On March 8,1969, the Ivory Coast Republic commemorated the "Day of the Stamp" with a most attractive 30 F. stamp depicting the Yule de Maranhao lying off Grand-Bassam on July 27, 1889. This steamship was built in 1882, and was launched in November as the Yule de Montreal for the Societe Postale Francaise de l'Atlantique. Before completion she was bought by the Chargeurs Reunis and renamed. Her gross tonnage was 2,548 tons, net 1,775 tons, her dimensions being 319 ft. 5 ins x 37 ft. 4 ins. x 17 ft. 7 ins. She had a compound engine of 300 n.h.p. The Ville de Maranhao inaugurated the Chargeurs Reunis mail service to the West Coast of Africa in the year 1889, after her owners had received a joint contract in conjunction with Fraissinet, of Marseilles, to carry mails on alternate sailings from Le Havre and Marseilles. The ship left Le Havre on July 5, and the stamp shows her arrival at the Ivory Coast port.The Ville de Maranhao was a regular passenger ship to Cape Town from 1896 to 1905 when this service was discontinued owing to shortage of return voyage cargoes. In 1906 she was sold for scrap. SG319 Sea Breezes 8/69