In 1850 there was
commenced in Ceylon the most
successful service with
carrier-pigeons ever known in connection with the
press. The Ceylon Observer carrier pigeons traveled regularly
between Galle (the mail port)and Colombo with
budgets of news, including Crimean and Indian Mutiny war
news, for over seven years, till
1857,
when they were superseded by the telegraph (Ceylon in 1893 by John Ferguson)
PS
Carrier pigeons. We had them.
Our Sandeshaya poems are of birds carrying messages, Salalihini,
gira, Mayura, kokila, hansa.
Guess our ancients used birds, drums, runners, tops of hills and
mountains, down water ways, along the sea even reflectors of
sunlight to carry messages fast. Pigeons not mentioned, but known well, enough
to have been used. Maybe even smoke signals. Esp. emergencies, wars.
Worth many Ph.D.s delving this subject. But paucity of
artifacts.
jksw
