Quote the Stamp Bulletin of the Ciskei Post Office.
"Troop Ships. An interesting part of the history of Ciskei is embodied in some sailing vessels of the previous century, when the territory was the scene of various conflicts between its inhabitants and the British Government and citizens of the Cape Colony. In their efforts to maintain local law and order in terms of a succession of agreements - some reached by negotiation, others by force of arms ‑ the British authorities had to maintain and supplement armed forces in what is now Ciskei".
PILOT. The only proper ship in nautical terms of this series of sailing vessels, a Transport which brought troops to the eastern frontier in June 1822 under command of Capt A Wales.
She had embarked a detachment of the Royal Artillery under command of Lieut J Williams RN at Simon's Bay, and is also known to have transferred military forces from Portsmouth to Mauritious. PILOT was ship rigged with single fore, main and mizzen topsails, and could also set skysails on the fore and main.
She is depicted well reefed down however, sailing close‑hauled on the port tack.
PILOT was surveyed at London for a passage out to India‑Calcutta. Lloyds List dated 15. 6. 1824 carries the following report. On 23 April 1824 in 24d 47N, 37d 30W. the PILOT from Bengal to London, Capt C Gardner pitched heavily into a large sea, the sudden ierk caused the head of her fore lower mast to snap and the fore topmast topgallant mast and rigging to go over the side, taking the main and mizzen topmast etc. with them. The FAIRFIELD of Liverpool, Capt Nelson which had been in sight, hove to and stood by whilst the PILOT'S rigging was cut free. The next morning the PILOT transferred her passengers to FAIRFIELD who supplied PILOT with a couple of spare sails and a spar with which they were able to set up a very rough jury rig.
FAIRFIELD resumed her passage that evening (24th) leaving PILOT leaking badly and steering wildly making for Antiqua. FAIRFIELD arrived Liverpool 12 June 1824.
PILOT had been 5 months and 9 days outward bound from Bengal at the time of her dismasting, so presumably this had been the return leg of the voyage which began at London early in 1823.
Mr Benn has checked the arrivals at Antigua and other W Indies islands but her arrival does not seem to have been reported nor has he been able to find an reference to her having gone missing. PILOT was no listed in Lloyds Req. for 1826, the entry for 1825 repeats her Indian voyage of 1823.
The 25 cent stamp depicts a ship called the PILOT and the associated date is 1822. A ship called the PILOT of 394 tons, was built in 1813 at either Newcastle or Shields (different registers state one or the other of these places on the River Tyne). This ship was first owned by Clark & Co but in 1814 or 1815 she was acquired by S. Somes (no doubt the same London shipowner to which several other ships which have appeared on stamps belonged to). In 1815, apparently, the PILOT flying the Some's houseflag, sailed for Batavia (1816 Register). In 1819 a Captain Owen took command of the ship and it sailed for India (where, it appears, she had been to on her previous voyage. It states in Lloyds List that the PILOT, Captain Owen, was due to sail from Madras about October 10 1820. On December 9th she called in at the Cape of Good Hope (probably for fresh provisions, water, and news). In the Register of 1822 her master's name is given as Wells but in that year there is stamped in the amendment that a Captain Wales had replaced Wells (or, perhaps, it could be a correction of the name). Lloyds List of 1822 mentions that the PILOT, Captain Wales, arrived at the Cape of Good Hope (apparently from England) on May 11 1822. From the Cape she went to Mauritius and then returned to the Cape where she arrived on August 21st The PILOT is not listed in the Register of 1827.
The information is taken from Log Book April 1986 (E.J.Hogan) and February 1990. (A. Palmhof)
Ciskei SG82