Today in Postal History

This commercial cover was sent from Zanzibar on or before July 5.
The stamp is cancelled with a three bar squared circle but the date is illegible.
Generally the mail would not have been delivered to the post office until a ship was ready to depart.

The sender requested service "by M. M. Str "Irawady."
I believe this meant the Messageries Maritimes (Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes)
steamer Irouaddy - a 3,533 ton steamer built in 1873.

There is an octagonal transit mark of the
French packet boat route - LA REUNION A MARSEILLE L.V. No. 4.
The date was July 5 when the cover was put aboard the packet.

The cover is franked with an Indian 1892 2a 6p yellow green Victoria (SG 103).
The sender, Gustav Brückner, applied his blue handstamp
to the stamp and the back of the envelope as well.

The cover was addressed to a firm in Hamburg.
There is an illegible Hamburg receiver on the back.