AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME RECORD.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume VI, Issue 24, 31 December 1859, Page 5

AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME RECORD.

From the 15th to the 31st December, 1859. There is little change to report in any of the Australian Markets. At the latest dates, which are to the 14th from Sydney, flour continued to be dull of sale, and for wheat there was but a moderate demand, prices ranging from 7s 5d to 7s 6d, per bushel. The best informed writersappear to be greatly puzzled in respect to the probable condition of the Commercial Markets during the incoming year. In Victoria, an impression j appears, to exist that prices will fall even J lower than they are at present. In South i

Australia, on the contrary, it is thought prices must rise; and the farmers have expressed a determination not to sell at present rales, the slocks of last year's harvest being said to be small, and widely different opinions being held with regard to the ultimate returns of the crops now being harvested. There is almost always a dullness of sale and a depression of prices when a new crop first comes in, and for the reason that the small farmers who have their payments lo make find themselves too often under the necessity of selling at the worst season of the year. As we have already stated, after a careful consideration of the different intelligence that] has come into our hands, we feel persuaded that a fair and profitable price may be expected for any produce we may be enabled to export. It is greatly to be feared, owing to this long prevalent and unusual drought that the late sown potatoe crops will prove a failure; droughts, however, have this year been prevalent all the world over. In Great Britain, they have had one of the hottest and driest summers ever known. At the Cape of Good Hope, for thirteen months, not a shower of rain bad fallen, and sheep and cattle were perishing in great numbers, for lack of food and water. In the finest potatoe districts of New South Wales where, last year thousands of tons were grown, the crops this year have proved to be a total failure. Here, in Auckland, we have been more fortunate ; the only crops, although the roots may be small, are generally reported to be abundant and of excellent quality, So that it is to be hoped we shall have something to send away in payment of the very large qualities of merchandize pouring in upon us. The arrivals, dnring the past fortnight, have been the steam ship White Swan, 498 tons, Captain W.G.Cellem, from Wellington and Napier, with sundries, 2 passengers. Lord Worsley, steam ship, 291 tons, Captain Johnson, from Sydney with merchandize, 12 horses, 5 passengers. Breadalbane, barque,

215 tons, Captain Phillip Jones, from Sydney, with a general cargo, 23 passengers ; Eliezer, schooner, 56 tons, Captain Kean, from Napier, in ballast. Shalimar, ship, 4402 tons, Captain J.R Brown, from Liverpool, with merchandize, 214 passengers. Lord Ashley, steam ship, 296 tons, Captain Kenedy, from Nelson and New Plvmonih, with sundries, "9001bs butter, 200 Ibs leather, 6 boxes fruit, 17 passengers. Surprise, 50 tons, Captain Braund, from Napier, with sundries. | i The departures have been—Zillah, schooner, 68 tons, Captain Williams, for Wellington, with sundries. Gazelle, schooner, 212 tons, Captain Cunningham, for Shanghai, with 70,000 feet kauri timber, 6 spars, 6001bs cheese. Dolphin, schooner, 41 tons, Captain Doughty, for Napier, with 5000 bricks, 300 posts and rails, 21 tons firewood, 25 house blocks, sundry merchandize, 1 passenger. Pegasus, ketch, 45 tons, Captain Briar, for Napier, with 6000 keet kauri timber, 6000 shingles, 1200 palings, 11 bales wool lashing. White Swan, steam j ship, 198 tons, Captain Cellem, for Napier and Wellington, with 10 bags flour, 20,000 feet kauri timber, 15,000 shingles, 700 posts, sundry merchandize, 28 passengers. Spray, brigantine, 106 tons, Captain McDonald, for Sydney, with 15 tons kauri gum, 181 hides, sundries, 14 passengers. Lord Ashley, steam ship, 296 tens, Captain Kennedy, for New Plymouth and Nelson, with sundries, ! 14 passengers. Lord Worsley, steam ship, 291 tons, Captain Johnson, for Sydney, with 130 hides, 61 cwt cheese, 1035 lbs wool, 155 sheep, 16 passengers. Breadalbane, barque, 215 tons, Captain Phillip Jones, for Sydney, with 78 tons, kauri gum, 6900 lbs wool, 2000 leet kauri timber, 1000 ibs cheese, 21 passengers. Eliezer, schooner, ♦ 5,6 tons, Captain Kean, for Napier, with 15,000 feet kauri limber, 19,000 shingles, 200 posts, 30 cwt bay, sundry merchandize. Nourmahal, ship, 840 tons, Captain Brayley. for Guam in ballast. Tyne, schooner, 91 tons, Captain Riddle, for Hobart Town, with 25,000. feet kauri timber, 85 J lbs pork,

269 lbs cheese, sundry merchandize, 4 passengers. There arrived from ihe coast 77 vessels of 4840 tons, with 207 passengers, 4810 bushels wheat, 726 bushels maize, 7£ tons potatoes, 56 cwt onions, 46 cases gooseberries, 1 case eggs, 4470 lbs butter, 5 cwt pork, 3 cwt bacon, 7 pigs, 2 head cattle, 3 horses, 20 fowls, 157 sheep, 40 tuns oil, 8 tuns, humpback oil, 2 tuns sperm, 5 cwt whalebone, 2 cwt cheese, 44,150 lbs wool, 52 £ tons kauri gum, 865 tons firewood, 300 feet house blocks, 4150 posts and rails, 5400 palings, 25,400 shingles 406,650 feet kauri timber, 8£ tons, copper ore # The departures coastwise were 67 vessels of 4574 tons, with 239 passengers, and the usual trading cargoes.