The Express.
London, England, 1862-05-12 00:00:00

WEST COAST OF AFRICA

ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE BEHEADED BY

THE KING OF DAHOMEY.

LIVERPOOL, Elsrozosr Mow.
The Royal Mail steamship Ethiope, Commander
Delamotte, arrived here this evening, with the
usual mouldy mails from the West Coast of Africa,
Teneriffe, and Madeira. She brings 1,300 ounces
gold dust, 940 sovereigns, 260 doubloon; 2,500
dollars, and 2,400 five-franc pieces, with a full cargo
of palm oil, ivory, /cc. Her latest dates are—
Benin, March 26: Fernando Po, April 3 ; Came-
roons, April 1; Old Calabar, March, 31; Brass,
April 4 ; Nun, 4 ; Bonny, 7 ; Lagos, 10 ; Accra,
12 ; Cape Coast Castle, 14 ; Cape Palmas, 17 ;
Sierra Leone, 21; Bathurst, 25 ; Teneriffe, May 1;
Madeira, &
The following are the principal items of the
Ethiope's despatches :—Owing to interior warfare
there was little trade doing all along the coast. At
Benin the river was unhealthy and trade cense-
, quently dull. Cameroon—River healthy ; trade
very dull. Fernando Po was healthy. Old Cala-
bar healthy. Brass and Nun rivers both very un-
healthy, with little trade doing. Bonny very un-
healthy. The Europeans have suffered very much,
owing to the typhus fever, which has been
raging there for some time past. Lagos was
healthy. In the beginning of April a large
screw steamer under French colours entered Wydah
harbour within a cable's length from the beaoh,
and successfully loaded a cargo of 1,600 slave; and
L'coelded to sea without interruption. The Kintof
ey had attacked and burnt the town of
Ishaga, about sixteen miles west of Abeokuta. He
beheaded about 1,000 of the inhabitants, and toot.
the remainder (about 4,000) prisoners, including a
native missionary agent. The large town of ljagq
five days' journey IA the interior, had been destroyed
by the Ibadans, an English missionary was made
prisoner, and a ransom equal to about 2,0001. de-
mandefl for his release, but the governor at Lagos
was taking the necessary steps to enforce his release.
Cape Coast Castle.—The Manuel Ortis had been
condemned as a slaver by the Court of Admiralty,
and ordered to be sold as a slaver.
Sierra Leone healthy. Everything quiet. Rer
Majesty's ship Investigator had arrived out from
England, and sailed on the 18th April for the Lagos
River.

---Bathurst—King Bowline is dead. The new king
who sucoeeded him is inimical to British interests.
The biandingoes are desirous of attacking Sabajee,
but were restrained by the presence of a force de-
spatched by Colonel Smith.

Tits Manonnessa Idissonzaz. ro tat Pintos
Cossorr.—Tbe model ie shy of the statue which la to he
the munificent gift of the Mayor of Manchester to his
fellow-citizens, is Dow emnpleted in the studio of Mr. Noble,
is Brutoastreet, Berbeisipeqwere, London. The Priem is
merseeeted ea wearing these rubes of the Order of the Garter.
On the front of the pedestal will be the isecriptioe,—
" Albert, ' the Great sod Good.' " At the rear of the
pedimtal will be tozonled the words Presented by
Thomas Goadaby to his falksr-citisena. A.D. MDCCCLXII.
The statue Is to be of the whitest Carrara marble that
can be sod will be eight feet in height. The
I funds awed by pelgio sukecription in Manchester for the
1 Albert Mesessiat are to be devoted to providing the pedestal,
the prelacies' temple for the statue itself, the cost a
which is seer* dtheyekby the mayor.
cIiTOZAL PAI.LCI.-11. Meyerbeor having given
his perrideikei, the Grand March of this distinguished
composer, emepoetd far the coronation of the Ringo/ Prime,
will be perfesseed at the concert oe Saturday sent by •
doable of upwards, of one hundred performers.
M. Mary has kindly undertaken to supenotend the
relmearalk of Ude work, which will be produced for the
fleet Simele.this toestg. The &sten Marchisio will ales
leg at this concert. The roof of the Handel Orchestra will
oosiolsisd by the dower show on Saturday week, the
flernal.
On Wednesday last, the 7th instant, the Mattes
suid.Wealseseed Marto( Assistants of the Mires& Compeer
eeterniesd st their in Chassid, ember or teethes
11 onions wheeze lent owners with Mies et retain le lisieed.
alio son
dieliagetited times w
relihraestelerienthrotoroadi
we* this wean" after t esti Aver
tulle, MY. We T sod Mr. Reeds Dates;
the lama having served for aassidwhie lei so prim
l Minister in that eolouy, and the latter being • weetber a/
I the Legislative Amiga* and steel ceMesimioese to the
I Griot Ezhibilise for neoth!Avotrelie.

GEO. siffra AND 00.11
PUBS EXTRACT of CALVES' FEET,
For layidids and Wintry U.S.
Odd la ed. It., ta, and 48. yeasts, by ell ebrodais, Vocal% Le.
ttaliUlaCrOßY, 13, LITTLA rostirmrer.. gegen". W.

ZOOND-HAND PIANOFORTES.
BIALI, and WOOD have large sesortmeat
§aeocesdimod Plemelartee, by the most esteemed awaken, et
malty Mused yeissit-101. Redid'-stmt..

Vie erpregigi.

TO 0011.21ZSPONDINTIL
,dverttheasenta intended tor " The Ewer" London Waning
paper, must be at the old" 10, Bouvertettmet, by Two
0 dock on the day of pubikaties.

ILTMILIDT.

TIM Encino, TIN WOLF AND THZ LANS. —OM
ALIMLICAN COI3BIN. News. floem esekeloas.
Brien ; Tara Yowl& NM Wm.—Lk OONTILABAN DIUTA.
Pima Nona wad Stoat Moragas.—Aril Y 7 HIIIIRABIN GHOST.

Tan Enema, CA.Blll76llPlii. Mks Maria Hurls.
aad HAMM'. Moms. rockier. ardor, Potter, Ohm Jordan.
Widdicomb, Meadows. Cathcart, liisynioad, sad Mule ; Mims
Elaworthy and CariottaLecloreq.

W. JAIIIIIIS.

Tam Winn. A CONFoCIUPLE;--PAINCZ AMABIL : or.
The Fahey Roam Ileum MaPbetra, Bellmore, mut khley ;
Mtn N. Moore, Mn P. Matthew; sad the Woos Nelson.
—And UNA= PHI 106L—Oomaseace at re.

BILITANMA.
TED trumps. 01711 WT IN LUZ. Madames S. Lane and
Cranford.—Zotarlainenanta br Wu& POMO and Mr. IlarladpuL
And TRZ OLD MAID IN TES WINDING SHUT. Was Z.
Clayton—Conanssos at 4.

HIGH WATJ3 ♦T LONDON NAM&
TIM DAY —Morning. Ob. 5a... Altana" O. 300.
TO-NOIAON-I(arsiag. M. Wm..— Afternoon. lh. YOzn.

LONDON, MONDAY, MAY 12.

LOOXING to the statistics of cotton, it must be
admitted that there are u yet no signs of coming
relief. The complaint is not yet that there is no
cotton at all, nor is it likely that the stock will
ever be entirely exhausted, for it is the very na-
ture of commerce to husband and eke out the

existing supply of any scarce commodity, one mode
consisting in putting a price upon it which vir-
tually
prohibits its consumption. This is really
what is occurring now with ootton, and the arrival
at the dead-lock is accelerated by the refusal of
the foreign markets for our cotton fabrics, over-
stocked as they are, to respond to the rise which

has taken place in the e price of the raw material.
To a casual inquire; the alarmed tone which
has prevailed all through the last month
might seem unwarranted in face of the
fact that the stock actually in band in Liverpool
at this moment is almost precisely the same in
amount as it was a month ago. There is certainly
some comfort in the reflection that we have got
over another month of the cotton scarcity without
ruin. The maintenance of the stock arises partly
from the diminished consumption, and partly from

the arrival of about 180,000 bales from various
quarters. The fact that, notwithstanding the
temptation involved in the exorbitant price, only
9,300 bales of this quantity consisted of Ame-
_

rican cotton, and that only a portion of this small
quantity has run the blockade, deserves to be placed
on record from the cogent proof it affords of the '
practical effectiveness of that blockade. The decline I
in the stock of American cotton in this country
points in the same direction, the power of
replenishment being cut off ; the decrease during
the last month is about 20,000 bales, and
the total quantity of American in stock is
little above 120,000. In speculative times
this amount of cotton has been turned over in a
single week in the Liverpool market. The stock
of all kinds of cotton at Liverpool is now computed
at but 348,000 bales ; at this period last year it
was 978,000. And when we look to the coming
supplies, the extent of the deficiency becomes still
more serious. Thus, at this time last year there
were " on the water" 225,000 bales of East Indian
cotton and 330,000 bales of American, making
together 555,000, whilst now we have to look for
only 173,000 bales of East Indian and no Ameri-
can at all. At present, therefore, it is impossible
to say that there is any relief at hand.
As we have before remarked, however, it would

be an error to attribute the existing prostration of
the greatest of our manufactures entirely to a
single cause—the scarcity and h'gh pike of cotton ;
for there is a second and potent one—the over-
stocked condition of the great foreign markets
where the produce of our industry is consumed.
If prices rose there in proportion, the position of
the trade would be greatly simplified, but this is
effectually prevented by the immoderate extent of
former consignments from this country. The
trade at home have looked with mingled wonder
and disappo'stment at the capacity displayed by
foreign markets to dispense with fresh supplies
from this country. To some quarters none have
been sent for the past nine months, yet
no urgent demand is experienced. The longer
the foreign consumer can hold off the
more profound must of course be the depression
of business here. The errors of the extravagant
shippers of a year or two back are now being
severely visited upon them and the whole trade.
There has been too much heedlessness, too much
speculation, and too much forcing of consign-
ments, under the encouragement of immoderate
pecuniary advances. Nothing can be more unsafe
than a shipping .rode formed upon a narrow basis
of credit, and dependent for support excldsively
upon borrowed money. Any miscalculation of
even moderate extent—any fit of congestion in
the money market—may bring such a fabric
headlong to the ground, and involve in loss or
absolute ruin many whose only fault (not a ye-
nial one) has been that of over-indulgent-a
or voluntat g blindness. Upon the pre-
sent occasion the civil war in Ame-
rica, with the consequent rise in the
prices of cotton and cotton fabrics, though fol-
lowed with comparative slowness by foreign
market*, has come to the rescue of the specula-
tive shippers of goods. There is a strong suspi-
cion in some quarters that but for these events,
and the curtailment of production thereby neces-
sitated, the effect of which is to raise the prices of
existing stocks of commodities, a frightful amount 1
of loam would ere long have occurred. There has
evidently been no disposition to take warning,
and it is very possible that those who have now
been rescued by events upon which they could not
have based any mercantile calculations, will
hereafter be ready as ever to plunge again into
perilous waters. Amid the prevailing distress of the
trade, it is some consolation to think of the looses
that have been averted, and of the relief that will
be given to foreign markets, which will prooably
be placed by the mere force of circumstances in a

healthier position than has been known for years.
The beneficial effects of this will hereafter be felt
from the highest to the lowest department of the
manufacture. Fortunately, the improvement in
the Indian finances has made such progress that
the government has found itself in a position to
rodeos by 50 per cent. the duties both on cotton
goods and yarn, and this catosesion affords a ray
of hope at a moment when it ie peculiarly welcome.

In Hampshire the hop plant loot well. A num-
ber of the pleats are already tear test high.