NIUAFO'OU TIN CAN MAIL

[aukepalmhof]

Niuafo’ou issued 1986 a set of stamps that shows us how the tin can mail was transported from the ships to the island. One shows us a liner, which so far has not been identified.
In 1882 William Travers was stationed on Niuafo’ou a very small island between Fiji and Samoa to collect the copra. He could see the passenger liners passing but not one made a call at the island, the island had steep sides and not a harbour, impossible to anchor, and landing was very difficult. Travers was the only white man on the island and to make communication with the outside world was very difficult. When a ship passed the island she blew her steam whistle, the swimmers came out from the island to collect the mail that was thrown overboard from the passing ship.
But after one of the swimmers was attacked by a shark and killed it was forbidden by Queen Salote, and another way of communication via a rocket was tried out, but much mail was lost.
Later the tin can mail was transported by canoe till it ended in 1983 after an airfield was built on the island.

It is most often believed that the first rocket mail delivery was made by Friedrich Schmiedl (1902-1994) in Austria in 1931, but the first was fired from the Union ship HAUROTE to the island Niuafo’ou in 1901. The launching was watched by the passengers and islanders. In 1902 William Edgar Geil wrote in his book 'Ocean and Isle' that he had watched the captain send letters to the island by rocket. On this occasion the attempt was successful, but often the rocket overshot the island altogether, landed in the lake in the center, or just got lost in the undergrowth. On a previous occasion, the package of letters had burst into flames en route.
The arrival of the rocket was an event that caused the entire population to down tools and watch. Then began the mad scramble to retrieve the package and collect the reward.

At least the Union Steamship Co. commenced a regular service to Niuafo’ou, The first ship was the TOFUA in 1908. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9841

Source: http://www.bettybillingham.co.uk/TCM.html Internet
Niuafo’ou 1986 57/1sg-50 sg 85/88, Scott?