Directory_and_Chronicle_1886 — Page 1100

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HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE.

Routes and Opportunities.

10.-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.

11. 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.

12.-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.

13.-Correspondence from the Coast marked via Brindisi or vid 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.

14.-No late fee is ever charged on Coast correspondence, at whatever hour it may reach the Hongkong Office.

15.-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. Such a Card is no evidence that any particular article reached the Post Office, nor will such Cards be allowed to be used as such evidence under any circumstances.

16.-lt is not necessary to pay postage on covers from the Coast containing stamped cor- respondence for the homeward mails.

17.—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. 18.-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 or Suez.

19. Except by special request, only letters are sent in these mails. No unpaid or short paid matter is forwarded by them under any circumstances.

20.-Newspapers for China posted in the United Kingdom and paid only 1d. each instead of 1d., which is the proper postage, or over 4 ounces in weight and paid one rate only, are sent out by private steamers instead of by the contract mails.

Australia.

21.-There are two routes to Australia, viz., viâ Torres Straits, and viâ Colombo. 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. Correspon- dence for Adelaide and Perth may be sent by this route.

22. The route via Colombo is best for Western and Southern Australia. Each homeward French Packet connects at Colombo with the P. & O. steamer which leaves that port for King George's Sound, Adelaide, and Melbourne,

India.

23.-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.

The San Francisco Route, Canada, &c.

24. The route by San Francisco can be freely used for ordinary or regi-tered correspon lence for Union or Non-union countries. The making up of mails via San Francisco at Shanghai is left to the United States and Japanese Post Offices.

25. When 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 the ship, and prepaid 10 cents or half ounce as usual. The Post Office then under- takes the duty of obtaining notice of departure and despatching the correspondence.

Posting.

26.-Boxholders are allowed to post their correspondence in sealed boxes, which should be closed with some recognisable seal. Locked boxes cannot be allowed.

27.-A receipt book should be sent with each box, but as the receiving officer cannot under- take to count the correspondence sent, he only gives a receipt for One Boz.

28. No attention is promised to anything written in the book, To be Registered, for instance. 29.-Contrary to general usage the Hongkong Post Office will give a receipt of this kind for an ordinary letter, to assure the sender his correspondence has not been stolen on the way to the Post. But this receipt is not intended to be used against the Post Office in case the correspondence goes astray. Some few Offices grant acknowledgments of posting on payment of a halfpenny or so for each letter acknowledged, and even then they decline to admit that any such acknowledg. ment refers to any particular letter. Others have abandoned the practice of giving receipts even on payment. It is obvious therefore that this Office can hardly allow its free receipts to be used to found complaints on. If that is intended the correspondence should be Registered.