HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE
xxxiii
postponed. If it is postponed sine die, the correspondence is sent on by the next opportunity.
19. Correspondence from the Coast marked vid Brindisi or viá Marseilles is KEPT FOR THE ROUTE INDICATED even though that may involve a fortnight's detention. Unless this is intended, therefore, the safest direction is By first mail.
20.-Letters from the Coast forwarded without prepayment are not delivered until the Hongkong Office has time to deal with them; paid covers are delivered at once. Unpaid papers are returned to the senders.
21.—It is not necessary to pay postage on covers from the Coast containing stamped correspondence for the homeward mails or local delivery.
22.-It is sometimes possible to overtake the French packet at Singapore by means of a direct private steamer. When this can be done Coast correspondence which arrived too late is so sent on.
23.-Mails may also be forwarded to London and ports of call by the tea steamers leaving China, either direct, or to catch the next contract mail at Singapore or Suez. Except by special request, only letters are sent in these mails.
Australia.
24.--There are two routes to Australia, viz., viá Torres Straits and via Colombo. The Torres Straits route is the best for Eastern Australia as far as Sydney; for New Zealand, Tasmania and Fiji. All correspondence for these places is thus sent unless otherwise directed. Correspondence for Adelaide and Perth may be sent by this route.
25.--The route via Colombo is best for Western and Southern Australia." Each home- ward French Packet connects at Colombo with the P. & (). steamer which leaves that port for King George's Sound, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney.
Canada, the San Francisco Route, &c.
26.—The routes by Vancouver or San Francisco can be freely used for ordinary or registered correspondence for Union or Non-union countries. The making up of mails via San Francisco at Shanghai is left to the United States and Japanese Post Offices.
27.- When it is desired to forward letters to the United States by a sailing ship not notifical as carrying a mail, all that is necessary is to post the letters in the ordinary way, marked with the name of the ship, and prepaid 10 cents per half ounce as usual. The Post Office then undertakes the duty of obtaining notice of departure and despatch- ing the correspondence.
MAIL TIME TABLES.
28.-Tables showing the dates of the departure of the contract mails and the dates when replies to letters are due in Hongkong are published separately.
Mail Notices,
29.-The dates and hours of closing all mails in the General Post Office are also published twice daily, except on Sundays and Holidays, in a Special Mail Notice.
FORBIDDEN ARTICLES.
30.--The following articles cannot be sent through the post :—
(a) Samples of merchandise having a saleable value.
(b) Samples and other articles which, from their nature, may expose the postal
officials to danger, or soil or damage the correspondence.
(c) Explosive, inflammable, or dangerous substancės.
(d) Animals or insects living or dead. *
(e) Any indecent or obscene print, painting, photograph, lithograph, engrav- ing, book, or card, or any other indecent or obscene article, or any letter, newspaper, or publication, packet or card, having thereon any words, marks or designs, of an indecent, obscene, libellous or grossly offensive character. 31.-It is forbidden to insert in ordinary or registered correspondence consigned to the post:-
(a) Current coin.
(b) Articles liable to Customs duty.
(c) Gold or silver bullion, precious stones, jewellery, and other precious articles, but only in case their insertion or transmission is forbidden by the legislation of the countries concerned.
REQUESTS For Redirection.
32.-Requests for the redirection of correspondence, or to have it stopped in Hong- kong, must be in writing. The precise address of the correspondence must be given.
* Live bees may be sent if enclosed in botes so construct ›d as to avoid all danger and allow the contents to be ascertained ; also articles of natural history, dried or preserved animals and geological specimens, &c., when sent for no commercial purpose and packed in accordance with the general regulations concerning samples of merchandise.