The Express.
London, England, 1848-04-05 00:00:00

WEST INDIA MAIL.

CAPTURE OF FORT SARAI'IQUE BY THE
lIItnISII FORCES.
By the Royal Mail Company's steamer Medway,
Captain May, Lieut. South, Admiralty Agent, arrived
this morning at Southampton, we have accounts from
Nicaragua, 25th, and Chagres, 28th February ; Car-
thagena, 2nd; La Guayra, Gth; Demerata, 7th;
St. Jago de Cuba and Trinidad, Bth ; Jamaica, 9th;
ilarbadoes and Grenada, 11th ; Martinique, 12th ;
Antigua and I'orlo Rico,.l3th ; St. Thomas's, 16th;
and Fayal, 29th March.
The Medway brings 38 passengers, 172 boxes of
dollars from Cha,,'res and Carthagena, on merchants'
account, a small quantity of gold dust, 25 tierces
of Jamaica coffee, one box of pearls, and 34 bales of
sarsaparilla from Carthagena.
The affair of the King of Mosquito was likely to bo
settled satisfactorily. Some fighting had taken place,
which ended in the capture of Fort Serapique by the
English, with a loss to the enemy of 30 killed and
wounded and 10 prisoners. Mr. Patrick Walker,
the consul-general, was drowned on the Bth ult.
We extr .ct the following from the Jamaica papers :
TIIE Sr. JUAN EIPEDITION.—The Medway arrived yes-
terday morning from Chagres, bringing the news of the cap-
ture of the upper and lower forts on the Oregon river, by
the boats of R.M.S. Alarm, Capt. Loch, the steamer Vixen,
and brig Daring, Capt. Smith, and a detachment of the 38th
Regiment, the whom in command of Capt. Loch, with
Commanders Rider and Peel is command of their own
boats. The lower forts showed much resis'ance, but the
less in the boats was trifling; one man killed, and a mid-
shipman wounded. The loss on shore was considerable, but
the exact number: not known. The wounded and pris.ners
were sent on board the Alarm, and some of the former had
died.
Through the kindness of Jacob Mitchell, Esq., of this
city, his Mosquitian Majesty's consul, we are enabled to
lay before our readers the following interes,ing correspon-
dence relating to the affairs of St. Juan de Nicaragua.
It is with much regret we learn of the death of Mr.
Walker, her majesty's consul-general. Particulars of the
melancholy occurrence appear in the subjoined :
Saint John's, Nicaragua, February IS, ISIS.
My Dear Sir,—l received your note this afternoon' and hasten to
answer your question as soon as possible, hut your good sense will
see that Mrs. Walker should nut sec thisletter, or be made acquainted
with it, at present.
Mr. Walker left this place with the expedition on Tuesday, the Ith,
and on Friday night the wounded came from the expedition, being.
leg the news that Mr. Walker had been drowned on the evening
previous to that of the attack on Serapique.
On the following day, Mr. Tcmpsky and lien came down, and from
the former I gained the following particular. or Mr. Walker's death:
It appears that he and Mr. Tempsky were sleeping in the Alarm's
barge, having the rain awning spread, the tide running very strong,
when the crew were awakened by screams. At the same time, a
boat, which turned cut to h., the guard-boat of the itight, touched
her. There immediately arose a cry "We are boarded." When
the men rushed to the arm cheat for their arms. Tempsky
instead of going to his left hand, for his arms turned to the
right, and wont overboard; he was picked up about a quarter of an
hour after. During this time they had mimed Mr. Walker from the
barge, and them y was given that he was also overboard, but was
nowhere to be found: this was at two o'clock In the morning: our
pinnace went down afterwards in eau,* but could not and anything.
I should Fay that the expedition will return about the 20t1t, when I
I have great hopes that there will be some further communication coo.
Corning this mecholy affair at Illueftelds.
—Jamaica Despatch, March 6.
Tax LATI AFFAIIi AT ST. JUAN.—We are enabled to,
furnish the following particulars of the killed and wounded
in the late assault and capture of the forth up the river:—
$. 11. steamer Vixen Mr. Turner, midshipman, badly
wounded. Killed: Charles Ferrell, captain of the foretop.
Wounded; Wm. Coombs, boy, severely; I'. Nagle, seaman,
ditto; James Hooper, seaman, ditto; and W.Wrigbt, marine,
los: three fingem H.M.S. Alarm: One seaman killed.
Two soldiers of H.M. 38th Infantry wounded. Mr. Dewd-
ney, of the Vixen, had his watch broken in his pocket,
which probably saved his life. The Vixen had her star-
, board paddle damaged—received two round shot through
her, and 14 musket-balls. Captain Loch and Mr. Fayner,
midshipman, had a narrow escape, and cut three men down.
The action lasted 40 minutes, and resulted in the capture of
Fort Seraplque, with a loss to the enemy of 30 killed and
wounded and 10 prisoner.—Jamaica Dispatch, March 8.
Colonel Capadoee, of the let West India Regiment,
expired suddenly, at Up-park Camp, on March Ist.
Her Majesty's ship Vindictive, having on board
Sir F. W. Austin, K.C.8., arrived at l'ort Royal
from Grenada, on March Ist.
At Jamaica, there was no change in the state of
business since the previous report, except a trifling
improvement in the prices of sugar and rum. Money
continued scarce.
The Port of Spain Gazette of March 7th, says
For the information of our distant readers, we may mew
lion that the crop season has at laat fairly let in, and gives
every promise to be a long and steady one. A good deal of
sugar has already been made, and the planters are straining
every nerve to get off the crop. as
.quickly and economically
as poerible. Very great attention is being paid in all quarters
to the quality eft he sugar made, and in some districts mut
decided improvements have been effected in this respect.
The labourers are working with more steadiness than could
have been expected at the reduced rate of wages. As re-
gards the weeding of the canes already ant, the planting of
fresh pieces. and, in short, everything connected with the
crop of 1849, nothing will be done; nothing, in fact, can be
done, for want of means, until the intended measures of re-
lief by the home government are fully announced, and their
value ascertained. On the result of the present ministerial
deliberations depends the question, whether tour-fifths of
the estates in this colony shall be abandoned after the pre-
sent crop, or continue in cultivation.

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The Gazette of last night announces the appoint-
ment of John George Shaw Leferre, Esq., brother to the
Speaker, to be Clerk Assistant to the Houses of Parliament,
in the room of Benjamin Currey, Esq. ; the office having
been dadined by Sir David Dt111(1116. It Is reported that Bir
Denis La Merchant, formerly K.P. for Worcester, and Se-
=Wry to the Treasury in 1841, and now one of the Under-
Secretariu of State, will snowed Mr. Lame as Secretary to
the Boma of Tzsde.—The Glerdiees of this day.