In the previous section the shipping of the port was sketched up to the temporary service that took the place of the Panama Company's service, which ceased in 1869. In 1871 an agreement was made by the Government with Messrs. Webb and Holladay, owners of the California Line, to run a fleet of four paddle steamers, _viz_, _Nevada_ (2145 tons), _Nebraska_ (2143 tons), _Dacotah_ (2145 tons)--all of which were fitted with beam engines--and _Moses Taylor_ (1354 tons), from Sydney to San Francisco. Auckland was again the port of call, but for a few trips at the commencement of the service Port Chalmers was made the New Zealand port of call alternately with Auckland, on which occasions Napier, Wellington and Lyttelton were visited _en route_. In 1873 the United States withdrew the subsidy, and, as the line had become unpopular with the Australian and New Zealand Governments, the service was ended. Another temporary service was run by Mr. Hall, first by the steamers _Tartar_ and _Mongol_, and later by the _Cyphrenes_ and _Mikado_; a few trips were made by the _City of Melbourne_. The route followed was by Fiji (Kandavu). An offer of the Pacific Mail Company, in conjunction with the Fairfield Shipbuilding Company of Glasgow, was accepted, and inaugurated in 1875, the Fiji route being followed until 1877, when the Honolulu course was adopted. The ships engaged in this service were _Vasco de Gama_, _Colima_, _City of San Francisco_, _City of New York_, _City of Sydney_, _Zealandia_, and _Australia_. The contract expired in 1885. The next contract was divided between the Oceanic Company of America and the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand. The Oceanic Company put into commission the _Alameda_ and _Mariposa_ (3158 tons), and the Union Company the _Mararoa_ (2598 tons). The latter was withdrawn, and was replaced in 1890 by the same company's new liner _Monowai_ (3433 tons). The _Arawa_ substituted the _Monowai_ in this service for a time, but in 1897 the _Moana_ finally took up the run. In 1900, owing to the legislative enactment of the United States precluding any but American ships from plying between American ports, the _Moana_ was transferred to the Vancouver service. The _Alameda_ and _Mariposa_ were also withdrawn, and were replaced by the _Sierra_, which inaugurated a three-weekly service from 'Frisco. She was followed by the _Sonoma_ and _Ventura_. This service lasted till 1909, when the New Zealand Government followed the example of the United States, and withdrew the subsidy. The New Zealand Shipping Company, a Dominion concern, was established in 1873, and ten years later a direct line of steam communication was inaugurated by the company's steamer _British King_, which began the Government mail contract on January 26th, 1883, when the steamer left London, travelling _via_ Cape Horn. Five steamers were built for this direct service. Since the Panama Canal was opened, this company has used that route.