F.—6

42

Meanwhile, I am directed to authorise you to make up mails for the Australasian Colonies and despatch them by steamers sailing from San Francisco for Honolulu which will reach Honolulu in time to connect at that port with steamers sailing from Vancouver for the colonies vid Honolulu. This arrangement is not intended to affect in any way the forwarding of correspondence for the said colonies to Vancouver for despatch thence by steamers sailing from that port, but is intended to provide for a later despatch which will intercept the Vancouver steamer at Honolulu, and will contain only articles which could not be forwarded from your office in time to connect with the steamer at Vancouver. The New Zealand office has been advised of this arrangement, and has been requested to direct its Mail-agents to transfer at Honolulu to a steamer sailing thence to San Francisco the mails for San Francisco conveyed by steamers sailing from Vancouver in cases in which the delivery of the said mails will thereby be expedited ; and the Hawaiian office has been requested to facilitate the transfer at Honolulu of the mails for and from the United States. Please indicate, in the schedules hereafter furnished to this department by your office for the monthly foreign mail-steamship schedule, the steamers sailing from San Francisco which can connect at Honolulu with the steamers sailing from Vancouver. I am, &c, N. M. Beooks, The Postmaster, San Francisco. Superintendent of Foreign Mails.

No. 120. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Supebintendent of Fobeign Mails, Washington. Sic,— General Post Office, Wellington, 27th February, 1899. It has been brought under notice that the s.s. " Australia,".which is timed to leave San Francisco a day before the departure of the mail-steamer from Vancouver, makes a reliable connection with the latter vessel at Honolulu. I have the honour, therefore, to suggest that mailmatter for the Australasian Colonies which may be posted in your country after the closing of the mails for despatch vid Vancouver, but which could connect with the " Australia," might be forwarded in that vessel in closed supplementary mails for transhipment at Honolulu to the mailsteamer, and thus insure about ten days' earlier delivery of the correspondence. A copy of this letter has been sent to the Postmaster, San Francisco. I have, &c, The Superintendent of Foreign Mails, W. Geay, Secretary. Office of Foreign Mails, Post Office Department, Washington, D.C. [Similar letter to the Postmaster, San Francisco.]

No. 121. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Besident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sic,— General Post Office, Wellington, Ist March, 1899. I have the honour to inform you that it has been represented to this office by the Mail Agent on the last voyage of the B.M.S. " Mariposa" that the s.s. " Australia," which is timed to leave San Francisco a day before the departure of the mail-steamer from Vancouver, makes a reliable connection with the latter vessel at Honolulu. A letter has accordingly been addressed to the Postmaster, San Francisco, and the Superintendent of the Office of Foreign Mails at Washington, bringing the matter under notice, and suggesting that correspondence for the Australasian Colonies which may be posted at American post-offices after the closing of the mails for despatch vid Vancouver, but which could connect with the s.s. " Australia," might be forwarded in that vessel in supplementary mails for transhipment at Honolulu to the mail-steamer, and thus insure about ten days' earlier delivery of the correspondence. I have, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, Esq., W. Geay, Secretary, Besident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco.

No. 122. The Besident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. Sic, — Besident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, sth March, 1899. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communications of the 25th January [see No. 115] and the Ist February [see No. 263]; and in compliance with the request contained in the latter herewith enclose the latest Canadian time-table procurable. In regard to the detained mails per " Moana" leaving this city on the Bth February, I now am enabled to report that these mails, which were forwarded to Boston from New York on account of no steamer being available from New York on the 15th ultimo, left Boston by the steamer " Canada" on the 16th, and arrived at Queenstown on the 24th February, and proceeded at once, thus arriving two days late. The most unusual condition of matters at New York upon this occasion was unfortunate, as otherwise there were prospects of making an early