AMERICAN MAIL BOATS AND

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 820, 27 June 1879, Page 2

AMERICAN MAIL BOATS AND

THEIR ACCOMMODATION. A Letter from New York, which appears m the Otago Daily Thnee, gives anything but a glowing picture of a voyage m the City of Sydney from Auckland to San Francisco. Referring to. the hurricane which the vessel encountered, the writer says that the vessel proved of too slight construction for a stormy sea. He adds: —"As regards the comfort of the steamer at other times, I cannot say much m her favor. The dining saloon on the main deck had two decks above it, and was so low that the ports could never be opened. It was consequently a perfect oven, with the thermometer standing at 90deg. to 95deg. Everyone looked forward with horror to the hour for meals. Some, especially ladies, could never go down to dinner, while others merely took a hasty mouthful and hurried away; The food was bad ; the meat tough, badly cooked, and cold. Everything of the cheapest had been put on board, down to tlie very walnuts, which were all rotten . The attandence was of the worst description, especially m the cabins. Bottles of wine and spirits were frequently stolen from the saloons and cabins, and artioles of dress also from the latter. I think the purser might have conduced more to the comfort of the passengers than he did, sinstead ol haying nightly uproarious singing parties m his cabin, or 'in front, of it. Great annoyance was also caused by his arbitrarily assigning new: seats to all the passengers after they had occupied the same seat for several meals. Thur : is ft most extraor^nary proceeding. The captain was appealed to, but he declined to interfere, saying that he and the purser bad the privilege of placing whom they pleased, at their own tables. This was the answer given even to invalids who desired to remain near the stairs, m hopes of gotting a little air m that suffocating den. Altogether the ship and arrangements compared most unfavorably with those of the P. and O. Company and other great lines. A testimonial (couched m rather " highfalutin" terms) was given to the captain for his conduct during the hurricane, but all mention of the ship was carefully avoidedj"