This folded letter originated from the Paris office at Rue St. Lazare on January 23, 1871, (third collection) and was prepaid 20 centimes for the French internal letter rate to Agen, “Par Ballon Monté.” Based on the date and time of collection, it is most likely that this letter was carried out of Paris by the balloon Torricelli.
The Torricelli carried 230 kilograms of mail, and although the flight was uneventful, the balloon landed in occupied territory north of Paris. With the help of a local peasant, the pilot avoided the German troops and reached Abbeville in northern France with the mails. Because France was bisected by the German occupation at this time, the mail for southern France (including Agen) was carried by ship to Cherbourg, which accounts for the delayed arrival in Agen on January 31.
