Today in Postal History

This registered cover was sent from Melbourne.
It is franked with the 1897 1d Hospital Charity fund blue which sold for 1s (SG 353).
There is also a 1901 3d dull orange Victoria design reused without "POSTAGE' (SG 378).
The last stamp is 1899 1½d brown-red on yellow paper three halfpence Victoria (SG 355).*

Registry was accomplished by cancellation of each of the three stamps
with a bold R in a circle, and the addition of a red pencilled cross on the front,
and the addition of what appears to be a registry serial number in blue pencil
252
25

There is also a single Melbourne Registered CDS.

The addressee was the Representative of French Industry
to the Netherlands Indies in Soerabaya (now Surabaya), Java.
Soerabaja (the Dutch spelling) was on the north side of the island of Java near the eastern end.
Soerabaja is at the strait between Java and the island of Madura .

The cover arrived via Batavia on the north side of the island toward the western end.
There is a squared circle Batavia transit mark on the back dated July 25.
Its receipt in Soerabaja was noted by a similar cancel on July 27.

*Thanks to David Benson for catching my misidentification of these stamps.
My brain to fingers link wasn't working that well last night!