Some further light has since been thrown on the delivery of the Home mails by the R.M.S. Empress of A which arrived on Tuesday last. First consideration is naturally given to incoming passengers, who were conveyed to Shanghai late on Tuesday afternoon by a tender. The mails, whenever possible, are carried on the same tender on which the passengers travel, but in this case, which is no infrequent one, the wail matter was of such great bulk, numbering some 14,000 bags that. it was necessary to handle it by lighter. 'A 500-ton lighter was towed along side the Empress on Tuesday afternoon, but a gale came up soon after she had made fast which made it necessary to cease work and tow her back to Woosung. Early next morning a further attempt was made—a more successful one—and in the afternoon the lighter was towed to Shanghai, a three and a half hours' trip, and the delivery was made to the British Post Office. It may be remarked that all incoming mail on the Empress boats is delivered to the B. P. O. whence distributed to the other post offices and to the addressees.
Some steamship lines are able to get their vessels alongside the wharf in the harbour from whence delivery can safely and speedily be
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.