The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-15 00:00:00

•
VI/ /1.., -te<4,

SOUTH _AUSTRALIA.
Our files from this colony extend to the 3d of
July.

The preliminaries of the intended gold search were
tthe pushed
26thf
.Tune, it
Awataar
aomeetinged too of hbe
.
t ob,,ni being energetically
tee, held on
mit a plan to his E:cellency, prepared by the corn.
mir,ioners, embodying the outline of a very comprehen-
; s:ve exploratory search. The length of time which the
1
tour of exploration would occupy is estimated at threw
months, and the cost is set down at 600/. or 7001. Ap.
pocation will be made to the government for an advance
°f the needful amount. The plan is for Mr. Babbage
and Mr. Bonney to set forth upon an exploring journey,
ac'ompanied by three practical miners, and supplied
with all the equipnaent necessary for practically testing
the localities visited. Tact route to be taken is by way
of Mount Torreng, Tanundah Creek, Clare, and so to
the northwest to Mount Remarkable, and passing be-
yond Vie head of Spencer's Gulf tv Mount Arden and
Mount Serle. From Mount Serle the party propose to
return home by way of Black Rock, following a line to
the eastward of the outward j oirnsy. Mount Serle is
situated midway between the 39th and 31st parallels of
latitude, and lies in the Centre of the Great Torre
liasin. The mountain itself is 3,000 feet above the
sea level, and at a short distance is Mount Deception,
also 3,000 feet high. Many other mountains of consider-
able altitude range between the head of Spencer's Gulf
and Mount Serle, in addition to Mount Remarkable and
Mount Arden, before mentioned. Meunt Serle is more
than two degrees northward of Mount Remarkable. It
will be seen from this outline that the proposed explora-
tion will cover a very large extent of country, including
most of the localities most favourably spoken of by the
advocates of a search northward.

LATER FROM AUSTRALIA.
LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY.
Private letters and advices have been received
by shipowners and merchants here, per overland
mail from Melbourne, to the 28th July, conveyed
to Point de Galls by the Formosa, Captain Robe-
sou, which sailed from Melbourne on that day.
The letters, being private, convoy little news,
and report commercial affairs generally as without
any material alteration.
The Royal wail ship Red Jacket, with the Eng-
lish mails of the 20th of May, had not arrived at
Melbourne when the Formosa sailed.

COMMERCIAL.

---
This being the middle of the Australian winter, or
rainy season, the roads are all but impassabie, trams
with the interior is nearly suspended, and trade in Mel-
bourne is chiefly confined to the supply of local wants;
there is, consequently, very little change since the date
of our last circular (per Sardinian), June 23d. This
season the rains have been unusually heavy, and the
roads have been worse than last year. The consequence
has been that cartage, as compared with the rates pre-
valent at the same period last year, has advanced about
20 per cent. This, of course, has further restricted. operations, and we regret to report that the market
for a month past has been unprecedentedly
At the same time, however, it is an undoubted
fact that stocks on the diggings are low, and the
storekeepers are forced to send orders to complete
assortments. During the last fortnight some slight
impetus has thus been given to business ; and it is
fully expected that in about six weeks a strong trade
will commence. Some alarm has been felt on account
of competition from Adelaide by way of the Murray
River. This competition, however, has operated to s
very limited extent ; it can only last during the winter
months, and so long as the roads are in bad order.
With good roads Melbourne will for a long time com-
mand the trade of the gold fields ; And railways, it is to
be hoped, will, in a few yearslionnect this city with the
Murray, and the vast southan interior of the continent.
The past week haring iien broken upon, as far as
business was concerned,
6y the holidays appointed to
celebrate the anniversary of the separation of Victoria
from New South Wales, and to commemorate the peace,
very few transactions of any magnitude occurred.
Liquors.—Brandy has advancad a shade, and is firm.
Nicholson's gin, in bulk, is somewhat scarce, and the
price is maintained. Lowndes's old Tom is still unsale-
able. Whisky is declining. The stocks of Geneva are
low, and prices firm. Wines continue without change.
Bottled beer of inferior Idands is far from lively. Ales
have the preference of sale; a sale of Allsopp's bottled
by Friend, at 135., is reported. A parcel of Byass's,
two-thirds porter and one-third ale, has changed hands
at 12s. A sale of Harper's porter has been effected at
12s. A large quantity of bulk porter has been bottled
here for the diggings' trade, which affects the imported
article.

Tobacco.--Stocks 'being large this article is dull of
sale, and held for our quotations. Considerable arrivals
are reported. Any quantity forced on the market would
not realise the prices quoted. Good Ilavannah cigars
have come in more freely ; the best brands are saleable.
Groceries, &.—Coarse Liverpool salt has been offered
at 41. 10s. on the wharf. The prices of sugar were alto-
gether nominal. There are no transactions in oilmen's
stores. Candles are slightly on the decline.
Ploui• continues nominal.
Provisions.—Cheese of good quality maintain, id its
price. A sale has been made of a parcel of prime Cork
butter at Is. 4d., but as a large proportion of the stock
of Cork butter now on hand is not of first quality, our
quotation of is. 4d. is above the value of the bulk of
that on band. A sale of Irish mess pork is reported at
5/. 104. per barrel. Lower prices g•-nerally are expel :ted
to rule in the market. I❑ many articles colonial produce
now competes with imported. Stocks generally are full.
Metals generally remain as last quoted.
Timber.—As noticed in our last, American lumbitr is
on the rise, and we now report sales at 171. taken f rom
the wharf, and consider prices firm and still advancing.
There is still speculation in lumber.
Soft Goods are, like most other articles of imp ort,
very dull f sale, though our quotations are maintained,
sales having been made at these rates.

MELBOURNE WOOL MARKET, &C.
The supply still continues to be on a limited scale,
and not adequate to the present demand. Prices, which
are firm, still rule at our last, viz.:—
For scoured wool
_ _

For handwashed :ind slope ditto ... 14d. to 16d.
The quantity shipped has been as follows :
From Oat. 10, 1855, to June Value.
14, 1856, ...
... 11,054,692 lb. £714,526
From June 14 to 28, ... 78,440 4,395

Total,

... 11,133,132 lb. £718,921

Tallow.—This article has experienced a further de-
cline, and prices now, according to our la3t English ad•
vices, show a margin for the shipper.

Hides still continue in good demand, but in the ab-
sence of a vessel offering for freight of the same, only a
few offering.

MELBOURNE LABOUR MARKET.
TUESDAY, July 8, 1856.—There is no abatement in
the steady demand for agricultural labourers and road
men. Female servants are off-ring wore freely.
FREIGHTS.
To Loudon.—Wool, 9.0. per lb. ; hides, 455. to 50s.
per ton ; gold, 3d. to 41d. per oz. ;ditto, in large quan-
tities, 3d. per oz. ; bones and horns, 484. to 58s. per
ton ; dead weight, per agree., 30s. per ton ; light goods,
50s. to 60s. per too.
To Liverpool.—Wool, 9d. per lb. ; tallow, 40s. to 50s.
per ton ; hides, 40s. to 455. per ton ; gold, 4d per oz. ;
ditto, in large quantities, 3d. per oz. ; bones and horns,
48s. to 50s. per ton ; dead weight, per agree., as. per
ton ; light goods, 503. to 60a. per ton.

;.
r,2 • j_/f-- aef--5
-,-,- F.\ `"*.4
..,\.,,-,-77____,„
50 per cent.---from 425/. 103. 9,1. to 6P 0941f,171-;-IPAL: ,:.'.7;
it is nnw of such a permanent charact •
_pritittillyi- '2.'2
equal ratio of ilacrease during the cu .111 i)4411r41,
_,_...il!':-.7-131111t,.
entire cost of conMructing the Hal; "Peraeonalli."-1.,' , •
reckoned at 500,000/. ; the receipts . /46 "Palkilail7 ::- :
—substracting tbe contractor's peroe. , I far -ircielanc•
the line and keeping it in repair, and the Aix
expenses—are equivalent to 24 per cent.
PA antiantic,,_-,
interest.