COMMERCIAL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 897, 20 December 1870, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

London, Nov. 14. Colonial securities heavy, consequent on rumors of intentions of Russia. New Zealand 6 per cents. 1890,109 ; Queensland 6 per cents., 109 ; South Australian, 1881 and 1891, 107 to 110 ; Victorian, 1891, 115; New South Wales, 1871 to 1876, 102. Wool.—Prices nearly the same as at last dates ; 203 bales to sell; 5,000 sold. Fleece wools and good halfbred scoured medium gradually declining, Wools in grease 10 per cent, lower; unsold stock increases. Australian leather, hides, and skins are nearly as before, but with a downward tendency. Tallow. — Fine mutton sells at 40s; beef, 41s. Kauri gum, drooping. Large quantities of New Zealand flax have arrived. Fine, £3O to £32 10s; common to fair, £l6 to £26.

Among the kind attentions shown at Mimden to the German troops passing through that t<»wn was one which, though simple and homely, was greatly appreciated by the weary and heated travellers. Wooden tubs full of fresh water were arranged along the line, together with • towels and soap. After a journey of more than twenty-four hours, the opportunity of washing off the dust of the road was highly prized, A correspondent of Notes and Queries draws attention to the fact that the battle field of the present campaign attained «arly celebrity as the head quarters of typography. Metz was one of the first towns which practised the art of printing, and the ancient works which came from its press are very numerous. Strasburg is asserted to have been for some years the home of John Gutenburg. although no dated hook is extant of an earlier year than 1471. Toul is to be noted as the place at which one of the first attempts at stereotyping was made. The Sedan editions compete with the Elzevirs in the ggtiinatiou of book collectors, and are

beautiful examples of minute typography. Kehl was the ultimate resting place of type, with which M. Be&umarchais printed an edition of Voltaire's works on blue paper for King Frederick of Prussia " who labored under weakness of the eyes" At Rheiras and Verdun painting was carried on at an early date, and the latter place has a special interest as having been the place where the English prisoners who were detained by Napoleon I. printed with his permission an edition of the English book of Common Prayer. There seems to be some little doubt whether we derived our sedan chairs directly from the place of that name, for Evelyn asserts that they were brought from Italy by Sir Sanders Duncombe, and the word may perhaps be related to the Italian sedente. This point is as knotty as that written, supporting the rival claims of Kottsee, Hungarian town, and the French eoucher. The Australasian, after referring to the gratifying news furnished by the exploring party of the Australian overland telegraph, says:—So far, the undertaking has been commenced and prosecuted under the most auspicious circumstances, and it will reflect the highest credit upon our South Australian neighbors if within ten years of the date at which this continent was first crossed from south to north by Sturt, and by Burke and Willis respectively its northern and southern shores should be united by the electric wires, constituting as they will, the last link in the chain of communication between the capital of the empire and the chief cities of Australia.