ships. They used to be sailing craft by which nobody would send a letter who could send it by one of the Contract Mail lines. But now Private Ships may be said to be, for Postal purposes, all steamers, and some of them steamers which compare not unfavourably with contract packets in regard to speed. The communication between this colony and the Coast of China, Formosa, and Manila is entirely by Private Steamers - the communication with Shanghai, Japan, the Straits Settlements, and Australia is very much assisted by their means.
During the late military operations in Perak, as also during the complications arising from the Yunan affair, as much use was made of Private Steamers for the transmission of Despatches as of Contract Mails and no doubt much time was thereby saved.
It cannot be denied that on the whole the Masters of Private Steamers carry on the service with regularity and are obliging and attentive. Still, cases must and do occur of carelessness, some of carelessness, and others in gross negligence, in which private pique or private interests lead to similar results.
No record appears to have been