The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-14 00:00:00

terminus.
His Highness the Viceroy has returned to Cairo
from Upper Egypt, whither he had proceeded to
satisfy himself, by personal inspection, whether the
inundation which had taken place near Cairo had
arisen from natural causes, or whether the embank-
ments of the Nile had been maliciously cut by the
inundations is significant.
The Nile has risen 24 cubits, which is regarded as
a most fortunate result, and promises well for the
next harvest. His Highness the Viceroy has C3lThe-
quently- raised the land-tax 12 piastres, or 2s. 6d.
the measure, equal to an English acre. Among
other improvements spoken of the streets of Alex-
andria are to be lighted with gas, for which a con-
tract has been concluded between the Pasha and a

Parisian company. If to lighting wore added pav-
ing and. cleansing the sanitary condition of Alexan-
dria would become tok rabic, and it might be pre-
served from the periodical visitations with which it
is afflicted.
A traveller returning to Alexandria after an ab-
sence of a few years will find an extraordinary im-
provement in the appearance of the town and the
condition of the people. Three handsome churches
for the Christian worship have been erected—au
English Protestant, a Roman Catholic, and a
Greek. Bells are heard to toll, calling the Chris-

Hans to Divine service. A railway has been com-
pleted to Cairo, and now streets of handsome houses
aro springing up.
The Christian population of Alexandria has quad-.
rupled within a few years, but the Greeks threaten..
at no distant period to absorb the entire trade,.
of Egypt, and to their combinations is attri-
buted the present high price of corn. They possess
an unity of purpose which belongs to no other
people, and which enables them to successfully-
compete with older established merchants.
The fanatical enthusiasm of the Arabs has con-
siderably diminished of late years, and even the
women ;Are gradually rejecting the veil with which
they used so pertivaciousiy to cover their faces.
Literature, however, makes no progress in Egypt,
and a newspaper which was started some years back
in Alexandria has ceased to appear.
There has been a considerable amount of business

transacted in the corn market during the last 15
days, with a material advance in prices. The fol•
lowing aro the estimated sales :

IVIIEAT. Qrs.
Saide, private produce, readystuff, 425. to 425. 6d. 22,009
Ditto, Pasha's „ 43, to 435. Dd. 5,000
Ditto, contracts for future deliveries, Oct., Nov.,
and Dec., 375. Gd. to 42s
Behiseh, private produce, ready stuff, 395. 6d. to 425. 34,009
Freights, owing to the diminished number of vessels
in port, have improved, and cannot now be quoted under
4s. 6d. to Ss. Gd. per quarter for beans, to a direct port ;
58. Gd. to 6s. for orders, according to size. Cotton to
Liverpool, d, to Id. and 5 per cent, per lb. Dallas's,
3s. to 3.. 6d. per quarter.
Exchange on London has given way, paper at three
months being done at from 100 to 100.12 piastres per X.
SHIPMENTS FROM THE 23D ELT. TO THE IST INST.
Qrs. Qrs. Qrs. Qrs. Big. Brl.
Cotton
Beans. Barley. Linseed. seed. Cottn.
3,778 2,100 1,776 --

Wheat.
Groat Drita;n 26,057
France 8,990
Austria
Other countries

890 388
746 746

- 281
323 376

AUSTRALIA.

LIVERPOOL, Mom) iv.

The Black Ball packet ship Champion of the 6e-is
has arrived from Melbourne with advices to the
16th July, 163 passengers, and 92,0000 z. of gold
on freight.
The Lightning, with the mails of the 6th May,
arrived at Melbourne on the 14th July in 69 days
from Liverpool.
The James Baines, the mail ship of the 6th of
August, had 120,0000 z. of gold already engaged on
freight..

Goldfields, Moore's Fort, and Lammer-
muir, from London, and the Ellen Bates and
Mindoro, from Liverpool, had arrived at Mel-
bourne.

The advicea contain no political or general news
of importance.

The news confirmatory of the declaration of peace
h'ad been received with enthusiasm by the inhabi-
tants of Melbourne, Sydney, &c., and each town
celebrated the event by a general holiday.
Commercial affairs were rather quiet. The price
of gold remained at 765. per oz. From the official
returns we learn that up to the 12th of July the
produce of gold amounted to 1,439,5400 z. The
quantity shipped up to that date was 1,693,1730 z.,
weighing 701 tons, and valued at 6,772,6921.
sterling.
The prcspects of the various gold fields were
most promising.
Exchange on London.--Draughts against gold
purchased at 1 per cent. discount. Freights 3d. to
41d. per ounce. Insurance, 2 per cent.
In the wool-market there was no change to re-
port, but prices ruled firm. •
Tallow had declined, and quotations show a
margin in favour of shippers.
Hides continued in good demand, but only few
were offering.
demand
In the labour market there was a steady
p
for agricultural labourers.
The building trades were dull.
At Geelong, on the 14th of July/ the rice of
gold was 765. 9d. per ounce.

AUSTRALIAN RAILWAYS.—The step taken by the South
Australians in opening up the navigation with the river
Murray having seriously excited the apprehensions of the
the goldfields
of
the s
otnoentraottoe
after
metropolis commercial interest and the inhabitants of Melbourne
generally, will give increased energy to the efforts for
goldfields
fro
districts.imnatkhietigncantrenwa3
gold, when the necessity arose for conveying large quan-
tities of stores to various parts of the interior to feed the
suddenly located population, the absence of all
means of
communication pressed heavily upon all concerned. In
consequence thereof certain railways were projected,
chief of which was that which was to
Melbourne, and running thence to _
_0 commence at
terminate on the banks of the riverAi tint Alexander
Murray. On the
estimated cost of this work—viz 1 0 , 00,0001., the Colo-
flint Government consented t .'
o guarantee 5 per cent.,
interest for 21 years, gave the company 50 acres of land
at the west end of .the townl acres at Williams'
town for termini, and all town, and
land belonging to the
Crown which the company may require. The Legisla-
ture also authorised a gilt of 5,0001. in aid of the vli-
hrnivary surveys. With all these a,lvantages the,co4) anY
as only
_ been able to raise 65,0001., one of which
has been expended unproductively. Seeing this, the
Government le
Government has just completed the purchase of all the
righo, privileges,
and property of the company, giving
in payment for the same 5 per cent. debentures, redeem-
able at par at, the expiration or 50 years, This newly
acquit ed and novel description of Government property
is vested in two officers of the Government for and on be-
half of the colony. These gentlemen have it in contem-
plation to push on the works with every possible de-
spatch, and, as a preliminary, have ordered by the
lasl- t,. ) mails respectively about 60,0001. worth of plant.
—Australian and New Zealand agiaCe.