The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-15 00:00:00

WEST INDIA AND PACIFIC MAILS.

The Royal Mail Company's steamship Parana,
Captain C. G. Weller, with the above-named mails,
in charge of Lieutenant Payne, R.N,, Admiralty
agent, arrived at Southampton yesterday at four
p.m. Her dates are :—Nassau (Bahamas), Jan. 13 ;
Belize (Honduras) 18; Greytown (Mosquito) 17 ;
Carthagena, 26 ; Colon, 25 ; Kingston (Jamaica) 27;
Jacmel (Hayti) 28 ; an Juan (Porto Rico) 31;
Berbice, 24; Georgetown (Demerara) 25 ; Tobago,
25 ; Port of Spain (Trinidad) 25; Bridgetown
(Barbadoes) 27; Grenada, 26; Carriacou 26; St. Vin-
cent, 26; St. Lucia, 28; Martinique, 28 ; Guada-
loupe, 28 ; Dominique, 28 ; Antigua, 29 ; Mont-
serrat, 29; Nevis, 29 ; St. Kitt's, 29 ; Tortola, 30 ;
and St. Thomas's, 31.
On the outward voyage this steamer experienced
fine weather, and made the run to St. Thomas's in
12 days 18 hours; on her homeward passage she
had strong head-winds and very heavy sea for the
first eight days, and the remainder of the voyage
heavy northerly gales, with head sea and strong
squalls. She brings 68 passengers, 884,298 dols. in
specie (of which 802,674 is in silver, and 91,624
gold), jewellery value 8,448d015., 124 serons of
cochineal, 1,013 serons of indigo, 1 case of cigars,
86 bales of sarsaparilla, 2 live turtles, 2 cases of
tortoiseshell, 3 cases of succades, 7 bales of beeswax,
99 boxes of limes, and 124 packages of sundries.
The weather has been genial throughout the
island of Jamaica. Fever prevailed in some districts.
Ordinary coffee commanded from 38s. to 38s. 6d.
and was firm at the former figure; higher grades
were held at 40s. to 455. Sales of East India rice
had been made at 14s. 6d. to 155.; Patna at 17s. to
18s. 200 bags pimento sold at 155., and 150 at
14s. Butter-market was improving, holders of
Cork demanding 14d. ; stocks small. Freights were
dull, and there was little chance of vessels for Euro-
pean markets being laden before March or April.
Exchange on London.—Colonial and Jamaica Banks
—9O days, g per cent. pm. ; 60 days, 11 ditto; 30
days, 1.1 ditto; merchants' bills, par; commissariat,
30 doys,l per cent. pm.
From Trinidad we learn that activity prevailed in
sugar making, the weather continuing. favourable
for reaping the crop. The yield of juice from the
canes was good, and the saccharometer showed a
higher degree of sweetness than is usual at the
commencement of the season. The supply of labour
seemed to be nearly up to immediate wants. Three
more vessels had arrived with Indian immigrants
—two from Madras and one from Calcutta.
Grenada dates are to the 25th ult. The condi-
tion of the island exchequer was highly satisfac-
tory. The balance of money in the chest at the
end of last year was shown by the public accounts
to be £11,253 Os. 3d., of which amount £3,454
7s. 7d. was for special purposes, and £7,798 12s.
Bd. the surplus of general revenue. Sugar-mak-
ing had commenced upon several estates,
and would probably be general over the island in
two or three weeks more. The weather latterly had
been favourable, and though some estates suffered
severely from drought, in the early part of the
growing season, and the canes presented a stunted
appearance, the general prospect was cheering
enough as regards the staple crop. It was feared the
cocoa crop will not be a large one. The late rains
proved very detrimental to this branch of agricul-
ture, and the trees have not borne as much fruit
in this as in former seasons. Business was, how-
ever, pretty brisk with the growers and shippers of
this produce. Besides some shipments per Royal
Mail steamers, 1,649 bags had been sent away in
the brigantine Asia, which sailed for London on the
15th. Several importations of live stock had taken
place latterly. The American bark Montezuma had
landed 22 mules, and was followed by the Vene-
zuelan schooner Wasp, with a cargo of 35 mules
and 1 horse, all which had been sold. The Icarian
was expected with a cargo of horses and mules.
Fever had broken out on shore at St. Thomas's,
among some newly arrived Danish soldiers, but
among the shipping not a case had been reported.
H.M.'s ships Imaum, Basilisk, and Cuba were at
Jamaica; the Indus at Barbadoes.
The Royal mail steamer Atrato, Captain Wool-
ward, with the outward mails of the 17th ult., from
Southampton, arrived at St. Thomas's on the 31st
at 3.30 p.m., all well.