The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-18 00:00:00

THE FOREIGN MAILS.

OUTWARD MAILS OF OCT. 20 AND 29.—SUzz,
Nov. 9. —The Bengal and Mooltan (extra steamer) left for
Calcutta, &c., at 5 a.m. to-day. The Chins, from Bombay
Oct. 29, reached Suez Nov. 11, at 6 a.m.

THE BOMBAY HAM—MALTA, Nov. n.—The
Delta left at 4 p.m. yesterday for Marseille., where she
may be expected on the 19th inst. The Tanjore, with
the heavy portion of the Bombay mail, leave* here at
5 p.m. today. She may be expected at Southampton on
the 21;th inst.

OUTWARD CALCUTTA AND CHINA MAILS.—The
Ceylon, from Southampton 4th inst., arrived on the 12th,
at 2 ►m., and left at midnight for Alexandria. The
Sumatra, from Marseilles 13th inst., arrived to-day at
5 a.m., and loaves at noon for Alexandria.

OUTWARD AMERICAN MAIL. QUERNSTOWN,
Nov. 17.—The Royal Mail steamship Persia arrived hero
at 8 a.m. to-day. She embarked 70 sacks of mails, the
passengers, and telegrams, and proceeded for New York at
3.314. m. All well.

THZ Mewl TO INDIA.—The Malta Times of the
7th inst. says :—" It is currently reported that, according to
the new contract of the postal authorities with the Peninsu-
lar and Oriental Company, which now awaits the approval of
parliament, the packets containing the Marseilles portion
of the overland will in future proceed direct between Mar-
seilles and Alexandria through the Straits of Marina,
without calling at any intermediate port. By adopting
that route, which is only 49 miles shorter than that
by this island, and avoiding the delay of coaling at
Malta, it is alleged a certain number of hours will
be saved. But, after all, this is a mail for the
benefit of British colonies, for which a heavy subsidy
is being paid, and we can hardly suppose that a hypothetical
saving of five or even double that number of hours, in the
several weeks required for the transmission of mails to and
from India, is a justifiable reason to put aside such an
important British possession and naval and military
station as Malta, especially when the moat pressing ;politi-
cal, commercial, and social wants concerning India can be
made known by the rapid means of communication
afforded by the telegraph. We are glad to hear that the
matter has been taken up by the Chamber of Commerce ;
but it must not be lost sight of that this is a question not
only affecting local interest, but imperial interests also,
and should be maturely considered before it is definitely
settled."

THE SUBMERSION OF THE ISLAND OF TORTOLA.
—Up to a late hour last evening no information had
been received at the government offices confirmatory of
the startling news of the submergence of the island of Tor-
tole. The island was the principal of what are known as
the British Virgin Islands, and it came into the posses-
sion of this country in 1666, or just two centuries gime.
It is a small island, about twelve miles in length and four
in breadth, situated in 18.24 N. longitude and 64.32 W.
latitude. The surface of the island was irregular, its
highest land being 1,000 feet above the sea level. Tor-
tola was about twenty miles distant from St. Thomas,
the island which suffered so seriously by the recent hur-
ricane. The Rhone, one of the West India mail packets,
was lost in Tortola passage, where she was anchored at the
time of the hurricane. The population of The island at
the time of the last census was 8,600. The brief telegram
already received announces the total submergence of the
island, and the loss of the whole of she inhabitants. The
Governor of the Virgin Islands was—or let us hope is—Sir
Carlo Arthur Hervey Rumbold, Bart. ; the Chief Justice
and Judge of the Vice-Admiralty Court, D. H. 0. Gordon,
Esq. ; the Secretary of the Council, G. H. A. Porter,
Esq. ; the Provost Marshal, J. G. Gordon, Esq. Of course
it is not known whether any of these officers were in the
island of Tortola, or on any other of the group of the
Virgin Islands.—Observer.
GREAT NORTHERN HOENTAL, CALEDONIAN-ROAD,
N. Number of
_patients for the week ending Nov. K
1,042, of which 376 were new cases. The Worshipful Cog--
piny of Grocers have sent 50/., and the Mercers 31f. 10e.,
in aid of the new hospital buildings.
Oilfggil.. PALACE. HALF-A-CROWN DAT.—
I SATURDAY, Nov. 16.—Admissions on payment, 750 ;
I ditto by season tickets, 4,087 ; total visitors, 4,837.