The Sun.
London, England, 1832-02-20 00:00:00

REVOLT or SLAVES AT .TAMATCA

By despatches which reached the Colonial-
office on Saturday from the Governor of Ja-
maica, intelligence has been received of a partial
insurrection of the slaves, principally those of
St. James's, Portland, and Trelawney parishes.
Shortly after the '2oth December the slaves on
several estates refused to go to their work, and
large bodies of them met together and set fire to
many plantation buildings. On the 30th De-
cember martial law was proclaimed, the several
corps of militia were called out, and Sir Wil-
loughby Cotton, the Commander of the forces,
proceeded with three or four hundred troops of
the line to Montego Bay, accompanied by Com-
modore Farquhar, in his Majesty's ship Blanche.
In the meanwhile two conflicts had taken place
between militia corps and the insurgents, who
had lost on one occasion about twenty men
killed, on the other, about ten, with twenty-five
wounded ; with the loss of only two men on the
part of the whites. The insurgents were dis-
persed on both occasions, but the militia corps
had nevertheless retired to Montego Bay, •as it
was apprehended that large numbers of negroes
were approaching from other quarters. The ar-
rival of Sir Willoughby Cotton, however, seems
to have had an immediate effect in discouraging
and suppressing the insurrection. Two negroes
were executed under sentence of a court-martial ;
and after the issue of a proclamation of pardon
fur all but ringleaders, the negroes came in in
great numbers ; and on the sth January, which
is the date of Sir Willoughby's latest despatch,
tranquillity was fast returning, and many pro-
prietors and attorneys were proceeding to visit
their estates.

The New York Papers, which reached us last
night, contain the following accounts of this in-
surrection :

Fitom JAMAICA.—By the brig Lawrence, from Ja-
maica, we have been favoured with a Courant of the 30th
ult., giving the particulars of an insurrection among the
slaves of the island. Captain Fowler states that martial
law had been proclaimed—that the slaves had burnt a
number of buildings—and that —Jackson, Esq. an emi-
nent barrister of Old Harbour, bad been murdered in his
house by the insurgents.
Two companies of the Sith Regiment were marched
yesterday morning from Spanish .town to Port Henderson,
and embarked on board his Majes'y's ship Blanche, Com-
modore Farquhar, which will proceed this day to Mon-
tego-b iv, to assist in maintaining order and tranquillity in
the parishes of St. James and Trelawney.
The work of destruction has commenced. We now see
two fires, evidently in the direction of St. James's.
Ten o'clock.—We have just received intelligence that
the fire at Palmyra estate was extinguished, after burning
down one trash-house. The head driver and three negroes
belonging to the property have been secured. A company
of the St. James's militia, under the command of Captain
Cleghorn, moved from Adtlphi on the first notice of the
fire, and remains there. We understand that the drivers
on the neighbouring estates, instead of going to their over-
seers fur orders, as usual, this being the *last day of the
holidays, have taken their mascheats and gone off, as they
say, to their grounds.

Eleven o'clock at Night.--The work of destruction is
going on. The whole sky in the south-west is illumi-
nated. From our office we at this moment perceive five
distii,ct fires, one apparently in this parish, the others in
St. James's, and at no great distance from us.
Midnight.—One fire is raging with unabated fury. We
apprehend it to be the whole of the works and buildings
on York estate, in this parish.—Cornwall Courier.
We extract the following trom the Inquirer:—
" We have received by the brig Lawrence, from Kings-
ton, Papers to the 31st of December. Considerable alarm
prevailed in consequence of insurrectionary movements
among the negroes in some parts of the island, and mar-
tial law had been proclaimed by the Governor with the
unanimous advice of a Council of War. According to
accounts from Montego bay, the officer commanding there
had thought it prudent to cali in all his outposts, and con•
centrate his whole force in the place itself. On many of the
esta.es in that vicinity the negroes had refused to work ;
and one is mentioned on which there were 700 negroes.
The parishes of St. James and trelawney were particularly
in a state of excitement. The Cornwall Courier says,
that at the time of their going to press, five distinct fires
were perceptible, and that the whole sky in the s.iuth-west
was illuminated—the negroes are said to be the incen-
diaries. The militia were called out, and the King's troops
moving to the scene of danger. The alarm, it is however
observed, is greater than any thing that had yet occurred
Justified, and a full belief is expressed that the measures
taken will be fully adequate to any emergency which may
ensue."

(From the Second Edition of the Falmouth Packet.)
INSURRECTION OF SLAVES IN THE ISLAND

OF JAMAICA.

The Mutine, which arrived yesterday evening from Ja-
maica, was ciftained some days at that island for the pur-
pose of enabling Lord Belnaote to forward to his Majesty's
Government intelligence of an alarming insurrection of
the negroes in that island, which commenced at the close
of the year 1831. By this conveyance we have received
Jimaica Papers to the 6th of January, but the accounts
contained in them are so wildly and unconnectedly given,
that we have found much difficulty in gleaning the fol-
-I..wing particulars of the dreadful proceedings which have
taken place.

It appears that a spirit of insubordination was first dis-
played by the negroes in the parishes of St. James and
Trelawny. The slaves of the former parish destroyed the
trash-houses, and set fire to all the buildings and works on
fifteen estates, the whole of which were consumed. Ict
Trelawny similar exc sses were committed. All the estates
in the neighbourhood of Montego Bay were likewise fired. ,
Intelligence of these proceedings having been communicated
to his Excellency the Governor, the Earl of 13elmot e, be
proclaimed martial law throughout the island, and de-
spatched Major-General Sir Willoughby Cotton, with a
body of troops, to the scene of action. Sir Willoughby
established his head-quarters at Montego Bay. The militia
of the island were also called out.

On the 2d of J tn. Capt. Smith, with a detachment of
the 22d Regt. came up with a party of rebels, and drove
them in all directions, killing 30, and wounding several.
On the 4th, a detachment of the 84th Regt. also fell in
with a large party, sonic of whom they killed, and the
rest dispersed. Colonel Grignon was attacked by a con-
siderable force of rebels, who advanced upon the troops
under his command in four columns. The soldiers re-
turned the attack by a rapid fire, and the enemy were
dispersed with the loss of ten killed and twenty-five wounded,
bat still Colonel Grignon felt it necessary to retire to Mon.-
tego Bay.
These discomfitures of the rebels, and the arrest of some
of the leaders and others, who were immediately tried and
shot, appears to have produced an impression email the
slaves of the impossibility of accomplishing their object,
and mins of them returned to their duty. Others, ho'X'
ever, took to the interior and other commanding heights',
and held communication with the negroes by means 0:
signals. Among the rebels that were shot was a man an'
his wife ; in the possession of the latter was found a (1110'
tity of gunpowder and other combustibles, which were iu
tended to he used in destroying the town of Montego Beii
The burnings were conducted by regular parties, dreOet,
in blue jackets and black cross belts. Capt. Barnet,virn
advanced up the hills, addressed several of the rebels WP-1
were standing in groups, to which they replied " Niro 4.
War !"

The exertions, however, of the regular troops, the
litia, and the maroons, had heea so far crowned with suc-
cess, that it was confidently anticipated the rebels would be
brought to surrender.

Throughout the accounts we do not find that the lives
of the whi.e inhabitants were at all an object of sacrifice.
The destruction of property alone seems to have been the 4
intention of the rebels, whose minds, it is said, had been
led astray by individual+ possessing much more knowledge
than negroes in general can be possessed of.
The above account is the best which we can gather from
our communications, for the glowing and exaggerated style
in which the West Indians describe every occurenee
almost precludes the possibility of coming at the tenth.
That the insurrection was of a serious and formidable
character there can be no question, and that much valu-
able prop Try has been destroyed is equally true ; but even
these circumstances will not justify the use of Linguae
like the followiliy, which we quote from the Jamaica
Courant:—
" Three Baptist preachers are now in custody, and as
we are satisfied they would not have been taken into et":
tody upon slight grounds by Su. Willoughby Cottons
hope he will award them fair and impartial justice. Sll,u°
jug is, however, too honourable a death for wen viP°l-,..-

This day was published
ALETTER on tli
Right Hon. the VLSI
cellor of the Exchequer, &c.
By HENRY LAM
Printed for W. H. Dalton
ing-cross.

in Svo. price 2s. sewed,
le CURRENCY to the
COUNT ALTHORP, Chan-

. &c.
BERT, Eaq., M.P.
r 2, 28, Cock,pur-street, Char-

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