Tonga : Niauaf'ou Island Tin Can Mail
(Post 61)
Tonga is an archipelago in in the South Pacific Ocean comprising 176 islands, Since the tiny volcanic island of Niauaf'ou lacked a beach and a harbour, mail was originally transferred from passing ships via tin cans to swimmers who brought the mail ashore. In the 1930s, a swimmer was killed by a shark and the mail was then collected by outrigger canoe. Walter Quesnell of Tonga arranged to provide "Tin Can Mail" covers to passing ships and philatelists world-wide. It is reported that over one-half million letters were mailed during Quesnell's 27 years on Niuafo'ou. A volcanic eruption brought Quesnell's enterprise to an end in 1947. The island was completely evacuated and only re-populated in 1957.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2l5CO-9eVoDy6WLp9GyCOHueuMdouzADQsp0_o3XVSaBqa9agGPM27C2uEBW6agxooiDl8C-p1YAcvKfrRzPfZE3dGGixHcoOciVmYGUpj7OIOulcNruYpzvl6QXXfh-hW7JZSbg1fhF8/s640/GB+Foreign+War+10.jpg)
Newport to Niuafo'ou, Tonga, March 8, 1944
2 1/2d. Imperial surface letter rate
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmdb5n28yVBe4Tm2VxTTYt7fsYiG4Zt0nLzrOLVx9-howc-Rmqee4-yvUYRe_EqPmKc_ZZ8t9KThu86i1depuBwid_SI4giXQ_3gaSNVCEFYEe4amdEjfkGaQxL6cyS8Y2WAuZB5ddm92/s640/GB+Foreign+War+11.jpg)
![](file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/FAMILL%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlteaRWE_Kx93nJnZ5r-ASkNNkRBsGMBe7lakhLyGz-B-MkBS5bhgutIOkt9XPy8_mjYu37WRRa1TWnOPy_HVapgm_tINJRX2NkQ-ZPPzr2DGrKDyHAtDN78JsTdvGOpWYX2gqiqdwIDzF/s1600/GB+Foreign+War+9.jpg)
The writer of the enclosed letter requested price lists for philatelic items as well as novelties, shells, etc.
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