THE AN FRANCISCO MAIL

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12545, 12 April 1904, Page 5

THE AN FRANCISCO MAIL

ARRIVAL OF THE SONOMA. Tin: mail steamer Sonoma, with the British and American mails, arrived from San Francisco and Island porta shortly before four p.m. yesterday, and being promptly granted pratique was berthed at tha Queen-street Wharf, where the passengers and baggage were at once landed. The post office authorities had in the meantime landed the m3.ij-bags containing the Auckland letters in the steam launch Pre&to; tho Southern portion of the nitiiis being taken on board of the s.s. Advance, and landed at the Railway Wharf, where they were transferred to Iho trucks awaiting them for conveyanco to Onehunga, far transhipment to the s.s. Takapuna, which had ha en detained awaiting their arrival. The Takapuna left Onclmnga fer New Plymouth shortly after seven p.m., and crossed the Manukau Bar at 8.50 p.m., and should reach New Plymouth early this morning.

The Sonoma left San Francisco at two p.m. on March 24, and called at Honolulu and Pago Pago, leaving the Hamean port on the afternoon of the 6th inst., and making port as above, after a very pleasant voyage of 17 days two hours five minutes; the actual steaming timo being 16 days 25 minutes. Excepting the first three days after leaving the Californian port, very line weather prevailed throughout. The Sonoma had a fair number of passengers for Auckland, and also for Sydney, and the cargo comprised 893 tons, of which 320 tons were for Auckland, consisting of the usual lines of American merchandise. The mails by the steamer were of the following dates: London, March IS; Now York, March 19 ; San Francisco, March 24; Honolulu, March 31 Samoa, April 6. Personal items and other news of interest from our London correspondent will bo found elsewhere in this issue. The Sonoma Is timed to proceed on to Sydney at four a.m. to-day, and takes a number of passengers from this port for Australia. .