The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-19 00:00:00

THE WEST INDIA MAIL.

SOUTHAMPTON, AuG.lB.—The Royal Mail COIII.
pany's steam-ship Medway, Captain Symons, arrived
this afternoon, at half- past three o'clock, from the
West Indies, with the usual mails, in charge of Lieut.
I. J. Wilkinson, R.N., Admiralty agent.
On her homeward voyage the Medway experienced
fine weather; winds light and moderate from the
southward till the 16th instant; after, from N.W. to
N.E. Left Bermuda at five P.M., sth August, per-
forming the voyage, of 3,019 miles, in 12 days and 23
hours. The Medway has brought home sixty pas-
sengers.

The latest dates brought by the Medway are—
Vera Cruz, 16th July; Tampico, 12th; Havannah,
27th Jamaica, 22d: Demerara, 19th; Trinidad,
21st Barbadoes, 27th ; Grenada, 23d; Porto Rico,
25th ; St. Thomas, 31st; La Guayra, 22d ; Ber-
muda, sth August; Nassau, July 29th; Antigua,
28th ; St. Jago de Cuba, 20th ; Belize, 11th ; Mar-
tinique, 28th ; Guadeloupe, 28th ; St. Kitts, 29th.

The Meiway brings on freight 667,017 dolls. on
merchants' account, 36,887 dolls. for the dividends,
571 serons of cochineal, 4 ditto of jalapa, 37 cases of
cigars 102 bales of tobacco, 12 turtle, 5 cases of
succades, and 10 bales of sponge.
GALE OF WIND.—At St. Kitt'a a south-wester
commenced on the 11th of July. The damage on
shore was comparatively trifling; but of the shipping,
in addition to the account brought by the former
packet, apprehensions were entertained for the safety
of the brig Index, at the time at Sandy Point, taking
on board part of her cargo, and the schooner Governor
Light, which vessel was driven out, and it was sup-
posed had become unmanageable in consequence of
her rudder having been unshipped; however, both
these vessels returned to their anchorage on Sunday
morning, the 14th July. The cutter Union, the pro-
perty of Mr. John V. Poulse, sunk at her moorings
at Sandy Point, and was subsequently washed on
s'iOre and broken to pieces. The barque Robert, of
London, and brig Premier, of Glasgow, rode out the
gale in safety. The barque Benjamin Green, of
London, is a total wreck.
Sr. JoziN's HARBOUR, ANTIGUA, JULY 11.—The
shipping over the bar plunged heavily, but, with the
exception of the ship Isabel, rode out the gale. This
vessel, being light in balla.t, presented a greater ob-
ject to the wind and sea, consequently began to drive,
at one time being in immediate peril. The crew
were compelled to cut away the masts. The shipping
within the harbour, with the exception of a small
cutter, rode out the gale with little or no damage.
DOMINIQUE, JULY 13.—0 n Thursday morning the
11th instant, about eight o'clock, the sea began to
assume a rough and boisterous appearance, the wind
at the time blowing from NAV., but not at all what
could be called a gale. The barometer at that time
had fallen a tenth ; towards twelve o'clock appAar-
ances became more threatening. The wind veered
round to the S.W., and the sea became still more
boisterous, and the general opinion was that a storm
must have occurred to the southward to
cause the heavy sea. However, it still con•
firmed to rise; and it became evident that the vessels
riding at anchor in the roadstead were in great dan-
ger, as it was impos?ible for them to put to sea, the
wind blowing right in shore. About three o'clock

the fine barque, the Osbert, of London, which was to
have sailed to-day with a full cargo of? between 600
and 700 hogshead of sugar, parted her out-shore
anchor, and came ashore stern on. In the meantime
the sea had risen to such a height that no boat coul4
venture out into it, and no assistance could be rendered
to the shipping. One boat, manned with a crew of
noble fellows, did attempt to go off to the Osbert, but
they had proceeded but a short distance when the
boat was capsized, and the crew pitched into the sea,
and they were only saved by the exertions of the
people on shore, who took hands, and formed a line
out into the surf, and tail bold of each of the poor
fellows as they were overpowered by the waves, and
thus the whole were saved.

The condition of the captain and crew of the
Osbert now became very distressing • the vessel lay
about half a cable's length from the beach, the sea
was tremendous, and with every bump it was feared
the masts would go overboard and tear the ship to
pieces; at last, after great difficulty, a hawser was
got on shore, and made fast to a tree. On this one
of the sailors managed to get ashore, bringing a small
line, to which was attached a noose, hung to the
hawser by a large iron hook ; to this another rope
was fastened by the people on shore, and the hook
again drawn back to the ship, a tub was then fastened
to the hook, and in this the whole of the crew, one
after the other, was drawn ashore. . .

About eight o'clock P.M. the vessel began to
break up, and at ten the whole bay was strewed with
wreck and empty sugar casks, and now only a few
fragments remain in the place where the vessel struck.
Both the ♦essel and cargo, we are happy to hear,
are insured.
Besides the Osbert, the sloops Brothers, Venus,
William Stewart, Childs Harold, Jane and Mary,
and Calypso, belonging to this port, were driven on
shore. _ .

At four o'clock, P.M., the North-American steam-
packet Medway, Captain Symons, with the English
mails, made her appearance off the town of Roseau.
A canoe, with three men, launched from the beach at
the west end of the town, came off, and took the mails
on shore. An attempt was made to land a draft of
soldiers for the island in one of the packet-boats; the
canoe came off again to the boat's assistance, took
two soldiers out of her and landed them ; other boats
from the ship went to her assistance, and with much
difficulty she returned to the ship. At eight oclock
the packet proceeded on without the our-mails for
England. Captain Dalrymple, of the Osbert, and
crew, are passengers by the Medway.