, 1861-04-02
HpKt Eay1or and Key west.

a. Rext Taylor and Key West.
!. Tbs AewppFt Mercury pnhlishes an interett-
Ing le.ter fs,n, Kay WEI, dated March 10t1.
We COPY tha ies1,;taes: -. = :,
:. Tost Taylor reetangu1ar In shape; thatis,.
o. i Rotse aeg5af ra e saa @ eas &, Ts3s ;s3
Ihe Y b.se nlxteen :f1eet* *his67 and eight: feet
thick, d OF Northern Rxartfe bedde1 In the
coral Tha 6oEt II 'ponEhncfsd of PenlacoIs:.
1ricE, ne NaAs hstng eI9ht fset thick. It 1las5
four bastdnn1 Nh1cl Take. ths front With tWun.
ty.four pound howttzesk u has two tiers of
eaaeznents armed with sfght.aneh colnmbiads::
The tier PlAaa, o. upper tier,s has fourty.fonr
ten:lnch swivel guns, md fwalve ten-iuch
trayiee guns. The fort has but one entrancs
or postern, which is Zine feet wide. The
goFge front Is $50 feet In length, ahd the three
.:otker -fep1ts are $40 :feet. each. The fort is
aectFd hy temporary briige. bnt when n con-. on
pletad this space Will ba infahea for officers.
quarters, IS adike sixty feet wide will be built
and covered. The ahore line will have d
breast-high rail, defended BY six tVeIye-inch
eoluInbiads. With the c6nptetion of thiE
covered way the 1ort win. ba completed. sid
viii be one of the strongest IN tha:Wprad.7 =
Owing to the disturbed state Of the country;
Capt. HINT, on his arrival last tall, imnaedi-
ately commenced to put xhe fort In q proper;
state Of defenee. This Was 5d0ue by removing
the wharf at the west front, constructing 3
dEawbrlde, and closing the lower parts, except
those occupied By guns. HI. has continued
through the winter 10 strength the fort in
impreguable, ha gave the military department.
to Ospt- Brennan, Eirst :AItdqery,U, B. a
The foree to baatataoned at the fort will con-
s1st Of three companies Of artillery under Mat
French, who ID on his way from Texas.
Beside the york done+ TO put the fort upon
9 War footing, very great amount Of work
has been done toward completing it, the NUM-
dred, forty of which iWefe Slaves: The men
are very; orderly, fhee from dissipation, and
not only willing to work for an honest living,
'bnt, If need be, jtW j6e Tie Onion: The health
OF the men has been unusually good so. far,
ta5 sn9 5hey sx2ese to close their work shout the
= Had not Capt. Hnnt placed the fort in astate
OF defence as coon as be arrived here, it would
have been IN the hands Of the seeessionists,
but by his foresight the fort is preserved to
the government who can hold It as long as
they deaire ~: =; s:.s:: :: ,.:: =
The town ofs:Keyv. IT est is situated on an
Island eix mfles long and two wide, the high
above the level Of the Sea-: The population ts
about s, 800, 500 Of which are negroes, the rest
nrs a heterogeneous set from all quarters but
the larger part are known as Conks, from the
Bahama Islands. Their occupation 1s gather
ing sponge, Of which they sell about sl0o, 900
worth per year. Many Of the, inhabitants are
Wreckers, and the rest get q living by their
wits: There are but very few old southern
famlllekhere. 0n tae islandara four churchee,
q court house, jail and two whipping posts.
Drunkenness abounds. License for selling
liquor, $50 per annuul- For drinking, the pen
atty is either four hours in the tweatbox, $40
fine, or SO lashes. ..;y - 49,.
The federal officers here are all disunionists,
but majority Of the people are for the Union,
and are true, and would make good officers
for the government, IT, desired But must
nov bid you good BY. =. =, T.,