THE ALASKA'S MAILS.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2642, 25 September 1882, Page 3

THE ALASKA'S MAILS.

TBr Tblkqbaph.J WELLING-lON, September 23. I mentioned some days ago that the Government had cabled to the Agent-General for full particulars as to New Zaaland San Franoisoo mails burned on board the Alaska. Muoh surprise has been felt at the number of days which have elarued without any answer being reoeived from Sir F. D. especially as muoh anxiety was experienced throughout the colony as to the fate of this mail. However, the long-looked for reply was reoeived to-day. It appears that the damaged mail was one whioh left Auckland on the 15th ult. Sir F. D. Bell's telegram bears yesterday's date, and runs ' thus :—" All New Zealand mails for London are safo, except a portion of the newspapers and books, but mails for the country, including registered letters, are partly burned. The exact locs is not yet known." The home mails are practically made up in five sections. The first is the "London district mail, whioh comprises all the deliveries of the London letter carriers, and also the mails for the Continent, whioh are sent on from London. All these are supposed to be safe. The next division is tho " Liverpool" one, comprising the mails for that oity and all the offices circulating through that plaoe, whioh in itself includes a largo part of England. This batoh too is believed to be safe, as also are the Irish and Sootoh mails, sent to Lublin and Glasgow respectively. This only leaves what is called the " oountry " mail, whioh term includes the comparatively small portion of the United Kingdom not comprised in the other four divisions, and it is this portion whioh is supposed to have chit fly suffered. The Portal Dspartment's theory is that when Sir D. Bell enquired at the General Post Office, what mails have been damßged j the reply was that the " town" letters are all right, and only " oountry" letters have been injured. The word " town" in this conneotion being used to mean the four town districts—London, Liverpool, Dublin, and Glasgow. On the other hand, some doubts are entertained whether the Agent-General's message should not be taken literally, and so interpreted at indicating that the London mails ate safe, and that the mischief done is among letters to other parts of the Kingdom. The Liver pool district reaohes as far as Wolverhamp I ton, but not to Birmingham, so it will be p.eeii that the " doubtful" area is very large. - The full truth will probably not be learned I for some days yet.