The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-05-14 00:00:00

WEST INDIES.

The papers received by the Tweed steamer from the
West Indies reach to the 9th of April from Jamaica, and
from the other islands to corresponding dates. The most
important intelligence conveyed by this opportunity is the
rising of the blacks in Hayti, and the sacrifice of life and
property following the revolt. The Jamaica journals, re-
ferring to the condition of the weather, state that no satis-
factory change had taken place. A few partial showers
had fallen, but generally speaking the drought continued
in the majority of the parishes. No improvement deserv-
ing notice could be reported in the trade of the island, nor
was any, it appears, expected till agricultural operations
had taken a brisker turn than had been the case for some
months past. The bad weather, it is stated, leaves the
labouring population without employment, and conse-
quently they were without the means which they would
otherwise have of making purchases. St. Thomas's in
the East, to which Lord Elgin had recently paid a visit,
was one of the few parishes that had been favoured with
genial weather, and where good crops were to be seen.
With respect to politics, it is observed that the next ge-
neral election is looked forward to with much interest and
even alarm by some persons, who imagine, but from what
cause is not apparent, that the constitution of the House
of Assembly will undergo considerable change.
The accounts from the other islands afford little news
of interest. The weather at Barbadoes had been seasona-
ble, and the plantations showed the benefit of the late
rains. At Trinidad the Council were occupied with the
promulgation of ordinances for the internal imeroyement
of the island, but labour, it was feared, would be insuffi-
cient to carry the necessary works into execution. The
Demerara papers allude to the absence of Mr. Bagot, the
chief registrar, and the serious charge of fraud made
i
against him. There appears to be no change n business
affairs in this quarter of the West Indies ; and, generally
speaking, matters seem to bear a smooth and quiet aspect
throughout the several islands.
The following melancholy particulars of the revolt at
Hayti we take from the Jamaica Royal Gazelle of the
Bth April, which announces the arrival at that port of the
French brig Adelina, Captain Tahet, with 140 passengers,
compelled to fly from their native land in consequence of
this revolt. " Our readers remember that the new Pre-
sident, Herard, had marched with a large army for St.
Domingo city, to quell the insurrection in the eastern
portion of the island. Taking advantage of the absence of
the General and troops, the black people rose en masse on
Sunday, the 31st ultimo, and commenced an indiscrimi-
nate slaughter of the brown population. On Wednesday
the National Guards, of the town of Aux Cayes, went out
with two pieces of ordnance to suppress the rebellion and
punish the rebels, but as we have learned, their own Ge-
neral Commandant delivered up the cannons to the blacks,
and joined them himself. Thus strengthened, they drove
the National Guard back to Aux Cayes, entered the town,
and commenced a relentless butchery—murdering every
b. rowit person, without regard to sex or age. The wretched
inhabitants had no means of defence, no refuge, save on
board the few foreign ships lying in the harbour—French,
American, and English. Into these they crowded in con-
fused and huddled batches, men, women, and children,
literally covering the decks, and exhibiting a distressing
spectacle of misery and sudden destitution. But the
decked vessels were not sufficient to hold the numbers of
wretched refugees ; the port was dotted all over with
small open boats, each containing as many human beings
as it could hold, who dared not to remain on land to await
certain massacre, and yet could have little hope of escape
by sea. Captain Tahet was bound for France, and had
but provisions sufficient for his crew. To Cuba or Porto
Rico, which would have been on his route, he could not
bring his poor protoges, for there they would not have
been received.. With disinterested generosity, therefore,
he sailed for Jamaica, and here has safely landed his un-
happy freight. Most of these made their escape from the
shore without any other property than their wearing appa-
rel—some, indeed, with scarcely that. At eight o'clock
on Thursday evening last Captain Tahet set sail, and at
that time the work of blood was going on, and the port
crowded in the manner mentioned. We shall probably
have some of the other vessels with the refugees arriving
here to-day. When the Adelina left, her commander had
just got his letters from St. Domingo ; and though ru-
mours were rife, there was no certain information of any
encounter having taken place between Herard and the
Spanish revolters. We learn through private sources
from Hayti, that General Herard had succeeded in col-
lecting a
.force of 25,000 men to oppose the insurgents in
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PORTUGAL.—On the 29th ult. Almeida surrendered.
The soldiers left their arms in the fortress, and marched
before the besieging troops to the place appointed. Gen.