SYDNEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 313, 28 November 1857, Page 5

SYDNEY.

Cavalry Horses for India. — We (Sydney Herald) are glad to learn that the Association formed some time ago to assist the officer expected from India to purchase horses have been most successful. More than 1000 horses have been offered, and where the price was mentioned it was a fair market price. Some have offered their own riding horses, and numbers of gentlemen in different districts have proffered their personal services, and some of them the gratuitous use of paddocks for the collection of the horses. The farmers, by whom a large number of suitable horses are owned, will be reached by the horsedealers and the gentlemen in the different districts, who are busy making enquiries in co-operation with the Association, so that there is every prospect of our being able to ship, at a very short notice, some hundreds of broken-in horses, fit for immediate service, if unfortunately the emergency prove so pressing. The ships Palrnerston and Orwell, with the 77th Regiment on board, arrived here within a few hours of each other, on Sunday, September 27.— Herald. Trade. — There is a general dullness still prevailing in business, but a better state of things is expected after shearing, as there will be more money in circulation in the interior, but at present everything appears overdone. We do not hesitate to say that there are too many traders and dealers in our community, and that until more attention is given to production, a more sound and satisfactory state of our trading interests can hardly be expected. The accounts from the gold fields are daily improving, and the quantities by escort are gradually on the increase. The new clip of wool will be soon be coming to hand, and, from all accounts, we are fully prepared to see a large deficiency as compared with former years. Unless a more settled and economical system of pastoral farming is introduced, the exports are likely to decline every year; the principal cause of positive exhaustion is the great demand for slaughter, which, with the attention given to breeding at present, is in excess of the supply. The same remarks will also apply to hides and tallow. — Empire. The official account of the revenue for the quarter ending September shows an increase on the whole of £59,386 7s. 9d. for the quarter. The Customs' duties of spirits show a decrease of more than £13,000; but this is compensated by an increase of the duties paid on molasses and sugar, much of which has been turned into spirits in the colony, thus indicating a decided extension of the local manufacture. The gold j revenue shows an increase of about £2000. The Mine receipts show an increase of £329. The laud sales for the two quarters show no great discrepancy, about £55,000 being received during each period. The Post Office revenue shews an increase of £730, and the Railway tolls a decrease of £192. The whole amount of the railway revenue is only a little over £3000. TOTAL WRECK OF THE " CATHERINE A DAMSON," AT THE NORTH HEAD, SYDNEY.— 2I LIVES LOST. Early on Saturday, Oct. 22, Sydney was thrown into a state of considerable excitement and alarm. The loss nf the ill fated Dunliar, with so many familiar friends and acquaintances gone in her total wrr ck, but nine weeks since, is still fresh to memory and most malancholy to contemplate. And now the Catherine Adamson, the Queen ship of AngloColonial vessels, is lost also. We call her the '" Queen ship" because she has beaton all other sailing vessels in her run home. She left this port on the 26th of last March, and landed her mail on the 68th day. She was an Aberdeen clipper of 886 tons, on her third voyage, and was commanded from her launch by Captain Stewart, a man of great energy and perseverance, and who, we regret lo hear, has lost by this catastrophe the bard earnings of a busy and industrious life. The following particulars have been furnished by Captain Stewart to the agents, Messrs. Gilchrist, Wad, & Co. : — " Entered the Heads on Friday, October 23rd, about 9 p.m., with the wind about W.S.W. to S.W. strong breeze ; boarded by Pilot Hawkes outside the Heads and then stood in under double reefed topsails, courses, jib, and spanker; made several tacks when off the reef; after pulling about ou port tack, struck with a heavy squall from S.W. j hauled up the mainsail and foresail, and stood towards North Harbour; wind moderating, and finding it necessary again to have more way on the ship, set the foresail, when the fore sheet carried away, and from the strength of the breeze, cnuld not get the mainsail sot; finding the ship hud little steerage way, aud drifting bodily to leeward, let go both anchors with sixty fathoms scope on small bower, Arid forty-five futhnms on best bower j clewed up and furled all sails, and ship seemed to luysafe if the weather had remained moderate. Burned hlue lights, and threw up rockets, when the Williams, steamer, coming in from the Hunter, came down und offered assistance, and tried to take the ship in tow. Sent a Jine on board with the pilot boat, but it broke iq haulipg the warp on board ; again sent the line on board, and believe the rarp was taken, on board by the steamer, but from the steamerlyinj? broadside to the wind, and unable to slew, she.had to slip it again. About 3 o'clock this .morning- heavy, rollers begau to come in from the _~ .Heads, aud the ship swung stern on to the rocks,

but clear of them for some time; about half an hour afterwards the ship's heel took the rocks heavily several times ; considered it prudent to get boats out at once to endeavour to save lives — ship's gig and life boat got on board the Williams safely, the remainder of the crow were getting another boat out ; the captain weut on board the steamer in the life boat for tlie purpose of getting the steamer to go closer to the ship intending to return to the ship, but the gig and life boat were both swamped and knocked to pieces alongside the steamer. The steamer made every effort to get near tne ship, but could not render any effectual assistance, as no boat she hnd could live in the sea. The pilot boat had left the ship sometime before the boats went on board the steamer without the knowledge of the capfain or the pilot. The steamer then weut to the pilot station, to get life boats or other means of saving the people left on board the ship The pilots, Gibson and Jenkins, came with •their boats' crews, but before the steamer returned the ship had begun to break up, and soon went to '.pieces."