AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME REPORT.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume V, Issue 16, 30 September 1858, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME REPORT.

From the 15th to the 30th September. For the last month, there have been no arrivals from any of the Australian ports, with the exception of the brig Venture, and as she brought neither letters or newspapers we are unable to furnish onr readers with any. intelligence, respecting the Australian markets. The most cheerio? circumstance, at the present moment, is the successful development of the coal discovery of which we made mention in our last number—a discovery which cannot fail to exercise the most beneficial influence over the immediate interests of New Zealand. The coal has been tried on board the White Swan steam ship, where fires were lit <quite a* readily as with English or. New South Wales coal, and Without any of the sulphurous and nnhealihy odours emitted, by the coal of Massacre Bay. One hundred tons have been ordered for ibe purpose Of working the While Swan on her next voyage from the Manukan, and, as soon as. these coal mines are fairly opened and it becomes generally known that steam coals can. be obtained in Auckland, we may expect to find not only steam ships entering our harbours to supply themselves with fuel, but coal ships putting in for the cargoes of fuel which at present are almost exclusively to be had in New South Wales. A country rich in coals cannot fail to become a great and wealthy one. Coals are the Instruments which impart life, light, heat, action to countless branches of trade, which are yet altogether unknown to NewZealanl. By coals, flour mills, saw mills, flax mills; engines for freeing copper, coal, and other mines from water, will be driven at a much less cost and with far more powerful effect, and when they can be obtained in the country, instead of impoverishing it by being purchased from abroad, they will quickly alter ibe whole face of affairs, giving an energy and activity to the peopfe in the

entire conduct of their commercial undertakings. The arrivals since our last have been the Steamship While Swan, 530 tons, Captain McLean, at Mannka, from the Southern ports with sundry merchandise and 15 passengers; the ship Mary Ann, 723 tons. Captain Ashby, from London, with goods, and il7 passengers; and the ship Avalanche, 692 tons, Captain Stott, also from London, with a general cargo of merchandise, and 48 passengers. The departures have been the Bishop of New Zealand's schooner yacbt Southern Cross, 70 tons, Captain Sustins, for the South Sea Islands, with 49 bags biscuit, 2 tons flour, and sundry goods for the inhabitants of Norfolk Island; the schooner Acadian, 45 tons. Captain Forester, for Napier, with 5 tons flour, 3 tons potatoes, 35 tons firewood, 2 horses, and sundry merchandise; the Steamship White Swan; 330 tons, Captain MeLean, from Manukati, for the Southern ports with 70 bags flour, sundry merchandise, and 43 passengers; the schooner Ellen, 40 tons, Captain Ruxton, for Napier, with 60 tons firewood; the barque Swordfisb, 345 tons, Captain Cuody, for London, whb 329 tons kauri gum, 41 tons copper ore, II tons quartz, 9612 lbs. wool, 280 hides, 9JO horns, 3 casks oil, si tuns sperm oil, 2 bundles whaleboue, 20* ounces gold dust, sundry merchandise, and 40 passengers. The li tons quartz have been sent to England to be crushed, and to ascertain the quantity of gold that is likety to be extracted therefrom; the brig Venture, 424 tons, Captain Brown, tor Sydney, with 38 casks oil, 30 bundles flax, 2 cases, 15 bags potatoes and 3 passengers. The arrivals from the coast have been Comparatively few, and we are sorry to observe that there is little of wheat, maize, oats, potatoes, or other articles of produce amongst their cargoes :—there bave been 36 vessels of 861 tons, with 48 passengers, 472 bushels wheat, 280 bushels maize, 40 tons potatoes, 10 cwt. bacon, 91 cwt. salt pork, 2 tons flax, 9J tons kauri gum, 4i tons bark, 46 head cattle, 4 horses, 26 pigs; 20 turkeys, 20 fowls, 4 boat, 510 posts, 2590 rails, 4000 palings, 47,400 shingles, 25,600 feet sawn timber, 497 tons firewood, and 6 tons quartz. The departures for the coast consist of 36 vessels 0f'796 tons, with 84 passengers and the usnal trading cargoes.

The following are the Market p |,|CV ® Current, corrected to dates— Bread Stuffs. Flour, fine, . . . . 487. per ton. Flour, second qnality, . . I4i. per ton. Flour, of native manufacture, from 127 to 14 Biscuit at from . . 245. to 28s. per cwt. Bread per loaf of 2tbs. ..... 3d. gran , . . . . 4s 3d. per bl. Groceries. Tea . ... * 91.t09f.105. per chest Sugar .... 7d. to Bd. per lb. Coffee . . ♦ . 40d. per lb. Rice . . . * 2d tD 2} per lb. Soap «... 355. per cwt. Candles . . « . 40d. per lb. Tobacco . . . . 2s. 6d. to 3s. per lb. Fam Paooccc. Wheat «... 6s. to 7s. per tnisitid Maize .... 6s. 6d. to 7s. per bushel Oats 7s. per bushel Potatoes . . . . si. 40s. to 61. per ton Onions . . . . 6d. per lb. Hay fpleatifnl) . . 32. per ton. Kauri Gum . * . 91. to 40L Lite Stock. Sheep from . . 235. to 345. a head. Dairy Cows . . 81, to 12/. each. Calves from . • 235. to 40s. each. fteef and Mutton from . 6d. to 7d. per bl. ork (fresh and salt) • • 3d. to 6d. ditto Dairy Produce, Butter • ... Is. lb. Ego . . , . 4». 3d. per doz. Poultry . . . . 3s. 6d. per couple