The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-12 00:00:00

Mount Frank1yn.........

49 10

39,981 0 ... 33,370 0
Previous escorts 736,735 5 ... 763,101 6

Totals for the year... 776,657 5 7i'6,483 6

The shipments this • week have been 25,944::z.,
in the Eagle, in the following parcels :—Bank of
Australasia, 10,6520 z.; Bank of New South Wales,
9,9910 z. ; Bank of Victoria, 5;004oz. ; small ship-
ments, 297ez. A number of parcels are coxing
forward for the European, bat the probable total
cannot yet be arrived at. Up to the close of last
week the shipments amounted to 847,3810 z.; or 35
tons 6 cwt. 15lb. loz.; the value of which, at 41;
per oz., amounts to 3389,524/.
Exchange on England is at 1 per cent. for 60
days' sight; for 'amounts under 501., at liper cent.
prem. for 30 days' sight. Freight on gold, by direct
steamers or sailing vessels, 3d. per oz., deliverable
in London; insurance, I,i per cent.; by the over-
land route, i per cent. —that is, 7d. per ,oz. as
neatly as possible; insurance, 1i to ig per cent..
In the shares of local joint-stock companies there
has not been much.d.oin,e, except in small parnAs.
The following are the latest sales reported:.—Bank
of Victoria shares at 385. Colonial Bank shares
have beenpffering freely at 61., but there has been
but little demand. Australasian Fire Insurance
Company's shares have changed bands at 308., and
Melbourne Insurance at 12s. 6d. per share, Mel-
bourne
.Gas and Coke Compatiy's shares are quoted
at 374 to 40 per cent. prem. for the first, second,
and third issues. The new issue, with 1/. paid up,
has been sold at 21. ss. par share. There are none
of the old issue of Government debentures in the
market, and pending the issue of the loan rates are
not quotable for any of the colonial debt.
THE GOLD-FIELDS.
The extraordinary and long-protracted d; ought
of the bummer and ti.e great tAcarcity of water on
all the gold-fields have led to the discussion, as we
mentioned in our last summary, of the p!ouabilities
of our future supply of the precious metal. Unless
method, combined action, and mathinery be called
in to aid the labour of the miner, the cailitig must
on the old fields be,:ume one holding out fewer
, inauceinents than has hitherto been the case.

Water has been the crying want of the miner for
the last four months, and so severely liasAhe want
made itself felt that steps are being evetywheie
taken to prevent, as far as possible' the recurrence
of the evil. On all aides natural reservoirs and
collecting gullies are being looked-out and ex=
amieed, with a view to the formation of water
companies.
At the commencement of the current year the
yield of the gold-fields was at a very low ebb and
very few signs of any increase occurred un it the
partial rains of the month of March had provided
the miner with the means of realising the produce
of his labour. The following is a statement of the
quantities received by escort monthly during the
first four months of this year and 1857, by which
it will be seen that the incrraee has been graduitl :-
1857. 1858.
Oz. dwt. Oz. dwig.
January ... 200,852 3 ... 159,017 0
February ... 169,76) 10 ... 1.'7,415 0
March ... 166,674 9 230,014 10
April ... 177,286 0 ... 191,701 0
A. new gold-field has been opened up on the
New South Wales side of the Murray, at the
Moreka Creek. Several bodies of miners from
Yackandandau and other parts of Beech worth have
set out for the new spot. The gold is reported
to be found a few feet from the surface; and to
be very pure. The locality is described as at the
head of the Murray, above Jingellick, 90 miles
from Albury. At the Woolshed preparations
for sluicing during the winter on a very exten-
sive scale are being carried on. The like prepara-
tions for the winter are going on at Bendigo,
Castlemaine, Maryborough, and D uuolly. Ballarat,
the most celebrated of all the gold-fields fur the
richness of its yields, is, for the present, very quiet.
The sinking, generally is deep, and the leads are
becoming more uncertain. The most western field,
Pleasant C:eek, has all the appearance of being
about t) bs deserted for the winter. This has
arisen in a great measure from the ex, ent to which
prospecting has been carried on in this district.
The means of the workinr, minor have been wasted,
and he has been compelled to seek other spots iu
which the chanc.4 of success are more nearly within
his reach.