Lot
584 
Hong Kong, 1868 Hong Kong to Belleville, N.J., Mail Delayed By Breakdown. 12¢ and 30¢ QV stamps cancelled "B62", red manuscript "1/8" credit to GB + 1d retained by Hong Kong on front, "Hong Kong, My 14, 68" cds on back, and on front "London, Paid, 4 Jy, 68" transit cds, GB "3 Cents" rocking horse credit to U.S., "New York Paid All Jul 15" arrival cds; small central cover tear at top, Very Fine, this 42¢ via Marseille rate was effective 1 Jan 68 - 31 Dec 69, but 3 cents credit was only effective for about 10 months, then lowered to 2c. Estimate $300 - 400.
P&O Malacca departed Hong Kong 15 May carrying this cover and reached Galle on 31 May. P&O Surat left Galle 1 June with this mail. When about 500 miles from Galle under full force of the monsoon, Surat apparently threw a propeller blade into her hull, causing a leak bad enough to force her to return to Galle. Mails returned to Galle by damaged Surat were forwarded on S.S. Dacca, which probably connected with Sumatra at Aden. Sumatra arrived at Suez on 26 June with Bombay mails, along with China and Japan mails from Surat when she suffered the accident to her screw. Ceylon carried these mails from Alexandria, 27 June, to Marseille, 2 July. Cunard Cuba took US portion of these mails from Liverpool, 4 July, to New York, 14 July. Only one other cover from China, carried by Surat when she broke down, has been recorded.
Realized: $2,000