By the Alice, RICHARDS, f...
By the Alice, RlCHAnDS, from Jamaica, whence she sailed on the 28th of May. letters have beeen received from Lima, via Panama, dated the Stli of MNarch. Their contents are unfavourable to the cause of Peruvian independence. They confirm the intelligence previously received by the American papers, of a revolt having taken place among the black troops at Callao, antd of their having taken possession of the castle. It appears, by the letters fror. Lima, that tbe Negro regiment of the Rio de la Plata, about six or seven hIindred strong, to whom ten months' arrears of pay were owinig, mutinied in the night betwveeen the 3 1 anmI 4tl of February, imprisoned their officers, ineluding General AL- VARADO, and took possession of the fortress. It further appears, that about the 10th of the same miontlh, in con- junction witlh about 30 Spanish Royalist officers, who were prisoiIcs in the castle) anld who had seduced the Blacks, they gave up the fortiess to t' e Royalsts, strlkin,- the nlieDendent, andi hoisingthbe Spanmsh 14g in its place, On the 18th, Adm iral GUISE arrived 5with }IS SquadrOn Off Callao, and bloclkaded the harbour. These events, es may- naturally be supposed, produced the greatest consternatio6n:. and alarm itnong the Independents in Lima, O -or about. the 16th of February despatches reached {he city from Bo. I.VAR, in ivhich he stated his acceptance of the offiec of Dictator, and appointed General MERINO NsicociHA, a Buenos-Ayrean, to be Governor of Lima. TOBr&E TAGLE, the late President of the Republic, was at that period with. out any office, and would, it was expected, retire to Chile with his family. The consequences of the revolt of the Negro tronps, and of trheir treacherous surrender of the Castle of (Callao to the Royalists, were soon made manifest. On the 27th of February the Patriots, findinig it I impossible to hold Lima anv longer, evacuated the cty, and retired on Patabilca, between Lima and 'Truxillo. On the 29th, a Royalist force, about 1,000 strong, entered the city from Pisco, under the command, as was supposed, of General RODIE. BOLIVARa had his head-quarters at Patabilca; and those of LA SERNA, the Spanish Gieneral, were at Cuzen. This intelligence, unfortunate as it undoubtedly is, can- not, by any means, be considered as fatal to the cause of Peruvian independence. as the whole of the troops at Lima and Callao put together caul not arount to more tlhan 2,000 men. Previous to the occurrence of these events, intel ligence had reached Lima of the taking of Puerto Cabello, on the Spanish Main, an event long known in EnglaHjd; and of the arrival of the British Commnissioners atJamaica; on their way to the different States of Spanish America. This intelflgence had g ven the greatest satisfaction to the friends of American independence. On the 15th of Febrna- I ry, an officer had arrived at Litna, from BOLIVAf'S headz. quarters: he brouight intcliig-nce that a body of troops had arrived at Hurincha, from Guayaouil, heing part of a re- inforcement of 2,000 mr.n fr-om Colornb;a.