in
undertaking the revision of the proofs of this handbook.

[page 8]

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTORY NOTE, 7

CHAPTER I.
THE COLONY AND ITS POSTS, 11

CHAPTER II.
CAMEO ISSUE OF 1869, 16

CHAPTER III.
ISSUE OF 1874, 20

CHAPTER IV.
ISSUE OF 1880, 25

CHAPTER V.
ISSUE OF 1886-87, 37

CHAPTER VI.
QUEEN'S HEAD SERIES, 1898, 45

CHAPTER VII.
KING'S HEAD SERIES, 1902-1906, 50

CHAPTER VIII.
PROVISIONAL ISSUE, 1906, 53

CHAPTER IX.
BIBLIOGRAPHY, 56

CHAPTER X.
CHECK LIST, 58

APPENDIX.
NOTES ON THE POSTMARKS, by Douglas Ellis, 66

[page 11]

GAMBIA.

CHAPTER I.

The Colony and Its Posts.

The British West African possession known as the Colony and
Protectorate of the Gambia occupies a narrow strip of territory
(averaging 12 miles in width) on both sides of the Gambia river.
The territory comprises the settlement of St. Mary, where the
capital--Bathurst--is situated, British Cambo, Albreda, M'Carthy's
Island and the Ceded Mile, a protectorate over a narrow band of land
extending from Cape St. Mary for over 250 miles along both banks of
the river.

The Gambia river was discovered by a Portuguese navigator in 1447;
under a charter of Queen Elizabeth a company was formed to trade with
the Gambia in 1588. In the reign of James II. a fort was erected by
British traders at the mouth of the river (1686), and for many years
their only traffic was in slaves. The territory became recognised as a
British possession under the Treaty of Versailles, and on the enforced
liquidation of the chartered company it [page 12] was incorporated
with the Crown as one of the West African settlements. Until 1843,
when it was granted separate government, it was administered by the
Governor of Sierra Leone. In 1868 it was again annexed to Sierra
Leone, and not until twenty years later was it created a separate
Crown Colony with a Governor and responsible government of its own. At
present the staple trade of the Colony is ground nuts, but efforts are
being made to induce the natives to take up o