AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIAL AND MARITIME REPORT.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume V, Issue 15, 15 September 1858, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIAL AND MARITIME REPORT.

From the Ist to the 15th September. No communications from Australia, or any other foreign country, have been received since our last number, nor does it matter much;—for it must now be evident that no rise in the corn or flour markets is likely to take place much before harvest, if it even occur then; nor does it appear, if we may judge by the limited quantities of supplies now coming to hand, that the Native Agriculturalists would be in a position to profit by any such advance supposing it to take place. Great exertions must be made —much land must be ploughed and sown —before the farmers of New Zealand can enter the Australian Markets upon anything like a commercial scale, such as is calculated to draw attention to New Zealand as a producing country to which, rather than to Europe* America, California, or Chili, Australia, in the lime of scarcity, may look for her supplies. It is for the New Zealand Land owners to consider ibis subject well and we shall be happy if, some five or six months hence, we can make known to our neighbours that the New Zealand Harvest of 4859 far surpasses in quantity and quality the harvest of every proceeding seasou. In the midst of a commercial stagnation which exists not in New Zealand and Australia alone, but which extends throughout every part of the globe, it affords us a very sincere pleasure to advert to the mineral discoveries which have taken place, and are still taking place in the immediate vicinity of Auckland. Coals of a superior description have been found in several spots in the district of I'apakura ; in which quarter, limestone of excellent quality and in great abundance has likewise been discovered. These are commercial discoveries of the greatest consequence to this country, and if prosecuted to the successful result which tbey promise to be, they cannot fail to exersise a speedy and momentuous influence

over the struggling fortunes of New Zealand. Our Native readers will at once perceive the Importance of this discovery. They are perfectly aware that coals are the means by which steam is got up for the propelling of steam ships, and that where coals do not exist, but have to*be carried froraa diVaace, to ports to which steam ships trade, that the expense of sailing those ships is greatly increased, and that freight and passage <mon<»y is materially enhanced. Now. we have already one steam ship, the White Swan, plying on the New Zealand coast; and we are in immediate expectation of the arrival of two others, the Lord Ashley and the Lord Worsley from London; and these are to be followed by the Prince A lire J and the Airdale. So long as New Zealand possesses no coal fields of her own, these vessels will.require to be supplied with fuel from New South Wales J and that will cost New Zealand fronj £2 ss. to £2 ICs. per ton, and as a proof that this is so, we need only remind our readers that the brig Venture arrived from Newcastle on the 14th of this present month, and with 170 tons of coals on board for the steamers of which we speak. If, however, the coal that has been just discovered be of the quality and in the quantity that it is reported to be, not only will the large price for the importation or coals be saved to this country, but a considerable sum of money be put into constant circulation for the purchase of New Zealand coals. Instead of all the Colonial ships of Australia proceeding to Newcastle in quest of coals, we shall, no doubt, find many of them coming here to take away continuous cargoes of our fuel. This is a source of wealth which can sccrcelv be over-estimated ;—for U is a well authenticated fact that to her extraordinary resources in coal and iron (be wealth and greatness of England is mainly attributable. - m Then, again, with respect to limestone, rt is not merely as a means of making mortar for building purposes that that mineral is valuable. In numerous branches of agricnlture it is an auxiliary of the most important kind, giving heat, feriilitv, and other valuable qualities to poor and* otherwise unproductive soils. If onr Native friends would turn their thoughts to the finding of coal aud limestone, with half that degree of industry ibcy display in the search and pickiug of kauri gum, they wtfulddo infinitely more to enrich themselves and to

promote the wealth and consequence of their native land. Tho only arrivals have been the brig Venture, 424 tons, Captain Brown, from Newcastle, with 470 tons coals, and 800 sftrtes, and the brig Sporting I ass, 460 tons, Gaptaiu Cellum, from Hbkiangav with 149 totara piles for the Queen Sired Wfoirf. The departures have consisted of the schooner Dolphin, 41 tons, Captain Doughty for Napier, with 83 bags flour, a fall cargo ef merchandise, and fc passengers ;—the schooner Gazelle, 342 ions, Captain Philip Jones, for Sydney r with 450 bushel* wheat, 400 lbs whalebone, 4&,OOofeetsawn timber/ and 45 passengers ; the ketch Pegasus, 45 tons, Captain Brier, for Napier. witb 40,000 shingles, 4000 palings, 7 tons firewood, 1 ton potatoes, $ tons flour, 40 bushels oats, and 40 bushels maize;—the brig Sarah, 121 tons, Captain Firth,—the brfgantine Emily Allison, 99 tons, Captain Ellis,—the barque City of Melbourne. 47ft loos, Captain Mc Clemens, and the brig Mbu, 357 tons, Cap-1 taiu Bowdeu, 4 passengers, air in ballast, for Wellington. These four vessels have been sent to convey the heed quarters of the 651b Regiment to Auckland:—the schooner* Ziltab, 6ft tons, Captain Bristow.! ror Napier, with 82 tons firewood, 20 cwt! flour, sundry merchandise, and 3 passengers, and the brig Gertrude, 41 & tons, Captain Dunning, Tor Sydney, with 93 tons potatoes, 4 tuns black oil, and 4 passengers, \ There bave arrrived from the coast 45 ▼assets of 4045 tons with 456 passengers, i 4091 bushels wheat, 1023 bushels maize, 451 bushels bran, 900 bushels shells, G3J tons j potatoes, 97 cwt salt pork, 4o «wt bacon, 6 cwt lard, 500 lbs whalebone, 20 cwt leather,! 3 tons wheelwrights timber, 5 tons quartz, 503 tons firewood, 47 tuns humpback oil, 81 tons flax, 42 tons copper ore, 42 tons kauri gum, 4200 feet bouse blocks, 4075 posts, 4700 rails, 40J0 shingles, 4000 paling*, 3014 feet sawn timber, 48 horses, 44 sheep Jtad 4 pigs. The departures, coastwise, have been 49 vessels of 4141 tons, with 401 passengers, and the customary trading supplies. Bsead Stuffs. Flour, fine, 48f. per ton. Flour, second quality, . . 14 J. per ton. Flour, of native manufacture, from *2i to! 4 Biscuit at from . . 245. to 28s. per cwt. Bread per loaf of 2lbs* ..... sd. * ra « •-..,•, is 3d. perbl.