"With the publication of 'Postage Stamps and Postal History of the Bahamas' (Gisburn), there seemed little else that could be said about the postmarks of these islands. Yet the very existence of this book prompts further research and spurs on even the average collector to study his own copies a little more closely. Altogether at the present time there are about one hundred offices in the Bahamas, so there is plenty of scope for trying to form a collection of the various postmarks. Anyone, however, who has tried to do so will have realised that to obtain even half of this number in reasonably good condition is no easy matter; whilst the completion of such a collection is well nigh an impossible task. A letter I received recently from a friend in Nassau, however, throws some light on this difficulty. In many of the outer islands the office of Postmaster is held by the resident commissioner. Doubtless in some cases the actual stamping of mail is left to a subordinate, who may not be always too particular, with the result that many of these outer island postmarks are almost illegible. In some instances there is no postmark at all on the envelope. To quote a case in point. My friend's maid receives letters fairly regularly from her father, who lives on Berry Island, but these, I learn, are never postmarked. As far as I can gather, there is no resident commissioner in that island so that it is reasonable to assume there is no one sufficiently responsible to act as Postmaster. Incidentally the same friend informs me that when the mail boats arrive at some of these outer islands the mail is taken to different settlements by anyone who happens to be going that way. Apparently in such cases there is no special official responsible for this duty. Reverting to the subject of postmarks, there is an interesting variety of the NASSAU postmark which occurred during the 1920's. One of the handstamps was damaged but remained in regular use from at least 1921 to 1926, as I have seen several examples of it during this period. The variety consists in breaks in the circle as follows:-
Some of the letters also are damaged, the most noticeable flaws being:-
Obviously there was at least one other handstamp in use at the Post Office during this period as the normal Nassau postmark is found just as frequently in these years. Apart from the electrical postmarks used on most of the letters from the G.P.O. at Nassau, there is still in use a handstamp which is similar to the normal one of the 1920's, but which differs from it in the size of the letters. It still consists of a single circle 25mm. in diameter, but the letters are larger, being 4mm. high instead of 3mm.
Whilst these notes add only very little to what has already been written on the subject, it is the gradual accumulation of such pieces of information that builds up all philatelic knowledge. Possibly other members may be stimulated to add their quota to the general knowledge of these postmarks."
(The following extract from a letter sent to a philatelic journal some years ago would appear to afford an authoritative reply to Mr. Britnor's query. Ed.).
'It is some time since I last wrote you and have for the longest time wanted to impart this small item of philately which may he of interest to some of my fellow members.
From 1936 on through to 1941 I lived on a little Cay in the Bahama Islands. It was Cat Cay, and is rather a famous resort for marlin and tuna fishing. It is owned by Mr. Louis Wasey and he has made a splendid and lovely Cay that was once nothing but coral and coconut palms. However, I am not trying to sell Cat Cay. I would like to tell you this little story which is absolutely authentic. I personally know these people.
On the more inhabited islands and cays that comprise the Bahama Islands the Government in New Providence appoint men to the post of collectors of harbour fees, customs, telegraphic communications and in some cases they dispense the law. All these positions are filled by one man. so you can imagine they are busy chaps. John Saunders was our official on Cat Cay. The manager of the Island was Mr. Cook, affectionately known as (you guessed it, Cookie). His daughter, Miss Evelyn Cook, was his secretary and Mr. K. C. B. Smith was the architect in rebuilding the Cay. Well, seeing that it was a fisherman's Paradise and marlins, blue and white, were the game fish, Evelyn Cook designed a marlin head and K. C. B. Smith sketched it out and it was sent to Nassau to be approved. The powers that be gave it their blessings and it came back to Cat Cay as a rubber stamp, so as the mail went out, Johnny emblazoned the marlin head on the George VI stamps. Of course the mail was then transferred to Nassau and the letters received the Nassau cancellation, so if anyone has any of these cancelled stamps with the marlin head, they will know they came from Cat Cay, a small paradise that is half-a-mile wide by three long. They also have an emblem on the Flag of the Island that depicts a cat standing on a cay. I believe the marlin head strike has been discontinued since the war, at least that is what John Saunders tells me. I hope this is of interest.'