AUSTRALIAN MAIL SERVICE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 78, 20 March 1876, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN MAIL SERVICE.

(Fjtom the Daily News, Jan. 7.) " Round the worid in seventy days." This was the burden of the speeches delivered yesterday afternoon on board the steamship Australia, a spick and span new vessel, recently added to tbe Australian and New Zealand fleet of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, which, in co-operation with English and. Scotch capital, "works" ihe American overland route to Australia, Honolulu, and Fiji — of course, via San Francisco. New routes to the Colonies have been rather plentiful of late-; but. the tug of competition, if competition there be, will inevitably be fett between the East Australian route through the Suez Canal and the American overland route. Practically, however, there is no rivalry. The East Australian line, running in conjunction with the Peninsula and Oriental,, and other great companies, takes in Malts, the Suez Canal, Aden, Singapore, Batavia, and Hongkong, en route to the ports of tbe thriving young Colony of Queensland. The Western route comprises a run across tbe United States, from Atlantic to Pacific, by rail, and steam service from San Francisco to tbe Sandwich Islands; thence to Fiji. Here is raised the cry of "Passengers for New Zealand change here;" while the other "Colonials" proceed straight to Sydney. The Australia, which now lies in the South West India Docks, ready to eail on Jan. 15, is a Bister ship to five other vessels engaged in the American overland route, and like them, she is a model of what an ocean-going steamer bound for warm latitudes should be, with a long yacht-like ruu, and superb accommodation above and between decks. On the Atlantic twenty-eight different lines of steamers afford a choice of as many weekly departures from Great Britain and the Continent of Europe to the United States and Canada, and in America there are daily express trains on various lines converging on Omaha, in connection with the famous , Union Pacific and Central Pacific railways to San Francisco. The Pacific Mail Steamship Company, whose newest ship is the Australia, has entered into Governmental contracts for the mails between that Port and the Colonies of New South Wales and New Zealand for a period of eight years. The introduction of tbe Australia was, as is now customary on such occasions, celebrated yesterday by a luncheon, after which a few toasts complimentary to the countries and companies concerned in the undertaking were cordially honored. Sir' D. Cooper, an old Australian, was in the chair, and Mr E. Wilson, of the Melbourne Argus, other well-known colonists, with several American gentlemen were present to wißh "God speed " to tbe enterprise. The San Francisco route, however, was not exclusively advocated, tbe general opinion being tbat any project which would shorten the time and distance between our dependencies was to be welcomed, *not so much as a benefit to this or tbat country as to the world at large. Mr. Wilson, enlarging on tbis idea, said that to our shame we had not hitherto done justice to our opportunities of prompt, rapid, and regular communication between Great Britain and her colonies He, as well as other speakers, described in glowing terms the delightful possibilities of voyaging to the East via the Suez Canul, and returning via San Francisco (or vice versa) within seventy days : and one gentleman went so far as to insist that no English member of Parliament should be elected wbo had not, by one of the routes now established, " put a girdle round the globe," and so made himself acquainted with the Colonial dependencies of the Empire. Sir D. Cooper gave an instance of the rapidity of modern travelling. The French steamer at Point de Galle was five days late, and he, contriving thereby to catch her, was able to enter his London residence forty-two days after leaving Melbourne. The most confident anticipations were pronounced in favor of a seventy as against a ninety days' passage round tbe globe, and the general impression left upon the minds of the. guests entertained in the beautiful saloon of the Australia was, that in theso days a voyage to the Antipodes is not only a trifle not to be considered, but, performed west and by east, or east and by west, a duty which no man pretending to a knowledge of the world dares neglect ; also, that this pleasant educational process could not be better experienced than in some such luxurious boat as tbe Australia. The following letter has been published in the Daily News : — To complete the review of the year in steam communication with Australia, I have now to furnish the following details. Taking first the three regular mail services, tbefollowing results have been obtained : —

There has thus been a closer adherence than ueual to promises, and there are, moreover, the conspicuous facts that the San Francisco line has well discharged its important duties, while the last letters from the Peninsula and Oriental Company's steamer arrived two days earlier than contract rfrtgie. It continues of essential import...ance io Australian commerce to watch the dkeot steamerß from the Cape of 4Sroo-l Hope;*—

There has not hitherto been sufficient accuracy in Btating the performances of the St. Osyth, and therefore it is advisable to describe the exact voyages from the beginning, which have been 52 end 46 days on the outward, aud 59 and 61 days oa the homeward routes. She is again on her way to Melbourne, and, if the same rate of speed can be maintained, it is hoped the dates of departure at each end will be arranged to bring about a fortnightly mail, alternating within the period of the regular mail via Egypt. The St. Oayth and the Whampoa are the only boats that profess to steam the whole voyage to Australia — to be remembered beoause the other vessels do not compete for the mails, and ouly use the auxiliary screw, looking for freight from passengers and cargo for remuneration. All the routes to Australia are now being brought into effectual working order. In addition to the facts above narrated, there is the Glenelg, auxiliary Bcrew steamer, on her way to Adelaide, which may have important effects on the trade of South Australia, while the Zealandia and Australia are in course of despatch to Melbourne in order to bring, with the opening of the new year, the Sydney and New Zeeland mail service with San Francisco into working order. These circumstances point to the glorious result — that the Southern Seas will soon be like the Atlautic, ploughed by majestic steamers bearing the British flag, carrying English manufactures, and extending the beneficial influence of a colonising Empire wherever the AngloSaxon race can wield power, do good, and advance the blessings of civilisation. The great object, however, must continue to be borne in view, that, as the huge commerce of England is thus extended, and is followed by the telegraphic wires, a regular and frequent mail service cannot be disregarded. Postal reform must be paramount. A mail to and from Australia once in four weeks is insufficient. There should at least be fortnightly communication. The voyage, it is known, moreover, can be accomplished in 36 days. It is well for public competition to be shown on all routes ; but the experience of more than twenty years proves that mails must be entrusted to the quickest, the beat organised services, and that without a proper State subsidy there will be an absence of that confident reliance which is an element in mail communications. — I am, &c, William Purdy. 54. Old Broad-street, E.C., Dec, 24, 1875.

Days Oat. Days Home, S". Osy'th ..; ... 47 62 VVhampoa 49 69 Durham .. ... 49 57 Northumberland ... 52 65 Somersetshire ... 5S 70 Great Britain ... 65 70

Days in Route. Oct. Nov. Dec. Via Egypt and Gallo ... 4tf 44 42 Via Queensland ... 66 58 54 Via bt*n Fran cisco ... 49 52 51