The Express.
London, England, 1854-01-16 00:00:00

THE WEST INDIA AND

PACIFIC MAILS.

The Royal West India Mail Packet Solent, Cap.
Min J. H. Jellicoe, Esq., from the West Indies, Sc.,
arrived yesterday at Southampton, and landedlur
mails under the charge of Lieut. Henry liedihk,
RN. Admiralty agent.
Dates of sailing of the Medway, Avon, Teviot, and
Solent, royal mail( packets:—Honduras, Ike. 17;
Cathagena, 25; Jamaica, 26; St. Jago de Cuba, 26;
Demerara, 25; Trinidad, 25; Barbadoes, 27; Anti-
gua, 29; Martinique, 28; Grenada, 26; Porto ltico,
29; St. Thomas, 30 ; La Guayra, 25; Bermuda, 25;
Papal, 25.
The Solent brings 31 passengers, among whom are
—On sick leave: Major Halliday, 36th Regt., from
Barbadoea ; Captain Shaw, Royal Artillery, from
Jamaica; D. A. Com. General Darling, from
Barbadoes.
The freight consists of 749,104 doll., viz.: Silver,
452,353 dols.; gold dust and gold, 99,027 dols.•,
specie, gold and silver, 197,724 dole. 55 serous of
cochineal, 54 serous of drugs; pearls, 3,462 dols.;
tobacco, 224 bales; cigars, 115 cases; succadees, 27
packages.; sundries, 46 packages.
There is no mail from Vera Cruz.
Her Majesty's sloop of war, Virago, sailed from
Panama on the 17th December, for the Gulf of San
Miguel, for the purpose of examining the proposed
route for a canal across the Isthmus of Darien.
St. Vincent, Grenada, Tobago, and Trinidad, were
healthy on the 25th December. The cholera was at
Nevis on the 30th Dec.__

..-.
The Treasurer of St. Vincent came to his death by
a fall down some stairs on the 22nd Dec. Ile ex-
pired almost instantaneously.
The Bishop of Barbadoes had held confirmations at
St. Vincent and one or two of the islands near, in
December, 1853.
The Devastation was to take Lient.-General Wood,
Commander•in-Chief of the Forces at Barbadoes, to
Trinidad, calling there on her way to Ls 6 aayra.
The American barque Atlas, from Liverpool to
New Orleans, had been towed into St. Thomas en-
tirely diamasted. Had emigrants on board, 47 of
whom had died on the passage from cholera.
The cholera was still raging at St. Thomas, bat
the number of deaths daily had decreased, confined
entirely to the coloured population.
The mail left Jamaica in the midst of the Christmas
holidays. On the Monday following Christmas•day
most of the stores were closed, in order to afford the
persons employed in them their accustomed holiday;
and neither of the daily newspapers were published.
The weather for some time past had been remarkably
mild and serene, on the south side of the island. The

public health on the whole tolerably good.
The House of Assembly rose on 22ad December,
and adjourned to the 17th ult.
In Tfemerara, the weather, extrer linary for the
season, had bean everything the pier ter could wish
—sufficiently dry to admit of the finishing of the
year's crop, yet so moist as to be highly benific:al to
the growing cane. The amount of the crop cannot
' yet be ann nixed, but it may be safely predicated
that the failing off as comparea 'with last year has
been much exaggerated. Trade is brisk. Freights
still continue to rule high in consequence of the want
of shipping, and produce is low in pi ice. The arrival
of Coolie ships, due early in January, is anxiously
looked for as a cure for the excessive rates now

charged.
The Court of Policy has had a short cession, bat
the proceedings hare been unimportant.
There was when the packet left no appearance of
a settled rainy season. The colony generally was

healthy. - -
In Trinidad labour on the supr estates was sus-
pended until after the holidays. The weather in
the rural districts had been very wet, and done
much good in pushing on last crop's ratoons. Thd
sugar crop about to be reaped in would, it was
thought, under the most favourable circumstances,
not exceed the crop of 1853. The cocoa crop now
in course of picking falls short of last year. The
heavy rains of October last destroyed a vast num-
ber of the young buds.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
KINGSTON, JAMAICA, Dag. 24, 1853.
With larger supplies at market, and a general decline of
prices, we notice no corre'ponding improvement in the
demand for imported goads. Indeed, dealers are quite averse
to increase their stocks at this period of the year, and en-
treat in a few instances, no sales of importance have been
effected. The Chriatmos holidays hove had little or no
influence on the busineu of the fortnight.
11GANDY continues dull of sale. The best brands may
be quoted nt 145. per gallon.
COSENE.—Ordinary to good ordinary commands 31r. to
365. per 100Ibs. very readily.
COHN.—There is now an overabundant supply of South
American at market, and prices have fatten. We hear
of sales at as low a figure as 3s. 6d. to 3s. 91. per bushel.
CHEESE.—Eoglish is rather wanted. The usual supplies
per packet did not come on on the last occasion. A parcel
of American has been sold at a price which we have been
unable to ascertain.
FLoun.—A parcel of 1,700 barrels new wheat, but not of
recent receipt, changed hands at 355., and another of 410
barrels of a similar description, moved at 365., with 154
half-barrels at 18s. 6d. The last receipts from Baltimore
are held for 40s. to 425. Of these, 130 barrels slightly
deranged by lard were sold at auction at 365. 6d.
FREIGUTS.—Tonnage for Great Britain will be wanted.
immediately.
PIMENTO.—No transactions are reported. The crop hai
been nearly all disposed of.
RICE is. quiet. Good Bengal is worth 18s. to 1)s. per
1001bs., and Patna 20s. to 21t.
RCM is quiet ; speculators still holding for advanced
rates.
EXCHANGES ON LONDON.—Colonial and Jamaica Banks:
90 days, i per cent. premium ; 60 days, 1 per cent. pre-
, mium ;30 days, per cent. premium.

The Lima, Captain Bloomfield, arrived at Panama
e- : she brings 280,000 dollars, in silver
bias .ind coin. Valparaiso dates are to Dec. 1 ; there
is 111) UMW/.
From Bolivia, the last accounts represent Beira
to be at La Paz with his forces. It is said that he
has accepted the mediation of Chili in the dispute
between him and the Peruvian government. Cobqa is
still blockaded by the Peruvian fleet.
From Callao our dates are to the 12th. General
Echinique, the president, had not left Lima to head
his army, as he intended. It is said that he dreads a
revolution at home, should he leave. 1)on Domingo
Elias has left Yalta, and is supposed to be concealed
in Lima. The late invasion of Pern by Belzu was
doubtless part of a scheme got up by Elias, in con-
junction with his attempt at tambes.
Ecuador has declared the navigation of hor tribu-
taries of the Amazon free to all nations. She has
also passed a law authorising steps to be taken to
treat with New Granada and Venezeula for the re-or-
ganisation of the Columbian confederation.
Her Britannic Majesty's steam sloop Virago arrived
at Panama on the 12th from the coast of Mexico with
355,000 dole. in silver on British account. She
brings news (previously received in England, eta New
York) of the taking of La Paz, in Lower California,
by the American fillibusters from San Francisco.
They had taken the governor prisoner, and by last
accounts were aw-."•ing reinforcements at Cape St.
Lucas.
A further le. : i of the Panama railroad will be
opened on the Ist of January, making in all 31
miles completed, and 18 as yet to finish.
Her Britannic Majesty's ship Virago, Acting-
commander James C. Provost, arrived at Noma
Dec. 12, with specie from the Mexican ports, amount-
ing to 450,000 doll., for England, on merchants
account. She left Guaymas Nov. 20, :Mazatlan Nov.
26, and Acapulco Nov. 30. On Dec. Is, the Virago
left Panama for the Gulf of San Miguel, with the
intention, it is said, of examining the port and ricer
Savana.
Her Majesty's ships in the Pacific—Portland,
the flag of Rear-Admiral Moresby, at Arica ; Amphi-
trite, 24, Captain Charles Frederick, at Guaymas;
and Trincomalee, 24, Capt. Wallace Honatoun,on
passage from San Francisco, Nov.ll, for Valparais(:.
The Peninsular Steam Navigation Company*
steamer Lima arrived at Panama Dee, 15 with specie
amounting to 280,000 dollars for England on mer-
chants' account. Date of mails : Valparaiso, Dec. 1:
Callao, Dec. 12 ; Peita, Dec. 15 ; and left again for the
south on Dec. 22.
The Winfield Scott, American steamer. with the
Californian mails of Dec. 1, had not arrived at Pa-
nama on Dec. 14, the date they were due there.
Much anxiety exists that she had not made her ap-
pearance even on the 23rd, consequently there is
neither mails nor specie from California by the
English packet Teviot leaving Colon, Navy Bay,
Dee. 25. The Sierra Nevada, American steamer. for
San Juan del Sad, left San Francisco about tour hours
atter the Winfield Scott left that port, and on the
111 fourth day Imo up with the latter vessel, keeping

company with her most part of the day and of the
eight; towards the eseraing of the fifth day she was
104 sight of by the Siena Nevada, steering inshore
for her port, where she arrived on the morning of
Its. 13. her passenger. crossing the Nicaragua
route at San Juan de; Sud, arriving at Grey Town,
Mosquito, on the morning of the 16th, and embarked
in the .%merican steamers Northern Light for New
yak, and Penfero for Ne w Orleans; on the same
day they reached Grey Town.
the Illinois, and United State., steamen, waiting
for the mails from California, of Dec. 1, and passen-
gers, were to leave Colon, Navy Bay on the evening
of Dec. 23, with or without the mails, for their re-
spective ports in the United States.
The Isthmus is quite healthy, with rather dry
weathtr ; so also is Grey Town and the Spanish
Main.
Date of Mails; Panama, Dec. 23; Colon, Navy
Bay, Dee. 24; Santa Martha, Dec. 23 ; Carthagena,
Dec. 26.
('argo from Santa Martha, 413 bales Peruvian
bark ; specie from the Pacific, 730,000 dollars ; ditto
from Carrhagena, 45,000 dollars.
Ih‘e. 26.—Her Majesty's brig Espie4le called off
Carthagena, from Grey Town, on her way to Port
Royal.
the Cumberland, 72, bearing the 2,4 of Sir Geo.
Seymour, was at Barbadoes on 27th December, and
wu to sail for Jamaica the next morning. The
Calypso, 18, sailed from Barbadoes for St. Domingo
no the '26th I)eoember, to protect British interests.
Nlegara, steam troop-ship, conveying troops from the
Windward Islands to Barbados., where they are to
he concentrated. The Devastation to sail from Bar-
/*does for Jamaica, calling at La Guayra on her way.
The Imaum, stationary guard-ship, was at Jamaica.
Daring, on the coast of Central America. Ships all
healthy. Mr. Hoffman, paymaster of the Daring,
died at Jamaica Hospital, of yellow fever, on the 20th
October, Mr. C. I. Evans, clerk in Admiral's-office,
promoted in his vacancy.

he following letter has been addressed to Captain
Jellieoe, commander of the Solent :

TO CAPTAIN JOHN JOLLICOI.
Oil the Lizard, Jan. IS,
Sir,—Before separating pc= on board the Royal Mail
steam packet Solent on her second voyage from St. Thomas
to Southampton, allow us to return you our thanks for your
kind attention to our comforts and your gentlemanly
urbanity during the passage, and to expresa our entire satis-
faction with the conduit of the officers and all under your
command. The tahle has been amply and well supplied,
the attendance excellent, and the ship, although heavily
laden with coal when we first started, has shown herself an
excellent vessel, very easy, end withal fast, bar engines
working so smoothly sa to be scarcely felt. Wishing you
every success, long life, and happiness, we remain,
Your very faithful servants,
(Signed by all the passengers.)