India issued in December 1997 a series of
stamps for the Indepex ’97 World Philatelic Exhibition of which the
6.00R stamp shows us a sailing mail boat in one of the rivers of India.
By the stamp is given:
An experimental River Mail was commenced in 1828 by the Governor-General
Lord William Bentinck for carrying mail via the river from Calcutta to
Allahabad.
By 1834 the Prinsep enterprise was well established with longboats of
six sails ( The stamp shows 4 sails) and with steam power in the bow and
a rudder astern. These craft with a shallow draught could easily
navigate the river with a depth of 2½ ft. of water at most places even
at the height of the monsoon.
Though initially they were used only to transport parcels, later was this extended to the transport of goods and the mails.
Source: https://www.istampgallery.com/
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