Disastrous intelligence has been received from the 'West Indies. A
dreadful hurricane on the 20th and 21st of September has totally destroyed many of the principal sugar-14!tesits4lie island of Dominica. From a letter written by letiOsinan on be apot, we derive the following particulars.
" The works on one-third of the principal sugar-estates levelled to the ground, the canes blown flat on the earth, in many instances buried in the mud wad blown from the coil; every description of provisions above ground completely swept away, and the face of the country, Which exhibited the utmost luxuriance - of vegetation on Saturday last, changed to the appearance of a general confla- gration having passed over it. " The little coffee that was on the trees, of course, is lost ; hut that would be a trifling loss were not the greater part of the trees torn up by the roots ; in fact, every step we advance in inquiry brings us to a more melancholy picture, if possible, than the former. " God only knows what will become of this devoted island ; more complete ruin cannot be conceived. Without a positive assurance of liberal assistance, few estates will think of reestablishing their works ; and how our people are to be fed after the few ripe provisions which may be saved are exhausted, one knows not : the prospects before us at present are indeed dreary ; and, al- though I am not of that gloomy and desponding elaes of mind that is apt to de- spair, I must confess our losses appear to me irremediable."
In consequence of the determined refusal of large numbers of the Demerara Negroes to perform their usual quantity of labour, the sugar crop of that colony is expected to be very deficient this year. It is even said that the deficiency will amount to thirty thousand hogsheads; aud many vessels which were waiting for cargoes have sailed to other ports.
The Courier states, that
" An increase of fifty Stipendiary Magistrates, and some additional troops, are immediately to be forwarded to Jamaica. The Colonial Office has been for the last week, in consequence of the great interest excited by the news from Jamaica, a scene of bustle and activity.
