Macao (September 5): Two ferry-boats were, with due ceremony, on September 1 put into operation to link Macao to the Islands of Taipa and Colowan. Built in Hongkong at a cost of $200,000 each at the Hongkong & Whampoa Docks, they are about 65 tons, Diesel-engined and will carry 50 First Class and 80 Second Class passengers. The appointments are very neat and the short crossing will be made as comfortable as possible, the time spent being about 15 minutes to Taipa and another 20-25 minutes from there to Colowan. Fare will be 50 cents for the half journey and 70 cents for the whole crossing.

There will be seven trips daily, the first at 7 a.m. and the last at 7 p.m. with two-hour intervals between each. This is a vast improvement on the pre-war time-table when a maximum of four trips each way was the limit.

The popularity of the new ferry service was clearly seen last week-end when on the morning trips to the Islands the ferry-boats were crammed full of picnickers and bathers who had been, for about 10 years since the Pacific War, without any convenient ferry service to the Islands. The owners, The Kung San River & Trade Shipping Co., will soon put another boat in the service.