The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-29 00:00:00

WEST INDIA AND PACIFIC MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, June 28.

The Royal Mail Company's steamship Shannon,
Captain Abbott, with the above mails, has arrived.
She brings 248 passengers, amongst whom are his
Excellency Governor Birch, from Santa Cruz; Sir
F. Blakewood and Dr. Brown, R.R., from Panama ;
Lieut. Swinton, 14 N., from Vera Cruz, and Dr.
Lockhart, R.N., from Jamaica,
The Shannon brings on freight, specie value
£793,611 sterling, of which amount £247,844 is
gold bullion, £3,513 gold coin, £210,533 silver
bullion, £331,721 silver coin, also pearls, 1120, and
jewellery value £170:
The cargo consists 'of 601 serous cochineal, 3
serene indigo, 179 serons jalap, 360 cases cigars,
320 bales tobacco, 66 casks coffee, 43 tierces ditto,
92 bales sarsaparilla, 71 casks ginger, 7 packages
vanilla, 687 bales bark, 96 bales indiarubber, and
219 packages sundries.
Dates by this arrival are—Vera Cruz, Ist ; Tam-
pico, May 28 ; Havana, June 6 ; Santa Martha, 28 ;
Carthagena, 2 ; Jamaica, 9 ; Porto Rico, 12 ; Deme-
rara, 8; Tobago, 9; Trinidad, 8; Barbadoes, 11;
Grenada, 9 ; St. Lucia, 10 ; Martinique, 12 ; An-
tigua, 12 ; St. Kitts, 13; and St. Thomas, 14.
The Shannon sailed from St. Thomas at 6 p.m.
on the 14th, and experienced fine weather through-
out the passage. At 11.50 p.m. on the day of
sailing she came in collision with the brig Mercedes,
belonging to Majorca, bound from the Canaries to
Porto Rico with a cargo of oil and wine ; the brig
sank in 15 minutes after the collision. The crew
were all saved.

Intelligence from Vera Cruz to the Ist instant
states that the French, at the taking of Puebla,
captured 30,000 prisoners, also 1,500 Mexican
officers and generals, which latter had been sent to
Martinique. It was rumoured at Vera Cruz that
the Mexican Government had already quitted the
city of Mexico, and that the French were pushing
forward their operations with much vigour.
The Barbadoes Legislature met on the 26th ult.
and on the 9th inst. With the exception of a bill
passed to continue in force for a period of twelve
month, the Rum Act, just about to expire, the pro-
ceedings were unimportant.
Intelligence from Jamaica says the reduction of
the duties on sugar is still occupying the attention
of the colonies, but no simultaneous action has
been taken.

Preparatory to the next meeting of Parliament
it is contemplated that a united remonstrance and
appeal will be forwarded, praying for a remission
of the duties.
The officers and men of her Majesty's steamer
Ariadne, lying at Jamaica, had contributed the sum
of £lOO towards the relief of the distressed Lanca-
shire operatives.
The cotton planting experiment was progressing
with every prospect of success, and the expediency
of introducing into the island some of the distressed
Lancashire operatives was under discussion, it being
considered desirable to increase the white popula-
tion in Jamaica.
The island was visited on the sth by a severe

shock of an earthquake. It was of short duration.
The shock was accompanied by a hollow rumbling
sound, unusually loud and terrific. The undula-
tions appeared to proceed from the south-east.
The British brigantine Appoline, from Baltimore,
bound to Trinidad de Cuba, was wrecked on the
20th ult. on Indiana Point (Coast Cuba), captain,
crew, and part of the cargo were saved. The crew
were taken from the wreck by a schooner from the
Caymanas. They fell in with her Majesty's ship
Landrail, wh.) landed them at Jamaica on the
31st.

Her Majesty's steamer Ariadne was to leave Ja-
maica on the 9th with the 4th West Indian Regi•

men t, and to proceed immediately for Lagos, Africa,
to join the 3d West India Regiment, now engaged
in war with the King of Ashantee.
Business at Jamaica continued extremely dull.

There had been no meeting of the Demerara Court
of Policy since the last mail.
The birthday of the Queen was celebrated on the
28th ult. as a general holiday, and a grand ball
was given by his Excellency Governor Hincks, in
commemoration of the occasion.
In the market stocks of all kinds were much re-
duced, and prices considerably advanced. Tonnage
in the harbour was fully equal to the demand, but
the rainy season having set in, manufacturing ope-
rations on the sugar estates would necessarily be
interrupted, and during its continuance little em-
ployment for shipping. Freights, however, were
firm, at previous rates. Trade continued exces-
sively dull, and without prospect of material im-
provement.