POSTILHAO DA AMERICAN brigatine 1798

[aukepalmhof]

For the 200th Anniversary of the mail-coach and maritime mail to Brazil.
Brazil and Portugal both issued one stamp.

1998 Marks the bicentennial of two of the most important events in Portuguese postal history , the inauguration of the mail-coach service between Lisbon and Coimbra, and the promulgation of the Decree in reorganize the Marmite Mail to Brazil.

In the first case – the aim was for the implementation of a new and revolutionary means of mail transportation within the interior of the Mainland; in the second case the aim was for the re-organization of the Maritime Mail to Brazil. This was in a response to improve the communication with the Portuguese ex-colony,
According in the chronology of these events, we will start with a brief historical reference. Which is the Promuigation of the Decree of 20 January 1798, This determined that the Marine Department be responsible for sending two Maritime Mail Ships every two months one destined to Asau harbor, to serve the territories of Pernambuco, Paraiha, Parnaiba, Maranhao, Piaui and para, and the other to Bahia and Rio d Janeiro.
Through this document the vice-king the governors and the administrative entities of the colony took charge of the establishment of a communication system within the territory to follow the correspondences that were to be received or sent through those ships.
Besides the correspondences these ships also transported little packages and commercial products. The transportation of this kind of merchandise was ruled by the mail administration, lead in the mainland by Jose Barreto Gomes, the main mail lieutenant who later assumed the position of director of the General Mail of Lisbon.

To improve maritime mail the governor of Bahia ordered the construction of two ships in the Captaincy Arsenal. The brigantine POSTILHAO DA AMERICAN, had the mission of being the first ship to regularly made the connection between Brazil and Portugal. (She is depict on both stamps.)
As far it is known this ship served the maritime mail for three years with great efficiency with no prejudice for the mail in spite of several corsairs attacks. Nevertheless on 1 March 1801 the POSTILHAO DA AMERICAN left Lisbon on her last voyage. Within view of Vera Cruz land she was wrecked wrecked at Ponta de Tapoli, the entrance o Bahia.
Once more the efforts of the brave sailors were worthy and both the crew and mail remained in safety except of one man who threw himself in the sea.

The publication of the Decree of 20 January 1798 . to re-organize the maritime mail, constituted a long range measure with regard to postal communications between Portugal and Brazil and remained in tact maintaining the bonds between the two countries.
During 1798 a new and very important measure for the history of communications in Portugal was put into practice the inauguration of the Mail-Coach Service. As a matter of fact on 17 September 1798 the first voyage took place after the approval of the Instructions for the Establishment of the Coaches Route Between Lisbon and Coimbra, a document that designed this course in detail.
The trip between these two cities lasted about 40 hours and was implemented three times a week. The coaches left simultaneously from Lisbon and Coimbra every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at about 5 a.m. and met mid way at Oska Inn for the passengers to supper and stay overnight.
On the next day the trip began at about 5 a.m. and both destinations were reached around 9 p.m.

Source CTT Correios Portugal. Portugal Post Philately.
Brazil 1998 1r20 sg2982, Scott?
Portugal 1998 140e sg2682, Scott?