We fear there is at prese...
WlV fear there is at present too strong a disposition in the public mind to discredit the late melancholy accounts from the African coast, merely on the supposed impossibility that, six weeks after the catastrophe of Sir C. M'CARTHY, it should have been unknown at Sierra Leone. But on con- sulting individuals acquainted with the navigation of those seas, wefind that the comr munications to that place from Cape Coast are frequently much longer on the passage, owing to the force of the winds and carrents, which set uniformly during the whole year in the contrary direction. On re- curring to some accounts, of the same date as those first published, but more circumstantial in details, we find it stated, that Major CHISHOLM, who command- ed one of the corps into which Sir C. M'CARTHY di. -vided his force, had all the English soldiers with him, and that he had returned to Fort Accra: so that no risk re- mained of a surprise of that place by the Ashantees. Sir CHARLES M'CARTHY had witli him all the merchlants, who had entered as volunteers, and a few officers; the rest of his corps was composed of the natives of Cape Coast Castle. AMajor CHISHOLM is said to have been only 15 miles from Sir C. M'CARTHY when the attack was made upon him, but did not hear of the disaster in sufficient time to afford as- sistance. Anotlher corps of uatives was expected to be de- tached from Foa t Accra in a few days against the Ashan- tees. These of the native troops who survived the disaster under Sir C. M'CARTHY, reported that they had seen the bodies of the unfortunate merchants who perished, as left in a state oftmutilation by the Ashantees. These facts are derived from the letter of a passenger by the .giizaheth, Captain BUHNEY, from Cape Coast to Barbadoes. When we recollect how many persons, betwveen whom there could 'be no collusion, nor any conceivable motive for uniting in the fabricationi of intelligence of this nature, told the same story, we fear the hopes of its proving untrue must rest on very slender found7ation. tr WVe are assured that no letter has been received at Lloyd's from Sierra Leone, as stated by us on Tuesday, nor has any intelligence whatever of the disastrous events in Africa been posted there, except our second edition of Saturday. The Brilannia, which arrived at Cork on the 27th llt., from Sierra Leone, sailed from thence on the 12th of March.