The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-18 00:00:00

The West India and Pacific Mails.

SOUTHAMPTON, Sunday.
The Royal Mail Company's steam-ship Atrato,
Captain West, with the above mails, arrived off
Netley Hospital this afternoon. She brings 61
passengers ; specie, 1,010,702 dollars; also 3,139
serous indigo, 204 serons bark, 725 bales tobacco,
460 bags cocoa, and 529 packages sundries.
The Atrato left St. Thomas's on the Ist inst., up
to which date the mail from Southampton on the
17th ult. had not arrived out.

Yellow fever, cholera, and small-pox still pre-
vailed at St. Thomas, but the sickness had much
decreased during the fortnight. The statistics of
the mortality of St. Thomas for the last 26 years
show that the deaths this season have exceeded by
346 that of any previous season. The weather at
St. Thomas was still very hot.
The Atrato during her stay at St. Thomas
steamed out of the harbour every afternoon, an-
choring at the open anchorage, and, owing to the
great precautions taken in the various departments
of the ship, not a case of yellow fever has occurred
on board during the passage. Dr. Wiblin, the
medical superintendent of quarantine, allowed the
passengers to land immediately on arrival, and the
ship herself comes into dock this evening.
Cholera had broken out at Greytown, and was
making frightful ravages amongst the population.
Her Majesty's gunboat Nettle left Port Royal,
Jamaica, on the 24th for the outports. The Royalist
was to leave on an early day for Porto Rico ; the
Simoom was expected at Jamaica from the West
Coast of Africa ; the Aboukir, Onyx, and Steady
were in Port Royal harbour.
The Pacific mail-steamer Payta, from Valparaiso
on the 3d Jan. ; Coquimbo, 4th ; Caldera, sth ;
Arica, Bth ; Callao, 14th ; and Paiti, 17th, arrived
at Panama on the 28th. The following is the
latest intelligence by that mail, published in the
Panama Star and Herald of the 23d :

" CHILE.—We find no news of importance from
Chile. The project ;of levying, extraordinary con-
tributions for the purpose of meeting the deficit in
the Treasury had given rise to very warm discussion
in the Senate, some of the members accusing the
Cabinet of great extravagance in the administration
of the Government. The allied fleet was in Val-
paraiso. Admiral Tucker and Captain Williams
were in Santiago consulting with the Ministry. It
was rumoured in Talparaiso that the Spanish ad-
miral will proceed with all the ships under his com-

mand to the Falkland Islands. It is also currently
reported that the Spaniards': intend establishing
a naval station at Montevideo, from which point
they would be able to look after all ships, transports,
and munitions of war that the Republics may be
necessitated to order from Europe or the United
States.

" The ,Valparaiso market had improved, and a
fairquantity of copper produce disposed of. Freights
ruled £2 17s. 6d. to £3 for Liverpool or Swansea.
Exchange on London, 454. 464, 60 to 90 days ;
Paris, 4.73 5, 90 days; 4.70, 60 days. Nitrate
sold at $l. 40c., with free freight.
PERU.—A recent law passed in Peru confers on
all foreigners who have resided in the country for
upwards of five years the right of voting for the
election of President of the Republic and members
of Congress ; and several British residents in
Arequipa consulted Lord Stanley as to whether, if
they took advantage of this law and voted, they in
any way forfeited their rights as British subjects,
entitled to the protection of the British Govern-
ment, in any question with the Peruvian Government.
"In answer, Mr. Hammond has addressed a
despatch to her Majesty's Consul in Islay to the
following effect : ' After consulting the law officers
of the Crown upon the matter, his lordship is of
opinion that by claiming and exercising the right of
voting for the election of President of the Republic
and members of Congress, British subjects would, to
a very great extent, incorporate themselves in the
Peruvian nation, and would render it extremely
difficult, perhaps impossible, for her Majesty's Go-
vernment to render them official protection in any
matter which might arise between themselves and,
the Government of Peru. If, therefore, they choose
to take this step, it must be with a clear understand-
ing that they will be liable to be considered and
treated as Peruvian subjects, within the territory of
Peru.' "
At Grenada the weather continued favourable for
crop operations, and the health of the island good.
Sugar making had commenced, and cocoa was
rapidly arriving for shipment.
The Government of Guadaloupe had levied a tax
of 10 centimes per kilogramme upon cotton and
cocoa exported in 1867, and 5 per cent. upon the
gross produce of every hectare of land cultivated
in provisions, or any cultivation of a secondary de-

acription.
At Trinidad the weather was fine and encourag-
ing to the planters. Sugar making was progressing

for, shipment.
The weather at Jamaica has been fine, with good
sea breezes. The people, particularly those to the
eastward, are still unwilling to work, but many yet
believe that " the new Governor has made a law

to raise the wages," and they await its being put
into operation. A cooper on a certain estate was
asked to make a puncheon during the first week of
the year-ss. was the price previously paid—he
answered that if one was particularly wanted he
would make it for Bs., but he believed the Govern-
ment price was to be 10s. On account of this stop-
page of labour much has not yet been done in
sugar making. Some of the wiser hands have set
to work, others are slowly following ; in a week or
two all will turn out as usual. There will be a very
considerable falling off in the sugar crops in Vete,
St. Thomas in the East, and Trelawny. The coffee
crop of the high mountains will be very small. The
greater part of that on the lower mountains has
already been gathered, and the bearing has been
heavy. There is every indication that next crop will
be early and abundant.
The Governor, Sir J. P. Grant, left for Hondu-
ras on Jan. 12. During his absence Major-General
O'Connor has assumed the administration of the
government of Jamaica.
The mail schooner Venice arrived at Kingston on
the 12th, from Belize, with the despatches from the
Lieutenant-Governor, Mr. Austin. The news from
Honduras is very unsatisfactory, the Indians con-
tinuing to menace the peace of the colony.
On the 21st December an engagement took place
between the Indians and the troops, when the latter
were forced to retreat, having sustained some losses
in killed, wounded, and missing ; and it was
rumoured that the various chiefs were assembling
their tribes to unite for the purpose of overrunning
the entire colony and extirpating the strangers,