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The blockade running business at Nassau.

A letter from Nassau, March 13th, gives an interesting account of affairs at that once famous blockade-running port. It says that, by the customs received from blockade-runners, the colony has paid off its debts and has $150,000 in gold to its credit in bank. It adds:

‘ The sudden check to business operations by the cessation of blockade running has thrown several hundreds of men, firemen, stokers, etc., connected with the steamers, out of employment. A large number of these are, or represent themselves to be, entirely destitute. They have been provided for by the authorities, who are getting them shipped off as rapidly as practicable. The Legislature has passed an act prohibiting the discharge of persons engaged in the navigation of vessels. As there are steamers still arriving from England which left before the news had reached there of the destruction of the blockade-running business, this will protect the colony against having their crews thrown upon the shores without the means of support. One of these vessels, the City of Richmond, arrived on the 7th instant; another, the Eliza and Fanny, arrived yesterday from Bermuda. The white population, under the influence of the present condition of business affairs, is gradually dwindling away. Men engaged in trade find the tide of business suddenly retreating from them, and themselves left high and dry upon the shore, many of them with large stocks of goods upon their hands. As there is no market for them here, their owners are leaving for Havana and other places to find a market, and those who have no goods are leaving to seek employment elsewhere. Every vessel, sail or steam, carries a large number of passengers. The Corsica, which sails to-day, is crowded, and many were unable to get passage. The United States Consul is worked beyond all reasonable claim upon his time in attending to the rush of business growing out of this exodus. For days he has been in his office from morning until night, without any intermission even for dinner. The sailing vessels which were here to take the cotton aboard, and whose masts were as thick and numerous as forest trees, are daily leaving in ballast, so that the harbor, by comparison, begins to look deserted.

’ The last of the steamers which cleared for Dixie was the Syren. She has been gone nearly four weeks, and should have returned some time ago, but did not.--She had made nineteen round trips with unvarying regularity, and was known as the Charleston mail packet. Alas, poor Syren, thou hast "gone up" (was reported in the New York papers as the Cyrene.) The Little Hatty, which arrived here about three weeks since, brought the captain and crew of the Rattlesnake, which, in attempting to enter Charleston harbor, was driven ashore, and afterwards burned, with her cargo. The Chicora (formerly Let Her Be) and the Coquette arrived about the same time.

The steamers are gradually leaving this port. The Colonel Lamb, General Whiting, Edith, Watson, Caroline, Little Hatty and others, have gone to Havana. The Owl, commanded by Captain Maffit, formerly of the Florida, has also left.--She went to Galveston but, unable to enter that port, made for Havana, and arrived there safely a few days ago.--The Chamelion, formerly the Tallahassee, sailed on the 7th instant for Bermuda. She will bear looking after. It is said she will go to Madeira, and thence to England. Some of those who left for Havana, thinking that some other opening might offer, have returned to this port, and will probably remain until they slink back to England, from which place they originally came.

The affair of the Hanover is again before the authorities of this place. Your readers will remember that this vessel was captured in the early part of the year 1863, by the armed schooner Retribution, sailing under the rebel flag. The Hanover was taken by Lock, the commander of the Retribution, into Long Cay--one of the Bahamas — and her cargo sold. Lock was arrested for this breach of the laws of neutrality upon British soil, and held to bail in the enormous sum of £100. Of course he accepted the invitation thus given him to walk off, and disappeared. A short time since, the attention of the authorities was drawn to the fact that he had again turned up at Nassau, and he was arrested, and his bail fixed at £1,000. Having been unable to give this bail, he is now in durance vile.

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