for their Postal facilities. To these
Port must be added
that
newly
opened at Kowloon in Kowloon
"Mat of the Steamers which ply
this place
.."
are
British trade
to
Even
Shanghai, the centre of our interests is
greatly dependent upon
China is
true, for although there is a
carrier by
mail steamer
weekly
of the British and
also
the
French Contract Packet,
communication with
Hongkong by
private steamers is almost daily,
and so of
course largely availed of.
When it is considered that a private Steamer from Hongkong to Shanghai will often take on correspondence from Australia, New Zealand, the
514
whole of India, and the Straits Settlements (which the merchants would not hear of being detained
by the Contract Mail) it is easily
seen
what
great inconvenience might arise
from the non-delivery of such correspondence. Residents in Hongkong
can and do send
duplicates by the
next Steamer, but from India the
communication is not
very frequent,
from Australia still less;
so that one mis
carriage of letters might involve a delay of
I would also
draw
9.
weeks.
Lordship's attention to the advantages to Imperial interests
arising from
a service by private Steamers to