The Express.
London, England, 1856-09-15 00:00:00

WEST INDIA MAILS.

The Royal West India mail packet Atreto, Captain
Woolley, arrived at Southampton yesterday evening,
and her mails were landed under the care of Lieut.
C. Pearson, the Admiralty agent. She brings 68
passengers, and on freight 825,708 dollars, and
6,3831. value in jewellery. Her dates of sailing are,
from St. Thomas, Sept. let; Porto Rico, August 31st;
Tortola, August 29th; Antigua, Martinique, and
Jacmel, 28th ; Barbadoes and Jamaica,27th; Grenada,
28th; Carthsgena, Demerara and Trinidad, 25th ; La
Guars, 24 ; Chagres, 23rd; Porto Cabello, 22nd;
and Hondaras,l7o.
The Attrato left in Port Royal harbour, on the
27th. H.M.S. Euryalas, Eurydice, Mariner, and
Inners. On the previous day, Captain Ramsay, of
the Royal Marines, end on the 27th Mr. GUMS, Stlf-
gem, died en board the Euryalur. The Daring and
Eapiegle sailed for England. On the 20th, at Gray-
town, were H.M.S. Intrepid, lmperieuse, Orion,
Arrogant, and Victor. At Antigua, on the 28th,
wu the Arachne; at Barbadoes, the Vestal. The
fieet was healthy.
In the West India Islands, from Demerara to St.
Thomas, the weather was unusually hot, more so
than for many years past. The islands, with the
exception of Martinique, were very healthy, but at
the latter place yellow fever was making great
ravages, particularly amongst the crews of the ship.
ping. The rainy season was nearly at au end to
Demerara, and the crops looked well. The southern
islands had had already some flue showers, but those
to the northward were much burnt up, and the your g
canes suffered in consequsnoe. At Nevis, on the
28th inst., a fire caused the destruction of the gaol
and several other buildings. St. Thomas was quite
free from yellow fever, but there was cholera still
among the coloured population, and many were fall-
ing victims to it. A smart shock of an earthquake
was felt in the island of St. Thomas on the afternoon
of the 28th, damaging several houses, and had it
lasted a few seconds longer the consequences would
have been most serious. The Atrsto was at Mar-
deigns at the time, and heard nothing of it there, nor
at the several islands to the northward of it.

Jamaica had suffered somewhat more than usual
from disease—the heat had been oppressive. Later,
however, showers had fallen, and benefited both the
population and the estates. The following commercial
quotations are from De Cordora's Intellogencer :
Flour—Sales have been made at 42e. per barrel.
Lard—Sales at 9d. per lb. Malt—Sales of Sacell and
i Co.'s at 12e. and 75., quarts and pints, strong ale; Be.
and 4s. 6d., ditto, pale ale. Rom—Sales of proof 18
at 32. 6d. Tobaccc —Cavendish is in abundant supply,
a small parcel has been placed at 11d. Tongues—
Irish pigs at We. Exchange : 90 days, 2 per cent.
premium; merchants' bills, 1j percent. premium.
The weather during the peat fortnight Las been
showery, accompanied with thunder and lightning.
This may be taken as an indication of the breaking up
of the wet season. A change of weather hem taken
pleas during the last week, and we believe wo may
now say, the dry weather has set io. Vegetation has
been thriving rapidly during the last three months,
and a little dry weather i. now required to bring the
canes to maturity.
Trade W still dull at Demerara; freights are mode-
rate, but prodnoe is scarce.