1904 (April 22), Ise to Thio, New Caledonia, 4s violet postal
stationery card, struck by crisp black circular Japanese datestamp,
address
1904 (April 22), Ise to Thio, New Caledonia, 4s violet postal
stationery card, struck by crisp black circular Japanese datestamp,
address typewritten on white paper label pasted over a large-scale
hand-brushed Japanese text dedicated to the glory of Japanese
soldiers during the Russo-Japanese War, addressed to "L'Inspecteur
Japonais" care of La Société Anonyme Le Nickel, Thio, Nouvelle
Calédonie, printed "VIA SYDNEY" on address label, with
corresponding faint black circular Sydney (5 Jun) transit datestamp
on front, printed Japanese kanji message on reverse under the
header of the Grand Shrine of Ise dated 2 April 1905, a rare
destination, very fine; an unusual example. The card was sent to
the Japanese inspector at the Le Nickel mining company, a firm that
imported thousands of Japanese labourers to work the mines at Thi.
The text visible beneath the address label includes a dedication to
the glory of Japanese soldiers, a reference to the ongoing
Russo-Japanese War
