The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-17 00:00:00

i„.' Discovery of Gold in New Caledonia.

A letter from New Caledonia of the 4th July, in
the Patrie, gives the following account of the dis-
covery of gold in that colony :—ln March last some
miners, in lawiur of whom a subscription had been
raised, left Porte de France in search of gold. The
part of the island comprised between that place and
the river Hyenguene was examined without result,
but from the latter point indications of the precious
metal showed themselves in all directions, and on
arriving at a place called Honehiahomme, about a
mile from the church,of Puebo, a missionary station,
they found auriferous grounds on the borders of a
ravine. The gold was found in flakes close to the
surface, lying mixed up with particles of quartz.
Auriferous soil was also found at Bonde, Amine,
and in all the parts of the country comprised be-
tween the Hyenguene and the Diahot. The Go-
vernor was on a tour to Napoleonville with M.
Coelogon when he received the news of the dis-
covery, and proceeded immediately to Puebo with
the miner who was at the head of the exploring
party. Some of the earth was washed in his pre-
sence, and he was able to convince himself of the
existence of the gold. Even with the means now
used, by simply putting the earth into a vessel and
washing it in the rivulet, a good workmen may
earn sf. to 6f. an hour. The Governor has come to
no decision es to the working, but he has sent
specimens to the Minister of Marine, and requested
instructions ; in the meantime explorations but no
workings will be allowed."

THANKSGIVING FOR THE HARVEST.

The following letter has been addressed by the
Lord Archbishop of Canterbury to the clergy of
his diocess :

" Addington-park, Sept. 11.

"Rev. and dear Sir,—The spectacle we have just wit-
nessed of the in-gathering of a most abundant harvest dur-
ing a singularly favourable season calls for our devout
acknowledgments to Almighty God for this instance of
His providential care in thus blessing the labours of the
husbandman, Believing that it will be congenial to your
own feelings as well as to those of your parishioners that
public thanks should be offered in the Church for our
Heavenly Father's goodness towards us, I trust that you
will set apart some early day on which the inhabitants of
your parish may meet together in the house of God to offer,
through the services of the• Church, the outpouring of their
grateful hearts for the signal mercy thus vouchsafed to our
land. In recollection of the past sufferings of a large por-
tion of our manufacturing population, our sense of this
mercy will we deepened when we reflect how vastly such
sufferings would be aggravated by a scarcity of the staff of
life during the coming winter.
" It will be fitting that a collection should be made as a
thank-offering after the sermon which will be preached ;
and, as there is no diocesan church building society, I
would recommend that the amount gathered should be de.
voted to the use of the IncJrporated Society for Building
and Enlarging Churches, which has, doubtless, made very
many grants towards building churches in this diocese.
" That this solemn occasion may be so improved and
blessed as to impress us all with a deeper sense of our de-
pendence on the bounty of our Gracious Father for our
daily bread and our daily comforts is the sincere prayer of
"Your faithful and affectionate friend and brother,

" C. T. CANTUAIt."

The Bishop of Winchester has addressed the fol.
lowing letter to the Venerable Dr. Jacob, Arch-
deacon of Winchester

" Jersey, Sept. 12.

" My dear Archdeacon,—On inquiry of the Archbishop
of Canterbury I do not learn that a day of general thanks-
giving for the late hat vest is expected to be appointed with
the sanction of the Queen in Council. Under these circum-
stances 1 request you will communicate to the clergy of
your archdeaconry my recommendation that they should set
apart some convenient day in their several parishes for the
purpose of offering collectively humble thanks to Almighty
God for His great goodness in vouchsafiaggs the abundant
harvest of the present season. It is probable that in most,
if not in all, instances collections will be proposed after the
sermons in the churches; and I would suggest as a very
appropriate object the devotion of the alms so given to the
fund for rebuilding the Hampshire County Hospital.
"I am, my dear Archdeacon, your affectionate friend and
" C. WINTON."

brother,

In a similar letter to the Venerable J. S. Utter-
ton, Archdeacon of Surrey, the Bishop recommends
that the alms collected in that archdeaconry shall
be given to the new Surrey Hospital at Guildford.

WHITHER BOUND ?—There are several steam
ships of war now building in France under the
same mysterious circumstances as those at Messrs. Laird's
yard, Birkenhead. The two building in a private yard at
Nantes are represented as pierced for 22 guns each, with
engines of 400 horse power, and intended to have a speed of
14 knots an hour. A condition of the contract is said to be
that these vessels are to be delivered to the owners 20 miles
out at sea, off Belle Isle, Two others, of similar character,
are building in the yard of M. Arman, at Bordeaux.
THE POPULATION OF THE GLOBE.—A professor
of the University of Berlin has recently published,
the result of his researches as to the population of the
earth, according to which Europe contains 272 millions ;
Asia, 720 millions ; Africa, 89 millions ; America, 200
millions, and Polynesia 2 millions—making a grand total
of 1,283 millions of inhabitants. As in places where deaths
are accurately registered the annual mortality is at least 1 in
40, the number of deatho must be about 32 millions every
year, which gives 87,761 per day, 3,653 per hour, and 61
per minute, so that every emtond witnesses the extinction of
one human life. Anot her calculator states that the number
of persons who have 'ed en the earth since the creation is
36,627,813,275,075,855 If

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HER MAJESTY.

Arrival of the Queen in Scotland:

With gracious consideration her Majesty delayed
her arrival at Balmoral by proceeding from Perth on
Tuesday morning, to visit the Duke of Athole at
Blair Castle. (His grace, it will be remembered, is
in a critical state.) The royal train went from Perth
to Blair Athole by the new Perth line, and return-
ing, joined the Seottish North Eastern line at Stan-
ley. Dr Mathews and Mr. Birnie, directors of the
Scottish North Eastern Railway accompanied the
train. Ferry hill, Aberdeen, was reached at 3.12.
Here the engines were changed, and a couple of
eLgines of the Deeside were stationed. The Scot •
tish North Eastern directors also left the royal
train, and their places were taken by Mr. Duncan,
chairman, and three other of the directors of
the Deeside Railway. The station at Ferry-
hill was kept quite private, only the Lord
Provost of Aberdeen, the convener of the
county, and a few officials being present. The
blinds of the Queen's carriage were, however,
drawn, so that her Majesty could be sten as she
acknowledged the respectable though quiet greetings
of these present. Aboyne was reached at 4.25, and
the Queen posted thence to Baimoral in about a
couple of hours. The day was pretty favourable,
though sev.)ral heavy showers fell.