NEW MAIL SERVICE BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND CALIFORNIA.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 1031, 20 December 1872, Page 2

NEW MAIL SERVICE BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND CALIFORNIA.

" Anglo-Australian," writing in fke ' European Mail,' says :—" I hear thaj a company, embracing certain EnglisH steamship and American railroad interests, is being formed in London] for the purpose of establishing a lid of first-class mail steamers betweeil San Francisco, Australia, and Nert Zealand. The report is that the seri vice shall go into operation, by means of chartered steamers, without delay, reliance being placed upon the Colonial Governments that they wilj grant adequate subsidies to the line when tbey find that it is to be thoroughly effective. In about six oj eight months the chartered vessels aw to be replaced by three new steamers built expressly for this route, upon the exact model, with cabins amidships that has proved so successful in the case of the White Star Line, frorj Liverpool to New York. vessels will be built to steam fourf;* knots per hour, and an average servici of twelve knots will be guaranteed, One evil of the San Francisco route hitherto has been that no one was re< sponsible for the transit of mails across the American Continent. This will be remedied by the new company, aa they will be prepared Jto contract under penalties, for the conveyance of the mails the whole way between Queenstown and the Colonies. The route proposed to be followed until the determination of the Colonial Go» vernment is known will be from San Francisco to Honolulu, thence, m Samoa, New Caledonia, and Moretori Island (for Queensland), to Sydney If the New Zealand Government desire it, a branch steamer will con< nect all their ports with the main line at Samoa. The mails will be guaranteed to be delivered at Queensland in forty days, Sydney forty-two days, Melj bourne forty-four days, and at Auck-i land in thirty eight days. It is in] tended to commence tho service ai quickly as the necessary arrangements; can be made at the different points,] without waiting for the action of the! New South Wales Government in respect of the tenders which they hare just invited for a mail line on the Sam Francisco route. ... I am told

that they (the promoters) not onlj mean business, but that very shortl; the steamers will be seen in Australiai waters."