> Cecil Pinto wrote:
> Does anyone know why parcels sent abroad have to be
> compulsorily covered...
Cecil,
Since you are not from East Africa, let me tell you
what every E. African knows.
In the good ol' days, His Majesty's govt used to
deliver mail once a week, via coastal steamers, on the
east coast of Africa. These vessels used to steam into
small villages/settlements, drop off the mail, collect
the taxes and leave.
More often than not, His Majesty's Post Master was a
Goan and he was the only literate person on these
settlements.
When the Post Master received any mail, he would
immediately send word to the addressee informing him
to come over, with all relatives, for "the reading."
The relatives knew that the mail must be from the son
who was now working/living in the big city.
Everyone knew that the mail would contain news of
either a birth or a death in the family. Once all the
relatives were assembled, the Post Master would read
the letter aloud.
In 1886 in Shamba Shenzi, Zanzibar an event took place
that changed the way mail was sent all over the world.
A veteran Post Master died (1) and a new man was given
the job. The inhabitants of Shamba Shenzi did not
like the new Post Master as every letter he read was
bad news. So one day the villagers had the new Post
Master for dinner.
After that event, the colonial govt decided that the
coastal steamers would not berth in these small
settlements. Instead, the vessel would slowly pass by
in low gear but on full steam. An outrigger canoe
would pull up to the side of the steamship, collect
the mail and row back to the settlement.
Since no one was willing to become the Post Master of
these settlements, the colonialist solved the problem
by using newly minted Standard IV leavers, from the
mission schools, to become Post Masters. (2)
Since the Standard IV leavers were only around ten
years old, the village elders would cover the ears of
the Standard IV readers in order to protect them from
'hearing' any bad or "adult" news while it was being
read.
In order to escape the ordeal of having someone put
fingers into their ears, these young readers told the
elders that the cloth bag/packing around the mail kept
the secrets of the mail intact and that material was
what should be used to stuff their ears. (3)
Now you know why mail sent abroad has to be compulsory
covered. (4)
Mervyn3.0
(1) No, none of the Post Masters were named Mario.
(2) These Post Masters served King George.
(3) Fill in the g a p s :-)
(4) No your not going to be able to google this
anywhere else, I am creating my own urban legend.
__
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