Black New York City Clam Shell, Apr 4, dash variety, on folded letter datelined Amsterdam Jan 18th, 1803.

The cover originated Jan 18 in London and is docketed Feb 2nd.
It entered mails at New York as a Ship Letter with manuscript "Sh" (Ship) and 2c added to the 17c distance rate for a total due of 19c.

The cover was carried privately outside of any mails from England to arrive in New York probably April 4th. This practice was relatively common up to about 1870 when the postal rate became low enough to not make it worth anyone's effort to avoid.

The Falmouth Packet's Lady Arabella was scheduled to sail on 20 January 1804. Its anchor chain broke the same day and the ship was driven ashore; therefore no departure to New York. When this letter was written the writer probably knew this as sailing dates were known to most.

The Falmouth Packet ship Prince Adolphus, carrying the previous mail and its own, departed 7 February 1804 but had to put back into port on the 8th. The Prince Adolphus finally got off to New York on 12 February arriving 6 April 1804.....two days after this cover's arrival mark, taking 7 weeks to cross.

Since this April 4 date is before the arrival of the packet it had to go on a private ship.

This letter was carried on the "Two Friends" that was reported on April 4, 1803 (in New York Daily Advertiser) as having arrived from London in 29 days.