The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-03 00:00:00

WEST INDIA MAIL.

By the arrival of the West India mail steamer
Avon, we have dates from Santa Martha, Dec: 20;
Nicaragua, 25th ; Chagree, 29th ; Carthngena, 31st.
Puerto Cabello, Jan. 3rd; Santiago and Demerara,
sth ; LaGuayra, Jamaica, Tobago, and Trinidad, 7th ;
Grenada, Bth ; Barbadoes and St. Vincent, 9th ; St.
Lucia, Martinique, and Dominica, 10th ; Guadeloupe
and Antigua, 11th; Nevis, Puerto Rico, and St. Kitt's,
12th ; Tortola, 13th ; and St. Thomas, 14th.
The mails came in charge of Lieutenant Brown,
RN., admiralty agent. The Avon made an unusually
quick passage, and experienced fine weather through-
out the voyage. She brings as freight 268,276 dole.,
130 pounds British coin, 1,017 oz. gold dust, 4 serons
of indigo, 40 tierces of coffee, 74 begs of pimento,
1,3001b5. arrowroot, and the foil )wing passengers :
Mr. Arameyer, Mr. Gautier, Mr. Costa, Mr. Arbeltier,
Mr. Garcia, Mr. Marquis, Miss Marquis, Sir Baldwin
Walker, R.N., Capt. Smith and lady ; Mr. Mark, vice
consul at Bogota—from Chagres. Commodore Lambert,
Mr. Harley, Mr. Bortbwick, Mrs. Elmes ; Lieut. Cafe, Ist
W. I. Regt. ; Rev. Dr. Masson, lady, and family; Mr.
Taylor, Mr. S. W. Taylor, and Mr. West—from Jamaica.
Mr. Coats, lady, and family—from Demerara. Mr. Reddie
and lady—from St. Lucia. Mr. and Mrs. Souniet—from
Trinidad. Mr. Baiwac—from Martinique. Miss
Mr. Rieflcohl, and Mr. Barkley—from St. Thomas's. Mr.
Espina—from St. Joao do Cuba.
By this arrival we learn that the West India
Islands were generally healthy, and the weather ge-
nial ; but we regret to announce the death of Major-
General Lambert, commander of the forces in the
island of Jamaica. The commercial advices brought
by the Avon are of no great interest.
On the Bth of October last, at midnight, the city of
Chagres was entirely destroyed by fire, including
the custom-house, which at the time contained an
entire cargo of merchandise, which was landed
during that day by the schooner Disengano, valued
at 60,000 dollars, appertaining to several English
merchants residing in this island. No lives were,
however, lost. It is astonishing to reflect, says the
Jamaica Despatch, that the government of New Gre-
nada should not have had a suitable fire-proof edifice
as a depot, similar to that which has been constructed
by the Royal Mail Steam Company, with the eole
view of encouraging the transit of metallic property,
by way of the Isthmus, distant from that city. Al-
though we feel ashamed to assert it, the custom-house
was nothing more than a wooden hovel with a
thatched roof, and this was the place wherein was
deposited the valuable property which the directors
of the customs received from the different mer-
chants at the moment of their as rival in port.
We understand that the interested proprietors, who
have suffered in this event, are preparing to present
their claims before the Grenadian government, and it
is to be hoped that it will recognise its justice, and
order its payment without delay. As respecting the
British property destroyed, the British authorities
will extend their merited assistance. It is reported
that this dreadful conflagration had been intendedly
done by a black man with a view to robbery, and
who has since been apprehended.
JAMAICA.—On the 28th of December the mem-
bers of both branches of the legislature met in the Council
Chamber and in the House of Assembly, at one o'clock,
when his Excellency the Governor gave his assent to the 40
following hills, vie.:—Rules and Articles of War, Embargo
en Arms, Commissioners of Public Accounts, Embargo on
Provisions, Gunpowder Tonnage, Disposal of Petty Thefts,
Process during Martial Law, Prevention of Riots, Amended
Pound Laws, Import Duty, In Aid of Towns and Commu-
nities, lu Aid of Banking Companies, Police, Vere Loan,
In Aid of Trust Funds, Public Hospital and Lunatic Asy-
lum, Purchase of Houses for Curates, Erection of Iron
Bridges in Trolawny, Amended Coolie Tax, Manning's Hill
Turnpike Road, Sentences of Seven Years' Imprisonment,
Amended Appeal Act, Amended Ferryßoad,Amended Ligua-
neaWaterworks Company, Amended Recovery ofS mall Debts,
Amended Lunatic Asylum, Court of Chancery Proceedings,
Regulation of Elections for Vestrymen, Clerks of the Peace
Fees, Public Landing-place in Falmouth, Insolvent Debtors,
Process Law, In Aid of the Penitentiary. Immigration,
Rum Duty, Regulation of Pawnbrokers, Kingston Town
Dues on Imports, Clerks of the Peace Salaries limited in
payment for a certain period, Collection of Taxes, Tax on
Stock and Trades. The assembly was then prorogued.
A complimentary address was voted by the Chamber of
Commerce, on the sth Jan., to Mr. Borthwick.
We have to record thegleath of Major-General Lambert,
commander of the forces in Jamaica, on the 4th of
January. The disease under which he suffered is said to
have been a fever of a highly malignant type. The senior
fficer in command immediately announced the lamented
circumstance to her Majesty's troops in this command, and
orders were issued for interring the remains of the late
major general in the evening: The deceased officer was
much beloved by all classes in this island, for his gentle-
manly deportment and kind consideration to all who had
anything to do with him.
Cu BA.—The Jamaica Dispatch publishes the fol-
lowing statement of the sugar crop of Cuba, for the year

1847, which, it says, may be relied upon as authentic. It is
mid to be by • great deal the largesterop mew exported from
that Island, and it is most certainly an increase of fully
200,000 boxes upon the crop of the merious year :—From
the let January to the 28th December, 1847, there were
cleared from Havana and Matanzas 1,004,498 bone,; and
from other parts of the island, as far as heard from, 280,308
boxes; total number of boxes, 1,284,804. The total crop of
Cuba for 1847 was, as neer as can be calculated, 1,320,000
boxes (264,000 tons), and it is calculated that the crap of the
present year will be still larger.
Salutes, Skit. 7.—FLova.—The sales of this article
dime car het have been 000 barrel* New Orleans, at prices
frost POI. and HA 335. per barrel In bond ; 300 barrels and 00
bind. &adman, at Ina.; sad 300 herrehi in lute from the same
Owe. at 40a, dirty paid. The Pock on hand is light.
Rim—A largo at Carob= has been kr the awn part diapoerd of—.
say 120 tierces end 30 half deems, at 22a. 6d. to
of
the sales open.
MI, at the latter Agues. A sulsequent pared of 40 tierces, received
ru Baltimore, wee placed at 23e. per 10011 w. The demand for thia
description of rkehas now elaekmak and sales are dull at our lowest
quotation. A very superior sem* of East India realised 201. per
IUOIts. Mr 150 beum..—The dry goods Mimes was Minks.
Emblems on hondoer—Bank MN', 90; 4 per cent. dh.