Star.
London, England, 1808-10-04 00:00:00

WEST INDIES.

BARBADOES, AUGUST 13.
At Cumana, the Spaniards were beyond measure
rejoiced at the prospect afforded by the revolution, of
promoting the interest and extending the commerce
of the South American colonies, as well as of break-
ing the foreign yoke under which their parent State
had nearly sunk ; and a Spanish Officer arrived at i
Trinidad from thence states, that the French brig ,
Serpent, charged with the dispatches from Bonaparte 1
respecting the cession of these colonies, had only ar- ,
rived two hours previous to the Acasta frigate, dis.;
patched by Sir Alexander Cochrane in consequence
of the advices from Cadiz. He says the British Of-
ficer, Captain Beaver, instantly presented himself be-
fore
the Supreme Court of Audience then sitting in I ;
deliberation on Bonaparte's dispatches, and was re-,
ceived with a general acclamation of applause by
them, to the discomfiture and chagrin of the French
Officers who were present, urging a compliance to
the mandate of their master ; that one of these Offi-
cers using some intemperate threat, so exasperated
an Aide-de-Camp of the Spanish Commandant, that
he drew his sabre and cut him down in the presence of
the whole Council ; and that such was the general
indignation against the Frenchmen there, that had it.
not been for the interference of the British Officers,
they would all have been sacrificed. To this account
the Trinidad Gazette of the 30th ult. furnishes us
with the following :
" By a launch which arrived yesterday evening
from Barcelona, we learn that a French national brig
(no doubt one of the expresses mentioned in Lord
Collingwood's dispatches) had arrived at La Guira,
with a number of Officers on board, civil and mili-
tary, bearing orders from Bonaparte, sanctioned by
the King, his prisoner, to supersede the present ad-
ministration of Government, and to establish the
reign of the new dynasty in that province. The dis-
patches had been forwarded to Caraccas ; but the
chiefs of that province, men of sound judgment and
approved fidelity, having been previously put in pos-
session of the Bando of the Supreme Junta of Se-
ville, dated 28th May (which had been forwarded
by this Government), weighing well in the scale of
prudence the dangers of precipitation in a matter of
so much importance to the State, had called a Gene-
ral Assembly of the Heads of Departments, to deli-
berate on the steps to be taken in so difficult an emer-
gency. The Council had accordingly assembled,
and were sitting when the Acasta's dispatches arrived
to confirm their opinion in the resistance which it
seems it was their determination to oppose to the at-
-1 tempts of the Usurper. They were read with itccia-
1' mations by the Councl—the cries of " Viva el fey,
tviva nueitro Catholic° Monarea, Fernando Sept:ll.9, y su
1 magnamimo aliedo el Rey de la Gran Bretana," resounded
1 in the Casa Capitular, and were soon re-echoed by the
whole city—and the imperious Officers of his impe-
rial Majesty were committed to durance vile, in the
i Cazematres of La Guira, and his Imperial brig made
prize and sent to Porto Cavello.
! " The colours of the two nations were soon dis-
played on the forts of La Guira, under a general sa-
lute of all the heavy artillery. The Acasta, at anchor !
in the road, repeated the signals and tokens of alliance
and festivity, and the Officers who landed were re-
ceived and treated with the greatest marks of respect
and attention." i