The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-05-30 00:00:00

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

The General Screw Steamship Company's mail steamer
Indiana, Captain Lambert, arrived at Plymouth on Satur-
day, with the mails from the East Indies and the Cape of
Good Hope, a general cargo of silk and indigo, and 158
passengers, among whom are the Bishop of Natal and
Commissary-General Maclean, from the Cape. Her dates
are, Calcutta, March 15: Madras, March 20; Ceylon,
March 24; Mauritius, April 4; Cape, April 20; St.
Helena, April 25 ; Ascension, May 2 ; St. Vincent's, May
12 ; Lisbon, May 23. Trade at Mauritius was healthy,
but the principal articles of food scarce. His Excellency
the Governor, whose sight-is affected, proceeds to England
for surgical advice. The weather had been favourable for
the coming sugar crop : the quantity, it was expected,
would amount to 100,000 tons. The Saltany had arrived
there from Calcutta with 360 coolies. She lost 25 pas-
sengers from cholera. The mail steamer Mauritius
arrived there on the 19th March. At the Cape the gold
excitement still continued, and it was stated that the
probable extent of the "fields" was very great. The
present insignificant results were attributed to the want
of adequate labour appliances. Copper ore was found in
some abundance. The abandonment of the Orange River
Sovereignty was carried into full effect. General Cathcart
was to leave the colony by the next opportunity. At
Natal sickness among the horses and cattle prevailed to a
great extent. The crops were luxuriant. H. M. S.
Racehorse and Saracen arrived at the Cape on the 18th
April. The Earl of Balcarries, from Bombay, with
troops, put into Table Bay, March 30th, totally dismasted
by a hurricane in the Mozambique Channel. The steamer
Australian was expected to leave for England within a
few days after the Indiana. The mail steamer Argo left
Table Bay on the 29th March, with the outward mails.
The mail steamer Propontis left St. Helena 13th April. '
The Philomel and Tortoise were at Ascension. The
United States corvette Marion was at St. Vincents.
H. M. S. Locust sailed thence for England, May 12th.
The Medea left Lisbon for Jamaica on the 22d May. The
Indiana put in there for coals the following day. Vessels
spoken by the Indiana:—April 25, the Hempsyke, lat.
35 S., long. 21 E. April 28, the Rajahstan, lat. 18 S.,
long. 3W. May 1, the Seringapatam, lat. 13 S., long. 8
W. May 8, British ship, showing 2nd distinguishing
pennant 8,316, lat. 10 N., long. 20 W. May 17, an
emigrant ship, steering South ; distinguishing pennant
8,410, in lat. 30 N., long. 20 W.

CANADA.
The progress of the ltiltish North American colonies
has again been illustrated by returns just issued of the
immigration of the past year, and the continuous demand
for labour. It appears that, notwithstanding the current
to Australia, the total arrivals in Canada from Europe in
1853 were only 6 per cent. below those of the preceding
year, the numbers having been 36,699, against 39,176.
Of this number, 18,927, or rather more than one-half,
were natives of Ireland, 4,913 of Scotland, 3,928 of Eng-
land, 3,135 of Germany, and, 3,123 of Norway ; while the
remaining 628 were from Holland, Sweden, and other
places. In the Irish emigration the number of females
preponderated in a remarkable degree over that of males,
the difference being more than 18 per cent. This fact is
attributed to the shipment of young women from the poor
unions, coupled with the extent of remittances from
settlers already prosperous, to enable their wives and sisters
to join them. Of the entire number of 36,699 immigrants,
the proportion that remained in Canada was 25,195, while
11,504 passed through to the United States, nearly the
whole of the Norwegian arrivals having been among the
latter, owing to the difficulties they experienced from igno-
rance of the language, which would be obviated in the
United States by their availing themselves of some exten-
sive settlements already opened by their own countrymen
in Wisconsin. Their habits of industry and general suit-
ableness to the Canadian climate caused their departure to
be regretted. About 200, however, were induced to accept
railroad employment in Hamilton, and it is hoped that
these may form a nucleus to induce others for the future
to become settlers. With regard to the general health of
the emigrants of the past season, the accounts are satisfac-
tory. The total mortality was only 0.81 per cent., and the
slight excess which this shows over the previous year is
attributed entirely to the unusually protracted passages to
which several vessels were subjected, the average number
of days occupied by the various emigrant ships from all
the ports of Europe having been 48, against .39 in the
previous year. The number of ships wrecked was four,
involving a loss of 317 lives, and the instances in which
risk and discomfort were found to prevail were mostly
those in which iron formed the chief part of the cargo—a
fact that has led to the suggestion of some regulation
being made to prevent vessels conveying passengers from
carrying more than a certain proportion of dead weight.
On the question as to the success of the several immi-
grants in finding employment, nothing could be more
decisive than the accounts presented. In most cases they
at once proceeded up the country, and on reaching their
destination were seldom more than a few hours unem-
ployed. During the present season the demand for labour
at high wages is greatly increasing, owing to the vast rail-
way undertakings in progress, and with regard to women
qualified to act as servants, it is said the scarcity is such
that several thousands could be annually absorbed. The
immigration described in the present report refers only to
that which takes place by sea. A large number of settlers
arrive rid the United States, the total during the past
season being estimated at 5,000, irrespective of a great
number of railway labourers temporarily attracted from
the Western States, owing to the cessation of work in
those regions, consequent upon the long-continued pressure
in the New York money-market.
AUSTRALIA.
- -

The advices from Australia iWilie recent arrivals con-
firm the previous reports of the general increase in the
gold production. With regard to the import markets, the
late news brought by the rapid passage of the American
steamer Golden Age had created disappointment, owing
to the announcement of continued shipments from this
country on a larger scale than had been anticipated. The
value of land was rapidly increasing. Among the vessels
with gold which had lately sailed were the South Sea to
London, with 5,420 ounces, and the Alfred, from Geelong
to London, with 10,378 ounces. _ _ _

From Van Diemen's Land the dates are to the 18th of
February. The new gold discoveries in the Ben Lomond
district were attracting considerable attention. Here,
also, the value of land was greatly increasing, and in some
large sales lately made unprecedented prices had been
realized.