, Bushire Roads to London, complete folded letter datelined H.M.S. Semiramis, Bushire Roads, Sept. 10th 1860. Letter from a seaman on the Semiramis anchored in the Roadstead of Bushire in the Persian Gulf, with manuscript directive on front “Via Bagdad, Beyrout & Marseilles & Per French Steamer”, “Postage cannot be prepaid”. An extremely rare example of manuscript routing on letter sent by the Euphrates from Basrah to Baghdad, and then onward to Damascus and Beirut. There were no postal markings used for this route. Charge of 9d to be collected from recipient noted on the front. Most rare and attractive.
This letter carries an interesting not that gives an indication of why this routing was not often used: “ I am afraid this letter will not reach as it will be sent upo the Euphrates as far as Bagdad in a native boat, which the Arabs have a bad habit of plundering”.
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