§ MR. C. FORSTERasked the Under Secretary for the Colonies, If he can give the House any fuller information relative to the alleged submergence of the island of Tortola, than appears in the morning papers?
§ MR. ADDERLEYsaid, that no information had been received at the Colonial Office other than that which had appeared in the papers that morning, from which it was clear that the rumour about Tortola had been very much exaggerated. That some disaster had taken place at Tortola during the hurricane of the 29th of October there could be no doubt; but the telegram, which was very imperfect, stated that the disaster at Tortola arose from fire and not from submersion. The name of one family only was mentioned as having perished. The news came through the New York Herald, and through that channel alone. The information in the possession of the Colonial Office was dated the 19th November, from New York, and 18th, Havanna, being a telegram from the Consul there, the wire reaching to the other end of Cuba nearest Tortola. The first report was evidently immensely exaggerated, for the statement was that 10,000 inhabitants had perished, whereas 93 there were only 3,000 inhabitants in the whole island, and only 6,000 in all our Virgin islands.