The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-02 00:00:00

►STATE OF TRADE.

(From the Manchester Guardian of this day.)
MANCHESTER, March I.—The receipts of cotton at the
American ports in the week ending Feb. 14 were
131,000 bales against 117,000 in the corresponding week
of last year ; and the total receipts since Ist September
2,066,000 bales against 1,564,000, leaving an excess
of 502,000 bales. The ' total exports to Great Britain
are 848,000 bales against 526,000. The excess
of receipts will be further increased next week. The
continued abundance of the receipts, holding out an en-
larging prospect of supply, still gave a down Ward bias
to prices, in spite of sustaining advices from Liverpool.
On the 12th, " middling" was quoted Bie. per lb. at New
Orleans, where, however, freight had risen from id. to id.
To estimate the total yield at 3,250,000 bags was to be
on the moderate side.

ROCHDALE. Feb. 28.—We have bad a very good
attendince of buyers in the market to-day, and for
coarse goods there has been a very good demand
at prices much the same as those of the previous
week. The wool market has undergone little or no
change for some weeks past, either in price or demand.
MACCLESFIELD, March I.—We have a smaller amount
to note the last week in the sales of silk manufactured
goods, owing, no doubt, to the severity of the wea-
ther ; but preparation is being actively made for the
spring trade, and the prospects for the future are con-
sidered good. Some scarcity of weavers are experienced.
Thrown silks are increasing in demand, and this remark
applies now to all descriptions, from the best to the most
inferior qualities. The market has not been so cleared
of stock for many years.
HALIFAX, Feb. 26.—Partly owing, perhaps, to the
severity of the weather, there was a very slender at-
tendance, both of merchants and manufacturers, in our
piece hall to-day, and but little business was transacted.
The yarn market is much the same. The spinners are
pretty well employed, but at rates that are not ade-
quately remunerative. In wools there is no alteration.
HUDDERSFIELD, March I.—The market for woollens
still continues brisk. There is not as much business
through the Cloth-hall at present as was done lately,
simply because makers have no goods to sell, being
principally engaged in making to order.
BIRMINGHAM, March I.—The struggle to obtain a re-
duction of prices in the iron trade that commenced directly
after the last preliminary meeting of the trade is still
continued ; but it is generally thought with declining
chances of success. Previously to that meeting, M. 10s.
per ton for merchant iron had, in a few instances, been
realised, and it was thought that 121. might have been
obtained ; but after dux deliberation 11/. per ton was
decided upon as the limit to which the then dominant
tendency to advance should be restricted.

THE AUSTRALIAN AND CAPE MAILS, dc., ctc.

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

The Australian steam-ship, Captain Hoseason, R.N.;
Commander, which sailed on Thursday last with the
mails for the Cape of Good Hope, Australia, &c., m
charge of Commander Curtis, R.N., put back on the fol-
lowinc, day at 6 p.m. It appears that some repairs were
found' necessary on the arrival of the ship from the
Thames, which having been completed the vessel put to
sea at half-past five on Thursday afternoon, and there
was every prospect of a prosperous voyage, at least as
far as the apparent capabilities of the ship were con-
cerned. She steamed well, making 10 and sometimes
101- knots an hour. About 10! o'clock it began to blow
exceedingly fresh from the W.N.W. with a heavy sea.
As the ship strained under these combined efforts it was
found she was making water fast, which rose, notwith-
standing all efforts at the pumps, to 4i feet in the engine-
room, putting out the port-wing fires. At three o'clock,
then 60 miles W.S.W. of the Eddystone, and the water
still gaining, Captain Hoseason determined to bear up
for this port. In wearing she shipped a heavy sea, carry-
ing away her port life-boat. She returned to the Sound
as above stated, at 6 o'clock on Friday afternoon—having
then 3 feet water in her hold. Her return was immedi-i
ately telegraphed to the Admiralty, and permission ob-
tained to take her into dock in the Royal-yard at this port,
and on the following evening (Saturday) she was taken
into the North Dock. Here she has undergone all the ne-
cessary repairs. The leaks in the hull were but few
and slight, and the increase of the water in the engine-
room was rather the result of inattention than other-
wise, in suffering the water to rise to the height of the
bed-plates of the engine-room before attention was paid
to it. Then it proved too late as in the roll of the vessel
the water washed the coal bunkers, the small stuff from
which soon choked the pumps—hence all the great diffi-
culties. The water in the cabins, and much of that
which found its way into the hold ofjthe vessel, was the
result of the bad caulking of the decks, which has now
been completely remedied by the men of the establish-
ment, who did not fail to jeer those of the company who
came near them on the state of a vessel the production
of a gentlemen so very liberal in his remarks on the
efficiency of the mechanics of the Royal Dockyards.
There appears to be no slight blame attaching itself
somewhere as regards this vessel, for though it has been
proved that the leak was not so serious as from appear-
ances was first thought, yet there does not appear to
have been the necessary attention paid to securing the
engine bed-plates, the screws of which became stripped
at sea, and the plate obliged to be fastened down by
an upright timber from the beams to the plate. It is
understood she will come out of dock to-morrow, and
will no doubt take a trial trip under the inspection of
Captain Lowe, R.N., the Superintendent of Mail Pac-
kets at this port, whose great attention to his arduous
and highly responsible duties ensures that the ship and
engines will be most fully tested before she will be allowed,
to put to sea. Should this report be favourable as it may
be anticipated it will be, then the Australian will proceed
on her voyage, taking the mails, &c. ; but it is doubtful
if she is to be detained longer than to-morrow or the
next day, whether the mails will not be transhipped to
the Hellespont, Capt. Watts, belonging to the Screw
Steam Company now lying in Millbay for the Cape and
the Australian Colonies.
The Australian has a full cargo, and the total amount
of specie shipped is estimated at 300 000/ including
30,000/. on account of the Oriental
Barak- nearly
15,000/. of the Chartered Austrahan Land, Mining, Im-
porting and Refining Company,
of the Agra United Service Company—and and
. on r
sums account
on account of Messrs. Rothschild and the Great Nugget
Vein Company. Amon._
passengers eit,.;!g ers are the com-
mander-in-chief of the
Major-General Sir Robert Nickle, R.N.SouthL Wales, •
Ndickle,
and suite - also the numerous staffaohfdthßee.fibhhianartdeYci:e Aus-
tralian Land, Mining, Importing
—consisting of its manager, Capt. Henry Baker, R.N.
—its metallurgist and assa,yist, Mr. Charles 'Watt, the
eminent chemist of London—Mr. Charles J. Braith-
waite, engineer, and about 20 mechanics. These parties
are all under bond to serve the company for a given
dou 13t that
time, and are to share in the profits of the undertaking.
The prospectus of this company sets forth clearly the
uadpvoanntaag
pesroptoer miningbseysotbemta.inednbeyrecan
be scientifically
no
notwithstanding the large quantities of gold recovered
from the auriferous fields—the mining so far has in mostt
cases been confined to what is technically called " pick-
ing the eyes out," and that from what, is at present