COMMERCIAL.

West Coast Times, Issue 76, 28 November 1865, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

West Coast Times, Monday Evening. The inset of fine weather to-day has had a .'Jnarkcd effect upon the activity of trading transactions, which were to a great extent suspended during the past week owing to the continuous heavy rain fall. Prices havo, however, undergone little fluctuation. For the most part goods • change hands at fixed prlcts to meet actual demands. The market is at present well stocked with nil classes of leading goods, and is likely to continue so by the arrival ofshipments, of which advices are to hand. Quicksilver may be named as an exception. There is a very small quantity in hand, and this fetches an unnaturally high price, retail, to meet tho requirements of the miners. The extent to which the auriferous black sand of the West Coast is being worked, and the fineness of the gol J to be recovered, render tho use of this material indispensable to the miner, and a constant supply on hand is a disideratura. The following is a return of the gross amount of gold shipped by the. three banks having branches in Ilokitika, since the commencement of their operations here. It is impossible to arrive at anything like nn approximate estimate ■of the quantity that has been carried out by .private hands. Union Bank 30,761 ozs. Bank of New Zealand ... 75,943 „ Bank of New South Wales 74,400 „ Total 177,140 ozß. Estimated value, L 545,245 " The amount of duties (exclusive of gold) re -ceivednt the Custom House during the week ent'ing the 25th inst., was L 2,098 16s lid.