The Express.
London, England, 1852-09-23 00:00:00

THE WEST INDIA MAILS.

The Parana, with the West India mails, arrived
at Southampton yesterday evening. Her dates arc ;
—Jamaica, August 28th; Chagres, 19th; Demerara,
21st; Trinidad, 2.lth. Amongst her cargo is vide
to the value of 1,496,750 dollars. Her list of pa,.
Isengers includes the late Governor of Barhad(*s.
H.M.S. Swift is bound for England with one
million dollars from Mexico.

The United States mail steamer Oregon, arrived at
Panama on the lath from San Francisco, with mails,
360 passenger., and 2,500,462 dols. 24c. in gold dust,
of which 237,738 duls. 65e. is for England. The
Oregon left Sun Francisco July 31st.
On the 18th the P. S. N. Company's steamer Li-
ma arrived from Valparaiso, Callao, &c., with ILNI.'s
mails. 43 passengers, and 510,223 dole. 31e. bpllie
and bullion for England.
At Martinique, liarbadoes, and Berbiee, yellow
fever prevailed. St. Thomas was unlieu!thy. At
Jamaica fever and smallpox prevailed.
Great excitement existed in Lima on the subject
of the intention.] of the American government re-
specting the Lobos Islands. A Peruvian minister
was going to the United States.
Peru was sending ten thousand men to the fron-
tiers of Ecuador. General Flores has gone to Chili.
The Peruvian government are in treaty with the
P.S.N. Company for one of their steamers.
General lie rrera, the governor of this province
and a candidate for the presidency, a very able and
energetic man, arrived in the Lima, from Paita,
having travelled from the south of New Granada,
through Ecuador, into Peru, and arrived in I'iura
about the same time with General Flores, with m ti• Jet
he had an interview.

General Herrera will resume his office in a few
days.
General Flores proceeded to Chili in the Quito.
Business is very dull indeed, and very few pas-
sengers are on blur way to either California or the
United States.

There is a good deal of sickness in Panama and
Chagres just now, and on the island of Manzanillo
people arc dying like sheep. The Panama ltailvray
Company Lave not twenty men on the line, all hav-
ing returned to the United States, or elsewhere, on
account of ill-health.

The La Plata readied St. Thomas in little more
than 12 days from Southampton.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
(Fran W eardoen's Mercantile Intelliyenerr.)

JAMAICA, A COVST 21.
We have passed through another dull fortnight, business
operation►, except in very few inetances, having barely
risen shove the range of ordinary retail transactions. Sup-
plies generally of imported goods are quite ample to meet
the present restricted demand. Produce continues firm at
better prices than last given. Not any of tLe new crop of
Pimento has yet found its way to market.
ALawivr.s continue very inactive. We have no sales of
any consequence to report.
Boren.—The operations in Irish have been unimpor-
tant. We quote it at lld. per lb. Of American .10') kegs
have changed hands at Sd., and 200 packages llliL.x Lave
been moved ut iifeb. per lb.
Beer may be quoted at oh. the half-barrel, nominally,
but there is no stock.

BRANDY ia in large supply, end very limited demand, at
sa. Gd. to Gs. per gallon, short price.
BREAD.—We note sok. of 12.3 barrels Watt,,m's
and 23 barrels Crackers, at 15s. end 18s. respectively. Of
domestic the sales are confined principally to retail parcels
at the same rates. _

CURNMEAL.—.IOO barrels were moved at 225., but for
a subsequent arrival of GOO barrels 21.. was accepted.
CANDLEL—TaIIow are worth 71d. per lb., at which
figure some operation. are reported.
Correa.-1. here i, not any at market.
Coss.—American is inactive, having to compete with a
large supply of native growth. which is generally preferred.
Some retail s-lcs of the former are reported at Ss. per bag.
CODPIAIL—The market was commencing to wear an im-
proved appearance ; 250 boxes, the first arrival of the new
batch, were placed at Us., and 131. Gd. obtained for 20
tierces of old, when the unexpected arrival of three cargoes,
which all came imtlgrther, again threw down prices to 14s.
per box (there were 1,000 in these last cargoes) and 12s.
for casks. The market is now rather heavy at these prices.
CHeESE is wanted.

FLocis.—The sales reach 1,400 barrels Baltimore at 325.,
and 860 Philadelphia supposed at the some rate. A resale,
on speculation, of 600 barrels Baltimore has been made at
345. per barrel.
Got.u.—Wo quote American at 1 per cent premium.
Doubloons are not in demand.

flaunt:cc:9.—Thu best do not command more .than
At auction several large parcels of inferior hal.. chang,l
hands at 2s. to Bs. per b. rrtl.
Ilans.—All descriptions are dull of sale. We quote
English at hi. to 91.; Irish at aid. to bd.; and American
at Gd. to 7d. per lb.
LOOWUOD is worth, and Ens been sold at, 365. per tos.
LAYD.-7d. per Its. may be consitkred the nominal value
of American, nod SI. to 9d. of Irish.
. . . . .

LL wnEn.-20,0(4 feet Halitax white pine has been taken
at 965. Cedar shingles may be quoted at 20s. to 225. per
M., as in quality.
MALT.—The arrivals trontinue on a liberal scale, and tend
still further to depress the market. Of bottled the sales
reach 110 barrels strong ale ; quarts, at lth. 6d. ; 29 pints,
at Os. 6d. ; 143 pale ale, quarts, at 7s. 33.; and 71 porter,
quarts, at 75., all of the Sacell Brewery Conspany'smanu.
facture. No operations in other descriptions have reached
us. Ilulk is win wally inactive.
blacxgnEL are dull, at 2tis. for prime. Some old on
hand are sexy unsaleable.
OIL may be quoted at 2s. 71d. per gallon. The Mock is
very light.
l'oax.-100 barrela mess have changed hands, at 113 s.
per barrel.
I'IXENTO,-4.1. would be readily paid for it, but there is
not any on offer.
ngal has been in active inquiry, and several
large parcels have changed hands at 19*. and 19s. Gd. per
100 lbs. We have not beard anything of Csrolir.a.
RVIL—AII the late operatisns were at Is. Gd. per station,
proof 21, for export. Holders are firm and the stock at
aiantet is not abundant. _

BaLmoN —We note sales of 12 barrels No. 1 at 80s., and
5 barrels No. 2 at 725.

SOAP.-.—No sales of any momout hare been elfectc4 since
our hat.

buona continues in excellent inquiry, and prices bare
been wall supported, common to good mid. selling readily
at 20a. to 265. per 100Ibs. Fair is held for 28e. to :30r.
TOBACCO.—Cavendish is in very large supply. It may
be quoted nominally at tid. to 10d. per lb. We have not
heard anything of leaf.
TONCMltl.—Pigh. are very scarce, and wanted. Os are
abundant, and dull of sale.

THE PLAISTOW GIANTESS AND TIIE KENTISH
GIANT.—If West Ilam can boast of a giant, the adjoining
hamlet of Plaistow can bout of • giantess in the person
of Miss Mary Simmons, aged 20, who stands Mr. Sin. in
height; when her arms are extended they exceed 81 inches;
the middle finger on either band measures over 6 inches,
while the length of leer arms is upwards of 2S inches.
This eztraordincry young woman is a native of Plaistow,
as were also her lather and mother; the former, who died
several years ago, measured SA. 4in., while the latter,
who is still living, is about the middle stature, aft. eiin.
In consequence of her tallness she has a great aversion to
aiSpear in public, and is seldom seen walking about like
other female', even in her native village. She has a most
juvenile appearance ; although she is said to be 20 years of
age, her face would not indicate her to be more than 1G or
17. Up to 15 years of age her height was only of on ordi-
nary kind. She ...id not then appear taller than other females
of her own age, and it is on'l within the last three or four
years that 010 has attained the present extraordinary
height. There is every indication that two or three inches
will yet be added to her stature. lier manners aro
modest and unassuming, approaching to bashfulness with
strengers—her occupation is somewhat laborious, hat she
is in the enjoyment of perfect health. Perhaps the most
singular matter to bo mentioned is that the celebrated
Kentisle Giant, Edward Crania, is paying his addreiscs
to Miss Simacoas, and there is every probability they
will at no very distant period be man and wife. Edwari
Cranson is ouly 16 years of age, and stands 7 feet 6 inches,
and is a native of Woolwich. Ilis father and mother are
represented as below the middle stature, and his sisters
arc said to approach to dwarfehom. This remarkahlo
youth has an engaging and pleasing meaner, and is now
tilling • lucrative, situation in Shoreditch. Edward
Cranson, up to ten or eleven veers, was engaged in some
rope walks in his native place, Woolwich, whore his father,
we believe, is still following the same occupation. The
giant is in the habit of paying • visit to Plaistow once,
and sometimes twice a week, and the villagers stand
and stare at him with an eye of wonderment. —Erect
neva&

I,,ETTERs FOR TUE WitsT COAST OF AFRICA.--
GENEUAL POST OTTICN, SEPTEMTITtI, 18,52.—Her
Ma-
jcetl's government having entered into a contract for the
conveyance of mails by steam vessels, once in every month,
to the West Coast of Africa, the new service will come
into partial operation en the 21th instant, on which day the
tir.t packet will be despatched front Plymouth. This
paCket, an well la that to be despatched on the 24th Ge-
-1 tob.r next, will proceed only to Madeira, Teneriffe, Ooree,
Bathurst (Gambia), and Sierra Leone, and then return to
England, calling at the same places; but the service will
hereafter he extended to Fernando l'o, when a further in-
struction will be issued. The following are the rates or
postage to be taken upon letters and newspapers addressed
to the several places at which the packets will touch
Letters not exceeding half ounce : Madeira, Is.lod. ; Tem-
ritfe, Is Ilkl. ; Uuree, Is.; llathurst, Is.; Sierra Leone, to.
Newspspers will be carried to Madeira, Tenerille, and
0011,1* for '2l. each, and to Bathurst and Sierra Leone free.
11.u.t.00N AccIDENT. Mr. Hampton's balloon
called Erin-go-Bregh, which was to have ascended on Mon-
day from the Pavilion Gardens, over against Woolwich,
broke from its retaining cordage, ascended without a Net,
and when at a great height bunt with a loud report.