|Letter.|Letter.| ounce.
------------------------------------------+-------+-------+-------
| d. | d. | d.
To Leghorn, Genoa, Florence, Lyons, | | |
Marseilles, Aleppo, Constantinople | 12 | 24 | 45
To St. Malo, Morlaix, Nieuhaven | 6 | 12 | 18
To Bordeaux, Rochelle, Nantes, Bayonne, | | |
Cadiz, Madrid | 9 | 18 | 24
To Hamburg, Frankfort, Cologne | 8 | 16 | 24
To Dantzic, Leipsic, L[:u]beck, Stockholm,| | |
Copenhagen, Elsinore, K[:o]nigsberg | 12 | 24 | 48
------------------------------------------+-------+-------+-------

No rates were fixed for letters passing outside Europe.

These rates were not substantially altered by the Act of 1660, although
in some cases a variation according to the route followed was
introduced. For example, a letter sent to the North of Italy via Lyons
was charged 3d. more than a letter sent direct.

Under James II rates of postage (6d. a single letter, 1s. a double
letter, and 2s. the ounce) were fixed for letters to and from Jamaica,
although no service to and from the island was provided by the Crown.

In 1686 regular mail services were established under contract between
Dover and Calais and between Dover and Ostend, and in 1687 a service
between England and Holland. It is probable that packets were sailing
between Dover and Calais before that time,[680] but in general the
cross-Channel services had previously been conducted by boats hired
casually for the conveyance of particular mails. For the Calais service
a sum of [L]1,170 a year was paid, and for the Dutch service a sum of
[L]900 a year.[681]

Letters from abroad brought by merchant ships (known as "ship letters")
were by the Ordinance of 1657[682] and by the Act of 1660 made subject
to postage on arrival in this country. Such letters were required to be
given up to the postmaster at the port of arrival, who forwarded the
letters to London, where they were charged with the proper amount of
postage. No payment was made to the shipmaster in respect of letters
handed over to the Post Office in this way, and no penalty was incurred
if the letters were not so handed over. This part of the Act
consequently remained a dead letter. The farmers of the Post Office saw,
however, that it would be pr