The Sun. — 1858-11-20 (London, England)

THE WEST INDIA AND PACIFIC MAILS.  SOUTHAMPTON, SATURDAY MORNING.  The Royal Mail Steampacket Company's steamship Magdalena, from St. Thomas's, has arrived with the following dates :  Greytown (Mosquito), Oct. 18 ; Carthagena, 26th ; Kingston (Jamaica), 25th ; Jacmel (Hayti), 28th ; San Juan (Porto Rico), 30th ; Berbice, 25th ; Georgetown (Demerara), 25th ; Tobago, 24th ; Port of Spain (Trinidad), 25th ; Bridgetown (Barbadoes), 27th ; Grenada, 26th ; St. Vincent's, 26th ; St. Lucia, 28th ; Martinique, 28th ; Guadaloupe, 29th ; Dominica, 28th ; Antigua, 28th ; Montserrat, 28th ; Nevis, 28th ; St. Kitt's, 29th ; Tortola, 30th ; La Guayra, 28th ; and St. Thomas's, November 1.  This steamer also brings mails of the subjoined dates from the West Coast of South America : Valparaiso (Chili), Oct. 1 ; Coquimbo (Chili), Oct. 2; Arica (Peru), Oct. 7 ; Islay (Peru), Oct. 8 ; Callao (Peru), Oct. 12 ; and Payta (Peru), Oct. 16. She brings on freight 332 serons of cochineal, 31 casks of coffee, 124 bales of sarsaparilla, 64 packages of pimento, 6 cases of tortoiseshell, 10 eases of suecades, 2 barrels of wax, 60 bales of bark, 52 packages of sundries, and 911,306 in specie. Among her passengers is the Lord Bishop of Kingston (Jamaica), from Jamaica.  The outward mail had not arrived when the Magdalena left. On leaving St. Thomas's for the first two or three days the Magdalena experienced a very heavy northerly swell, caused by the extraordinary weather which prevailed in the West Indies from the 19th to the 20th; the wind at St. Thomas's blew with great violence from the south-south-west (which is very unusual at that port). The packet from Nassau had a violent gale from the north-east, and reports from the islands and Jamaica are that the winds were heavy from all quarters. We, therefore, imagine a hurricane must have been blowing to northward and westward. Several vessels have put into St. Thomas's dismasted—and there is a report that several vessels have been lost. The Magdalena had fine weather until the Bth, when the weather became unsettled with an increasing breeze from the north-west, with a heavy north-west swell, and troubled sea ; on the 9th, wind veered to the southward and westward, with strong breeze before midnight to northward and westword ; violent squalls; on the 10th, wind the same, blowing a moderate gale, heavy beam sea. 11th. Strong gale, with heavy squalls, very high sea running (ship under double-reefed foretopsails). 12th. Same weather; passed a brig scudding under reefed foresail (lat. 41.27, long. 29.15) 13th. Same weather wind shifting to S.W.; heavy cross sea on, ship rolling heavily. 14th. Gale still from S.W., and havling to S.E. towards noon, when it blew with terrific violence (ship under close-reefed foretopsail) ; heavy confused sea, passed a sloop towards midnight, wind hawled to the eastward. 15th. Gale moderate, still a very heavy confused sea. 16. Passed the American ship Cheshire. The Northern States of the Republic of New Granada are in a very distressing condition, in consequence of its political troubles. The governing party are exercising the most despotic sway over their political enemies, who, to save their lives, are obliged to migrate with their families to other parts of the Republic. Partial anarchy prevails, and must become general unless more power is vested in the President, who is a talented and resolute man, and one of the few able to govern his country in peace. The Federation is satisfactory in the United States; its effects in New Granada are deplorable, which is a proof that only a strong Central Government is adapted to that beautiful but unfortunate country. The capital (Bogota) is tranquil, its inhabitants beholding with indifference the depredations committed in the immediate states, and when they hear of the most atrocious murder, their reply is, it is a Delito Politico, and as a matter of course the assassin is set at liberty, and in a few weeks becomes again a useful member of society. Such a state of things is truly appalling in a country where they boast of its civilisation. The trade throughout the country is dull, without any prospect of reaction.