IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. ^ ./^ 1.0 I.I 1.25 iM m m |||Z2 12.0 6' U ill 1.6 <^ ^ /}. A VI el (?^ /^ Photographic Sciences Corporation ^v 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 •1>^ :\ \ ^^t^\ ^ ;\ ^>^^^^-^^^M:^3r.. A SENSIBLE ROAD I Gai^adiai^ Pacific Railway b the Mort 8ubitonti»l uid PerfeoUy Built |UUw«y on the OonttoMit <>« Am«ri<». «* «5«*^ •J'^J^?* TOURISTS WUl tod the New Route through Canada from the AOwitic to the ^oiflc ««»»P!r*i**^if*5J!J5f^ r?S! uadwttleto of eoeneiT by anyother line of travel. The rumed wildemess pl^the Nor* Shore of Lake sSwSot ae DlotureSne l2Se of the Woods Region, the MftowT Vrairies of the Canadian Norto-Wert. ti?nitoWgraS»deurS thft Rocldei, the marreto of the SeUdrke and Gold Range, the wondrous beauty of the SMsSoOoMtTaretraTenwd byTMe «reat itastleM UmnU. Being entirely oontroUed and managed terrae ComiM^. the CABSdlaB Paelle Kallwaj offers special advantages to transpontinental S^TOuSrsXl^ot beinmted by any other line. It is the Best, the Safest and Fasteat Boute from Ocean to Ooeui. The Company have spared no expense in providtag for the wants and comfort of <*««' P!»wo'». *■ S^fUne of DiniiwUaraand Mountain Hotels wiU at all times testify, being supplied with aU that itoe most fastidious can denre. Transcontinental Sleeping Gars Are proTided with Sofa Sections and Bathing Accommodation, and offer aU the comfort and oontenltenoe of Virstrdass Hotels. They are specially conitruoted •> admit of the Scenery being viewed in all dtreotioni). PASSENOER FARES AS f-OW AS ANY OTHER LINE. Throuih Tickets from Halifax, Qukbeq. Montbiai. Ottawa, Prbsoott. BR0CKvn.u», Torghxo, HAHIMW; I^»iSKaSl aU poiito in OanSii ; ateo from ilKW YoM. Bobton and aU the prindpal points taNewBniwnd States, to Vawcouvbr. Victoria, and other points in British OolumWvand to Port- land, Oi«.. Pdobi SorKD Ports. San Frakoibco. ete. Insist on getting your tickets via the Canadian Pacific Railway. OohMiists receive special attention by this route. Free Colonist Sleeping Cars being supplied for their accommodation. FreiriitShiPPe™ can have their goods transported without the vexatious delays and damage inoidento tot& frSqi^ tomsfers necessary by other routes, and without the expense and annoyance of customs requitementa. Rates are Lower than by any other Boute Biurinen ooneBpondenoe. invited, and attention if addiesied to any of the O. M. BOSWORTH, Asiit Frttoht Tmfflo Mpr., ■ O. fc A. and E. Dtvifltoiia, Toronto. W. E. OAIAiAWAY, W. t: BOO. i>«^SS«X^2f^ ^«.^ will meet witii prompt and ooniteons nndermentioned Offioen or Agents. irtmto, mdi. R. KERR. General Passenger Agent. _^\ W. *F- IMvidoas, Wiiuiip«(. E. V. SKINNER. General JBastem Ag«^ ^ ^ 363 Broadway^ Vi*' York. 0. B. Mcpherson, as^ g«i. Pa«u Agt. Atiantto IHvm *»,. 8t. John, N-B., Mid 311 - WMMMton Stie et,Bo rt»«■•!"■••*' " •f'W '*'■ / 'S,^ 1/ I < w * i< I ^M ...^ I «j!l': w ^r I !•,?■■„- Ai'3Mi , surjiroi''' I:/ v«»- ^ ' 'V *. V?* T/- ■ ■ -is. . V - \ \ ' V. N ■1^^ ;. . i: •r )^' ''•^>^\. t * *■ i'^" ,s>»'' ','< ^■■iv^"*: ,1 ' ^ ^ A Cul ^ 0*0 H i Jm ^^^^j^s^::-'^'^-'^ ^w/'T^.'^'Tf"^.?-; r (. 4 s> v-i-^ „r'^-v'^-* ^/^g/ -• '^ m^. 64' 126^ 125' 124^ 123' 122' LONQITUDE 121° west iFfancofs s Lake ^^'«^pry^. y/vbvMr/Vfi fOftEsr aiuNT/tr ) fiiinin.il Itiike 120° — — ^^M . JItcha Mts. 120° FROM 110° QREEMWICH 118° 117° 19° 116° 1140 ^^. MAP .^^ 1 -■ OF- •- CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY BRITISH COLUMBIA •4 ANO »- PACIFIC COAST CONNECTIONS SCALE OF STATUTE MILES. > 6 i[) ap 9» IM^ H Ptgimi auitl»Lr S thMLA B tit* **%. ?9^ Jf^ mM: I POClJS BWOa., ENOB'8, CM(CA0O, LOMQITUOE W£8T ~s^* j^'" ( ifmnr^,,,^ «H ^jl <»«r 8f row S/ m BlUf fo ' Looml8 FtJ ibepherd ogL^V^VI tBonapartt >':v ^Chelan I*; Westfleld G 'Vl^atervUle OouleeOK Bl¥»Lak»t Barry *^ Voorbees o -0^ 9> <6 Sfeolvllle*, S!,I ft // 3° Hunters 'Fruitlaoid 4* /v- Sherman yj Orostoi^v Mondovl r Parrott o Davenpc Harringtouo (.Looh^Lake^^ Oranlte DeerPar^ SPOKAr W^- isburi; Medical iS, Chenew Sauaer Jc. _ ,, ^5, )Fre eman __ (solil ^j^i^Oakesdal^ St.J/nn^£j*»*Belmont\ (•^O* Garfleldj B Santao Ifuxntio! 720° fAOtf /W QREENWIOH 118^ Starnor 40° 117° ^ r v ^^,momp «n^ V, r^ % 1 ^ ^1 h ^' '^i 1180 r/ff*> . f w^ \ . •7- 'jt^x:' ■:\ ■■■ ■ jj(fW¥ & ' ft r *: f :.a , ?\ f / BRITISH - Columbia Thb Pacific Province ok the Dominion ok Canada ITS POSITION, RESOURCES AND CLIMATE -A NEW FIELD FOR FAMING, RANCHING AND MINING ALONO THK LINK OV THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY FULL INFORMATION FOR INTENDING SETTLERS V 1892 ■* A FOBBST BOAD IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. -M sp^r?. BRITISH COLUMBIA ITS POSITION, RESOURCES AND CLIMATE. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. ^^'~>' ONCERNING the Province of British Columbia, which the / / Canadian Pacilic Kailway so suddenly transfornied into an V (» y easily accessible and profitable field for commercial enterprise, ^^i^ the majority of people have only very indistinct ideas. The object of this pamphlet is to impart reliable information of the country, its present condition and capabilities, and the important posi- tion it now holds and in the future will occu])y, in its relations with the other provinces of the Dominion, the trade of the Pacific Coast, and the commerce of the world The completion of the Canaflian Pacific Railway was the dawn of a new era on the North Pacific Coast. The province that has been lightly spoken of as a "Sea of Moun^iins," deriving a certain majesty from its isolation, is now traversed by a railway, accurately described as the highway between Liverpool and Hong Kong. The comnletion of this road allows the current of trade to now uninterruptedly between the Atlantic and the Pacific. The history of British Columbia may be summed up in a few sen- tences. After a number of years, during which British Columbia, under various names, was occupied only by Indians and Traders of the North- west Company, afterwards amalgamated with the Hudson's Bay Com- pany ; Vancouver Island, an important part of the province, was made a colony in 1819. In 1858 the mainland territory became a colony, with the name of British Columbia, and in 18(56 the two colonies were united, and so remained until July 20th, 1871, when British Columbia, retaining its appellation, entered the Confederation of Canada. In 1881 the Canadian Government entered into a contract with a syndicate of capitalists to build a railway from Ontario to the Pacific Ocean, and to complete and operate it by tne year 1891. An Act of Par- liament was passed embodying the contract with the Syndicate, a com- pany was organised, and work was immediately commenced and prose- cuted with such vigor that the last rail in the gigantic railway that now binds British Columbia to the Eastern provinces of Canada was laid in November, 1883, six years before the time stipulated in the contract between the Government and the Company. This road has pierced the successive ranges of the Rocky Mountains, Selkirk, Gold ranges, etc. ; it has penetrated the then unknown country on the north of Lake Superior and opened a way from ocean to ocean. The busy life that teems on either side of the Atlantic already surges towards the west, impatient to reach the latent wealth of the Western provinces, and to Hoek on the shores of the Pacific new fields for its enterprise and capital. THE MAINLAND OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. THE GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF THE PROVINCE. British Columbia, the most westerly province o^ Canada, lies between the 49th parallel of north latitude (the international boundary between Canada and the United States) and latitude 60° N., and extends west- ward from the summit of the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean, and includes Vancouver Island and Queen Charlotte Islands. British Columbia, which contains a superficial area of about 300,000 square miles, is one of the most important provinces of the Dominion, as well from a political as from a commercial point of view. With that island it is to a maritime nation invaluable, for the limits of British Columbian coal iields can only be guessed at, while enough coal has already been discovered on Vancouver Island to cover the uses of a cen- tury. The harbours of this province are unrivalled. Vancouver, the Pacific terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway, is the point of em- barkation for Japan e.nA China in the new and shortest highway to the Orient. The voyage from London to Yokohama has already been made in 21 days via the Canadian Pacific Railway, and this time will be still further reduced. It will soon be the highway to Australasia. Its prin- cipal seaport must attract not only a large portion of the China and Australian rapid transit trade, but must necessarily secure much of the commerce of the Pacific Ocean. Its timber is unequalled in quantity, quality, or variety ; its mines already discovered, ana its gn u extent of unexplored country, speak of vast areas of rich mineral wealth ; its waters, containing marvellous quantities of most valuable fish, combine to give British Columbia a value that has been little understood. The author of " Greater Britain" says : "The position of the vari- ous stores of coal in the Pacific is of extreme importance as an index to the future distribution of power in that portion of the world ; but it is not enough to know where coal is to be found, without looking also to the quantity, quality, cheapne s of labour, and facility of transport The three countries of the Pacific which must rise to manufacturing great- ness are Japan, British Columbia, and New South Wales." The Rocky Mountains rise abruptly at their eastern base from the plain or prairie region of Central Canada. They are composed of a number of more or less nearly parallel ranges, which have a genernl direction a little west of north, and a breadth of over sixty miles. Between the 51st and .52nd parallels the ranges decrease rapidly in height. The surface of the country between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean may be divided into two subordinate mountain districts, flanking on either side an irregular belt of high platpau country, which extends with an average width of about 100 miles. The large islands of VancoTiver and Queen Charlotte shelter the mainland coast. In the extreme north of the province the mount" ins generally, except those of the coast range, diminish in height, and the surface has a gentle northerly and north-easterly slope. THE HARBOURS. Of the many harbours, the principal are English Bay and Coal Har- bpur, at the entrance to Burrard Inlet, a few miles north of the Fra«»er River. Vancouver, the terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway, is situated between these harbours. Port Essington, at the mouth of the Skeena, promises to be much used for the northern gold field tra^c, and Waddington Harbour, at the head of Bute Inlet, is said to be the natural outlet for a large tract of valuable country in the interior. But, numer- ous as are the harbours along the coast, th«ir respective merits have all been duly weighed, and all have been discarded in favour of the harbours in Burrard Inlet, which have been adopted by the railway. Vancouver is the eastern terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway Co.'s Royal Mail S.S. line (including the Empress of India, the Empress of China, and the Empress of Japan), running monthly to Japan and China. For the coast trade the other harbours are all valuable. THE RIVERS. Of the rivers of British Columbia the principal are the Fraser, the Columbia, and the Peace, The Fraser is the great water course of the province. It rises in the northern part of the Rocky Mountains, runs for about 200 miles in two branches, in a westerly direction, and then in one stream runs due south for over 300 miles before turniner to rush through the gorges of the coast range to the Straits of Georgia, On its way it receives the waters of a number of other streams, many of which would be rivers of some magnitude in other countries. Amongst these are the north and south branches of the Thompson, the Chilicoten, the Lillooet, the Nicola, the Harrison, the Pitt, and numerous others. The Columbia is a large river rising in the southern part of the pro- vince, in the neighbourhood of the Rocky Mountains, near the Kootenay Lake. This lake is now traversable by regular steamboat service. The Columbia runs due north beyond the 52nd degree of latitude, when it takes a sudden turn and runs due south into Washington State. It is this loop made by the abrupt turn of the river that is known as the "great bund of the Columbia." The Kootenay waters fall into the returning branch of this loop. The Peace River rises some distance north of the north bend of the Fraser, and flows ea.^twardly through the Rocky Mountains, draining the plains on the other side. It more properly belongs to the district east of the mountains that ^ears its name. In the far north are the Skeena River and Stikcjn flowing into the Pacific, the latter being in the country of the latest gold mining operations. The Fraser River is navigable for river boats to Yale, a small town 110 miles from the mouth ; and larger vessels, drawing 20 ieet, can ascend to New Westminster, situated about 15 miles from the mouth. THE ERASER RIVER DISTRICT. On either side of the river below New Westminster is good arable land. It is subject to occasional overflow, but this quickly subsidps, and floods the land only for a short distance from the banks. The whole of the lower Fraser country is much esteemed for farming. The soil is rich and strong, and heavy yields are obtained without much labour. Verv large returns of wheat have been got from land in this district— as much as 62 bushels from a measured acre, 75 bushels of oats per acre, and hay thrt yielded 3| tons to the acre. Good prices are realized for all farm proauce. This part of British Columbia is fairly well settled but there is still ample room for new comers. Those having a little money to use, and desirous of obtaining a ready made farm, may find many to choose from. These settlements are not all on the Fraser ; some are at a dis- tance from it on other streams. The climate, described elsewhere, proves to be a great temptation to many. The proximity of the great river and the Canadian Pacific Rail- 6 way are additional attractions. The Thompson is navigable from a point on the Canadian Pacific Railway at Spence's Bridge, through Kamloops Lake to Clearwater on the North Thompson, and through the South Thompson, and Shuswap Lake, to some distance up the Spallum- cheen River. The Columbia is navigable between the point at which the Canadian Pacific Railway crosses the western side of the loop which the river makes at Revelstoke, and Colville, a town in Washington State. BURRARD .INLET. VANCOUVER, POPULATION 20,000, THE CANADIAN PACIFIC TERMINUS. About two or three miles from the delta formed by the Eraser River is Burrard Inlet, a land-locked sheet of water accessible at all times to vessels of all sizes, at the entrance to which are the harbours of Coal Harbour and English Baj'. Vancouver is 7.') miles from Victoria and 35 miles from Naniamo, on Vancouver Island. This, the most accessible and in several ways best anchorage on the mainland, was the one selected by the Canadian Pacific Railway at which to make their western terminus. On a peninsula having Coal Hai-bour on the east and English Bay on the west is the new city of Vancouver. It is surrounded by a country of rare beau'y, and the climate is milder and less varying than that of Devonshire and more pleasant than that of Delaware. Backed in the far distance by the Olympian range, sheltered from the north by the moun- tains of the coast, and sheltered from the ocean by the high lands of Van- couver Island, it is protected on every side, while enjoying a constant sea breeze and a view of the Straits of Georgia, whose tranquil waters bound the city on two sides. The inlet affords unlimited space for sea- going ships, the land falls gradually to the sea, rendering drainage easy, and the situation permits of indefinite expansion of the city in two direc* tions. It has a splendid and inexhaustible water supply brought from a lake in a ravine of one of the neighbouring heights. The Canar) ian Pacific Railway was completed to Vancouver in May, 1887, when the first through train arrived in that city from Montreal. That year, also, the Canadian Pacific Company put a line of steamships on the route between V^ancouver and Japan and China. Those two important projects gave an impetus to the growth of the city, by placing its advantages entirely beyond the realm of speculation, and the advancement made was truly marvellous. A great conflagration, in June, 188(5, nearly wiped the young wooden city out of existence, but before the embers died, materials for rebuilding were on their way, and, where small wooden structures were beiore, there arose grand edifices of stone, brick and iron. Under the influence of the large transportation interests which were established there the next year, the building of the city px'ogressed rapidly, and during 1887 most of the city plat was cleared of timoer, and a large amount of street work was done. Electric cars run in the streets and there is a service of electric cars to and from New Westminster, on the Eraser River. The Hotel Vancouver, in comfort, luxury and refinement of service is equal to any hotel on the continent, and in the vicinity of this hotel is an Opera House admitted to be unsurpassed in elegance by any outside of New York. Since that time its progress has been unhindered by any disaster. The city is laid out on a magnificent scale, and it is being built up in a ^ -<;&. \\v, '*n\ style fully in accord with the plan. Its residences, business blocks, hotels and public buildings of all classes would be creditable to any city. In addition to the great transportation lines of the Canadian Pacific Railway and the steamship lines to Japan and China and to Australia, the city has connections with all important points along the Pacific coast. The boats employed in the mail service between Vancouver and Japan and China are three magnificent new steel steamships snecially designed L r that trade. Steamers ply between Vancouver and Victoria daily, to Naniamo three times a week, and all Paget Sound ports and to Portland and San Francisco. The Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern and the Bellingham Bay and British Columbia roads, and other valuable con- necting systems are now in operation and give closer connections with the different cities and towns of the Pacific Coast. The following table of distances will be useful for reference. Miles Vancouver to Montreal 2,906 Vancouver to New York, via Brock ville 3, 163 Vancouver to Boston, via. Montreal 3,248 Vancouver to Liverpool, via Montreal 5,713 San Francisco to New York 3,266 San Francisco to Boston 3,370 Yokohama, Japan, to Liverpool, via San Francisco. . .11,281 Yokohama, Japan, to Liverpool, Via Vancouver 10,047 Melbourne to Liverpool, via Vancouver 13,707 Melbourne to Liverpool, via San Francisco 14,211 Liverpool to Hong Kong, via Vancouver 11.649 " " via San Francisco 12,883 Vancouver to Yokohama 4,300 " Hong Kong 5,936 " Calcutta 8,987 " London, via Suez Canal 15,735 NEW WESTMINSTER. This flourishing city was founded by Colonel Moody during the Fraser River gold excitement in 1858. It is the headquarters of the salmon canning industry, and the population is about 6,000. It is situ- ated on the north bank of the Fraser River, fifteen miles from its mouth, is accessible for deep water shipping, and lies in the centre of a tract of country of rich and varied resources. New Westminster is chiefly known abroad for its salmon trade and its lumber business, but the agricultural interests of the district are now coming into prominence and giving the city additional stability. A large and valuable tract of farming land in the province is in the south- west corner, in the valley and delta of Fraser River, and New Westmin- ster is situated in the midst of that great garden. Lulu, Sea and West- ham islands, comprising the delta of the river, have an area of over fifty thousand acres ot the choicest land. It is not heavily timbered, and the rich soil yields crops of first quality and in surprising quantity. Year by year new districts are opened up, and there is excellent farming land in all of them. The agricultural productions include the common grains, roots, vegetab^sand a variety of fruits, and these are produced in great abundance. A failure of crops was never known in that region. Dairy- ing is a profitable industry, and it is growing in importance. While in the valley there is no government land to speak of, a considerable portion 6t the area is yet unimproved and may be purchased at moderate prices. On the northern branches of the Fraser there are still eligible locations which may be obtained from the Government or from the Kailway Com" panv on reasonable terms. In the interior there are large amounts of land of all degrees of fertility and in all sorts of locations, that are wait- ing for settlers. There are several large salmon canneries within easy reach of New Westmininster. These establishments represent an invested capital of $500,000, they employ over five thousand men during the fishing season, and pay out over $400,000 a year for supplies. This is one of the most important inuustries of that region. Lumbering operations are also extensive and profitable. New Westminster has direct con- nections with all transcontinental trains. ALONG THE LINE OP THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY. At Yale, a small town about 90 miles from the head of Burr"^*^ Inlet, and at the entrance to the mountain gorges through which Fraser Riv«r rushes to the sea, a change of the characteristics of country appears. From this point to the Gold Range, about 200 muca by rail, the rainfall is slight and uncertain. Agriculture is carried on by means of irrigation, a mode preferred by many as enabling the culti- vator to regulate the growth of his crops, and certainly possessing advantages after the first slight outlay has been incurred. Fifty-seven miles north of Yale, on the line of the railway, isLytton, a small town, owing its existence tc a now washed out gold bar in its vicinity. Here the Thompson flows into the Fraser, and from this valley a large district of arable and pastoral land begins. In fact over very considerable areas, far exceeding in the aggregate the arable areas of the coast region, the interior is, in parts, a farming country up to 2,500 to 3.000 feet. Cultivation is, however, restricted, as a rule, to the val- leys and terraces. The soil consists commonly of mixtures of clay and sand, varying with the character of the local formation and of white silty deposits. They everywhere yield large crops of all the cereals, vegetables and roots, when favourably situated. The climate is much hotter in summer that the climate of the coast regions. Tomatoes, melons and cucumbers thrive in the open air in most parts. Very fine- fruit can be grown. Now that access to the markets on the Eastern side of the mountains has been opened by the Canadian Pacific Railway^ fruit growing will become one of the principal industries both in this and other parts of the province. As a grazing country this wide sweep of territory is unexcelled. Cattle and sheep that feed on bunch-grass, which is the pasturage of this region, produce the best b^ef and mutton on the continent. In the district where the heavier rainfall occurs, the bunch-grass is supplanted by red-top, blue-joint and other more familiar grasses. The bunch- grass country is equally valuable for horses ; it affords them excellent pasturage during tne winter, for though the outside may be frosted the heart remains sweet and good, and the animals keep in excellent condition. There is a ready demand for British Columbia horses east of the Rocky Mountains- UP THE FRASER. There are numerous small settlements in this district, particularly up the valley of the Fraser, on the Lillooet and between the Fraser ill: lis ', I 11 and Kamloops Lake. In summpr a steamer runs on the Fraser from Soda Creek, 150 miles north of Lytton, to Quesnele, sixty miles farther up the river, the surroundiug country which is traversed by the Govern- ment wagfjon road, producing heavy crops of grain and fruit. Beyond this is the Cariboo country, from which a great deal of gold has been taken. In 18o0 and the following few years a number of gold bearing creeks were discovered in the Cariboo district, great numbers of men flocked to the place, and very large quantities of gold were taken out, but the work was mainly confined to placer mining. Rich veins exist, and with the use of proper machinery, which can now be taken into the country, large results will be obtained. Westward of the Fraser lies the Chilicoten prairies of large extent, but they are not likely to invite much settlement whiie quantities of excellent land nearer the railway remain to be taken up. KAMLOOPS AND THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT. About 40 miles north of Lytton the Canadian Pacific Railway turns due east to Kamloops, a thriving town situated on the South Thompson, a few miles above its junction with Kamloops Lake. Kamloops was originally a Hudsons Bay Company's post, and round this a prosperous little town has growu up. It is in a good grazing neighbourhoood, and has been used by the H. B. Co. as a horse breeding district. The country round is well settled, a large number of farmers having established them- selves in the neighbourhood of the Lake, and on the banks of the Thomp* son, within the last two or three years. The lak0 is 25 miles long, and a steamer runs from Kamloops town to Savona's Ferry at the other end. South of this is a hilly, well-timbered country, in which large numbers of cattle are raised. In parts it is well-watered with lakes, marshes and small streams, and in the Okanagan and Spallumcheen valleys, the soil is a deep, clayer loam, producing goods crops of cereals and roots without irrigation. The climate of this southern pait of the ?irovince is healthy, with moderate winters and there is plenty of timber or the use of settlers. A small steamer runs on the Spallumcheen River through the Shuswap Lal-es, lying between Kamloops and the mountains and down the South Thompson to Kamloops. THE NICOLA VALLEY Forms part of *„he Yale District, and is due south of the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Spence's Bridge being the principal out- let for this fine section of country. Whilst it is specically adapted to pasto'-al pursuits, it is no less fitted for agriculture and the growth of all classes of cereaH. The crops already grown are excellent in quality and the yield iinexceptionally large. There is a greater tendency now to mixed farming than in the past. In a few years Nicola Valley will become as famous for its grain, roots, vegetables and fruit of all kinds, as it has been for its bunch-grass fed cattle. This vaUey is also rich in its mineral deposits. The principal mines for the precious metals are at Stump Lake and at Coulter's. The coal fields are at Coldwater, where magnetic iron ore is likewise found. THE OKANAGAN DISTRICT. South and south-east of Kamloops, and the lake of that name, and the Canadian Pacific Railway, is situated the Okanagan District, believed to be one of the finest sections in the whole province for agri* I 13 cultural and stock-raising pursuits. In this part are to be found' the most extensive farms in the province, as well as the largest cattle ranges. Many can count their herds by the thousands of head, and their broad fields by thousands of acres. The district is an extensive one and within its boarders are to be found large lakes, the principal one being Okana- gan, whilst such stronms as the Spallamcheen, the .Simelkameen and other large rivers flow through the district, Okanaeran is famous as a grain growing country. For many years this industry was not prosecuted with either vigour or profit. Of late a marked change has taken place in this respect. Samples of wheat raided in Okanagan, sent to Vienna Exposition in 1880, were awarded the highest pr»miams and bronze medals. One of the best flouring mills in the Dominion is now in operation at Enderby, some 35 miles south of Sicamous. a station on the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which is reached by navigation for vessels of light draught. The flour manufactured at these mills from OkRnacan, grown wheat is equal to any other to be found on the Continent. The climate is specially adapted to the growth of whent, which is now reach- ing extensive dimensions — said to be of several thousands of tons a year. The capacity of the Enderby mill is 150 barrels of flour per day. It is operated to its utmost capacity. Farmers here find a ready cash mar- ket for all the wheat they can possibly grow, an advantage which every farmer will fully appreci«te. There are still to be taken up immense stretches of the very best land, which is but lighly timbered and easily brought under cultivation. Water is abundant in some sections, whilst in others it is scarce, rendering irricration by artesian wells a necessity. Okanagan is also a very rich mineral district. Valuable mines are now being operated within its limits, which extend southerly to the American boundary. The approaching completion of the Shuswap and Okanaean Railw^ay to Vernon, the capital of the district, from the main line of the Canadian Pacific, a distance of 52 miles, will prove an immense impetus to this splendid section of country. From Vernon there will be fir't-class navigation up Lake Okanagan for a distance of 100 miles. The country tributary to the lake throughout is capital, and will shortly become thickly populated. There is roomfor many settlers in this southern area, and locations are plenty where good soil, excellent pasturage, and an ample supply of timber are to be found. Th's c^mnrises pine, spruce, cedar, hemlock, balsam and other kinds. On the hieh lands that back the valleys, forest succeeds forest, the trees of which attain the enormous growth for which this province is so famous. These places, like many other desirable localities in British Columbia, were formerly reached only by the adven- turous who secured homesteads and founded settlements that are now within a day's journey from the line of railway. In the region that lies between the Shuswap Lakes and the coast range, there are two distinct climates, the dry and the humid ; the one to the north of the Thompson and Eraser, and the other between the 49° and 50° parallel, each posses- sing its destinctive attraction to settlers. A short distance east of the Shuswap Lakes the Canadian Pacific enters the mountain passes of the Gold or Columbia Range. This is another region of magnificent timber. The fir and cedar attain dimensions far exceeding anything known in the east of America, and only equalled by those found on the west side of the coast range. Their value is enhanced by proximity to the prairies, where there is a,n ever-growintr demand for this species of timl^^r. 14 I! J J THE KOOTBNAY DISTRICT. The Kootenay District, including the Lower and Upper Kootenay valleys and the Columbia valley, is a most valuable region now attain- ing considerable prominence. Lying in the south-eastern corner of British Columbia, it is separated from the North- West Territories of Canada by the Rocky Mountains, and is in shape a huge triangle with H base line of some 150 miles resting on the 49' No. lat., which forms the international boundary between that portion of British Columbia and Montana, Idaho and Washington State. About the centre of this triangle is the Selkirk range of mountains, bending like a horeshoe with the open ends towards the south, and within the horseshoe lies the liOwer Kootenay Valley, while the two remaining valleys comprising the Kootenay District, i.f., the Upper Kootenay and the Columbia val- leys, are outside of this horseshoe, isolating the Selkirks from the Rockj'^ Mountains and Gold Kange, These valleys are formed respectively by by the Columbia and Kootenay rivers, and in addition to splendid timber, posses considerable wealth of minerals and much valuable land admirably suited to agriculture and grazing purposes. The Kootenay is reached from lievelstoke, a station on the line of the C. P. R. The steamer (during the season) leaves Revelstoke twice a week and goes via tho Columbia and Arrow Lakes to Robson, a run of 1B5 miles through charming scenery, returning by the same route. From Robson the Columbia ani Kootenay Railway and Navigation Company, runs up the vnlley of the Kootenay to Kootenay Lake where artother steamboat can be taken to the numerous gold, silver and copper mines. Prom Robson a steamer runs to the Little Dalles of the Columbia, where rail communication is made for Spokane Falls, Washington and other points in the United Slates. THE VALLEY OF THE COLUMBIA. This south-east corner of the province is remarkable for its pasturage lands. It is a hilly country with rich grass lands and good soil. There is a great deal of prairie land, and about an equal quantity of forest in which pine, cypress and codar grow luxuriantly, as well as birch and other deciduous trees. An excellent tract of farming country is a belt along the Kootenay River, varying from two to ten miles in width. Here the soil is light and bunch-grass grows. There is a series of lakes near the river where the valley, which is about fifteen miles wide, has a heavy soil, producing grain and vegetables of the ordinary kind in abundance. Salmon from the Columbia make their way in great numbers into the Kootenay. The ordinary b-ook trout are plentiful in the mountain streams. The cuun.ry produces some of the best timber in the province, and is a good district for large game. Considerable placer mining has been done in the Kootenay District, and rdcently some rich quartz ledges has be.n discovered. The distrist is rich in minerals and valuable discoveries are made from time to time. An English company is engaged in a scheme for widening the outlet of the Kootenay Lake, with a view to reclaiming about 40,000 acres of first-class alluvial land, on which they intend to form a colony of ex- ofiicers and other selected persons. This district is well timbered, yet a splendid grazing country ; it has a sufficient rainfall, yet is out of the constant rainfall peculiar to the mountains further north ; it is a good game country, produces cereals and roots in abundance, and is within easy reach of rail. Gold and silver have been found and mined in .this southerjx as well as in the northern parte of ithe j)ravinae. 16 THE KOOTBNAY VALLEYS Are guarded in a great measure by the Rocky Mountains from the cold north and east winds, and the climate is also temoered by the warm breezes of the Pacific Ocean, the "Chinook Winu," which render it healthful and pleasant. The snow-fall is light, though at times the cold is severe, but cattle and horses remain out all winter without shelter or fodder and keep fat and healthy. The springs are early, the summer warm and free from frosts, and the winters moderate both in duration and range of cold. The soil is good, producing line crops of wheat, oats, peas, garden produce, etc; tomatoes, cucumbers, and such delicate growths do well anywhere in the valley. Hop culture has not been tried extensively as yet, but wherever the vines are grown as orna- ments to houses they thrive surprisingly, proving that more extensive planting would be both safe and profitable. The timber is most valu- able, including yellow pine, fir and tamarac, the former being a most useful and handsome tree, frequently attaining a girth of twenty feet. Large deposits of excellent steam coal have been discovered in the Crow's Nest Pass, and it is confidently believed that gold exists in pay- ing uuantities at many points in the valley, including Bui River, Gold Creek, Moojea Creek, etc., now in the hands of enterprising companies. During 18(33 and 1864 there was an invasion of miners and much placer gold was taken out, over three million dollars being credited to Wild Horse Creek alone. From latest reports, the prospects for future suc- cessful quartz mining appear most encouraging. « The Lower Kootenay Valley, which ends with Kootenay Lake, is a beautiful sheet of water some 90 miles in length. The river varies from BOO to 700 feet in width, and the average depth is about 45 feet, render- ing navigation by the largest steamers safe and easy, the current being slow. Lofty elm and Cottonwood trees line the banks, leaving the valley an unbroken expanse of tall grass, without a tree vmtii the level ends at the pine-covered hills on either side. Above these hills rise the moun- tains to a height varying from 1,500 to 5,800 feet. There is no question but that these valleys contain some of the most productive land known. The va' leys are rich in minerals. On Kootenay Lake immense galena deposits have been discovered, containing a valuable proportion of silver, and mining is easy. On Toad Mountain, near Kootenay Lake outlet, rich deposits of copper and silver have been located and promise to be of great inportance. Two small steamers at present ply upon the lower Kootenay River and the Lake, and offer a delightful trip. The lake is claimed to be one of the most beautiful in the world, and is a very attractive point for sportsmen. In its clear depths are land-locked salmon, and on the mountains in the vicinity are found grizzly boar, mountain goat and caribou. THE BIG BEND OP THE COLUMBIA. Between the Gold Range and the Selkirks is the west side of the great loop of the Columbia River, that extends norti. above the 52nd paralell. This band drains a gold region not yet well explored, but which has every indication of great mineral richness, and certainly pos- sesses an amazing quan'iity of fine timber. Within easy reach of the Canadian Pacific Raibvay is enough timber to supply all the vast tree- less plains east of the Rockies for generations to come. Gold has been found in paying quantities at many points north of the Bend, and indi- cations of it on the lllecilliwaet River and Beaver Cibcic. 16 VANCOUVER ISLAND. Vanoouuer is the largest island on the west coast of America, bein^ about throe hundred inilos lou^, and with an averajfe breadth oi about fifty iniloH, and contains an esli mated area of from 12,000 to 20,000 square miles. The coast lino, moro pariicularly on the west side, is broken by numerous inlets of the sea, some of which run up to the interior of the island for many miles, between precinitous cliffs, backed by higli and ruf^^e^ mountains, which are clothed in fir, hemlock and cedar. At some points are sheltered bays which receive smiill streams, watering an open gladed country, having a growth of wild flowers and grasses — the white clover, sweet grasH, cowslip, wild timothy and a profusion of berries. The two ends of Vanco iver island are, comjjaratively speak- ing, fiat, but there are mountains in the interior ranging from 0,000 to 8,000 feet on the highest ridges. The interior of the island, still unsettled at any distance from the sea coast, is largely interspersed with lakes and small streams. The surface is beautifully diversified by mou>»tains, hills and oi)cn prairies, and on the east coast the soil is so good that great encouragement is offered to agricultural settlement. In other parts the soil is light and of little depth, but it is heavily wooded. In the inland lakes, and in the indentations of the coast, there is a plentiful supply of fish, and a fair variety of game on shore. The principal harbour is that at Esqiiimalt, wnichhas long been the rendezvous of the English sauadron in the North Pacific. It is situated at the south end of the islana, on the eastern side, andean be approached in foggy weather by means of soundings, which are markea on the admiralty charts, for a considerable distance seaward, an advantage Possessed by very few anchorages, and with the exception of Buprard nlet, at the terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway, by no other large harbour on that coast. The scenery of Vancouver island is exceed- ingly varied and picturesque. VICTORIA. Victoria (pop. 20,000) is the capital of British Columbia and the chief city of Vancouver Island, It was formerly a stockaded post of the Hudsons Bay Company and was then called Fort Victoria. It is delight- fully situated on a small arm of the sea, commanding a supeib view of the Straits of Georgia, the mountains of the mainland, and snow-capped Mount Baker in the distance. The city's age may date from 1858, when the discovery of gold on the mainland brought a rush of miners from the south. It is now a wealthy, well-built, and very English city, with, business and shipping interests of great importance. Victoria is pre- eminently a place to delight tourists, and has ample accommodation for a large fioacing population, having several comfortable hotels, one or two of which are noted for the excellence of their tables. Various public buildings are aUo worthy of more than passing notice. Most of the manufacturing interests of the province are centered at Victoria. It has the largest iron works on the Pacific Coast outside of San Francisco, and several smaller foundries and machine shops. al.«o many factories. The city is amply provided with educational facilities, both public and private. The public schools are supported by the Govern- ment, and controlled by a school board elected by popular suffrage. Besides these there are the ladies' college, under the auspices of the Anglican Ckurch and an. academic in3ti,tution, as well as a primary 17 school, maintainecl by the Roman Catholic denomination. There are Protestant and Roman Catholic orpliatiaRCS. The city has a public library of about lo.ooo volumes, anil several of the fraternal and benevo- lent societies also have libraries of considerable size. Victoria has the advaritaj:;)' of boinjj: a port of call of the Canadian Pacific Railwav Company's Hoyal Mail Steamship Line steamers to and from Japan and China. Steamers run (hill v between Victoria and Vancouver, and tiui trip from city to citv tiiroii^^h the clustered isles of the Gulf of (!eor^;ia is very pleasant, baily boats ply to all important Puget Sound Ports, and to points northward on the island and main- laud, and all rejjjularSan Frani-isco and Alaska steamet s call at Victoria. The city has for many seasons been a favourite resort for tourists, and apnears to bc^ steadily ^''owinn in popularity. The country for some miles about the city supports a scattered farming population and fur- nishes a portion of the supplies of the city, but it is not a particularly good farminK country, beinur better adapted to fruit culture Here every variety of fruit grown in a temperate climate attains peculiar excellence, and fruit culture promises to become a leading industry in the near future. BSQUIMALT. Escjuimalt harbor is about three miles long, and something under two niiles broad in the widest part; it has an average depth .f six to eight fathoms, and affords excellent holding ground, the bottom being a tenacious blue clay. The Canadian droverninent has built a dry-dock at Esquimnlt to accommodate vessels of largo size. Its length is 4.o0 feet, and 90 feet wide at the entrance. It is built of concrete, faced with sandstone, and was nearly three years in construction. There is a small town at the northern corner of the harbour bearing the same name. Esquimnlt. The nucleus of it are some British Govern- ment buildings, consisting of a naval hospital, an arsenal, and other dockyard buildings. In the immediate vicinity of these the town has arisen. There are two churches, a public school, two hotels or inns, and a number of residences and business buildings. In the territorial d' d- sion of Esquimalt there are several farming settlements and one c /o manufactories, including a boot and shoe manufactory and a saw-mill. Esquimalt is only three and a half mile.s from Victoria by land, and is connected with it by an excellent macadamized road and an electric car service. NANAIMO. Situated on rising ground and overlooking a fine harbour on the east coast of Vancouver Island, is the thriving citv of Nanaimo, with a pop- ulation of about 4.000, and ranking next to Victoria in importance. It is seventy miles north of Victoria, and depends chiefly upon its coaling interest and shipping business for support. Nanaimo Harbour is con- nected by a deep channel with Departure Bay, where the largest craft find safe anchorage. Vancouver Island bituminous coals are now acknowledged to be superior for all practical purposes to any coals on the Pacific Coast. Four companies operate mines in the immediate vicinity of Nanaimo. Large quantities are sent to San Francisco; to the Sandwich Islands and China, being shipped from either Nanaimo or Departure Bay. Nanaimo is also the coaling station for the British squadron in the Pacific, A large number of men find employment in the 2 i ■ I i i ( !!' I!.* i! 18 mines and about the docks, and the town for its size is well supplied with the requirements of a growing population. It has churches, schools, hotels, water- works, telephone, etc., and such industries as a tannery, boot and shoe manufactory, saw-mill, shipyard, etc., and weekly and semi-weekly newspapers. Much of the land is excellent for agricultural purposes. There is a daily train service between Nanaimo and Victoria, and connections by steamers with the different island and mainland ports. These three places, Victoria, Nanaimo and Esquimalt, all on the south-eastern corner of Vancouver Island, are the principal centres. There are smaller communities on the island, mainly on the south corner, and at no great distances from the three principal places already spoken of. Such is Cowichan, a settlement on the east coast, about midway between Victoria and Nanaimo, where the quality of the soil permits farming to be carried on to some advantage. Saanich, another farm- ing settlement at the extreme south-east. Maple Bay, Chemainus, Somenos, all in the iieighbourhood of Cowichan ; Comox, some 60 miles north of Nanaimo, in the vicinity of which are some of the principal logging camps ; Sooke, a short distance south-west of Esquimalt, are being gradually developed. THE SOIL OF VANCOUVER ISLAND. The soil of Vancouver Island varies considerably. In some parts are deposits of clay, sand and gravel, sometimes partially mixed, and frequently with a thick topsoil of vegetable mould of varying depth. At other places towards the north of the island on the eastern shore are some rich loams, immediately available for cultivation- The mixed soil with proper treatment bears heavy crops of wheat ; the sand and gravelly loams do well for oats, rye, barley, buckwheat, roots, etc , and where the soil is a deep loamy one, fruit grows well. The following average of the yield of a properly cultivated farm in the Comox district is given by a member of the Canadian Geological Survey. This is from the best land in Comox, but t". -'* are other parts of the island not much inferior : Wheat, from 30 co 45 bushels per acre ; barley, 30 to 35 bushels ; oats, .50 to 60 bushels ; peas, 40 to 45 bushels ; potatoes, 150 to 200 bushels ; turnips, 20 to 25 tons per acre. Some of the rocks of the island furnish excellent building material, the grey granite beiag equal to Scotch and English granites. TIMBER. The timber of Vancouver is one of its richest products. Throughout the island the celebrated "Dougly/j Fir" is found, and a variety of coniferous trees grow on all pavt?,,f the island. It is impossible to travel without marvelling at the 'i- ^^si growth. This exuberance is not confined to the mammoth fir treys, c-^ tl'© ei?ormous cedars ; trees of many of the deciduous varieties abound, so that either for lumber and square timber, or for the settlers' immediate requirements for the use of cities, and as arboreous adornments to the homes, the forests of Vancouver Island have a value that every year will become more apparent. CLIMATE OP VANCOUVER ISLAND. Concerning Vancouver Island, it only remains to say in the im- portant matter of climate its inhabiianta believe, and with some reason, that they enjoy peculiar advantages, They have a mild and even 19 winter, with rain ; the annual rainfall is estimated at 45 inches ; and occasionally snow ; early spring ; a dry, warm summer, and a clear, bright and enioyable autumn. Sometimes the frost is sufficiently hard to permit of sKating, but this is exceptional. As a rule flowers bloom in the gardens of Victoria throughout the yaar. It is spoken of as England without its east winds ; in reality, it is Torquay in the Pacific, Fruits of all kinds indigenous to the temperate climates ripen in the open air, and amongst them, some that are in England brought to per- fection only under glass. Thunder storms seldom break over Van- couver. It is this clir-^ate, combined with the situation of Victoria, that makes that city such a pleasant abiding place. WAGES. The wages earned in Victoria and other parts of the island are, of course, governed by the demand for labour, and the amounts paid on the mainland, but it is unlikely that they will be reduced for many years to the level of those paid in Eastern Canada. Artizans are highly paid, and there is work at good wages for steady men even if without any mechanical knowledge. Women servants are well paid, but as in all backwood settlements the earlier work is done by men exclu«iively, and a pioneer soon finds that his new home is not complete without a wife. The consequence is that young women coming to the colony, and prepared to take their share of the duties of life as the wives of settlers in the back districts, do not long remain as servaiiLL or factory girls. They may at first miss some of the at- tractions of a city life, but by industry and orderly living, acquire a position in their neighbourhood, and gather about them much to occupy their time and give an interest to their home, and as the years roll on positions of credit and responsibility come to them, that in the early days did not even occur to them as possible. THE ISLANDS OF THE STRAITS. On the east side of Vancouver, in the Straits of Georgia, that is between the island and the mainland, are innumerable islands of smaller size. Generally they are wooded, and some of them have spots well fitted for agriculture, They «re not much sought f ^r by white men at present, as there is plentj of land in places nearer the settlements. TAXADA. Near Vancouver, is the island of Taxada, opposite the settlement at Comox, which from its wealth of iron ore, is destined to be of consider- able value. It is largely owned by speculators. The ore is in a mountainous mass that can be traced for miles, and it can be mined, smelted and shipped without difficulty. It is a coarse, granular magnetite, con- taining a large percentage of iron with only .003 per cent of phosphorus. A little to the north of Taxada is a small group of islands, and then the island of Vancouver and the mainland approach one another to within two or three miles. THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS. North of Vancouver island, and close to the coast of the mainland, there is a succession of islands continuing to the extreme limits. or ^r'tish Columbia. Of the^a, the Queen Charlotte Islands are the i'rcTv';;T'«'?faw»(tf»,"*.i7-^i5i-='--j^a'f'n,^?' i9 20 largest and most important. These are a group of which there are three principal islands, Graham, Moresby and Provost islands. They are the home of the remnant of the Hydah Indians. About 800 people, who live in villages scattered abou^ the three islands. They are expert canoemen and fishermen, and fin i occupation in extracting oil from the livers of the dog fish, which abound on that coast. A company was started a few years ago called the Skidegate Oil Company, which, by in- troducing proper machinery for extracting the oil, obtains an excellent article, especially for lubricating. It manufactures about 40,000 gallons annually, and gives employment to the Indians during the summer months. Theseislnndsareheavily wooded, but not with the larger kinds of fir. It is believed that there is gold on the islands, and in years past several attempts were made to find it ; but, probably owing to imperfect methods, with only moderate success. THE GOLD FIELDS OP BRITISH COLUMBIA. It woiild be difficult to indicate any defined section of British Cnlumbia in which gold has not been, or will not be, found. The first mines discovered were in the southern part of the province, the next in the Cariboo district, in the centre of British Columbia, and at the present the richest diggings in work are the Cassiar mines in the far north. Rficently several new mines hav3 been opened elsewhere. Gold has been found on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, on Queen Charlotte islands at the extreme west, and on every range of mountains that intervene between these two extreme points. Hitherto the work has been practi'^ally placer mining, a mere scratching of the surface, yet nearly fifty millions of dollars have been scraped out of the rivers and creeks. Bars have been washed out and abandoned, without sufficient effort being made to discover the quartz vein from which the streams received their golr" Abandoned diggings have been visited after a lapse of years, and new discoveries made in the neighbourhood. The railway now pierces the auriferous ranges : men and material can be carried into the heart of the mountains, and with each succeeding season fresh gold deposits will be found, or the old ones traced to the quartz rock, and capital and adequate machinery be brought to hear upon them. There are hundreds of miles open to the poor prospector, and there are. or shortly will be, nvimerous openings for the capitalist. To the agricultural settler the existence of gold is of double significance. Tie is certain of a market for his produce, he is not debarred from mining a litt'e on his own account, and he is never deprived of the hope that he will one day become the fortunate discoverer of a bonanza. In giving evidence before a committee of the House of Commons a member of the Government Geological Survey said: "After having " travelled over 1,000 miles through British Columbia, I can say with " safety that there will vet be taken out of her mines wealth enough to "build the Pacific Railway." This means many millions. Another gentleman in the same service said that, " it mny soon take its place as "second to no other country in North America." In 1860, Antler Creek (on the Fraser) yielded at one time not less than $10,000 per day. On one claim $1,000 was obtained by a single day's work. The total output of gold since its first discovery in British Columbia, even before new mineral districts were opened up by the Canadian bia, ian ■ I" Q^ER H0U5L - '"'': v^ •"**«' O.P.B. HOTELS. t I 22 11 hll Pacific Railway, was estimated at $60,000,000. It is now far in excess of this. With present facilities for prospecting, much heavier returns are expected, for the era of scientific mining in British Columbia has only commenced. GOLD-BEARING ROCKS. In British Columbia, a belt of rocks probably corresponding to the gold rocks of California, lias already been proved to be richly auriferous. Geological explorations go to show a general resemblance of the rocks to those of the typical sections of California and the Western States. Silver has been discovered in several plat es, and its further discovery will probably show that it follows the same rules as in Nevada and Colorado. The best known argentiferous locality is that about six miles from Hope, on the Fraser Jbiiver. The lodes occur at an elevation of about 5,000 feet. Great iron deposits exists on Taxada Island, and copper deposits have been found ai several points on the coast of the mainland, Howe Sound, Jarvis Inlets, the Queen Charlotte Islands and other points. Mercury, cinnabar and platinum have been found in small quantities during the process of washing gold. COAL ON THE MAINLAND. Several seams of bi'"uminous coal have been discovered on the main- land, and some veins have been worked in the New Westminster and Nicola districts, and other indications of coal have been found in several parts. The same formation exists on the mainland as on the island, and the New Westminster and Nicola coal-beds are probably small portions only of large areas. Anthracite coal, comparing favourably with that of Pennsylvania, has been found in seams of six feet and thi'ee feet, in Queen Charlotte Island. Fragments of anthracite have been picked up on several parts of Vancouver Island, and this would seem to indicate that the seams found in Queen Charlotte islands will be traced to Vancouver. THE FISHERIES OP THE WEST COAST. An important part of the future trade of British Columbia will arise from the wealth of fish in the waters of her coast. Of these, the most valuable at present is the salmon. They literally teem in the Fraser and Columbia rivers, and frequently passengers on the Canadian Pacific Railway are astounded by the sight of broad expanses of river, or deep pools packed almost solid with wriggling masses of splendid fish, their motions being distinctly visible from the platforms or car windows as the trains pass by. The greater number of the canneries are on the Fraser River, but there are some in the far north. The Salmon make their way for great distances up the rivers. The salmon of the Columbia fill the streams of the Kootenay ; those of the Fraser are found six hundred miles in the interior. There are several kinds of this fish, and they arrive from the sea on different dates. Besides the salmon are the Oolachan, which come in great numbers, and supplies a valuable medical oil. The black cod, a superior food fish, abounds from Cape Flattery northward. Cod, similar to the eastern variety, are taken on banks off the coast of Alaska, and the same fish is said to haunt British Columbia waters. Halibut of fine quality and large size are plentiful in the inner waters, on the banks off the west 23 ver, idid I car ries ^he the |ral Irs, coast of Vancouver Island, and further north. Sturgeon up to 1,000 pound weight aie numerous in the Fraser and large rivers. The surf smelt and common smelt are abundant, and valued for the table. Shad are taken occasionally. Herring is abundant, and both lake and brook trout on the mainland. There are scores of men in the fishing trade of England and Scotland who struggle year after year for an uncertain percentage, who, in British Columbia, would find competency in a few years' working, and hundreds who are no richer at the end of December than they were at the begin- ning of January, who would experience a vei-y different condition of life on the coast of British Columbia. These coasts afford wide fields for occupation and dispense reward with less niggard hand than in theolder home where every loaf has many claimants. There is no rent to pay, no leave to ask to run a boat ashore. The lend is his who occupies it. A man who in the British seas toils year in and year out for others may own his own home, his piece of land and his boat, by no mans' favour. THE FOREST TREES. In this respect there is no other province of Canada, no country in Europe and no state in North America, that compares with it. There are prairies here and there, valleys free from wood, and many openings in the thickest country, which in the aggregate make many hundred thousand aces of land on which no clearing is required. But near each open spot is a luxurious growth of wood. A settler may be lavish as he pleases : there is enough and to spare. The finest growth is on the coast, and in the Gold and Selkirk ranges. Millions on millions of feet of lumber, locked up for centuries past, have now become available for commerce. The Canadian Pacific Railway passes through a part of this, and crosses streams that willbringuntold quantities to the mills and railway stations. The Government Depart- ment of Agriculture has published a catalogue and authoritative descrip- tion of the trees of British Columbia, in which the several species are ranked as follows : — Douglas Spruce (otherwise called "Douglas Fir," "Douglas Pine," and commercially, " Oregon Pine.") A well-known tree. It is straight, though coarse-grained, exceedingly tough, rigid, and bears great trans- verse strain. For lumber of all sizes, and planks, it is in great demand. Few woodb equal it for frames, bridges, ties, and strong work generallv, and for shipbuilding. Its length, straightness and strength specially fit it for luasis and spars. The Weslem Hemlock occurs everywhere in the vicinity of the coast, and reaches 200 feet in height. Yields a good wood ; bark has been used in tanning. Is like the eastern hemlock, but larger. Englemann'a Spruce (very like '"white spruce"), tall, straight, often over three feet in diameter — wood good and durable. Forms dense forests in the mountains. Menzte's Spruce chiefly clings to coast, a very large tree, wood white and useful for general purposes. Tlie Great Silver Fir, so far as known, is specially a coast tree. It grows to a great size, but the wood is said to be soft and liable to decay. Balaam Spruce abounds on Gold and Selkirk ranges and east of Mc- Leod's Lake. Often exceeds two feet in diameter. Among ihe pines may be mentioned the familiar tree known locally as " red pine," yellow pine," or " pitch pine," considered to be a variety \ ■ I 24 ' . I I 1 'I 1 m i: of the heavy yellow pine {PiniM Pondemsa) of California and Oregon. It ?;rows in open groves in the valleys, and on the slopes up to about 3,000 eet. Is used for building and general puri)oses. The ^VIlite Pine (" Mountain Pine") resembles the eastern white pine, and may be used for the same purposes. It is found throughout British Columbia. The Blark Pine ("Bull" or "Western Scrub" Pine) occurs every- where in the province, at varying he'ghts. Useful for rough purposes. The We.^te.rn Cedar ("Giant Cedar" or "Red Cedar") is a valuable tree. It is found throughout the province except in the far north- The wood is of a yellowish or reddish colur, and ver^-^ durable, splits easily into planks ; has been used chietly for shingles and rails. Yellow Ci/prem (commonly known as "Yellow Cedar"). A strong, free, fine grained wood ; used in boat-building and for ornamental pvir- poses ; often exceeds (3 feet in diameter. Occur& chietly on coast ; also in interior of Vancouver Island, and abounds on west coast of Queen Charlotte Islands. IVe-s^em Larc/i (sometimes called "Tamarac"), occurs in Rocky Moun- tains and valleys of Selkirk and Gold ranges. A large tree, yielding a strong, coarse, durable wood. The Maple, the Vine Maple, the Yew, the Crab Apple, the Alder, the Wetitern Birch and the -P«2'er or Canoe Birch, the Oak, the AKj)en Mountain Ash and other minor woods are found in different parts of the province and in all parts wild berries of nearly every variety occur. THE TIMBER REGION. Between the mountains and the sea the Canadian Pacific Railway passes through many forests of these valuable woods, and brings within reach of limbering operations, vast additional quantities growing in the neighbourhood of those streams that fall into the Culumbia, the Thomp- son, and the Fraser. Timber on the western plains of Canada will now be obtainable at considerable less prices than those paid in the Western States, The distance from the Rocky Mountains to the great farming and cattle raising districts of which Calgary, McLeod, Medicine Hat, Maple Creek, Swift Current, Moosejaw and Regina, are the centres, is less than that from Winnipeg to Minneapolis, from which market the earlier settlers in Manitoba were supplied before the Canadian Pacific Railway was built eastward to the Lake of the Woods. Cheap lumber, so essential to the settler, is therefore secixred by the opening up of British Columbia. THE TRADE OP THE PROVINCE. Though the trade of British Columbia is still unimportant when compared with the extent, resources, and immense future possibilities of the province, still it has improved and developed wonderfully during the past few years showing an increase since 1881 that speaks volumes for the progress and enterprise of the people. Prominent exports are fish, coal, gold, timber, masts and spars, furs and skins, fish oil, wool, hops and spirits. A large portion of the salmon, canned and pickled, goes to Great Britian, the United States and Aitstralia ; the States and Sand- wich Islands consume a large share of the exported coal, and great quantities of timber are shipped to I ^^tralia and ports in South America. To Great Britian and the United States are sent the valuable furs and peltries of land animals and the much prized seal and otter, etc. China 'OgOU. It iont 3,00(» hite pine, It British rs every- irposes. valuable rth. The its easily i strong, nial pur- ast : also )f Queen cy Moun- ielaing a Mow province , the Mountain Railway 5 within i^ in the Thomp- 'ill now Western arming le Hat, tres, is iet the Pacific umber, British when ities of ing the les for e fish, , hops ?oes to Sand- great lerica. s and China 25 also receives a considerable amount of lumber, timber and furs. Valuable shipments of fish oil, principally obtained from the dog fish at the Queen Charlotte Inlands, arc consigned to the States annually, and also to the Sandwich Islands. These industries, though already of considerable importance, are destined to become very large as well as very profitable enterprises in the near future. With the shipping f tcilities offered by the Canadian Pacific Railway, and the new steamship lines to Japan and China, backed by her natural advantages of clim.ate and geographical position, and immense resoui'ces in timber and minerals, British Columbia is gradually obtaining her proper share of the com- merce of the world, Tiiere is no other country oa the globe more richly endowed with varied resources of wealth, ivj lisheries, timber, minerals, pasture and arable land-", etc., and all are open to those who choose to avail themselves of these new and attractive fields for enterprise. THE CLIMATE OP BRITISH COLUMBIA. The climate is one of the greatest attractions of the province. On Vancouver Island and the coast li. e of the mainland it is serene and mild, resembling the climate of Devonshire and Cornwall, and from Queen Charlotte Islands to Alaska the f-limate of Scotland is closely matched. On April IBth strawberries have been seen in bloom, and by May 1st strawberries are ripening, spring wheat, potatoes and peas showing well above ground ; the plains covered with wild floweio and- native roses in bloom. It is on Vancouver Island and in the extensive districts west of the coast range as well as in those in the southern strip of the province be- tween the parallels of 49° and oU*^ that the great fruit-raising farms of Canada will be located. ' Apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, nec- tarines, the finer class of grapes, berries of every description, fruits not common to the eastern coast, a profusion of flowers, and all the more delicate vegetables will grow luxviriantly, as do all kinds of grasses and flowers of the temperate zone. No general des'-riptiou will serve the purpose in speaking of the climate of the mainland of British Columbia, On the coast it varies considerably, while in the interior the differences are yet more plainly marked. It may be divided into the southern, middle and northern zones. THE SOUTHERN ZONE. It is in this division that so much bunch-grass country exists, which offers so many advantages for cattle and sheep raising. The winter is shorter and mild-^r than the district further north, and though snow falls, the wind-swept slopes are usually very thinly covered. Cattle as well as horses winter out. THE MIDDLE ZONE. This comprises the region between 51° and 53° north latitude and con- tains much of the mountainous pans of the province, including the Cariboo Mountains the locality of the most celebrated gold fields yet dis- covered in British Columbia. The r-infall is hea^'ier there than in the southern zone and the forest growth tlierefore becomes more dense. The climate, if less attractive than that of the two great divisions east and wQst of the coast range, is particularly healthy. 1 ' I I I 1 U ! . i !i '< ^li '!• iili: 26 THE NORTHERN ZONE. ■iideration of this country hardly falls within the scope of this T iet. It is necessarily remote from tne line of the Canadian Pacific ay and except for its gold mines and the lish in its waters will not, jason of its distance, attract immediate settlement. It will be seen from the foregoing that British Columbia possesses a greater variety of climate than any country of its size, and that the lines of demarcation between one and the other aie singularly abrupt and well defined. SPORT IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. In addition to its many advantages already referred to, British Columbia offers great attractions to the lover of rod and ^un. Of game, large and small, there is a great variety- On the mainland are grizzly, black aud brown bears, panther, lynx, elk, cariboo, deer, mountain sheep and goat, heads and skins of which are the finest trophies of a sportsman's rifle. Water fowl, geese, duck, etc., are very abundant on the larger lakes, and these and several varieties of grouse are the princi- pal feathered game, and can always be found in the season. On Van- couver Island bear and deer can be found within easy distance of lines of travel, snipe afford rare good sport, and the valley quail is as swift of wing and as fascinating an object of pvirsuit as his famous cousin " Bob White" of Ontario English pheasants were introduced some years ago and have taken kindly to their new home. They are now numerous in some parts of the island. For big game, bear, caribou, sheep, goat, etc., there is no part of the continent that offers a more prom sing chance than the Selkirk Range, and taken all in all, with its great variety of game and noble scenei*y, there are no sim-lar shooting grounds now so rich and so accessible. For the convenience of sportsmen desiring to work the Kootenay valley and neighbouring country, which is highly spoken of by the few who have as yet tried it, the Canadian Pacific Kail- way Company ha«< erected four fishing lodges or '* camps" on the line ot the Columbia and Kootenay liailway. The camps are numbered and located as follows: camp No. 1, 15 miles from Rob-;on ; No. 2, 16 miles from Robson ; No. 3, 17J miles from Robson ; No, 4, 5 miles from Nelson (at the railway bridge cro"'sing). Parties can hire outfits from the com- pany's agents, who will supply all necessary articles, provisions etc., at moderate cost. Cooks, guides, etc., when required, can be hired at Robson and the necessary camp equipage is carried free between Robson and the different camps. THE SCENERY OP BRITISH COLUMBIA. To convey a proper id^^a of the marvellous beauty of the scenery of British Columbia in a work of this description would be impossible. Within the limits of the province are crowded all the mountain ranges of Western America, forming a combination of scenic magnificence that is beyond written description. The province excels all others for beauty, and the journey from the extreme eastern boundary to the coast is some- thing that once enjo>ed will never be forgotten. Traversing the passes of the Rocky mountains, and continuing through the Selkirks and Col- umbian ranges, the eye wanders from peak tr> peak, gorge to gorge, and valley after valley, as they arje revealed in endless succession for nearly 600 miles before the Pacific Ocean is reached. On the coast the scenery is softer, but none the less attractive. The natural canals of these tran- i 111' BANFF HOT SPBINQS HOTEL. !>:' 28 I' I !'i ' 'r\ ii ' 1 : II quil waters and deep inlets of the coast are in some places flanked on either side by precipitous mountains rising sheer out of unfathomable water, and thoy look like strips of pale green riband curling about between mounds of a darker hue. The summits of these mountains are at one moment visible and at the next hidden in some passing cloud, and down their sides, from points far towards the summit, long lines of silver streaks of foaming water fall into the sea. Between the ocean and these Inlets are islands which shielJ them from the forceof any storm, so that a boat may travel for a thousand miles in absolute safety. LANDS. For the information of intending settlers a few words concerning the acquirement of Iwnds in the Province of British Columbia may be useful. Along the Canadian Pacific Railway and within twenty miles on each side of the line is a tract of land known as the Railway Belt, the regula- tions concerning which differ slightly from those governing other por- tions of the country. They may be '' homesteaded" by settlors who intend to reside on them, iu which case no money is paid for the land, the only charge being a fee of SIO (£2) at the time of application. Six months are allowed in which to take possession, and at the end of three years if the settler can show to the local agent that he has cultivated the land, he acquires a patent on easy terms and becomes owner of the home- stead in fee simple. In case of illness or of necessary absence from the homestead during the three years, additional time will be granted to the settler to conform to the Government regulations. These conditions apply to agricultural lands. GRAZING LANDS. Persons desiring to engage in cattle raising can acquire leases from the Government on easy terms^ subject to a termination of their lease by two years notice from the Government. Stock raising is a pleasant as well as profitable occupation in British Columbia. A settler pre-empts 820 acres of land, for which he pays one dollar an acre, in four equal instalments. He can put up a small lodge at little expense, and use the balance of his money in purchasing cattle. These he will brand and turn loose to graze where they will. In due course, the calves must be brandec'. and steers sold, and with little care or anxiety a man grows rich, TIMBER LANDS. The timber lands within the Railway Belt may be acquired from the Dominion Government on payment of an annual fee of 850 (£10), and 30c (Is. 8d.) for each tree felled. This refers to the large timber-making trees cut for sale, and not to the smaller deciduous trees that may be required for use. These terms apply to licenses granted for ''timber limits" east of the 120° parallel of longitude, all timber west of that to the sea being governed by the regulations of the Provincial Government. Mining and mineral lauds within the Railway Belt are disposed of by the Dominion Government on special terms governed by the circumstances of the case. The following are the regulations of the Provincial Government of British Columbia, governing lands not in the Railway Belt. 29 Hanked on fathomable Iini5 about Lintains are cloud, and es of silver I and these cm, so that ernin^ the be u