Colonial Intelligence

Spanish Town, Jamaica –August 31.

The mail will convey to you sufficiently afflicting news of the voyages which the fever is committing amongst us. Part of the 92nd and 50th have made their escape on board the Serapis 64, which has been roofed to, and most handsomely and humanely given up by the Admiral for the use of the troops. The loss in men stands about thus: 59th[?], 200[?] ; 92d, 120. The 58th and 81st are scattered[?] ; but from all I can learn, their loss is not great. The following is a list of the officers and their relatives who have fallen victims in the course of this month : –

Lieut.-Colonel Sparrow, Deputy Adjt.-General. Lieut.-Colonel [?], 52d regiment. Lieut.-Colonel Hill th[?] regiment. Major Rowe, 50th regiment, son-in-law of Paymaster Montgomery, of the 50th. Mrs Rowe, wife of Major Rowe, whom she survived but a few hours, and daughter of Paymaster Montgomery. Major Montgomery, 50th, son of Paymaster Montgomery. Mrs Montgomery, wife of ditto. Assistant Surgeon Brown, 50th, son in-law of do. Lieut. Richardson, 50th. Lieut. North[?], 50th. Lieut. and Adjutant Lyon, 50th. Two Misses Lyon, daughter of Adjutant Lyon. Lieuts. R. M’Donald and George Mackie, 92d. Ensign [?] [?]th Doctor [?], Medical Staff. Captain and Paymaster Turner, 58th. The Misses Baxter, daughters of Quarter-Master Baxter[?].

The scenes that have occurred during this awful mortality have been most distressing. It has not been confined to the military, for the inhabitants have even out numbered them.

The Quebec Mercury of the [?] gives long extracts from the American papers, respecting the [?] of a large tract of country by the [?] Indians, to the British Government, 2,748,000 acres, stretching from the upper part of the midland[?] district towards the lower part of the province, in the rear of the old settlements on the Ottawa, and not in any manner coming into contact with or approach within many miles of the boundary of Louisiana. Yet, upon the supposition that Great Britain is thus extending her Canadian territory, the American Papers are loud in their invectives against this country.

Letters have been received from Mogadoru[?], dated the 28th September, which mention, that the plague which had been for some time in the vicinity, had at length broken out in that town. We are happy to add however, that the deaths at that period were only three or four each day, and it was then confined to the Moors ; none of the Christians or Jews having fallen victims to the pestilence. The weather being extremely cold, great hopes were entertained that the further progress of the disease would speedily be put a stop to when trade, which then at a stand, would renew its wanted[?] activity. The whole population of Mogadoru is between 10 and 12,000 persons ; by far the greater part of whom consider it contrary to their religious tenets to use any caution to prevent their taking the infection ; and, in the event of their having it would not, for the same reason, have recourse to any means to counteract it.


Citation: Aberdeen Journal (Aberdeen, United Kingdom), 10 November 1819, available at the Scissors and Paste Database, http://www.scissorsandpaste.net/156.