The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-21 00:00:00

TEE WEST _INDIA MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY, 10.30 p.M.

The Royal Mail Company's steam-ship Atrato,
Captain Woolley, bas arrived with the usual mails
in charge of Lieut. Inglis, R.N. She was detained
six days at St.Thomas's waiting for the Trent, with
the Pacific and Spanisl. Main mails, which vessel
had encountered very rough weather, and was
obliged to go to Jamaica for coals, arriving at St.
Thomas's on the 6th inst. at 6 a.m. The Atrato
has had variable weather on the voyage. Her dates
are—Santa Martha, Dec. 23 ; Greytown, 17 ; Nas-
sau, 14 ; Colon, 24 ; Demerara and Trinidad, 25 ;
Carthagena, 26 ; Jamaica, Jan. 1 ; Grenada, Dec.
25 ; Barbadoes, 27; Bermuda, 24 ; Honduras, lr ;
and St. Thomas's. Jilt, 6.

The Atrato brings 35 passengers, specie value
780,709 dots., platina value 1,350 dols., pearls
value 3001., 229 serons cochineal, 1,261 bags cocoa,
and a general miscellaneous cargo.
The news from Jamaica for the fortnight has been
centered in legislative matters, the most important
of which was the final settlement of the financial
measures of the session. The hereditament tax,
which was very unpopular, had been got rid of. A.
registration tax on houses above the annual rental
of 201. was levied, and certain duties and exports
adopted in place of the hereditament tax.
Intelligence was received at Jamaica of the total
loss of the American brigantine Malvern, of Phila-
delphia, which left Jamaica on the 20th of Novem-
ber, bound for Poiladelphia with a cargo of log-
wood. She was lost on the 25th off the Grand
Caymanas. The captain and crew were saved.
Trade had become unusually brisk at Jamaica. The
weather was fair, and the public health generally
good. Produce remains stagnant. Coffee in better
supply, but transactions were confined to small
purchases for the English market at from 345. to
375. per 1001 b. Pimento not in supply, nor was
there any quantity demanded. Logwood was
offered at a decline, but buyers were scarce. Flour
was dull of sale, with a heavy stock.
Freights !ow, with no inclination to ship.
Exchanges on London, 90 days, 1. per cent.
premium ; 60 days, 1 ; 30 days, 2 ; merchants'
bills at par.
A fresh batch of immigrants had arrived at
Martinique by the ship Clara from the coast of
Africa.

The mortality on board this vessel was much
higher than in any of the Coolie ships previously
received. Out of 325 no less than 35 died during
the passage, which lasted 29 days, and a number of
'hose landed bad to he sent to the hospital,
.where
many of them have died. The Clara is described
as a small vessel, of not more than 300 tons mea-
surement

These were the first immigrants introduced by
Regis and Co., of M.,rseilles, under their new con-
tract with the Government. It was mentioned that
symptoms of discontent had been manifested by the
African immigrants in the quarter of Lamentin,
and an attempt at flight to the neighbouring island
of St. Lucia had been discovered on the Chateau
Lezard estate. The labourers of several estates
were in the plot. The crews of the past 11 months
of the year showed a falling off compared with the
corresponding period in 1856 ; of sugars there had
been 49,346 hhds. this year, be 4,666 less than last
year ; and a decrease appeared also iu rum, coffee,
and c.coa.
Under the head of " A Russian fleet in the
Antilles, the Oatre Mer gives the following extract
from the Avenir (Guadaloupe paper) of the 10th of
December :

We are indebted to the obligingness of our
friends for the following intelligence from St.
Thomas's, under date of the 29th ult. :
" We are momentarily looking for the arrival
of a Russian fleet. A German house at this place
has been instructed to hold at the disposal of the
commandant of this fleet 60,000 pounds sterling
(1, 500, 000 f.) We are all bewildered here in con-
jectures upon such a visit."
From the Pacific we learn that the assassin of
Mr. Sullivan had been discovered. He is a French-
man.

The Atrato spoke, December, 27, at 9 th•
English brig Duchess of Northumberland, going
into Kingston,"Jainaica ; January 11, in lat. 32 42
N., long. 50 22 W., the English barque West
Indian, from Demerara for London ; January 18,
in lat. 47 46 N., long. 18 26 W., the English
barque Shallett, steering east.