The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-28 00:00:00

COLONIAL.

TEA.—Business has remained very quiet, and p s
generally remain without material alteration.

SUGAR.—A better demand has prevailed for West India,
and late rates aro fully maintained. Refined goods are
dull. Common to good grocery lumps are quoted 425. 6d.
to 435. per cwt.

COFFEE.—Plantation Ceylon has been in good demand,
and brought full prices. Other descriptions remain with-
out change of importance.

RlCE.—Less activity has been experienced, and only a
moderate business has been reported at barely previous
rates.

FRUIT —Valencia raisins are rather lower; currants aro
also rather easier, and both dull ; at sale, 3,743 boxes, 9,191
fboxes, 73 I—boxes Valencia were only part sold, common,
28s to 29s ; fair, 30s to 31s ; selected, 32s to 39s ; a
few lots up to 435; 2,082 boxes Sultanas chiefly
passed, a few sold, 50s to Ms. 1,557 brls. currants,
were chiefly taken in and passed, a few lots ord. sold at
245. to 265., and 152 cases at 325. 88 cases 300 boxes
Turkey figs sold, 365. to 515., up to 58s. to 61s. for fine.
25 baskets Pippins sold at 48s.

SALTPETRE dull, no sales. Refined 255. 6d. to 265. cash
TALLOW.—Market dull, new 455., Oct. to Dec. 445. 9d
Jan. to Mar. 465.

Beef from the River Plate.

A very interesting reunion was held yesterday
at the London Tavern, the object of which was
the important one of ascertaining whether our
present very deficient supply of animal food might
not be supplemented from the illimitable Pampas
of South America. The object of meeting was
stated by Mr. Paris, who explained that at a pre-
vious social meeting held in the London Tavern in
November last the advantages of an invention for
preserving meat fresh was tested, and was pro-
nounced to be successful. The inventors were
Messrs. M'Call and Sloper and the process was the
introduction of a certain gas, the nature of which is
still the secret of the patentee, by means of which the
meat was preserved fresh for any possible period.
Armed with this invention, and provided with par-
cels of English beef cured according to the Sloper-
M'Call process, Mr. Paris proceeded to Buenos
Ayres, and at a public entertainment there con-
vinced all the local authorities that beef could be pre-
served perfectly fresh over the voyage to England.
The government of Buenos Ayres, seeing the ad-
I vantages that might accrue, gave Mr. Paris every
facility for procuring the beef of the country, and it
was some of this beef cured according to Mr. Can
process that was served up at yesterday's luncheon.
Before its introduction Mr. Paris stated very can-
didly thatthe experiment was made under unfavour-
able circumstances, the present year having been a
very bad one for cattle in La Plata ; the agent of
Messrs. Sloper and M'Call having fallen sick, and
been obliged to communicate the curing process to
him (Mr. Paris); and the local workmen having put
the beef into pans of pine wood instead of that which
had no flavour of turpentine. The meat, however,
was prepared under the inspection of Messrs. Zim-
merman, the principal merchants of Buenos Ayres,
and it now came before the London public, genuine
South:American beef of the Pampas, and preserved
solely by the process patented by Messrs. M'Call
and Sloper.
After this exordium, the luncheon, whichpuetoonn-
sisted exclusively of Buenos Ayrean beef, was
the table in the various forms of
,roast, stewed, and
in pies and puddings. The company ate heartily of
the beef in all its varieties, and were unanimous in
their approval of its freshness and flavour, giving,
however, credit to Mr. Nicholls, the eminent chef of
the London Tavern, who had taken care that it
should be dished to the best advantage. The roast
beef was very fine, quite as good as the filet de bceuf
of the first class Paris tables d'hôte, and the stewed
beef and puddings were admirable. There could be
no doubt but that if imported extensively the La
Plata beef, prepared according to the M'Call process,
would be a most valuable addition to the food of
London, especially as we can state, on the authority
of Mr. Paris, that it couid be sold by retail over the
counter at prices varying from 4d. to 6d. a pound,
according to the capacity of the retailer. At the
conclusion of the luncheon, cases of the „w meat
which had been imported from Buenos Ayres were
opened in presence of the company, and appeared
yes-
terday. It was, in fact, really good, succulent meat,
and smelt as fresh as if they had been packed
and was unhesitatingly pronounced to be such by
Mr. Warrener, the well-known preserver of fresh
meat for the army. The importance of this process,
as well as the labbperoocvuerrirangteda
can hardly i a
supply of thermv o
when we recollect that two and a half millions of
labours ofMr. Paris
black cattle have up to the present date be en annually
killed in La Plata solely for the sake of their hides,
the meat being left to the vultures, whilst we in this

famine prices for meat of
not superioreenquality.payin g
At the close of the pro-
ceedings, hae b
resolution affirming the success of ito
process was proposed by Mr. Ravolta, and assented
to by general acclamation.