The principal items in which this large increase is observable are the revenue from spirits and the revenue from the sales of land. There having been:—

The territorial revenue exhibits the following large additions:

Proceeds from the sale of lands and town

£ s. d.

41,257 19 6 158,837 2 7

117,579 3 1

(Or nearly 300 per cent.)—Sydney Empire.

GOLD MINES.

Sydney, January, 1854. As a proof that the general produce of the New South Wales mines is sufficient to afford ample remuneration to all the diggers employed, the following statistics may be produced :-the number of licences issued to diggers in New South Wales for the first 10 months of 1853 was 32,670, or, on an average, 3,267 miners per month. The total arrival of gold per escort and mail (exclusive of the amount received from the Ovens diggings, which belong to Victoria) is 145,036 ounces for the 12 months. This divided by 3,267 will give as the individual earnings of each digger a sum of 421 ounces, or, in value, about 150l. per annum. But it will be seen that in this estimate only the amount of gold brought down by escort and mail has been taken into account, and that the amount at present in the hands of diggers has not been estimated. There is little doubt that the real produce is double the amount stated, or, in other words, that the average earnings of each digger is about 250l. per annum. Another calculation, founded on the export of gold from Sydney, produces the same result, making the earnings of each person employed in digging 73 ounces of gold, or 250l. to 2601. per annum. The price of New South Wales gold has fluctuated considerably during the year, having been in January, 1853, as low as 70s. 9d., and in September, 778. 9d.

The extreme fluctuations have arisen from the alteration of the exchange on London, which has varied from 6 per cent. discount to 2 per cent. premium, and is at present 1 per cent. premium. The highest rates have been paid for shipments to the East, where the exchange has lately operated most heavily against bills on England. Our present quotation is 77s. to 778. 3d. for Victoria, and 75s. for New South Wales gold.

The total export of gold from Sydney for the year ending 1853 has been 624,947 ounces, and the total export from its discovery up to the end of the year 1853 has been 1,615,555 ounces, which, valued at 31. 158. per ounce, gives a total of 6,058,3311. 5s. There is calculated to be at present in Sydney upwards of 50,000 ounces.-Gold Circular of Messrs. Lloyd and Co.

SALE.

Sydney, Feb. 21, 1854. An extensive sale of goods was effected to-day by Mr. Dean, at the stores of Messrs. Willis, Merry, and Co. The prices which the chief articles that were offered for sale realised were as follows:-Martell's brandy, 9s. 3d.; geneva, key brand, 17s. 9d. to 18s. 6d. per case; Cork whiskey, in butts, 3s. per gallon;

port wine, in hogsheads and quarter-casks, 8s. 9d. per gallon; English loafsugar, in hogsheads, 44d. per lb. ; pickles, in pints, of various brands, 8s. 9d. to 9s. 9d.; Champion's mustard, half-pound in cases, 68.; fresh salmon, 1 lb. and 2lb. tins, 1s. 5d. to 1s. 10d.; cod roes, 13d. per lb.; kippered herrings, 1s. per lb.; fresh herrings, 114d. per lb.; Wicklow hams, 11d. per lb. ; smoked shoulders and sides of bacon, 7 d. to 9d. per lb.; pearl barley, in tins, 34d. per lb.; split peas, 3d. per lb.; wine corks, 1s. 6d. per gross; 1,550 bags of Hobart Town lime realised 5s. 7d. the bag.

At the stores of Messrs. Lindsay, Matheson and Co., Mr. C. Newton sold to day 3,000 bushels of English oats, at 6s. 3d. per bushel. A large parcel of English butter was also sold to-day by Mr. Newton, at 13d. per lb.- Cor.

FLOCKS AND CATTLE.

Sydney, Nov. 8, 1853.

The flocks of New South Wales are estimated at upwards of 5,000,000, with more than a million cattle.-Cor.

EXCHANGE.

Exchange on London, par; bank drafts 24, 70 premium; private bills (with produce hypothecated), par, if drawn against tallow, wool, or gold.

GEELONG.

ADAM SPEILMAN & Co.

Geelong, Sept. 1, 1853.

Geelong is the prettiest town in the richest country in the world. - Cor.

FREE WAREHOUSING PORT.

By O. C., April 15, 1848, Geelong is appointed a free warehousing port.

PORT CURTIS.

GLADSTONE,

Sydney, Jan. 25, 1854.

A new settlement has been made in the northern district at Port Curtis. A surveying party is at present employed there, and has marked out the site of a town to be called Gladstone. The country is described as auriferous in its appearance and very fertile; the harbour is magnificent; a large river has been discovered, and it is named after the Governor-General; it runs into the sea about forty miles north of Port Curtis, and it is probable that by its means the interior of that district will be opened out.-Cor.

Governor Fitzroy and suite were at Port Curtis to open that new settlement for the embarcation of produce where land had already been making a high price, as much as 300l. having been given for small water frontages. A drayroad from Sydney is projected. Gold ranges from 41. Os. 3d. to 41. Os. 6d. per ounce; flour about 301. per ton; bread has advanced from 18. 3d. to 1s. 4d. per quartern; beef 41d. to 7d. per lb.; legs of mutton, 64d.; fresh butter (Woollongong), 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. per lb.; Maitland market, wholesale 2s. per lb.; eggs 2s. 6d. to 3s. per dozen; potatoes 3d. per lb.; vegetables very dear. Labour is in great demand, especially for agricultural purposes, and the settlement of respectable families is much retarded through the deficiency of good domestic

servants. Labourers' wages, 10s. per day; painters' wages have recently risen from 12s. 6d. to 15s. ; carpenters,' 20s. and 258. ; stonemasons, 308. ; seamen, 91. to 101. per month. Those on board the Prince of the Seas will receive 50l. for the run to England.-Report by Ship, Prince of the Seas, June 24, 1854.

VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.

HOBART AND LAUNCESTON.

By C. O. 20, 1835, declared free warehousing ports.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

Under the Act of Legislative Council, the Imperial weights and measures have been introduced throughout the Colony from April, 1834.-Porter's Tables.

VALUE OF GOLD.

At the last meeting of the Royal Society of Van Diemen's Land, extracts were read from a communication forwarded by Dr. Knight to Sir W. Denison, on the composition of the native gold of New Zealand, and its value, as compared with that of Victoria and Tasmania. By Dr. Knight's examination, the native gold of New Zealand consists of pure gold, 7.4275, and silver 2.06 with quartz as a matrix, and he reckons its value at 31. 8s. 10d. per ounce; Tasmanian gold being worth 37. 19s., and that of Victoria from 41. to 41. 28. in the London market.

CUSTOMS RETURNS.

The duties collected at Hobart Town for the six months ending December 31, amounted to 59,514l. 6s. 9d. At Launceston, 29,923l. 18s. 3d. Total, 89,4477. 58. 2d.

The following are the quantities of the several articles liable to duty, entered for home consumption in Van Diemen's Land, during the above period :

:

THE RIVER MURRAY.

Mr. PEEL has (March, 1854) laid on the table of the House of Commons copies of despatches received from the governor of South Australia on the subject of the navigation of the Murray, reporting the successful prosecution of the steam navigation of that river to a distance of 1,500 miles from the sea, and giving an account of the measures proposed for promoting the colonization of the vast basin of the river, and for the reservation of land on its banks, with a view of preventing the issue of squatting licenses. Sir H. Young had the pleasure of reporting to the Legislative Council, in October, the arrival of the first cargo of river-borne wool, and the council awarded to him, and also to Captain Cadell, a medal in commemoration of the opening up of the navigation. The expedition proceeded up the river 150 miles beyond Swan Hill, and found the depth of water at this point three fathoms, and the breadth about 200 yards, and this was the average during its course. The descent of the river was commenced at this point, because so much wool was awaiting transport that Captain Cadell had no commercial object in prolonging the voyage on this occasion, although it was believed that the navigation could be extended with equal safety to Albury, within 400 miles of Sydney. The governor, who himself accompanied the expedition, states that on the banks of the river and its tributaries (the Loddon, the Goulburn, &c.) there cannot be less than 1,500,000 sheep, besides numerous cattle and horses; and he feels confident that the produce of wool in Australia is about to be very considerably and rapidly augmented by reason of the steam navigation of which this voyage is the commencement. The climate is salubrious, the banks abound in timber, and that, as far as regards soil, climate, and other natural advantages, the vast basin of the Murray, equal in area to seven Great Britains, is well adapted to sustain a large population. With regard to the question whether the river can be continuously navigated throughout the year as easily as at the season of that expedition (September), that is, he allows, a point to be resolved only after a longer acquaintance with the periodical changes to which the river is subject; but, he says, he has no reason to question its navigability by steamers for at least eight months of the year.

NEW ZEALAND.

EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.

The exports from the province of Auckland, exclusive of the ports of Russell and Mongonui, from October 1 to December 31, amounted in value to 39,637. 38. including those ports, the amount was 42,5277. 148. The principal items from the port of Auckland consisted of kauri gum, to the value of 10,759. Timber, comprising spars, junk, sawn shingles, palings, and houses in frame, 14,1637. Provisions, bacon, hams, salt pork, butter, and flour, 2,3951. Grain wheat, barley, oats, maize, and bran, 4,272. Potatoes, onions, and hay, 2,606l.; wool, 3,0531.; whale oil and bone, 1,3731.; flax and cordage, 4081.; and furniture, 5321.

Of this 39,6371. exported, by another return, 23,9761. of the value was conveyed to Auckland by our coasting shipping, which, during the quarter, amounted to 79 vessels of 4,383 tons, navigated by 453 men, entered inwards; and 182 vessels of 5,413 tons, navigated by 494 men, cleared outwards.

The exports of 1852 amounted to 51,278., exceeding those of the previous year by 145,000l.

The imports into Auckland, during the last quarter, were of the declared value of 11,4347.; of these-cattle, 270 head, 1,7107.; horses, 76, 1,8007.; sheep, 310, 3107.; sugar, 4,054l.; tea, 505l.; and salted beef, 1,102.-constitute the principal items.

FF

NEW COPPER MINE.

Some natives from D'Urville's Island brought into Nelson last week specimens of copper ore, which they had obtained in the French Pass, at a spot where they describe a vessel of large tonnage could lie alongside, and be loaded from the mine. The existence of this copper ore has for sometime been known here, but the matter has been talked little of, from the fact that it is on native land; D'Urville's Island being now the only district in the province to which the native title has not been extinguished. The ownership of the land being in the natives, and they refusing to dispose of, will, we fear, prevent the mine being worked. The quality of the ore is spoken well of by those who understand the nature of it, and the quantity visible to the eye is described as being very great.-Australian Examiner, Jan. 21, 1854.