The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-28 00:00:00

APPOINTMENTS.

Commander his Serene Highness Prince Victor of
Hobenlohe Langenberg (1857), to the Scourge, 6,
paddle, at Devonport.
Lieutenant Hugh Campbell, who has lately served as
mate of the Urgent, screw store-ghip, to the Scourge.
Maiter William H. Bradley. QV; to the Scourge.
yard; has been appointed boats Nain in Sheerness yard ,•
and Mr. Richard Bullmore, boatswain, is appointed
master rigger at Devonport, vice Cable.
Mr. Moses Unierbill, sawyer, at Devonport dock-
yard, has been superannuated on a pension of 201. per
annum ; and Richard Hocken, a reduced bricklayer,
on a pension of 151, per annum.

THE DIS ()VERY OF Go IN VAN-
(' OU VER' LSI. AN D.

SAN FRANCISCO, MAY 19.

Two vesteis have arrived here from the British
possessions in the North-west since the despatch of
my last letter on the Bth inst. The last steamer
from Vancouver's Island arrived the day before
yesterday. The richness of the new gold mines is
fully confirmed. The accounts, both private and
public, are FO voluminous that I can only venture
to give the salient points. First, I will quote a few
facts to show the productiveness of the mines. "A
returned miner," writes the special correspondent
of a San Francisca paper from Furt Langley, on
the Fraser Rivi-r, whose name is given, and who
was two months in the diggings,
" Earned from 15 do!s. to 20 dole. per day in his
' claim.' He brought down with him 2,500 dole. worth
of gold-dust, which be sold at Fort Langley. There are
'umbers of men here with gold. They all intend to
return to the mines with provisions, which they came
down for,"

From Victoria, Vancouver's Island, a gentleman
writes on Ihe Och inst.:—

" Yest,rday the Hudson's Bay Company's steam-
prop: Her o,:ter, arrived here from Fort Largley, one of
their trading posts on the Fraser River, and brought
gold dust worth 35 000 dole—judging from the fact that
its weight was as much as one man could conveniently
carry. Heavy gold is found 10 miles from the mouth
of Thompson River, at a place called Necowtuan. The
heaviest nugget yet found was 8 dole. 25c. Bank and
river mining is going on between the forks and big falls
of Fraser River, into which Thompson River runs, or,
in other word,', is a tributary to the former. The num-
ber of miners now working is estimated by one or their
uumber, from whom I received the above, at 1,000 men
—all of whom, he assured me, were doing welt. To
quote his figures, they were making from 10 doh,. to 40
d ‘' - per O.IT
FI o m other sources we learn that miners located
near the forks of Thompson River, about 200
miles distant from the mouth of the Fraser River,
are successfully at work. One man writes that he
is getting out 35 dots. a-day. The higher up the
richer th diggings, it would appear ; for at Fort
Yale, some 85 miles lower down, the " yield " is
only from 8 dols. to 16 dols. a-day to the men.
From the last-named place we have the following
information :

"Some 50 or more are at work a few miles above
Fort Yale. Mr. M'Caw ascended the river some 20
miles above Fort Yale, and assures us that the diggings
are rich along the whole of that distance, the ininet
yielding an average of not less than 12 dole. per day per
man. The gold is found on and within six inches of the
surface. Mr. M`Caw brings 50 ounces of the gold with
him, the largest pi,ces of which are worth three or four
dollars. He received this in trade with the Indians."
From a new town just springing up, called
Whatcom, near Bellingham Bay, on the Gulf of
Georgia, a correspondent writes
" From tne mines the news is quite as favourable as
any heretofore received. Mr. Giddings estimates that
upwards of 20.000 dollars had been received at Whatcom
by merchants within the week preceding his departure,
in payment for goods. Miners were arriving and de-
parting every day, those arrivinginvariably making
their way as short as possible. A par y had returned
to Whatcom a few days previous to Mr. Giddings's de-
parture, who had proceeded as far as Fort Hope, where
they met a large company just from the mines, to whom
they disposed of provisions at about 400 per cent. above
cost. The miners instantly retraced their steps, while
the others returned to Whatcom.
" We were shown by Mr. Giddings a specimen of the
gold brought from the mines. It is very fine, and of
the kind known as 'scale gold.' By those familiar with
it we are informed that it is very similar to the p!acer
gold' of Calif.proia, Among the dust shown us, which
amounted to some 200 dollars, were several large lumps,
beautiful specimens, which were probably worth from
;
2 dole. 50c. to 5 dots. each. The gold is of a dark red
colour."

On the last day of April, a miner, writing from
M'Oavi's R tpids, beyond Fort Yale, on his way up
says—

We have prospected on several bare, and on one of
them we got from 6c. to 25c. to the pan, and took oely
the top dirt. On another we got from se. to 10c. to the
pan. We could not stop at the former place, as the In-
dians would not allow us, and we were not strong
enough for them.
" The Indiana wore all at work themselves, and we
saw two or three pans with shout 50c. in each. At the
latter place we cannot work to advantage without a
quicksilver machine. An old California miner says that
this place very clo4tly resembles the north fork of the
American river in California, and that he believes richer
mines will be discovered here than have ever bent dis-
S.vered in California.
" A few railea below this there-is a party of whitee,