MAURITIUS. August 18.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2871, 8 October 1866, Page 4

MAURITIUS. August 18.

The following circular has been placed at; our disposal for publication. It contains the latest intelligence i— We avail ourselves of th« departure to-day of onr French mail packet for Suez to hand yon copy of our circular, prepared for our mail steamer, which left for Galle on the 6th instant, to the information conveyed in which we have little to add. Our sugar market Btill continues sparingly supplied with Bugar, the rainy weather lately experienced having interfered with the work of the estates. White and yellovr grocery sugars, however, are now obtainable at about 25c. per 1001b. under our quotations of the 6th instant, but the market is firm at this reduction, and there exists a good demand both for Bombay and Australia. There is no demand for grey refining sugars for Europe, aud no transactions of this description have as yet taken place. No charters for sugar to the United Kingdom have yet been effected, but several vessels have been taken up for lump sums to convey on the cargoes of abandoned ships. There is a fair demand for small vessels for the Australian colonies at from 355. to 50s. per ton ; and two ships, the ' White Eagle,' 878 tons, and 'John Allan,' 734 tons, have recently beeu chartered for Bombay, at 10 annas per bag. Exchange on England, for drafts at 90 days sight, may now be quoted at par to 1 per cent, discount, the Oriental Bank having ft few days ago suddenly lowered its selling rate from 3 to 4 per cent, premium and par, at which latter rates a large amount of drafts have been negotiated, Regarding our prinoipal articles of import, we may advise as follows :— Kice has fluctuated considerably during the pant fortnight, but Ballam may now be quoted at 6dol. 900. to 7dol. per bag, with an upward tendenoy. The market is nearly bar* of Mooghy. Gram is worth 4dol. 25c. to 4dol. 50c. Dholl, sdol. 50c. to 6Hol. per bag. Wheat is inquired for, and our stock is becoming light. Doodiah is worth sdol. 25c. to sdol. 50c. per baec ; and American and Australian, 3dol. 25c. to 3dol. 50c. per 1001b. Flour is saleable at from 4dol. 50c. to 4dol. 75c. per 1001b. Oats are worth 4dol. 250. j and bran, 3dol. per 1001b. Singapore planks have been sold at 4£o. per running foot. Ireland, Fraser, and Co.

Oats. — The market is badly supplied with tbi"? grain. There are in fir«t hands about 1,400 bags of H'lench oats, for which about 4dol. 50c. is demanded j but at this price ouly partial sales are effected. The only affair of any consequence which has taken place during this last ten days is that of a lot of 834 bags of Australian, by the '.Robert Passenger, 1 which was taken up by different parties at 4dol. 25c. the 1001b.

TiatßEß. — We have to report a decline in the price of Singapore planks, arising from the simultaneous arrival of two cargoes by the * Nil Deaperaudum ' and 'Jolly, 1 and the advertisements announcing several other cargoes for our port. Government took the cargo of the former ship at 6 cents ; at the same time our piincipal holder of Sragai>nie wood advertised his planks at 5 cents, and about 8,000 were sold at this price. The cargo of the 'Jolly,' put up for sale under these circumstances, could only realise 4i cents. The position remains the same as to teak and deal; the Btock is small, and in second bands only. Prices are firm as follows : — Teak beams and squares, Idol. 40c. to Idol. 50c. the cubic foot; planks, 11^ to 12 cents the running foot; deals, assorted, 12 to 13 cents; deal planks at about 3£ cent* the running foot. There is no chtnge in teak and American shingle 3. The former remain at 15dol. to lGdol., aud the latter at 7dol. to 7dol. sc. the thousand, A cargo of timber has been received within the last few days from New Zealand, by the ' Revenge, 1 which has not yet been sold. Ifc is composed of 2,163 planks, 563 beams, aud 303squarea.

Tobacco.— We have to report arne in all qualities of Indian leaf tobacco, which have become somewhat scarce, particularly the Ooringhy. The latter, without head or ribs, is now held at from 36d01. to 40dol. the 1001b , according to quality. Calcutta is worth from 23d01. to 24d01. ; and Madras tobacco from 22d01. to 25d01. Cavendish is also scarce, and held at a rise; 60dol. to 70dol. is now demanded, according to quality. I

Wheat. — The market is ill provided, and some ' transactions have been effeoted at improved quota*

tions. AmoQg others may be mentioned those o£? different small lots of Kurachee, forming altogether about 2,600 bags, at from 4dol. 70c. to 4dol. 75c, and of a parcel of about 1,600 bags from the same place at 4dol. 70c. the bag. Our stock in first hands at present consists only of 1,090 to 1,500 bags of Ruraeb.ee and of two lots of 700 and 500 bagi of Doodah, held back. The first of these two lota (superior qu«lity), at frcm sdol. 75c. to 6doL, and the second (inferior) at sdol. 50c. We have aboul 6,000 bags of Persian, of which we announced th© acquisition in our last by one of our commercial houses, at sdol. the bag oi 1501b. This article now occupies a very f arourable position. Freights to New Zealand, £3, and 5 per cent, j to Australia, 303. to 455., and 5 per cent.