m2 10135 FOWORKING DAYS

.:

$

24

There has been no change in the Staff of Officers of the Department during 1800, neither bave there been any additional Agencies established, and my recent inspection has satisfied me that none can be opened with advantage to the Publis

Revenue.

I am satisfied that the Peninsular and Oriental Company hare now put every possible check upon the illegal conveyanos of letters by the Contract Packets running between this place and Shanghae; but it is also clear to me that great numbers of letters are still illicitly carried in a way that it is next to impossible to discover; many are carried by passengers, and others are sent by Special Chinese Messengers, who in the absence of an Officer of Customs cannot of course be searched, the low to the Revenue on this line and the other Coast lines must be considerable.

The amount realized by the sale of Postage Stamps during the year 1866 was $134,107.94 cents ar $20,775.01 cents less than it was in 1865.

The share of the postage which the Colonial Government received on mails from the United Kingdom during the last year amounted to £1,227.18.3 or £14.0.0 less than the sum received from the same source in 1865.

During the year 1806, 171,833 letters and 152,855 Newspapers and Prices Current were sent in the mails by the British Packets to the United Kingdom; these figures shew a decrease of 18,238 Letters and 5,156 Papers in the year 1866 as compared with the previous year, it follows therefore that the filling off in the Revenue has been principally caused by a decrease in the correspondence sent from Hongkong to the United Kingdom, whilst 10,074 letters and 1,871′ papers were also transmitted in the mails carried by the French Packets, shewing an increase of 204 letters and a decrease of 3,265 papers under this head; no account is taken of the number of letters and papers received in the mails by either the British or French

Packets.

The Registered letters received from London during 1866 numbered 939, and those despatched to London amounted to 1,005, shewing an increase of 33 of the former and 28 of the latter over those of 1865.

The number of Ship Mails (i. e. mails conveyed by Vessels not under Contract) received at Hongkong during the year 1966 was 1,121 or 112 less than those received in 1305, and the number of such Mails which were dispatched from Hongkong during 1860 was 1,616, or 110 in excess of the number dispatched in 1865.

During the year 1866, 1,303 Official letters on the business of the Office were received, and 1,008 letters were written and sent from the Office; these are exclusive, of course, of minutes, the usual routine letters and printed forms, and of a vast deal of correspondence which takes place in Notes, and shew an increase of 120 letters received and 272 written orer those of the year 1885.

The system of fines for Overtime and premiums for time saved on the voyage which was inaugurated in November 1885, has, it may be assumed from a return appended, resulted so far in accelerating the Contract Mails; from this return it will be observed that in the year 1860 the Peninsular and Oriental Company delivered 15 Mails here before their due date and Mails after they were due here; in the year 1865, 3 Mails arrived on their due date, 13 before their time and 8 after their time, and, that in 1866 31 days were gained on the voyage, and 25 lost, against 24 days gained and 36 lost in 1865, and that in 1866 the quickest time in which a Mail was conveyed to Hongkong vil Marsellies was 37 days, whilst in 1865, 41 lays was the shortest time occupied in this service. The French Packets delivered their quickest mail in 1860 in 30 days, and in 1865 in 38 days.

I also inclose returns of the specified and actual days of arrival and departure of the British Mail Packets during the year 1860.-I bave the honor to be, Bir, Your most Obedient Servant,

The Honorable HENRY JOEn Ball,

Acting Colonial Secretary,

Hongkong,

F. W. MITCHELL, Postmaster General

Do.

Average No. of days allowed for each voyage,....

occupied in

.10 49

*

#

Average No. of days allowed for each voyage,.

Do.

occupied in

43 .43

#

F. W. MITCHELL, Postmaster General.

General Post Office, Hongkong, 27th June, 1867.

STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH ENGLAND

Specified and actual days of arrival and departure of the Mail Contract Packets during 1866, shewing the number of days occupied in the passage to and from Southampton, and to and from Marseilles.

Ottawa, Delhi,..

Isehar,

Name of Packet.

Date on which Packet should have arrived according to

9688+8+9+9**99#888888

No. of days occupied in the voyage við Marseilles.

=====9=8897878*

ARRIVAL

Actual date of Arrival

Time Table.

No. of Days occupied in the toyage vid Southampton.

1866.

1886.

Baroda,

February March

24

8

February March

21 11

Ottawa,

23

31

Bebar,

Salsette,

April

8

April

10

50

20

10

47

Rangoon,

#2

"

Orissa,

May

0

May

8

21

20

47

41

Northam,

1+

June

June

5

41

20

21

43

Benares,

July

July

4

40

Orissa,

22

21

48

41

1

事

Northam,

August

6

August

8

39

20

17

45

»

n

Baroda, Rangoon,

September

5

September

9

46

20

21

40

Ottawa,

October

7

October

2

44

21

29

50

44

Orissa,

"

Behar,

November

10

November

7

49

43

24

22

50

44

Ellora,

n

Benares,

December

10

December

14

50

25

27

48

Emen,

*

Salsette,

10th January, 1867

8th January, 1807

44

DEPARTURE.

VIA SOUTHAMPTOR.

Date of Departure.

Time allowed No. of

ix

days days, Time Table. occupied, gained.

No. of

No. of oya lost.

RETURN shewing the NUMBER of Days allowed for the conveyance of Mas from London to Hongkong, við Southampton and ein Marseilles, the time each voyage occupied, and the number of days lost or gained, during the Your 1866.

Time allowed No. of | No. of | No. of

Via MarskilALES.

Date of departure from Hongkong_ac-

Name of Packet.

Date Departure.

in

days Time Tablo. occupied. gained.

days days lost.

cording to the Time Table.

1800.

Actual date of departure.

vid

No. of days Southampton.

No. of days

Marseilles.

1866.

1860.

1. January

4

52 dayu

49

20

48

61

"

February +

48

56

20

March

4

20

April

20

May

#

1

"

June

Jaly

August

September 4

20

20

20

20

• : 1 12 1mm ¡amaaa :* ¡ma : :0mm

3

January

#

February 10

March

10

26

April

體

May

#

Jaze

July

1

10

*

August 10

27

"

#

October 4

September 10 October

10

20

56

46

60

"

November 4

52

54

November 10

46

JI

20

50

20

48

December

52

51

December 10

46

20

52

51

20

46

и

"

*

TOTAL... 1,188 days

1,180

31

28

TOTAL,..] 1,040 days 1,034

31

26

2828982828-8289828282828

46 days

42

19

49

50

42

10

10

*8=====89-8995=3489143

Ottaws Yedo, Emen,

January

February

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*** : : : : : : : : : : :***:::&

Benares,.

Beher,

March

Itarods,

Ottawa,

April

Bebar,

#

Balsette,

#

Rangoon,.

May

Orissa,

"

Northam, Ottawa, Delhi,.

June

July

Beanres,.

Orissa,

Kortham,

Behar,

August September

Baroda,

Rangoon,

October

Balsetts,

November

Orissa,

Behar,

December

Kilors,

--5-79-858-8-8-8--ã-ä-ã-

January

February

16

March

April

May

June

Jaly

August

September

か

October

November

15

n

December

16

7-7-29-8586878786-ããã

48

86+888228888886

48

48

44

49

42

47

40

40

42

49

44

49

43

43

49

44.

48

58

48

44

46

51

52

49

48

#4

49

43

42

46

#

F. W. MITCHELL, Postmaster General,

General Post Office, Hongkong, 27th June, 1887.