The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-12-29
GOLD MINES IN SIAM-AMERICAN MINERS
AT WORK

From the San Francisco Herald Nov Isl
Through the Kindness of Captain Dubois of the
half clipper Queen of the Pacific, we have been
permitted to peruse several letters written to him
by Mr.. John Campbell, formerly California mi
ner, but now occupied in gold mining in the king
dom of Siam. We shall make extracts from few
OF the more interesting points of these letters as
they evince the singular enterprise of the American
people.
In 1856 Mr.. John Campbell went to Bangkok,
in Siam, on board the clipper ship Shooting Star,
Captain Dubois, and soon after connected himself
with four other Americans, for the purpose of pold
mining. They were melted to this sort of under
taking from the fact that all the idols and great
deal Of the furniture and domestic utensils Of the
Slamese were heavily gilded, and the natives were
frequently in possession of fine gold specimens
Previous to this time the King of Siam had always
refused to grant mining licenses to strangers, but
after good deal of perseverance he was induced
to grant special license to the company of which
Mr.. c. is member. They WERE nevertheless
much annoyed by the officials, and bad to pay ex-
orbitant prices for everything they needed.
Alter fourteen days river navi cation from Bang
kok they reached Matabong, where the mines are
located, but found on their arrival that thew had
been vilainously deceived by the natives for the
elephants made the same trip in one day, the dis
lance being only about thirty-fve miles by land
Here they established themselves and gave their
claim the title of the "Sonora Mime" the location
of which is thus described by Mr.. Campbell: Tbese
ravines are IN an elevated basin, oval in shape
thirty miles long, and eighteen broad, surrounded
means of entrance in the whole circumference In
the centre is a huge pyramid of rock, shooting up
ike vast cone which, after the most perious as
cent L ever undertook, Smith and | reached the
summit of, whence could overlook and note the
shape and extent of the whole basin, which is Gov
cred with dense forest, with scattered openings at
intervals. There are but few people at work in
these mines'
Mr.. Campbell then states that their richness is
beyond dispute, but complains greatly of Jungle
fever, heavy rains and other Inconvenience. He
thinks, however, that any capable of withstand
ing the climate, could make himself rich in two or
three years. Among other interesting details Mr..
Campbell gives the description of an elephant hunt
"But wild elephants took the shine out of anything
l ever heard of in the way of game. | got within
fifty yards of one, unseen, a splendid bull took
good aim at his temple and fired, striking him fairly,
when he wheeled and made at us. NV boatmen
1.-TWO being in a canoe) Immediately started, when
the noble beast stopped and shook his head l then
got another fair shot, and hit him behind the ear
using composition balls, when he turned and walked
slowly on, Wincing every time | shot him, and
covered with blood, but tearing up the Jungle
and pretending to feed. | fired fourteen bullets
into him with heavy charges when he finally re-
treated into brake, where my boatmen refused
to follow, and never saw him more. Another on
on the same day, received forty-two bullets in
his carcass, from Mr.. King, Captain Smith and my
self, who kept up a continued voley of compost
tion balls at point blank range, but he too got off
in the same way. These were no menapere ele-
plants, but regular AL wild monsters, who can
stand more killing than can do for them. This
you may rely as strict narrative of facts and
opened my eyes to the truth of the yarns about this
kind of work, which / have read in books of
travels" 1t appears from Mr. Campbelps letters,
that although the company had a special license
from the King of Siam, vet they were much an
noyed by the minor officials before reaching
Matabong. Bangkok is the principal commercial
city OF SIAM and is but thirty miles from the
"Sonora Mime" 1t contains about $4,000 inhabi-
tants, among whom many European and Amer-
can merchants andtheir families.
From FoRr BR1DGER-The Nebraska Nc,us, 18th.
says: On Thursday morning company of seven
teen men in the employ of Messrs. RUSSELL Majors
Waddell arrived in this city, direct from Fort
Bridger. They left Bridger on the first of Novem-
Der, and have met with great SUFFERING ON the
Plains. Two OF the men were nearly frozen, their
feet black as charcoal, and the whole most pitt
full and sorrowful looking objects to look upon
The company were more or less frozen. The snow
about one hundred miles out is very deep, and bad
ly drifted.
The company were obliged to leave their wag-
ons at Salt Creek about fifty miles west of this
place, where their mules gave out-swamped in the
snow.
roads, high prices of provisions and general con-
firmatiOn of the gold discoveries on the Platte
Flour is selling along the road at nearly every sta
ton at from S25 to $50 per sack of 100 pounds
coffee from 50 to IS cents per pound and all other
provisions at proportionate rates, and very scarce
at these figures. Our informant thinks that pro-
visions must be very scarce at the mines.
BLAzE-PRooF DREssEs.-The London Medica
Times says: "The melancholy accident by which
the Ladies Laura and Charlotte Bridgman and Miss
Plunkett have been such fearful sufferers teaches
lesson which must not be neglected. The light
fabrics manufactured for ladies' dresses must be
made blaze-proof Nothing can be more simple
The most delicate white cambria handkerchief or
deecy gauze, or the finest lace, may, by simple
soaking in a weak solution of chloride of zinc. be
s0 hlaZa hat in tha fam nf
a candle they may be reduced to finder without
blazing. Dresses so prepared might be burnt by
accident without the other garments worn by the
lady being injured.
There is a law in Natchez, Miss, which authori-
yes the Mayor to announce every week the current
price of bread based on the cost of first quality
four andn baker sell otherwise. For instance
for the week commencing December 18th the Mayor
gave public notice that first quality of -four being
worth SO per barrel, the weight of 20-cent loaf
must be 53% ounces and in that proportion for the
smaller ones.
Mr.. Herbert Ingram, proprietor of The Wustra-
ted London Ne,cs, one of the members of Parliament
from Boston, has been mulcted in the sum of f3O0
by a jury for disappearing knowingly that he
had become the purchaser, in 1852, of the Castle
Hyde estate, in the county of Cork and so lending
himself to a fraudulent Misrepresentation of the
| late John Sadlier, made by him to the plaintiff,
| (Mr. Vincent Scully, distinguished member Of
the Irish barr, whereby the plaintiff was preju-
diced.
| An attempt has been made to reopen the ancient
marble quares on the Island of Paros. A compa-
ny was formed for the purpose, and load of the
revived Parian marble shipped to Rome, where il
was found that the marble scarcely fit for ar
| chitectural purposes 1t was not good as the
| poorest quality of Carraro.
| At the Annual Communication of the Grand
Lodge of Free Masons of Pennsylvania, held on
| 9th, st. Johns day, Hon. Henry M. Phillips was
chosen Grand Master; John Thompson Deputy
| Grand Master; Daniel c. Skerrett, Senior Grand
Warden; and Lucus H. Scott, Junior Grand War
| den.
The Lowndean Professorship of Astronomy va
cant by the death of the Dean of Ely, has been
| L IL L. -