THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11951, 28 April 1902, Page 5

THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

DEPARTURE OF THE VENTURA. The mail steamer Sierra vr... the English mails, which left London »a March 29, is due from San Francisco, Honolulu, and Pago Pago this evening, arid proceeds on to Sydney a few hours after arrival. The mail steamer Ventura arrived from Svdney on Saturday morning, and anchored iii the stream, and was visiteu and inspected by Dr. E. W. Shaman, the port health officer, shortly after arrival. The Ventura brought no passengers for Auckland, but had a large number in all clasps for San Francisco. After inspection the passengers ere permitted to come on shore, a large number availing themselves of the opportunity of a few hours' sight-seeing in the city and suburbs. The fast-growing popularity of the steamers of tins line is again strongly evidenced by the large number of passengers who are travelling by the Ventura on this voyage. When the steamer left Sydney she had 111 passengers in all classes, ana this number being largely added to at Auckland, the steamer left on Saturday afternoon with 250 passengers in all classes on board, the majority of whom are en route to Europe. This is the largest number of passengers that have ever left by any one steamer of this line. As soon as the Ventura was cleared by the health officer on Saturday morning, the work of transbJ;»pinjr cargo from, the hulk to the steamer v— " proceeded with, and can id on so expeditiously that all was transferred by one p.m. The first of the passengers, baggage, and mails were sent off by one of the ferry steamers shortly before one o'clock, and by halfpast one the other ferry steamer with the balance was ready to go off, but was delayed for some time awaiting the arrival of the last of the mails. A large number of the friends of those proceeding by the Ventura assembled on Quay-street Jetty No. 2, from which the ferry steamer left, to wish them bon voyage, and for some time the scene on the jetty was a very animated one. Shortly before three o'clock the last of the mails were transferred to the Ventura, and at aquarter past three she was underway for her voyage across the Pacific. Amongst the cargo by the steamer from Australia were large lines of hardwood, cocoanut oil, and general colonial products. From this port tits steamer took consignments of flax, kauri gum, pelts, rabbit skins, onions, potatoes), canned mullet, etc.