British government. Then, in 1878, the stamps of the Republic were
replaced by our Queen's Head. In 1881 the country was given back to
the Boers, when they in turn overprinted our Queen's Head series in
Boer currency, to indicate the restoration of Boer domination. And
now, finally, in 1900 we have the second British Occupation, and a
second overprinting of South African Republic stamps "V.R.I.", to
signalise once more, and finally, the supremacy of British rule in
South Africa. The Mafeking stamps are also interesting souvenirs of a
gallant stand in the same historical struggle.

The war which Chili some years ago carried into Bolivia and Peru has
been marked in a special manner upon the postage stamps of Chili. As
in the case of our own troops in South Africa, so the Chilian troops
in Bolivia and Peru were allowed to frank their letters home with the
stamps of their own country. So also the Chilians further overprinted
the stamps of Peru with the Chilian arms during their occupation of
the conquered country in the years 1881-2. Chilian stamps used along
the route of the conquering army, and postmarked with the names of the
towns occupied, are much sought after by specialists. These postmarks
include Arica, Callao, Iquique, Lima, Paita, Pisagua, Pisco, Tacna,
Yca, etc.

And so the stamp collector may turn over the pages of his stamp album,
and point to stamp after stamp that marks, for him, some development
of art, some crisis in a country's progress, some struggle to be free,
or some great upheaval amongst rival powers. In fact, every stamp
issued by a country is, more or less, a page of its history.

[Illustration:]