Directory_and_Chronicle_1883 — Page 587

HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE.

577.

is perfectly accurate. If this has to be done often, however, the scales should be replaced with

new ones.

21.-No Postal Officer is bound to weigh correspondence, but he ought not to refuse to do so unless pressed for time.

Routes and Opportunities.,

22. All ordinary correspondence is sent on by the first opportunity of which the prepayment admits, unless especially directed, or apparently prepaid for some other route.

23. First opportunity is taken to mean the steamer which may reasonably be expected to arrive first, but does not signify a sailing ship, as no correspondence is forwarded by that means unless specially so directed, or to a place to which few steamers run.

24. Correspondence specially directed for any particular steamer is sent by her (failing any request to the contrary) however many times her departure may be postponed, unless it is post. poned sine die, in which case the correspondence is sent on by the next opportunity.

25.-Correspondence fron the Coast marked vid Brindisi or via Naples is KEPT FOR THE ROUTE INDICATED even though that may involve a fortnight's detention. Unless this is intended, therefore, the safest direction is By first mail. No late fee is ever charged on Coast corres- pondence, at whatever hour it may reach the Hongkong Office. Firms at Coast Ports who wish to be sure that their Correspondence has caught the mail, should enclose with the letters a local Post Card addressed to themselves. On receiving this back again they may conclude that the letters were in time, unless the Card be marked TOO LATE.

26. 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 as to 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 Ports of call by the Tea steamers leaving Foochow and Hankow, either direct, or to catch the next contract mail at Singapore. Except by special request, only letters are sent in these mails. No unpaid or short paid matter is for, warded by them under any circumstances.

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

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

32.--The Torres Straits route is the best for Eastern Australia as far as Sydney, 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.

33.-The route viâ Galle is best for Western and Southern Australia. Each 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.-Each alternate homeward British Packet forms the best opportunity of forwarding correspondence to Aden for the Mauritius packet, and for Zanzibar. As the packets for these places leave Aden only once in every four weeks, there is little advantage in forwarding the correspondence by intermediate steamers. Correspondence for Natal, the Čape, St. Helena, and Ascension is forwarded viâ London by each homeward mail.

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. that for Malta and Gibraltar is sent via Brindisi or Naples as the case may be.

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. No mails for London or the Continent of Europe are usually closed by this route in Hongkong, as no practical 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