110
at Bangkok, where Hongkong stamps were sold, and where a letter could be registered. The new service is in every way an improvement, and completes the chain of Post Offices which may now be said to encircle Asia, at least from Aden to Hakodate. The gradual opening of Coren has of course led to a considerable increase of correspondence for that country.
8. Perhaps the event of the year most interesting to the public has been the establishment of a Parcel Post with the United Kingdom and several West Indian islands. This service is as yet in its infancy, but the following figures will show that it is likely to be largely availed of:—
Outward Parcels.
Date of Mail. Number of Parcels.
Net weight.
Total declared value.
Postage accruing to Colony.
October
13,
42
74 lb.
£54. 3. 0.
$ 9.00
J
27,
46
92,
91.19. 5.
10.90
November 10,*
150
219
292. 2. 6.
28.90
24,
109
156 »
105. 7.10.
21.60
**
December 8,
22
68
88888
158
108.16. 6.
19.10
22
128,
102 .9.11.
15.90
TOTAL,
503
827 b.
£754.19. 2.
$105.40
* Christmas and New Year Mail.
Inward Parcels.
London Date. Number of Parcels.
Net weight.
Total declared value.
Postage accruing to Colony.
October
€,
102
208 ib.
£ 92. 0, 0.
$25.50
20
106
J
176,
104. 2. 2.
21.90
November 3
102
206
184. 9. 7.
24.70
27
17
*
192
346
141. 5. 7.
43.30
>>
""
TOTAL,....
502
936 lb.
£521.17. 4
$115.40
* Christmas and New Year Mail.
9. The contents of the parcels sent home have chiefly been these:-Bamboo-ware, beads, bronzes, cards, carvings, chinese ink, cigars, clothing, curios, drapery, dolls, d'Oyleys, fans, ferns, fruit, handkerchiefs, insects, jewellery, lace, lacquered-ware, manuscript, mats, needlework, patterns, pepper- mint oil, photographs, pictures, pipes, porcelain, rugs, seeds, shells, silks and gauze, silver, skins, sticks, tea, toys, watches.
The contents of parcels sent from home have been:-Accoutrements, arms, books, cake, cards, clothing, cosmetics, cutlery, electro-plate, feathers, flags, flowers, fruit, haberdashery, instruments, jewellery, labels, lace, lamps, lamp-wick, leather, medals, medicine, millinery, music, needlework, patterns, perfumery, photographs, pictures, price lists, silk and velvet, stationery, table linen, teles- copes, tops, watches.
10. The following table shows the number of Parcels despatched to and from the various ports of China, all the rest were to and from Hongkong:-
Outward Parcels.
Inward Parcels.
Shanghai,
99
192
Hoihow,.
Canton,..
29
22
Macao,
Swatow,
$
3
Amoy,
15
11
Foochow,
15
7
Ningpo,
G
א
Hankow,
10
11
H. M. Fleet,..
26
Total,..
182
280