MONTHLY SUMMARY.

West Coast Times, Issue 276, 11 August 1866, Page 5

MONTHLY SUMMARY.

Wesx Coast Times Office, Saturday, August 11, 1866. The English May Mail, with files of papers to the 26th of that month, arrived at the Bluff on Friday, the 30th ult., and the telegraphic Summary of news was forwarded from our agent there, and published on the same day, in The Despatch, an evening paper issuing from this office, and in the Times of the following morning. By Anglo-Indian Telegraph the contents of the papers were supplemented by later intelligence to the 14th June. The latest telegram under that date announced the actual outbreak of war in Europe, the invasion . of Venetia by Garibaldi at the head of his array of volunteers, and the flight of the Pope from Rome It has since been announced, by Reuter's agents in Melbourne, that this telegram, although sent on from Colombo by their agent there, was not part of Reuter's own message, and may possibly have been a hoax. Under these circumstances, a feeling of anxious suspense prevails as to the true state of affairs in Europe, and this can only be relieved by the arrival of the June Mail, due in Hokitika in less than a week from this time. The arrangement still subsisting by which the letters and newspapers for the "West Coast are sent to it by the circuitous route of the Bluff, Dunedin, Lyttelton, Wellington, and Nelson — that is, the entire navigation of the Southern, Eastern, and Northern coasts of the Middle Island in order to reach a port on the West Coast that is nearer to Melbourne than any other point in New Zealand — prevented the delivery in Hokitika of newspapers mailed in England until the 28th ult., sixteen days after the departure of the steamer from Melbourne. The time occupied in steaming direct from that port to Hokitika is, on an average, five and a half days. We may add that the mail letters were despatched by the overland coach from Christchurch, and were delivered here on the 26th ult. We have entered into these particulars for the purpose of showing the disadvantages under which this populous and wealthy division of New Zealand lies, from the circumstance that no separate mail for Westland is made up, which might be forwarded to Hokitika direct from Melbourne, instead of requiring the whole of the English mails for the West Coast to be sent in the first instance to Christchurch, ozi the eastern side of the island, thence to be sent " round " or " across," as opportunity may serve. The successful opening of the new mail route to, Europe by the Panama line of contract- steamers, is regarded on all hands with very general satisfaction. The intercourse with Wellington is regular, the Company's steamers connecting Hokitika direct with the Panama service. We are looking forward to the future with confidence, as likely not only to place our postal relations with the old world upon a much more as sured and reliable basis, but also to open up intercourse with the Pacific islands and the Pacific coasts of North and South America. The commercial advantages that promise to ensue from the establishment of the Panama line can scarcely be over-estimated, whilst it may be anticipated that few persons in New Zealand, desirous of visiting the eld country, will fail to avail themselves of a route which affords them so many opportunities of visiting countries full of varied interest. Already one mail has been despatched homeward by this route, and one mail received inward. The arrival of the Rakaia at Wellington on the 23rd ult. ■was welcomed with great rejoicings. She had made the passage round Cape Horn to Panama, to take up her station in the Pacific. Here an oppoitunity was anticipated of overhauling her, but it was found that the slip was too short for the purpose, and under these disadvantageous circumstances the Rakaia steamed for Wellington with the mails on board, and completed the passage in thirty days, being about" as many hours in excess of her contract time. She encountered unusually heavy weather in crossing the Pacific, and, allowing for this circumstauce 'and for the foul state of her bottom, tLe result is considered in the highest degree satisfactory. It is admitted by the Melbourne papers, which have always regarded this new rival to the Suez route with considerable disfavor, that the successful voyage of the Rakaia has afforded a sufficient guarantee of the punctuality with which the mail engagements of the Panama Company may be expected to be kept, when it has had time to organise its arrangements and overcome the difficulties incident to the first start of a service, for which, not only had the boats to be brought a long voyage by the Cape, in order hastily to take up their station in the Pacific, but had actually to be built at the time the contract was signed. The Rakaia brought English papers to the 2nd June, seven days later than had been received by the Suez route, and of course much later and very important news from America. Owing to an alteration in the arrangements, we are unable to avail ourselves of the Panama line for the despatch of our present Summary, which we for- j ward as on former occasions, by the steamship Gothenburg, for Melbourne, which will arrive there in ample time to tranship the mails to the P. and 0. Company's boat. Our next Summary will be published about the 4th September, to be forwarded via Panama. The last month has been one crowded with incidents of more than usual importance, which will be found detailed vmdev their usual headings.