The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-12 00:00:00

MALTA.

MALTA, April 12.

Telegraphic communication with Alexandria is
interrupted, the cable having parted on 'Wednesday
between Bengazi and Tripoli.
The Hawk is now engaged in the necessary re-

pairs.
Tier Majesty's ships Royal Oak and Prince Con-
sort left on Monday. Their destination is supposed
to be Gibraltar.
The drought in Malta continues.

The Iron Trade.

BIRMINGHAM, April 11.

The second quarterly meeting of the ironmasters
of this district was held in the Town-hall this after-
noon. There was a very large attendance, the trade
in each of the other iron-producing districts being
well represented. It was not expected that the
amount of business done would be large ; the ap-
prehensions entertained that there may arise un-
pleasant complications between France and Prussia,
together with the doubtful aspect of political concerns
at home, alike help to depress trade in its present
peculiarly sensitive condition. These circumstances
taken into account, matters to-day looked more
cheerful than was anticipated. The quantity of
finished iron sold was under the average certainly,
but there was a certain steady kind of trade doing,
and producers seemed less anxious to press for orders
than they did last quarter day. The " specifica-
tions" now about are comparatively small, but when
given out they will be quite sufficient to keep the
works going as fully as they have been of late. A
change has also come over the circumstances of the
trade in one respect ; consumers have got into the
habit of buying for a month instead of entering into
engagements for the quarter's consumption as was
formerly the case ; this, of course, lessens materially
the amount of business done at quarter-day. A
demand for a large quantity of finished iron on
account of the East Indies and Australia is said to
be certain, and also contributed to the cheerful
feeling prevailing at this meeting. The market
for pig-iron is decidedly firmer ; a considerable
quantity of that class of iron was sold to-day at £3
10s. per ton for all mine, hot bias, ; cinder-pig was
sold at £2 12s. 6d. per ton. We quote pig iron at
ls. 3d. per ton above the price of last quarter day.
In reference to the Shropshire iron trade, it was re-
ported that the whole of the Lilleshall make had
been sold. The attention of the trade was attracted
to specimens of the dockyard pigs, better known as
" Seeley's pigs," which were exhibited in the hall
to-day. There were many samples ; when they
were first discovered they were " mixed," that is, in
a state known to the trade as " Kentledge," and is
only useful as ballast. Those shown to-day have
been carefully sorted—in broken and manufactured
forms. It was represented that the iron is all cold-
blast, and that although the qualities differ they are
all good, the iron being fit for use in making tele-
graph wire,
armour plates, nuts, bolts, and other
articles of that class. Messrs. George Ryland and
Co. have priced it at £4 to £4 10s. per ton. In re-
ference to the mixed quality of the iron much has
been said ; as is well known, iron, as it runs from
the furnace, comes, even from the same ore, in dif-
ferent qualities, which are called technically " num-
bers." On the proper admixture of these depends
the speciality of the manufactured iron. To assort
this iron, therefore, into its proper " numbers" from
its present mixed condition, in order to render its
value appreciable to the trade, is what Messrs.
Ryland are now doing. ,Amongst the specimens
shown was a puddled billet made from the grey iron
by Mr. Joseph Mathews, at Messrs. Field and
Sturgis's works, Oldbury ; the excellence of its
quality was admitted. The opinion as to it was that
it would make a tool for turning rolls, after harden-
ing, from the puddled billet itself. The opinion of
the trade seemed to be favourable as to the quality
of the iron ; but a doubt was expressed as to whe-
ther the price now asked would be obtained.