The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-01 00:00:00

THE WEST INDIA MAILS.

The Royal West India Mail Packet Atrato arrived
at Southampton at 8 o'clock yesterday morning,
with 54 passengers, and specie to the amount of
1,352,137 dollars, of which 763,012 dollars value
was in silver, and 584,125 dollars value was in
gold. The amount includes nearly 7,000 dollars on
account of Mexican dividends.

The dates are—Jamaica, Oct. 12; Demerara,
Oct. 9; Trinidad, Oct. 10 ; Barbadoes, Oct. 12 ;
Panama, Oct. 9 ; Vera Cruz, Oct. 5.

Her Majesty's ship Basilisk was at Greytown on
the 3d, and her Majesty's ship Devastation, with
Commodore Kellett, C. 8., left Jamaica on the 7th
for Greytown. Her Majesty's ship Tartar was on
the Windward Isles division. Her Majesty's ship
Buzzard was at St. Thomas on the 17th, on her way
to Brazil.

The United States ships Roanoke and Savannah
were at Greytown, and United States ship Saratoga
at Colon. At Tampico, on the Ist, there were two
Spanish war steamers inside the bar ; and at Vera
Cruz, on the sth, was the Spanish steamer Cortes.
AlSpanish screw frigate was at Havana on the 10th
for Tampico.
In Jamaica, the Governor has summoned the
Legislature to meet on the 9th of November.
The circular despatch addressed by Sir Edward
Bulwer to the governor of Antigua, has created
some alarm in the minds of certain parties, who
regard it as an announcement of the intention of
her Majesty's Government to withdraw entirely
the troops now stationed here for the protection of
the island. and that the executive will be compelled
to reorganise the militia force. The chief cause of
alarm is the placing of arms in the possession of
the mass of the people. The alarm is utterly
ludicrous.

On the south side of the island the October sea-
son has been remarkable for its mildness; but in
other districts complaints are still made of a con-
tinued drought. The public health, all things con-
sidered, is exceedingly good.
In the sugar market the returns for the last week
show little to report. Transactions on a very
limited scale took place privately, and at auction
there has been nothing save a few barrels of as-
sorted quality, which brought 225. per 1001bs.
Exchanges on London.—Colonial Bank-90
days,* per cent. prem. ; 60 days, 1 per cent. prem. ;
30 days, 11 per cent. prem. Jamaica Bank-90
days, 1 per cent. prem. ; 60 days, 1 per cent. prem. ;
30 days, 11 per cent. prem. Commissariat Bills-
-1 per cent. prem., 30 days. Merchants' Bills-1
discount, days.
From Demerara the news is not particularly in-
teresting, as may be seen from the Georgetown
Royal Gazette, which begins its fortnightly sum-
mary by saying :
Everything has been as quiet and dull as possi-
ble, with, perhaps, the single exception of the sea-
wall. There, in consequence of the high equinoc-
tial tides, the sea has been doing considerable
damage.
The new colonial contract steamer Essequibo has
made her first trip to Essequibo and Berbice. Her
accommodations and speed are spoken of in the
highest terms.
The Court of Policy has agreed to the appoint-
ment of an assistant resident surgeon at the colonial
hospital, and voted him a salary of 1,000 dols. a year,
subject to the decision of the Combined Court.
A memorial to Sir E. Bulwer Lytton upon the
subject of the commutation of back passages to im-
migrants has been numerously signed. The me-
morialists ask for such an alteration in the laws as
w ill admit of a commutation of the right of back
passage, by coolies already in the colony, or who
may hereafter arrive, having that right.
The weather continues favourable for agricultural
operations, and the canes are improving both in
appearance and in the quantity of sugar yielded by.
them. The following are the exports of the past
fortnight :—Sugar, 2.483 hhds., 129 trs., 461 brls.;
rum, 863 pns., 109 hhds., 76 brls. ; mol asses, 38
pns., 2 hhds.