COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4269, 25 November 1874, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Mr, J. 11. Wallace, estate auctioneer, held his great sale of land yesterday (Nov. 24th). The attendance was good, and bidding spirited. The following were the prices realised Acre 845, £7O, Wellington Building Society: acre 850, £7O. Wellington Building Society: acre 037, £lO6, W. Gibson ; acre 801, £55, J. K. George : acre 003, £93, C. H. Zohrnb; acre 860, £6O, C. Ilausrnan ; acre 1027, £O7 10s., Wellington Building Society ; acres 878 and 880, £SO each, Thomas Buchanan; acre 809, £O2 10s., Wellington Building Society ; Kieven acres in one block, £ISOO, John Martin There was considerable competition for this block, Mr. Dransileld, on behalf of the Wellington Building Society, bidding £1450. Acre 959, £l3O, Andrew Young ; acre 952, £75, Wellington Building Society; acre 970. £B2 10s., C, Whitehead ; acre 90S. £102105.. John Martin : acre 330, Palmerston, £l3O, P Moeller. Property in Karori withdrawn. Acres 411, 412, and building allotments in other parts of the city were also withdrawn, and aro on sale privately. Total amount of sales effected, £2855.

MAURITIUS. (trom our owrr correspondent.) Port Lours, September 25, 1874. Tor some time past, affairs in our island have presented a discouraging aspect; and the hurricane of March last seems to have been the " last straw.” We are now passing through a financial crisis, which threatens to become very severe in December or , January next, the period of tho 'tween crops, when there Is usually a largo demand for money for tho agriculturalists, for the following crop. The cyclone at tho beginning of tho year may ho said to have cost Mauritius, at tho very least, one fourtli of r's yield of sugar during th : s year, which is tantamount to a money loss of £760,000, Planters are generally an Impecunious race; and it can easily bo imagined that this deficit, spread among those hero, would bo sufficient to create considerable embarrassment.

Shipments of sugars to the Australian colonies, and indeed to all other quarters, have been going forward very slowly, compared with other years, owing to the yield being late this season. Prices of sugar keep good ; and, judging from the demand for produce, are, I think, likely to remain so. . Quotations are as follows, for qualities suited for export to your colony: —Finest white crystals, 87 15c. to 87 25c. per 1001 b. ; second quality white crystals, SC 75c. to S 7 per 1001 b.; middling white crystals, 80■ a>c. to SO 05c. per 1001 b. ; good to fine yellow crystals, |G 40c. to $6 75c. per 1001 b. ; very fine yellow counters, $0 50c. to £6 00c. per 1001 b. ; good to fine yellow counters, $0 25c. to $6 40c. per 1001 b. ; rations, according to quality, $4 to $5 25c. per 1001 b. , T While on the subject of our staple production, I must mention that the Vanilla bean is becoming largely cultivated here ; and it promises some day to figure largely among the exports. The high price of the pod in Franco and England (about £4 per lb. avoirdupois) has given a great impetus to the cultivation of the plant; and a great deal of money has already been made by the Vanilla cultivators, who can make a gross revenue of £I2OO yearly, at present prices, from every acre well planted. The production of aloe fibre has also taken root among us ; and mills for the extraction of this article, which is almost identical with Manilla yarn, are now scattered all along the coast of the island. Our annual races, which are the one great holiday of the year foi the motley population of the island, are just over, without, however, doing much credit to horses of Australian breed, which were in every case beaten by English thoroughbreds. The principal prize of the meeting—the Maiden Plate —was carried otf by an English horse called Proto Martyr. The Government of the island is at present administered by the Hon. E. E. Newton, Colonial Secre. tarr. Sir A. Gordon having resigned his post of Governor while on a visit to the Seychelles depend* ency. , , . The arrangements for the putting in place of tue telegraphic cable between this and Aden are going forward rapidly, and before many months are oyer It may be hoped that wc will bo in more expeditious communication with all the neighboring colonies. Freight. —The demand for tonnage is not particularly good, considering the season of the year, when there is usually a good deal doing. Kates are as under London, £2 per ton : Cork (for orders), £2 2s Gd. per ton ; Australia (acording to port and size of ship), £1 65.; Cape, £1 Xss.; Bombay, X 0 annas per bag of sugar. , * ... Bkkadstuffs. —The flour market has been fully supplied by two cargoes just to hand from Adelaide It is difficult to give quotations, as there is a good deal of flour in first hands, on which holders will probably have to submit to a reduction. South Australian flour of first quality may be quoted at $4 COc. to $4 70c. per lOOlbs., and second quality at 83 75c. to 84. Bran is in fair demand, and may be quoted at $3 30c. per lOOlbs. , , Salt Beef. —No stocks in first hands. Market bare of all qualities. First arrivals will fetch very good rates. , , . . Tallow. —Demand slackening, as the planters have all procured their supplies till next crop. Present value, sl2 to SX2 50c, per lOOlbs. Australian Horses. —For some time past no cargoes have reached this from any of the porta. The demand, however, for showy animals arriving In good condition would be active, and a cargo of hacks of this kind would probably fetch an average price of about £4O per head. . Arrivals. —August 24, Greyhound, brig, from Melbourne : September 13, Hannah Nicholson, barque, from Adelaide; September 16, Elia Gladstone, barque, from Adelaide, Departures.— September 5, Elizabeth, ship, for Adelaide; September 5, Olive Branch, ship, for Hobart Town ; September 5, Otago, ship, for Melbourne : September 10, Hawk, schooner, for Freemantle; September 14, Empreza, barque, for Freemantle; September IG, Portia, barque, for Launceston; September IS, Skenyvore, barque, for Melbourne ; September IS, Star of Jamaica, barque, for Freemantle ; September IS, Star Queen, barque, for Melbourne: September 26, Zelia, barque, for Wellington.