The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-18 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

LIVERPOOL, JAN. 17.
By the arrival of the White Star Royal mail
packet-ship Ben Nevis, Captain Herron, we have
advicea from Melbourne to the 16th of October.
She left Port Philip Heads on the 19th of October,
and brought 45,000 ounces of gold on freight ; also
a large cargo, consisting of 500 to 600 bales of wool,
300 bales of rags, 2,400 hides, 4,609 horns, copper
ore, &c. She was off Cape Clear on the Ist inst.
The packet-ship Shalimar arrived at Melbourne
on the 15th of October ; and the Champion of the
Seas was to leave for Liverpool on the 25th of
October.

The Ben Nevis having brought a very scanty
supply of newspapers our summary of intelligence
is necessarily brief. Her advices are 15 days later
than those by the Donald M'Kay, which arrived
on the 28th ult.

From the diggings we learn that the Eureka dis-
trict was yielding improvingly. Some " tubfuls"
yielded 15 lb. to 30 lb. of clean gold. At Mount
Blackwood some heavy finds are reported. The
mania was for quartz reefs, which were being
opened in all directions. A. Geelong correspondent
of a Melbourne paper writes :
"The locality of the late gold discovery is no longer
a secret—at least, the discoverers have been found at
their work, and have shown the claim !ism which they
brought the first quantity to town. They had taken the
precaution immediately on coming upon the treasure to
fill the hole with water until they could secure their
claim, and commenced working another close by. Two
gentlemen who arrived from Steiglitz yesterday went
down to see them ; and although they did not see the
vein, on account of the water, they saw enough in
the other claim the same party is working to satisfy
them of the prodigious richness of the place. Other
quartz veins in the same neighbourhood, although
net exhibiting any indication of copper, are proving
exceedingly rich in gold. A large number of claims
are marked out already along the supposed course of
the reef ; and some hundreds of people have gone off to
secure their miners' rights.' Several parties talk of
starting from this immediately, some, to establish stores,
and others to work the reef. The precise spot where the
gold and copper are found in such abundance is about
20 miles from Geelong, as the crow flies,' or about 24
miles by the road. It is situated between two small
creeks, which, after they unite, are known as Suther-
land's creek, and is distant about seven miles south-east
front Meredith. The road to it is excellent, and runs
between the Moorabool and Sutherland's-creek. Parties
going from this will keep upon this beaten road until
they come to that well-known hut known as the One-
armed Shepherd's ;' from this but it is only two miles
and a-half to the locality, in a north-eastern direction."
A. meeting of the principal dealers in the wool
trade had been held at Melbourne, at which the
following resolution was unanimously adopted :
" That purchasers of wool at this market shall agree
to accept only the following tare and draught—viz., not
less than 101 b. per bale tare and ilh, per cwt. draught."
Sir Thomas Mitchell, Surveyor-General of New
South Wales, died on the sth of October, aged 64.
His funeral was a public one, the deceased having
been much respected.
From Adelaide we learn thai., the quantity of
gold deposited for assay up to the 9th of Oct. was
113,350 oz. 14 dwt. and 18 grains.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
MELBOURNE, OCT. 16.
The gold market has opened with more activity this
week, 31. 15s. 3d. being the ruling buying price at the
brokers'. Duty was paid on 11,337 ounces at the Cus-
toms during the day, of which 8,809 ounces were for the
Champion of the Seas, for Liverpool ; 2,205 ounces for
the Ben Nevis, for Liverpool ; and 323 ounces for Hong
Kong, in the bands of Chinese passengers in the J. W,
A. Lorenzan.

Tea, 71. 10s. per chest ; coffee, le. 3d. per lb.; sugar,
565. per cwt.; potatoes, 40s. per cwt.; rice, 4id. per lb.;
butter, is. 6d. per lb.; flour, 581. per ton.
The demand for supplies at the various diggings ntill
continues, and great activity is at present 'evinced in
despatching stores and merchandise of all kinds.
GEELONG, OCT. 16.
. .

A marked improvement has taken place in the labour
market since our last circular, the demand considerably
exceeding the supply for all descriptions of hands, except
mechanics, for whom the call is still comparatively small.
The Geelong Advertiser says—
" We think that the week has shown some signs of
improvement in regard to trade ; apparently more has
been going on than usual, and though in part this
activity may be traceable to the Brilliant and other
vessels now discharging, we believe also that more
business has been done. The imports for the week
are of the estimated value of 23,1241., and they com-
prise fair quantities of a number of articles now in de-
mand, besides a large stock of haberdashery, a con-
siderable weight of tea, and ample supplies of beer and
brandy. On the other hand, the exports have been
limited to sundry small consignments to New South
Wales and Van Diemen's Land, &a., which are estimated
at 9421. The week's receipts at the Custom-house have
been 4,7021. 6s. The total Customs' receipts during the
past month have exceeded 17,000/. ; the excess over the
revenue collected in the corresponding month in the pre-
vious year has chiefly been occasioned by the higher
rates levied on spirits, &c., under She'new tariff, and
the taxation of sugar and molasses, which were at that
time admitted to be free."

MARKET NEWS.—;This Day.)