Directory_and_Chronicle_1880 — Page 498

Page 498 Page 498

Page 498 Page 498

HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE.

4.83

26. The Marseilles route having been to a great extent abandoned, correspondence for the French Packet should be marked By French Packet only. This ensures its being sent by the most advantageous route.

27.-It seems to be commonly believed that there is some essential difference between the English and French mails for the United Kingdom. Some persons even direct their letters in French. In fact, however, the mails carried to London by French packet are sealed in Hongkong, and not opened till they reach their destination. There is no difference whatever between the two mails, except the nationality of the packets that carry them.

28.-It is sometimes possible to overtake the French packet at Singapore by means of a direct private steamer. When this can be done coast correspondence which arrived too late is so sent

on.

29.-Mails may also be forwarded to London and Por's of call by the Tea steamers leaving Foochow and Hankow, either direct, or to catch the next contract mail at Singapore, or to catch the weekly mail from Suez viâ Brindisi. Except by special request, only letters are sent in these mails.

30.-Unless specially notified, mails are not made up at Hongkong for London or the Con- tinent viâ San Francisco, as no advantage arises from forwarding correspondence by this route.

Australia.

31.-There are two routes to Australia, viz., viâ Torres Straits, and viâ Galle.

32. The Torres Straits route is the best for Eastern Australia as far as Melbourne, for New Zealand, Tasmania, and Fiji. All correspondence for these places is thus sent unless otherwise directed. Correspondence for Adelaide and Perth may be sent by this route. The packets leave Singapore every four weeks, their departures being regulated by the arrival of the outward P. & Q. Mail. There are also opportunities by private steamer by this route.

33. The route via Galle is best for Western and Southern Australia, and is perhaps as advantageous as the Torres Straits route for Melbourne. Each alternate homeward French Packet connects at Galle with the P. & O. steamer which leaves that port for King George's Sound, Adelaide, and Melbourne. There is obviously no advantage in forwarding correspondence to Galle by intermediate steamers.

Batavia.

34.-The Netherlands India Packets leave Singapore fortnightly, and are fitted to the arrival of the outward P. & O. Mail from Europe. The French Packets for Batavia wait at Sin- gapore for the Packets from China and run fortnightly.

Cape, Natal, Mauritius, &c.

35.-The homeward French packets which are advertised to carry the Australian mail to Galle are also the best opportunities of forwarding correspondence to Aden for the Mauritius packet, and for Mozambique, Zanzibar, Natal, the Cape, St. Helena, and Ascension. As these packets leave Aden only once in every four weeks, there is little advantage in forwarding the correspondence by intermediate steamers. Correspondence can be forwarded via London if required, but the adoption of this route generally leads to loss of time.

India.

36.-Correspondence for India is despatched by each British and each French Packet, as also by the direct steamers for Calcutta which leave about the 16th of each month. The route is chosen in each case so as to ensure the quickest possible delivery. Paid correspondence for Bagdad, Bassora, Bunder Abas, Bushire, Cabul, Gwadur, Kashmir, Ladak, Linga, Mandalay, Muscat, and Persia may be forwarded viâ India at Union Rates,

Malta, Gibraltar, Cyprus.

37.-Correspondence for the above stations is forwarded weekly, by either British or French Packet. In the latter case it goes on from Suez by the first steamer, generally gaining a week on correspondence forwarded by the subsequent British Packet.

The San Francisco Route, Canada, &c.

*

38.-The route by San Francisco can be freely used for ordinary or registered correspondence for Union or Non-union countries, the rates of postage to the former being 8 cents, &c. No mails for London or the Continent of Europe are closed by this route in Hongkong, as no prac tical advantages result from its use. The making up of mails viâ San Francisco at Shanghai is left to the United States and Japanese Post Offices.

39.—W hen it is desired to forward letters to the United States by a sailing ship not notified as carrying a mail, all that is necessary is to post the letters in the ordinary way, marked with the name of ship, and prepaid 8 cents per half ounce as usual. The Post Office then undertakes the duty of obtaining notice of departure and despatching the correspondence. Such letters should be posted if possible at least one day before sailing.

*

Correspondence for the West Indies (except those belonging to the Postal Union, the Bahamas, and Hayti), for

Monte Video, Paraguay, and Uruguay cannot be sent viâ San Francisco.

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