CO129-013 - Sir John Davis - 1845 [8-12] — Page 260

privately they still continue to make up Mails.

Between this Pat and Macao.

and Cauton a set of Fast Bouts are.

expense of something

hept up by subscription of Merchants at an

like £1,000 a year, something like $1000 and their charges to now subscribers are

: enormously high for the conveyance of Letters and Parcels such as 25 bents for a single Letter to Macao, which the Best Office sends for

s for & Cents!

When it is known that a - Clepper is about to sail to the Forth Mr.

Spring informs

me that he has

-

as gone.

board with a Mail but has almost

boast.

to the

always been told that they are going Sir, Islands or in general terms to the East

t of China and will not touch at the Consular Ports; he has therefore not put the Mail on board. On inquiry however he has found that they have gone straight

to

to those.

directed.

257

very Ports to which the Mails were

These bessels generally escape being placed in the Harbor Master's Report by

their not reporting themselves as clearing out and they generally do clear out in the

-ht time to avoid carrying

night

Mail

Their Commanders are instructed by their Oconers not to report themselves or to give

any information as to their destination

d yet they

or

time of departure, and/ absolutely the only Vessels which touch at the Consular Ports north;

of Canton with

regularity .

It is not to be wondered at when

the cost of maintaining such a fleet Clippers is taken into consideration that

the Commanders of them should be ordered to avoid carrying Mails - each Opium Clipper may be fairly said to cost between £3000

and