{"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.14288\/1.0222135":{"https:\/\/open.library.ubc.ca\/terms#identifierAIP":[{"value":"6da852ef-6a23-47ff-af45-e2ec115de4a2","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/dataProvider":[{"value":"CONTENTdm","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/alternative":[{"value":"Further papers relative to the affairs of British Columbia. Part IV. Copies of despatches from the governor of British Columbia to the secretary of state for the colonies, and from the secretary of state to the governor","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/isReferencedBy":[{"value":"http:\/\/resolve.library.ubc.ca\/cgi-bin\/catsearch?bid=5344084","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/isPartOf":[{"value":"British Columbia Historical Books Collection","type":"literal","lang":"en"},{"value":"Great Britain. Parliament. Command papers","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/contributor":[{"value":"Great Britain. Colonial Office","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/issued":[{"value":"2015-06-10","type":"literal","lang":"en"},{"value":"1862","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/description":[{"value":"\"([Great Britain. Parliament. Command papers] 2476, 2578, 2724, 2952) Parts 3-4 have title: British Columbia.\nFurther papers . . . Contents: pt. 1. Copies of\ndespatches from the Secretary of State for the Colonies\nto the Governor of British Columbia, and from the\nGovernor to the Secretary of State relative to the\ngovernment of the colony; also, copies of the act of\nParliament to provide for the government of British\nColumbia; Governor's commission and instructions;\norder in council to provide for the administration\nof justice; and instrument revoking so much of the\ncrown grant of 30th May 1838 to the Hudson's Bay\nCompany for exclusive trading with the Indians as\nrelates to the territories comprised within the colony\nof British Columbia. - pts. 2-4. Copies of despatches\n. . . relative to the government of the colony.\" -- Lowther, B. J., & Laing, M. (1968). A bibliography of British Columbia: Laying the foundations, 1849-1899. Victoria, BC: University of Victoria, p. 11.
\"Presented to both houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty, March 1862.\" -- Title page.","type":"literal","lang":"en"},{"value":"","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/aggregatedCHO":[{"value":"https:\/\/open.library.ubc.ca\/collections\/bcbooks\/items\/1.0222135\/source.json","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/extent":[{"value":"v, 80 pages : maps (folded), tables ; 34 cm","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/elements\/1.1\/format":[{"value":"application\/pdf","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2009\/08\/skos-reference\/skos.html#note":[{"value":" BRITISH COLUMBIA. \n\nFURTHER PAPERS \nRELATIVE TO THE \nAFFAIRS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. \nPART IV. \nCopies of Despatches from the Governor of British Columbia to the Secretary \nof State for the Colonies, and from the Secretary of State to the \nGovernor. \nPresented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty, \nMarch 1862. \nLONDON: \nPRINTED BY GEORGE EDWARD EYRE AND WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE, \nPRINTERS TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. \nFOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE. DESPATCHES FROM THE GOVERNOR\nDESPATCHES FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE\nAPPENDIX\t SCHEDULE.\nDESPATCHES FROM THE GOVERNOR.\n23 April 1860 (No. 42.)\n23 May 1860(Separate.)\ni31Mayl860 (Separate.)\nFREE GRANTS OF LAND TO ORDAINED CLERGYMEN,\nSTATE OF THE CHIMSYAN INDIANS. Transmitting\ncorrespondence between the Rev. Edw. Cridge and Mr. Wm\nDuncan relative to the foundation of a Missionary Settlemen\nfor Indian Converts, and proposing the reservation of severa\nhundred acres of land to enable Mr. Duncan to carry this objec\ninto effect .-.-..\nGENERAL REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE COLONY.\nWater and road communication. Proposed road from Yale to\nLytton. State of Mining Districts. Influx of Chinese\nGENERAL REPORT ON THE CITY OF NEW WESTMINSTER. The inhabitants desire the incorporation of tl\ntown, the right of taxing themselves, and applying the procee\nto grading the streets, and to the general improvement of tne i\ntown. Observations on the Land system - . - !\nGENERAL REPORT OF THE STATE OF THE COLONY.\nVisit to Pitt Lake. Growing attachment of the alien population\nto the institutions of the country. Map illustrating route enclosed ......\nGENERAL REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY\nIN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF HOPE. Encloses a\nReturn exhibiting the average number of miners employed on\nthe several bars of the Hope District, with their average\n:e.) GENERAL REPORT ON YALE. States that he had conferred\nwith the inhabitants, with a view to the improvement of\ntrail leading from Yale to Lytton, with the object of reducing the\n4. Aug. 1860 (No. 72.) FREE GRANTS OF LAND TO THE CLERGY, relative\nto. Requests authority to substitute a money equivalent out of\nthe Colonial Revenue, or to make some other provision for th\nsupport of the clergy of the English, Roman, Presbyterian, an\nMethodist churches - - Bm\n4 Aug. 1860 (No.\nLuK. 1860 (No. 76.) DISCOVERY OF GOLD FIELDS AT ROCK CREEK\nIN THE SHIMILKOMEEN COUNTRY, AND OF\nSILVER AT UNION BAR NEAR FORT HOPE. Appointment of Mr. Kind as Assistant Gold Commissioner\n8 Oct. 1860 (No. 86.)\nRETURN FROM A TOUR IN BRITISH COLUMBIA,\nreported. Peace and order existed throughout the Colony. Ap-\n, pointinent of Gold Commissioner at Rock Creek 9 Oct. 1860 (Separate.)\n25 Oct.1860 (Separate.)\n9 Nov. 1860 (No. 95.)\n28 Nov. 1860 (No. 100.)\n26 Jan. 1861 (No. 7.)\n28Feb.l861(Separate.)\n2 May 1861 (No. 33.)\n4June 1861 (Separate.)\n16 July 1861 (Separate.)\n11 Sept. 1861 (No. 55.)\nl6Sept.!861(Separate\n!4 Oct. 1861 (Separate\n14 Not. 1861 (No. 6\"\n30 Nov. 1861 (No. 74.)\nGENERAL REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE COLONY.\nElucidating the present state of the country, its natural capabilities, and the effect of its institutions on the development of\nits resources. Encloses report of\t\ntrain by the Snake Indians\nREPORT BY DR. FORBES OF H.M.S. \u00abTOPAZE\" OF\nTHE COUNTRY BORDERING ON HARRISON LAKE\nAND RIVER, WITH REFERENCE TO ITS MINERAL\nCHARACTER, enclosed. The -whole region he beli\nbe metalliferous, and the greater portion argentiferous. Map of\ngeological sections enclosed\nABSTRACT OF APPROXIMATE REVENUE AND\nEXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31st\nDECEMBER 1860, transmitted. Revenue, 53,011\/. 10s. Id.\nExpenditure, 44,124\/. 10s. 3d. ....\nGENERAL REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE COLONY.\nEncloses prices of provisions at Hope, Shimilkomeen District,\nYale, and Roek Creek respectively\nGOLD DISCOVERIES AT OKANAGAN LAKE AND\nANTLER CREEK reported. Also transmitting Reports by\nMr. Cox of Messrs. Beam & Co.'s tour to the Okanagan Lake,\nand Mr. Nind's report of the discoveries at Antler Creek, wi\nsketch of the new Gold Field\nf GENERAL REPORTS ON THE STATE AND PROSPECTS \"\n1 OF THE COLONY. Transmits accounts of the extraordi\n[ yield of gold in the Cariboo District\nCURRENCY. Reporting the want of a circulating medium,\nstating the means he had adopted for the issue of gold pi\nESTIMATES FOR THE YEAR 1862, t\nDESPATCHES FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE.\n19 May 1860 (No. 26.)\n25 May 1860 (No. 27.)\n!6 June 1860 (No. 36.)\n19 July 1860 (No. 42.)\nFREE GRANTS OF LAND TO ORDAINED CLERGYMEN.\nStates reasons for not sanctioning the grants of land proposed\nin Governor's Despatch, No. 24, of 17th Feb. -\nSTATE OF THE CHIMSYAN INDIANS. Authorizing the\nreservation of land in the neighbourhood of Fort Simpson for\nthe formation of a settlement for Indian Converts to Christianity\nGENERAL REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE COLONY.\nAcknowledging Governor's Despatch, No. 42,' of 23rd April - Date\nndNon\n26 Oct. 1860 (No. 56.)\n1 Feb. 1861 (No. 66.)\n13 April 1861 (No. 74.)\n9 May 1861 (No. 77.)\nFREE GRANTS OF LAND TO THE CLERGY. Sanct\npecuniary assistance to the Clergy from Colonial funds on cer\nspecified stipulations ....\nGENERAL REPORTS ON THE STATE OF THE COLONY.\nAcknowledging with satisfaction the Governor's Despatches o:\nthe 9th and 25th October, and 9th November, exhibiting the\nagricultural and mineral resources of the country\nABSTRACT OF APPROXIMATE REVENUE AND\nEXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31st\nDECEMBER 1860. Acknowledging -with satisfaction\nGovernor's Despatch No. 7, transmitting a statement of Revenue\nand Expenditure -\nPROCLAMATIONS HAVING THE FORCE OF LAW.\nNo\n23\nNo\n29.\nNo\n30\n31\nNo\n32\nNo\n35'\nNo\n37\nNo\n38\nNo\n40\nTHE CUSTOMS AMENDMENT ACT, 1860\nTHE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY ACT, 1860\nTHE COUNTRY LAND ACT, 1861\nTHE PRE-EMPTION AMENDMENT ACT, 1861 -\nREMISSIONS ON THE PURCHASE OF LAND\nOFFICERS OF THE ARMY AND NAVY\nTHE PRE-EMPTION PURCHASE ACT, 1861\nTHE BRITISH COLUMBIA LAND REGISTRY ACT, 1861\nTHE PRE-EMPTION CONSOLIDATION ACT, 1861\nMUNICIPAL COUNCIL\nMAP OF A PORTION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA -\nREDUCED SKETCH OF PART OF BRITISH COLUMBIA \"1\n11!\t\nPAPERS\nRELATIVE TO\nTHE AFFAIRS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nDespatches from the Governor.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of Colombia.\nNewcastle. jq-0> j\n(No. 24.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, February 17, I860.\n(Received April 12, I860.)\nMY LORD DUKE, (Answered, No. 26, May 19, 1860, page 66.)\nIn my Despatch, No. 224,* of the 18th October last, reporting to your Grace * VidePa-\non the state of British Columbia, I took occasion, while adverting to the existing means pers pre-\nof moral and religious instruction in the Colony, to inform your Grace that Divine VS1^m\nService was regularly held in the several towns of Lower British Columbia by resident part'Hx\nclergymen, and that the almost total absence of crime went far to show how usefully and page 65.'\nextensively the influence of their teaching is felt.\n2. It did not, however, occur to me to inform your Grace at the same time that I\nhad, on the part of this Government, done everything in my power to promote the good\ncause, by encouraging the residence of an ordained and educated clergy in British\nColumbia.\n3. Having no authority to apply any part of the public revenue to the aid and\nsupport of churches, there was little in my power to bestow beyond the sincerest\nsympathy and advice in aid, of the zealous clergy of the Church of England and the\nMethodist Episcopal Church, who first entered the field of missionary labour in British\nColumbia.\n4. I did not, however, hesitate to assign to the clergy of those persuasions respectively, on their application, a church, school, and dwelling-house site, forming a block\nof four building lots, or about one acre of land in extent, in all towns where they resided.\nThus free grants to that extent, viz., one acre, have been made for the use and benefit\nof the Church of England and of the Methodist Episcopal Church respectively in the\ntowns of Yule, Hope, Derby, Douglas, and New Westminster, as a small return for the\nvaluable services rendered to the country by the clergy of those churches, who have\nhitherto received no other compensation from the Government.\n5. I have to request your Grace's sanction for those grants, and authority to continue\nthe same practice in all other towns of British Columbia where ordained Ministers of the\nGospel may think proper to take up their residence; and further, seeing that one of\nthe duties most deserving the attention of Government is to provide means for the moral\nand religious training of the people, I would take the liberty of recommending to Her\nMajesty's Government that free grants of 100 acres of rural land should be made in\naid of every cure formed in British Columbia, provided they be not otherwise supported at the public expense, and there be a resident clergyman, and a place of Chris '\nworship erected.\n6. A grant of land to that extent would not be burdensome to the Colony, and would\nnevertheless form an attractive inducement for Christian churches to devote their\nIV. A 2 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nattention to the country until population increases, and other provision is made for\nthe maintenance of a Christian clergy and the erection of places of Christian\n7. It is not my intention to advocate the establishment of a dominant and endowed\nchurch, as that object could not be accomplished without injustice in a country to which\npersons of all religious persuasions are invited to resort, but I conceive it would be\nadvisable to extend, in the manner before indicated, the protection and support of Government to the four grand denominations of Christians, viz., the Church of England, the\nPresbyterian, Methodist, and Roman Catholic Churches, which are all represented by\nclasses of the population in this Colony.\n8. I shall be glad to receive the instructions of Her Majesty's Government on this\nsubject.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c. &c. &c.\nNo. 2.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle.\n(No. 25.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, February 18, I860.\n(Received April 12, 1860.)\nMy LORD Duke, , (Answered, No. 27, May 25,1860, page 66.)\nThe desire manifested on the part of Her Majesty's Government for the improvement and well-being of the aboriginal races of British Columbia induces me to lay before\nyour Grace the enclosed interesting correspondence between the Reverend Edward\nCridge, district minister of Victoria, and Mr. William Duncan, an exemplary and truly\nworthy gentleman, who has, for some years past, been devotedly labouring with a wonderful degree of energy and perseverance as a Christian missionary among the Indian\npopulation at and about Fort Simpson\n2. The facility with which Mr. Duncan has acquired the native language, and\nsucceeded in winning the confidence and attachment of the natives, is a proof of the\ngood sense, kindness of heart, and talent which he has brought to the task; while the\nvery marked success of his efforts as a religious teacher gives rise to the gratifying hope\nthat the natives will yet, through God's blessing, be rescued from ignorance, and assume\na respectable position in British Columbia.\n3. Mr. Duncan proposes to found a missionary settlement for Indian converts in an\neligible situation, about 20 miles south of Fort Simpson (probably Port Essington), a\nplan which meets with my entire approval.\n4. I therefore, with your Grace's sanction, intend to reserve several hundred acres of\nland in that neighbourhood to enable Mr. Duncan to carry this useful and benevolent\nplan into effect.\n5. I would submit, with respect to all land reserved for Indians, the advisability of\nwithholding from them the power to sell or otherwise alienate the title, as they are yet so\nignorant and improvident that they cannot safely be trusted with the management or\ncontrol of landed estate, which, if fully conveyed to them, would soon pass into other\nhands.\n6. I would, therefore, recommend, as a safe and preferable course, that such reserves of\nland should be conveyed to the Governor of the Colony for the time being in trust for\nthe use and benefit of the Indians, leaving no power whatever in them to sell or alienate\nthe estate.\n7. Should those measures meet with your Grace's approval, I have to request the\nsanction of Her Majesty's Government for carrying them into effect.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c. &c. &c.\nEnclosure 1 in No. 2.\nTo his Excellency JaMes Douglas, C.B., Governor of British Columbia, &c. &c. &c.\nThe Parsonage, Victoria, V. I.,\nMy Deah Sir, February 18, 1860.\nI beg to lay before you a letter which I have just received from Mr. W. Duncan, Church of\nEngland Missionary at Fort SimpsoD, in reply to one which, in conformity with your Excellency's PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\ninstructions a short time ago, I wrote to him expressive of the interest\nyour desire to aid him in his work. A copy of which I subjoin.\nDLUMBIA.\n3\nyou felt in his\nI remain\n(Signed) Ed\n,&c\nBritish\nColumbia. j\nThe Parsonage\nu the great grab\n, Victoria,\ny, 1860.\nification he has\n(Copy.)\nDear Mr. Duncan,\nI am requested by his Excellency the Governor to expi\t\nreceived from conversing with several of the Indians who have been under your instruction at\nSimpson, and who are now at Victoria, and his pleasure at witnessing the great improvement in mar\nlearning, and religion which you have succeeded in effecting in their condition.\nHis Excellency trusts you will continue to show the same energy and perseverance which he is\nyou must already have applied to the work, and that your labour will be rewarded by a still 1\nHis Excellency also wishes me to say that he will feel obliged by your reporting to him from\nto time on the progress of your mission. Any suggestions you may make with regard to i\nwhich may occur to you as likely to prove beneficial to the Indians under your care, such as settling\nthem in any pai-ticular locality, or setting apart a reserve of land for their use, will receive his Excellency's best attention, who will also, if necessary, represent such measures with his favourable recommendation to Her Majesty's Government\nPraying that the Divine blessing may rest abundantly on your mission,\nBelieve me, fee.\n(Signed) Edwd. Cridge,\nDistrict Minister of Victoria and Colonial Chaplain.\nEnclosure 2 in No. 2.\nMr. Duncan to Rev. E. Chidge.\nRev. and Dear Sir, Fort Simpson, British Columbia, February 7, 1860.\nI duly received, by the favour of Captain Dodd of the Honourable Hudson's Bay Company,\nyour kind letter of the 11th ult., tendering me the sympathy and good wishes of his Excellency the\nGovernor of British Columbia in reference to my work as a Missionary among the Chimsyan Indians\nof this place. Also expressing his Excellency's desire that I would report to him from time to time\nthe progress of the mission, and make suggestions of any measures which I deem would be likely to\nprove beneficial to the Indians under my care, such as settling them in any particular locality, or setting\napart a reserve of land for their use.\nI feel indeed truly thankful to his Excellency for the very kind interest he manifests in the mission,\nand I shall rejoicingly avail myself of the privilege he extends to me, in making such communications\nto him from time to time as circumstances may suggest and opportunities afford.\nFor his Excellency's information I would now mention that I began a school here in November\n1858, which I still continue to carry on. My pupils number about 200, of whom only about 30 are adults.\nThe daily attendance varies from 80 to 130 souls, excepting the times when they go away in great\nnumbers to procure fish, which occupies about four months in the year, and at such times our daily\nattendance is from 40 to 80 souls.\nThe instruction I give them is in reading, writing, counting, singing, and religious knowledge. The\nlatter I teach in their own tongue, but everything else in English.\nAnother prominent part of my daily work is visiting the Indians in their own houses; the visits I\nmake are mostly in answer to calls for help and medicine in sickness ; but I have thereby many opportunities of speaking to all the inmates of a house. I usually address them on the evil of their doings,\nand point out the inevitable consequences of sin, both in time and in eternity. I then tell them of the\nsinner's friend, and set the blessed Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ before them, illustrating from their\nown customs our need of such a Saviour.\nAs to the result of my labours among them, speaking generally, I may say that many remain\ninfatuated, utterly regardless of the future, while others, caring not for themselves, yet seem anxious\nfor their children \"to learn and walk in the good way; the remainder are those who are anxious for\nthemselves as well as their children to learn and practise what is good.\nIt is to the case of this latter class that I would wish his Excellency's attention was drawn; and, in\nreference to their case, permit me humbly to suggest the propriety of a place being founded in which\nsuch Indians may find a home, and where there may be no lack of remunerative labour put into their\nhands. I confess my only hope of seeing the Indian races of this coast diverted from the destructive\ncourses to which they are now so strongly tempted lies in the carrying out of some such plan as the\nabove for their benefit\nHowever small and insignificant at first such a place might be, I have no doubt of its ultimate\ngrowth and prosperity. Some time ago I hinted to a few of the better disposed Indians here the\nidea of their separating from the rest, and thus avoiding the ruin which threatened them all, and they\nembraced the subject heartily.\nOne old chief urged me much to write to the people at home about the matter. He very properly\ntold me that he saw no chance of benefiting even the rising generation unless they were removed from\nthe evil influence around them at this place.\nAnd I now see from instances which have already occurred, that the children I am teaching will be\ndrifted from me as they grow up and become victims to the same vices which enslave their parents.\nThis makes me feel a growing anxiety for a, safe retreat\nA 2 4 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nThere is no lack, I am happy to state, of suitable spots of land. One place the Indians frequently\nspeak of as offering many advantages for a future home. It is about 30 miles south of this place, so.\nfar as I can ascertain. They have often wanted me to go and see it, but I never went, for I was not\nanxious to raise up hopes among the Indians which I might afterwards disappoint\nHowever, as his Excellency the Governor has kindly alluded to the matter of settlement, I shall now\nmake it my duty in my addresses to the Indians to bring the subject prominently before them.\nBy the time that another opportunity occurs of communicating with Victoria, I hope to be able to\nspeak more definitely regarding the subject as the Indian views it\nThanking you for your kind letter, and praying that the Governor may ever be moved and guided\nin his efforts for the public good by that wisdom which is from above,\n(Signed) W. Duncan.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle.\n(No. 42.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, April 23, I860.\n(Received June 11, I860.)\nMy LORD DUKE, (Answered, No. 36, June 26, 1860, page 67.)\nI have the honour to inform your Grace that the winter has passed away without\nthe occurrence of any extraordinary event in British Columbia.\n2. The season has been comparatively.. mild, and the miners residing in the various\ninland districts have been abundantly provided with food and with home-grown vegetables\nin small quantities, which have had the effect of checking the ravages of scurvy, by\nwhich the health of many of those laborious men was seriously impaired in the winter\nof 1858.\n3. Very satisfactory reports have been lately received from all the mining districts of\nthe country; on these, -however, strict reliance cannot always be placed, though in the\npresent instance they are corroborated by heavy arrivals of gold dust, both in the hands\nof miners and of the exporting companies.\n4. The roads leading into the country from Hope and Yale have, in consequence of\nthe great depth of snow in the mountain passes, been impassable since the beginning of\nwinter to any other mode of transport than by Indian packers, who, with singular force\nand power of endurance,, toil through the mountain trails at that trying season with loads\nof 100 lbs. each; but that mode of transport is not even attempted in winter by the\nHope trail, which is hermetically sealed to travel from the interior, between the months\nof October and June; yet these two trails may, I believe, be made available for winter\ntravel, by evading the precipitous hills over which they pass, and carrying the line of\nroad by easy grades through the deep valleys. The transport might then be carried on\nduring the winter by means of sleighs drawn by horses, as it is evident that the depth of\nsnow would not form in itself an insuperable obstacle, provided the precipitous ascents,\nwhich constitute the real difficulty of the road, could be avoided.\n5. Much attention has been directed to the exploration of those ^difficult routes, and\nwe have ascertained the feasibility of running an easy graded line of road from Yale to\nLytton ; and I am daily expecting a report from a surveying party employed at Hope, in\nexamining, with a similar object in view, the passes leading from that place to the\n\" Shimilkomeen \" Valley. These routes may, without exaggeration, be severally compared to the passage of the Alps. It is, however, a great satisfaction to know that the\ncountry beyond the mountains is generally level and of easy access.\n6. The great outlet of British Columbia continues to be by the Harrison River trail,\nand that fortunately has been uninterruptedly open during the whole winter, and large\nstocks of food have been accumulated at its further terminus near Cayoosh, in anticipation of the influx of miners for the Upper Fraser. The price of food is in consequence\nof that abundance comparatively low, the last quotations being 8d. per lb. for flour and\nbeans at Lytton, and lie?, at Cayoosh, and at both places bacon is quoted at 14rf. per lb.\nThe improvement in the condition' of the miner is very great, as he can live substantially\nfor 1 \\ dollars per diem, instead of 3 or 4 dollars; and many claims are now workable at\n\\ a profit which could not afford the miner any support last year.\n7. A detachment of 80 Royal Engineers, under the command of Captain Grant, has\nbeen employed since the beginning of March embanking the shoals near the mouth of\nthe Harrison River, for the purpose of deepening the channel, which is now impassable in PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 5\nwinter for the lightest steamer, and there is every reason to believe that the work will be\nbrought to a successful termination. ^\n8. The same detachment of Royal Engineers will shortly proceed to resume work on\nthe waggon road from Douglas, which it is expected they will complete in a few weeks\nas far as the 10-mile house; from that point a party of civilian labourers have undertaken a section of six miles of the road, for which they are to receive the sum of 550\/.\nper mile. This will carry the road to the 16-mile house, where the Royal Engineers\nwill recommence operations, and probably complete the next 12 miles, that is, to the\n28-mile house, situated on the smaller Lilloett Lake, before the end of summer.\n9- We propose to use that and the larger Lilloett Lake as a water communication,\nconnecting them by means of a good waggon road 1 \\ miles in length, which is already\nmade and in use. The application of some enterprising settlers to run a steamer, without\nany special privilege, on the larger Lilloett Lake has been granted, which will greatly\nfacilitate transport. An excellent mule trail, 30 miles in length, with substantial\nbridges over all the rivers, connects the larger Lilloett Lake with Lake Anderson,\nbeyond which the route to Cayoosh offers no very serious difficulties to engineering\nenterprise.\n10. Two stern-wheel steamers, intended to ply on Lakes Anderson and Seaton, are\nnearly completed by an association of settlers, who at much labour and expense packed\nthe engines and boilers from Douglas over the Harrison road. To give an idea of the\ndifficulty of the undertaking, I may mention that the boilers, being too heavy to carry\non mules, were rolled over the trail, as far as the 28-mile house, in five sections.\nSerious difficulties of that kind will not be felt when the waggon road is made, and the\nfacility of communication will, I have no doubt, give a prodigious impulse to industry\nand to the rapid development of the resources of the country, as all kinds of machinery\nrequired to assist the operations of the gold miner may then be imported.\n11. I have received advices from Lytton up to the 6th of this month (April). Commissioner Ball reports that the mining'season had commenced, and that the miners who\nhad migrated to the lower country for the winter were fast returning to their old claims\non the benches of Fraser River, but the great majority of those hardy wanderers were\nmaking their way towards Quesnel River, where it is confidently expected rich hill\ndiggings will be found.\n12. A great number of Chinese miners were also arriving and taking up mining claims\non the River Bars, in the Lytton district, who are reputed to be remarkably quiet and\norderly. Mr. Ball's report refers to no other subject of general interest.\n13. The prevailing impression respecting the great auriferous wealth of the district\nabout Alexandria and the Quesnel River will have the effect of attracting a large population to that distant quarter, and I shall consequently be under the necessity of appointing a magistrate and a small body of police to remain there for the purpose of maintaining\nthe peace of the country, and preventing conflicts among the miners and with the Indian\ntribes.\n14. The last intelligence from the Shimilkomeen River is not so favourable as before\nreported. I perceive by the Oregon papers that many persons who had gone there for\nthe purpose of mining had been unsuccessful. It is stated in those papers that 20 or\n30 miners only were making from 8 to 10 dollars per day, while the others engaged in\nthe same occupation were not paying expenses. That is, I conceive, but the usual and\nsilly outcry of the idler and the visionary, and does not in the least shake my opinion in\nregard to the auriferous nature of the country, founded on its geological character, and\nfurther strengthened by the report of Lieut. Park, a highly scientific member of the\nAmerican Boundary Commission, who entertains a similar belief in the auriferous character of that district, and in the existence of extensive placer diggings. Should a large\npopulation assemble there, the attention of Government will have to be directed towards\nit, and a police force employed to maintain the peace. I shall use every exertion to\nconnect the Shimilkomeen with Fort Hope by means of a convenient road, with the\nimportant object in view of making Fraser River, instead of the Columbia, the outlet of\nits trade.\n15. British Columbia is becoming highly attractive to the Chinese, who are arriving\nin great numbers, about 2,000 having entered Fraser River since the beginning of the\nyear, and many more are expected from California and China. They are certainly not\na desirable class of people, as a permanent population, but are for the present useful as\nlabourers, and, as consumers, of a revenue-paying character. I have therefore protected\nthem from the payment of differential duties not equally borne by other classes of the\npopulation.\n1 6 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\n16. I have received advices from Commissioner Sanders of Yale district up to the\n14th instant (April). He describes the migration of miners for the upper country as\nbeing very general, and expresses a fear that the feeling in favour of Quesnel River may\nlead to the depopulation of the Yale district.\n17- In a previous passage of this report I stated that we had ascertained the feasibility\nof running a line of road by easy grades the whole way from Yale to Lytton, which\nwould avoid the lofty passes, and be accessible in winter for pack mules, and not like the\npresent trail, rendered valueless for five months in the year by an impassable depth of\nWith reference to that enterprise which I proposed to undertake, Mr. Sanders complains of the character of the population. His remarks on the subject are as follows :\u2014\n\" There is very little probability of any person in Yale or its neighbourhood tendering\n\" for the construction of the projected mule trail; the proposed part payment in land is\n\" very far from being an inducement; in fact, it is generally objected to ; an arrange-\n\" ment of that nature might possibly be acceptable to British subjects, but would naturally\n\" be objectionable to aliens, and unfortunately the population of this Colony is almost\n\" without exception foreign.\"\nWe shall, nevertheless, commence that undertaking as soon as a small body of the\nRoyal Engineers can be spared without detriment to other important work.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c. &c. &c.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle.\n(Separate.) New Westminster, British Columbia, May 23, I860.\nMy LORD Duke, (Received July 14, I860.)\nI have the honour to inform your Grace that I left Victoria on the 15th instant on\na visit to British Columbia, and arrived at this place on the evening of the same day, and\nI have since been engaged with business of great public importance.\n2. I was glad to observe that this city had greatly improved in appearance since my\nlast visit, and that many new buildings have been erected, and the surface in many parts\ncleared of the gigantic stumps and fallen trees that obstructed the thoroughfares and\nincumbered the ground.\nThe erection of a court house and buildings for the Assay offices have also greatly\nadded to the appearance of the place and increased the bustle and activity which pervades the town. Trade is also on the increase. Two steamers, of from 200 to 300\ntons burthen, are plying with goods and passengers between Victoria and New Westminster, where their cargoes are discharged, and the inland transport is carried on from\nthence to Douglas and Yale by four stern-wheel river steamboats, varying in burthen\nfrom 50 to 200 tons, which now make two trips a week to those places.\n3. The Custom house receipts having for the last two weeks somewhat exceeded the\nsum of 1,000\/. of weekly return, corroborate the opinion I have expressed with respect\nto the state of trade, and indicate the spirited manner in which supplies are being sent\ninto the mining districts, and the confidence entertained by business men in the auriferous\nresources of the country.\n4. The effect of the pre-emption law is already observable in the forest clearings made\nby settlers in the densely wooded land on the banks of Fraser River. The cost of\nclearing such land by means of hired labour ranges from 15\/. to 30\/. an acre, and it will\nconsequently never prove an attractive investment for capital; such land cannot be\ncleared to advantage otherwise than by the actual settler investing his own labour in the\nformation of a permanent home and property for himself and family.\n5. I have given much anxious thought to the subject of settling British Columbia, and\nthe conclusion is more than ever forced upon me that it cannot be successfully accomplished\nwithout adopting a very liberal land system. I am strongly induced to view the public\nland simply as a source of revenue, and, provided an income of equal or greater value can\nbe realized by other means, it does not appear wise or expedient to lock up the public\nland under a system which practically places it beyond the reach of purchase by ordinary\nsettlers. It is evident that without population a revenue for the support of government PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 7\nis unattainable, and unproductive land is next to valueless both to the country and to the\nCrown. The sale of land affords a temporary revenue, but the settler indirectly, by the '\npayment of duties on the foreign articles he consumes, and by means of a small direct\ntax which could be levied on the land he occupies, will become a permanent contributor to\nthe revenue, and, therefore, although the land may have been acquired for nothing, and\nbrought no revenue in the first instance, yet, in such case, the Crown in the end would\nbecome the gainer by his presence. If the public land could be sold at a high upset\nprice, and the country at the same time filled with people, there would be an advantage\nin continuing the present sale price of land; but if one or other of those objects must be\nsacrificed, it is evidently preferable to have the population, and to grant the land without\npurchase or at a much lower price than at present.\n6. These observations are thrown out merely for the purpose of acquainting your\nGrace with the impressions made upon me by the present circumstances of this country,\nas I propose to bring the subject under the consideration of Her Majesty's Government in a more formal manner when I have arrived at clearer and better-supported\nconclusions.\n7. The inhabitants of New Westminster having expressed a great desire for the incorporation of their town and the appointment of municipal officers to manage its revenues,\nI consulted their select committee as to their views, and as to the best means of carrying\nout their wishes. Their propositions are extremely moderate, embracing chiefly two\npoints, viz., the right of taxing themselves, and of applying the proceeds of such taxes to\ngrading the streets and to the general improvement of the town. After several interviews, and obtaining the sense of the people at a public meeting with respect to the\namount of taxes they wished to raise, and as to whether such taxes should be levied on\nan arbitrary valuation or on an actual assessment of property, the draft of an Act was\nmade containing the following provisions:\u2014\n(1st.) That all persons subject to the payment of rates according to the Act shall be\nentitled to vote at elections for members of the town council.\n(2nd.) That the town council shall consist of seven members, who are to hold office\nwithout remuneration, and for one year only.\n(3rd.) That none but British subjects or foreigners who have become naturalized British\nsubjects shall be eligible for councillors, and, in addition, they must be possessed of\nproperty valued at not less than 50\/. sterling, and shall have resided at least six\nmonths in New Westminster.\n(4th.) That the town of New Westminster shall be divided into four wards, each\nreturning a certain number of councillors.\n(5th.) That the council shall be empowered to levy rates on property within the town,\nas may be determined and authorized by the majority of the rate-payers, and to cause\nthe proceeds of such rates to be expended under the direction of the Chief Commissioner\nof Lands and Works.\n(6th.) That the council shall be authorized to levy a tax not exceeding two per cent, on\nthe assessed value of all town lots and property within the town for the year I860 and\n1861, and to enforce payment thereof.\n(7th.) That the said council shall be empowered to levy a further rate over and above\nthe said two per cent, for the said two years, provided the majority of the rate-payers\ndeem it necessary and require them so to do.\n(8th.) That the said council shall be further authorized to compel town lot holders to\ncut down all trees on their respective town lots, except such, as may be reserved for\nornament, and in default to cause the trees to be cut down, and the cost thereof, not\nexceeding 71. sterling on each town lot, to be levied on the property.\nSuch is the substance of the proposed Act, which will be immediately put into the\nhands of the Attorney General for proper drafting.\n8. Your Grace will observe that the powers of the council are so limited by the supervision of the Commissioner of Lands and Works on the one hand, and the rate-payers on\nthe other, as almost to remove the danger of abuse, and I am of opinion that the city\nwill be greatly benefited by its exertions and by the expenditures on substantial and\nmuch-needed improvements.\nTrusting that this measure may meet with your Grace's approval,\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c. &c. &c. PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle.\n(Separate.) Campj Fraser Rjverj Chilwayhook District, May 31, I860.\nMy LORD DUKE, (Received August 6, I860.)\nIn continuation ot my last report, marked Separate, and dated New Westminster,\n23rd May, I have to communicate for your Grace's information, that the 24th of May\nwas spent not unprofitably in making a tour in one of the river steamers to Pitt Lake,\ndistant about 40 miles from New Westminster, accompanied by the colonel in command,\nthe civil and military colonial officers, the local magistrates, the Lord Bishop of British\nColumbia, his chaplain, and many of the citizens of New Westminster, who were invited\nto celebrate with me the auspicious natal day of our most Gracious Queen, amidst the\nwild romantic scenery of that mountain lake, and never, I believe, has any part of Her\nMajesty's dominions resounded to more hearty acclamations of loyalty and attachment\nthan were heard on that occasion.\n2. The other towns in British Columbia vied in loyal demonstrations with the inhabitants of New Westminster, a fact which I record with pleasure as a proof of the growing\nattachment of the alien population of the Colony to our Sovereign, and to the institutions\nof our country.\n3. On the 25th of May I proceeded from New Westminster, with my party, in one of\nthe revenue boats towards Derby; in our progress up the Fraser we passed a number of\ntributary streams flowing into it from the north. The \" Pitt\" is the most considerable\nof these tributaries, being navigable for vessels of 300 or 400 tons to its source in\nPitt Lake, a distance of 35 miles, including the lake, beyond which it is accessible for\nIndian canoes a few miles further, but not for any larger craft.\n4. The banks of Pitt River are exceedingly beautiful; extensive meadows sweep\ngracefully from the very edge of the river towards the distant line of forest and mountain.\nThe rich alluvial soil produces a thick growth of grass interspersed with the Michaelmas\ndaisy, the wild rose, and scattered groups of willows. This fine district contains an area\nof 20,000 acres of good arable land, requiring no clearing from timber, and ready for the\nimmediate operations of the plough. Many parts of it are however exposed to overflow,\nthrough the periodical inundations of the Fraser, which commence about the first week in\nJune, and generally subside before the middle of July. Owing to this circumstance the\nPitt River meadows are not adapted for raising wheat and other cereals which require the\nentire season to mature, but may be turned to good account in growing hay and every\nkind of root crop, and may also be used extensively for pasturing cattle, and for the\npurposes of the dairy.\n5. The Brunette, Coquitlum, and Whytus, the latter opposite the site of Derby,\nare streams accessible by boat or canoe for some distance from their debouche into\nFraser River; their importance to the district, as an easy and inexpensive means of\ncommunication, is very great, seeing that they form a series of natural canals, intersecting\nthe country in all directions, and admirably adapted for the transport of goods and\nproduce to and from the navigable waters of the Fraser.\n6. The banks of Fraser River are almost everywhere covered with woods. Varieties\nof pine and firs of prodigious size, and large poplar trees, predominate. The vine\nand soft maple, the wild apple tree, the white and black thorn, and deciduous bushes\nin great variety, form the massive undergrowth. The vegetation is luxuriant almost\nbeyond conception, and at this season of the year presents a peculiarly beautiful appearance. The eye never tires of ranging over the varied shades of the fresh green foliage,\nmingling with the clustering white flowers of the wild apple tree, now in full blossom,\nand filling the air with delicious fragrance. As our boat, gliding swiftly over the surface\nof the smooth waters, occasionally swept beneath the overhanging boughs which form a\ncanopy of leaves, impervious to the sun's scorching rays, the effect was enchanting;\nyet amidst all this wealth and luxuriance of nature, I could not repress the wish that\nthose gorgeous forests might soon be swept away by the efforts of human industry, and\ngive place to cultivated fields and the other accessaries of civilization. This, however,\nwill be a work of time, though there is no doubt that the facilities and inducements now\nheld out to settlers in this Colony by the pre-emptive law and other enactments, might\nenable thousands of the destitute poor of Britain, by a few years of steady industry, to\nsecure for themselves happy homes and a comfortable independence for life. of a, portion of\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nyiled from the Surveys & Explorations\nof the\nRavalNaw & Royal Engineers 1\nPAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 9\n7. Leaving the boat at Derby we travelled two miles by the bridlepath which skirts the Bbitish\nFraser to Langley. In my Despatch No. 224,* of the 18th October last, I communicated Columbia.\nto your Grace the intention I then entertained of opening up leading roads in the districts , vjJjTpa-\nbordering on Fraser River from Derby to Hope, to connect those places, and for the pers pre-\nrelief of settlers exploring the country; as they cannot otherwise make their way through sented in\nthe woods, which are blocked up in every direction by thick brash and immense quantities I860' -_\nof fallen timber. s\u00a3e6\u00b0\"\n8. A portion of that road from Langley to Smess, which completes the line of communication between Derby and Hope, having been lately finished, I proceeded on horseback from Langley with the intention of riding the whole way to Hope ; that intention\ncould not however be fully carried into effect, as Fraser River had overflowed its banks,\nand inundated the low plains through which the road has been injudiciously led. After\na ride of 13 miles our progress was arrested by a flooded plain, impassable in its present\nstate for horses, and we were therefore compelled to seek the river and to proceed by\ncanoe.\n9. The tract through which we rode is well adapted for settlement, the soil being a\ndeep rich loam, and the woods which once evidently covered the whole face of the country,\nhaving been in parts so completely destroyed by fire as to leave large patches of ground\nalmost clear of timber. The tract alluded to and that extending to Smess River contains\nabout 150,000 acres of land, easily cleared and generally well adapted for tillage; its\nadvantageous position on the banks of a navigable river further recommend it as an\neligible place of settlement.\n10. Captain Parsons with a party of Royal Engineers is now engaged in a reconnaissance of the country on the Smess and Chilwayhook Rivers. I will therefore defer the\nnotice of that district until I receive that officer's report on its capabilities.\nI will now close this communication, as a steamer is in sight, and I will proceed by\nher from this point towards Douglas or Hope, with the intention of continuing this\nsketch.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c. &c. &c.\nNo. 6.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\n( Separate.)\nMy Lord Duke,\nMy last communication to your Grace was dated \" Camp, Chilwayhook District,\n31st May.\"\n2. During the few hours I remained at Douglas, whither the river steamer which\nconveyed my party from Chilwayhook was bound, I had merely time to observe the\nincreasing size of the town, the improved style of the newer buildings, and the evident\nattention paid to comfort and stability in their arrangement and construction, indicating\nthe growing wealth of the inhabitants, and their confidence in the progress of the town.\nIts business facilities have lately been much improved by the construction of two\nsubstantial wharves which afford ample accommodation for all shipping which visit\nthe port.\n3. I met Captain Grant, R.E., at Douglas, who reports very favourably of the progress\nof the detachment of Royal Engineers and civilian labourers employed under his command\nin forming the waggon road from Douglas to the lesser Lilooett Lake, which he expects\nto finish before the close of summer.\n4. Our steamer having a full cargo on board was detained at Douglas in landing\ngoods from the hour of her arrival at six o'clock in the evening, till four the following\nmorning, when she was again under weigh steaming full power in the direction of Hope,\nand arrived there at nine o'clock the same evening, the distance being 90 miles, during\n40 miles of which she had. to stem the current of Fraser River, now almost at its\ngreatest force and height.\n5. At a public meeting of the inhabitants of Hope, held soon after my arrival there,\nI entered into an exposition of the state and prospects of the country, and more particularly directed the attention of the meeting to the importance of opening lines of road\nwithout delay, into various parts of the country, but especially a line leading into the\nvalley of the Shimilkomeen, and showing that the immediate and direct effect to the\nIV. B 10\nPAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\ncountry would be a vast reduction in the cost of transport, and a great accession of\ntrade to the town and district of Hope.\n6. The valley of the Shimilkomeen has many attractive features, no part of British\nColumbia being more beautiful as a country, or offering greater inducements to settlers.\nThe whole of that district is watered by running streams, possesses a great deal of\narable land, and is diversified by woodland and meadow.\nThe climate is pleasant and healthy, the winters mild, and the capabilities of the\ndistrict for raising and pasturing stock are very great.\nThere is, moreover, satisfactory evidence that the rivers and soil are auriferous,\nand that gold will become a chief article of export and source of wealth.\nThe settlement of that fine district has been retarded by want of roads, and there is no\ndoubt that people will flock thither as soon as it is accessible to travel.\n7. A cutting of 60 miles through the mountains will connect it with the town of Hope.\nI entreated the meeting to give the subject their earnest attention, and [to recommend\nsuch financial measures as might raise the funds requisite for carrying that great\nwork into effect.\nThe people cordially agreed with the views expressed, and promised their hearty aid\nand support in providing money for the occasion.\n8. The day following I called a meeting of the miners in the Hope district, and\nin the course of a long interview ascertained that they had no grievances to lay before\nme, and that they were satisfied with the existing \" Gold Fields Act.\" I spoke to them\nabout the probable existence of gold in Shimilkomeen, and recommended that they should\nat once form a party, selected by themselves, and composed of experienced miners, and\nof men on whose energy and judgment they could rely, to prospect the Shimilkomeen\ncountry, and I agreed on the part of the Government to furnish the party with food, and\nto allow a bonus of 4\/. sterling in money to each of the men employed in prospecting,\nprovided they succeeded in finding gold.\nThe proposal was received with evident marks of satisfaction by the whole company\nof miners, and they proceeded at once to select a party of nine men, out of a large\nnumber of those present who volunteered for the service; and this choice band\nwill start in a few days time, or as soon as the freshets, which now fill the rivers to overflowing, have somewhat abated, and travelling becomes a less dangerous undertaking.\n9. The despatch of a party to reopen and improve the road leading direct from Hope\nto Quayome, or Boston Bar, was at once undertaken and carried into effect, but the\nimprovement of the other routes is left for the present and cannot be undertaken until\nmy return from Yale, when I will report further.\n10. I annex a return exhibiting the average number of miners employed on the several\nbars of the Hope District, together with the average earnings of each man per diem,\nwhich I have no doubt will be interesting to your Grace.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c.\n&c.\nVictoria to Hudso\na No. 6.\nera! Bars in the Fort Hope Distri\nAverage No of\nA ^^ amin\names of Bars.\nMiner's employed.\nof each Man.\nVictoria Bar\n40\n3~to 5 dollars.\nPuget Sound Bar - -\n50\n3 to 5 \u201e\nFrench\n15\n10 to 12 \u201e\nTrafalgar\n9\n5 to 7 fP \u201e\nMaria Ville\n10\n|'?8^4~\u00b0~\u201e\nUnion\nCornish\n\u201e .\n15\n3 toj 4 \u201e\nProspect\n6\n4 \u201e\nBlue Nose\n4 i,\nHudson\nTotal\n30\n8 to 10 \u201e\n203\nFort Hope, June 9,1860.\n(Signed) P. O. Re] PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nNo. 7. British\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of CoL^B3U\nNewcastle. No- m\nI T (Separate.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, July 6, I860.\nMy Lord Duke, (Received August 22, 1860.)\nContinuing our progress from Hope, from whence I last addressed your Grace,\non the morning of the 6th June, we arrived at Yale in the afternoon of the same day.\n2. A deputation of the inhabitants, bearing a congratulatory Address, waited upon me\nalmost immediately after my arrival, and I took that opportunity of stating that I had\nbeen induced to visit Yale on that occasion chiefly by the desire of conferring with them\non the highly important subject of improving, and, wherever necessary, altering the line\nof the present trail leading from Yale to Lytton, with the view of reducing the expense\nof transport, and rendering the country beyond the mountains accessible to intending\nsettlers.\n3. I drew their attention to the fact that the cost of transport by the existing mountain\ntrail between Yale and Lytton, a distance of 80 miles, exceeded 761. sterling a ton, a charge\nwhich the gold miner, by reason of his large earnings and limited wants, might possibly\ncontrive to meet, but it was evident that until the cost of transport be greatly reduced,\nsettlers, with their multiform wants, would be involved in ruinous expenses, and in fact\nvirtually excluded from the interior of the country, which might, for want of such facilities of communication as I proposed to form, remain a desert for years to come.\nI also remarked how nearly impossible it was, by any conveyance practicable on those\ntrails, for the settler to transport the implements indispensable for bringing the land into\ncultivation.\n4. I therefore recommended that the inhabitants of the town should forthwith hold a\nmeeting for the purpose of choosing a temporary council of five members to concert\nmeasures with me for raising the funds requisite for carrying on that important enterprise,\nwhich must necessarily confer the most signal benefits on the country at large, and so\ngreatly promote the individual interests of the people of Yale.\n5. I then suggested that the money required for that service should be raised by means\nof an inland duty of one farthing a pound, to be charged after the completion of the road\non the weight of all goods leaving Yale for any inland part above and beyond that place,\nand that in the meantime the outlay should be met by an issue of Colonial Bonds, bearing\ninterest at six per cent, per annum, to be repaid at fixed periods frorn the revenues so\ncreated.\n6. In continuation of that subject I may remark for your Grace's information, that a\nTown Council of five members was subsequently chosen by the inhabitants of Yale, who,\non behalf of their fellow citizens, presented a petition recommending that the proposed\nduty of one farthing a pound should be charged on all goods carried inland from Yale,\nand that the revenues derived from that source should be applied to the redemption of\nthe bonds issued in payment of the work done on the roads, and also praying that a\nuniform rate of duty should be levied on all goods carried inland from Hope and Douglas,\nin order that no one route should have any preference or decided advantage over the\nothers.\n7. The inland exports from Yale are estimated at 50 tons a week, or 2,600 tons per\nannum; the proposed duty, equivalent to 2\/. 4s. 9d. a ton, should therefore yield an\nannual revenue of 6,500\/. sterling, without taking into account the progressive increase of\ntrade and population ; that sum will thus, at' the most moderate computation, form an\nample fund for the redemption of the bonds, and payment of the interest accruing\nthereon; and the country will be largely repaid for the immediate outlay by a direct\nsaving of fivepence a pound weight, or 46\/. 13s. Ad. sterling a ton, which it is estimated\nwill be effected in the cost of transport from Yale to Lytton by opening the new line of\nroad, as well as from many other sources of prosperity and wealth that the improvement of\nroads will bring into play.\n8. Having thus provided the means of executing our plans, the Chief Commissioner\nof Lands and Works was authorized to proceed immediately in carrying them into\neffect.\nTwo portions of the new line of road from Yale to Spuzzem are now in progress, and a\nthird portion between Chapman's and Boston Bar is about being surveyed in hopes of\ndiscovering some line which may avoid the circuitous direction and the mountainous 12 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\ndistrict through which the mule trail now passes, whereby the actual distance is greatly\nincreased, while the route is in winter rendered altogether impassable by the great depth\nof snow.\n9. I beg herewith to forward for your Grace's information the substance of a short\naddress,* which, previous to my departure, I delivered to the people of Yale, complimenting them for their public spirit, and thanking them for the cordial manner\nin which they had responded to my proposals for promoting the improvement of the\ncountry.\n10. The inhabitants of Hope, to which place I returned on the 15th June, were\nequally liberal in their views, and also drew up a petition in favour of an inland duty\nequivalent to that to be levied at Yale, on all goods carried overland from Hope, which\nwill provide funds for improving the road to \" Quayome,\" or Boston Bar, and opening\na new route by the \" Callomme \" River into the \" Shimilkomeen\" valley, a distance of\n60 miles, the expense of which on the scale proposed will not exceed four thousand\npounds sterling.\n11. I herewith transmit for your Grace's information a sketch map* of part of British\nColumbia, showing the proposed lines of road mentioned' in this report, together with\nthe roads before completed, and others strongly recommended by the Commissioner of\nLands and Works, and which will no doubt greatly facilitate and promote the settlement\nof the country.\n12. I am happy to inform your Grace that the reports from all the mining districts\ncontinue to be of the most favourable character. Mining is no longer a speculation; it\nis becoming a business yielding an appreciable and certain return, and every day is\nextending our knowledge of the gold deposits.\n13. Our latest accounts represent that 600 white miners were successfully employed\non Quesnelle river, earning from 10 to 25 dollars a day. The spring freshets had\ndriven them away from their claims in the beds of the rivers, and they had commenced\noperations on the hills and ravines, which have turned out to be highly auriferous.\nSeveral pieces of gold, varying from six to eight ounces, have been found in those new\ndiggings, and the gold produced has a rougher surface and is in larger pieces than that\nfound in the country west of Lytton.\n14. About 1,000 white miners are working on Fraser river, between Alexandria and\nLytton, and about 4,000 Chinese miners are employed in the various districts of the\ncolony.\n15. In my next excursion to British Columbia I propose to devote my attention to\nthe Harrison River district, where the land communications are being rapidly improved,\nand two small steamers, soon to be increased by a third, are in full operation on the\nlakes.\n16. I trust Her Majesty's Government will approve of the measures herein detailed\nfor removing the impediments of access to the country, and the issue of bonds as a means\nof raising money for carrying on the work. The whole expense of those works will be\ndefrayed out of the revenues of the country, derived, as I have before stated, from the\nduty on inland transport.\nI feel assured that I have not overrated the resources of the country, and that they\nare equal to the emergency, and I believe that those resources will be more or less\nlargely developed just in proportion to the degree in which those difficulties of access are\nremoved.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS. PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 13\nNo. 8.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle.\n(No. 70.)\n., T i$ Victoria, Vancouver Island, August 3, I860.\nMY LORD Duke, (Received September 27, 1860.)\nI have the honour of transmitting herewith, for your Grace's information, copy of\na letter from Mr. O'Reilly, the magistrate at Hope, with enclosure, being the first report\nreceived from the party of gold miners sent out from that place, as stated to your Grace\nin paragraph 8 of my Despatch of the 5th June, marked \" Separate.\"*\n2. This report, though not conclusive as to the general character of the country, yet\nspeaks very favourably of those parts examined.\n3. The quality and value of the specimens of gold alluded to in the above report have\nbeen estimated by a practical assayer here, as follows:\u2014\nf Weight - - about 5 grains.\nNo. iy Quality - - 860 thousandths fine.\nL Value - - 9 pence,\nf Quality - - 860 thousandths fine.\nNo. 2. J Value - - 22 pence.\nLWeight - - about 12 grains,\nfrom which an inference may be drawn greatly in favour of the Shimilkameen as a mining\ndistrict.\n4. A new gold district is also said to have been discovered in the southern part of\nBritish Columbia, at York Creek, a tributary falling into the Kettle-fall River near the\n49 parallel, and 400 miners, chiefly from Oregon, were reported to be engaged in working\nthat field, and making wages from 15 or 20 up to as high as 100 dollars a day. It is\nanticipated that there will be a great rush of miners to that part of the country, and, if so,\nfood will be required in large quantities, which will lead to a great increase of trade, and\nto the formation of new settlements in that part of the Colony by reason of this additional\nattraction.\n5. The importance of directing the supply of provisions for this region by way of Hope\nis thus greatly increased, and an additional motive supplied for opening the road between\nHope and Shimilkameen, which is being at the present moment vigorously carried on, and\nthus preventing the trade from taking the course of the Columbia River to Oregon.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c. &c. &c.\nEnclosure in No. 8.\nSir, Fort Hope, July 31, 1860.\nI have the honour to enclose, for His Excellency's information, a letter just received from\nMr. Allison, one of the party selected to proceed to the Shimilkomeen, for the purpose of exploring\nthat district\nI shall endeavour to send them to-day a small quantity of provisions, to enable them to prosecute\nfurther their exploration.\nAs the steamer is about to start, I have not time to write at greater length.\nI have, &c.\nW. A. G. Young, Esq. (Signed) P. O'Reilly, J. P.\nSub-Enclosure.\nSir, Shimilkomeen River, July 27, 1860.\nI send in the two Indians to-day, they have worked for us nineteen days, at one dollar per day.\nI suppose they will expect to be paid for the time they are returning; my agreement with them was to\npay them one dollar per day or $30 per month. We have prospected the country in this locality to the\nbest of our ability for the time we have been out, and have found diggings that will pay five or six\ndollars a day with a rocker. I think as the river falls, much richer deposits will be found. I have not\nthe least doubt but we could find good bench diggings (if we had time), that would pay well tor sluicing;\nwe have prospected twelve miles up the south fork, which I think is the main source of the gold in 1\nthis locality. The little package No. It was the result of the washing of two pansj of dirt taken from a *\npoint of bed rock that just projected above the water. I also found dirt on the bank near the same \\\nlocality that prospected three or four cents to the pan. ,\nB 3 14 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nBritish Package No. 2* was the result of the washing of a few buckets of dirt in a rocker we have made\n. Columbia, for prospecting (rather a rough machine, made with an axe, and this the first washing); this was taken\n out a little below the junction of the south forks on the main river. All the surface of the country in\n* Weight, this locality is a gravel deposit, and I have got very good prospects in banks of from 50 to 75 feet high,\nabout 12grains. j tnmk some 0f tnem ^jR pay to work ^fa a hydraulic.\nIt is singular that in all my prospecting I have not yet seen a quartz vein, although gold is distributed all over the country; this is one reason why I should like to penetrate further into the mountains.\nI think there must be quartz veins at the head of the streams, and that coarser gold will be found: the\nIndians report coarse gold high in the mountains, but I do not place any dependence in their reports.\nI think this fall, at low water, rich deposits will be- found in the bed of the streams; the rivers are\nrapidly falling, and the chances of striking good deposits improving every day. \"We shall be obliged to\nbreak up our company in a few days if we do not receive supplies from Hope. If I can purchase a\nhorse at'a reasonable price I shall return to Hope immediately, and make fuller reports of our prospecting, if not, I shall probably go down the Shimilkomeen.\nYour obedient servant,\nP. O'Reilly, Esq. (Signed) J. F. Allison.\nNo. 9-\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle.\n(No. 72.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, August 4, I860.\n(Received September 27, 1860.)\nMy Loud DUKE, (Answered, No. 56, October 26, 1860, page 67.)\nI have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Grace's Despatch, No. 26, f\nof the 19th of May I860, on the subject of the grants of endowments in land to the\nclergy of the principal Christian communities established in British Columbia; and I\nlearn with satisfaction that your Grace has been pleased to sanction the grants already\nmade of about one acre each, and also to approve of a similar grant under similar circumstances in all towns in British Columbia; and I will take care that your Grace's suggestion as to the precautions necessary in the appropriation and conveyance of the land\nis not disregarded.\nI observe and admit the force of the reasons which have induced your Grace to\nwithhold the sanction of Her Majesty's Government to my furtheF proposal that free\ngrants of 100 acres of rural land should be made in aid of every cure established in\nBritish Columbia, and not otherwise supported at the public expense.\nYour Grace will perhaps permit me to remark with reference to my recommendation of that measure, that I was desirous by it of holding out inducements to educated\nand respectable clergymen to take up their residence in the Colony, and of contributing\nin a small degree towards their decent maintenance and support; I, in fact, regarded it\nas an easy and inexpensive means of providing a fund which would materially and\nincreasingly tend to the advancement and support of religion, without putting the Colony\nto any serious expense.\nI did not view the proposed endowment as a sufficient or exclusive means of\nsupport; it was considered in my scheme only as an attractive inducement and important\naid for religious bodies and clergymen, who perhaps, having a certain amount of private\nmeans or of funds drawn from other sources at their disposal, might by the prospect of\nthat additional aid be induced to assume pastoral charge, and to found cures. When the\ngood work was well begun, I trusted to the effect of voluntary contributions to complete\nthe fund necessary for the support of the incumbent and for church extension throughout\nthe Colony.\nThe circumstances of British Columbia, as your Grace is aware, are very peculiar:\nhad the Colony been settled by a population drawn from the mother country, holding\nthe same religious views, and appreciating Christian privileges and instruction, there\nwould have been less cause for anxiety about the support of religion.\nBodies of Christian settlers, however poor, might reasonably be expected to unite\nin contributing, according to their means, to secure the advantage of having a Christian\npastor resident among them.\nBut unfortunately the state of British Columbia is such as precludes the probability\nof such a desideratum; its population is made up of drafts from many nations, dissimilar\nin language, and totally disagreeing in their religious views ; and it will, I fear, be many\nyears before Christian congregations of any denomination will be found capable of\nsupporting their own pastors.\nIt is for that reason that the Colony so urgently needs the fostering care of Government, for without its aid the country may remain unprovided with churches and destitute\nof Christian teachers for an indefinite period of time. PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\n15\nI hope it will not be supposed from anything herein stated that I am pressing this Bbitish\nmatter with an earnestness beyond its merits. I have merely addressed your Grace Columbia;\nunder a profound sense of one of the wants felt by the Colony, and for which I have no \u25a0\nother means of providing.\nI feel, in fact, that this is a subject demanding my closest attention, and to which\nI am particularly directed by Her Majesty's instructions, which enjoin that I should take\nespecial care that Almighty God be devoutly served, and that orthodox churches be\nbuilt, and well and orderly kept.\nShould it still appear to Her Majesty's Government that the peculiar circumstances\nof the Colony do not warrant a reconsideration of your decision in respect to the\nproposed endowment, I trust your Grace will authorize me to substitute a money equivalent out of the Colonial Revenues, or to make some other provision calculated to advance\nand support the cause of religion.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c. &c. &c.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Govt\nNi\n\u2022 Douglas, C.B., to his Grao\niVCASTLE.\nthe Duke of\n(No. 7*0\nVictoria, Vancouver Island, August 4, I860.\nMy LORD DUKE, (Received September 27, 1860.)\nI have the honour of transmitting herewith, for Her Majesty's approval, the copy\nof a Proclamation entitled \"The New Westminster Municipal Council Act, i860.\"\n2. This is the Act which I had the honour of reporting to your Grace in my Despatch\nmarked \" separate,\" and dated New Westminster, the 23rd of May I860.* *\n3. It provides for the election of a Municipal Council invested with power to raise\nmoney by assessment on all town lots, and erections thereon, situated within the limits\nof New Westminster, and authorizes them to expend that money in the formation of\nstreets, and in providing for the health, comfort, and security of the inhabitants.\n4. The Municipal Council is to consist of seven members, being British subjects, and\neach being possessed of a property qualification of fifty pounds; and all ratepayers are\nentitled to vote in the election of Councillors.\n5. The Council can levy such rates only as are approved of by the majority of all the\nratepayers and by the Governor for the time being. In the same manner all bye-laws\npassed by the Council must be confirmed by the Governor for the time being, before\nthey have the force of law.\n6. The compulsory clause requiring lot-holders to cut down the standing trees, except\nsuch as may be reserved on any lot for ornament, was introduced into the Act at the\nrequest of the people themselves, who represented that there was no security for their\nproperty, which was in perpetual danger of being destroyed either by the falling of trees\nor by their conflagration, as long as any part of the forest within the inhabited portion of\nthe town remains.\n7. The clause has also merits of another kind; it will have the effect of inducing\nholders of lots, whether resident or not, to improve their property, and thereby benefit\nthe town.\n8. The Act has been prepared with much care and consideration by the Attorney-\nGeneral, and will, I trust, be productive of much good.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLA S.\n&c. &c. &c. PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nEnclosure in No. 10.\nIBKn (No-20-)\nBy his Excellency James Douglas, Companion of the most Honourable Order of the Bath, Governor\nand Commander-in-Chief of Her Majesty's Colony of British Columbia and its dependencies,\nVice-Admiral of the same.\nProclamation having the force of Law in Her Majesty's Colony of British Columbia.\nWhereas, by virtue of an Act of Parliament made and passed in the 21st and 22nd years of the\nreign of Her most Gracious Majesty the Queen, and by a Commission under the Great Seal of the\nUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in conformity therewith, I, James Douglas, Governor\nof the Colony of British Columbia, have been authorized by proclamation issued under the Public\nSeal of the said Colony, to make laws, institutions, and ordinances for the peace and good\ngovernment of the same; and\nWhereas it is expedient to establish a Municipal Council in the city of New Westminster:\nNow, therefore, I, James Douglas, Governor of British Columbia, by virtue of the authority\naforesaid, do proclaim, order, and enact,\n1. That from and after the date of this proclamation the tract of land specified in the first part\nof the Schedule hereto shall be deemed for the purposes of this proclamation the city of New\nWestminster.\n2. The said city shall be divided into four wards, called respectively: Number One Ward, Number\nTwo Ward, Number Three Ward, and Number Four Ward.\nThe Number One Ward shall include the tract of land specified in the second part of the said\nSchedule. The Number Two Ward shall include the tract of land specified in the third part of the\nsaid Schedule. The Number Three Ward shall include the tract of land specified in the fourth part\nof the said Schedule, and the Number Four Ward shall include the tract of land specified in the fifth\npart of the said Schedule.\nThe Municipal Council.\n3. The Municipal Council shall consist of seven councillors possessed of the qualifications and\nsubject to none of the disqualifications herein-after specified.\nQualifications.\n4. Being a male British subject of full age.\nHaving resided in the city of New Westminster for a space of three calendar months previous\nBeing seised or possessed in his own right in fee simple of a town lot or part of a town lot in the city\nof New Westminster of the market value of not less than fifty pounds sterling.\nDisqualifications.\n5. Being a minister of any religious denomination.\nBeing a sheriff or sheriff's officer, or returning officer under this proclamation.\nBeing a bankrupt, insolvent debtor,' or outlaw, or having been convicted of any felony.\nHaving taken the oath of allegiance to or having become the subject or citizen of any foreign state\nor Her successors, unless he shall have taken the oath of allegiance to Her Majesty and^Her^uc-\ncessors before the Judge of the Supreme Court of Civil Justice of British Columbia three months at\nleast before the time of election.\nHaving directly or indirectly any contract with the Municipal Council.\nElection of Councillors.\n6. The persons possessed of the qualifications and under none of the disqualifications herein-after\nmentioned\noncerning electors of the said Municipal Council shall have one vote a-piece in the election\nof a counci\nlor or councillors for the ward wherein he has a property qualification ; but he shall only\nor vote for\none only; and if he shall vote for one only, his vote shall only count one.\n7. There\nshall be elected in Number One Ward one councillor, in Number Two Ward three\ncouncillors,\nin Number Three Ward two councillors, and in Number Four Ward one councillor\nrespectively\nS. Thee\nndidate or candidates, as the case may be, in each ward (duly qualified) who shall obtain\nthe greatest\nnumber of votes in the ward for which he or they may stand shall be councillors.\nOpen Voting.\n9. The v\nting for councillors shall be open, and no person shall vote by proxy.\nDuration of Office of Councillors.\n10. The\ncouncillors shall be elected for one year only. Provided always, that if any of the\ncouncillors,\nor any person on his or their behalf, or any person in partnership with him or them, shall\nenter into\n>r obtain any interest directly or indirectly in any contract entered into by or with the PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\n17\nMunicipal Council, such com\nthat if any councillor shall '\naforesaid within the space of\nobtained any interest in any such cor\nCouncil a sum of 50\/., which said sun\n\" Municipal Council of the city of Ni\njr shall\ncalendai\nlediately resign h:'\n;ing of the Counc\nnth from the time\niforesaid, such cou\nmay be recovered by actii\n! Westminster.\"\ncouncillorsbip. Provided always,\n, or shall not resign his office as\nwhen he shall have entered into or\njillor shall forfeit to the Municipal\ni to be brought in the name of the\n11. The\n7th day of Augi\nor poll, as the c\nn shall b<\nmay be, shall be holden\nTime of Election of Councillors.\nthe 6th day of Augu\naid days i\ni the next day.\nPlace of Voting.\ni the Chief\n12. The voting shall take place in such place in the city of New Westminster i\nInspector of Police for the time being of British Columbia shall appoint, and such pers<\nabsence, such person as the Governor shall appoint, shall for the purpose of this proclamation be the\n13. The returning officer shall, on the 25th day of July in each year, make out a list of qualified\nvoters, and such list shall be final and conclusive.\nThe returning officer shall give at least seven days' public notice of the place of voting.\nQualification of Vote\n. Being a male of full\n\u25a0ins, at the time of tet\ne first electi\nbe such\nin New Wt\nspector of Police of Bi\nvoters and to take such\nte aforesaid, placed on\nion of councillors, which shall be holden\nof full age as shall, being owners or lessees of a\nid, be placed upon the\nh Columbia aforesaid,\nasures for that purpose\n3 hereby authorized t\nmay think proper.\nvoters. Provided always,\nestminster, the voters shall\nn lot or part of a town lot\nfor that purpose by the Chief In-\nit of\nDisqualification of Voters.\n15. Being a sheriff, or a sheriff's officer, or returning officer.\nBeing a bankrupt, insolvent debtor, or outlaw, or having been convi\n16. Every person tendering his vote at any election of a councillor\nof the following oaths as he may be required by some other dulv quali\nI.\u2014I, A. B., do hereby swear that I am the same A. B. who\nvoters, and that I am now in my own right possessed of or tenant of I\nrespect of which I have been entered on the (list of voters or assessme\nII\u2014I, A. B., do hereby solemnly swear that I have not receive\nknowledge has any other person on my behalf or for my benefit w\nmoney, gift, advantage, place, or consideration for or for the purpose i\nill, before voting, take such\nmentioned on the list of\n:ement of qualification), in\noil, as the case may be).\n\u2022 been promised, or to my\nfed or been promised, any\nnfluencing the vote which I\nthemselv\ns befon\ncandid\nhim\ni for\n>e office of o\nreupon declare\naid Poll\nof nomination, nominate such persons as shall present\nin nomination in their behalf by some duly qualified\nllor. A show of hands shall then take place, and the\nch of the candidates has or have been elected by the\nreturning officer sli\nshow of hands.\nAny candidate may demand a poll, which shall be taken on the day of el<\nofficer shall immediately after the close of the poll declare who has or h\ngreatest number of votes.\n18. The poll shall be kept open between the hours of eleven o'clock a.m. and four o'clock p.\ni, and the returning\nbeen elected by the\n19. The co\nmeeting of the\nabsence of sue\nPresident of the Council.\nho shall be elected by the majority of the Coun\nmil in case of the death, bankruptcy, insolvency, i\nt, another councillor shall be elected the president.\nVacancies in the Council.\n20. In case\nof the death, bankr\nuptcy,\nnsolvency, resignation,\nyr permanent absence from the\ncity\nof New Westminster, for the spac\nof th\nee calendar months, of\nany c\nuncillor, the president o\nthe\nCouncil shall,\nby writing, call upo\nn the r\neturning officer to cau\ne duly qualified person\nobe\nelected in the\nstead of the vacatii\ncillor, by some day not\nr than 21 days from the\ndate\nof the said not\nce, and such electior\nshall\ntake place accordingly,\nand s\nich councillor shall act fo\nresidue of the\nterm for which such\ncounc\nlor so dead, bankrupt,\ninsolv\nent, absent, or resigned w\nould\nhave held the\nIV.\nc 18 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nBritish Custody of Poll Books.\n; 21. The returning officer shall, within forty-eight hours after the declaration of the poll, deliver\nover the poll books to the stipendiary magistrate of New Westminster.\n22. Any person may obtain a certified copy of the poll books from the stipendiary magistrate\naforesaid upon payment of one shilling per folio.\nValidity of Elections.\n23. The validity of all elections shall be tried by the returning officer aforesaid for the time\nbeing, and his decisions thereon shall be final.\nProceedings of the Council.\nd by virtue of this proclamation to be done by the\niiers, that may come before the Council, may (save as\nthe majority of the members of the Council who shall\nof voters ; and minutes of the proceedings of all such\nito a book to be kept for that purpose, and shall be\nit such meeting; and the said minutes shall be open\n3 make copies thereof and extracts therefrom, at all\none shilling.\n~ ncil, a notice of the time and place of such intended\n?ast before such meeting, by fixing a copy of the said\nn the door of the magistrates' court, and on the door of\nigned by the president of the Council, who shall have\na requisition for that purpose, signed by three members of\npresented to him, it shall be lawful for the said three\nmembers to call a meeting of the Council, by giving such notice as is herein-after declared in that\nbehalf, such notice to be signed by the said members, instead of the president, and stating therein\nthe business proposed to be transacted at such meeting; and in every case a summons to attend the\nCouncil, specifying the business proposed to be transacted at such meeting, signed by the president\nor members, as the case may be, shall be left at the usual place of abode of every member of the\nCouncil, or at the premises in respect of which he is placed on the municipal assessment roll, three\nclear Says at least before such meeting, and no business shall be transacted at that meeting other than\nthe business which is specified in the notice. Provided, however, that there shall be four quarterly\nmeetings in every year, at which the Council shall meet for the transaction of general business, and\nno notice shall be required of the business on such quarterly days; and the said quarterly meetings\n24.\nAll acts whatsoeve\nautho\nrize\nio\nrequ\nCounc\nherein\nil, and all questions\n-after excepted), be\nofadj\ndone\nt\ndec\npu\ndedl\npreset,\nifpres\nen? si\nallprSe!a\nndthT\ng 1\n>de\nitfor\nseconc\n\nClearing of Lots.\nany persons, owners of\nand local newspapersj\nthan 30 days from the\nnotice be not complied w\nor persons do not, with\ntown lots v\nate of the i\nith, the Cou\nse of the pel\nnthin the saic\nlserliou of sue\nwith the conse\nncil shall have\nson or persons\nter the timber\nCouncil for ornament; and in case such notice be not complied with, the Council shall have powi\ncause the said timber and other trees to be cut down at the expense of the person or persons on w\nlot the same may be, and if such person or persons do not, within 60 days after the timber or other\ntrees shall have been cut down as aforesaid, defray such expense, the magistrate may adjudge that\nsuch person or persons shallpay the same, either immediately or within such period as the said\nmagistrate shall'think fit; and in case such sum of money shall not be paid at the time so appointed,\nC 2 r\nPAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\ndthe\nshall be levied by sale of th\nas aforesaid, in manner hen\n,le so adjudged to be made ai\n\/riting, upon such day and i\naagistrate shall\n; lot upon which such timber or other trees shall have been so\nin-after mentioned.\naforesaid shall be made upon the simple order of the magis-\ni such manner as the said magistrate may specify in such order, '\n:h lot to the purchaser at such sale, and the title of such purchaser\naforesaid.\nmple, notwithstanding any irregularity or informality\nproceedings prior thereto or subsequent thereon.\nThe magistrate aforesaid shall defray the expenses of and attendant upon the said sale, a\nexpenses for cutting down as aforesaid, out of the purchase monies arising from such sale, a\npay the residue of such purchase monies into the Treasury of British Columbia, in trust\nperson or persons to whom as real estate it may belong.\nProvided always, that in no case shall the expense of clearing any 1\nexceed the sum of seven pounds sterling.\nProvided, that unless the Council shall completely cut down the trees on any lot, no demand shall\nbe made on the owner, nor shall any sale of any such lot be made under the provisions of this\nProclamation.\n38. This Proclamation may on all occasions be cited as the \" New Westminster Municipal Council\nAct, 1860.\"\n(i\u00bbs Issued under the Public Seal of the said Colony, at Victoria, Vancouver Island, this Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, and in\nthe Twenty-fourth yearof Her Majesty's reign, by me,\n(Signed) James Douglas.\nBy his Excellency's command.\nWilliam A. G. Young,\nActing Colonial Secretary.\nSCHEDULE.\nFirst Part.\n; on the Official Map as the city of NeT\nAll that tract of land which includes the pieces of ground described on the Official Map of the\ncity as Blocks 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 22, 23, and 28.\nAll that tract of land which includes the pieces of ground described on the Official Map of the said\ncity as Blocks 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17.\nAll that tract of land which includes the pieces of ground described on the Official Map of the\ncity as Blocks 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, and 31.\nFifth Part.\nAll that tract of land which includes the pieces of gi\ncity as Blocks 18, 19, 20, 21, 27, 32, and 33.\n1 described on the Official Map of the said\nCopy of DESPATCH froi\n)vernor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle.\n(No. 76.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, August 16, I860.\nMy LORD Duke, (Received October 8, 1860.)\nThe intelligence I had the honour to communicate to your Grace in my Despatch,\n8 13- No. 70,* of the 3rd instant, .respecting the discovery of rich and paying gold fields at\nRock Creek and in the Shimilkomeen country, have been confirmed by the arrival of\ndifferent persons with samples which they themselves have dug in those parts.\nThe gold is nuggety ana of fine quality, being readily separated from the soil without\nthe use of quicksilver, and is found away from the watercourses as well as in the river\n\" e realizing from sis to 50 dollars a day to the mani\nbeds, and the miners are said to b PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 21\n2. One instance of remarkable success is mentioned in the report of Mr. O'Reilly, the Erith\nGold Commissioner at Fort Hope, it being of two miners, who realized in six weeks by Columj\nmining the sum of 1,300 dollars, and their confidence in the productiveness of the \t\ncountry was so great that they soon after invested the whole sum in the purchase of\nanother claim.\n3. In consequence of those reports there has been a great rush of people to the new\ndiggings, and all articles of consumption are scarce and selling there at a high price.\n4. The same report mentions the very important discovery of a silver lead at Union\nBar near Fort Hope.\n5. The specimens of the ore sent here appear rich and valuable, but it is impossible to\npredict without a severer test the actual value of the discovery, and whether the lead\nwill be rich enough to pay the working expenses or not.\n6. The discoverers, and upwards of 70 other persons who have recorded claims on\nthe lead appear, however, to be much elated, and fully satisfied of its value; and they\nare said to be importing blasting tools and materials in large quantities, with the intention\nof turning the discovery to immediate account.\n7. Several tons of the ore having already been sent to New Westminster for assay,\nand we will no doubt receive further reports of its value in the course of a few days.\n8. Specimens of silver ore have also been found at the mouth of Harrison's River.\nOne of these yielded on assay, at the rate of 20\/. worth of silver to the ton of ore.\n9. 1 propose to despatch a party to investigate the mineral resources of that part of\nthe country, in hopes of making some valuable discovery, which may attract and afford\nemployment to a population, as the whole country about Harrison Lake is otherwise\nvalueless, being mountainous, rocky, and utterly unfit for tillage.\n10. The tidings from Yale, Cayoosh, and Lytton are generally satisfactory.\n11. The new roads are progressing apace, and the cost of transport is being gradually\nreduced with the increasing facilities of communication.\n12. The number of miners collected about Alexandria and Quesnel River rendered it\nnecessary for the maintenance of peace and order to form a police station at the former\nplace; and I have to announce to your Grace that I have lately appointed Mr. l'hilip\nH. Nind, as Magistrate and Assistant Gold Commissioner for that district.\nThere being nothing further of an unusual nature to communicate,\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c. &c. &c.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle.\n(No. 86.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, October 8, I860.\nMy LORD DUKE, (Received November 30, 1860.)\nHaving very recently completed a rather protracted journey, exceeding five weeks\nof almost constant travelling, in British Columbia, I regret that there is not time to communicate to your Grace, by the mail of this day, now about leaving for San Francisco,\nthe result of my observations on the character and prospects of that Colony.\n2. On leaving Vancouver Island I proceeded by the northern, or Harrison River road\nto Douglas, and from thence successively visited Cayoosh, Lytton, Shimilkomeen, and\nRock Creek. On my return I followed the mountain road to Hope, and afterwards paid\na hasty visit to Yale and New Westminster..\n3. The lately discovered gold district in Shimilkomeen is, for the time being, attached\nto the Hope district, a course which I was compelled to adopt for want of an efficient\nofficer at that time to conduct the public business of the new district.\n4. The fame of the rich diggings discovered at Rock Creek have drawn to that place,\nchiefly from the State of Oregon, upwards of 500 miners, and persons engaged in other\npursuits. I therefore found it necessary to lose no time in making arrangements to maintain the peace and to protect the public revenue by the appointment of a Magistrate and\nGold Commissioner for that district, together with other officers to enforce the Customs\nlaws of the Colony, and that object was, 1 am happy to say, effected without creating any\ndissatisfaction among the foreign population there present.\nC 3\nf r\n22 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\na 5. I am further glad to report that peace and good order exist everywhere within the\n^ Colony, and that a general and marked feeling of confidence is exhibited by the resident\npopulation in the resources of the country.\n6. I shall endeavour to prepare a report of my late proceedings for your Grace's\ninformation, before the departure of the next mail.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c. &c. &c.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle.\n(Separate.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, October 9, I860.\n(Received, December 18, 1860.)\nMy LoRd Duke, (Answered, No. 66, February 1, 1861, page 68.)\nI have the honour to submit for your Grace's information the following particulars\nrelative to a recent journey in British Columbia, from whence I have just returned.\n2. I left Victoria by the regular steam packet on the evening of 28th of August, and\nearly next day landed at New Westminster.\n3. I heard with much concern on my arrival there, that the capital was suffering from\none of those fluctuations in commerce common to all countries, and that there was much\ndepression in business circles, and a marked decrease of trade, a fact which was indeed\ncorroborated by the Customs returns, it appearing from them that the imports for the\nfour previous weeks had fallen off about 25 per cent, as compared with the increasing\nratio of the preceding month; a casualty generally attributed by business men to the\ngrowing overland trade with the possessions of the United States in Oregon and\nWashington territory, which now supply, by the southern frontiers of the Colony, a large\nproportion of the bulky articles, such as provisions and bread stuffs, consumed in the\neastern districts of British Columbia ; and those imports, it was supposed, had this year\nbeen for the most part fraudulently introduced, to the great loss and detriment of the\nhome merchant and the fair trader.\n4. It is, however, not easy to conceive how so extensive a contraband trade as this\nwould imply, could be carried on without the knowledgeof the, vigilant officer stationed\non the frontier for the protection of the revenue, whose official reports give no room for\nsuch impressions. I am therefore led to believe that the present depression is traceable\nto another cause, and may with more probability be regarded as the simple result of over-\nimportation, and I have no doubt a revival will take place, and trade resume its\naccustomed tone as soon as the stocks of goods in the Colony have been reduced.\nThe officers of the Colony residing permanently at New Westminster, and employed in\nthe management of the several departments of the public administration, are as follows:\u2014\nMilitary - - Colonel R. C. Moody, R.E., commanding.\nLands and Works - Colonel R. C. Moody, R.E., Chief Commissioner.\nJudiciary - - Matthew B. Begbie, Judge.\nPolice - - - Chartres Brew, Chief Inspector.\nTreasury - - Captain W. D. Gosset, R.E., Treasurer.\n\u201e Assay Office- F. G. Claudet, Assayer.\n\u201e \u201e C. A. Bacon, Melter.\nCustoms - - Wymond Hamley, Collector.\nPost Office - - W. R. Spalding, Postmaster.\n6. The Treasury was lately transferred from Victoria to New Westminster, where all\nthe financial business of the Colony is now transacted.\nThe Assay Office has been in operation since the beginning of the month of August,\nand the last accounts of the 28th of that month give a return of 1,600 ounces of gold\ndust which had been smelted and run into bars of various weights.\nThose and the other departments are in a state of efficient organization.\nThe public offices are plain substantial buildings, devoid of ornament, and constructed\non a scale adapted to our limited means; they are nevertheless roomy and commodious,\nand on the whole not unsuitable to the present business of the Colony.\n7- There has not been much activity in building since my report transmitted to your\nGrace in the month of May last, but town property nevertheless sustains its former price, 1\nPAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 23\nand the inhabitants of New Westminster appear to have unlimited confidence in the\nultimate progress of the place.\n8. The run from New Westminster to Douglas was effected by one of the river\nsteamers in 16 hours, including brief stoppages at Langley and Carnarvon, and the\nwhole distance from Victoria to Douglas in 24 running hours, being little over half the\ntime occupied by the same journey last year. The charges on the transport of goods\nhave also proportionately decreased, freights being now generally taken at 2,1. 8s. a ton, or\n25 per cent, less than the former rates.\n9- While at Douglas I despatched an exploring party under the command of Dr.\nForbes, of Her Majesty's ship \" Topaze,\" for whose assistance I am indebted to the\nkindness of Rear Admiral Sir Robert L. Baynes, to examine the country bordering on\nHarrison Lake and River, where many fragments of silver and copper ore have been\nfound. A specimen of the former, which was carefully assayed, gave a return of 50\/.\nworth of silver to the ton. The copper ore appears also to contain a large proportion of\nthat metal.\n10. I am in hopes that Dr. Forbes's scientific researches will be productive of much\ngood to the Colony, as the district subjected to his examination has all the characteristics\nof a mineral country, is almost destitute of arable land, and, except timber, possesses no\nascertained natural products capable of contributing to the support or giving remunerative\nemployment for labour. It is, therefore, especially desirable that no effort should be\nwanting for the early development of the minerals supposed to be contained in the soil,\notherwise the district may, for years to come, remain a wilderness without inhabitants.\n11. Douglas is still an inconsiderable town, much improved, however, since my former\nvisit in June last. A Stipendiary Magistrate is stationed here, Mr. J. B. Gaggin, who also\nperforms the duties of Gold- Commissioner within the district, which extends from Carnarvon to Port Anderson. A brisk trade is carried on from Douglas with the mining\ndistricts of the interior, and the constant arrival and departure of trains of pack-mules\ngive to the place a lively and bustling appearance.\n12. We pursued our journey by the newly formed waggon road, then nearly finished,\nas far as the Lesser Lillooet Lake, 28 miles from Douglas, a work of magnitude and of the\nutmost public utility, which, I think it only right to inform your Grace, has been laid\nout and executed by Captain Grant and a detachment of Royal Engineers under his\ncommand with a degree of care and professional ability reflecting the highest credit on\nthat active and indefatigable officer.\n13. A number of waggons, imported by the enterprising merchants of Douglas, have\ncommenced running on the new road, and the cost of transport has already been greatly\nreduced. I look forward with confidence to further important reductions in the rates of\ntransport, as the most experienced carriers are of opinion that goods of all kinds may and\nwill be carried the whole distance (100 miles) from Douglas to Cayoosh for 20\/. a ton,\nwhich would be a reduction of 250 per cent, en former rates. The effect of so large a\nsaving on the carriage of goods will be of vast importance to the country, and no doubt\ngive a prodigious impulse to trade and the settlement of the public lands.\n14. A row-boat is still the only means of conveyance over the Lesser Lillooet Lake,\nwhich is nearly five miles long, and one mile and a half distant from Lillooet Lake, with\nwhich it is, however, connected by a narrow river, full of shoals and dangerous rapids,\nperilous in their present state for any larger craft than Indian canoes. This circumstance\nrenders a transhipment and a resort to land carriage for a mile and a half on an excellent\nroad necessary before reaching Lillooet Lake. Various plans have been proposed for rendering the river between those lakes navigable, but, important as would be the improvement,\nthe cost is altogether beyond our present means, and the work must be left for a future\ntime.\n15. A very fine piece of gold-bearing quartz, which I received at this point of my\njourney, determined me to instruct the District Gold Commissioner to cause the mountains west of Harrison River, where-the quartz was found, to be carefully examined, as\nthere is a possibility of discovering and turning to advantage the lead from whence it\ncame.\n16. There are many extensive quartz veins in the valley of the Harrison, but none\nof those which have been inspected contain visible traces of gold. The bed of the\nriver, however, yields gold almost everywhere in small quantities; and at one place, 12\nmiles from Douglas, a party of French miners have brought in sluices, and are now\nworking to great advantage, making as much as 10 dollars a day to the man. The only\ndrawback is the shortness of the working season, which they represent as limited on the\none hand by the flooded state of the river in summer, and on the other by the severe cold\nin winter, which is found to have the effect of preventing the amalgamation of the fine f\n24 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nparticles of gold, and much is therefore lost in the process of washing. Their statements\n\u2022 are, no doubt, in part true, but I think it may, notwithstanding, be safely concluded that\nall these difficulties will be overcome, and this part of the country be profitably worked,\nwhenever men of greater skill and application turn their attentiou to the subject.\n17. Some of the tributaries of the Harrison also yield a fair return of gold, varying\nfrom five to 10 dollars a day; hut that will not satisfy men whose excited imaginations\nindulge in extravagant visions of wealth and fortune to be realized in remoter diggings.\nThese all with one accord rush off to the Quesnel and Cariboeuf countries, and neglect\nthe less'productive districts.\n18. A number of fine specimens of coarse gold have lately been brought by Indians\nfrom the Lillooet River beyond the lake, and I shall not fail to have its course carefully\nsearched, at the public expense, should no private adventurers in the meantime anticipate\nthat intention.\n19. The paddle-wheel 25 horse-power steamer \" Martzell,\" a small boat of 50 tons\nburden, built by Mr. Decker, an enterprising American, conveyed my party in four\nhours to Port Pemberton, at the further extremity of Lillooet Lake. There is nothing to\nprevent vessels of a much larger class than the \" Martzell\" from running on this lake,\nas it is deep enough to float a 500 ton ship, aud there are no rocks or concealed dangers\nwhatever. It is, in fact, a highland lake, surrounded by lofty mountains rising abruptly\nfrom the water's edge. Port Pemberton is five miles distant from the Meadows, a fine\ntract of several thousand acres of rich alluvial land, situated at the mouth of the Lillooet\nRiver. A settlement is already formed at that attractive spot, and the soil is most\nproductive, the settlers having raised this year excellent crops of oats, Indian corn,\npotatoes, and hay; the barley, however, was indifferent, in consequence it was supposed\nof imperfect tillage, but I never saw better garden-stuffs of .all kinds, especially tomatoes\nand cucumbers, which were exceedingly fine. Mr. Jones, the oldest and principal settler,\nraised last year, as he assured me, a very fine crop of potatoes, for which he found a\nready sale at 5d. a pound, and thereby realized the large return of upwards of 240\/. an\nacre. Having this year a much larger crop, he expects to do better, though the price\nof vegetables is now comparatively moderate, being 50 per cent, lower than last year.\n20. Near the settlement is an Indian reserve of several hundred acres of land which is\nretained for the benefit of and occupied by about 30 native families, who live on the\nmost amicable terms with their white neighbours, and look healthy, clean, and altogether\nin very comfortable circumstances. They live by fishing, and on the produce of the\nchase, and of the laud, which they cultivate, to some extent, with care and skill. They\nappear happy and contented, and had no complaint whatever to make.\n21. The Horse-way, formed in the year 1858, is still the only road from Port Pemberton to Anderson Lake, the distance being about 34 miles. It is a fair and passable\nroad of the kind, but must be improved into a cart-road without delay. The line of road\nruns between parallel ranges of mountains, rising on both sides with the unbroken\nregularity of a wall, into dark, rugged, and gloomy masses, thousands of feet above the\nmountain stream that traverses the valley beneath, which is in places a mere defile, and\nnowhere exceeds two miles in breadth.\nThe summit or half-way house is prettily situated on the mountain side overlooking a\nrich expanse of arable land covered with a profusion of potatoes, beets, carrots, tomatoes,\ncucumbers, and other vegetables ; a certain proof of the great capabilities of the soil and\nclimate. A large stock of hay was also carefully put up by the provident owner for\n22. The country from that point presents a more cheerful aspect. The river winds\nalong the mountain side towards Lake Anderson, affording lovely views of the\nexceedingly beautiful valley beneath, with its gay covering of bright green woods.\n23. We arrived at Port Anderson just in time to participate in the trial trip of the\n\" Lady of the Lake\" steamer, and a most successful one it proved to be: the machinery\nworking well, and no casualty whatever occurring to cause delay. We had to boat over\nLake Seatou, as the steamer usually plying there was under repair. A walk of five miles\nfrom Port Seaton brought us to the banks of Fraser River, and to the mining town of\nCayoosh.\n24. The country between Douglas and Cayoosh probably contains a smaller proportion\nof agricultural land than any other district in British Columbia. The whole district may\nbe truly described as a succession of valleys and mountains covered with woods almost\nto their rocky summits, and abounding in rivers and streams of every size. Forests\nof magnificent trees and great water-power constitute its natural advantages; its\nmetalliferous resources, though probably vast, having yet to be explored. PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 25\n25.' Houses and fields begin, here and there, to break the cheerless solitude of the\nvalleys; and in no instance that has come under my notice, has the husbandman been !\ndisappointed of his reward. Its genial climate, may be inferred from the fact that\ntomatoes ripen in the open air, and had come to full maturity at the end of August;\nwhen melons raised in the same manner, were nearly fit for use.\n26. The settlers, though few in number, were full of hope and confidence; pleased\nwith the country, and satisfied from experience that the climate is one of the healthiest\nin the world. The winters are moderate, the minimum temperature being Zero,\nFahrenheit; but the cold is seldom so severe. The lakes have never been known to\nfreeze, nor the snow to lie so deep as to interrupt the ordinary traffic of the road.\n27- The district is, in short, not wanting in any of those conditions which contribute\nto the comfort and happiness of man ; and should the explorations now in progress add\nthe .precious metals to its known elements of wealth, there will be no want of inducements\nto attract and retain an industrious population.\n28. As the road advances from Port Seaton towards Fraser River, a marked change is\nobserved in the character of the country; the mountains are left behind, the massive\nforests gradually.disappear and are succeeded by green hills and open plains, dotted with\nfine old trees of the species \" Pinus Ponderosa.\" The change is grateful, the contrast\nbringing into bolder relief the charming scenery of Cayoosh, which is situated about\nhalf a mile from Fraser River.\n29. This being the centre of a flourishing trade, where all goods brought from Douglas\nare necessarily deposited in their transit to the interior, and the chief town of a valuable\nmining district, a Stipendiary Magistrate, Mr. Thomas Elwyn, who also acts as Gold\nCommissioner, is stationed here. Successful attempts at cultivation have been made on\na small scale near the town, and streams of water from the neighbouring hills have been\nskilfully diverted from their natural course and applied to the important purposes of\nmining, and of irrigating the soil, which thereby acquires a degree of fertility and productiveness otherwise unattainable in a climate seldom visited by summer showers.\nCayoosh is thus a place of much real and prospective importance.\n30. I found nothing defective in the state of the public administration. The people\nare satisfied with the laws. The district accounts appear to be kept with order and\nregularity, and returns of the local revenue have been duly made at proper intervals to\nthe Colonial Treasurer. The regular establishment consists of a magistrate and one\nconstable, who attend to all duties connected with the public service ; the former being\nhowever, fully authorized to employ casual aid whenever emergencies arise.\n31. An address which I received from the principal inhabitants of Cayoosh makes no\nallusion to any local grievance affecting the interests of the town or district, nor suggests\nany change in the mining or general laws of the country. The object of the address,\nof which a copy is transmitted, was to urge the early sale of town lots at Cayoosh, protection for the Chinese miners, and the removal of stake nets and all obstructions having\nthe effect of preventing the ascent of salmon from the sea to the inland rivers.\n32. I gave immediate attention to those matters, and addressed a communication to\nthe Commissioner of Lands and Works, expressing regret that early measures had not\nbeen taken to meet the public demand for town land, as delay in such cases discourages\nsettlement, checks improvement, and is ruinous to the country.\n33. I encouraged the inhabitants to build, and improve their lots, with the assurance\nthat the value of such improvements would be added to the upset price, and reserved for -\nthe benefit of the holder when the lots are sold. They will, in that way be fully protected from loss.\n34. The assizes were opened by the Judge of British Columbia during my stay at\nCayoosh, for the trial of two Indians charged with having murdered two Chinese miners.\nThe facts were established on the admission of the accused themselves ; but, it appearing\nfrom the evidence that the deceased were the aggressors, and had been slain without\nmalice prepense, in a casual affray, arising out of an indecent assault committed on the\nwife of one of the Indians, the jury returned a verdict of \" manslaughter \" against one of\nthe prisoners, and found the other \" not guilty.\"\n35. I had an opportunity of communicating personally with the native Indian tribes,\nwho assembled in great numbers at Cayoosh during my stay. I made them clearly\nunderstand that Her Majesty's Government felt deeply interested in their welfare, and\nhad sent instructions that they should be treated in all respects as Her Majesty's other\nsubjects; and that the local magistrates would attend to their complaints, and guard\nthem from wrong, provided they abandoned their own barbarous modes of retaliation,\nand appealed in all cases to the laws for relief and protection. I also forcibly impressed 26 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nupon their minds that the same laws would not fail to punish offences committed by them\n\u2022 against the persons or property of others.\nI also explained to them that the magistrates had instructions to stake out, and reserve\nfor their use and benefit, all their occupied village sites and cultivated fields and as much\nland in the vicinity of each as they could till, or was required for their support; and that\nthey might freely exercise and enjoy the rights of fishing the lakes and rivers, and of hunting over all unoccupied Crown lands in the colony; and that on their becoming registered\nfree miners they might dig and search for gold, and hold mining claims on the same terms\nprecisely as other miners: in short, I strove to make them conscious that they were recognized members of the commonwealth, and that by good conduct they would acquire a certain\nstatus, and become respectable members of society. They were delighted with the idea,\nand expressed their gratitude in the warmest terms, assuring me of their boundless devotion and attachment to Her Majesty's person and crown, and their readiness to take up\narms at any'moment in defence of Her Majesty's dominion and rights.\n36. Three exploratory parties were dispatched, during my stay, from Cayoosh: the\nfirst, under the charge of Sapper Duffie, had orders to examine a route by the Cayoosh\nRiver from Port Seaton to Lilloet Lake, reported by the natives to be more direct, and\nin many other respects more convenient than the present route by Anderson Lake; the\nsecond, under Sapper Breckenridge, who is directed to examine the character and capabilities of the country between Cayoosh and Bridge River; and the third, composed\nof Mr. Martin, an intelligent English miner, and two natives, was dispatched to\nthe mountains east of Port Anderson to inspect certain quartz veins, said to be\nauriferous.\n37. Lytton was the next stage in my progress. There is a good horse-way from\nCayoosh, but travelling by the river being more expeditious, I chose that alternative,\nand made the run of 70 miles in five and a half hours. The stream is swift, and a\nnumber of dangerous rapids render it in that part impracticable in high water and unsafe\nat all seasons.\n38. The mining bars were, with few exceptions, deserted, or occupied by Chinese and\nIndians, who appear to form the great body of miners on this part of the river.\n39. Mr. H. M. Ball is Stipendiary Magistrate and Gold Commissioner for the Lytton\ndistrict; and, with the exception of one regular constable, there is no other person 'on\nthe establishment; whenever circumstances render a larger force indispensable, it is\nmade up by means of casual assistants and special constables called out for the\noccasion.\n40. I granted a sum of 100\/., at the petition of the inhabitants, in aid of a horse-way\nto facilitate the transport of goods to Alexandria and Quesnel River. Other small\nsums were also granted for bridges, and to improve the communications with Quayome.\nA party was also dispatched to examine the country between Van Winkle Bar on Fraser\nRiver and Lilloet Lake, with the view of opening a horse-way between those places.\n41. Proposals were lately made by a private company to throw a bridge, at their own\nexpense, over the Thompson at Lytton, to be repaid by a system of tolls; and the\nnegotiation will probably be concluded in a short time, as I am desirous of promoting so\nuseful a scheme.\n42. The gardens about this town are highly productive, and furnish a profusion and\nvariety of vegetables; but, considering there is no want of good soil and clear land,\nI was surprised to find that not a single farm had been opened in the district. The\nwant of roads and the enormous cost of transport may in some measure account for that\ncircumstance, but it also strongly marks the character of a population devoted to other\npursuits, and who probably look to other countries for a permanent home.\n43. Complaints were made here, as at Cayoosh, of the non-sale of town lands ; and I\nagain addressed the Commissioner of Lands and Works on the subject, directing an\nearly sale on the spot, through the agency of the district magistrate.\n44. The Indians mustered in great force during my stay at Lytton. My communications with them were to the same effect as to the native tribes who assembled at\nCayoosh, and their gratitude, loyalty, and devotion were expressed in terms equally\nwarm and earnest.\n45. The further report of my journey to Shimilkomeen and Rock Creek I will take\nthe liberty of communicating to your Grace hereafter, as this Despatch has been drawn\nout to a greater length than I had proposed.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS. It\nPAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 27\nEnclosure in No. 13.\nAddress of the Grand Jury at Cayoosh to Governor Douglas.\nI\nThe Grand Jury beg to welcome your Excellency to Cayoosh, and to offer you their congratulations on the daily increasing prosperity of the Colony of British Columbia, and on the steady advance\nof trade, mining operations, and settlement in and near Cayoosh.\nThe Grand Jury desire to call your Excellency's attention more particularly to the great number of\nChinamen now residing in and flocking to this Colony; that from our experience of them we find that\nthey are a steady source of profit to the trader and materially increase the revenue of the Colony, and\nin addition greatly benefit the country by the extreme development of its mineral resources; they are also\na well-behaved and easily-governed class of population, and the Grand Jury desire that your Excellency will afford them every due protection to prevent their being driven away, either by attacks from\nIndians or otherwise.\nThe Grand Jury representing the general feeling of the inhabitants of this town request that the\ntown and suburban lots be speedily offered for sale by public auction, as no security is felt in improving\nproperty until it is bona fide purchased.\nThe Indian population of the Upper Fraser have been making great complaints of the scarcity of\nsalmon, which constitutes their winter food. They represent this scarcity to be owing to stake-nets\nbeing fixed at Langley, which bar the ascent of the fish, and the Grand Jury therefore trust that your\nExcellency will take measures to stop these proceedings, if really found to exist.\nThe Grand Jury would, in conclusion, draw your Excellency's attention to the inefficient state of the\nlaw as relates to tie collection of small debts, and request that measures may be instituted to prevent,\nby a summary process, parties who have contracted debts from leaying the Colony with their property.\n(Signed) Allan McDonald,\nForeman.\nNo. 14.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\n\u25a0 Newcastle.\n(Separate.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, October 25, I860.\nf|. _ ^ (Received January 2, 1861.)\nMy LORD DUKE, (Answered, No. 66, February 1, 1861, page 68.)\nResuming the subject of my report on British Columbia, marked Separate, of the\n9th of the present month, I proceed to inform your Grace that on leaving Lytton,\naccompanied by Mr. Good, Private Secretary, and four mounted attendants, my course\nwas directed towards Shimilkomeen and Rock Creek, the latter being about 228 miles\nfrom Lytton.\n2. It is not my intention, neither does it appear necessary, that I should occupy your\nGrace's time with a narrative of the incidents of the journey. I will, therefore, in\ncontinuing this report, dwell on subjects only which serve to elucidate the present state\nof the country, its natural capabilities as a Colony, and the effect of its institutions on the\ndevelopment of its resources.\n3. With the exception of the miners assembled on Thompson River at Rock Creek\nand Shimilkomeen, the part of British Columbia through which my route lay, is still\nexclusively occupied by the native Indian tribes, a race of bold and active hunters,\nforming, when mustered in force on their hardy native horses, an imposing array. I fell\nin with detachments at different points of the route, where they had assembled to offer a\nrude but cordial welcome.\n4. I received them with every mark of respect and kindness, entered freely into conversation with the chiefs, assuring them of the warm regard of Her Majesty's Government, and leading them into the discussion of their own affairs in order to discover if\nthey entertained any real or fancied grievance which might lead to disaffection, or induce\nthem to make reprisals on the white settlers.\n5. There was one subject which especially pre-occupied their minds, as I discovered by\nthe frequent allusions they made to it, namely, the abject condition to which the cognate\nnative tribes of Oregon have been reduced by the American system of removing whole\ntribes from their native homes into distant reserves, where they are compelled to stay,\nand denied the enjoyment of that natural freedom and liberty of action without which\nexistence becomes intolerable. They evidently looked forward with dread to their own\nfuture condition, fearing lest the same wretched fate awaited the natives of British\nColumbia.\nI succeeded in disabusing their minds of those false impressions by fully explaining the\nviews of Her Majesty's Government, and repeating in substance what I have in a former\npart of this report informed your Grace was said on the same subject to the assembled\ntribes at Cayoosh and Lytton.\nD 2 28 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\n6. Those communications had the effect of reassuring their minds and eliciting assu-\n\u2022 ranees of their fidelity and attachment.\n7. An appalling Indian outrage committed in the neighbouring State of Oregon, as\n_ related with its attendant horrors in a slip enclosed herewith from the \" Vancouver\nChronicle,\" will show better than comment the impolicy of the American system, and\nhow careful we should be in guarding against the contagion of evil example, by treating ,.\nthe natives with justice, and removing when necessary, every cause of distrust as to the\nultimate views and policy of Her Majesty's Government with respect to them.\n8. The country situated between Lytton and Rock Creek is highly attractive, and no\nother part of British Columbia, nor of the United States territory north of Columbia\nRiver, offers so many inducements in point of soil and climate to the enterprising\nemigrant.\nIts distance from the coast, and difficulties of access have hitherto almost excluded it\nfrom intercourse; but as those impediments are removed by the formation of roads, now\nin.rapid progress, from the navigable points of Fraser River, it will no doubt become a\ncentre of population and the seat of flourishing settlements.\n9. I will not attempt to describe its physical aspect; but to give a general idea in few\nwords, I will observe that it forms an elevated table land of great extent, sometimes\nrising into hills, and is traversed by many noble valleys, and watered by numberless\nstreams flowing into its great arteries the Thompson, Shimilkomeen, and Okanagon\nRivers. There are many varieties of soils, much arable land, and a great deal that is fit\nonly for pasture; but as a remark generally applicable, I may observe that the valleys\ncontain a large extent of good open land; while the steeply swelling hills are mostly\ncovered with trees formed into groups, or growing with park-like regularity, widely apart\nand free from brush or underwood; but the peculiar feature of the country is the profusion of grass that covers both woodland and meadow, affording rich pastures for\ndomestic animals, a circumstance which gives to this district an extraordinary value, as\nevery part of the surface, whether hill or valley, may be turned to account and made\navailable either for tillage or stock farming.\n10. The climate, like that of all other parts of the Colony, is perfectly healthy; and\nthere is much less humidity at all seasons than in the districts bordering on Fraser\nRiver. Vegetation was nevertheless fresh and green to a degree that was hardly to be\nexpected at that time of the year. The seasons exhibit no extremes of temperature, the\nsummers being warm and the winters sharp but not severe.\nThe lakes, except the Okanagon, and all the rivers, freeze in winter; and there are\noccasional falls of snow, but it seldom lies in the valleys more than a few weeks at a time.\nThe fact that horses and domestic cattle are left out all winter to shift for themselves,\nand generally thrive without any care on the range of the country, is probably, however,\na better criterion of the temperature than any other circumstance that can be adduced.\nIt is in rshort, a very pleasant and desirable part of the Colony, possesses a healthy\nclimate and many other advantages, pastures being already formed where thousands of\ncattle may find food; and the industrious colonist will find it much better and easier to\nraise crops than in the woodland districts, where it takes much labour and expense to\nclear a small space.\n11. After five days' travel in a fine open country we reached the main branch of the\nShimilkomeen River, a few miles below the lately discovered gold diggings, where 80 or\n100 miners were at work, all seemingly in high spirits, pleased with the country, and\nelated with their prospects and earnings. Many of them were engaged in putting up log\nhuts, and making other preparations, as they intend to winter there if they succeed in\nhaving supplies of flour and other necessaries brought from Hope before the mountains\nbecome impassable from snow. As that was clearly impossible without greater facilities\nof communication, it was evident they would have no alternative but to desert their\nclaims and leave the country, at a serious loss to themselves and to the Colony.\n12. That circumstance brought the vital subject of roads again forcibly to mind. A\nroad party working out from Hope, had, I knew, nearly got the length of the summit\nridge, about 36 miles distant from our camp, and could means be found of cutting\nthrough to that point, and connecting Hope with Shimilkomeen by a practicable trail\nbefore the advent of winter, I felt assurred that an important object for the country\nwould be gained, and I resolved to make the attempt. Some Indian hunters were soon\nfound who undertook to conduct a party to the desired point, by a better and less\ncircuitous line than the present almost impassable trail; and the subject was immediately\nbrought before the miners, who, seeing the object of the measure, at once volunteered\nin force sufficient for the work, and early the following morning a party properly equipped PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 29\n1\nwith tools, provisions, and means of transport, was dispatched with instructions to open a British\npath which would connect with the horse-way from Hope. Columbia:\n13. Leaving Mr. Good and one of my attendants at this point to urge on'the work,\nand to inquire into the condition of the miners, I pushed on without further delay with\nmy three other attendants in light marching order, towards Rock Creek. On the way\nI fell in with Mr. Cox, the Revenue Officer of the southern frontier, who joined my\nparty, and after three days travel we arrived at the town known as Rock Creek, situated\nat the junction of that stream and Colvile River.\n14. The town contains 15 houses, and several more in progress, chiefly shops and\nbuildings intended for the supply and entertainment of miners.\n15. Nearly 500 miners are congregated about Rock Creek and another tributary\nof the Colvile, about 10 miles below that point.\n16. The Rock Creek diggings were discovered last October by Mr. Adam Beam, a\nnative of Canada, as he was travelling from Colvile to Shimilkomeen; he again visited\nthe spot in December, but did not begin to work till the 7th of May: the following is a\nstatement of his daily earnings with the cradle for the first few days.afterwards:\u2014\nFirst day's work produced 20 dollars,\nSecond \u201e \u201e 43 \u201e\nThird \u201e \u201e 33 \u201e\nFourth \u201e \u201e 27 \u201e\nFifth \u201e \u201e 32 \u201e\nSixth \u201e \u201e 17 \u201e\nSeventh \u201e \u201e 99 \u201e\nThe subsequent record of his daily earnings could not be found, but on the 20th of\nJune, that is, six weeks from the day of commencement, he had made 977 dollars in\ngold, valuing it at 16 dollars to the ounce.\n17. Hugh McKay, another Canadian miner, said that on his claim, the bed-earth of>\nthe stream yielded nothing, but a drift into the bank produced 20 dollars a day. I\nmoreover ascertained from the testimony of the miners' generally, that none of those who\nhad succeeded in opening gold claims, were making anything less than 10 dollars a day.\n18. Rock Creek is supposed to indicate the course of the gold lead, and to be everywhere auriferous; it is also believed that all the benches near the river will pay well;\nand many of the miners propose running in tunnels without delay. There is much\nuncertainty however, as to the real extent and value of the lead, nor can it be ascertained\nuntil the country comes to be more extensively prospected.\n19. I met the assembled population of the place the day after my arrival, and addressed\nthem on various subjects. I did not attempt to conceal that the object of my visit to\nRock Creek was to inquire into their conduct, and to suppress the disorders which\nwere reported to. be prevalent in that part of the country; and I assured them that I\nwas agreeably surprised to find that those reports were unfounded. After that merited\ncompliment, I proceeded to explain the views of Her Majesty's Government, the general\nmining regulations of the Colony, especially directing their attention to that section of\nthe Act which provides for the establishment of mining boards, with powers to frame\nbyelaws adapted to the circumstances of each district; or in other words, investing the\nminers themselves with full powers to amend their own laws. 1 further pointed out the\nnature and object of the Pre-emption Law, passed expressly for the encouragement of\nsettlers; and demonstrated the fact that the whole policy of Her Majesty's Government\nwas considerate and liberal in the extreme. I then announced the appointment of Mr.\nCox as Justice of the Peace and Assistant Gold Commissioner for the district of Rock\nCreek ; and that he was duly authorized to punish offences, to attend to the maintenance\nof civil order, to the registration of mining claims, and to receive all dues payable to\nHer Majesty's Government. I concluded by exhorting them, one and all, as they\nvalued and looked to the laws of the land for protection, to aid and assist him on all\noccasions, not only as a duty incumbent on good subjects, but as being also their manifest\ninterest; for, I continued, if the laws are not enforced there can be no security, and\nwithout security there can be no prosperity; therefore, I went on to say, as you hope\nfor redress yourselves when individually suffering wrong, you must be prepared to rally\nround the magistrate charged with the execution of the laws.\nThe meeting ended pleasantly, and the measures announced appeared to give general\nsatisfaction.\n20. Mr. Cox then proceeded to the less pleasant task of levying the regular customs\ncharge on all goods found at Rock Creek which had not been entered for importation;\nsuch goods being really contraband and legally forfeited, might have been seized for the\nD 3 30 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nBritish benefit of the Crown, had it not been considered inexpedient in the circumstances to\nColumbia. mfl;ct the extreme penalty of the law.\n21. I left soon afterwards on my return to Fraser River, and have since then added\nanother officer to the revenue establishment at Rock Creek, and authorized the employment of any amount of force when necessary for restraining the illicit importation of\ngoods into British Columbia; and the cost of such extra establishment is to be superadded as a Treasury fine to the import duties. It is, however, impossible, I conceive,\naltogether to prevent smuggling at places situated so immediately on the frontier as\nRock Creek, which is within two miles of the boundary. The simple and only certain\nmeans of effecting the object is to under-sell the foreign merchant by supplying goods\nat the cheapest rate, and much may be done towards that object by improving the\ncommunications and lessening the cost of transport from Hope.\n22. The total distance from that place to Rock Creek is about 160 miles. By improving the channel of the Shimilkomeen River and rendering it navigable in boats, we\nmay substitute 60 miles of water for land carriage at a great reduction of cost. The\nimprovement of the Shimilkomeen would not involve an outlay of more than 1,000\/.,\nwhile it would reduce the land carriage to 100 miles, by substituting a cheap water\nconveyance for the remaining 60 miles. With that advantage the whole trade will flow\ntowards Fraser River.\n23. The following mining statistics were collected by Mr. Good at Slmnilkomeen:\u2014\nMr. Alison's claim produces 10 dollars a day for each man employed.\nM'Dowell's claim, 12 dollars a day per man.\nMerril and Eddy worked three days, and made from 10 dollars to 12 dollars daily\nper man.\nM'Dougal took out 26 dollars in the cradle the first day; in prospecting his claim\nhe found 1 dollar and upwards to the pan; anticipates earning 50 dollars per man;\nwhen sluicing operations commence in about a week's time they will all begin to work.\nOn examining the country, prospects were so good that they all immediately commenced\npreparations for sluicing, wing-damming, and other costly works for mining on a large\nscale.\n24. The road party were far advanced with their task on my return to Shimilkomeen,\nand I took that road to the summit or punch-bowl, where I fell upon the new road\nfrom Hope, which is carried over an elevation of 4,000 feet without a single gradient\nexceeding 1 foot in 12, a fact very creditable to Serjeant M'Call and the detachment of Royal Engineers employed in marking out the line; it moreover suggests the\npossibility of converting it hereafter into a cart-way. It is even now a great boon to\nthe country, yet it will lose much of its value unless it be kept open for traffic in winter,\nby sending out parties of men on snow-shoes to beat the roads after every fall of snow,\na course which I strongly recommended to the merchants at Hope.\n25. The persons who hold the Union and Emory Bar silver leads near Hope are making\ngreat exertions to open the works, with, I believe, every probability of a most profitable\nresult.\n26. Masses of nearly pure virgin copper have been found in the excavations made for\nmining purposes above Yale, and valuable outcrops of coal occur on the Shimilkomeen\nRiver, but the present value of those minerals is not sufficient to induce the investment\nof capital.\n27. The new horse-way from Yale to Spuzzem is now open for traffic. Unlike the\nmountain trail which it supersedes, the new road is carried over the mountain side along\nthe course of Fraser River at a moderate elevation, and will be open for travel both in\nsummer and winter. In riding over the face of those frowning cliffs, which a twelvemonth ago seemed to defy all efforts at improvement, it was impossible to repress a\nfeeling of thankfulness and intense gratification at the successful issue of our labours,\nand their probable influence on trade and the developement of the country. The\narduous part of this undertaking\u2014excavating the mountain near Yale\u2014was executed\nentirely by a detachment of Royal Engineers, under Serjeant-major George Cann, and\nit has been completed in a manner highly creditable to themselves and to the officers\nwho directed the operation,\n28. The most favourable accounts continue to arrive from the Quesnel River and\nCaribceuf diggings, confirming all the former reports of the vast auriferous wealth of\nthose districts.\n'29. An opinion is gaining ground among persons who have closely inspected and\nstudied the phenomena of the gold fields, that there exists a zone or belt of country 50\nor 60 miles in breadth, which is the matrix or depository of the gold found in British\nColumbia. Its course has been partially traced from the neighbourhood of Fort George, PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 31\nat the forks of Fraser River, for nearly 60 miles in a south-south-east direction ; and\nthe theory derives a measure of support from the fact that the rich diggings at Cariboeuf,\nQuesnel River, and Rock Creek,\u2014the latter unknown when the theory was started,\u2014\ncome within the limits which it prescribes. Mr. Nind, the Assistant Gold Commissioner\nfor Quesnel River district, may probably be able to throw light upon the subject, and \u2022\nI await his report with much anxiety, especially as I have had no official communication\nfrom him since his appointment. I learn from other sources that the miners in that\nquarter are making large profits, and that good order and tranquillity reign throughout\nthe district. The want of roads is, however, seriously felt, and has become a general\nsubject of complaint. As soon as those more important communications now in\nprogress are completed, we shall not fail to turn our attention to the remoter\n. districts.\nno!a! SteA&s. 30. Some specimens exhibiting the varieties of gold\nNol'l laSSSi^' found in British Columbia are forwarded with this\nreport.\ni of Newci\n&c. &c.\nI have, &c. .\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\nEnclosure 1 in No. 14.\nMassacre of an Immigrant Train by the Snake T.NDiANs^-45 Persons But*\nThe following is an \" extra\" from the Vancouver Chronicle\":-\nYreka, October 9, 1860.\nVancouver, October 3,\u20149 p.m.\nForty-five Immigrants murdered.\nH. Schreiber has just arrived at the Dalles with news of the massacre by the Snake Indians of an\nentire immigrant train, consisting of 46 persons, 19 of whom were men, the balance women and\nchildren. The party were first attacked about 50 miles this side of Salmon Falls, on the 9th of\nSeptember. This attack lasted about one hour. The Indians then withdrew and allowed the train to\nproceed five miles, when they again attacked them. The fight lasted two days and one night.\nOn the afternoon of the 10th the Indians had possession, of the whole train, with the exception of\nsix men, who, being mounted escaped. After travelling through the woods for nine days these six were\nagain attacked, and five of the party killed. Schreiber alone escaping by hiding in the bushes. After\ntravelling seven days, without food, he was found in an exhausted condition by some persons who took\nhim to the Dalles.\nOf the 19 males in the party, six were discharged soldiers from Fort Hall. Mr. Schreiber is the\nonly one who escaped. He says that the six men who left on horseback did not leave until the Indians\nhad complete possession of the train; and from the screams of the women and children he was led to\nbelieve that the whole party were butchered.\nEnclosure 2 in No. 14.\nTo his Excellency Governor Douglas, C.B., &e. &c. &c.\nYour Excellency, . Hope, October 3, 1860.\nWe the undersigned inhabitants of Hope beg to congratulate you on the approaching termination of the new trail to the Shimilkameen, an object in which you expressed lively interest at the\ncommencement of the year, and on which you were pleased to express your views in a very satisfactory\nmanner on the occasion of your visit to Hope during the summer.\nWe trust that the plans originated by your Excellency for the formation of the Shimilkameen and\nother routes of Colonial importance and advantage, may be fully realized by the traffic passing over\nsuch routes, and by the continued prosperity of the country as evinced by the late Customs returns.\nLarge as such quarterly revenue appears, it is not unknown to your Excellency that the amount has\nbeen considerably reduced by the absence of Customs duties on the frontier adjacent to the Shimilkameen country. Your personal observation has we doubt not confirmed the reports which are\nunanimously made of the large amount of supplies introduced from America, the eager eyes turned by\nall the inhabitants of Washington and Oregon to a gold field so near them, their determination to\ncompete with British Columbia for the supply of her own territories, and the plans in contemplation for\nestablishing a town or towns as near the line as possible.\nThe inhabitants of British Columbia are not wanting in enterprise and energy, but the different\ncircumstances under which they compete with foreign traders (backed by the sympathy of their\nnation), both as to capital at command, the aggregate number of competitors, and the motives influencing\neach, are not we think to be overlooked. We beg to state to your Excellency, that, as a community,\nwe hope not to be behindhand in taking advantage of the Shimilkameen trade, but also to convey our\nunanimous opinion that the interests of the Colony, as well as our own, demand such arrangements for\nthe collection of revenue on goods entering British Columbia, otherwise than through its present port\nof entry, as will ensure protection to British trade, and the augmentation of its revenue by means and\nrates of import at present existing.\nD 4 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\ni share of the traffic to the\ni recent grant will greatly\na which the nature of the\nWe beg to tender your Excellency our thanks for your liberal aid to th\n. out noticing many interested motives to decry the trail, we can assert that\nwishes in this respect has fully realized our expectations of benefit to Hope.\nYour Excellency's first outlay was the means of our town obtaining\nupper country, to which we considered ourselves entitled, and your more\n\u2022 improve the road in placing it in a permanently efficient state, in a portion o\nground had made locomotion very difficult.\nBut the chief argument which will weigh with your Excellency in taking a colonial view of the\nexpenditure is the circumstance of packing having-been much reduced through the access afforded to\nLytton by this trail.\nWe have now availed ourselves of the occasion of your Excellency's visit to return y6u our thanks\nfor your attention to the wants and. welfare of the Colony in the matter of the trails above alluded to;\nwe trust it will not be deemed out of place if we conclude our remarks with the hope that the original\nintention of your Excellency respecting the Shimilkameen trail may soon be carried out, in forming the\npresent trail, or any route considered best, into a waggon road ; we do not ask this as a local matter\nWe do not consider that scope will be given to that commercial energy and enterprise which your\nExcellency is so desirous of encouraging locally unless your intention should be carried out as soon as\npossible, and your Excellency has repeatedly, publicly and privately, expressed your opinion that the\nroute to the new gold fields and agricultural district of the Shimilkameen is through Hope. A waggon\nroad to this important country will not be looked upon otherwise than a colonial measure, and one\nwhich has already received the sanction of public opinion at large.\nWe have, &c.\n(Signed) A. D. Pringle, M.A.\nW. H. Sutton, and 50 others.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle.\n(No. 95.) Victoria, Vancouver's Island, November 9, I860.\n(Eeceived January 2, 1861.)\nMy LORD Duke, (Answered, No. 66, February 1, 1861, page 68.)\nIn my report on British Columbia of the 9th of October last, marked \" Separate,\"*\nI had the honour to inform your Grace of the dispatch of an exploratory party from\nDouglas, under the charge of Dr. Forbes of Her Majesty's ship \" Topaze^\" to examine,\nespecially with reference to its mineral character, the country bordering on Harrison Lake\nand River.\nI have now the honour of forwarding the valuable and highly interesting report of that\ngentleman, who lately returned to this place with his party, in good health.\nHis researches, carried on under many difficulties inseparable from the country, were\nprosecuted with a very creditable degree of activity and vigour, and have been eminently\nsuccessful in elucidating the true mineral value of the district, the whole of which he\nbelieves to be metalliferous, and the greater portion of it argentiferous.\nHe found and examined many argentiferous veins, and he observes that he has not the\nleast doubt that there is abundance of silver in those formations, but it can only be reached\nby an outlay of capital and steady persevering mining operations.\nHe has also, from various indications, been led to believe that in many of the metalliferous veins described in his report, deep mining will develope gold.\nDr. Forbes recommends that encouragement should be given to companies for the\npurpose of working silver mines, and thinks they cannot be worked advantageously by\nindividual enterprise or exertion, a suggestion which meets with my warmest approval.\nI trust that Dr. Forbes's able report may have the effect of attracting public attention\nin England to the mineral wealth of British Columbia, and to the facilities it presents\nfor the profitable investment of capital.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c.\n&c.\n&c.\nSir, ' H.M.S. \u00ab Topaze,\" Esquimalt, Vancouver Island, Oct. 22, 1860.\nBy letter dated 8th October, I had the honour to apprise your Excellency of my return to\nVictoria on the 6th, with the exploring party under my command. It now becomes my duty to lay\nbefore your Excellency a general summary of my proceedings, with.a detailed account of such explora\ntions as time and\nenabled me to make. PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 33\n1. In compliance with your Excellency's instructions contained in letter dated 29th August, I took British\ncharge of the exploring party at New Westminster, and there received from the Treasury and the Columbia,\nCommissariat such supplies of money and provisions as appeared necessary for carrying on the explora- \t\ntion of the district specified, viz., from the mouth of the Harrison River to the 28-mile house on the\nLilloet trail.\n2. Unable to procure a canoe at the mouth of the Harrison River, as directed by my instructions, I\nproceeded in the steamer \" Colonel Moody \" to Port Douglas, and at that place on the afternoon of the\n30th, succeeded, after some difficulty, in procuring a canoe and Indians to take me down the Harrison\nLake. Finding on starting that my canoe was too heavily laden, I engaged another and smaller canoe,\nand with a party consisting of three Spaniards, four Indians, self and servant, proceeded at 5 p.m. to\nmake the best of my way to the mouth of the Harrison River.\nA.t 8\u00a3 p.m., having come by computation about eight miles, I camped on a sandy spit, near a mountain stream, known as the Douglas River, on the eastern side of the lake, opposite to a remarkable\ndouble-peaked mountain, having on its northern and eastern aspect a glacier between the peaks.\nFriday, 31st August.\u2014At daylight, weather was much overcast and threatening. Nevertheless, 1\nstruck camp and got ready, being anxious to commence work at the place indicated in my instructions.\nA thunder-storm, however, passed to the southward, followed by heavy rain, and a fresh breeze from\nthe S.W. causing a heavy swell on the lake and rendering it impossible to proceed. I therefore pitched\nmy camp again, and proceeded to prospect the neighbouring ravine and to examine the geological\nformation around.\nAt the mouth of the stream, and extending on both sides along the shore of the lake, were water-\nworn boulders of granitic and quartzose rocks, gneiss with garnets, mica schist with ditto, pieces of good\nroofing slate, together with masses of a pure white quartz containing excellent indications of metal.\nThe mountain, the top of which is somewhat rounded in its outline, having a flat surface to the west-\n' ward, and a remarkable pinnacle or finger-like rock at its immediate base, is composed of trap, having\nresting upon it and tilted at a high angle, micaceous, talcose, and hornblendic schists, all highly charged\nwith iron, the oxidation of which has produced disintegration of these rocks.\nAt a point about 500 yards from the mouth of the stream on its proper right bank, a mass of trachytic\nrock has been erupted, shattering the surrounding rocks, itself much shaken and shattered; great\nmasses dislodged by weathering and other causes having slipped and rolled to the bottom of the ravine.\nIn this rock, of volcanic origin, was found a mass of quartz, of a beautiful white colour, containing\ngood indications of silver and copper, which indications proved true, for on assaying a specimen, by the\nreducing process, a globule of each of these metals showed itself. This mass or vein of quartz dips\nnortherly-beneath the overlying trachytic rock. It is wedge-shaped, the thickness increasing with the\ndepth. From it, in all directions, radiate veins of quartz, which, guarded on each side by a fissile rock\nof a French grey colour, permeate the mass of trachyte in all directions. Those only, however, which\nrun north and south are metalliferous, the east and west veins or cross courses are barren.\nDeeming it necessary to explore this formation thoroughly before proceeding farther, I determined\nto blast the rock in order to see if the indications improved with the depth; but finding one of the\nblasting tools in a very inefficient state, I was obliged to send it to Port Douglas for repair, and in\nthe meantime proceeded to examine the veins, seriatim, as they radiated from the great central mass.\nRising in a north-westerly direction is a quartz vein running through or along with the fissile rock\nabove alluded to containing ores of silver; and to the right, having the same N.W. and S.E. direction,\nabout 200 yards above the \" mother vein,\" a quartz vein shows itself in the broken precipitous face of\nthe containing trachytic rock.\nIt runs between two great bands of the fissile French grey-coloured rock, separated from it by masses\nof a partially decomposed pyrites, which besides, in a band of about three inches in thickness, accompanies the quartz vein throughout its course.\nBesides these masses and bands of iron pyrites, masses of a dark green chlorite rock occur, and\nnodules containing the sulphuret of silver are clearly discernible both in the vein itself and in the rock\nthrough which it passes.\nFollowing the ravine, and at the same time ascending, I found, at an elevation of about 600 or 700\nfeet, another quartz vein of the same character, dipping in the same direction, and belonging to the\nsame system; and from the numerous angular fragments of quartz and quartzose rocks everywhere\nscattered about, I believe that there are numerous other veins, which I had not time to look for or\nI worked into the quartz matrix and its ramifying veins, and satisfied myself of the existence of\nsilver at this spot, which, however, will require somewhat extensive mining operations to procure in\npaying quantities.\nThe geological character of this locality affords a good type of the general formation of the whole\neastern side- of the lake, and may here be briefly described as a region of primary, metamorphic, and\nvolcanic rocks, crossed and recrossed by trappean dykes and veins and seams of metalliferous quartz\nand quartzose rock. The primary or igneous rocks, which form the central axis of the mountain range,\nhave on their flanks transverse ridges and spurs of trappean rock, bedded and jointed, resting on which,\nand tilted at various angles, lie the metamorphic schistose rocks, which, again broken through, disturbed, and shattered by successive intrusions of volcanic rock, have in many instances undergone a .\nsecond metamorphosis, and show an amorphous crystalline structure, accompanied by segregation of\nThursday, 6th September.\u2014I began here to have trouble with my Indians; though well cared for in\nevery way, they were becoming impatient, and I had to discharge one yesterday and another to-day.\nHeavy rain during the night, but the morning promising well, I started with the three Spaniards and\none old Indian to examine the landslips.\nFound that the great mass of the debris in all the slips was composed of plutonic, trappean, and\nquartz rocks, all of them full of beautiful groups and strings of crystals of iron pyrites, both massive\nand in cubes, and all possessing good indications of the proximity of valuable mineral.\nIV. E\nJ 34 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nand coloured by the oxide of iron, which metal in the form of pyrites abounds in the neighbouring ro'cks\nThe central mass on which this great mass of trappean rock reposes is a plutonic 6r igneous rock\nof a granitic character, very dense, highly crystalline, crossed and permeated by bands and veins of\nSaturday, September 1st\u2014Heavy rain all day, impossible to do anything,fiirther than prospect the\nshores of the. lake right and left. The rocks everywhere indicating that they belonged to a metal-\nftSS^fiSffiSiSw\nSsSjs^ PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\n35\nThe pebbles on the beach at the mouth of this river are chiefly of igneous rock, with n\nmens of beautiful clay-stone porphyry. The trap rock I passed yesterday, here forms the right bank,\nascending in precipitous bluffs, tolerably thickly timbered. The left bank is formed by a series of terraces\nof different elevations, made up of the rounded boulders and gravel of the great northern drift, which here,\n)uld c\nnda\ni this i\n5 fou\n:o the lak\nI the\nTher\ne soil ii\nirggntifei-bus quartz\nsilver in all but one, the vein\nMonday, 10th September.-\n:r up to, and if\nthe shores of the lake at right angles,\nhaving a good surface of alluvial anc\nere the timber to be removed, I fei\nlust, which the antumn winds and win\ng but naked terraces of boulder stones\ni, possessing good indications of silvei\ner rains and floods\nand gravel. During\nbut could not trace\nniles from the mouth of the\nrile of\nid first\nof gold, sufficient\nwould eventually\nmy prospecting to-dayj I found a rock, in i\nthe vein, it being overlaid by the drift.\nFrom where my camp is pitched, about\nthe falls, I carefully prospected for gold, and in a ferruginous gravel on\nto pay from 2 to 5 dollars per man per diem, if worked by a rocker or by sluices.\n^Sunday; 9th September.\u2014Gave the men a day of rest; being fine, were enabled to dry our clothes,\n&c. &c, which were thoroughly saturated with moisture. In the afternoon assayed specimens of\n?k, from the veins at the landslips and neighbourhood, and found\ng near the rocky islets on the lake approaching 20-mile Point.\nt daylight, packed one tent and provisions for two days. Left camp at\nf possible, past the falls, in order to ascertain the geological formation,\ni and other\nand if possible, trace the origin of the gold, w'\nbeen transported no great distance. With two small\ntracking up the rapids, and reached the falls at 9 a\nconsiderable deposit of gravel and ferruginous sand, I\nI believed the gold had come; I left it however to be\npitched, heavy rain set in ; it cleared up\nthe falls and the neighb(\ndifficult to pass over, th\nexplore it thoroughly; I \\\nwalls of the gorge or ravi\nrough crisp-looking s\nmoes and three Indians, pushed up the stream,\ni., where I camped. Coming up I had passed a\ntending on both sides of the river, and from this\nsxamined on my return. Just as my tent was\ni about an hour, and I was enabled td'^aujine\n\u25a0ocks. Found the country beyond the falls so much broken up, so\nin such weather it would have taken more time than I could afford to\ntherefore obliged reluctantly to give it up, having. as8e5?^i.ined that the\ncomposed of massiyeTrflut\nThese\ni falls, a\nwhich :\nlitic character, crossed by n\n3ter of the rock described\ntZyyeinsijwhich here cross\n' transported blocks in the\ns higher up the valley, wh\nperpendicular cliffs, ci\ny difficult, almost\n: up by\nibs, the\nids of q\nEftlfis\n1 and red sand deposit passed\niugh the quartz veins which here cross the igneous and trappean\nrocks, i show no indications of metal, ye\nand indicate the existence of metallifero\nplored.\nNo trace of gold could be detected in the sand or alluvium at the f\nset in, I therefore struck my tent and returned to\nin the morning.\nAt 2 p.m., examined and found this deposit to consist of boulders (water-worn), sand, and gravel,\nwith angular boulders. The boulders are of igneous rocks of various kinds, granitic, porphyritic (felspar), and hornblende rocks; the sand of two kinds, a fine white quartzose sand, and a coarser ferruginous\nsandor gravel, the whole mass running in a N.W. and S.E. direction, cut across by the river. On\nthe right bank of the river, this gravel rests on a trap rock, which has a slaty fracture, and extends\ninland about 500 yards, forming terraces along the river bank for about half a mile.\n. On the left, it rises into a conical shaped hill, some 200 to 300 feet in height, and runs on as -above\nstated in a S.E. direction. The upper portion has about 3 in. in thickness of rolled and rounded.boulders\nof igneous and trappean rock, then 3 to 5 feet of fine gravel, next, several feet of a fine quartzose sand ;\nand below, to a depth which I could not distinctly ascertain, is the ferruginous gravel, containing\nangular fragments of quartzose rocks, masses of metalliferous-looking quartz, and numerous blocks of a\ndense black ironstone, the product of intense volcanic action. I tried the sand and gravel from every\npart of this deposit, but could not find a trace of gold; from the surface to the river side, from 6 to 8\nfeet, to which depth I dug beneath the surface, all fruitless, not a speck to be seen, which surprised me\nmuch, as immediately below, on the river banks, in this same ferruginous sand, I could wash out rough\ngold, in small quantities certainly, with a common prospecting pan.\nMuch of this gravel is becoming consolidated into a conglomerate or pudding-stone, by the oxidation\nof the volcanic ironstone alluded to above, which, with granitic, quartzose, and other hypogen?c!!roclc\u00a7,\nterms the lithological character of the mass.\n' ' l this locality is a fact, and that its origin is to be referred t( \" '\nfully i\nthatm\nAt the san\nboulders a\nxplain why, on prospecting, it |\njursory and superficial. This ferruginous aur\nd gravel of the great northern drift, with whiet\nlan that of accidental relation. It extends, I\ndid n\n;ld gold, PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\ntides red, and set free its contained gold. Heavy rain\n1 the river, shooting the rapids, and arrived at camp at\ni to prospect the gold reported to exist. I gave them all\nTuesday, 11th September.\u2014Morning fine, but all our gear soaked with 3\ntents and loaded canoe, found her too deep from the weight of the wet ' '\nleft pork cask behind; endeavoured to procure another canoe, but did n\non the salmon fishery, which the Indians are carrying on vigorously.\nStarted at 8 a.m. and proceeded down the lake, prospecting and examining the various formations as\nI went A few miles beyond the valley of the Klatchka came to schistose rocks resting on trap, with\nPushed on to a camping place at the mouth of a small river or mountain torrent, which enters the\nboulders of hypogenic and metamorphic rocks, masses of quartz with chlorite schist, having good\nindications of silver; other rocks having the same of copper. About two miles up found traces of\ngold in the black sand of river bank. It had been raining heavily all the afternoon, and darkness now\nsetting in, I returned to camp.\nWednesday, 12th September.\u2014At daylight, weather having cleared up, and the day promising well,\nroused all hands, and started to examine the metalliferous quartz veins found yesterday.\nThe formation is of the same character as prevails generally, so far as I have yet seen, and on\nfurther examination I found the metamorphic schistose rock resting on and tilted by intruded masses\nof trap, which is here regularly bedded and jointed. Trap dykes, containing veins and masses of\nquartz run right and left, and at points where these masses of trap- intrude, and where the quartzose\nveins enter and permeate the schists, they become metalliferous. An argentiferous vein, 16 to 18 feet\nwide runs along the side of the lake and rises on the hill at an angle of 45\u00b0 or thereabout, passing\nbeneath the mountain in its strike.\nThe silver, in the form of sulphuret, is containfed in a crystalline blueish-grey rock, having masses\nand veins of quartz permeating it, and running along its centre a band of unctuous-feeling blue-black\nrock, an excellent indication of good silver ore.\nThe character of the vein alters as it passes through the different strata of the containing rock,\nbecoming in places highly crystalline and very hard.\nI was obliged to blast in two places to ascertain the character of the vein, and was glad to find all\nthe indications improve with the depth.\nOn the beach a prismatic trap which makes excellent sharpening stones, and good specimens of\nroofing slate, were picked up. Having examined the coast line, and finding it coming on to blow, made\nthe best of my way to camp, found a heavy surf on the beach, and got capsized close to tent\nThursday, I3th September.\u20145.30 a.m., all off, morning overcast, slight drizzle, weather looks\nthreatening, light breeze from S.E. right up the lake, nasty jabble of a sea on. 7.30 a.m.\u2014Passing\nmetamorphic and trappean rocks, overtopped by a rounded red-coloured mountain, which from the\nform of its ravines and general aspect looks promising.\nThe wind now freshened so much, and the water became so rough, that it was dangerous to proceed,\nand I therefore pitched camp on a sandy spit near a rocky ravine, opposite south end of Long Island\nat 8.30 a.m. After breakfast prospected ravine, through which a mountain stream flows, found igneous\nand metamorphic with trappean rocks abounding. Some of them with good indications, in mining\nlanguage, excellent shoad stones. Examined ravine by this same process of shoading, and found on\nthe right bank numerous angular fragments of rock assuming a prismatic structure, coated with the\nred oxide of iron, and containing vestiges of silver ore. The specimens appeared to belong to a\nmetamorphic rock, semi-crystallized by intruded volcanic agencies, in the form of erupted trap and\nintruded quartzose masses.\nHeavy rain and a gale of wind prevented an extended examination of the locality at this time.\nFriday, September 14th. \u2014 Very anxious to get on, but cannot; heavy rain during the night;\nmorning overcast, drizzly and squally. Can neither get on, nor go back. Half my time gone, and I\nhave stul the Lilloet district before me.\nUnable to prospect, I proceeded to examine the specimens of yesterday, i\nmetallic sulphurets, chiefly of silver and antimony. At 4 p.m. the rain ci\nfollow up and discover the metalliferous rock, to which the specimens for.\nto-day belong. The lode is 22 feet wide, close to the water in the ravine;\nright in along a broken ravine, covered by a mass of angular fragments c\nquantity of red earth which marks its course along the face of the mountai\ntwice to ascertain its true character, and found it to be a very hard crystall\nand black-grey colour, enclosing masses of quartz and groups and strings of\nThe formation both north and south of this vein is' trappean, a dense ci\njointed, rising into mountain peaks.\nSaturday, 15th September.\u2014The weather having been for some days\naltogether broken, being unable to procure more than one canoe, which was\nheavily laden, I was completely cramped in my movements, for, unless when perfectly calin\ndangerous to attempt navigating the lake. Fearing that if I delayed waiting for fine weather to\ncomplete the exploration of the Harrison I might possibly altogether lose the Lilloet country, I\nresolved to make the best of my way to Port Douglas, and if I should have time and a favourable\nopportunity complete the Harrison Lake and River on my return.\nid found th\ne rock full of\nised, and I v\nvas enabled to\nd yesterday\nand examined\nand passes\nnorth-westerly\nof the sam\ne rock, and a\nliged to blast\na bluish-black\nnetalliferous\nores.\njTStalline roc\nk, bedded and PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 37\nAccordingly at 4 a.m., finding the weather moderate, and promising well, I roused all hands, and British\nafter a cup of coffee got under weigh, crossed the lake to Long Island, skirting it and proceeding by the Columbl\nThe northern or Long Island I found to be composed chiefly of trap, with occasional patches of metamorphic rock, but no indications of metal were observable from the lake. On the western shore, at a\npoint opposite to north end of Long Island, a fine tract of level land commences, and runs north for\nabout 8 miles, having an average width of 1 mile, a stream flowing through it, and abundance of fine\ntimber upon it Like all the other flats and terraces in this district, the substratum is boulder drift\nand gravel, the alluvium and vegetable mould of no great thickness, but should the silver leads on the\nother side be worked this flat will be of the greatest use to the miners.\nWhere this terrace terminates and the bold precipitous bluffs again abut upon the lake, the formation\nof the mountain ranges at the back can be well seen.\nRising from the water are rounded masses of a dense black trap rock, sparsely covered by stunted\npine trees, alternating with beautiful little coves, fringed by shingle beaches in which the vegetation is\nmore varied and growth more perfect.\nAt and near the point known as Whiskey Point the formation changes, and metamorphic argillaceous\nschistose rocks resting on the trap begin to show themselves, and this, alternating with an erupted\ntrachytic rock, continues all the way to \" Shay Point,'\" where an image of that deity who presides over\nthe Indian meteorological department stands out, cut from the solid rock. From this point to Port\n.Douglas, the whole western shore appears to be a mass of dead trap, no indications of mineral to be\nseen. Nearly swamped crossing the lake, though only a light breeze from the S.E. Arrived at Port\nDouglas at 6 p.m.\nSunday, 16th September.\u2014Rested at Port Douglas. Men employed drying clothes, bedding, &c.\nMonday, 17th Seplember.\u2014Making preparations for prospecting Lilloet district All our blasting\ntools required repair, had to be fresh steeled. Twelve days' provisions to be packed, arrangements\nmade for conveyances; Indians to be paid for work and hire of canoes, &c, &c.\nTuesday, 18th September.\u2014Made an agreement to have my baggage packed as far as 20-mile\nhouse, at the rate of 2 cents per lb. Suffering from sprain and rheumatic affection of right knee,\nI was obliged to hire a riding mule. At 2 p.m., having seen everything off, left Douglas for the\nLilloet, and camped that night at the 10-mile house.\nWednesday, 19th September.\u2014Prospecting as I went, pushed on and camped at 20-mile house,\nanxious to get on to commence work from 28-mile house downwards.\nThursday, 20th September.\u2014Obliged to rest this day, suffering from rheumatism.\nFriday, 21st September.\u2014Tried to ride, but found myself unable, started on foot, pushed on, and\nreached Creek Camp, 27^-mile from Douglas, where I pitched my tents close to the Royal Engineers'\nSaturday, 22nd September.\u2014Employed prospecting round camp, found good indications both on river\nside and up the mountain.\nSunday, 23rd September.\u2014A day of rest.\nMonday, 24th September.\u2014Left camp at 8 a.m. to examine and explore the indications on the river side.\nAt a point 28 miles from Douglas, struck down upon the river, and close to a native lodge found a vein of\nargentiferous rock, running N. by W. along the river bank and rising at an angle of about 30\u00b0 to the termination of the Muff at 29^-mile house. On the level beneath, a vein with excellent indications runs\nalong by and passes the 29^-mile house, to terminate at the summit of a round-topped mountain, about\n6 or 8 miles to the northward, and which has on its side a remarkable cleft and ravine full of debris.\nTime did not permit me to follow up the veins of this formation to this point, .but from reliable information I received, and' from the geological formation of the country there, I believe they terminate and\nare possibly more fully developed, and to that point further exploration should be directed. Although\nlimited by my instructions to the 28, or more correctly speaking, to the 29-J-mile house, as the\nlimit of my exploration, I yet considered that a radius from that point was permissible, and being\nanxious to see the formation of country through which the above-mentioned metalliferous veins ran, I\nhired Indians, and setting the men to work to clear away the rocks and blast the vein on the river side,\n1 proceeded in a boat, kindly lent to me, to prospect the shores of the Little Lilloet Lake. The whole\nformation presents the very best indications of being rich in mineral wealth, and requires a prolonged\nexploration. I was very anxious to examine a remarkable mountain known as the \"Split Crag,\" but\nwhen at its foot, to my mortification, it became enveloped in clouds, and I had no\" time to wait till it\nshould clear up and I could make the ascent. It owes its remarkable form, whence its name, to the\npassage of a metalliferous dyke or vein through its summit, to the degradation of which, by the oxidation of the metals, is due the cleft or \" Split Crag.\"\nFour p.m.\u2014Returned to the vein where the men have been at work, found that they had exposed the\nargentiferous vein, and prepared to blast; but the drills proved defective, and require repair.\nThis argentiferous rock is of a pale blue colour, with masses and strings of quartz running through it.\nSulphuret of silver, argentiferous pyrites, and some specks of gold were to be seen along with iron\npyrites in cubes and masses. The vein runs through trap, which, where in contact with the vein, is of\na trachytic character. Great volcanic disturbances have here taken place, numerous faults existing in\nthe trappean range which runs in parallel ridges north and south, slips and slides having taken place\nin the planes of bedding; and this bluff, in which this metalliferous rock is found, appears to be the\nresult of a great slip from the boundary range of the valley on its eastern side.\nTuesday, 25th September.\u2014Through the kindness of Lieut. Palmer of the Royal Engineers, I was enabled to get the drills and other tools put into good working order, and sent the men oft at an early hour\nto complete the blasting operations. I myself proceeded along the trail, to examine the formation at\na point where a great? body of trap had been recently removed by blasting by the Royal Engineers. At\na precipitous bluff, about 27 miles from Douglas, round which the trail runs, and which was not more than\n2 feet wide a few days before, I found an open road 6 feet wide, and the angular promontory removed.\nA mass of trap, dense, highly crystalline, of a dark blue colour, bedded and jointed, had been cut\nthrough, and in the operation an argentiferous vein permeating the rock on which metamorphic clay slate\nE 3 38 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nrested, had been opened up. The argentiferous mass, or lode, is divisible into three distinct portions,\n. the whole 20 feet in width, rising at a high angle, and running in a direction N. by W. The rock\nis of a pale blue colour, dense and highly crystalline, with masses and strings of quartz, argentiferous\npyrites, and other excellent indications pervading it. The trap of this formation was the most highly i\ncrystalline rock of the kind that I had yet seen, when broken, assuming a pentagonal prismatic form,\neach fragment having a pyramidal shape. I had on a previous occasion obtained specimens of an\nargentiferous rock from the hill above, and was now enabled to identify them with this lode, which rising,\ncrosses the side of the mountain in the direction named, to terminate, I believe, in the round-topped\nmountain described as being on the eastern side of the smaller Lilloet Lake, a member in fact of\nthe same argentiferous formation.\nHaving obtained specimens, though but outcrops, of this and of the 28 -mile vein, which on blasting,\nfully bore out its indications, I submitted them to a hurried process of assay, and obtained a fair proportion of silver from all.\nWednesday, 26th September.\u2014At an early hour sent on, by pack mules, all the baggage, with orders\nto camp at 20-mile house and wait my arrival, and retaining one hand, with pick-axe, &c. &c, one\nmule, and an Indian boy, I followed slowly, prospecting a: T\nShortly after leaving camp, where I had received the greatest assistance and experienced much kindness from Lieut. Palmer, R.E., and all his party, I came upon a metalliferous vein crossing the road,\nrising from the river, at 26J miles from Douglas. It passes through the same formation as the one last\ndescribed, and which I named Royal Engineers' Mine, they having in that instance, as in the present,\nbeen the means of opening it up.\nFour p.m..\u2014Passed the junction of the Amaqua River with the Lilloet; the valley through which the\nformer flows is said to possess the very best indications of mineral wealth and rich metalliferous\ndeposits. Rocks containing gold, silver, platina, and copper being found in abundance at its mouth,\nand in its bed. These I have not myself seen, but I believe my information to be reliable, although it\nmust always be carefully borne in mind, that in this district of the Lilloet, where the transported rocks\nand boulders of the great northern drift are so widely spread, mistakes are very apt to occur, metalliferous, along with other rocks, being often carried many hundred miles. From its geological formation\nand mineralogical relations, I am inclined, however, to believe that up the valley these metalliferous\nrocks will be found in situ, and the whole should be carefully explored.\nThe whole geological formation of this day's march to the Hot Springs, where I camped at 6 p.m., is\nshown by the accompanying section to be trap of various characters, in reference to its crystallization\nand bedding; in some cases both these characteristics very perfect, in others less so. Metamorphic rock\nmetalliferous, in others not so, run through the whole formation. Near to the Hot Springs, an erupted\ngranitic rock, having a highly crystalline trap on both flanks, occurs, which extending eastward, has relation to the granitic, rock developed in the argentiferous formation of Fort Hope, if indeed it be not\nthe same.\nTrap rises in lofty precipices on the western side of the river, and continues on the east, resting on a\nrocky range of white-coloured stone, which on examination proved to be a siliceous rock, containing a\nfew indications of copper.\nPassing the granitic mass above alluded to, the trail runs over the northern drift, which, continues to\nand beyond the hot springs at the 20-mile house.\nThe hot springs which give their name to the locality, bubble out from three openings in the rock,\nunder a mass of concrete or conglomerate rock, and an angular block of trap which has slipped from\nthe rock above.\nThe water has a temperature of about 120\" Fah., and at 62\u00b0 Fah. a specific gravity of 1002-5, being\nthus simply distilled water. Existing below and permeating fissures in the crust of the earth in the\nform of watery vapour or steam, it loses its caloric as it approaches the surface, and becoming condensed, issues in the form of hot distilled water.\nAround the spot where the water flows from the rock, the surface of the pebbles in the stream is\ncoated with a mass of reddish-brown conferva?, which, as the water flows and cools, becomes of a beautiful bright green colour. Where the stream crosses the road, it has cooled down to the temperature of\nthe surrounding atmosphere, and forms a favourite drinking-place for all animals on the trail. Horses\nand mules, when free and having the opportunity, have been known to come back a couple of miles to\ndrink of the limpid refreshing water.\nThursday, 27 th September.\u2014The weather has been and continues Very fine. Endeavoured to-day to\nget a canoe, in which to cross the river, as excellent indications exist on the western side, which I was very\nanxious to examine. No canoe to be had, all down at Port Douglas. While prospecting, one did come\nup, and the Indians would have taken me across, but they would not wait till next day to bring me back,\nand I could not risk detention. From information received to-day, I am led to believe that active volcanic forces exist up the valley of the Zoalchleen River. An Indian states that at the second lake, half\na day's journey from the mouth of river, a fire issues from the earth, which burns night and day; this\nwith the hot springs in the same neighbourhood, indicates volcanic action, existing at present in a semi-\nquiescent state. The Indian also stated that the rocks in the neighbourhood abounded in a yellow\nmetal, and as from this locality the auriferous quartz was brought, which, by your. Excellency's \"order,\nMr. Humphreys went to explore, the probability is, that valuable metalliferous deposits do exist,\nespecially since the best indications exist at the mouth of the ZqaliobXeen River, which flows from and is\nfed by the two lakes at the head of the valley. This with the other valleys of the district should be\nfully explored at an early date.\nFriday, 28th September.\u2014After an early breakfast, struck camp and sent on tents and baggage to\n10-mile house. Followed, prospecting as I went, with Mr. Lopez, Indian, and mule. At 11 a.m.,\nhaving passed the junctions of the Zoalchleen River with the Lilloet, came to a metalliferous vein rising\nthrough the great bank of gravel from the bed of the river, and about 160 yards farther on, another and\nmore promising vein rising in the same way, and running north by west across the level formed by\nboulder drift towards a remarkable cleft in the mountain range, which bounds the valley on its eastern PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 39\nside. The formation on the western side of the river indicates that these veins pass along a ravine\nwhich dips to the river bed, under which they pass, to rise again as above described. The latter and\nmost promising vein above mentioned, is a quartzose mass, six feet in-thickness, bedded in and running\nalong with a siliceous rock, having masses and fragments of talcose schist in the immediate vicinity.\nThe quartz contained strings of sulphuret of silver, and is I believe the outcrop of a valuable mine. I\nvery much regret that time did not permit me to follow it to the mountain range and explore it fully.\nPassing over the flats and gravel beds on both sides of the 16-mile house, at 2 p.m. arrived at the\nred earth hill near the 14-mile house, and proceeded to examine the locality. Found the prevailing\nrock to be bedded trap, traversed by injected veins or dykes of trap containing masses of quartz, and\nhaving good indications of metal. The cause of the red earth is the presence of a great quantity of\noxide of iron, which wells out from a chalybeate spring in a constant flow, at a slight dip in the hill, on\nthe old mule trail about 500 yards above the present road. At the top of the hill there is a cutting\nthrough a mass of rounded pebbles of trappean rocks, concreted into a dense mass of solid rock by the\ninjection of carbonate of lime. The region is one in close proximity to extinct volcanic agencies,\nand to these are no doubt due the presence of the ferruginous and calcareous matters which abound.\nDipping the crown of the hill, a mass of dense highly crystalline trap, regularly bedded and jointed,\nfull of iron pyrites and of argentiferous pyrites, occurs, rising in precipitous bluffs, and having resting,\nupon it and tilted at a high angle a metamorphic clay slate, highly charged with oxide of iron.\nAt the foot of the hill, where the rock has been blasted and cut away to form the trail, an argentiferous vein rises at a high angle in a N.W. direction, of the same general character as the others\nalready described, as are two other veins which about 500 yards farther on show themselves on the\nsides of the cliff. Circumstances prevented me from fully determining the character of these veins, but\nT am certain of their indications, and feel sure of their value on mining.\nAt 5 p.m. camped at the 10-mile house.\nSaturday, September 29th.\u20148 a-m., struck camp and sent on baggage to Port Douglas. Passed\nover a level and undulating road, the only rock visible being a trap on the side of St. Helen's Lake.\nAscending Sebastopol Hill, at Jerry's well, came to a metamorphic clay slate resting on trap; and at\nSpring Hill camp, about seven miles from Douglas, found a vein of good promise, running N.W,\nhaving a beautiful quartz vein running at right angles to it; its intrusion has converted the clay slate\ninto a semi-crystalline, fissile blue rock, crossing about two miles of level, and at the 5-mile tree\nascending' a gentle rise to a bluff cut away by blasting, an argentiferous vein crosses the dense-bedded\ntrap of which the bluff is composed. Its direction and character agrees with all the others already\ndescribed.\nFrom this point, the bluff above the 5-mile tree, a good view of the remarkable flat-topped mountain known as Mount Richards may be obtained; it is an extinct volcano, the basaltiform trap which\nnow forms the summit is the consolidated lava of the old volcanic fires, the scoriaceous walls having\ncrumbled down to form the now sloping sides of the mountain. This, I have no doubt, was the centre\nof the volcanic agencies developed in this quarter.\nAt 2 p.m. arrived at the 4-mile house, and was there shown by the discoverer, Mr. Hancock, a\nspecimen of quartz, containing such indications as induced me to examine the locality whence it had\nbeen brought. Found the vein of quartz running northerly through a mass of trap, much shattered\nd disjointed; followed it in a southerly direction; traced it to where metamorphic rock joined the\n' it found no indications of metal, although I feel convinced that on a more extended survey it\nbe found in this formation.\nAnxious to get into Port Douglas to take advantage of a fine day or two, should they offer, to enable\nme to complete the Harrison Lake and River, I pushed on; and passing trappean and metamorphic\nrocks at Gibraltar Hill, which continued on to the trappean mass above Port Douglas, at the foot\nhaving a great bed of the northern drift, I arrived at that place at 6 p.m. and camped on plain above\nthe town.\nSunday, 30th September.\u20146 p.m., heavy rain set in last night, and continues; no steamer arrived,\nand no certainty when she may arrive. If the weather clears shall endeavour to hire canoes and go\non to New Westminster.\nMonday, 1st October.\u2014Heavy rain all morning; cleared off about 2 p.m. No sign of steamer;\nendeavoured to hire canoes and Indians to take me down the Harrison and on to New Westminster, but\ncould get neither the one nor the o,ther, every Indian able to travel having gone up the Lilloet to a\n\" blanket feast\" At length, through the kind assistance of Mr. Humphreys, I obtained the promise\nof a canoe on the following day; and Mr. Oliver Hare most kindly placed his boat at my disposal, and\noffered to accompany me himself to afford me aid, an offer which I most gladly accepted. I was thus\nenabled to start at 6 p.m., the canoe to follow me in the morning. About 10 p.m., when off 12-mile\nPoint, the steamer \"Caledonia\" hove in sight I boarded her, and arranged that she'should pick me\nup on her return next day, and sent orders to stop canoe. Rounding Shay Point, I camped under a\nred craggy hill opposite the landslips, which I was anxious to examine, as it showed good indications,\nbut which I had not time to test on my way up.-\nIn the morning of Tuesday, the 2nd October, proceeded to examine the formation, and found trap\nalternating with metamorphic rock, altered in places to a semi-crystalline structure by the intrusion of\nthe trap; and at a place known as Smugglers' Caves, about 100 yards from the beach, discovered two\nmetalliferous veins, each 8 feet thick, separated by about the same thickness of the above-mentioned\naltered rock, running N. and S., full of iron pyrites, argentiferous pyrites, and other indications of\nsilver. The veins run from a point known as Whisky Point in a northerly direction to Shay Point, a\nlocality already described. I blasted the rock, and found the indications improve. At 5 p.m. went on\nboard steamer, and arrived at New Westminster at noon of the 3rd October.\nOn the 6th of October I arrived at Victoria, and by letter dated the 8th of that month, had the\nhonour to report to your Excellency the return of the exploring party under my charge.\nA period of 40 days was thus occupied in this exploration. I did all I could to accomplish it in\nthe prescribed time, \"of about 30 days,\" but broken weather and unforeseen difficulties, having\nreference to the hiring of canoes, &c, &c., prevented me.\nE 4\n3v! 40 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nIn the foregoing report the particular features of the Lilloet and Harriso\nbriefly described, and a section of the country from the 29J-mile house o\ntermination of the Harrison Lake, has been prepared and accompanies this.\nThe section is on a scale of three inches to the mile, horizontal; the vertical section is merely approximate, or hypothetical, and the whole is intended merely as an illustration of the description given in\nthe report I may mention, however, that the distances in miles given on the Lilloet trail are correct,\nthose on the Harrison Lake merely approximate.\nThe elevation of all these ranges is due to the action of volcanic forces, causing, in the first place, in\nthis N.W. and S.E. line, a slow and gradual upheaval of, the primary and igneous rocks composing the\ncrust of the earth. Then, as these forces increased at intervals in intensity, upheavals and disturbances\nof the mountain masses occurred, both generally and locally, until the geographical features of the\ncountry assumed their present aspect, viz., great mountain chains running N.W. and S.E., having, at\nright angles to their axis of elevation, trappean rocks running E. and W. in transverse spurs and ridges.\nResting on these spurs, tilted by them at various angles, are detached and broken masses of metamorphic rock of various kinds, such as clay slate, micaceous, hornblendic, talcose, and chlorite schists,\nall permeated by dykes and veins of erupted rock, which in many instances have changed the metamorphic rocks, at the points of contact, into amorphous semi-crystalline masses.\nI fully believe that the whole district is metalliferous; and I am happy in having been able to prove\nWith regard to the argentiferous veins which I have been fortunate enough to discover, I would beg\nyour Excellency to bear in mind that limited as I was to time, it was impossible for me to work into\nthe rock so as to determine their true and relative values; having found, examined, traced, and proved\ntheir argentiferous nature, I was obliged to leave each in succession, its value undetermined, to explore\nthe formation and the district further. That there is abundance of silver in these formations I nave\nnot the least doubt, but it can only be reached by an outlay of capital and steady persevering mining\noperations. From various indications, I am led' to believe that in many of the metalliferous veins\ndescribed, deep mining will develop gold.\n, The gold in the Klatchka River on the Harrison Lake will enable any steady hard-working man, who\nte gains, to live well all the\nyear through, and\nle Lilloet at the 20-mile hou\ne; but in neither\nake\u00abapile.\"\njectfully to represent to you\nr Excellency, that\nnies formed for the purpose of\ned by individual enterprize or\nexertion.\nP. of Port Douglas;\n\"Caledonia,\" who fii\nister to all the party.\nSections of the above\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle.\n(No. 100.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, November 28, I860.\nMy Lord Duke, (Received January 31, 1861.)\nI have the honour to inform your Grace that nothing of much importance, beyond\nthe usual course of events, has transpired in British- Columbia since the date of my last\n2. The miners of Alexandria and Quesnel River, dreading the severity of the inland\nwinter, have for some weeks past been arriving in great numbers from those districts, and\nsettling themselves for the winter in the towns on the Lower Fraser, being attracted\nthither by the genial climate and cheaper rate of living. Their labours have, I understand,\nnot been unrewarded, many of them having been eminently successful, while, contrary to\nthe general experience of mining countries, few or none have been entirely disappointed.\nSo much indeed is this the case that, as I am informed, they almost without exception\npropose returning to Alexandria as soon as the snow disappears it spring, and surface\nclaims become accessible to the miner. The population of those remote districts will\nprobably for this winter be confined to persons who have invested their means in the\nconstruction of sluices, and especially such miners as are employed in tunnelling, whose\noperations are little effected by the external temperature, and may be carried on during\nthe severest weather. PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 41\n3. I have lately received a communication, dated Alexandria, 17th of October, from 1\nMr. Philip H. Nind, Magistrate and Gold Commissioner for Alexandria, from which it Cc\nappears that he had, from various causes, encountered much detention on his route to\nAlexandria. His arrival in the district was hailed with a general feeling of satisfaction,\nand his services were immediately called into requisition by the complaints of the\ninhabitants against a few notorious evil-doers who had taken refuge there, and become\nthe terror of the place. The most vigorous measures were at once set on foot to bring\nthem to justice, and one of the number was soon afterwards apprehended and committed\nfor trial; but the others could nowhere be found, and are supposed to have fled over the\nfrontier into Oregon. Mr. Nind had temporarily established his head-quarters at William's\nLake, on account of its central position, from whence diverge, as from a common focus,\nall the routes leading to the upper and lower country.\n4. The extract from Mr. Nind's valuable report, which I here subjoin, contains some\ninteresting statistical facts in addition to his own views of the auriferous and physical\ncharacter of parts of the Alexandria district which he has lately visited.\n| The rate of wages to hired labourers is five and six dollars a day, and of provisions\nand other necessaries about the same as at Alexandria, in some instances a little lower\nfrom the greater amount of competition.\n\" I have the honour to enclose a list of the prices of various articles at Alexandria. ~~~\n\" Ferguson's or Rich Bar when first discovered proved highly auriferous, as much as\n60 dollars a day to the hand having been made ; but after the pay-streak near the river\nbecame exhausted, the flat in the rear had to be pierced, and the gravel wheeled over\nplank roads for some hundreds of yards to be rocked out at the river; the profits, consequently, of the day's labour considerably decreased, so that when I was there the\naverage receipts were from seven to ten dollars a day to the hand. As soon, however, as\nwater can be brought on for sluicing there is no doubt but that high wages will be made.\nUnlike the bars on the Lower Fraser, the ground is here unobstructed by heavy timber or\nroots, and the miner finds that not only does the pay-streak yield gold, but also the sand\noverlying it in sufficient quantities to pay for the washing. It is the general opinion that\nthere will be employment on this bar for more than a hundred men, and that it will not\nbe exhausted in less than two or three years. The introduction of water is an operation\nrequiring considerable capital and engineering skill. The ditch is cut from a lake situated\nbetween four and five miles to the north-east, and has to be brought on by means of a\nlong tunnel; the expense of completing it is calculated at 12,000 dollars.\n\" Three miles below Ferguson's Bar is British Bar, where a company of six Cornishmen\nare bringing in a ditch about five miles in length for their own use. The bar is but of\nsmall size. I did not notice any miners between here and Alexandria, though there were\nsigns of work done in the spring. The Fraser between Alexandria and Quesnel River\nis a swift but not turbulent river, averaging from 200 to 300 yards across; it has a\nfew small ripples, but none of the dangerous whirlpools so common in its lower course;\nthe navigation does pot appear difficult; Ferguson's Bar being supplied with necessaries\nby boats from Alexandria, which make the trip of 60 miles in about two days and a\nhalf.\n| Between Alexandria and Fort George I hear but of two impediments to steamboat\nnavigation which it would be difficult to surmount, viz., two passes or canons where the\nriver narrows and rushes violently through precipitous rocks. The physical features on\nthe Upper Fraser, that attract the attention of the miner, are three:\u2014\n\" 1st. Its benches, bars, and flats.\n\" 2nd. Its earth-slides, and high banks displaying several strata of wash gravel.\n\" 3rd. The water in its vicinity that can be made available for mining.\n\" The first are very extensive, and some have been worked with rockers ; but rockers\nare really only an advanced kind of prospecting apparatus, and stand in the same relation\nto sluicing and the hydraulic pipe as the Chilian arastra does to the California quartz\nmill; in both cases the deposit of gold must be very large to yield remuneration to the\n.employers of so limited and primitive a method of obtaining it.\n\"Respecting the second feature, the earth-slides and high banks yield the \"colour\" to\nprospectors, and in many cases, two or three cents to the pan; were the hydraulic pipe\nbrought to bear upon them, ground that is now unemployed would be highly\nremunerative.\n\" Respecting water, this great essential to extensive mining operations can be procured\nwithout much difficulty, though not without labour and expense ; for if streams are less\nfrequently met with descending from these wooded hills than flow from the snow-topped\nmountains of the Lower Fraser, yet the great number of lakes situated within accessible\nIV. F\nJ 42 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nBeitish distances of either bank would afford a supply entirely independent of rain-fall or melting\n1 Columbia. snow At present the' country is struggling against the high rate of provisions and\n\u2014\u2014 necessaries \u2022 the class of men that arrive in the spring have but enough money to purchase\na few weeks nrovisions they cannot afford to work for the future, but must make money\nimmediately or return so that a thorough testing or development of the auriferous\nresources of this particular section of country* till very considerable reduction takes place\nin the mice of thmcs. is not to be looked for. I have conversed with many men who\nhave beTn prospecting from Alexandria to the furthest point hitherto reached, and I find\neven amongst the unsuccessful no disbelief in the richness of the mines, but a general\nimnression to return next year and try their luck again. Amongst the geological\nnhenomena of this DOrtion of Fraser River there is much to attract attention, more\nnarticukrlv a dark brown substance which the people call coal; on Ferguson's Bar and\nthe adjacent banks many detached pieces lie scattered about, and I was informed by a\nnerson on that bar that he had used it for blacksmithing purposes and found it to answer.\nSome eieht or nine miles above Alexandria, where the river, from a north and south\ncourse, makes an almost rectangular bend to the east, a high bank displays a complete\nstratum of this singular formation. I collected some specimens, 0f it, and found on\nexamination that its specific gravity was much lighter, than that of coal that rt did ^\nsoU the fingers, and that the grain of the wood was distmcfly visible. I apprehended it\n. to be lignite in a transition state, but whether it could be utilized lor commercial\npurposes I am unable to judge. The banks of the river here are ot considerable amtuae,\nand are composed of a kind of indurated clay, called by the miners \"soap-stone; they\nhave been worn by the action of the water into cyhndncal:forms_ and assume the\nappearance of buttresses and columns. The trail between Alexandria and Fergusons\nBar passes through some exceedingly rich open land consisting of heavyl blackl0*m\nwith a subsoil of clay, apparently well adapted to the growth of wheat. 1 he land that\nMr. Davidson has pre-empted has produced excellent crops, a small patch ot less man\nhalf an acre has returned 20 bushels of wheat, and the turnips and cabbages would be\nconsidered fine in any country. Mr. Davidson owns several head of cattle, a yoke of\noxen, waggon, and other agricultural implements. Finding his experiments so successful,\nhe is preparing to farm next year more extensively, and is anxious to purchase land\nin addition tohis pre-emption' claim ; several white men and Indians are ^present\nin his employ. A substantial and commodious log house has been bmlt and^fem\nbuildings are in process of erection. lhe price ot vegetables on me grouna uas\nranged from 20 cents a lb. to 12*\u00bb onions excepted, which have never been sold\nfor less than 50 cents alb. Several of the hills that enclose the valley of Williams\nLake are covered, with pasture of the finest description, and in the valley and on the\nslopes are hundreds of acres of prairie that would repay the labor of the agriculturist.\n\u2022 The timber on these hills principally consists of Douglas pme, larch, fir, and balsam; the\nlarger trees make useful lumber, free from knots. Since I have resided in this district.\nthe weather, during the early part of September was unsettled, but from the middle ot\nthe month till the present time it has been exceedingly fine; latterly the frosts have been\nsharp at night, but the thermometer in my tent ranges between 60 and 70 during the\nmiddle of the day. I have been enabled from the central position of this spot to transact\na good deal of business with miners and traders returning from the upper country. 1 he\nIndians around here seem well disposed; some work well and readily, and are very\nintelligent, and would be, I think, susceptible of the influences of civilization ; others, on\nthe contrary, are extremely indolent, and neglect providing against the wants of to\nmorrow if- supplied with food for to-day. As there-has been a dearth of salmon this\nsummer, 'I very much fear they will suffer severely this winter; the greater number talk\nof wintering-on the Thomson River and at Cayoosh.\"\n5. I have received intelligence from Hope and Yale up to the 29th of November.\nThe Gold Commissioners report that the weather had been so far most favourable for\nmining operations, and that nearly all the niiners in those districts had buil comfortable\nhouses, where they intend to remain for the winter. Some miners from the Canboeut\n.country had lately arrived at Hone with very fine specimens of lump gold worth from\n1Z. to 8\/. a piece; their object being to remain at Hope until the winter is over, when\nthey propose returning to their distant mining claims.\n6. The miners at Shimilkomeen were making fair wages, varying irom SOs. to Ws. a\nday to the man ; and there was a sufficient stock of food in that part of the country to\nlast tm sprmg. ^ ^ ^ ^^ ^ ^ steamboats which have been lately built\nhere and commenced running on Fraser River, the charge for frieghts from this place to ELS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. I\ns. a ton, being a reduction of 300 per cent, on the former rates <\nBritish Columbia contain nothing further deserving of specii\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle,\nIhs\n(Signed)\n, &c.\nJAMES DOUGLAS.\nShoes (common) - - per pair 0 14\nDrilling - - - per yard 0 1\nDuck - - --,,03\nOregon blankets - - pair 2 0\nNo syrup or dried apples in the market.\nt of DESPATCH froi\nGovernor Dodglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle, K.G.\n(No.;\nMy Lob\n.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, January 26, 1861.\n^ (Received March 25, 1861.)\n) DOKE, (Answered, No. 74, April 13, 1861, page 68.)\nI have much pleasure in transmitting herewith a synopsis of the revenue and\nexpenditure of the Colony of British Columbia for the year ending on the 31st day of ~\nDecember I860, which I have caused to be compiled in the Audit Office from the public\naccounts, for the purpose of laying approximately before your Grace at the earliest\nmoment such information as may be desirable, in anticipation of the formal estimates\nwhich are in course of preparation, and will be forwarded by the next mail.\nAlthough the December returns and some of the back accounts of the distant out-\nstations have not been received, and are merely estimated in this account, yet it exhibits\nvery closely the actual revenue and expenditure, and may, for all practical purposes, be\nassumed as a true statement of the financial position of the Colony.\nThe principal item.of revenue in that account will be found under the head of Customs,\nclassified as follows, viz., duties on imports, 29,702J.; harbour and tonnage dues, head\nmoney, the roads tolls at Yale and Douglas for the month of November, and other minor\nreceipts, collectively 5,81?\/.; making in all the sum of 35,519*.\nThe increase of revenue from duties on imports is about 70 per cent., as compared\nwith the revenue derived from the same source in 1859; and it may be fairly assumed,\nconsidering the increase ^S\nThe miners at Shimilkomeen had not been able to do much work on their mining\nclaims in consequence of the coldness of the weather, and the river being covered with\ndrift ice. Bench diggings had however been discovered by several mining companies,\nwhich were expected to yield from 20*. to 30*. a day to each man employed in washing.\nMany new houses were being erected, and deals and other material prepared for the\noperations of the coming season. Bread stuffs and other articles of food were not abundant, and the price of those articles much higher than at Hope. Great exertions _ were\nbeing made to forward supplies by the mountain road opened last summer, which is\npracticable even in winter notwithstanding the depth of snow. It is not therefore apprehended that the miners in that district will suffer from want of food.\nMr. Commissioner Sanders reports that the Yale district continues in a satisfactory\nstate. Mining is carried on to an equal extent, but he is of opinion with less remunerative\nresults than last year. The mining claims are with few exceptions in the hands of the\nChinese, there being about 2,000 of this people within the district. As a rule they have\nbeen successful and many have returned to their homes the possessors of from 2,000\nto 4,000 dollars. There are but few white miners, and the major part of the small\nnumber still in this district intend to leave for Rock Creek or the Cariboeuf country in\nspring. The total number of miners wintering in the district is about 3,000. There, are-\n._ about 2,000 Chinese in Yale and its environs alone. The cold weather had put a stop to\nall mining operations. The enclosed extract from Mr. Sanders' report contains some\ninteresting information respecting the state of trade, and the public works in progress,\nespecially the road leading from Yale to Lytton.\nThe enclosed extract from Mr. Cox's report _ of the 16th January to the Colonial\nSecretary will convey in his own words the latest information from the mines on Rock\nCreek.\nThe last report from Mr. Elwyn, the Gold Commissioner of Cayoosh district, is dated\non the 16th of February. The melancholy fate of Mr. Price, a respectable tradesman,\nwho was barbarously murdered in his own house at Cayoosh, on the evening of the' 1st\nof February, has excited an intense sensation. The authors and object of the crime are\nunknown, it is supposed however to have been committed by Indians, and three of those\npeople have been taken into custody on suspicion, and duly committed for trial at the\nnext assizes. The weather was already warm and pleasant at Cayoosh, and the exodus\nhad commenced of miners and mule trains with supplies for the upper country ; their\ndeparture being probably hastened by the arrival of several miners from Alexandria with\nreports of some wonderfully rich discoveries on Bear River, a stream which discharges\ninto the south branch of Fraser River above Fort George. These men assured the Gold\nCommissioner that 25s. worth of gold had been washed out of a single bucket of the\nauriferous earth ; and though he freely admits that there may be some exaggeration in-\nthese statements, yet he seems to entertain no doubt of their general accuracy, nor of the\nfact that very valuable discoveries have actually been made during the present winter in\nthat quarter. Mr. Elwyn also states that the bridge over Fraser River, which was in\ncourse of erection by a private company near Cayoosh, was accidentally destroyed when\nmore than half the work was finished, and the enterprise is therefore abandoned for the\npresent, a circumstance which. I much regret, not only on account of the travelling public\nwho will be put to much inconvenience through the want of a bridge at that point; but\nalso of the spirited adventurers, who have' sustained a heavy pecuniary loss, and whose\nenterprise merits a better fate.\nThere is no further intelligence of much importance from the mining districts.\nThe reduction from 10*. to 4*. 2d. per acre in the upset price of country land, will\nno doubt give an impulse to the settlement of the country, but the change has been so\nrecently made that we are not yet able to judge of its practical effects ; we are however\nat present engaged in opening roads through the forests, into the more fertile districts\naround New Westminster, in order to render them accessible and to remove every serious\nimpediment to their early settlement, which by that means will be greatly promoted.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G. (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c.\n&c. PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nEnclosure 1 in No. 18.\nPrice of Provisions at Hope, January 31, 1861.\nFlour\nSu^r I '-\nCoffee\nTea -\nButter\nLaid -\nCandles\nper barrel\n1\n8 0 to 1 12 0\nper lb.\n0\n0 10 \u201e 0 0 11-1\nHope, January 31, 1861.\n(Signed) P. O'Rei\nBacon\nLard\nSugar\nTea\nCoffee\nEnclosure 2 in No. 18.\nof Provisions, Shimilkomeen District, January 1861.\ns. d.\n per lb. 1 4\u00a3\nEnclosure 3 in No. 18.\nMr. Sanders to the Colonial Secre\n(Extract)\nTrade is dull, the staples principally in demand are flour, bacon, ;\nRice - - per lb. 0 0\nFlour - - per 100 lb. 0 18\nBacon - - per lb. 0 0 1\nButter - \u201e 0 2\nBeans - - \u201e 0 0\nTefP - '- \"\u201e o 3\nCoffee - \u201e 0 1\nPotatoes - - \u201e 0 0\nFresh meat - \u201e 0 1\nd.\nIn 1859\u2014Flour was per 100 lbs. 1\nButter per lb. - 0 .\nBeans \u201e o >\nThe rates of freight in consequence of excessive competition ar\nonly SI. a ton from Victoria to Yale; in the spring of this year as m\nThe miner and labouring man can live comfortably on 3s. a day.\nThe charge made at the restaurants for board and lodging is 21. a week.\nThe rates of wages is 10Z. a month and keep.\nThe population of the town of Yale, according to a recent census is in<; toWi-oo ori\\ nu:\u201e j\n200 natives, living in 110 dwelling houses. . ' Cnl\"ese, and\nThe roads of the district have borne the severe test of the recent very heavy rains remarkablv well -\nI went over the Yale and Spuzzem portion subsequent to the rains: with the exception of beino- furrowed\nhere and there by small mountain streams seeking an outlet, it had not suffered in the least \u00b0\nMessrs. M.'Roberts and Power have completed the second section of their -contract The\"\" Colonel's\nRetreat has ceased to be an obstacle m the way. A mile of rough boulders beyond the \" Retreat\"\nhas been reduced to the evenness of a billiard table. The bridge over~the ravine before reaclino-\nNicaragua Bluff is completed, so also that portion of the road known as the \" Zi\u00b0- za6 \" '\nOn the Boston Bar end too, three miles of road are finished, and the timbers for the bridge over the\nriver Anderson have been hauled from a considerable distance on to theground; finally\" a party of\neight men are constantly employed on the bluff, a bench of 80 yards in length being Edv\naccomplished. . s \u00b0 a,Lca\"i\nThe ferry at Spuzzem has been leased to Mr. Yorke at a rental of 3051. per annum The rites of\ntoll have been reduced from 6s. to 2s. -' v J-neiatesot\nF 4 18 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nFor the better collection of the \" roads tolls\" a toll house and gate have been erected at a\n101. I estimate the probable yield of the road toll during the ensuing year at 5,300\u00a3\n\u00a3\n5,000 mules, 300 lbs. each, or 1,500 tons - - 3,000\n400 tons carried by boats - - - - 800\n750 tons carried by Indians - 1,500\nAccording to lists kept by me during the past sea\nJune 271, in July 603, in August 779, in September '\nThe revenue of the district has experienced a s\ncollected in 1859.\nMining licences\nMining receipts (general)\nTolls and ferries\nSales of lands - - -\nSpirit licences -\nTracking licences\n5,300\nl, 2,723 mules packed from this towi\n!, in October 328.\nht reduction as compared with the\nThe expenditure of 1860 a\n1,3661. 2s. 4.\nlam,\n(Signed)\nEnclosure 4 in No. 18.\nMr. Cox to the Colonial Secretary. '\n(Extract)\nRock\nI beg leave to enclose for the information of his Excellency the Gov\nrespective British and American towns, Boundary Creek.\nMining was carried on here as late as the 28th December by sluicing and rocking; 28s. per day to\nthe hand being the average pay.\nThe weather still continues extremely mild; a continued frost, but not severe, and undisturbed by\nA ditch that will cost time and money is being constructed by Messrs. Curry and Co., it will take\nits course along the S.W. side of the creek, and terminate immediately, opposite the town; its length\none mile and a half; it is for the purpose of washing those benches which have been tunnelled about\n20 feet into the gravel and 30 feet above the level of the creek, with fair results, viz., four colours to\nthe pan.\nA bridge is also being erected over Colville River facing the town, which will be a great improvement; although I cannot at present see where the receipts are to come from, the river being fordable\nduring fully nine months of the year.\nI purpose accompanying some miners to the gold fields reported to\nOkanagan Lake, or rather on one of its tributary streams, as soon as\nreport to his Excellency what is to be seen there.\nActive preparations for building are going on, and I, together, I may say,\nwait for his Excellency's instructions respecting the survey of the town, i\nproceeded with as soon as possible in order to meet the expected excitement.\nThe town now contains 23 good houses, some of which have been erected at a large outlay.\nI shall feel obliged by being provided with the necessary authority for disposing of agricultural\nland to aliens, as at present .1 have nothing to guide me in the matter, I require also to know the\nconditions on which a saw mill privilege is to be granted.\nFarms have been taken and houses built a few miles south of the line, which I dare say will be used\norehouses for spirits, &c, &c. until a favourable opportunity may present itself for smuggling such\ntear the \" Mission \" on the\nprocure a horse; and shall\ngoods in here, so will require to be well a\nbanks for such manoeuvres unfortunately.\nLabour now averages 12s. per day v *''\nBacon -\nLard -\ntched. The creek affords every facility along both it\nithout board.\nof Provisi\nons January 1861.\n\u00a3 s. d.\n0 0 10\nBeans -\n0 2 0\nRice -\n0 2 0\nCandles (scarce)\n0 18\nDried apples -\n0 5 0\nMolasses\nRock Creek, January 16, 1861. PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 49\nBritisi\nNo. 19. C(\u2122\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of No-1S\nNewcastle, K.G.\n(No. 33.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, May 2, 1861.\nMy LORD Duke, (Received June 17, 1861.)\nIn my Despatch marked Separate,* of the 28th of February last, allusion was made * Page 4\nin Mr. Cox's letter of the 16th of January, forming enclosure No. 4, to some reported\nGold Fields at Lake Okanagan, and the intention of the Gold Commissioner to accompany a body of miners to inspect that part of the country. The miners proceeded\non their proposed excursion, and returned to Rock Creek in the beginning of March,\nwhen they communicated the very satisfactory intelligence that they had found grain\nand scale gold of fine quality, in remunerative quantities, in all the streams flowing into\nthe western shore of Lake Okanagan, which is over 70 miles in length. This important\ndiscovery had not been made public at Rock Creek, for the reasons stated in Mr. Cox's\ninteresting report on the subject, which I herewith transmit, unabridged, for your 1\nGrace's information-.\n2. I have also just received a very satisfactory report from Mr. Commissioner Nind,\nof Alexandria district, mentioning the great discoveries which have been made during\nthe winter at Antler Creek, a tributary of Bear River, which flows from the mountains\neast of Quesnelle Lake into the south branch of Fraser River.\n3. On the occasion of Mr. Nind's visit to Antler Creek, the whole face of the country\nwas still deeply covered with snow; but a great number of miners were nevertheless on\nthe ground anxiously awaiting the advent of spring to commence operations.\n4. These discoveries were alluded to in my Despatch of the 28th of February last,\nand are now satisfactorily confirmed by the present report from Mr. Nind, who, however,\nrefrains from giving currency to the perhaps exaggerated statements received from\nminers, that as much as 70 dollars worth of gold has been extracted from a single pan\nfull (containing about one gallon) of earth.\n5. The confirmed impression, however, is, that a gold field of extraordinary richness\nhas been now discovered, and I sincerely trust that those impressions may be fully\nrealized.\n6. It is matter of sincere congratulation that the tranquillity of the country has been in\nnowise disturbed by the excitements arising from those discoveries; and that, as a body,\nthe miners are well conducted and submissive to the laws.\n7- A copy of Mr. Nind's report, and sketch of the new gold field, is also transmitted \t\nfor your Grace's information.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G. (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c. &c. &c.\nEnclosure 1 in No. 19. *\nSir, Rock Creek, March 1, 1861.\nI have the honour to report, for the information of his Excellency the Governor, the result of\nMessrs. Beam and Company's prospecting tour to the Okanagan Lake, and at the same time enclose\nfor his Excellency's inspection some unchosen gold taken out of the river Sand Cove, \" Anse de Sable.\"\nI shall now repeat as nearly as possible what was expressed by the above party.\n\" We prospected nine streams, all tributaries of the lake, arid found gold in each, averaging from\nthree to 90 cents to the pan; the ground was much frozen and impeded our work. We are quite\nsatisfied of the richness of these mines, and shall as soon as feasible dispose of our claims on Rock\nCreek and leave for that section of the country, where a miner can grow his potatoes and other\nvegetables, besides keep his cow. We hand you some'gold taken from William Pion's claim; he makes\n$4 per day with a rocker, and we as old and practical miners could realize much more by sluicing and\nother methods.\n| The Indians treated us moat hospitably, lending us canoes and horses free of charge ; the soil,\nespecially in the valleys, is well adapted for farming and stock raising. The snow, which did not exceed\none foot in depth, is fast disappearing. We only prospected the flats, the frost preventing our proceeding\nup the creeks, where it is naturally to be believed the principal portion of the gold is deposited.\"\nI have been particular in quoting the above, as Mr. Beam, the discoverer of \" Rock Creek \" gold\nfields is universally acknowledged to be a good and sure prospector.\nIV. G\nm& 50 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nI have not made the above statement 'public, as it would only lead to bad results just at present\nThe miners in this neighbourhood would be easily coaxed off, and the mines now in a preparatory\ncondition for being properly worked, abandoned; improvements going forward on buildings and farms\nwould be checked; town lots would almost be unsaleable; in fact, the expected revenue receipt would\nbe seriously interfered with.\nI have, &c\n' (Signed) William George Cox.\nThe Colonial Secretary.\nEnclosure 2 in No.\nSir, Williams Lake, March 27, 1861.\nI have the honour to inform you that during the winter great excitement has prevailed respecting the discovery of rich diggings on Antler Creek. The secrecy observed by its discoverers, the large\nprospects they were reputed to have found, together with the subsequent announcement of the situation\nof the creek, tended so to inflame the minds of all, that a rush of people took place in the dead of\nwinter to this new El Dorado.\nMany claims were recorded, and in several instances the same ground was taken up by different parties.\nThis led to contention, and almost to open violence, at one time deadly weapons being drawn, but\nhappily with no evil result\nShortly afterwards, an appeal having been made for my interference, I determined to proceed to the\nforks of Quesnelle, and if necessary to Antler Creek. Accordingly on the 27th February I left\nWilliams Lake accompanied by a constable and two Indians carrying necessaries for the journey. In\nconsequence of the difficulty of travelling we did not reach the forks of Quesnelle until the 3rd March:\nhere 1 learnt that the majority of miners was on Keithley's and Antler Creek expecting my arrival; I\nresolved therefore to visit these places. The route, which was a different one to that travelled by me\nlast autumn, led up the left bank of the north fork of Quesnelle River for about seven miles; it then\ncrossed the river at Mitchell's Bridge, and continued on the right bank to the Lesser Caribou Lake,\nthe entire distance from the Forks of Quesnelle being about 20 miles.\nI can speak favourably of the enterprize and ingenuity displayed by Mr. Mitchell, who without\nassistance has built the piers of this bridge, and has made blocks and a windlass from the materials\naround him. I should judge that by this time the bridge must be nearly completed and fit for the\npassage of foot travellers and animals.\nOn the north fork of Quesnelle mining is carried on with much spirit by some few companies' which\nhave been engaged nearly all the winter in constructing wing dams and water-wheels for working the\nchannel at a low-water stage. Success has attended the labour of most, and a large quantity of gold\nhas been extracted. I visited Messrs. Keithley's and Diller's claim, which is on the hill side, about\n60 feet above the level of the water; it was discovered late last autumn, and at first proved of almost\nunprecedented richness; a tunnel was bored into the bank, but owing to natural causes was obliged to\nbe abandoned; subsequently the hill was pierced in two other places, but the lode seemed to have been\nlost, for no prospects were found. Mr. Diller has persevered in attempting to recover the lode, and\nhas informed me that he thinks he has at length succeeded.\nGood prospects have been obtained on benches 100 and 200 feet above the present river level, and it\nof the preliminary difficulties attached to the development of the country are removed.\nThat the rtwQha&once been a much larger stream, or has occupied a different chaiuiel^'is apparent\nfrom the still perceptible traces of an old channel, and the alluvial.flats deposited by its action, on either\nAbove what is called the Falls, which are some five miles from Caribou Lake, scarcely any gold has\nbeen found. Crossing the Lower Caribou Lake the trail leads to two houses intended for stores, at the\nmouth of Keithley's Creek; it then passes up the creek to Mr. Davis' store, a distance of five or six\nI observed here great preparations for fluming,' and many thousands of feet of lumber that had been\nto had averaged abo\nit two fe\nt and a hal\nf,hf\naspect of unbroken\nwinter.\nI was prev\nlite\ng my journey imm\n3diately,\nand during\n3reek that render\ntie prese\nAntler Creek ascen\ns a ravi\nles until the summi\nt of the\nwatershed\nisr\nred hills intersected; bj\ntrasses of quartz rock a\nof red top, the othei\nmiles the descent in British. Columbia PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 51\nand a kind of slate rock covered with red gravel, said to bear a close resemblance to the rich auriferous I\nbeds of the streams of the southern mines of California. I found one log cabin on Antler Creek built G<\nby the discoverers Rose andM'Donald; the rest of the miners were living in holes dug out of the snow,\nwhich was between six and seven feet deep. I remained here fully occupied for nearly six days in\nsettling mining disputes, and transacting other business. Matters passed off without any disturbance,\nand if all were not satisfied the unsuccessful parties submitted quietly on finding their claims were\nnot supported by the law.\nAlthough I do not wish to disparage the motives that actuated such extremely creditable and decorous\nconduct as was displayed on Antler Creek, yet I am of opinion that the following reasons materially\ntended to bring about such a desirable result. Every miner had an interest in the country, the value\nof which in these new gold fields no one could truly estimate; but the prospect was more dazzling than\nhad ever been presented before: it was patent to all who were old residents that English law, if transgressed, was not to be evaded with the same impunity as California law; no one therefore cared to risk\nthe loss of what might be a fortune to him: besides this, there was an absence of every kind of\nI intoxicating liquor. Prospecting was done during my slay, and in some cases proved most successful;\nbut the labour of shovelling away the snow and sinking holes at that season of the year was excessive.\nThe' creek winds through the centre of a narrow valley, and is surmounted by hills sloping down to\nflats and benches of alluvial deposit; the bed rock on which the gold is found lies but a short distance\nunder the surface, and in many places crops out: there are several tributaries of the same general appearance as the main stream which offer facilities for the introduction of water; in addition, the absence of\nhigh precipitous banks, and the abundance of good timber form some of the favourable features that\nwill render the working of mines on this creek more easy and comparatively less expensive than has\nbeen the case on the other known creeks of the Caribou country. Setting the workable ground at a\nlow estimate, there is room here for at least 1,000 miners. Cunningham's Creek, discovered last\nautumn, but not prospected until after the Antler Creek excitement, has lately obtained a high reputation, a number of claims have been taken up and recorded upon it since the middle of last month, and\nit bids fair'to rival Antler Creek in popularity. I believe it is about the same size, and will accommodate the same number of men.\nI have the honour to enclose a map drawn for me by Mr. J. Martin, an enterprizing prospector, and\na most intelligent person; it embraces a section of country known to but very few, and may, I think, be\nrelied upon. The question of a mining Board, as laid down by the Gold Fields Act, being mooted, I\nencouraged the idea, as I believe that such an organization would be beneficial to the miner and the\nColony. A new description of mines has been discovered which promises a more lasting employment\nof labour than has hitherto existed, and the features of the country being different to those of any other\ngold country, and unknown at the passing of the Gold Fields' Act, or the subsequent rules and regulations, I respectfully submit that its peculiarities are best met and turned to account by those who are\nmost conversant with them. It is true that amongst individuals, and mining cliques which play into\none another's hands, there are frequent attempts at monopoly and overreaching; yet the mining\ncommunity at large, in the discussion of a question that affects its common interest, is just and impartial\nin matters of fact, and clear-headed in abstract questions.\nRespecting the gold resources of the Caribou country, a perfect unanimity exists; but it is probable\nthat many of those now so sanguine, particularly the new comers, who are unacquainted with the\nnumerous difficulties that must be overcome, will meet with reverses and disapointment: those, however,\nwho are fortunate in placer mining will turn their attention to the discovery of hill diggings and quartz\nlodes; hitherto, no one has prospected on the hills, exploration having followed up the course of the\nstreams, from the necessity of obtaining immediate returns. One statistical proof of the general sentiment lies in the number of mining certificates that have been issued, and which I can safely assert\nembraces nine-tenths of the population, and would exceed that proportion amongst the whites; but the\nmoney^Treturned on the 23rd March to Williams Lake, having been absent 25 days, and travelled a\ndistance of about 230 miles. I found the snow had almost entirely disappeared from this valley, and\nMr. Davidson had commenced ploughing about a fortnight previously. One train of packed horses\narrived at Williams Lake before the end of February, but were compelled to wait some time before being\nable to proceed to Beaver Lake. Since this, 30 or 40 head of cattle have been driven into the\nconveyed into the forks of Quesnelle by Indians, who received 10'dollars per 100 lbs.; and as many\nthe rate of from seven to nine dollars a day. Indians have been very highly paid for their labour all\nthough the winter, and the Antler Creek excitement has given them plenty of employment; their\nmanufactures too, have rated proportionately high; ordinary mocassins fetching from three to 10\ndollars per pair, and snow shoes from 10 dollars to 25. Provisions rose during the winter, although\nthe supply was quite equal to the demand. Flour has been selling here at 37 cents, per lb.; beans and\nrice about the same; and bacon at from 65 to 90; beef, 30 to 87$\nAt the forks of Quesnelle, prices have been higher. At Keithley's Creek, flour was at 75; and on\nAntler Creek, provisions were one dollar a lb. all round. Pack-trains are arriving daily, and afford a\ncontrast to the proceedings of last year: the miners then came in before the provisions, but now the\nprovisions are coming before the miners: this is reducing prices, and will, no doubt, have a good effect\n\u00b0nit wiifbe some^e^eLe animals can travel into the forks of Quesnelle; it is with much difficulty\n\u2022that they make'the journey from here to Beaver Lake, and they are obliged to carry provender with\nthem A new trail has been opened from the Little Lake into the forks of Quesnelle, it is better\ngraded than the old one, but I think is rather longer. I found Mr. Adler's new bridge over the south\n'fork of Quesnelle completed on my return, and can speak in terms of high commendation of its workmanlike and substantial appearance. I was informed that its cost had been above 5,000 dollars, and\nfrom the high rate of wages, and the labour expended upon it, I do not imagine that a similar structure 52 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nBritish could be raised for a less sum. Mr. Adler has shown much enterprise in endeavouring to secure the\nColumbia, traffic of the ensuing year to the forks of Quesnelle, as it is by no means certain that travellers will adopt\n this route to the northern mines.\nThe Colonial Secretary.\nI have, fee.\nd) Philip Henr:\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle, K.G.\n(Separate.) Lytton, June 4, 1861.\nMy Lord Duke, (Received July 29, 1861.)\nSince my departure from Victoria, on the 10th May I have visited in succession\nthe towns of New Westminster, Hope, Yale, and Lytton, from whence I have now the\nhonour of addressing your Grace.\n2. It is not necessary to trouble your Grace with remarks on the condition of those\ntowns, which all exhibit a satisfactory degree of progress, yet nothing more than was\nanticipated from the quiet and prosperous state of the Colony.\n3. The most interesting feature about New Westminster is the newly formed lines\nof road through the densely wooded country north of that town, which has induced\nsettlers to turn their attention that way, and will probably lead to the rapid extension of\nsettlement in the direction of Burrards Inlet. A similar result in promoting early\nsettlement is anticipated from another new line of road which- is being formed on the\nleft bank of the Fraser, commencing a little below New Westminster, and running in a\nsoutherly direction towards the frontier. The forests opposite the town are beginning to\nyield to the woodman's efforts; and one enterprising proprietor, Mr. Brown, has dis- '\ncovered on his ground a large tract of excellent land, which certainly cannot be surpassed\nin point of fertility or quality of soil.\n4. Many land claims have been taken by settlers along the Fraser, yet in m'y progress\nfrom New Westminster to Hope there was scarcely a trace of improvement or any\nobservable inroad on the forest. The Pre-emption Act is, however, beginning to work\nits effect, and will, as I confidently believe, ere long make a decided change on the face\nof the country.\n5. Several industrious settlers, probably about eighty in number, have taken land\naround Hope and Yale, and are toiling assiduously in clearing and preparing the soil for\ncrops. The carriage road from Hope towards Shimilkomeen, of which about 12 miles\nare now open to travel, is a great accommodation to settlers, who eagerly grasp at every\nimprovable piece of land to which it gives access.\n6. Captain Grant, with a detachment of 80 Royal Engineers under his command, and\nabout 80 civilian labourers, is employed in the formation of that road, which we hope to\ncomplete before the return of winter, providing always that the public revenue continues\nin a prosperous state, and our funds do not in the meantime fall short.\n7. I am especially anxious, for the completion of that highly important work, so\nvaluable as a military road, leading towards the frontier, and as an outlet for the trade of\nthe most fertile agricultural districts of the Colony, and, from discoveries which are being\ncontinually made, probably the most auriferous. Every successive discovery indeed\ntends to confirm the impression that the gold fields which have been struck at Rock\nCreek and Quesnel River or Caribou, are but two points in a range of auriferous mountains containing incalculable wealth, which, commencing at Rock Creek 49\u00b0 N. lat.,\n118\u00b0 30' W. long., run almost due north between Great Okanagan Lake and the Columbia\nRiver to lat. 51 , and from thence along the North River in a north by west direction,\nthrough the Quesnel and Caribou country to the banks of Fraser River, at 54\u00b0 N. lat.,\n123\u00b0 W. long., a total distance of nearly 330 miles, a theory, which, if correct, opens a\nmagnificent vista of future greatness for the Colony.\n8. We saw very little mining between Hope and Yale, the miners having been generally\ndriven from their claims by the high state of the river.\n9. Entering the passes of the Fraser beyond Yale we pursued our route over the new\nroad amidst scenery of the grandest description. Mountains rising to the skies on both\nsides of the narrow pass, and immediately beneath the Fraser frantically tearing its wav PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 53\nin foaming whirls convey a faint idea of the scene. Neither are softer features wanting, Beitish\nevery spot of the earth being prolific of vegetation, and the mountains' sides covered with Columbia.\nthe most beautiful flowers.\n10. Settlers, true to their instincts, have followed the new road even into the passes,\nand are bringing every spot of tillable land into cultivation. At the Great Falls two\nadventurous Frenchmen have built a kiosk and laid out a pretty little garden for the\nentertainment of visitors. The traveller has no reason to dread a journey 'through this\npart of British Columbia, as at every few miles is to be found a wayside inn, with\nrefreshments of every kind.\n11. The new road on Fraser River from \" Spuzzem\" to \" Quayome\" runs along the\nface of frightful precipices, but! is, nevertheless, perfectly safe for horse and mule\ntravel.\n12. These is a great deal of good mining ground between Yale and Lytton, and the\nminers of the district have displayed an unusual degree of skill and enterprise, in\nconducting water to their claims, by means of canals and viaducts, from the distant\nmountains.\n13. One of these works, called the \" Poor Man's Ditch,\" the property of Mr. Melodey\nand three other natives of Ireland, who came to this Colony in the year 1858, entirely\nwithout capital, and commenced their career as simple miners, is seven miles long, and\nhas cost them about 15,000 dollars. These persons have another expensive work of the\nsame kind on Van Winkle Flat, which now yields them a very handsome income.\nThis is not a solitary instance of successful enterprise, as almost all their contemporaries\nwho have remained in the Colony since the year 1858 are now possessed of wealth and\nposition, and considering the advantages offered to emigrants one only regrets that a\ngreater number of Her Majesty's subjects have not made British Columbia their home.\n14. Much remains to be done for the improvement of this part of the Colony.\nA carriage road from Quayome to Lytton, is the work that demands our more immediate\nattention. Its importance is evident, and the people of Lytton have, almost to a man,\ncome forward with a petition praying that it be made without delay, and a further tax\nlevied on goods carried inland to defray its cost, which will probably not fall short o\n10,000\/.\n15. I propose leaving this place to day for Cayoosh by the Buonaparte River, the\ngreat stock range of the Colony, where I expect to meet with many settlers.\n16. I would also inform your Grace, that we are daily receiving the most extraordinary\naccounts of the almost fabulous wealth of the Antler Creek and Caribou diggings.\nMr. Palmer, a respectable merchant, who arrived the other day from that part of the\ncountry with nearly 50 pounds weight of gold, which he kindly allowed me to examine,\nassured me that these accounts are by no means exaggerated. As an example of the\nextraordinary wealth of the country, he mentioned that four of his friends who are associated\nin a mining company, were making regularly, from 16 ozs. to 37 ozs. of gold a day,\nbeing 4 ozs. to 9f ozs. each; by \" fluming \" another company of four men washed out with\ncradles, in his presence, 36 ozs. of gold in one day; and the yield of ordinary mining\nclaims is from 20 to 50 dollars a day for each man employed.\n17- The gold in Caribou is not confined to the rivers. It is found in the gulches and\ntable land 300 and 400 yards from the rivers, and much beyond their highest levels.\nAbout a foot of gravel overlies the bed rock of light coloured shale extremely soft, or in\nmining phrase \" rotten,\" where the gold is found in the rents of the shale. He says, there\nare mountains of quartz, and he is of opinion, that some of the richest quartz leads in the\nworld will be found there.\n18. Mr. Barnston, another respectable traveller from Caribou, corroborates Mr. Palmer's\ntestimony, and adds that he never before saw- a class of men' more elated with their\nprospects than the miners of Quesnel; they look to a successful season, and expect to\nleave the country in the autumn with their fortunes made. He feels assured of the almost\nfabulous wealth of the country ; ordinary claims pay 50 dollars a day to the hand, and he\nknows one company of four men working on Antler Creek, who each receive 1,000 dollars\na week from their mining claim.\n19. The testimony of other persons is confirmatory of these extraordinary statements; a\nprivate note dated 28th May 1861, from Mr. Nind, the Assistant Gold Commissioner for\nQuesnel River Districts, has the following remarks:\u2014\"\u25a0 The news is still good from above;* * Caribou.\n\" We have the right thing at Caribou.\" So that all things considered, I see no reason for\nG 3 54 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nBritish doubting the correctness of the current reports,.and: I am sorry, indeed, that so small i\nColumbia, portion of that wealth should at present be reaped by Her Majesty's subjects.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G.\n&c &c. &c.\n(Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nI Newcastle, K.G.\n(Separate.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, July 16, 1861.\nMy Lord Duke, (Received September 30, 1861.)\nWhen addressing your Grace from Lytton in my Separate Despatch of the 4th of\nJune last,* I communicated the information and impressions of the state of the country\nwhich I had received on my previous journey; I will now in this Despatch continue the\nsubject subsequently to my departure from Lytton.\n2. Leaving that place I travelled for 35 miles along the banks of Thompson's River\nby a good horse road lately made at a trifling cost, and successively visited the Buonaparte and Hat Rivers, and the Pavilion, where we fell upon the Fraser, and followed it\ndownwards to Cayoosh. The district comprehended within those limits is exceedingly\nbeautiful and picturesque, being composed of a succession of hills and vallej's, lakes and\nrivers, exhibiting to the traveller accustomed to the endless forests of the coast districts,\nthe unusual and grateful spectacle of miles of green hills, curving slopes, and level\nmeadows, almost without a bush or tree to obstruct the view, and even to the very hill\ntops producing an abundant growth of grass. It is of great value as a grazing district, a\ncircumstance which appears to be thoroughly understood and appreciated by the country\npackers, who are in the habit of leaving their mules and horses here when the regular\nwork of packing goods to the mines is suspended for the winter.\nThe animals, even at that season, are said to improve in condition, though left to seek\ntheir own food, and to roam at large over the country, a fact which speaks volumes in\nfavour of the climate and of the natural pastures. It has certainly never been my good\nfortune to visit a country more pleasing to the eye, or possessing a more healthy and\nagreeable climate, or a greater extent of fine pasture land; and there is no doubt that\nwith a smaller amount of labour and outlay than in almost any other colony, the energetic settler may soon surround himself with all the elements of affluence and comfort.\n3. Notwithstanding these advantages.'such have hitherto been the difficulties of access,\nthat the course of regular settlement has hardly yet commenced.\n4. A good deal of running stock has been brought in for sale ; but with the exception\nof eight or ten persons, there are no farmers in the district. One of those, Mr. McLean,\na native of Scotland, and lately of the Hudson's Bay Company's service, has recently\nsettled on a beautiful spot, near the debouch of Hat River, and is rapidly bringing his\n1 rad into cultivation. He has a great number of horses and cattle of the finest Am\nbreeds ; and from the appearance of the crops th\noutlay will be well rewarded. He is full of coura,\nsuccess. He entertains no doubt whatever of the c\nwill, under proper management, produce any kind c\nhe seriously apprehends i^ the want of rain and the c\nhas induced him to bring a supply of water from a i\nat pleasure irrigate the whole of his fields.\n5. I received an equally favourable report from IV\nat the Pavilion in the year 1859, and he has con\nyears' experience. His last crop, besides a profus:\noats, barley, turnips, and potatoes, and the produce\npotatoes yielded 375 bushels to the acre. The tur:\nthe roots weighed 26 lbs.; and swedes of 15lbs.\nHe could not give the yield of oats and barley, the\nsheaf for the use of the mule trains passing to and f\nY prospect that his labour and\n, by which he can\nr. Reynolds, who co\nsequently had the a\non of garden vegeta'\nwas most abundant.\nlies,\nTh\nneed\ni farm\nf two\nted of\naip crop was no less\nand 16 lbs. were con\ngreater part having\nbeen\nlific;\nlyme\nsold\nwith,\nin the PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 55\nmanifest from, the weight and length of the straw, which attained a height of fully four Beitisi\nfeet, was remarkably good. He generally allows his cattle to run at large, and they Columbj\nseldom require to be housed or fed in winter.\n6. The cold is never severe; the greatest depth of snow in 1859 was 12 inches, and\nthe following winter it did not exceed six inches. Ploughing commences about the middle\nof March. The summers are generally dry, and Mr. Reynolds is of opinion that irrigation\nwill be found an indispensable application in the process of husbandry in this district. In\nthe dry summer of 1859 he kept water almost constantly running through his fields; but\napplied it only twice during the summer of I860, when the moisture of the atmosphere\nproved otherwise sufficient for the crops.\n7. The numerous streams which permeate the valleys of this district afford admirable\nfacilities for inexpensive irrigation ; so bountiful indeed has nature been in this respect,\nthat it is hardly an exaggeration to say that there is a watercourse or rivulet for every\nmoderate sized farm that will be opened in the district.\nS. A few successful experiments in husbandry will give confidence, and add to the\nnumber of the farming class, which continues to be in a lamentable minority in every part\nof the Colony, even in districts where one would suppose mining to be a less profitable\npursuit than the cultivation of the soil.\n9. The mining districts of Thompson's River, and of the Fraser below the Pavilion, have\nbeen almost abandoned by the white miners of the Colony, who have been generally carried\naway by the prevailing excitement to the Caribou and Antler Creek mines; and their\nclaims are now occupied by Chinamen and native Indians, the latter especially exhibiting\nan unwonted degree of activity in mining. Their daily earnings sometimes reach the large\nsum of two pounds sterling, and never, as they assured me, fall short of eight shillings,\nso that they are becoming exceedingly valuable to the Colony, both as producers and as a\ntax-paying population. I, in fact, ascertained from the official returns of Yale, that 30 per\ncent, of the amount of roads' tolls was levied directly on the goods of Indians leaving that\nplace ; and from their numbers and habits it may be fairly assumed that 40 per cent, of\nthe whole revenue collectively accruing from tolls and customs falls on them.\n10. The mines on Tranquille River have lately attracted much attention, in consequence of quantities of coarse gold having been found in pieces weighing as much as\nthree quarters of an ounce; and the discovery of a stratum of auriferous earth, in\nmining phrase \" pay dirt,\" from three to four feet in thickness, at a much higher level\nthan the present bed of the river, which until then was suppposed to be the exclusive\ndepository of gold. This circumstance has given a new direction to the industry of the\nplace, the miners having less faith in surface diggings, and being generally impressed\nwith the advantage of deeper sinkings, which may probably reveal, as was the case in\nthe gold fields of Victoria, greater wealth than has yet been found; and this in my\nopinion is simply a question of time.\n11. There are extensive flats or holmes in the valley of the Thompson that give a\nlarge return of gold; but being above the river, they cannot be worked to much\nadvantage until water from a higher level that can be applied to sluicing is brought into\nplay. Several smooth water-worn nuggets, weighing as much as two ounces, have been\nfound on the Thompson below Lake Kamloops; and diggings have been lately discovered on three of the affluents of North River (north branch of the Thompson). The\nstreams flowing from the eastward into Okanagan Lake are also reported to be highly productive of gold\u2014facts, which all tend to support the theory alluded to in my Despatch\nof the 4th of June last, regarding the existence of a vast auriferous ridge or watershed, extending from Rock Creek to Fort George, and dividing the Columbia from the\nwaters of Fraser River.\n12. I feel a deep interest in the exploration and development of that valuable and\nimportant division of the Colony, which is now so difficult of access as to be practically\nclosed to the ordinary settler; and there is, moreover, no convenient place where the\nminer can replenish his exhausted stores. With the view of removing these drawbacks,\nI propose to lay out a town site, as a mining depot and centre of trade on Thompson's\nRiver, about 10 miles below Lake Kamloops, from whence the navigation is said to be\npracticable for stern-wheel boats through Lake Kamloops to the distance of 100 miles\nup North River; and also by the south branch of the Thompson to the further extremity\nof\" Shouswap Lake. As another part of the plan I propose that steam boats of the same\nclass should be employed on Okanagan-Lake, connecting with the caravans arriving by\nthe way of Hope and Shimilkomeen from Fraser River; and finally, a good road\nG 4 r\nPAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nBemish between the two lakes Shouswap and Okana<\n, and from the latter lake continued in a\nsoutherly direction to the Columbia River, will complete a line of communication connecting the eastern districts with Fraser River, and affording facilities for transport that\nwill render Hope the channel of trade, and prevent it from seeking an outlet by the\nColumbia River, and which in other respects will be of inestimable advantage to the\nColony.\n13. The latest accounts from Caribou confirm the former reports of its vast auriferous ,\nwealth. About 1,500 men are supposed to be congregated in those mines, and the\nnumber is continually augmented by the arrival of fresh bodies of miners. It will be a\nwork of difficulty to keep them supplied with food, a service which now gives employment\nto about 1,200 transport horses and mules; and I am in hopes that the large profits made\nin that business will lead to its extension.\n14. To facilitate the transport to those mines I authorized a grant of 400\/. to improve\nthe river frail from Cayoosh to Williams Lake ; and 400\/. to open a trail from Quesnel\nto Caribou Lake, the charge, in both cases, to be defrayed out of the district revenues.\n15. The remoteness of the Caribou mines, and the large assemblage of people there,\nhave rendered it necessary to establish a gold escort for the conveyance of treasure from\nQuesnel to New Westminster; and more especially with the view of strengthening the\nhands of the magistrates in those distant localities by the periodical exhibition of a small\nmilitary force. This will put the colony to much expense, but I conceive it is an indispensable precaution that may prevent much future evil.\n16. There is nothing of much importance to communicate respecting the towns of\nCayoosh and Douglas, except that they are both progressively improving. I authorised\nthe grant of allotments of land to the Bishop of British Columbia, at those places, as\n-sites for churches, and 200\/. at each, in aid of private contributions for the erection\nthereof. The latter measure was adopted at the instance of the inhabitants generally,\nwho represented that they had no building where Divine service could be properly held;\nthat they had contributed liberally towards the fund; and that then- own means alone were\nnot adequate to the erection of Churches. In those circumstances, and as no other\ndenomination of Christians were in the field in that part of the colony, I most cordially\nresponded to the wishes of the public.\n17. I returned to New Westminster on the 20th of June; and in conclusion it only\nremains for me to add the gratifying intelligence that peace and good order prevail\nthroughout the Colony.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G, (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c.\n&c.\nP.S.\u2014An explanatory map is transmitted with this Despatch.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle, K.G.\n(No. 55.)\nMy Lord Duke,\nAdverting to my Despatch, No. 50, of the 22nd ultimo, and to previous correspondence upon the subject of returns and accounts required from this Government, I\nhave the honour to forward herewith the return for the year 1860, as described on the\nother side hereof, and I trust that the same may be found satisfactory.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., (Signed) ' JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c.\n&c. PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA\nAbstract of the actual Rev:\nAbstract of the Revem\n1860.\nue and Expenditure during the Year 1860, divided under the differe\nestablished heads of service,\nived during the Tear Abstracts of the Payments made during the Yea.\n186\nCopy of DESPATCH from Govern,\nhis Grace the Duke of\nJo. 23.\nr Douglas, C.B.,\nNewcastle, K.G.\n(Separate.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, September 16, 1861.\nMy Lord Duke, (Received November 2, 1861.)\nI have much satisfaction in reporting to your Grace that the Colony of British\nColumbia continues in a tranquil and progressive state.\n2. The Gold Commissioners, in their last monthly reports, represent the continued\nexodus of the mining population from their respective districts towards the \" Cariboo '*\ncountry; in speaking of which I have adopted the popular and more convenient orthography\nof the word, though properly it should be written \" Caribceuf\" or Rein Deer, the country\nhaving been so named from its being a favourite haunt of that species of the deer kind.\n3. The most extraordinary accounts of the wealth of that gold field are received by\nevery succeeding steamer from British Columbia; and those accounts are confirmed by\nletters from the merchants and traders of the district, and by fortunate adventurers who\nhave realized, by a few weeks labour, their thousands of dollars. It would in fact appear\nthat Cariboo is at least equal, in point of auriferous wealth, to the best parts of California*\nand, I believe, the gold deposits of British Columbia will be found to be distributed over\na far more extensive space.\n4. I am unable to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion as to the average daily earnings\nof miners in the Cariboo country, but some idea may be formed of the large sums realized,\nfrom the fact that 195 ounces of gold were taken in one day out of a single mining claim'\nwhile ordinary claims yield as much as forty and fifty dollars a-day to the man: but\nperhaps the most telling circumstance is the high price of labour, which has attained to\nthe extraordinary sum of ten dollars a-day; and any number of men may find employment\nat that rate of pay.\nIV. H f\n58 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA,\n5. The Cariboo gold district was discovered by a fine athletic young man of the name\nof McDonnell, a native of the island of Cape Breton, of mixed French and Scotch descent,\ncombining in his personal appearance and character the courage, activity, and remarkable\npowers of endurance of both races. His health has suffered from three years constant\nexposure and privation, which induced him to repair, with his well-earned wealth, to this\nColony for medical assistance.\n6- His verbal report to me is interesting, and conveys the idea of an almost exhaustless\ngold field, extending through the quartz and slate formations, in a northerly direction from\nCariboo Lake.\n7. The following well attested instances of successful mining at Cariboo may prove\ninteresting, and will probably convey to Her Majesty's Government a more precise idea\nof the value and real character of this gold field than any mere generalizations, and with\nthat object in view, I will lay the details, as received from the persons themselves, before\nyour Grace.\n8. John McArthur and Thomas Phillips arrived here from- Cariboo -on the 17th of\nAugust last, with nine thousand ($9,000) dollars worth of gold dust in their possession,\nbeing the fruits of three months residence at the mines. They arrived there on the 1st\nday of May, and left again on the 1st day of August, having previously sold their mining\nclaim at a high price to other persons. Their largest earnings for one day amounted to\nfive hundred and twenty-five dollars ($525) ; and no single day's work yielded less than,\ntwenty-five dollars (\u00a725). Both those persons have been mining in California, and are\nacquainted with its resources, yet they give k as their opinion that Cariboo, as a \"generally\npaying\" country, surpasses the best days of California. -\nMr. Patterson and brother arrived at New Westminster by the steamer of the 14th\ninstant, with ten thousand dollars worth of gold dust, the produce of five weeks work at\nCariboo. I personally inspected their treasure, of which they are justly proud, being the\nwell-earned reward of their skill and enterprise. Mr. Patterson's mining claim was on the\nLowhee, a tributary of Swift River, and about 16 miles distant from Antler Creek. The\no-round was composed of gravel and many quartz boulders, and the depth to the bed-rock\nwas from 4 to 6 feet, beyond which he did not attempt to penetrate, though the richest\ndeposit of gold was immediately over the bed-rock. The largest day's return from the\nclaim was 73 ounces of gold, worth about twelve hundred dollars ($1,200) \u2022 on another\noccasion he received 70 ounces at the close of a day's work. The gold is in rough jagged\npieces, the largest found by Mr. Patterson was over six ounces; but on the next claim to\nhis, a piece often ounces was picked up by the lucky proprietor. Mr. Patterson sold his\nmining claim before his departure from Cariboo, and is now returning to his native country, -\nthe United States, with the wealth he has so rapidly acquired in British Columbia, this\nbeing one of the evils to which the Colony is exposed through the want of a fixed\npopulation.\n10. The firm of Messrs. Levi and Boas, of New Westminster, have kindly permitted\nme to communicate the following extract from a letter, dated 27th August 1861, which\nthey very lately received from Mr. Levi, the managing partner of the firm at Cariboo.\n\" Hamburger went to Abbott, who- used to be at Langley, and borrowed $2,000. I\nmust let you know that Abbott arid Jordon have one of the richest claims in the country.\nThe least they take out a-day, three of them, is 120 ounces. They have a flour sack of\n\"\u2022old 14 inches high. They will make, till fall, 100,000 dollars a piece. Out of one little\ncrevice, while Hamburger was up there, he, Abbott, took 60 ounces out of it, and gold\nmakes your eyes water, and you will never see a greater excitement as there will be next\nseason.\n\" If you can send up such goods as we want, do so: as I will explain to you it is only\n5 or 6 weeks more that pack trains can come in here, and then we can get any price for\nthem ; besides which, spring, when there is a lot of people rushing in, and we the only\nones which have goods. You bet I would soak into them. The country is all right, there\nis more gold in it as there was in California; don't say nothing to nobody.\"\n11. I will not multiply these details, having said enough to show your Grace the opinion\nentertained by the public of the newly discovered gold fields, and of the probable influx\nof population from California and other countries which may be attracted by those\ndiscoveries. I need not assure your Grace that every precaution will, in that event, be\ntaken to maintain the peace, order, and good government of the country, and to increase\nits permanent population : but it is impossible to repress a feeling of profound regret that\nso few of Her Majesty's British subjects have yet participated in the rich harvests reaped\nin British Columbia, though there is certainly no country in the world that offers greater\ninducements to the labouring classes, or for the employment of capital. The settler\nenjoys the peculiar advantage iu British Columbia of an unfettered choice of the public\ndomain; and may, without expense, or official delay, select any part of the Colony he PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 59\npleases, as his future home; the ultimate price of country land being in no case over fou\nshillings and twopence an acre, payable by instalments, spread over several years. In\nfact the system of no country can offer greater inducements to the settler and miner than\nthe land regulations and mining laws of British Columbia.\n12. The miners at Cariboo have, I am glad to inform your Grace, suffered no privation\nwhatever from the want of food. Besides the large importations of bread-stuffs and salt\nmeat packed in from Lillooet and Lytton, large droves of cattle have been sent to Antler\nCreek, where the native grasses are nutritious and abundant; and fresh beef is now selling\nby retail at 1*. 8d. a pound. A mining town of some note has sprung into existence at\nAntler's Creek, and supplies of all kinds can be readily purchased.\nThe traveller who is prepared to encounter famine in its gauntest forms on his arrival\nat Cariboo, is not a little astonished to find himself in the midst of luxury, sitting down\nevery morning to fresh milk and eggs for breakfast, and to as good a dinner as can be seen\nin Victoria.\n13. The great commercial thoroughfares, leading into the interior of the country, from\nHope, Yale and Douglas, are in rapid progress, and now exercise a most beneficial effect\non the internal commerce of the Colony. I have many other productive public works,\nindispensable for the development of the Colony, in view, but I cannot undertake their\nexecution until I am made acquainted with your Grace's decision about the proposed loan\nof money for British Columbia.\n14. There is nothing in the condition of the other districts of the Colony with which I\nneed trouble your Grace at present; though it may be necessary soon to draw your\nGrace's attention to a reported discovery of gold on Stickeen River, latitude 57\u00b0 within\nHer Majesty's territories, north of British Columbia, to which some adventurers, trusting\n\u2022 to the faith of the native Indians, who brought the tidings, have inconsiderately repaired.\n15. Should the report prove correct, it will be necessary to take steps for the government of the country, and to prevent the many disorders that will naturally arise from the\nabsence of any duly constituted authority.\n16. I will not fail to exercise that power, should circumstances require it, until your\nGrace's instructions are received.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G. (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c. &c. &c.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle, K.G.\n(Separate.) Victoria, Vancouver's Island, October 24, 1861,\nMy Lord Duke, (Received December 9, 1861.)\nIn my Despatch of the 16th of September last, marked \" Separate,\" * it was\nmentioned that a report had reached this place of deposits of gold having been found on\nthe banks and flats of the Stikeen River, north latitude 57\u00b0, to the eastward of the\nRussian possessions, and within the limits of Her Majesty's territories on this coast;\nI, therefore deem it proper on this occasion to inform your Grace, that we have had no\nconfirmation of those reports, nor any arrivals from that quarter.\n2. I have also to communicate to your Grace that the accounts from Cariboo are more\nthan ever satisfactory ; and the numbers of returning miners with their rapidly acquired\nstores of gold, and the extraordinary fact, unusual, I believe, in gold countries, that they\nhave all been eminently successful, offer the strongest confirmation of the almost fabulous\nwealth of that gold-field. I have not, indeed, up to the present time, met with a single\nunfortunate miner from that quarter. Of those whom I had occasion to interrogate\nduring my recent visit to British Columbia, I ascertained that none who held mining\n. claims had less than 2,000, and that others had cleared as much as 10,000 dollars during\ntheir summer's sojourn at the mines. It may, therefore, be fairly assumed, that their\nindividual earnings range at some point between those figures. I should, however,\napprise your Grace, that the large strikes of the season, such as the Jourdan and Abbott\nclaim on Lowhee Creek, and Ned Campbell's claim on Lightning Creek, the latter said\nto have produced 900 ounces of gold in one day, are not included in this category, as I\nhave had no opportunity of seeing the owners of these claims, who are still in the upper\ncountry; but I will inquire into and report upon these special cases hereafter.\n3. The following extracts from my travelling note book may not be considered\nirrelevant at this time, when everything connected with the gold-fields, or tending to\nillustrate the true character of the colony, possesses an absorbing interest.\nH 2 \\\n60 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\n\"Laurent Bijou, a native of France, left Cariboo on the 1st day of August. He\nresided about one month at the mines, and has acquired 4,500 dollars worth of gold\ndust;\u2014says, he has not been so fortunate as many others, who are making as much as\n1,000 dollars a day. He has mined in California, but never saw a gold-field so rich as\nCariboo.\"\n\"Joseph Patterson and brother, natives of Maine, United States of America, have been\nmining on Keithley's Creek, and left it about the 10th of September. They have cleared\nthe sum of 6,000 dollars between them, or .3,000 dollars each, in gold dust, which they\ncarry about with them on their persons. They report that as a general thing the miners\nare making from two to three ounces a day. They are well.acquainted with Jourdan and\nAbbott's claim, and have often seen them weighing out, at the close of their day's work ;\nthe yield on one occasion was within a few grains of 195 ounces, the number of working\nhands being at the time four in all. That was their largest day's return; but 80, 90, and\n100 ounces a day were ordinary returns.\"\n\" Richard Willoughby, a native of England, discovered a mining claim on Lowhee\nCreek, and began to work it on the 27th of July last; he continued mining with from\nfour to seven hired men till the 8th of September, when he sold the claim to another\nperson, and returned safely to Yale, where he now resides, with the sum of 12,000 dollars\nin gold dust. His largest day's return was 84 ounces, and the entire amount of gold\ntaken, during his tenure, from the claim, amounted to 3,037 ounces, valued at 48,600\ndollars, and his own share to the sum of 12,000 dollars. His last week's work netted\n2,032 dollars, and for two weeks previously he cleared 1,000 dollars a week for each\nworking hand on the claim; and what is extraordinary, is the fact that all this wealth was\nfound immediately at or within four feet of the surface, the extreme of Mr. Willoughby's\nsinkings. At that depth he encountered the Bed Rock, composed of soft blue slate\nyielding readily to the pick. He' also mentions the discovery of a highly auriferous\nquartz reef; and he gave me a specimen of galena, containing, as per assay, 67 per cent,\nof lead, and 37 ounces of silver to the ton. He also mentioned several rich veins of\nsilver ore, which he saw at Cariboo; but the inferior metals attract scarcely any attention\nin countries where gold is easily acquired.\"\n\" Mr. Hodge, an American, settled near Yale, held a mining claim on Lowhee Creek\nfor about six weeks, and lately returned to Yale with a sum exceeding 2,100 dollars.\nHis reports corroborate and confirm in all respects the statements of Richard Willoughby.\"\n\" Thomas Brown, an American citizen, claims the honour of having discovered and\ntaken up the first mining claim on Williams' Creek, just one claim below the Jourdan\nand Abbott claim. Mr. Brown has been fortunate, and has a heavy pouch of gold, but\nI did not ascertain its money value. He says, that \" Ned Campbell,\" a friend of his, with a\ncompany of ten other miners, selected and recorded a claim on a newly discovered\nstream, called Lightning Creek, a tributary of Swift River, which yielded about two\"\nounces of gold to the panful of earth-; and that a report had reached Quesnelle previous\nto his departure, that the company, almost as soon as they began to work, had realized\n1,100 ounces in one day; and he places the greatest confidence in that report. Mr.\nBrown's statement on all other points respecting Cariboo corroborates the statements of\nMr. Willoughby.\n4. I am permitted to use the following letter from Major Downie, an old and successful\nCalifornian miner, several of whose reports on mining subjects I have had the honour of\nforwarding to your Grace ; it is addressed to\u2014 Macdonald, Esquire, banker and assayer,\nVictoria, and is dated Antler Creek, 25th September 1861.\n\" I have just been talking to H. M. Steele; he says, he will do all he can for you with\nhis boys; they are taking it out by the mule-load, so you may depend upon getting lots\nof dust when the boys come down.\n\" Your friend Mr. Norris is well, arid I am writing this in his house. I am prospecting\nround to get claims for next season for Alex, and Jim Hood.\n\" California is nowhere in comparison to Williams Creek.\n\" Keep good courage, and order a mint for next year.\"\n5. I will now quote a few passages from a private communication of the judge, Mr.\nBegbie, dated Forks of Quesnelle, 25th September 1861, to the Colonial Secretary. In\nallusion to the amount of gold dust in the hands ot the miners at Cariboo, and the quiet,\norderly state of the population, he observes :\u2014\" I have no doubt that there is little short\n\" of a ton lying at the different Creeks. I hear that Abbott's and Steele's claims are\n\" working better than ever\u201430 to 40 pounds a day each (they reckon rich claims as\n\" often by pounds as ounces now; it must be a poor claim that is measured by dollars.\"\n\u00ab On many c\nurns the gold is\n\u00a3t perfect nuisance, as\nthey hav\ne to carry it from their\nlaihis every mo\nrnmg, and watch it w\nlile they\nwork, and carry it back\nas much as tw\n0 men can lift) to th<\nir cabins\n'at night, and watch it \"^\nPAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 61\nwhile they sleep. There is no mistake about the gold. Steele is here; he says, they\ntook out 370 ounces one day.\n\" I was very glad to see the men so quiet and orderly; old Downie looked really\nalmost aghast. He said, f they told me it was like California in '49; why, you would\n* have seen all these fellows roaring drunk, and pistols and bare knives in every hand.\n' I never saw a mining town anything like this.' There were some hundreds in Antler,\nall sober and quiet. It was Sunday afternoon, only a few of the claims were worked that\nday. It was as quiet as Victoria.\"\n6. I will lastly submit for your Grace's information the monthly report of Mr. Ball,\nassistant gold commissioner for the Lytton district, to the Colonial Secretary, dated\n1st October 1861, which also bears upon the subject of gold mining, and is otherwise\nillustrative of the industrial condition of the country :\u2014\n\"I have the honour to forward for the information of his Excellency the Governor a\ncollectorate account of the revenue of the Lytton district for the month of September.\nI The approach of the fall and the little mining going on at present has caused a\nstagnation of business.\nI There are many, however, who are only awaiting the commencement of the proposed\nwaggon roads to locate pre-emption claims, and to make permanent improvements on\nthose already located, with a view of making British Columbia their future home. The\nrich discoveries made in the Cariboo district, and the proposed line of roads, have\nestablished a confidence in the future prospects of the property holders of the Lower\nFraser; and all are well pleased with the prospect of the forthcoming season.\n\" It may be interesting to his Excellency to hear of the almost fabulous amount of gold .\nwhich was taken out of a claim on Lightning Creek, belonging to a man named j Ned\nCampbell.'\n\" 1st day ... 900 ounces\n2nd day - - - 500 \u201e\n3rd day - - - 300 \u201e\nand other days proportionally rich.\"\n7. The Gold Commissioner for the Hope district states in his last monthly report, that\nthere was a great deal of activity in the southern mining districts about Kamloops, and\nthat the miners there are doing remarkably well. He also mentions the great want of\nmining supplies, especially flour, of which article not a single pound could, at the time, be\npurchased ; a circumstance which he much regrets on account of its baneful effects on the\ncountry.\n8. The reports of the other Gold Commissioners contain nothing of unusual interest.\n9. The information which I have thus laid before your Grace leaves no room for\ndoubt as to the vast auriferous wealth, and extraordinary productive capabilities of British\nColumbia; and with scarcely less probability it may be assumed as a natural consequence\nresulting from the marvellous discoveries at Cariboo, that there will be a rush thither\nand an enormous increase of population in spring.\n10. To provide for the wants of that population becomes one of the paramount duties\nof Government. I, therefore, propose to push on rapidly with the formation of roads\nduring the coming winter, in order to have the great thoroughfares leading to the\nremotest mines, now upwards of 500 miles from the sea coast, so improved as to render\ntravel easy, and to reduce the cost of transport, thereby securing the whole trade of the\ncolony for Fraser's River, and defeating all attempts at competition from Oregon.\n11. The only insuperable difficulty which I experience is the want of funds -.\u2014The\nrevenues of the colony will doubtless, in course of the year, furnish the means, but\ncannot supply the funds that are immediately wanted to carry on these works.\n12. I propose, as soon as those roads are finished, and the cost of transport reduced,\nto impose an additional road tax as a further means of revenue, a generally popular\nmeasure and strongly recommended in the several petitions forwarded with my Despatch\n\"Separate\" of the 8th of October instant. I, indeed, acknowledge with gratitude the\nwarm support which I have lately received from the people at large in carrying out\nmeasures of development; a significant fact, showing that their feelings and interests are\nbecoming every day more identified with the progress of the colony.\n13. I have in these circumstances come to the resolution of meeting the contingency,\nand raising the necessary funds, by effecting a loan of 15,000\/. or 20,000\/. in this\ncountry, which will probably be a sufficient sum to meet the demands upon the Treasury\non account of these works, until I receive the loan which your Grace gave me hopes of\neffecting for the colony in England.\n14. In taking this decided step, I feel that I am assuming an unusual degree of\nresponsibility; but I trust the urgency of the case will justify the means, and plead my\n, apology with Her Majesty's Government, especially as it is so clearly for the honour and\nadvantage of Her Majesty's service; and the neglect of the measures, which by a stern\nH 3 62 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nnecessity are thus forced upon me, might prove in the highest degree disastrous to the\nbest interests of the colony.\n15. Accustomed to exact obedience within my own official sphere, I know the importance of the rule ; but this is one of those exceptional cases which can hardly serve as\na precedent,\u2014and as I have always paid implicit attention to instructions, and in no\ncase involved Her Majesty's Government in any dilemma, I trust your Grace will\ncontinue to place that degree of confidence in my prudence and discretion which\nheretofore it has always been my good fortune to experience.\n16. I beg to enclose a rough sketch of the Cariboo country, showing its relative\nposition with reference to Arrowsmith's map of North America.*\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., (Signed)*\u2122' JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c. &c, &c. v \u00b0 J\nNo. 25.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle, K.G.\n(No. 67.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, November 14, 1861.\nMy LOHD DUKE, (Received January 13, 1862.)\nMuch inconvenience and loss have, ever since the formation of these Colonies,\nbeen occasioned by the want of a circulating medium of fixed and recognized value,\nequal to the business demands of the country. The scarcity of coin has been so great,\nand gold dust not being received for duties, that importers of goods have found it difficult\nat all times to make their Custom House payments, and, as is well known, are frequently\ncompelled to borrow money for that purpose at exorbitant rates of interest, varying\nfrom two per cent, per month and upwards: Almost all the business of the country is\ntransacted in gold dust of uncertain yalue,- and it is easy to conceive the difficulty and\ninconvenience of adjusting payments by such means, when the holder and receiver are\nboth alike subject to loss, and fearful of imposition.\n2. The effects of an over restricted monetary circulation are now, however, operating\nso fatally in both Colonies that it is indispensable to devise a remedy for an evil that is\nsapping the very foundations of our prosperity. To illustrate this fact, I would inform\nyour Grace that at this moment there is an amount of gold dust in the hands of miners\nfrom Cariboo, residing at Victoria, exceeding one quarter of a million sterling; and so\ngreat is the present dearth of coin that it brings a premium of five per cent, and over\nwhen procurable, which is not generally the case, as men may be seen hawking bars of\ngold about the streets of Victoria, who cannot raise coin enough, even at the high rates\nof discount just mentioned, to defray their current expenses. The miners and other\nholders of gold dust are naturally incensed and refuse to submit to this depreciation on\nthe value of their property, when they know it can be converted into coin for the\nmoderate charge of one-half of one per cent, at the United States Branch Mint in San\nFrancisco ; making an important saving to them of 4-^ per cent. They are consequently\nleaving Victoria by every opportunity; and it is most painful to witness a state of\nthings which is rapidly driving population and capital from the country.\n3. It has been suggested that an issue of notes of varying values, guaranteed by the\nGovernment and payable on demand at the public Treasury would, by providing a cheap\nand simple medium of exchange, meet the evil; but independently of the general\nobjections to a paper currency, its effect in banishing the precious metals, in producing\nunhealthy inflation and rash speculation, and the fluctuation in the value of the circulating\nmedium, it appears to me that the ramifications of business are not extensive enough to\nretain the notes in circulation; they would therefore simply return to the Treasury, and\nsoon exceed our means of payment.\n4. This I conceive would be the inevitable result of an issue oF paper in the present\ncondition of the Colony, unless the notes were made a legal tender, a measure which I\nam not prepared to recommend.\n5. As a safer remedy and one more suitable to the actual circumstances of the Colonies,\nI propose to take immediate steps for the manufacture of gold pieces, equal in value to\nthe 10 and 20 dollar American coins, and to bring them into general use as a circulating\nmedium in both Colonies.\nThis plan does not contemplate refining the gold, as the expense wonld be greatly\nincreased by that process : it is merely proposed to bring it to a uniform standard of\nfineness, without separating the natural alloy of silver which to some extent exists in all\nthe gold of British Columbia.\nThe pieces will be prepared at the Government Assay Office, and will bear the stamp PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 63\nof unquestionable character; and I am of opinion that by making the gold contained in\nthem of the full current value of the piece, without taking the silver into account, which <\nI propose should go as a bonus, they will not only answer as a cheap and convenient\ncurrency within the Colonies, but also have the same exchange value when exported to\nother countries.\n6. It appears from experiments made by Mr. Davidson, a gentleman of large business\nexperience, and agent for the Rothschilds at San Francisco, that the average fineness of\nCalifornian gold in its natural state ranges: between 880 and 885, that is to say, in valuing\nthe samples brought to him for sale, his calculations have been always based on those\nfigures, and have never proved defective. This shows that some simple process for\nroughly determining the value of Fraser River gold may also be arrived at; and that\nknowledge will facilitate its reduction, within 10 or 20 thousandths, to a uniform degree\nof fineness, in order that the pieces representing the same value may not vary in weight.\n7- All the machinery required for this purpose may be procured at San Francisco for\nthe moderate sum of five hundred pounds,, and without materially adding to the expense\nof the present Assay Establishment. Mr. Claudet thinks it will be in his power to '\nmanufacture all the pieces wanted for the circulation of the country.\n8. I have submitted this plan for the consideration of the principal banking and\ncommercial houses of Victoria, with the object of obtaining their views as to the probable\neffects of the proposed currency on the general business of the country, and more\nespecially as to its exchange value when exported to pay for supplies : the single point\nwhich I think admits of any question, for in that case it would probably be treated\nas simple bullion.\n9- It was clearly proved by the statements of those gentlemen, that the actual cost of\nimporting coin from other countries is rather over 5 per cent., which they believe to be\nthe actual cost of our present metallic currency. Not having had sufficient time for\nconsideration they were not, however, prepared to give a decided opinion on the general\nmeasure, but they admitted that it would establish the value of the gold produced in\nBritish Columbia in the cheapest manner, and provide a metallic currency for the country\nat a cost of 4 per cent, less than is paid for imported coin, and offered no objections either\nto the plan or the basis of the proposed currency.\n10. If the principal banking and mercantile houses agree among themselves to receive\nthis currency as a legal tender, no difficulty will be experienced in carrying the measure\ninto effect; and no reason exists why it should not receive their hearty support, as it will\nsurely tend to their advantage, not only by the saving, as before shown, of 4 per cent, on\nthe cost of importing coin, and the complete removal of the cause which is draining the\ncountry of wealth and population, but also in the numberless other ways by which the\ninvestment of capital serves to promote the general prosperity.\n11. I will only further remark that considering the great importance of the object in\nview, and the advantages expected from the operation of this simple and inexpensive plan\nof providing a metallic currency of character unsuspected and intrinsically equivalent to its\nstamped value, and therefore not subject to depreciation nor open to the objections\nwhich may be urged against a paper currency, I can hardly doubt that Her Majesty's\nGovernment will in these circumstances withhold their approval, or object to my declaring\nit a legal tender, and causing it to be received at all the public offices within the'Colonies\nin payment of duties and taxes ; especially as there is no prospect of thiscurrency being\nreplaced by any preferable circulating medium until the produce of gold, by its abundance, renders the establishment of a branch of the Royal Mint in British Columbia a\npublic necessity.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\n&c. &c. &c.\nNo. 26.\nCopy of DESPATCH from Governor Douglas, C.B., to his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle, K.G.\n(No. 74.) Victoria, Vancouver Island, November 30, 1861.\nMy Lord Duke, (Received February 8, 1862.) \u2022\nI have the honour to forward herewith the estimates of the civil expenditure of\nthe Colony of British Columbia for the year ending Slst December 1862, framed as\nclosely in accordance with rule as is practicable under the existing circumstances of the\nColony.\n2. I have so fully placed before your Grace in other Despatches the exact present\ncondition of the Colony, the recent discoveries of immense auriferous wealth in the\nnewly opened district of Cariboo, the almost certain large increase to the population in\nH 4 r\nI British\n64\nPAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nconsequence, and the general confidence established in the richness and future of the\ncountry, that it is not necessary I should revert to the subject here, further than to\nremark that I trust these circumstances will have their weight with your Grace in leaving\nme free, as heretofore, to devote the whole revenue of the Colony, after deducting the\nordinary expenditure, to the important object of opening up the communications with\nthe distant gold fields, so as to cheapen the transport of provisions\u2014a matter which just\nnow demands all our energies, and absorbs all my attention.\n3. The large tract of country embraced in these new gold fields will cause a heavy\nincrease in the civil expenditure in providing for adequate magisterial supervision. Such,\nhowever, is indispensable to the order and good government of the country, and I have\nconsequently made provision for the same in the estimates.\n4. In my Despatch of the 16th July last, \" Separate,\" * I mentioned that I had found\nit necessary to establish a gold escort. In the accompanying estimates provision is\nconsequently made for its maintenance during the year 1862; but as, from the great\ndistance it has to travel, and the nature of the country, it has proved very costly, I\npropose to abandon the scheme for the present, if I can carry out one part of it, viz.,\nthat of periodically strengthening the hands of the magistrates in distant localities, in\nsome equally efficient but less expensive manner.\n5. I have also, at the earnest solicitation of some of the subordinate officers in the\ndifferent departments, made a slight increase to their salaries. The additional charge\nupon the revenue caused thereby will be comparatively insignificant, some 600\/. only, and\nin the end will, I believe, be fully repaid ; for the consideration thus shown may, I trust,\nrender the present incumbents contented with their position amidst the many instances\nbefore them of suddenly acquired wealth, and will consequently secure to the Government the continuance of their services now that they have, as it were, become remunerative\nby possessing a knowledge of their particular duties. With scarce an exception, none\nhad any previous experience of public business, and all had to be carefully trained;\nand here we have no field to select from to fill vacancies with qualified men.\n6. With the foregoing exceptions the estimates do not differ materially from those\nsubmitted for the present year, and I trust that they may meet with your Grace's\nconcurrence and approval.\nI have, &c.\nHis Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS.\nAbstract of the probable Revenue of the Colonial\nGovernment of British Columbia for the Tear\n1862 ; showing also the Revenue (Approximate) for 1861.\nCOLONIAL ESTIMATES, BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nAbstract of the probable Expenditure o\nColonial Government of British Coli\nfor the Tear 1862; showing also the Exi\ntuee (Approximate) for 1861.\nWlLLIASl A. G. TOUNG,\nActing Auditor.\nAudit Office of British Columbia,\nJjoies Douglas. PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 65\n\u00ab 5\n\u00ab 2\n.'mririftmip \"* \u00a7 \u00a7g!. 1 \u25a0','. '. \u00b0', I! 1,11! I\n\u2022sliuipiing ,, 8 ' g ' S ' gS'g'o '' ogggggoo '\u2022'\u25a0' 3\npuos^iOA^ 9. , \" , ^, . . \"' \"j , , , , , g\noouB.t.iAuoo 2- 5 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nDespatches from the Secretary of State.\nCopy of DESPATCH from his Grace the Duke of Newcastle to Governor\nDouglas, C.B.\n(No. 26.)\nSir, Downing Street; May 19, I860.\nI have to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch, No. 24,* of the 17th of\nFebruary last, on the subject of the grant of endowments in land to the clergymen of\nthe principal Christian communities established in British Columbia.\nI approve of the grants of about one acre each which you have already made to the\nclergjr of the Church of England and the Methodist Episcopal Church as sites for a\nchurch, school, and dwelling-house, and you will also be at liberty to make similar grants\nin all towns in the Colony where ordained ministers of the Gospel may take up their\nresidence, and where congregations may be established and require their assistance; but\ncare should be taken that the land shall be appropriated to the purposes for which it\nwas intended, and that it shall be so conveyed as to be secure against the possibility of\nmisapplication in future years.\nYour further proposal, that free grants of 100 acres of rural land should be made in\naid of every cure established in British Columbia, and not otherwise supported at the\npublic expense, I consider to be open to serious objections.\nThe experience afforded by other Colonies tends to show that where a clergyman in a\nnew Colony has to depend on his land for his principal means of subsistence, he must, to\nmake it answer, devote to it so much of his time as seriously to interfere with his\nusefulness; unless he does this, the endowment becomes only an apparent, not a real\nprovision for him. He cannot let it, because land in a new settlement is never, except\nunder very peculiar circumstances, taken on lease, and to employ hired labour would\ngenerally be beyond the means of a clergyman so situated.\nFor these reasons I am unable to sanction the measure which you propose. The\npractice of making grants of land as endowments to livings in the Colonies has been\ngenerally discontinued for many years, and I much doubt whether it is not better for a\nclergyman to depend entirely on the liberality of his congregation than to be provided\"\nwith an endowment which, though no substantial assistance to him, may be an excuse to\nsuch of his congregation as are disposed to withhold their aid.\nI am, &c.\nGovernor Douglas, C.B. (Signed) NEWCASTLE.\n&c. &c.\nNo. 2.\nCopy of DESPATCH from his Grace the Duke of Newcastle to Governor\nDouglas, C.B.\n(No. 27.)\nSie, Downing Street, May 25, 1860.\nI have to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch, No. 25,f of the 18th of\nFebruary last, enclosing copies of a correspondence between Mr. Cridge, the District\nMinister of Victoria, and Mr. Duncan, relative to the formation of a settlement for Indian\nconverts to Christianity, and in order to carry this plan into effect you propose to reserve\nseveral hundred acres of land in the neighbourhood of Fort Simpson.\nSubject to the stipulations which you suggest, namely, that the land should be\nconveyed to the Governor of the Colony for the time being, in trust for the use and\nbenefit of the Indians, leaving them no power to alienate or dispose of it, I have to\nauthorize you to take the necessary steps for the conveyance of the lands in question.\nI have, &c.\nGovernor Douglas, C.B. (Signed) NEWCASTLE.\n&c. ^&c. PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 67\nNo. 3. Bs\u2122\nCopy of DESPATCH from his Grace the Duke of Newcastle to Governor \u00b0tZ!\nDouglas, C.B. No.\n(No. 36.)\nSib, Downing Street, June 26, I860.\nI have received and read with interest your Despatch, No. 42,* of the 23rd of * ?*& *\nApril, containing a general report on the Colony of British Columbia, and on the progress\nwhich has been made in opening up the country.\nI do not doubt that you cannot apply your attention to an object more important to\nthe Colony than the improvement of its internal communications.\nI have, &c.\nGovernor Douglas, C.B. (Signed) NEWCASTLE.\n&c. &c.\nNo. 4.\nCopy of DESPATCH from the Secretary of State to Governor Douglas, C.B.\n(No. 42.)\nSir, Downing Street, July 19, I860.\nI have received, and have perused with much interest, your Despatch of the 23rd\nMay,f reporting the result of your observations during a late visit to British Columbia, t ^\nThere is no subject of greater importance to a new Colony than the establishment of well\nconsidered regulations for the disposal of the public lands. I trust, therefore, that with\nthe aid of your personal examination of the country, and of the extensive correspondence\nin which you have been engaged with Her Majesty's Government, you will soon be\nenabled to communicate to me those full and matured views on this subject which your\nDespatch encourages me to expeqt.\nThe sketch you have sent of the municipal institutions proposed for New Westminster\nseem very promising, and I am glad to infer that the town is ready to accept them, which\nis not always the case in a young Colony.\nI have, &c.\nGovernor Douglas, C.B. (Signed) G. C. LEWIS.\n&c. &c.\nNo. 5. No. 5.\nCopy of DESPATCH from C. Fortescue, Esq., M.P., to Governor Douglas, C.B.\n(No. 56.)\nSir, Downing Street, October 26, I860.\nI am directed by the Secretary of State to acknowledge your Despatch, No. 72,f t Pageu.\nof the 4th August last, respecting certain grants of land which you were desirous of\nmaking to the clergy of the four principal denominations of Christians m British\n- Columbia, i.e., of the English, Roman, Presbyterian, and Methodist Churches.\nFor the reasons already communicated to you, the Secretary of State cannot sanction\nthe grants of rural land which you still apparently advocate, but he sees no objection\nto your affording a temporary pecuniary assistance to Ministers of Religion in British\nColumbia from Colonial funds, if those funds are adequate for the purpose, and if you\nhave sufficient reason for believing that such an appropriation of public money will not\nbe unacceptable to the colonists.\nCharged as you are with the task of expending, on your own responsibility, the produce of the taxes, it is peculiarly necessary for you to avoid the appearance of individual\npreference or partiality. I think therefore that the public aid given to Ministers of\nReligion should not be confined to any specified denominations, but should, if possible,\nbe determined by a generally intelligible rule, which, while furnishing some security\nagainst useless or improper appropriations, will not suggest any distinction between\nministers of different persuasions, who may be exerting themselves with equal earnestness\nfor the good of the community. It might be required, for example, as a condition to\nany grant of money, that a memorial should be presented to the Governor, signed by a\ncertain number or proportion of persons resident within a certain district, and either\noffering to meet the Government grant by certain immediate or annual contributions of\ntheir own, or stating that from some source or other such contributions had been made.\nThis, however, is merely suggested by the Secretary of State as an illustration. He\nis fully aware that your own knawledgcof-the-exigencies of the Colony, of the temper\nand wishes of the population, and of the assistance to be derived there from religious\n12 68 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\npersons or societies, will enable you to choose your own course in a matter of detail\n\u2022 more appropriately than he can do. .\nBut in any case you will take care to make it clearly understood that any assistance\nof this kind is temporary, and that if given in the form of an annual payment, all those\nwho receive it must not calculate on retaining it after it has ceased to be sanctioned\n. by the public opinion of the Colony, and consistent with other demands on the\nrevenue. T *\nI have, &c.\nGovernor Douglas, C.B. (Signed) C. FORTESCUE.\n&c. &c.\nNo. 6. No. 6.\nCopy of DESPATCH from his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., to Governor\nDouglas, C.B.\nSlK ^N\u00b0' '' Downing Street, February 1, 1861.\nI have to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatches, marked \" Separate,\" of the\nPages22&27 9th* and the 25th* of October last, giving an account of your recent journey through\nPage 32. British Columbia. I have also received your Despatch, No. 95,f of the 9th of November,\ninclosing a report by Dr. Forbes, of H.M. ship \" Topaze,\" of the proceedings of the\nexploring party under his charge. _ . J .\nI have perused these reports with much satisfaction, as containing interesting mlor-\nmation on the advance the Colony has made, and as showing, so far as can at present be\nascertained, the agricultural and mineral resources of the country.\n5 I have, &c.\nGovernor Douglas, C.B. (Signed) NEWCASTLE.\n&c. &c.\nNo. 7-\nCopy of DESPATCH from his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G , to Governor\nDouglas, C.B.\nSir \u00b0* ' Downing Street, April 13, 1861.\nI have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch, No. 7,% \u00b0f the\n26th of January, transmitting an approximate statement of the revenue and expenditure\nof British Columbia. I am glad to receive so favourable an account of the progress of\nthe revenue of the Colony.\nI have, &c.\nGovernor Douglas, C.B. (Signed) NEWCASTLE.\nNo. 8.\nCopy of DESPATCH from his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., to Governor\nDouglas, C.B.\ngIR Downing Street, May 9, 1861..\nI have the honour to transmit to you, herewith, the copy of a Memorandum on\nthe subject of the protection of the Salmon Fisheries of British Columbia, which has been\nsubmitted to me by Mr. Ffennell, a member of a late Fishery Commission in this\n: country. I also enclose copies of a subsequent correspondence with that gentleman, and\nI have to.invite your attention to a subject which will probably, ere long, become one of\nsome importance -to the Colony. I have requested the Governor of Canada to forward\nto you the official documents bearing upon the matter mentioned in Mr. Ffennell's letter\nof the 19th April, and in the meantime I enclose a report of the British Commissioners,\nwhich may probably afford you information that will be useful to you in legislating on\nthe Fisheries of British Columbia.\nI have, &c.\nGovernor Douglas, C.B. (Signed) NEWCASTLE. PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 69\nEnclosure 1 in No. 8.\nMemorandum on Salmon Fishery, British Columbia. !\nIt is suggested that the Salmon Fisheries should be placed under supervision as well as the land' E\nto give security to private enterprise, and to prevent confusion of rights and waste, and that an area of M\nwater producing salmon is likely, as civilization progresses and commerce extends, to become more\nvaluable by one hundred fold and more, than the same area of land.\nThat the first step towards promoting the objects referred to should be the employment of a person\nof practical knowledge to review the rivers to an extent sufficient to enable him to report upon then-\ncapabilities, and to point out the steps which should be taken to prevent abuses before they have set in, ,\nand to suggest the modes by which a system of healthy enterprise may be promoted in the Colony.\nBy adopting this course many persons from this country might soon be induced to embark in the\nsalmon fishery of British Columbia, by receiving information which they would rely upon, if communicated\non the authority of a person of practical knowledge, while at present they can only obtain fragments of\ninformation derived from persons in the Colony, whose attention has been attracted to the question by\nthe immense quantities of fish which they see exist, and which a few have communicated, but are\nunable to offer any opinion upon the practicability of embarking in such an enterprise. The quantity\nof salmon which at present exist in British Columbia, and the extent of rivers producing them, is so far\nbeyond anything which the waters of Great Britain and Ireland ever produced or could produce, that\nno idea can be formed at present of their relative value.\nThe salmon fisheries of that Colony appear to be one of the resources of the country, which might\nbe most readily brought into commercial development if measures were taken to promote it.\nThose fisheries are in their present state natural and unimpaired, but as population increases, abuses\nare certain to follow, as in Canada for instance, where the Government are now obliged to take up the\nquestion, and appoint officers to check the evil; whereas if timely measures be taken to prevent\nencroachments and destruction, much ultimate loss to the country may be prevented.\nThe Government now possess those fisheries ; no real or assumed vested rights by individuals have\nbeen established, and it is suggested that now is the proper time to place them under the protection of\nthe State, and that they may be soon profitably disposed of under judicious regulations to enterprising\nindividuals, and thus bring a large revenue into the country, affording increased capital for further and\neral operations of industry\n(By W. J. Ffennell, Esq., Fishery Commissioner, Ireland.)\nEnclosure 2 in No. 8. ,\nSir, Downing Street, March 27, 1861. i\nThe Duke of Newcastle desires me to thank you for the Memorandum which you have been\ngood enough to furnish him on the subject of the protection of the salmon fisheries in the rivers of\nBritish Columbia.\nHis Grace is fully aware of the importance of the object which you propose, and he is prepared to\ninstruct the Governor to take steps for the proper preservation of these fisheries, but before doing so\nhe would be glad to be furnished with the titles of any public documents with which it might be\ndesirable to supply him for his assistance in carrying put the object in view.\n. W. J. Ffennell, Esq. (Signed) ' C. Fortescue.\nEnclosure 3 in No. 8. E\nSir, 2, Craven Street, Strand, London, April 19, 1861. \u00bb\nYour letter of the 27th of March addressed to me here, with reference to the Fisheries of British\nColumbia, was not duly forwarded, I have been back and forward to Ireland, and thus the delay in\nreplying to it has occurred.\nI would beg to refer to the following documents for the information of his Grace the Duke of\nNewcastle:\u2014\nFishery Acts, Upper and Lower Canada, printed in Quebec by Queen's Printer.\nReport of Commissioners of Crown Lands of Canada for 1857.\nReport of Commissioners of Crown Lands of Canada for 1858.\nReport of Commissioners of Crown Lands of Canada for 1859.\n[I have not yet seen Report, i860.]\nThese reports contain much valuable information with respect to the laws enacted for the protection\nof the fisheries of Canada, the state the fisheries had fallen into, and the means now in operation for\ntheir regulation.\nI believe the salmon fisheries of British Columbia far exceed in extent and capabilities those of\nCanada, and that it would be highly expedient to place them under a system of State regulation before\nabuses creep in, with the view of inducing private enterprise embarking in their commercial development, and at the same time guarding against the establishment of abuses and improvident practices,\nwhich must tend ultimately to diminish materially if not totally to destroy a great natural source of\nwealth.\nThe state of the Canadian salmon fisheries appears to furnish an example fully supporting this view\nof the question.\nI am, &c.\nC. Fortescue, Esq., M.P. (Signed) William J. Ffennell. 70 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nAPPENDIX.\nPROCLAMATIONS HAVING THE FORCE OF LAW.\nBRITISH COLUMBLA-\ns Excellency James Douglas, Companio\nr and Commander '\nthe same.\nWhereas, under and by virtue of an Act of Parliament, made and passed in the session of Parliament held in the 21st and 2-2nd years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, intituled \"An\nAct to provide for the Government of British Columbia,\" and by a commission under the Great\nSeal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, I, James Douglas, have been appointed\nGovernor of the said colony, and have been authorized by proclamation under the public seal of the\nsaid Colony, to make laws, institutions, and ordinances for the peace, order, and good government of\nAnd whereas it is expedient in some respects to alter the rates of duties of customs now leviable\nupon goods and other articles and things imported into British Columbia, and to make further provision for the levying thereof.\nNow, therefore, I do hereby declare, proclaim, and enact as follows, viz.:\u2014\n1st. That so much of the proclamation dated the 2nd of June one thousand eight hundred and\nfifty-nine as imposes a duty upon the several articles specified in the schedule hereto, shall as to the\nduty thereby imposed be repealed from the 15th day of October next.\n2nd. That the duties specified in the said schedule shali-be paid on the articles thereon specified\nfrom the said 15th day of October next.\n3rd. This proclamation may on all occasions be cited as the \" Customs Amendment Act, I860.\"\nIssued under the public seal of the said Colony, at Victoria, Vancouver Island, this\n(l.s.) twentieth day of August, one thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-\nfourth year of Her Majesty's reign, by me,\nBy his Excellency's command, JAMES DOUGLAS.\nWilliam A. G. Young, .-\nActing Colonial Secretary.\nSchedule.\n\u00a3 s. d. \u00a3 s. d.\nFlour - - per barrel 0 3 1\u00a3 Ale and Porter in\nBacon, Salt and Dried Wood - per gallon 0 0 7\nPork - per lb. 0 0 1 Wine in Wood an\nBeans - - per 100 lb. 0 I 3 Bottle - per gallon 0 2 1\nBarley - - per 100 lb. 0 13 Bitters- - per gallon 0 2 1\nper lb.\nper lb. 0 0 H Chinese Medicated\nper lb. 0 0 1 Wine - per gallon\nDried Vegetables\nper dozen 0 18 (Chinese) - per lb.\nSalt Vegetables (do.) per lb.\nAppendix No. 2.\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\u2014No. 29.\nProclamation by his Excellency James Douglas, Companion of the most Honourable Order\nof the Bath, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Her Majesty's Colony of British\nColumbia and its Dependencies.\nWhereas, under and by virtue of an Act of Parliament, made and passed in the session of Parliament held in the 21st and 22nd years of the reign of-Her Majesty-Queen Victoria, entitled \" An\nAct to provide for the Government of British Columbia,\" and by a ci PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 71\nSeal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, I, James Douglas, have been appointed\nGovernor of the said Colony, and have been authorized by proclamation, under the public seal of the\nsaid Colony, to make laws, institutions, and ordinances for the peace, order, and good g\nthe only port of entry for goods in British Columbia\u2014\nimported goods into British Columbia across the southern\nexpensive by the\nto impose a fine\nli officer shall\ny of June, one\neight hundred\nAnd whereas the port of New W<\nAnd whereas many persons ha^\nboundary thereof, contrary to law :\nAnd whereas it is expedient that all persons importing goods i\nsaid boundary should be notified that such importation is contrary t<\npending the completion of the communications in British Columbia\nAnd whereas the collection of the customs duties is rendered vet\nof goods across the southern boundary aforesaid, and it is expedie\nportation, to meet the additional cost of collection :\n1. That no goods, wares, animals, or merchandize shall be imported into\nshall not have been entered at New Westminster aforesaid, unless the duties, t\nspecified shall have been first paid to some duly-qualified officer of custoi\nhave first granted to the importer a permit on behalf of such goods.\n2. The duties and tolls aforesaid shall be as follows :\u2014\nA. The duties at present imposed by virtue of the proclamations of the\nthousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, and the twentieth day of August, one\nand sixty.\nB. For every fifty pounds weight avoirdupois of such goods, wares, or merchandize (and so in\nproportion for a greater or less quantity than fifty pounds weight of goods), one shilling; miners'\npacks, carried by the owners and not exceeding thirty pounds weight avoirdupois, for each man's\nload, being exempt from such duty as aforesaid.\nC. For every ton of such goods, wares, or merchandize, twelve shillings.\n3. In addition to the aforesaid duties and tolls, a fine equivalent to three per cent, on the market\nvalue of such goods, wares, animals, or merchandize shall be paid to such officer of customs\u2014such\nmarket value to be calculated upon the market value of the goods, wares, animals, or merchandize at\nthe place of collection.\n4. Any person wilfully evading or attempting to evade the payment of any of the duties, tolls, or\nfines, aforesaid, shall be fined treble the amount of the duties, tolls, or fines, or any sum not exceeding\none hundred pounds, at the discretion of the magistrate.\n5. Any penalty under this Act may be recovered and enforced before any magistrate in British\nColumbia in a summary way.\n6. This proclamation may be cited as the \" South\nIssued under the public seal of the\n(l.s.) twenty-second day of December,\nhundred\nn Boundary Act, 1860.\"\naid Colony at Victoria, Van<\nr of Her Majesty's\nIsland, this\nusand eight\ngn, by me,\ny his Excelh\nWlL\nncy's command,\n.ia'm A. G. You\nActing Colon\nlal Secretary.\nGod save\nJAMES DOUGLAS.\nAppendix No. 3.\nBRITISH COLUMBIA.\u2014No. 30.\nWhereas, under and by virtue of an Act of Parliament made and passed in the session of Parliament, held in the 21st and 22nd years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, intituled \"An\n\" Act to provide for the Government of British Columbia,\" and by a commission under the Great\nSeal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, I, James Douglas, have been appointed\nGovernor of the said Colony, and have been authorized by Proclamation under the public seal of\nthe said Colony to make laws, institutions, and ordinances for the peace, order, and good government\nof the same.\nAnd whereas, by a Proclamation issued under the public seal of the said Colony, on the 4th day\nof January 1860, the price of unsurveyed land acquired by purchase or pre-emption under the\nprovisions of the said Proclamation, was stated to be at such rate as might for the time bein\u00b0- be\nfixed by the Government of British Columbia, not exceeding the sum of ten shillings per acre.\nAnd whereas, by a Proclamation issued under the public seal of the said Colony, on the 20th day '\nof January 1860, the price of agricultural land, surveyed by the Government surveyor, which may\nor shall have been offered for sale at public auction and remain unsold, was fixed at ten shillings per\nacre, payable one-half in cash at the time of sale, and the other half at the expiration of two years\nfrom the time of sale.\nAnd whereas I have been empowered by Her Majesty's Government to lower the price of country\nlands in British Columbia, in all cases, to the sum of four shillings and twopence (4s. 2rf.) per acre.\nI 4 72 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nNow, therefore,! do hereby declare, proclaim, and enact as follows:\u2014 j\nISo much of the said Proclamation of the 20th day of January 1860, as fixed the price of\n^I^^SiS^^^^'i^^^ whether acquired by preemption or purchase under the Proclamation dated the 4th day of January I860, shall be four\nShinLg^PrPVTce(4of aKunt^iands in British Columbia exposed for sale at public auction,\nshall be four shillings and twopence (4s. 2d) per acre. JA.1oel>,\nIV. This Proclamation may be cited for all purposes as the \" Country Land Act, ISbl.\nIssued under the public seal of the said Colony at Victoria, Vancouver Island, the nineteenth\nday of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, and in\nthe twenty-fourth year of Her Majesty's reign, by r\u00bb-\nApp. No. 4.\nJ J\n5 > -\nJAMES DOUGLAS.\nBy commanc\nof hi\nExc\nellency,\nWi\nLLIAM A\nG.Young,\nActing Colo\nnial Secretary.\nGod save th\neQue\nEN.\nAppendix\nNo.\n4.\nBRITISH COLUMBIA.\u2014No. 31.\nNo. 31.\u2014\" The Pre-emption Amendment Act, 1861.\"\n[Repealed by subsequent Proclamation, No. 38, page 77.]\nAppendix No. 5.\nBRITISH COLUMBIA.\u2014No. 32.\nProclamation.\u2014No. 3, A.n. 1S61. By his Excellency James Douglas, Companion of the most\nHonourable Order of the Bath, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of British Columbia and its\nDependencies, Vice-Admiral of the same, &c, &c.\nWhereas, by virtue of an Act of Parliament, made and passed in the session of Parliament held\nin the 21st and 22nd years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, entitled \u00ab An Act to provide\nfor the Government of British Columbia,\" and by a Commission under the Great Seal of the United\nKingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, I, James Douglas, have been appointed Governor of the said\nColony, and have been authorized by Proclamation issued under the public seal of the said Colony,\nto make laws, institutions, and ordinances for the peace, order, and good government of the same :\nAnd whereas it is expedient to afford remissions in the purchase money of country lands purchased\nfor actual settlement .to certain officers of Her Majesty's Royai Army and Navy in certain cases: _\nNow, therefore, I, James Douglas, Governor of British Columbia, by virtue of the authority\naforesaid, do proclaim, order, and enact as follows, viz. :\u2014\nThat from and after the date hereof Military and Naval officers m Her Majesty's service, of the\nrank herein-after specified, who shall purchase country land in British Columbia, shall, subject as\nherein-after mentioned, and upon production of the certificate herein-after also mentioned, be\nentitled in paying for such country lands to the remissions following :\u2014\nField officers, of 25 years'service, in the whole ^600\nField officers of 20 years' service and upwards, in the whole 500\nField officers of 15 or less years in the service, in the whole - - - - 400\nCaptains of 20 years' service and upwards, in the whole ... - - 400\nCaptains of 15 years' service or less, in the whole - 300\nSubalterns of 20 years'\" service and upwards, in the whole - 300\nchaplains, Commissariat officers, officers of any of the\nmidshipmen, warrant officers of every description,\ncivil departi\nnents of the Army,\npursers, chaplains,\nnd officers o\nf any of the civil\nepartments of the\nNavy, shall not be entitled to the remissions aforesa.\nforesaid, shall, bef\nore obtaining the\nsioner of La\nnds and Works for\nBritish Columbia,\na certificate from the office of the General. Comm\n\"StEsSt\nef in England, .or\ne.0sontiea\u00b0Britis0hf\nColony hLs bren duly^nction'ed, aiTshomng^d\no thera'nk!\nnd length of servi\ne of such person,\nbut nothing herein contained shall entitle any pers\nperson shall at the time of purchasing, be either or\nshall have quitted the service for the purpose\nhalf-pay or\nfull-pav, unless the\nperson purchasing\nif settling it\na British Colon\ny, as herein-after\nmentioned.\nEvery person who shall have so quitted the se\nrvice for the\npurpose of settling\nas aforesaid, shall,\nbefore obtaining such remission as aforesaid, obtaii\nhority, to be made\nin one of the offices aforesaid, upon his certificate\nforesaid, of\nthe date of his re\ntirement from the\narmy or navy, for the purpose aforesaid. PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nobtained from the Governor for the time being of British Columbia, a certificate that he has been\nColumbia.\nrespect of which such location ticket shall have been granted within twelve months from the expiratio\nof the said term of two years, the land in respect of which such location ticket shall have bee\ngranted, shall absolutely revert to the Crown, and be capable of being sold, pre-empted or grante\nde novo.\nProvided, that no location ticket shall be granted, and no i\nshall be claimed in respect of some specific land within two y\nfrom the offices aforesaid.\nProvided, that the land in respect of which such remission shall have-been claimed, shall not be\ntransferable until a grant thereof as aforesaid shall have been made thereof.\nProvided, that the Governor for the time being of British Columbia may, in case of the death of\nthe person entitled to the remission aforesaid, before a grant of the land aforesaid, by any writing\nunder his hand, confer the benefit of the remission aforesaid to such child or children or other relative\nProvided, that such child, children, or other relative shall enjoy the right to such remission to the\nsame extent, and subject to the same conditions as the person so dying would have done had he lived.\nIssued under the public seal of the said Colony, at Victoria, Vancouver Island, this\n( L.s. ) eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and\nsixty-one, and in the twenty-fourth year of Her Majesty's reign, by me,\nJAMES DOUGLAS.\nWilliam A. G. Young,\nI Colonial Secretary.\nGod save the Queen.\nApp.No.\nNo. 35.\u2014\u00ab The* Pre-emption Purchase Act, 1861.\"\n[Repealed by subsequent Proclamation, No. 38, page 77.]\nBRITISH COLUMBIA.\u2014No. 37.\nProclamation.\u2014No. 8, a.d. 1861. By his Excellency James Douglas, Companion of the most\n\u2022 Honourable Order of the Bath, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of British Columbia and its\nDependencies, Vice-Admiral of the same, &c, &c.\nWhereas, under and by virtue of an Act of Parliament made and passed in the Session of Parliament held in the 21st and 22nd years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, entitled \" An\nAct to provide for the Government of British Columbia,\" and by a commission under the Great Seal of\nthe United Kingom of Great Britain and Ireland, I, James Douglas, have been appointed Governor\nof the said Colony, and have been authorized by Proclamation under the public seal of the said Colony\nto make laws, institutions, and ordinances for the peace, order, and good government of the same.\nAnd whereas, for the more effectually securing the title to and facilitating the transfer of real\nproperty in the Colony of British Columbia, it is expedient to provide the means of registering\nmatters affecting the same.\nNow, therefore, I do hereby declare, proclaim, and enact as follows :\n1. There shall be established in New Westminster and in such other districts in British Columbia Offic\nas may from time to time be nominated by the Governor by proclamation under his hand and the ^s\npublic seal of the Colony, offices for the registration of instruments, in writing, affecting real estate u-icb\nin the Colony, and the office at New Westminster shall be styled \" The Land Registry Office,\" and Colu\nthe other offices shall be styled the \" District Land Registry Offices,\" with the addition of the names\nof the districts wherein the same are established.\n2. It shall be lawful for his Excellency the Governor to appoint by Commission under the public App\nseal of the Colony, proper persons to perform the duties of the said offices, who shall be styled the ^\nmanner other proper persons to be the registrars. DiS r\n74 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA\nThe registrar appointed at New Westminster shall be styled \" Registrar General of British\nColumbia. Columbia,\" and shall have the superintendence of all the said offices.\n 3. The magistrates in British Columbia may be appointed registrars pro tempore.\n'S\u00a3&dBi\u00ab 4. There shall be provided at the public expense, houses or other places convenient for carrying on\nrfegutrr,. th{? busjness of the said offices, wilb an proper means for making and preserving the records and\nto\u2122 Serfs\"!* registers herein-after directed to be made and kept, and also seals of offices with suitable devices,\nOffice to be whereon shall be inscribed \" Land Registry Office,\" with the addition of the name of the district\nkept arid im- therein the same is situate; the said seals shall be in the custody of the registrars for the time being,\n'rf^bTtakm\" to be used in their official capacity only, and they shall be responsible for the safety and the use thereof,\njudicial notice and judicial notice shall be. taken in all courts of the impressions thereof without any evidence of\nof- such seal having been impressed, or any other evidence in relation thereto.\nDeputy Regis- 5. The \" registrar general\" shall from time to time by writing under his hand and official seal appoint\n*\"\u00bb\u2022\u25a0 a deputy who may perform the duties of the office, but all the official acts of the said deputy shall be\nin the name of the registrar-general, who shall be responsible for the same. The instrument under\nwhich such deputy shall be appointed shall be deposited among the records of the office for public\nreference And in case of a vacancy in the office of registrar-general, the deputy shall during\nsuch vacancy perform the duties of the office as the registrar-general and until a successor be\n'\u2022Registrar's 6. Before entering upon the duties of their offices, the registrars and deputy-registrar shall find\nbonds and _00(j and sufficient bonds conditioried.for the faithful performance of their duties, and shall take the\n\u00b0,lbs' oaths of allegiance and supremacy, and shall be sworn to the faithful performance of their duties\nSalaries. 7. There shtdbbe paid to the \" registrar general\" an annual salary not to exceed the sum of 5007.,\nto the deputy and registrars an annual salary not to exceed 3001, and an adequate remuneration to\nDate of open- a The office at New Westminster shall be opened o\ning office at offi(jes sball be opened on tbe 28th day next after the\n|S\u00abandin until the opening of the district offices, the registrati\n\u2022ho other dis- British Columbia shall be effected at the Land Registj\ntricte- 9. From and after the nomination of a district and 1\nrift<*!gr,S.inU instruments affecting any real estate in the said distrk\npK tore's\"\" district, and in none other.\n!ri\u00abnuL'c\u00bbi^ 10. The place of business of the said offices sh\u00ab\nlaminated. Saturdays, Sundays, Good Friday, Christmas Day, 1\nOffice hours. and fest days ag axe of may by |aw or proc]amation fn\nthe hour of 10 o'clock in the morning to the hour of\npEegisirationof U. It shall be the duty of the registrars, when r<\ninstruments fees, to register or cause to be registered all instruments in. any manner affecting real estate situate\njS,ingrea1' within their respective districts or the title thereto which shall be certified as hereinafter required by\ncorrectly transcribing or copying the same with the certificates endorsed thereon or attached thereto,\nword for word, letter for letter, figure for figure, sign for sign, and erasure for erasure, in books\nappropriate to the titles respectively endorsed on such instruments.\n|lff.altric\u00b0Pofflcc 12. Upon the opening of a district office, a transcript of the registrations affecting real estate in\n^SSSnooutatiiat such district prior to such opening shall be sent to the registrar of such district from the registrar\n1 to'tMdiuriM\"\"' general's office, and shall be kept in such district office as part of the records of such office.\n|BegiitrH. jg rp|ie registrars shall have the custody of and shall safely keep and preserve all the records, the\nI ^\"Svatioifof furniture and seal of their offices, but shall not be responsible if the same are lost, or destroyed by fire\nIJirecordT \u00b0 \u00b0 or other inevitable accident.\nI To entitle in- 14. Before any instrument other than a decree, judgment, or order of a Court of Civil Jurisdiction,\nstruments to be js registered, and to entitle the same to be registered in the said office, the execution thereof shall\nregistered. grg(. bave been acknowledged or proved in the manner hereinafter provided, such fact of acknowledgment or proof shall appear by a certificate under the hand and seal of the proper officer or other\nperson authorized to take such acknowledgments endorsed upon or attached to such conveyance,\ndeed, or other instrument.\n\u2022 Acknowledg- is. The acknowledgment or proof of execution of all instruments hereby authorized to be regis-\nTn\u00abc\u00b0utu)n>'to tered, if acknowledged or proved within the Colony, may be made to any registrar or to any person\nwhom'tobe commissioned in that behalf by the Judge of the Supreme Court of Civil Justice of British Columbia,\nmade within ancj jf acknowledged or proved without the Colony and within the British dominions, may be made\nwHWn\u00b0he Bri- t0 an>' judge of a court, or clerk or registrar of any court having a seal, or to any notary public, or\ntisb dominions, to any magistrate of any town or district within the said dominions, and if acknowledged or proved\nI if a^no^\" without the British dominions may be made to any British ambassador, chargd d'affaires, or minister,\nI- tbeSBriUshh0Ut consul, or consular agent appointed to reside in the country where such acknowledgment or proof is\ndominions. made, or to any judge of any Court of Record having a seal, or to any notary public practising in\nsuch country.\nJudge of Su- 16. The Judge of the Supreme Court of Civil Justice for the time being may appoint by commis-\npreme Court to sion such and as many competent persons other than the persons before mentioned as may be\nI appoint officers necegsary for the accommodation of the public, to take the acknowledgment and proof of the execution\nMgments-.n\u00b0W\" of all instruments in writing within the Colony which may by law be registered.\nParty acknow- 17- No acknowledgment of the execution of any instrument affecting any real estate within this\nledging must Colony shall be taken unless the party offering to make such acknowledgment shall appear before the\neither be known officer taking the same, and unless such party shall either be personally known to the officer, or his\nI acknowiedg-'\"8 identity be proven by the oath or affirmation of a competent witness, and no certificate of acknow-\nn the 1st c\nion of all\nry Office a\nrict, shall\nayofN\nt'New V\ngofan\nbe regi\nivember 1861, and the other\nnomination respectively, and\nffice therein as aforesaid, all\ntered in the office of such\n11 be kept\nfew Year's\nDay, an\ntime be\nvery\ndec\nchoth\n*red in\ner public, holid\nthe Colonv, f\ntjl\nquested, a\nM upor\nth\npayn\nent of the proper PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 75\nledgment shall be valid unless it recites in substance and legal effect the facts required by this '\n18. Acknowledgments and proofs of the execution of instruments entitled to be registered may '\nfor the purposes of this Act be made by\u2014 \u00b0\n1. The party executing in person such instrument. f\n2. The attorney in fact when such instrument is executed by an attorney in fact. l\n3. The secretary of any corporation when such instrument is executed by such secretary. \u201e\n4. A subscribing witness to such instrument. c\nProvided always, that no acknowledgment of any party executing in person such conveyance, deed,\nor other instrument shall be taken, unless in addition to what is required by Section 17 of this Act,\nsuch party acknowledge that he is the person mentioned in such instrument as the maker thereof, and\nwhose name is subscribed thereto as a party, that he knows the contents thereof, and that he executed\nthe same voluntarily, and no certificate of acknowledgment shall be valid unless in addition to what\nis required by Section 17 to be recited, it recites in substance and legal effect the facts required by\nthis proviso. And provided also, that no acknowledgment by an attorney in fact shall be taken unless\nin addition to what is required by Section 17 of this Act, such attorney in fact shall acknowledge\nthat he is the person who subscribed the name of (naming the maker) to the instrument, that said\n(naming the maker) is the same person mentioned in the instrument as the maker thereof, that\n(naming the attorney in fact) knows the contents of the instrument and subscribed the name of\n(naming the maker) thereto voluntarily as the free act and deed of the said (naming the maker), and\nno certificate of such acknowledgment shall be valid unless in addition to what is required by\nSection 17 to be recited, it shall recite in substance and legal effect the facts required by this proviso.\nAnd provided also, that no acknowledgment by the secretary of any corporation shall be taken\nunless in addition to what is required by Section 17 of this Act, such secretary acknowledge that he\nsuch instrument, and that he was first duly authorized to subscribe and to affix the said seal to the\nsame, and no certificate of such acknowledgment shall be valid unless in addition to what is required\nAnd provided also, that no'acknowledgment by a married woman shall be taken unless in addition to\nwhat is required by Section 17, such married woman shall be first made acquainted with the contents\nof the instrument and the nature and effect thereof, and shall acknowledge on examination apart\nfrom and out of hearing of her husband that she knows the contents of the instrument and understands\nthe nature and effect thereof, that she executed the same voluntarily without fear or compulsion or\nundue influence of her husband,' that she is of full age and competent understanding, and does not\nwish to retract the execution of the same, and no certificate of such acknowledgment shall be valid\nunless in addition to what is required by Section 17 to be recited, it recites in substance and legal\neffect the facts required by this proviso. And provided also, that no acknowledgment or proof by a\nsubscribing witness shall be taken unless in addition to what is required by Section 17 of this Act,\nsuch subscribing witness shall acknowledge that he is the person whose name is subscribed to the\ninstrument as a witness, and shall prove that (namii \u25a0\nas the .maker did execute the same, and no certificate\nunless in addition to what is required by Section 1\neffect the facts required by this proviso.\n19. That upon the application of any person taking\nby virtue of any instrument entitled under this Act t,\nsuch last mentioned person, verified under the oat\nsuch instrument residing or being within twenty m\nledge or testify touching the execution thereof, and tl\nsuch acknowledgment or testimony, the registrar m\nor witness to appear before him, and to acknowledge\n20. That every person who, after having been ser\nneglect to appear without reasonable cause assign*\nanswer upon oath or affirmation touching the mat\nexceeding 20\/. sterling, which may be recovered before any justice of the peace in a summary way, testify,\nand for such damages as may be sustained by such party on account of such neglect or refusal; but Jjjj' \u00b0|\nno person shall be required to attend unlesB his reasonable expenses shall have been first tendered to\nhim, together with a reasonable sum for his loss of time.\n21. That it shall be competent for the Supreme Court of Civil Justice aforesaid to issue a com- Commi\nmission for taking the deposition of any subscribing witness to any instrument entitled under this Act jjjjjy^\nbefore itT and that all the costs of such commission, and all directions for executing the same, shall\nbe at the discretion of the said Court, regard being had to the general provisions of this Act.\n22. When any instrument authorized by law to be registered shall be deposited in the registrar's Registi\noffice for registration, the registrar, or in the case of the Registrar General, the Registrar General or d\"tjyi\u00b0\"\nhis deputy shall endorse upon the same the exact time when it was so deposited, noting the year,\nmonth, day, hour and minute of its reception, which shall be considered the date of registration, and\nwhen tbe same shall have been registered, shall also note at tbe foot of the register or record thereof;\nthe year, month, day, hour, and minute when it was deposited for registration, and shall sign the\nrecord thereof, and shall also note under his signature and seal upon each instrument registered the\nbook and pages of the book in which, and the time when, it is registered, before it is returned to\nthe party entitled to the same.\n\u202223. From the time any instrument affecting real estate, acknowledged and certified as required by P^S\"*\nK 2 'mP\nthe maker) whc\nf such acknowle\nto be recited, it\nse name is subscribed t\ndgment or proof shall be\nrecites in substance and\nvalid\nlegal\nany grant, lease,\nes of any office\nr testify^\nd with such noti\n, or appearing s\nr aforesaid, shs\nq writing requiring such\nler or\nthout\nparty\nce as aforesaid, shall ref\nnail refuse to acknowlec\n11 be liable to a penalt\nge or PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nttion, all persons shall be deemed to have notice of the contents and legal effect\nther than the actual parties thereto, shall be deemed to have notice of any instru-\nMtate in the said Colonv executed after the said 1st day of November 186), unless\nledged or proved and certified, and registered pursuant to this Act, and every\nr made which shall not be acknowledged or proved, certified and registered pur-\niiJl be void as against any subsequent purchaser or incumbrance of the same real\nve registered the instrument under which his title as purchaser or incumbrance\n; herein contained shall be construed to impair the\n'fraud or conspiracy.\ny real estate shall be\nf the person from whom such release, satis-\njse favour the same is made an instrument in\nid such instrument shall be acknowledged or\n\u2022, satisfaction, or discharge, refuses or neglects\nby the party entitled to the same to execute\ni like penalty of \u00a320 as aforesaid to be levied\nisioned by such neglect or refusal.\nI by this Act, shall be deemed to be revoked\ncontaining such revocation acknowledged or\nshall be delivered for registration,\nof any maker of a power of attorney, or the\ndeputy, and the Registrar of each district in which such real estate is situate.\n28. It shall be the duty of every registrar or deputy registrar served with such affidav\naforesaid, immediately to register the same in an affidavit book to be kept for that purpot\n\u2022 write on the pages of the register on which such power of attorney is registered, a note to\nfollowing \" alleged to be revoked by\" (death, insanity, &c, &c), see registered affidavit (pa-\ncertified by the registrar, or in case of the Registrar-General's office by him or the Registrar-General's\ndeputy to be full, true, and correct copies, may, in the absence of the original, and if produced by a\nparty not having the control of the original, be read in evidence in all courts of law and equity\n31. The certificate of any officer authorized to take acknowledgments pursuant to this Act shall be\nprimfi facie evidence of the facts therein recited, but shall not be conclusive.\n32. Each registrar shall form and keep indices in separate volumes, in such manner as to afford\ncorrect and easy reference to the several records of his office.\n33. It shall be the duty of registrars, upon the application of any person set forth in distinct and\nspecific terms in writing, to make searches for all instruments deposited and registered in his office,\ntouching or affecting the real estate specified in such application, and to furnish a certificate of every\nsuch search, stating the names of the parties to such instruments, tlie dates thereof, the year, month,\nday, hour, and minute they were deposited or registered, and the book and page where they are\n34. For the official services rendered by the registrars they are hereby authorized and empowered\nto charge the following fees, viz. :\u2014\nFor taking tbe acknowledgment or proof of any instrument which may by law be registered, for\neach signature of a party if more than one, four shillings, if onlv one signature eiresaid, and which shall be suspended in the office for the\nieneral from time to time as he shall see fit, with the sanction {\ni change the amount of any of the aforesaid fees, and to a\nlal fees as may be deemed expedient, provided that a list of \\\nmade and sanctioned, be laid before the Governor within a\nst shall be suspended in a conspicuous place in the Registration, after which\nThen\nhfees\nball.k\n\u25a0epa\no cha.\naccount of all fees rece\nusurer, whose receipt\nover such altered\nister any instrum\ntheir offices until\nred in their office\nAnd such fees when si\nshall include Ian.\nshall include eve\nof Civil Jurisdici\n38. Nothi\nruction of this Act the follo\\\nere be something repugnant o\ntenements, and hereditaments,\nirer shall form part of the public monies belonging\ntrig words used therein shall have the following r\ncontradictory in the context, viz.: \"real estate\" c\nvhether corporeal or incorporeal. \"Instrument\" ,,\nrid every judgment, decree, or order of any Court i\n'ore contained shall be deemed to apply to any instrument of whatever\ne before the said 1st day of November 1861, but any instrument made prior to the said\n1st of November 1861, although not acknowledged or proved and certified as provided in this Act,\nmay be registered in the offices of the said registrars, and all such last-mentioned records shall be\nmade and kept in a manner as nearly as may be the same as herein appointed for instruments of a\nlike nature dated subsequently to the said first day of November 1861.\nAnd indices shall also be kept thereof as nearly as may be similar to those herein appointed for\ninstruments dated subsequently to the said 1st day of November 1861, but all such records and indices\nshall be kept separate and distinct from the records and indii\nquently to the said first day of November 1861.\n\u25a0 And all persons shall be deemed to have notice of any inst\nday of November 1861, which shall be registered pursuant\nshall be delivered to the Registrar-General for registration.\n39. This Act may he cited as the \" British Columbia Land Registry Act, 1861.\"\nIssued under the \"public seal of the -said Colony at Victoria, Vancoi\n( l.s. ) twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand\nand sixty-one, and in the twenty-fifth y\nBy his Excellency's command,\nWilliam A. G. Young.\nGod save the Quee*\nmade subse-\nthe said 1st\nof Her Majesty's reign, by'n\nJAMES DOUGLAS.\nAppendix No. 8.\nBRITISH COLUMBIA.\u2014N\nProclamation.\u2014No. 9, a.d., 1861. By his Excellency Jamei\nHonourable Order of the Bath, Governor and Commander\nDependencies, Vice-Admiral of the same, &c, &c.\nWhereas, under and by virtue of an Act of Parliament made and passed in the Session of Parliament held in the 21st and 22nd years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, entitled\n\"An Act to provide for the Government of British Columbia,\" and by a Commission under the\nGreat Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, I James Douglas, have been\nappointed Governor of the said Colony, and have been authorized by proclamation under the public\nAnd whereas it is expedient to amend anc\n.veyed crown lands in British Columbia :\nNow, therefore, I do hereby declare, procl\nI. The proclamation issued by me, under\nJanuary 1860, and the Pre-emption Amendm\nare hereby repealed.\nII. All purchasers of unsurveyed land in\nsubsequently to the 20th day of June 1861,\nhold the land purchased under precisely the s\ns for the peace\naffecting the se\norder,\ne public seal of the said Colony, dated t\nit Act, 1861, and the Pre-emption Purch\nBritish Columbia,\no shall have made their purchases p 20ST'1\n27 th day of August 1861, shall \u00a3w^\nins of occupation and improvement pre^\u00a3pti<\u00a3! 78 PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH QE&'UMBIA.\nks are mentioned in the said proclamation of the 4th day of January 1860, with regard to lands pre-\n' empted without purchase.\n| III. That from and after the date hereof, British subjects and aliens who shall take the oath of\noath allegiance to Her Majesty and her successors, may acquire the right to hold and purchase in fee\n\u2122t7 simple, unoccupied and unsurveyed and unreserved crown lands in British Columbia, not being the i\n'e site of an existent or proposed town, or auriferous land available for mining purposes, or an Indian\nSn reserve or settlement, under the following conditions.\nan jv_ The person desiring to acquire any particular plot of land of the character aforesaid, shall,\n\u00ab- thereof, with the magistrate residing nearest thereto; paying to the said magistrate the sum of eight\nles' shillings for recording such claim.\nJE? V. Any person in possession of 160 acres of land as aforesaid may acquire the right to hold and\n:\u2122-0 purchase any further tract of unsurveyed and unoccupied land aforesaid, over and above the quantity of\n\"e 160 acres aforesaid, and contiguous thereto, upon payment to the nearest magistrate of the sum of-\npaid to the Government upon the survey of the same land,\nr- VI. Any person so paying such deposit shall enter into possession and record his claim to such last-\nrthe VII. The claimant shall in all cases give the best possible description of the land to the magistrate\n* with whom his claim is recorded, together with a rough plan thereof, and identify the plot in question\nby placing at the corners of the land four posts, and by stating in his description any other land\nenl VIII. Every piece of land sought to be acquired under the provisions of this proclamation, shall,\n>- save as herein-after mentioned, be of a rectangular shape, and the shortest line thereof shall be at least\ntwo-thirds the length of the longest line.\nIX. Where the land sought to be acquired is in whole or in part bounded by mountains, rocks,\nrtam lakes, swamps, or the margin of a river, or by other natural boundaries, then such natural boundaries\nmay be adopted as the boundaries of the land sought to be acquired, and in such case it shall be\nsufficient for the claimant to show to the satisfaction of the magistrate that the said form conforms as\nnearly as circumstances permit to the provisions of this proclamation.\nJfi' \u2022 X. If the land sought to be acquired be bounded by a claim, the line of such claim may be\nadopted by the person so seeking to acquire, notwithstanding any irregularity in such line which\nmay have been occasioned by the adoption of a natural boundary by the claimant of the \"adjacent\nclaim.\n\u2122 XI. Where a piece of land is partially or entirely enclosed between two or more claims, tbe\njjs claimant may acquire such enclosed piece notwithstanding any irregularity of form, or disproportion\nin length of any of the sides.\nIdiBg XII. The boundaries shall run as nearly as possible by the cardinal points of the compass.\nXIII. When, the Government survey shall extend to the land claimed, the claimant who has\nrecorded his claim as aforesaid, or his heirs or devisees, or in_thfi_case of the grant of a certificate of\nimprovement herein-after mentioned, the assigns of such claimant shall, if he or they shall have been\n'. in continuous occupation of the same land from the date of the record aforesaid, be entitled to pur-\n\" chase the land so acquired, or in respect of which such deposit shall have been paid as aforesaid, at .\nsuch rate as may for the time being be fixed by the Government of British Columbia, not exceeding\nthe sum of 4s. '2d. per acre.\n{\u00a3- XIV. When the claimant, his heirs or devisees, shall prove to the nearest magistrate by the evidence j\n\u2122-e of himself and of third parties, that he or they has or have continued in permanent occupation of\n'*o the claim from the date of record, and has or have made permanent improvements thereon to the\npcr value of 10s. per acre, the said magistrate shall grant to the said claimant, his heirs or devisees, a\ncertificate of improvement in the form marked A., in the Schedule hereto.\nj^f XV. Upon,the grant of the cetificate of improvement aforesaid, the person to whom the same is '\n^. issued may, subject to any unpaid instalments, sell, mortgage, or lease the land in respect of which\n\"h such certificate has been issued, but no interest in any plot of land acquired in either of the methods\naforesaid, shall, before payment of the purchase money, be capable of passing to a purchaser, unless\nthe vendor shall have obtained such certificate of improvement as aforesaid.\n. XVI. Upon payment of the purchase money a conveyance of the land purchased shall be executed\n'ey\/ in favour of the purchaser, reserving the precious minerals, with a right to enter and work the same in\n. favour of the Crown, its assignees, and licensees.\nXVII. In the event of the Crown, its assignees, or licensees-availing itself or themselves of the\n' * shall be paid to, l\nle of dispute the sai\nth\neCro\nwn, its ass\n<*nees,\nof land l\neq aired\nthe 1\nmd taken,\nwasted,\nr da\nmaged as\nned by the\nNearest\nmil b\ne obtained\nby the S^P8\u2122\nPAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 79\nXIX. Whenever any person shall permanently cease to occupy land acquired in either of the British\nI methods aforesaid, the magistrate resident nearest to the land in question may, in a summary way, on Columbia-.\nbeing satisfied of such permanent cessation, cancel the claim of the person so permanently ceasing to \noccupy the same, and record the claim thereto of any other person satisfying the requisition afore- dS\"\u2122''^\u2122-\nXX. All deposits paid in respect of such forfeited claims, and all improvements, buildings, and ?^\u00b0m1m!!fo\u2122\"\nerections thereon, shall, (subject to the appeal herein-after mentioned,) on such cancellation, be fe?j[on conceU\nabsolutely forfeited ; and such claims, improvements, building and erections shall, subject to the appeal\nherein-after mentioned, be open to settlement by any other person.\nXXI. The decision of the magistrate may be appealed by either party to the decision of the Judge Appeal,\nof the Supreme Court PAPERS RELATING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nBRITISH COLUMBIA.-\nNo. 40.\nmes Douglas, Companion of the most\nnder-in-Chief of British Columbia and\nmation.\u2014No. 11, a.d. 1861. By 1\nmourable Order of the Bath, Gov.\nDependencies, Vice-Admiral of the same, &c, &c.\nreas, under and bv virtue of an Act of Parliament made and passed\neld in the 21st and 22nd years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen\nI Act to provide for the Government of British Columbia,\" and by a Corr.\nSeal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, I, James Dougk-, ...\nGovernor of the said Colony, and have been authorized by proclamation under the public seal atro\nsaid Colony to make laws, institutions, and ordinances for the peace, order, and good governm\nthe same. , , , f\nAnd whereas it is expedient to increase the limits of the municipality, and the number of\ncillors of New Westminster, and to extend the operation of the New Westminster Municipal Council\nAct, 1860, accordingly:\na of Parli\ne Great\n> been appointed\nFrot\nI extend the operation of the Nev\n1. All that tract of land, which includes the pi\ncity as Block XXXVI. shall be included in the\ndeemed and taken for all the purposes of this Ac\n2. All that tract of land, which includes the pit\ncity as Block XXXV. shall be included in th\ndeemed and taken for all the purposes of th\nI enact as follows:\u2014\nof land described on the official maps of the s\n3nd part of the schedule of the said Act, and\nan integral portion of number One Ward,\nof land described on the official maps of the f\niecond part of the schedule of the said Act, and\nas an integral portion of number Three Ward.\nbe\ndd\n. All that tract of land which includes the piece of land described on the official maps of th\ncity as Block XXXIV. shall be included in the fifth part of the schedule to the said. Act, and- be\ndeemed and be taken for all the purposes of this Act as an integral portion of number Four Ward, ^i\n( 4. In addition to the councillors already provided by the said Act, there shall be elected, in the\nsame manner and with the same qualifications as at present, one additional councillor for number\nOne Ward, and one additional councillor for number Four Ward.\n5. The \" New Westminster Municipal Council Act, 1860,\" shall be deemed and taken,\n, hereby declared to extend and apply in all respects to the additional limits and councillors hereby\ncreated for the said city, as if the same had been originally included in the said Act.\n6. This Act shall be cited as the \" New Westminster Municipal Council Extension Act, 1861.\"\nIssued under the public seal of the said Colony at Victoria, Vancouver Island, this Twenty-\n( l.s. ) second day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixw\none, and in the twenty-fifth year of Her Majesty's reign, by me,\nJAMES DOUGLAS.\nBy his Excellency's command,\nWilliam A. G. Young.\nI ","type":"literal","lang":"en"},{"value":"Other Copies: http:\/\/www.worldcat.org\/oclc\/13620366
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