The first volume of Scamp’s important reference work setting out in detail the itineraries of the major mail lines which connected the Far East with the rest of the world. The first section of Volume 1 deals with the Indian and Far East mail itineraries from 1840 to 1845 performed in concert by P&O, British Admiralty, EIC and private vessels. It makes it possible to trace the routing, ship names, and port dates of many covers during this period. The second section provides updates to Reg Kirk’s monumental work on the P&O Lines to the Far East, adds detailed notes and cover illustrations related to mail delays, wrecks, fires, etc and extends the subject to include itineraries of the private ships and naval vessels which connected the P&O hub at Hong Kong with the rest of the Far East.