Colonial Intelligence.
The Times, 1824-09-15T00:00:00

cumplaiits have lately been made or. the unfriendly conduct of Admhiral Jacob, the Iovernor of Guadalonpe, in causing British vessels to be detained, nmerely fer passing within a certain limitedl distance from that island. The partiaulars detailel in the following letter from Captain Dunscomb, colmmantling a small ves- sel from Bermuda, bound to Antignia, and atddressed to his con- signee there, .will no doubt rouse the attention of our naval com- smanders, and induce them to adopt effectual means to obtain resti- tution of the vessels undet detention, which we under3tand has been refused to Captain Lawrein_e, of the Eder. sloop of war, and his ves- sel fired upon. The letter alluded to is dated- " Basseterre, June 30. It is with regret I informn you that I am detained here by the Frmncis Government, on my way from Bermuda with a cargo of onions. A French cutter, undeer the pretext that I was too near the lasi, six milesoffshore, took me as a lawful prize, and carried me in here, where I now await the jurisdiction of their C(out. 1 have done nothing that I am afrai.l or, but the thing is new to me: how- ever, I am not alone in this instance; there is.7tfr. Cavan's schooner, the Bchw, with two or three more, tie same. I am in great distress, in consequenee of not having money or previsiens for my people, having no friend In the place. The news has gone to Barbadoes, by the Edell, Captain Lawrence, and daily expect Mr. Cavan here; or I amii afraid, unless I get some help, I shall be badly off." His Excellency the Governor returned on ThursdaY from the G renadine5n having been absent from the seat of Government since the l0dtl ult. ST. VINCENT'S, JULY 17. In our last we adverted to thie unfriendly disposition mariifested by the present auitlhorities of Guadaloupe, in detaining Britishvessels approaching within six miles oftheshoresof that island,andmany of wviich are frequently compelled to tio so in order to effect their passage ronm one Britisl1 colony to another, or to clear the islands to leeward when about to cross the Atlantic. The following letters, wwhIch ap- pear to have arisen from one of those vexatious acts of detention, have since been handed to us for publication. The 'irst is addressed to the Editor of the S1. Lucia Gazette, from which paper they are both copied:_ " Sir,-On account of the bad conduct of Mr. Leveque (ensign de vaisseau), captain of the King's schooner the Rose, stationed at Basceterre, (3uadaloupe, we addressed to hinm the following letter:- w-ill you be pleased to insert it in your journal. so that it may be- come public. " We have the honour, &ec. "l ROTGON. " S. R1 HIARDY." "TO SIR. TrVlEQn5l-.. " S 'our condutct towards us, and your infamous proceed. Jngs. i..e obliged us to draw from you an ample satisfaction. Ve tdoubted wlhether your cowardice equalled your baseness; but the precautions which you have taken during the last five days we have been here, to avoid a mecting, has taken away all our doubts. Now we shall content ourselves with telling you, that whenever we shall miet you in a country where arbitrary laws do not prevail over laws of honour, that it will be with a cane (the only arni worthy to be used against such a (Iespicable liar) that we shall chastise you fbr vour unworthiness ; and that this letter shall be inserted in the d iflerent journals to make it public. " ROUGON. " Basseterre, Guadaloupe;Tune 12, 1824. " S. R. HARDY." W17e have been favoured a shortt since with the following ex- tract of a letter from a gentlem} .n Nassau, New Providence, giving a curiouis desclpion of th ner in whiclh the attention of the inlhabitants of the Bahamb I has been turned to a new branch of commcrce, in the collect j for exportation. of which article, it appears, those islands pri e great quantities. The letter in questiont is dated- a "Nassau, April 18. " A most unexpected revolution has lately taken place with re- * pect to the experts of this colony. Sponge-sponge-sponge-is now the only word which is heard or listenedl to along the bay, andi that refuse of the occan, wlhiell for centuries untold had remained contemned and unheededI beneath our waters, at present gives em- ployment to the whole force of our marine. The silk-worm could never have done more for us than the sponge-worm. Not a fish to be purchased at our market, except at a most unconscionable price, for the sinacss are all sponging: not a wholesome piece of beef or mutton for an Israelite's (tinner, for the drogliers have all become spongers; anti not a cedar to be seen along the abutment of the bay, inr cedars pay not half so well aq sponges. 'Ihey are now said to be in X-ery high demand ag an article of manufacture in England, and more so in France. Considerable shipments have been already maidc, not onlvytothle mother-country, but America; and if thepnrices of the European market are quoted witlk any thing like truth (fronm 7s. to 17s. and 27s. sterling perlb.), many here will make their fortunes; and whilst our seas produce sponge, the Bahamas must flourish. The Harbour Islanders, Abaconmans, ala Eleatherists, are now the wealthiest men (tile only ready money ones) in the colony." ST. JOHN'S, ANTIGUA, JULY 20. At the meeting of the two houses of Legislature on Thursday last, sundry resolutions were adopted by the Assembly, to the ef- fect-that it was wvith considerable pressure to the agriculiural in- terest of this island that a sum of money was raised by an ntet of the Legislature to pay tip arrears of salary to his Excellency Sir Benja- min d'Urban, previous to his Ceparture for Demerara ; that since the passing of the last lill of Settlement for the support of the Cap- tain-General, colonialpTroduce has sunk in value nearly one half; that a further depreciation of tile staple cemmodity of these colonies may be anticipatrd, if the measure notv in agitation of admitting Tio the British market the suzars of the AIauritius on the same footilg with those of His fllajesty's colonies in the Vest Indies be curried inte effect; that no diminution of the war duty of 27s. per cwt. on sugar, inl addition to the 4 }per cent. duty-paid inthissisland, has taken place; that tinder the pressure of such accumulated diffi- culties, the House feels itself called upon to announce its determina. tiot, (as one step towards the alleviation of the public burden), not to grant a larger salary thani 3,0001. currency to any future Captain- (leneral. It was also resolved, that the Speaker do, by the first opportunity, transmit a copy of thc said resolutions to the colonial agent, for the information of f}is Dlajesty's Government. COTAONrIAr I,T-ELLIGEICRrE. ST. VINCEN'WP', JUI.Y 10.