Star.
London, England, 1803-08-25 00:00:00

WEST INDIES.,

&yarrow, JAMAICA, JULY 1.—The nate of mer-
cantile affairs and credit here is at its lowers ebb.—
Indeed, you can have no idea of the diftrening
fitita-
tion of the commercial part of this community—the
merchant, the planter, and the faElor, alike fufpi-
clans of each others aith and integrity, have com-
pletely deflroyed all kind of confidence in bufinefs ;
while, to add to the general difafter, each returning
packet never fails to bring out attachments from
home, which end in the ruin of what confidence, and
a little patience, might otherwife have fared. The
1 natural confequence of lush harfh and impolitic pro-
ceedings, therefore, is a general diltrun. You may
from this flatement form an idea of our fituation, and
the inference to be drawn from it is, that we are in a
gate of bankruptcy, which, exclufively of a few
hordes, is too much the Cali. To account for the
original calla of all thefe difeners would be difficult.
It began towards the end of 1800, and :las ever fince
that time diltreffed the mercantile ioterell, overturn-
,ed credit, and flopped the operations of trade.—
, Under fuch cireumllancec, it will not be an eafy
'matter to rellore the city to its former credit and
opulence.
The Corporation, who only began their fundinns
in January lan, have already been of conliderable
fervice to this city. AVliolefome local laws have been
enafted, nuifences removed, and •trticular attention
to eleanlinefs grit* enjoined ; fa that this hitherto
devoted place promiles at length to be healthy, and
will, in all probability, be only fubjed to fuch difor-
ders as are peculiar to all Wen India climates.
_

We experienced, at the commencement of this
year, two (mart (hocks of earthquakes, which, as they
took place uithin five days of each other, created
confidetable alarm, although the inhabitants are
pretty well accuftumed to thufe dreadful vifitations.
—This brings to my recollraion the account of the
great and terrible earthquake which dellroyed the
town of Port Royal in June, 1692. It is reported,
that not many years ago, the roofs of lime of the
houfes that were (wallowed up, on that occafton,
were •ifibie in the harbour of Port Royal ; and that
a vefel, having can her anchor too near to the fhore,
in weighing it, adually drew tip fume of the rafters
entire. An extraordinary circomGance took place
at the time of this earthquake —This was the mira-
culous and providential efcape of a man of the name
of Louis Galdy. At the great (hock he was (wal-
lowed up in the earth—thrown up by a timed one,
fell into the lea, and, wonderful to relate, laved
himfelf by fwimming. But the infcription on his
tomb (tone, which have fern, will much better ea-
plain what mull appear to you almoft incredible. It
runs thus: " Here lies the body of Louis Galdy,
Efq. who departed this life at Port Royal, on the
22d day of December t;79, aged 8o years. He was
burn at Montpellier, in France, but left that country
for his religion, and came to fettle in this ifland,
where he was fwallo" ,d up in the great earthquake
in the year 5692, anti, by the providence of Goo,
was by another (hock thrown into the fea, and mira•
culoufly laved by fwimming until a boat took him
Hp. He lived many years after in great reputation,
beloved by all who knew hint, and much lamented
at his death."

His Majedy's brig the HUNTER, about a week
ago, arrived at Port Royal, exprefs from Great
Rritain, with di'patehes to the Governor and the
Admital, defiling the latter to bring in and detain
all French and Ditch veffels till farther orders. The
HUNTER broulht in a French fhip which the fell in
with a. the approached the Weft India 'flan& ; and
yetlerday morning three vefrzls mare have been fent
into Port Royal, all French. One of them is a very
I fine floop of war.
Tite fituation of affairs in St. Domingo feems to
he, for the French, dreadful indeed ; their fable op.
ponents having, according to fome accounts, difpor
felled th-m of every hold, except the Cape and Je.
rernie. It is even reported, that, lince the warlike
appearance of the time', the handful of troops that
were there, have evacuated there places, a..! thereby
given up all hopes of ever recovering the Colony.—
Thus, that emancipation which the authors of the
French Revolution granted to the laves of Saint
Domingo, has, as was expeaed, been the ruin of one
of the hneft and richen iflands in the world. The
plan which ...ONAPARTE adopted for the recovery of
this Colony, was as ill adviied as the emancipation
had been before impolitic. To have had fc.me chance
of focceediag in fo hazardous an enterprise, would
have been to have fent a powerful army of veterans,
who would have Rood tht climate ; and not new
levies, confining of young men, from i 8 to Ea years
of age, the molt critical period in hot countries.—
The number of the French army in Saint Domingo,
I am credibly informed, never etteeeded 20,000 men.
If Bocaraerc thought it convenient to have a few
thoufands killed off, 1.4 fending them to that Ifland,
it has proved the brit field of aelion he could pofEbly
fend them to, for, I will venture to fay, that very few
indeed will ever iLturs to thcir uativc country..