AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME REPORT.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume IV, Issue 8, 15 September 1857, Page 5

AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME REPORT.

From the Ist to the 15th September. Our intelligence from Sydney dates to the sth instant. The produce markets, though dull and inactive, have undergone no material change. Flour is still quoted at from £23 to £25 per ton, according to quality. At those prices, the holders were firm but the buyers shy. Wheat could only be sold at lower prices than have latterly been given in Auckland. A very superior sample of 4000

bushels by the Sporting Lass bad been withdrawn from salejn Sydney, less than Bs. 6d. per bushel being the highest price offered. Potatoes, in consequence of extensive shipments, fluctuate greatly; prices ranging from Bs. to 12s. per cwt. Onions were from 50/. to 601, per ton. Maize was from Bs. to 9s. per bushel, but rather dull of sale and with a downward tendency. Oats 7s- to 10s. per bushel. Barley 9s. to 10s. per bushel. Ilay in demand, at from 14J. to 19/. per ton. A very great rise has recently taken place in the price of groceries, especially in teas and sugars which arc likely to advance still higher. Sugar has risen fully 61. per ton upon the previous high prices. The nevvs from Sydney is ofan exceedingly distressing character. We have already apprised our readers of two destructive floods; and, itis with deep regret, we are now called to record a third and far more disastrous one, which has completely swept the finest and most fertile districts of New South Wales, plunging numbers of the inhabitants into ruinous distress, and rendering any at. tempt at cultivation for the present season altogether hopeless. And, whilst difficulty and distress have thus afflicted the land, there have occurred two sad and appalling disasters at sea. On the night of the 20th of August, during a heavy gale from East North East, the Dunbar, a magnificent ship of upwards of 1500 tons, whilst endeavouring to enter Sydney Harbour was dashed under the South Head, breaking, into the smallest pieces in a few minutes, only one seaman, out of 120 persons who embarked in her from London, escaping, to tell the fearful tale. The beach, on the following morning, wasstrown with corpses—some headless, some without legs, others without arms—most of them sadly mutilated, and so cast ashore on the home to which they had fondly hoped thev

were happily returning. Such an event could not fail to plunge the whole community into the deepest gloom; and whilst men were slill sorrowing for their lost friends, tidings were received that the Champion steamer had been run down and sunk near Melbourne by .the Lady Bird steamer, one and thirty persons having perished on the lamentable occasion." The foreign arrivals, since our last, have been the barque Cornubia, 4GO tons, Captain Elison, with a general cargo of merchandise and 57 passengers from London. The schooners Martha, 99 tons, Captain Hunt; and Sybil, 108 tons, Captain G. Kelly, wiili sundry merchandise and 42 passengers from Melbourne. The schooners Gazelle, 212 tons. Captain Phillip Jones; and Spray, 4 06 tons, Captain Anderson, with full cargoes and IT passengers from Sydney. The Henry, schooner, 45 tons, Captain Bult, from Taranaki, with 154 sheep, 1225 bushels oats, and 4 box butter. The departures, for Sydney, were the brig Gertrude, 118 tons, Captain Dunning, with 4 668 bushels wheat, 24 tons potatoes, 10 bags onions, 51 kegs butter, 54 coils wool lashing, I tun oil 22 tons kauri gum; the brig Sarah, 421 tons, Captain Firth, with with 2418 bushels wheat, 275 bushels maize, 50 tons potatoes, 20 tons kauri gnin, and 8 passengers. The brig Gertrude, 217 tons, Captain Grange, has also sailed for Melbourne, with 15 passengers, and 44 tons flour, 8 tons bi*an, 8 tons kauri gum, 5£ tons flax, 55i tons potatoes, 2499 bushels maize, and *7,500 feet limber. Two schooners, the Erin, 57 tons, Captain Sherret; and Ann. 56 tons, Captain Ellis, have sailed for Port Napier with general cargoes and 15 passengers. And the schooner, Henry, 45 tons, Captain Bult, with goods and 24 passengers for the Nelson Gold Fields. The weather, during the past fortnight, lias been unusually wet and windy, gale following after gale. The supplies from the coast, have, in been limited. There arrived, in 24 vessel, of 558 tons, —44 passengers, 1757 bushels -wheat, 4 560 bushels maize, 58 tons potatoes, 6 cwt. pork, 5 cwt. bacon, 1 cwt. lard, tons kauri gum, 48 tons copper ore, 2 boxes eggs, 497 ions firewood, 600 palings, 25,000 feet sawn timber. The departures, coastwise, were 2D vessels of 650 ions, with 25 passengers, and the usual amount of trade. The following are the Market Prices Current corrected lo dale:

Bread Stuffs. .Flour, fine, 20?. per ion. Flour, second quality, . . Ml. per ion. Biscuit (prices unsteady) at from 255. to 28s.per cwt. Bread per loaf of 21bs. . . Gd. Bran is. 3d. per bl. Beef and Million from . . sd. to 6d. per lb. Pork (fresh and salt) . . sd. toCd.dillo Farm Produce. Wheat, (scarce) . . . 7s. 6d. to Bs. pe r bushel Maize ss. per bushel Oats . . . . 7s. to 7s. 6d. per bushel Potatoes . . . Ah 10s. to 5/. perlon Onions . . . . 2d. to per lb. Hay (plentiful) . . per ton. Live Stock. Sheep from . . 17s. to 255. a head. Dairy Cows . . 91, to \2U each. Calves from . . 255. to 40s. each. Groceries. Tea .... 7J. to 7Z, 10s. per chest. Sugar . . . . 7d. to Bd. per lb. Coffee .... 10d. per lb. Rice . . . 2d. to per lb. Soap .... 555. per cwt. Candles .... lOd. per lb. Tobacco .... 2s. 6d. to 3s. per lb. Dairy Produce, Butler . . . . 9d. to is. lb. Eggs . . , 9d. to is. per doz. Poultry . . . . 3s. 6d. per couple Ducks . . . . ss. to 6s. per couple. Geese . . . . ss. to 6s. 6d. each. Turkeys. ... 7s. to Bs. 6d. each. Hams and Bacon . lOd. lo lid. per lb.