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 N B — Thl« Society, a»» body, rioes not hold Itsolt rcuponslble fortlia f«ot» ftndouhilnn. 
 aUted In ftny of Its publlcatlona. "huiiuh" 
 
 ^/■b MINING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
 "**" By Tuos. Drhmmond, 
 
 MiNiNO AND Civil Engineer, A.M.Can.Soc.C.E. 
 Before the discovery of ^old in British Columbia, or what afterwards 
 became icoown as that province, it was a comparatively unknown 
 country, under the control and government of tli Hudson Biiy Com- 
 pany, whose interests were boun " up in the fur trade, and iir that alone. 
 In 1849, the Company's headquarters were removed from Fort Van- 
 couvor; on the Columbia River, to Fort Victoria, on Vancouver Island, 
 which had been established in 18-t;5, In 1851, James Douglas was 
 made Governor of the Colony, vesting in his person the authority both 
 of the Hudson Bay Company and the Colonial Government. In 1856 
 Vancouver Island was divided into four electoral districts, and seven 
 members were elected. At this time tl.-. united white population of 
 the island was about 300. After the discovery of gold on the main- 
 land in 1857, and the consequent rush to the new country, Douglas was 
 forced, by f'-.e increased responsibility of government caused by the con- 
 flicting interesiis of the fur traders and gold miners, to resign his position 
 as head of the Hudson Bay Comjiany, which he did in 1859. In the 
 same year the Imperial Government re-purchased the exclusive ri;'ht of 
 the Hudson Bay Company to trade, and th(^ Company, as a monopoly, 
 ceased to exist on the PaeiBc Coast. In 1858, the Province of British 
 Columbia was nreat«d, and Houghs became its first governor. 
 
 The discovery of gold then marks a now era in the history of the 
 country, and though the stirring events of that time are now things of 
 the past, still they are not without interest, for with them beg in the 
 real history of the province, which, from being a country comparat""ely 
 unknown, was raised to the dignity of being one of the great gold- 
 producing centres of the world. 
 
 People by the thousands and tens of thousands rushed to its shore, 
 and in their search for th. precious metal also discovered the capabili- 
 ties of the country ; so that, u;"'<'r the srold excitement, many settled down, 
 and formed, so to speak, the nucleus of the future growth and prosperity 
 of the province. 
 
 In the first part of this paper, then, I propose to give a history of the 
 more important discoveries of gold , and the dates at which they occurred, 
 and also a short description of the methods adopted in separating the 
 gold from the alluvial washings in which it is f mnd. 
 
 Before going on with the paper, I would like to st:ito that, in the 
 absence of actual statistics, the subject matter of this paper has been 
 obtained from the most reliable sourocs available. In many cases from 
 personal observations, and, where 1 had not that opportunity, from 
 miners and others who actually worked at the places to be mentioned 
 later on -men to whom I am greatly indebted for information, and whom 
 I knew personally to be little given to exaggeration. Statements were 
 verified by comparisons when possible, and different authorities who had 
 written upon the subject were also consulicd, such as Dr. Scdwyn Dr. 
 (too. Dawson, and other members of the Geological Survey of Canada, 
 Bancroft's History of British (Columbia, S, ssioral Papers and Reports' 
 of the Provincial Government, J. W. McKay, and many otliers ; so that, 
 though the information uid figures given are not in the nature of actual 
 statistics, slill they are near appro .vimat ions of these taken from the 
 most reliable sources. I mention this because reliable information upon 
 this subject is difiicult to obtain, and were all statement^ accepted this 
 would r.-a<i more like fairy land than what I wish ii to be : a sober iiistory 
 of ev.nts which have occurred in the history of British Columbia, and 
 which there is every reason to suppose will be repeated in the near future 
 
in a more permanent form when the discoveries in quart*, even those 
 already nindt', have been ;?ufficicutly developed to shew their value. 
 For convenience, 1 have divided the subject inUi — 
 
 (1) Placer Mining. 
 
 (2) Vein Mining. 
 
 The first authentic discovery of gold in British Columbia, or what 
 afterwards became part ol' tliiit province, wiis at Gold, or Mitchell's 
 Harbour, on Queen Charlotte's Island, in 1861. The discovery was in 
 the form of a nugget weighing about five ounces, found on the seashore 
 by un Indian, who sold it to the Hudson Bay Con;pany. A vessel 
 was shortly afterwards sent out by the latter to examine the locality, 
 resulting in the discovery of a small vein of quartz containing gold, from 
 which it is estimated that ore to the value of $20,000 was obtained by 
 the Hudson Bay Uonifany and other adventurers. The deposit then 
 proving limited, it was abandoned. About the same time, or a little 
 earlier. Mr. McKay also found colours of gold at various places on Van- 
 couver Island, between Victoria and Nanaimo, vhen exploring for 
 
 Hudson Bay Company's Journals also state that in 1852, Indians 
 brought samples of gold irom the Skcena Kiver. G. B. MoClellan's 
 party also discovered gold on the Similkameen River in 1853, when 
 engaged on exploratory surveys for the Northern Pacific Railway. 
 
 Gold was also discovered at Pend d'Oreille by Colville men in 1854 
 or 1855, and worked with success, and the finding of gold in British 
 Columbia was a direct result of this discovery, for Indians from the 
 Thompson River, visiting their friends near Walla Walla, stated that 
 gold like that was found in their country. Accordiagly. some Fieiich 
 Canadians and Indians crossed over and discovered paying placers in 
 the vicmity of Nccoauien, on the Thompson River, in the fall of 1857. 
 The news spread and caused the Fraser River excitement of 1858. 
 California was at this time filled with a mining population, attracted 
 there by the f:old excitement of 1848 and 1849, and when the authentic 
 discovery oi' gold on the Fraser Klver became known, a perfect rush was 
 made for the new VA Dorado. From thirty to thirty-five thousand people 
 are said to have come into the province early in 1858. 
 
 Many of these became discouraged and turned back, but those, how- 
 ever, who did reach the Fraser River, pushed their way onward and 
 found gold in paying quantities on the bars and tributaries, from the 
 mouth'c)f Harrison River up both the Thompson and Fraser Kivers as 
 far as the season of 1858 would allow them to go. Some of the more 
 important of these bars were as follows :— Maria, Hudson, Cornish, 
 American, Union, Cameron, Emory, Texas, HiUs, Sailor, Wellington, 
 Spuzzum, Chapman, Nicaragua, Boston, Yankee, Mariner's, Lytton, 
 Mornian, Foster, Lillooct, trench, Robinson, Upper Merman, British, 
 Ferguson, and Long Bars, 
 
 Of these. Hills Bar, just below the to,,u of Yale, may be taken as 
 an example of the richest. It is reported to have prod iced $1 "00,000 
 worth of gold during the excitement, from an area of less t> half a 
 square mile, and from a report of the Mii-ister of Mines in 1675, it is 
 credited with having produced up to that time $2,000,000. On 
 this bar four men washed $4,000 in six days. Ned M-Gowan, of his- 
 torical fame, took out $33,000 in three months. It is also said 
 that the present site of the town of Yale with the flat opposite would 
 yield a large amount of gold if worked by hydraulic power, and I 
 understand that a company is now being formed with that object in 
 view. The gold in the bars especially below Yale was fine, and in shal- 
 low ground, and at first they were only mined a little below the surface 
 of the river, and in the most primitive manner with pick, shovel, rocker 
 and pau, and yielded, when worked even in this way, large returns of 
 cold. Between Yale and Hopy one rocker yielded $830 in eighx, days, 
 another $800 in twelve days, and a third $248 in five days, and at 
 Yale 150 sockers gave in one day 723 ounces. Sailor Bar is said to 
 have averaged one ounce a day per man and two to five ounces was quite 
 common. As the surface of the bars was washed out, wing damming 
 was resorted to, where possible, to reach deeper ground. Many flumes 
 and ditches were also ouilt U) carry water to the benches along the river ; 
 they varied in leii-'th from one to fourt^jeu miles, and cost many thousands 
 
 2 
 
of ilollnrs. Water wheels were also built, one below Cornish Bar boinjj 
 80 fuct in diameter, 
 
 TlioHo pionoiTH and proMpoctors had many difficulties to (.vereume in 
 niiikin},' thoir way up to tlu, ww >\\'-Auir^. At (irst there wore no 
 stciinicrs t.. the mouth of tho Fniscr, and iiftoiwnnis when thcrn were, 
 a greiit many wore unable to pay their way, so they went from Victoria 
 to tho mainland in canoes and small cnift built by themselves, and 
 many were lost in tho danj,'eious tide rips nnd currents of the const. 
 Marly in 1S58, it was found that the Finser iJiver was naviiiabje as 
 fiir as Yule, which heeanie the distributiIl^ point for tho upper country. 
 Tk-yond this, the country was rou-h, mountainous and comparatively 
 unknown, and travelling by land and water was hard and laborious work. 
 Supplies were scarce and (liffieult to transport, ami the Indians lor a" 
 time wore hostile. Is it .stran-e then that many became discouraged 
 and turned back ? The wonderful thing to my mind is, that so mitny 
 succeeded in forcing thoir way onward through .so many difficulties and 
 dangers. 
 
 In the fill of 185!t, rich diggings were di.soovered on Quesnel River, 
 and this stopped the onward march for a time. 
 
 In 18U0, Keithley Creek was discovered, and this marks a renewed 
 era of prosperity in mining, for with it was discovered the famous 
 Cariboo District, one of the richest placer mining centr.'s ever found. 
 
 In the winter of I860 and 1801, miners di.soovered Antler Creok. 
 They tried to get a grant ol' this stream from Governor Douglas in Vic- 
 toria, but it was refused. The news became known and caused a second 
 influx of miners, this time to the Cariboo District. During the same 
 year (18(;i) William's, Gvou.se, Lightning, Jack of Clubs, Lowhee and 
 other creeks, which have since become famous wore discovered. Of 
 these, William's, Grouse, and Lightning werj tho richest. These creeks 
 with their tributaries yielded, up to the end of lS(il, some 82,000 000. 
 William's Creek was discovered by William Dietz, better known as 
 Dutch J}ill. lie located in the cafion, aud his claim, though tho Dis- 
 covery, turned out to bo one of tho poorest oti tho creek. Ctlier owners 
 located ground along the creek about tho same time. The ground was 
 supposed to be shallow, the yield of gold was poor, and tho crock was 
 known for a time as Humbug Cn «k. The first run of gold was found 
 in shallow ground over a stratum of blue clay. To test below this, Abboti 
 & Co. sunk a hole 4x7 feet and took out 57 ounces of gold, .and tho 
 other companies soon followed tiicir example. Deep ground wae located 
 in an old channel behind tho caiion and also below it by Black Jake 
 Barker, Cameron, and others, .%nd Barkersville, Cameron Town, and 
 Kichficld were started. Starting at the head of the stream and goip.r 
 downwards, some of the elainiB were as follows: 
 
 Steele & Co., 
 Point Claim, 
 Abbott & Co., 
 12 Foot Davis, 
 Adams & Wilson, 
 Casto & Co., 
 Dutch Bill, 
 Dillcr & Co., 
 Canadian Co., 
 Welsh Co., 
 Wake Up Jake Co.. 
 Cariboo Co., 
 Aurora, 
 
 Lillooet Co., 
 
 Forest Ro.se, 
 
 Cameron & Co., 
 
 Tinker Co.. 
 
 Raby & Co., 
 Caledonia Co., 
 Grizzlie Co., 
 Never Sweat Co., 
 Ballarat Co., 
 Prince of Wales, 
 Sheep.shead, 
 Coonskin, 
 
 — and others. 
 
 As may be soon from the following examples, William's Creek was 
 immensely rich. Diller is said to have taken out 202 lbs. of gold in 
 one day, with only two men drifting : this repre.-ents about 838 784 
 Steele* Co. 's claim yielded on two consecutive days 387 and' 409 
 ounces of gold, and in two months, 8105,000. The Cunningham claim 
 averaged 125 ounces of gold (or tho season of 18ti2, and°ou several 
 occttsions gave (iOO ounces, or 50 lbs. a day. The Adams claim yielded 
 each of its three owners, 840,000. Tho Caledonia gave for •>. time 
 85,000 to 8(5,000 a day, and the Cameron and Tinker were not Car 
 behind. 
 
 The Raby, in one day, yielded 310 ounces of gold as witneiwed by 
 
m 
 
 Milton &Chpii.i:.. Th.^ Point (!liim yioldod 800,000 in dividrndfl 
 The Wattio cl.Mlin, 8H5,0(IO. The 12 llmt Davis, .1 vore h.'twoon two 
 other claiiiiM, ^liS.OOO. Diilor t.iolt mit «10II,0(10. (Jiriliiui Canirron, 
 «1{!0,()00. Ill ISII.'i, tlini' ciiiinis lulow .lie iiin„ii prodiiwd ?<:i(IO.OOO, 
 and 20 eiiiniH \vt;ri' .■•te.idily pimluciii'^ tVuni "0 tn 400 runws jut day. 
 In the Aurora one pan of picked dirt issaiil lo liave yieldi'd .'187 ounce?<, 
 and 8000 to 8900 to tlio pan was ohlaiiied im .-everai oceasiims. The 
 Erricson claim, iicoordini; lo Victoria t'ulonisl, produce d tiir seven coii- 
 see.uivc weeits, between .fune 17tli an 1 July 2!)rh, ISlll, as follows: — 
 900, <i40, 1,400, 1,920, 1,25(1, 1,300, and 2,<;00 ounces. Two milcH 
 of creek is said to have avcraired 81,000 to the running; foot, and 
 that this is within possibilities may bo scon frmn the followini; state- 
 ment: — 
 
 Adnins' Claim 100 feet 8 1 
 
 Steele 
 
 Diller 
 
 Cunninfjhan) 
 
 Burns 
 
 Canadian 
 
 Never Sweat 
 
 Moffat 
 
 Tinker 
 
 Watty 
 
 80 
 
 50 
 500 
 
 80 
 120 
 120 
 
 50 
 140 
 100 
 
 20,000 
 120.00(» 
 240,000 
 270,000 
 140,000 
 180,000 
 100,000 
 
 90,000 
 12tt,0()() 
 
 i;io,ooo 
 
 1,340 81,510,000 
 
 or say 81,127 per runninfj; foot of crock. 
 
 Next in importanecand richness was Lijihtning Crook, also discovered 
 in 18G1. For a time the annual yield is said to have been larjior tlian 
 on Williams ('reek, but it was not so lastin;:. 
 
 Tn 1801 theCampbelKt Whitehall adjacent claim- yielded >ii200,()00, 
 and Campbell is said t" have taken out 1700 ouii 'os cd' Ljnld In !! days, 
 as follows : — 1st, 900 ounces ; 2nd, 500 ounces ; Hrd, 300 ounces. In 1870 
 the deep cliannid was bottomed, leading.' to the .--ubswinoiit diseoverie.'. 
 Atone time the Butcher, Auiora and Caledonia i.'laims yielded re- 
 spectively as Pdlows: — Butehor, ,'J50 ounces per day ; Aurora, 300-0(0 
 ounces per day ; Caledonia, .'iOO ounces per day. The old eluinnol was 
 worked for a distance of 16,000 feet, and is .said to iiaveyielded 8300.00 
 to the running foot. The lollowiiiy; statement, taken from the repori of 
 the .Minister of Minos for 1875, showing the yield of sdinc ol'the n ore 
 important claims, will j;ivo some idea of the amount produced by this 
 Crook : — 
 
 Campbell &Whit<hall S'.'OO.OOO.OO 
 
 Dutch & See-cl 130,000,00 
 
 Dunbar 30,000.00 
 
 Li;;btning 153,962,00 
 
 Discovery & Butcher 120,000.00 
 
 South Wales 141,531,00 
 
 Spruce 99,908.00 
 
 Point i;!6,(i25,00 
 
 Van Winkle 363,983.00 
 
 Victoria • 451.642.00 
 
 Vancouver 274.190.00 
 
 Vulcan 56,955.00 
 
 Costcllo 20,476,00 
 
 A stntcuiont obtained by myself from miners, and supposed to s;ive 
 the total yield, is also given. The figures ari> much laiger, and are 
 perhaps exaggcrat''d, though given for a liter period than the aiove: — 
 
 Van Winkle .?600,000.00 
 
 Victoria 600,000.00 
 
 Vancouver 300,000.00 
 
 Point Claim... 180,000.00 
 
 South Wales 200,000,00 
 
 Lightnin,' 220,(""».00 
 
 Butcher Boneh 250,000.00 
 
 Dunbar Flat 150,000.00 
 
 *2,500,0(l(),0" 
 4 
 
 / 
 
Grouse Urc(^k was alsK very rich. Mr. Iloniii, the iliHCovcrcr of the 
 fuinniH Heron lu'ttd, tultl mo tliut liis coiii|)iiiiy tnok nut from l(ll)ii>40(t 
 ounces per duy, and made «:!OI),nOO.O(l, Tlic (il<l eliamii'l w is folluw. d 
 fiiraliiiut a iuil(',i.'ivin;^ ijiiiuuiisr yicMs, and \,iis ilii'ii lust. 
 
 Autlor Crcvk also yiiddud a lar.'i' amount of (,'old, bntli from tlio 
 bfiudies lind gulclies, and also from tin' IkuI of the Htrfum. The f^old 
 was t.ikcn CronisliMllow i;rouiid, as the stream wa-* never buttomed. One 
 oompiny niide «<.S;i,(MI().(l(l in .'! week>. Ih.. en ek yielded .^r 10,000.00 
 a d;iy for some liuK in Irtdl, and some spots ire -aid t ) have yielded an 
 much as 81,000.00 to the square font. Be.si ios those, thoro wero Jack 
 ol Clubs iiiid liowliee Creeks, and all the tributaries, L'ulches and 
 r.'ivines of the iiliove streams, which, tll0ll^'ll not so rich, yielded in tlio 
 af.'f;rei;ate .1 larj^e anmant of money and many in lepuml.nt fortunes. 
 Somo of these were as tbllows:— Van Winkl', Chisholm, Last Chance, 
 Davis, Anderson, Harvey, CunuiajJiimm, Cedar & .Mc.Vrthui'.s Creeks, 
 nnd numerous ^uleht's, ravines and valleys. 
 
 These deep plaeers, hiiw<'ver, wc^re expensive t< open before any return 
 was obtained, and the actual vvorkiie.' expcn.sos w<:ru also heavy. 
 The Van Winkle mine cost $10,000.00 to open before the elianriel was 
 reached ; it yielded :i lar^e aincmut of j^'old afterwards, however, ,i vm- 
 seeutive wiekly elean ups bein-' as follows Sl."),700.()0, 814,OU0.0(l and 
 812,0(l0.iK»; Cuiminuliani Claim cost ^lOO.OOO.di) to open work, and 
 yielded jJ500,00(I.O(). Tlie California Claim, ibout the ,s:uno cosfand 
 yield, nlso the Tontine. The Blaek Jiickeost about 8.")0,0()0.0(; to orion 
 and work, and yielded S20II,0(IO.OO. In |{iby .\t Co 's claim the pay 
 roll for 2 weeks is said to liave amounte I to 812,000.00. Mr. Heron 
 the discoverer of the famous Huron lioad on Grou.se Creek, told me that 
 their weekly pay roll amounted to from 81,200.00 to 82,300,00. The 
 fireat expc^nso of workin>,'ean easily be accounted for. The pay dirt was 
 deep all the way from aO-lMlleet, lar-e pumps wire required to keep the 
 water down, often long becl rock dit<dies ibr discharging water wero 
 re(juired, and expensive timbering was also necessary. 
 
 The timber, which was ma.s.sivo, cost 8e. piirrunninj; foot, aDdlaf,'giug 
 87 a hundred piee>^s. The Dislrict was a|s„ far removed from"°iny 
 civilized centre, and provisions, ..uppiiesand transp.irt wero ex|x;n.sive, 
 as maybe seen I'roui the following statement, which may be taken at an 
 example of tlu: hi'^lie.it prices paid it Cariboo at aiy timj. 
 
 F'""'' Ii51.50 per pound 
 
 Ha.'on t.no 
 
 Tea and Coffee ;j.()i) <i 
 
 "'^ug'"' 1.50 " 
 
 Beef (fresh) 0.(10 " 
 
 Beans q^jj ^i 
 
 '^'•'ils 0.75 " 
 
 ^^""'•'^'^ 0.25 per foot 
 
 C^""' ^ooU 83U.00 to 850.00 a pair 
 
 1 .spool thread 80 'iO 
 
 1 ^"% 1% 80.50 
 
 1 "ccdle 80.50 to 81.00 
 
 \Va},'es per man per day 810.00 to 8IC.OO 
 
 hickin- from t^uesnel .Mouth to Williams Crvk bv mo, po^ver cot 
 from 80.H5to«1.00per lb. 
 
 Kxorbitanl i'rei-ht rate.s coiisei|ueut upon the inadei,u,,te preparations 
 for the great rush were the causes. " It is not thclirst cost of the "oods " 
 said a trader to a miner, when selling him a darning needle for a doilaV • 
 '• it is not the flrst cost of the good.s, mine frien.l, it i.s the frei-ht " ' ' 
 The distance to Cariboo via Harrison River was 520 miles." Lillooet 
 was tlie headquarters lor the pack trains, which were inadwjuate to 
 accounuodate the great numbers, who, tlier.loro, had to lesoitt.) all kinds 
 of deviee,s. packing on the b;,ek, with dogs and with oxen. Mr. Canncl 
 who is well and iavouiably known at Ivamloops, toll me that lie bim-ht 
 an ox at Lillooet, which was thi^ lii.^t pack aninuil to go into Williiuus 
 Creek, where it was killed, dressing some 900 lbs., and'^old Ibr OOc. per 
 lb. Camels were also imported for pnc'king purposes, sover.d of which 
 are still alive, and to be seen not, far (rom Kamloops. The u-agon road 
 to Cariboo was liuished in 1805. Stages were run. carrying passengers 
 mail and express, and easier aceo.ssaml cheaper supplies were the rcMilt' 
 
 
 
Tha tc!c)(ra|ili Inm wiin ul^o b<iu<r| l liy tlf I'l'uviiioial <i(iv< riiijit'iit 
 about tliu Mtiiiio tiiiu!. Tiii'< ti'lu'ir 'pli lino i.« Ikiiiciiis, I'cir it f'nriuiHl |uirt 
 
 Of' tllu line built by llir WotiTIl Union Ti'lrijiilfill (^o., wliiitli \V4t |4) 
 Imvf croNKiMl at iii liiiiij;'s Stniit-, iiiiil wliicb wum ri'mlcivil iimcIiimm an ii 
 tranHuoiitiiieiitiil iinu by llii' Hiici'iH-rul iityin;;iil' the Atliiilii' Ciibli'. 
 
 I huvo ;^iviiia fiiui 'wliiil ili'tiiilcil 'Ifnuiiptioii iil'tln' Cuiibuo DiNti'iut, 
 boctm8citwiii«ibi!iiii).>liiii|iortitntorthu Uritinb Coluuiliiii di.scovuricH, :iii(l 
 it jjivud, ;i( tbt' Miiiiu tiiiif, a i;oiiil oxiiiiiplL^ of lypicai litit at a kucih^^hI'uI 
 uiitiint; eaiiiji. A.s uiijfht lio ixpc tli il, lnwlcss cliiuactoi's uoiijirupituJ, 
 uiid gttiiil]liiii.Miiiii kiiidivii vieiNWciL' privulfiit. A Spuiiisli piiciicr, bvAna 
 UHkt'd il'lla' Cariboo ili<;i;iii;4;!< vnm liuii, tiiiswiTtid thai lit: bud doubled it 
 till bo Hiiw :827,(ll)() ()i» L'unibliMl away in uiio >ittiii); by tlirci' miuer'.. 
 Bui wisu, jn>t ami capal/lc nii'ii wcro iii uliar^^u, and not a Miimlo oiiso ol' 
 uiiirdor insaid to buvo oioiirird in Cariboo, whioli is an agrcfabio unntrast 
 to the MouDos oriavtcd ut ibu mining uam|i.s in ihu mi^libourin^ Uopub- 
 lic. Cliii't',)n>ti«e Bi-iibic was a itTror loovii-loors, lo whom rmw. ami 
 impartial judL'mont wa> adniinisttrvd. (,'rinio li 'oiine iMiiiiparativoly. 
 unknown, mkI liio arni> wcrt: practically discarded. Tbis is all llic- 
 nioio sui]iri»in(;, wbiii Wc eonsidiT tluit llio yield (d' uold was measured, 
 not by the ounce, but by tliu found ; it bueanic no picntifal that it was 
 troubKsouic to uidund, and miner- returned iaj.'m'cl am! rouj;h, with so 
 much gold, ibat uieii and mules hail to be enua^ed to transport it 
 Accordinu; to Maclio's estimate of those who weiitto Cariboo in 1801, one 
 third uiado indepeudent fortunes, one-third made several thousand 
 dollars, and one-third reliinied unsueeessfnl. 
 
 During the Cariboo excitement, niininu canijis of less importanee 
 were almost dipojiulated, and wi're oidy worked during later years 
 when the Cariboo exoitenunt bad subsided. Among these wore Tran- 
 quille Creek, Louis Creek, Jamison Creek, Uarritire River, Adams 
 Kiver and Jjake, Deadman Kiver, Nicola Uiver, Scotch Cieek, ami, 
 in fact, nearly all thesireams running into the 'riiompson Kiver in the 
 vicinity of Kamloops. They were discovered principally in 1858 
 and 1859, and, iu many uasuH, have bojD worked almost without intor- 
 miBsiou ever since, principally by Chinese. 
 
 ROCK CREEK .\NI) Sl.MILKI.MEEN DISTRICT. 
 
 Discovered in 1859 and 18()0, and mined to some oxteul at that time 
 and then abandoned for Cariboo. 
 
 Between 1882 and 1888, mining was renewed, and many new di.s- 
 coverics made. The principal streams worked up to dale are as 
 follows : — 
 
 Similkimeeu Iliver, 
 
 South Fork, Siiiiilkimeen Iliver, 
 
 Whip Saw Creek, 
 
 Nine Mile Creek, 
 
 Tulimecn Iliver, 
 
 Granite Creek, 
 
 Collins' Gulch, 
 
 This district yielded between 188.') and 1888, ?<553,50(t, out of 
 which Granite ('reek produced ^5li83,0Ut). The lattT creek w.is dis- 
 covered in 1885, ani caused quite an excitement for a timi'. 
 
 Cherry Creek also yieliled Well, and has been worked almosi without 
 intern. ission ever since ; in iatt r years, prineipally by Chinese. 1 saw 
 a piece of ground in this stream which had been worked ov /r three 
 times in seven years, and was then, aei/ordlng to Cainaiujii working 
 there, yielding from $'ii to ^5 a day per man. 
 
 i;a8t a.nd west i«io:e.nay district. 
 
 First disoovere'l in 18(13. In 18tj5, l.UOO miners at work, getting 
 from one to three ounces a day per man. The yield hi'tweeii 1871 and 
 1888, after the more succe.s.sful days, was 8582,878. This d.so includi^s 
 returns from tlie Big Bend country. 
 The principal streams wen . 
 
 Wdd Hor.se Creek, Toby Creek, 
 
 Bull Iliver, Cafion Creek, 
 
 Findlay Creek. Quartz Cn^ek, 
 
 Dutch Creek, I'eny Creek. 
 
 
 
 Cellar Creek, 
 Slate Creek, 
 Bear Creek, 
 Hock Creek, 
 Boundary Crock, 
 .MLssion Creek, 
 Cherry (.'reek. 
 
Th(t MtrciiiiiM Were diwovt-rcd At various timoH bctwoi'ii I8C3 luiJ 
 18HH. Wild HiirHf Cnrk iinMlmnl, butwwii IH7fl uml 18H8, 
 l»2r)5,780. 
 
 111(1 BEND DIHTBIOT. 
 
 Till! prinoipnl HtreaiUH uiIiilmI went nN follows : — 
 
 Krciii!!! (!rcok, Ciiriu's' Crook, 
 
 MiCullouh'.M Crrck, Hinitli'* Creek, 
 
 Dowiiio Crook, KiTiiio Crook. 
 
 It WHS ilinoovcroil ill 181)5, mill tlu' priiioiimi iniiiiiij; wiis ciiri'ioil on 
 
 ill iHtid, iiiul ill iliiit your Froiioli iinil MoCuIIooIi'h (Voi'k oi«oli pro- 
 
 (iucod about 8100,0(10, nnd lour, Mix, itiid twelvo nunooH per day por 
 
 man wan not unooiiiiiiou. One nugget worth 8-53.00 wan Ibund. 
 
 DMKNICA REIiroN. 
 
 DiHCOvored in 18(11). The priiicipiil Htroaiu.s were: 
 
 Vitiil Crook, Lo«t Crook, 
 
 HilviT ( 'rcok, Uhiuk Jaek (iuieh, 
 
 Cimiiioa Ilivor, Fiiiliiy Kivor, 
 
 Oitniiaiisoii Creek, Bars on Peace River. 
 
 Muiiscii Cretk, 
 TliiK diHtriet pruduoed botwoeii 1874 and 1888, $ J60,000. This 
 dooM not include the lirf<t and more prolitio yoarx, tiie yii .1 of which in 
 uukuown. 
 
 CA881AR III8TBICT. 
 
 The Slikeen Kiver was first discovcrod in 1801 and winked for a 
 time, liut not with jjivat miccos.". 
 
 Cussior proper was discovered byjTIiibort and McCulluoli, who camo 
 overland from tlio Rod River country. The district yielded, belweon 
 187;i and 1888, about 8."),200,000. The principal streams were : 
 Douse ( 'rei'k, Walker's Creek, 
 
 Thibort Crook, Snow Creek, 
 
 Me Dames' Crook, Quartz Crook, 
 
 First North Fork of Mc Dames' Crook. 
 Miners wont to Cissiar by ocean stiaiucr from Victoria to Fort 
 Wianj;cll, at the mouth of Slikeen ; tiieii up the latter river lor a distanoo 
 of 150 miles to Ctlenora Landing by river sacamors. Then across an 
 80 mile portaj;i' t^i Dease Lake, where a small steamer had been built. 
 The Stikeeii Ulver runs within three miles of Dease Lake; but it is 
 not naviiiable on aecount of the L'reat cafioii of the Stikcen, about 90 
 miles long. 
 
 A trail was cut from Quesuel Mouth to Dease Dakc, a distance of 
 about 425 miles. During the first year, freight across the 8;i mile 
 portage was 50 cents per pound, and poor pack-horses cost 8250 each. 
 
 YOOliON DISTRICT. 
 
 Though this is beyond the boundary of British (Columbia, I have 
 included it here because its discovery is due to a gii at extent to the 
 miners from Cassiar. 
 
 The principal streams are : 
 
 Sayy('.v Creek, Ro.-,s River, 
 
 Finlayson River, Su'wart River, 
 
 Lewis River, Forty Mile Crook, 
 
 Big Salmon River, Sixty Mile Crock. 
 
 Upper Felly River, 
 Rich diggings have been discovorod, but, owing to the remoteness 
 of the district, diffieully of obtaining supplies, and shortness of the 
 season, it has not been worked to a great extent as yet. 
 
 SKEEN.V RIVKR AND STRKAMS OK TIIE COAST RAMOE. 
 
 These include : 
 
 Skeena River, Lome Creek, 
 
 Seymour Crock, Bones Gulch, 
 
 Prospect Crook, Douglas Creek. 
 
 Lome Creek was the best, and piodueod as follows ; In 1844 
 
 817,000; 1885, 818,000; and in lS8(i, 812,000. 
 
VANCOUVBR lil,AND. 
 
 Lfcrli llivtT, 
 
 HodIh' Hivrr, 
 Jiiriljin llivcr, 
 were tlio priiiripiil Ntrramx ; 
 
 Nittiiiiiuo IliviT, 
 
 S.III •liiitti Itivvr, 
 
 ('iiwaclilii Itivitr, 
 
 111' thc'si', l.iri'li Itivcr is Hiiiil lo hiivo 
 
 prcKludil 81ftll,(MMI; uikI Jiirihiti itlvir iiixMit 8:15,(1(111. 
 
 A tabular Htuteiiu'iit trmu llio Ui|iiir( :)t' llio Minister of Milieu, 
 Hlii'wiiin tlio totui I'Htiiuiitod yield of piM lietweuii 1H5H uiid IHHH, \h 
 UH I'olluWH • — 
 
 OOI,D PRODUCTION. 
 
 Tabli MhcwiiiK tho iK'tunlly known iiml uHtimittud yiold ni' j^old ; tlio 
 nuuiliur iif luiiit'M L'liipliiy.Ml ; and the ivenij^e eiiriiiiiu's per iiinii, 
 per year, I'ltini 1858 tu 188H, in tliu I'ruvinuu cii' Itritiitli Onluinbia- 
 
 YlAR. 
 
 Aiiiomit »<'tu- 
 Hlly Itliiiwn )(t 
 
 llHVI" llt'i'U »'I- 
 
 porU'd i,y 
 nuiiltii, «<' 
 
 Aninunt niUWtl 
 
 (<i rrprt'Keiit unl,l 
 
 rnrrltiil (iwity la 
 
 pliVKU'luii At, 
 
 $ 
 
 1 ;ii->l 403,7(18 
 
 557,l;t;t 
 
 '1(1(1,620 
 
 " (1(14,22(1 
 
 978,301 
 
 y;i3,y(i2 
 
 " 872,801 
 " (;(15,52(1 
 " (120,217 
 " 503,243 
 " 443,744 
 
 " ,i34,2;iy 
 
 " I4y,8(i0 
 
 <• 402,713 
 
 " 32(1,437 
 
 " 4(11.154 
 
 (11«,72(1 
 
 " 44(1,0(12 
 
 " 402,046 
 
 I-5II1 2I2,.5.34 
 
 215,0(i9 
 
 •• 1(18,071 
 
 " 174,45(1 
 
 " 159,014 
 
 " 132,375 
 
 122,8(11 
 
 118,05(1 
 
 150,(108 
 
 I15,V85 
 
 " 102,788 
 
 T.ilnl. 
 
 t 
 
 •708,000 
 
 1,(115,072 
 2,228,543 
 2,(1(10,118 
 2,(15(1,003 
 3.913,5(13 
 3,735,850 
 3,4y 1,205 
 2,(1(12,10(1 
 2,480,808 
 2.372.072 
 1.774,y8 
 1,33(1,95(1 
 
 i,7yy,i4o 
 
 1,010,972 
 1,305,740 
 1,84-1,(118 
 2,474,904 
 1,780,(148 
 
 1,(1(18,182 
 
 1,275,204 
 
 1 ,290,058 
 
 1,013,827 
 
 1,040,737 
 
 954,085 
 
 794.252 
 
 7. '1(1, 1(15 
 
 713,738 
 
 y03,«51 
 
 (193,709 
 
 (11(1,731 
 
 N'unilier 
 »t Miiiori 
 uiiiployiHl 
 
 Avermgo 
 j y«»rly 
 •nrniiiKi 
 p«r iiinii. 
 
 1868 1 
 (purttiU ruturii.) J 
 1H5U 
 
 $ 
 
 543,000 
 
 1,211,301 
 1,(171,410 
 
 i,'.iy!i,58y 
 i,yy2,(i77 
 
 2.y35,172 
 2,801,888 
 2,(118.404 
 l.y!l(l,.'">80 
 1,8(1(1,(151 
 
 i,77y,72y 
 
 1,3' ,234 
 1,..A717 
 1,349,580 
 1,208,220 
 070,312 
 1,383,4(54 
 1,85(1,178 
 
 1 ,3:;!t,y8(i 
 
 ',2(1(1,13(1 
 1,0(12,(170 
 1,075,040 
 844,85(1 
 872,^81 
 796,071 
 (lCi,877 
 (li:i,304 
 504,782 
 753,043 
 578,924 
 513,943 
 
 3,000 
 
 4,000 
 4,400 
 4,200 
 4,100 
 4,400 
 4,400 
 4,294 
 2,y82 
 3,044 
 2,390 
 2,309 
 2,34 
 2,450 
 2,400 
 ■ 2,3(J0 
 2,8(18 
 2,024 
 2,282 
 1,9(10 
 1 ,883 
 2,124 
 1,955 
 1,898 
 1,738 
 1 ,905 
 1,85H 
 2,'J02 
 3,147 
 2,342t 
 2.007 1 
 
 235 
 103 
 
 18(i0 
 
 50(1 
 
 18(11 
 
 034 
 
 18ti2 
 
 (148 
 
 IH3 
 
 18G4 
 
 8H9 
 849 
 
 lH(i6 
 
 813 
 
 18(1G 
 
 893 
 
 18G7 
 
 814 
 
 18(18 
 
 18(iy 
 
 1870 
 
 992 
 749 
 5(iy 
 
 1871 
 
 734 
 
 1872 
 
 (171 
 
 lH7;t 
 
 607 
 
 1874 
 
 l!4;i 
 
 1875 
 
 187(1 
 
 1,222 
 
 78.3 
 
 1877 
 
 1878 
 
 820 
 (177 
 
 1H7U 
 
 (107 
 
 1880 
 
 518 
 
 1881 
 
 551 
 
 1882 
 
 548 
 
 188;t 
 
 404 
 
 18H4 
 
 1885 
 
 39(1 
 24(1 
 
 188(1 : 
 
 287 
 
 1887 
 
 2'J6 
 
 1888 1 
 
 307 
 
 Total known and e;.tiiniit<'il yield ol'tjold, 1858 to 1888. . 54.108,804 
 
 Averajje imnil'er ol'ininer- enipliiyi'il yearly 2,775 
 
 Averaj;e earning.-' per man per year ti'l? 
 
 * WadUliiKtou'H eutlniHte. 
 
 t Exclusive of aiiunilier uf incii woikiiigoaor proipectingforqiinrtz. 
 
 From it, the total yield of };old is 854,108,804. Assuming tliat the 
 average value of the uold was SKI. 75 per ounce, this gives 8,li.'i0,l{77 
 ounces, or 209,200 lbs., and, taking the speeitie g-avity of the gold as 
 veing 16, a cubic foot weighs 1,000 lbs. This gives 200.2 cubic feet, 
 tr it may be represented by ;■ solid jiyrauiid, with a square base, whose 
 sides are six feet and height 221 feet. 
 
 Of this amount, Cariboo i.s credited with producing about one-half. 
 According to this stati'Uient, the average earnings per nian, per year, 
 for thirty-one years, was S()22. Another average is from 1,200 miners, 
 who cros.sed the briilge at tiie mouth of the (juesnel early in 1801. 
 Twenty soon returned, discouraged ; the remainder returned in the 
 fall, bringing down as their season's earnings, 81,600,000 — or say, an 
 average of 81,272 each. 
 
 From the foregoing you may, perhaps, imagine that placer mining 
 has ceased in this province ; this, however, is not tlu' case — it has cer- 
 tainly fallen off from the yields in tiie palmy days, but, as may be 
 seen from the stat^^racnt, it still produces annually nearly 8800,000 
 worth ol gold. 
 
 The .shallow placers are, of course, practically exhausted ; but, with 
 bettor roads, cheaper supplies, improved machinery, and the method of 
 
 8 
 
working liy liydrttulio powt-r, tin' minfr Mtill obtaiiii* a (sootl rt'torn for 
 IiIn likbiiiirH, mill vill I'cir iiiiiriy ii ycur 
 
 Tlicrc Ih litlli' ilmilit, i»1no, timl cluriin.' tlio iMiiirHc of tin' next fuw 
 yvMH niuoli of till' ili'ep i;rouiiil in the I'ifi: BinJ, KooliMiay, Himiiki- 
 nii'i'n, CitHHiiir, ritrilion, uml ntlirr iliHtriulx, wliic!:, rroiii itn rriunloiioKH, 
 wiiH itliiiniliitiril iliiriii^r tlir I'lirly liiiyn, *ill In' IchIciI itml yield rleh 
 rt'turnM. 
 
 It in i|uit>' ill tliv region III' pnHnihiliticM ilitii new uml rich (iluoern 
 may \n\ diNcovereil. The iliHtrivt lietweeii till) licud natiTH of tho 
 North TlioiiipNon :iiid CiirilHiii In Idokeil iipnii im lieiii^' one ol' ^roAt 
 proinine 
 
 Dr. v^ce. l)iiWKon. nnd other nuthoritie" of the (JeoloKlcal >"furvey, 
 aliK) oonHider tliiit it In i|uiie poHNilile. if not likely, thai rieh pliie. ri4 
 may be diwovered lieliinginL' to older I'ornmtioiiM and periodn than tliiiHu 
 which have been worked. Sueh, for iiiMtiillue, iih the eXteii«ive uraVeln 
 of the Middle 'I'ertiiiry, whieh were ul'terwurdM covered by bunalbi 
 and othur ijxneouH rockN, nod there Ih roawm to Huppone that tho 
 modern pincers have bei n eonniderably enriehed by the robbing of 
 tliew old uravel'*. Hiill older eonjilonienilef., aH fir hack aw thoHc ol 
 the Carhoiiifeioiix, have been iiut'eeMHliilly wurkeil in neveral eouiitrieM. 
 TlieHc considirtttion.t are not merely of a iiieoreti'.'Ul nature, but aro 
 warranted by experience Ruined in Ciilifornia and oilier hicaliticH in 
 the United Slatej^, in Annlralia, in New ZeaJi'Md, and in Nova Scotia, 
 
 [have ti< at' d thii^ ]iarl of (lie papirmoiein detiiil than I tir.'tt 
 intended, hut I tliii.k it de.«ervflN atteiicion lu'Cauw, as far us I am 
 aware, it is not );eiierally known llii:t the Province of British C' lubiii 
 has and still is producing; ^old in sueh ((uaiititieH ; and, in view of thu 
 discoveries ol' i|u»rt/, within the past few years, I think it is only fair 
 that attention should be ilik'eeled to this jioint. 
 
 Before iioinii on with the ,>apcr, it is, perhapH, not out of place to 
 say a few words ri nurdiiif: U. oriyin of the yold in the sand and 
 gravel . 
 
 One theory is that, throuj^h tit action of ori/iiiilr (i<!(i» and alka- 
 lilt, the giild is brought into it sta f of solution, and in this condition 
 is carried by streams to other looaliticH, where it is re-precipitated in 
 the form of nu^ficts by organic matter, sueh as frajiiiients of coal, etc. 
 In a geolii'^ieal sense, then, gold may be, uml probably is, largely dis- 
 trihuted in this way. The usual tluory, however, is that, tlirou'.^h the 
 ageiicj of air, frost, etc.. pre exi.'-ting vein matt*'r and rocks containing 
 the gold became decomposed and destroyed, and the indestruetible 
 gold is then iIe]posited in a eoneenlrated form in the variouH localities, 
 where it has been tound by the foUowiim agencies: 
 
 (1) The present system of water courses. 
 
 (2) Older systems of water courses, following the same general 
 directions as the present systems, and in many jilaos coincieling with 
 the latter. 
 
 (3) Still older water systems. 
 
 (4) By the action'of glaciers. 
 
 By these agencies, then, the gold is depositi'd iviih Varying richness 
 in many loealitiis. In the iieds of modern streams, in the older chan- 
 nels, on benches, in gulches, valleys, and ravines ; sometimes near the 
 surface, but often deeply buried under barren soil or ingeouij rock. 
 BiMng found under so many varying circujistances, much must be left 
 to the ingenuity of the miner. The general principles, however, for 
 working are about as follows: — 
 
 MF.TIIdDS OF WCUlKINd I'LACIiR MINES. 
 
 The following tools, appliances, and requisites are used in one form 
 or another in placer mining, thou'.;h, in individual cases, all may not 
 be reejuired. A pleiititiil supply of water, picks, shovels, axes, drills, 
 hammers, crowbars, wheelbarrows, hoisting bucket, rope, nails, magnet, 
 blow-pan, cross-cut saw, whip saw, small car, minors' pan, cradle, 
 ((uicksilver, pumjis, derricks, waU'r wheels, sluices, wing dams, etc. 
 
 Most of Ihe above appliances are in such general use that a descrip- 
 tion is unnecessary ; with the following, however, it is not out of place : — 
 
 The Miner's Pun is made of pressed sheet iron, is circular in form, 
 about 14 inches in diameter on the bottom, IS inciies on the top, and 
 live inches deep. It is used for separating thi' gold from the gravel liy 
 
 9 
 
a sort of ciroukr motion, sjivon to it in wator, tlio pan at the same 
 time beint: held in a slopin;; piisitiiiii. Hy tliis means the liglitcr sand 
 and grave! drops over tlie lower side, wliile the blaeii sand and gold 
 remains bcliind. Tlio remainder is tiien dried on a si'.ovel jr fry-pan 
 in the fire, and tlie black magnetic sand is then removed witfi the blov 
 pan and magnet. The pan is also nsed for cleaning concentrates from 
 cluiccs iind cradle, ami alsoM'or wasiiing gold amalgam where mercury 
 is used. It is especially useful as a prosp-x-ting tool. 
 
 The Crndh or Jfocker is also of more importance as a prospecting 
 tool. It is a i-oiigli wooden box, say 40 inches long, 20 inches wide, 
 and 20 inches deep. On the bottom it is fitted with rockers like a 
 baby's cradle, and it is sligiitly inclined, say two to four inches. At 
 tlie upper end, and on the top, is a hopper, or coarse sieve, into which 
 the gravel is thrown. The finer portion nf the latter passes ihrouLdi and 
 falls into toe apron usually made of blanket. On the bottom, below 
 the apron, riffles are placed, and the lower I'nd is left op' , The dirt 
 is shovelled into the hopper, water is poured in with one hand, while 
 the rocking motion is given with the other hand. The tine dirt and 
 gold passes through, .^ome of the gold is caught in the nap of the 
 blanket, the balance on the riffles, wliile the water :md waste dirt run.s 
 out at the lower end. The following is a sketch shewing a .section of 
 the rocker. 
 
 €ra<J^€ 
 
 A Piiddlivg Box is sometimes used, espeoially if there be much clay. 
 It is a box of any size, and has an auger hole about four inches from 
 the bottom. The atigir hole is plngi;vd, the clay put in ami puddled 
 with plenty ol' water. The water and suspuuhd elay is then run off 
 though the hole, leaving the black sand and gold as before. 
 
 The Whig Datn is to turn the water from the claim. It -t . 's at 
 the head, runs in a slanting direction across the .stream till about one- 
 half is taken in, iind then runs straight down for the remaining distance. 
 The whole is weiirhted with heavy slmies Ut keep it in place, and filled, 
 witli soil and gravel to make it watertight. It is buiU of timber. 
 The space within the dam is tlien worked down to bed rock, and the 
 dam is finally changed over to the ether side, which is worked in tiie 
 •same way. 
 
 The Watfr- Whc. ! Is used for hoisting purposes and for pumping 
 water. In shallow places it is an undershot wheel, projecting over the 
 sideol the dam into the water, and running the pump which is attached 
 to it on tiie inner siih). 
 
 The slttiec uoxis are made from boards which are geneially .sawn by 
 the miners them.selves v ilh tiie whip saw. The planks are usually 
 12 feet long and 1 to 2 inches thick. These are formed into boxes K! 
 to 20 inches wide and 12 inehe.- deep fur ordinary ]ilacers, and larger 
 for more extensive workings. They are made a little narrower at one 
 end so as to fit into each other, aud soon become water-tight. These 
 boxes are then set in strings supported on trestles, and are i;iveu an in- 
 clination of from 2 to lit inches per box of 12 feet, depending upon llio 
 character of ihe gravel and ^nld, and the available L-rade which can be 
 given tlicui. 
 
 The boxes are provided with riffles oi'various tonus toeiteh the gold, 
 which is generally coarse ; ((uieksilver is Iherefure ncit iinieli used. 
 Where tine, both nuleksilver in the crude state ami ainalganiat4d jilates 
 are used. 
 
 10 
 
PlacMT iiii;!iii^ may lio ilividcd iiitn tln' iiiinini.' of 
 
 (1 ) SliiiUow plaeur.s. 
 
 (2) Dot'p piaeiTS. 
 
 SliiiUnw plac'i'i's arc .sucli as arc opcMicd fnmi tlic surface, tlic wlio'c 
 ot the ilirt ^ iiij^ waslicd down to bed rock, llic latter beiiii,' not more 
 tlian, May, 12 feet dcip. Tliey iiicdude l]w sliallow beds of pc^ruiancnt 
 streams and dry f^ulelics, ravines and valleys earryin;; water only durin;? 
 part of tile season, or pcrliaps carry liii; none at all. Tlicy may thus be 
 sulidividt'd^into 
 
 (.() Wet diggings. 
 
 {b) Dry diggings. 
 
 Deep placers, on tlic other liand, are such mines as are opened from 
 bcn(ath, (rr both from beneath and abovc^ a> in the eu.se of hydraiilie 
 miiiiiiL'. The pay dirt is deeply buricl undcT barren t^oil so that it 
 would not p:.y to remove the l.itter, and mines are therefore opened by 
 sliafts, tunnels and bed rock flumes, which re(iuirc lo be heavily and 
 .securely timbered. Mining of this description may also be classified 
 under two heads, viz. : — 
 
 ((/) J)ecp placer mining by hand. 
 
 {!>) Hydraulic mining. 
 
 Let us first take a case of shallow jilaccr mining under class {<i) or 
 wet diggings. 
 
 Fig. 1 represents a cross section of the stream, say 50 feet wide, 
 
 showing the surface of 
 
 '<i\, //■ tlie water, the gravel 
 
 beneath, the bed rock, 
 t'lO st<'ep banks of the 
 stream with benches on 
 either side. 
 
 A plan would be sonu'thing like the following, in which, as is usually 
 he case, the claim is lOfl feet lonir. 
 
 The boundaries having been staked out, the wing dam is first put in, 
 and is either closed across at the lower end of tlu^ claim, or, as is usually 
 tlic case, carried on far enough to keep the claim clear of water. Th-j 
 water wheel and pump arc then put into position, tint wheel projecting 
 over the side of the dam into the wati'r, the axle of which actuates the 
 pump, which in this class nf milling is usually of a primitive characler, 
 consisting of a wooden ho.\ through whieli a scries of canvas buckets 
 are cari'ied mi an endless band. Thi^ sluice boxes are then .strung out 
 in p<isitioii, the >lopc and length de])eiiding upeii the eliaractcr of the 
 gold, the available grade, and the means of the miners. As a genoral 
 rule, the larger the string of boxes the more thoroughly is the gold 
 saved. Thi' riffles are then put into the .-luice boxes. All then being 
 in position, water is admittid into the sluices, the pump is 8e> in 
 motieii, and the procesi of shovelling in the sand and gravel goes on. 
 The latt<;r is carried througii the sluices by the force of the water and 
 irocs off as tailiuus, while the gold and heavy black sand settle iuf.o the 
 ritties, from which it is removed at stated intervals, u.sually at the 
 weekly clean tip. 'f he process of working a shallow dry placer is much 
 the same, save that , as water is absent, enough to supply the sluiei^ must 
 be brought by ditches, and the wing dam is unnecessary. 
 
 Miiiiim laws in Hritish Columbia limit the size of placer claims, 
 which can oiil\ l:ike in lOlt teet in length of stream in the easeof ereek 
 and bar diggings, ami UK) feet square in benili and dry diggiiig.s. 
 Where a new stream is discovered tlics(^ claims, as above, are staked off, 
 and if the ground is shalltiw it is werked as has Ik'Cq described. If, on 
 the other hand, the ground is deep, as is usually the ease in the old 
 ehanncls and aUo in many of the modern streams, such metliods would 
 be too expensive to employ, and in such cases deep placer mining by 
 hand is resorted too. This consists essentially either in running a Irift 
 or bed rock flumi^ to strike the bed rock, or in sinking a sliafl at the 
 side of the sir'am in .solid ground and driftiiivr out to strike the bed 
 rock, as is howu in the following sketehj 
 
 11 
 
/ y/ ^^- "^ '-"* * 
 
 in which the shaft goos down thnm^'li tlic rim rock forming tlie banks 
 of the stream, and at the lower enil of the ehiim. Wlien tlie miners 
 think they are deep enon^h. a trial drift is run out to strike the bed 
 rock of the present stream or old channel, as the case may be ; and when 
 this is struck, the aravel is hoisted through the shaft to^the surface, and 
 washed in sluices as before. These underground workings require to bo 
 heavily and securely timbered, for the life of the miner to a grout extent 
 depends upon this. Powerful pumps are also required to keep tlie 
 drifts clear of water. The iioisting and pumping gear is usually 
 actuated by water power obtiiiiied from water wheels; and if the height 
 to which the water Ikis to be lifted is too great, flumes from one claim 
 to another, the expense of which is shared by the various companies, 
 require to be built. A better plan, when practicable, is to run a 
 tunnel with sufficient sliipc for drainage to strike the bed rock at the 
 required place ; the sluices are then ;-et in the tunnel if water can be 
 admitted ; if not at the mouth of the tunnel, and washing goes on as 
 before. Bench claims being in dry ground, and otien high above the 
 level of the streams, iire easier to work. The main difficulty there is to 
 liring water to the ground ; to do this, long ditches are often required. 
 Water wheels are utilized when practicabU', one such wheel on (iuesucll 
 Eiver being (iO fict in diameter. In the vicinity of Clinton, in a piece 
 of ground where water wasdifficult to obtain, it was brought across the 
 Fraser river in rubber hose. We can thus see that uiuoh ingenuity is 
 exercised by the miner in accomplishing liis end. 
 
 Such methods as the above are utilized when the ditr'-'ings arc 
 shallow or reasonably .so, and when they are rich enough to bear tlio 
 expense of such costly work. When this is not the case, or when the 
 richer ground has been exhausted, the ground can only be pro8tably 
 worked by hydraulic power. In view of the fact that much of the 
 mining urouud now left in JJri^ish Columbia is ol this character, J 
 propose to give a more detailed description of this method of mining, 
 from which, in thceour.se of the next tew years, much in the way of 
 developments can reasoiiabiy be expicted. 
 
 In such cases small claims as specified above conld not be protitably 
 worked; and to encourage the industry, leases of mining property are 
 gi ven as follows : — 
 In dry liiggivgs, 10 acres. 
 
 In bar dlyglngs unworked, J mile in length al<ing hiu'h water mark, 
 In har diggings, worked and abandoned, IJ miles in length along high 
 
 water mark. 
 In Creak claims on abandoned streams, li miles. 
 In lidiih Lands adjoining unworked or abandoned streams, KiO acres. 
 Hydraulic Mining is that process of extracting gold from auriferous 
 gravel by means of water under great jircssure, discharged through 
 pipes and nozzles again.'<t the hank. Or, in other word<, the same 
 agency which origin: lly buried .md cniieeiitrated the gold in the gravel 
 is by this method fiirced to strip and separate ii again. 
 It is absolutely necessary tliat there .should be : — 
 (1) A plentiful su))ply of water under pressure, 
 /2j Good facilities fir i;raiie and dnnip. 
 
 12 
 
Tho riclifst (l(!posit of i,'oUl is found usually in a stratum oiiiht. to 
 Uh ft'L't thick ininifdiiit .ly over \\w bed rock nf tlm old ehanuel ; and 
 if this is slato, as is f,'enL'rally, tlmuj^li not necessarily, the case, it also 
 penetrates into the crevices, scams and holes ; so that such bed rock 
 is more likely ti) be rich than smoother and harder rocks. Such a 
 deposit bcinji suspcctrd or known, it is first ncccssiuy, or at all events 
 desirable, to explore the j;round by means of shafts and drifts to learn 
 something about the depth, extent, character and richnusH of the 
 deposit. A plentiful sup;ily of water must also bo provided for, 
 and brought to the ground by ditches, lumes, or pipes. 
 
 The site of the tunnd is then oliosen, giving due regard to the dis- 
 posal of tailings, and the grade whicl' should be given to provide for 
 the drainage of the mine and the economical washing of the gravel. 
 The size of thi: tuunel must also be decided. This depends upon the 
 extent of tlic deposit and how it is to be worked; that is to say 
 whether a single or double line of sluices is to be employed. 
 
 The sluices and riffles must also be prepared — no small undertaking, 
 when it is remembered that, in soaie cases, they are over a mile in 
 length. They may range in size from 10" in width and 12" in depth, 
 to five feet or more in widtli and three feet in depth. They are made 
 from planking, one to two inches thick, securely and tightly put 
 together, and must be strongly mounted on sills and firmly supported 
 by trestle work where necessary, to withstand the great pressure of 
 water. The rijffieK are of various forms, and differ niiiteriaiiy from 
 those employed in ordinary placer mining, some of the more common 
 and bcfUr forms being as follows : — 
 
 Block RijHes .tre of two kinds, namely Sqit'iir Block Riffles and 
 RiiHiul Block RljUcx. Ill the first case, the blocks are sawn go'id 
 dimensions, b.iing 10 x 10 x It) inches, but the size, of course, may 
 vary ; these are plaojd in position, with spaces between, in much the 
 same way as block pavements on our roads are laid. The round block 
 riffles are blocks sawn siiuure off from the trunks of trees and set on 
 end in the sluices. 
 
 Rock Rvjjies are stones laid in placi; in the same way, and are durable, 
 effective, and cheap; but are more difficul"^ to remove when cleaning 
 uii. They can be very profitably employed in the lower part of tiie 
 sluici', wlien the catch of gold is not so great. 
 
 R:iil Eljlles made from scantling, built in sets usually of nbout 
 eight feet long ; the upper part is protected by strips of iron, and the 
 whole is laid lengthwise in the sluice. Or the riffles, as a whole, may 
 be a combination of the above methods. 
 
 The length of the sluici' de()ends mainly upon the di.sposal of the 
 tailings, for all the coarse gold and a large percentage of the fine gold 
 is found in the first 400 feet of the sluice. The slope given to the 
 boxes depends upon the character of the gold and tlu! gravel in which 
 it is found, heavy material reciuiring more slope and water than 
 lighter material. If tho grade is too great, the .sand is apt to pack in 
 the riffles, and a slope of about seven inches to the box of 12 feet 
 generally works well. 
 
 Grir.-^licx and itiiJcirKcrriitu aie also used. A gi'i~.-Jij is put in when 
 a drop can be given to a line of sluices, and is especially neees.sary 
 when cement and pijie-elay are present. They consist es.sentially of 
 parallel iron bars, such as ))ieces of railroad iroii, set with spaces 
 between, which allows the finer material to past through, the cement 
 and clay being pulverized by the fall into the sluice or undercurrent 
 below, while the heavy boulders go over the side. 
 
 UndeixHirciiti are large settling boxes, say 20 x 40 feet (tho size 
 varies), set to one side of thi' line of sluic box.'s, and with less slope 
 than tin' latter. They are provided with riffles as in the sluices. The 
 water enters at the upper end and re-eritirs the sluice at the lower end. 
 Most of the remainin.; gold is caught in the.se undercurrents. 
 
 These preliminaries having been settled, the work of opetiiug the 
 claim begins as follows :— The tunnel, or oivn cut and tunnel combined, 
 is started with the proper gride to strike the deposit, say 20 feet below 
 bed rock to provide for contingencies, such as holes, etc., and also to 
 make sure of being below bed rock ; otherwise, it is money and labour 
 lost. The tunnel if veiMvly timbered as the work progresses, and is 
 carried well into the ImI rock under the deposit, curves being avoided 
 
 13 
 
as much as possible. A sliiift, usually vertical, is then sunk cither to 
 strike the tunnel directly, or at a short disliiiice to one side, and, in the 
 latter oiise, the two are connected by a short drift. The shaft must be 
 securely timbered and laf;ged throughout to within about eight feet of 
 the surface. The ditches, or slniees, carry the water to u distributing 
 point, usually some high point convenient to the claim, where the 
 pressure box i.s situated ; from the Inter it is carried by iron pipes or 
 canvas liose to the claim, nozzles being provided to direct tho water 
 against the bank. Good forms of the latter are fitted with ball and 
 socket joints, so that they may easily be turned in any direction. The 
 pipes are made of light sheet iron, and fit into each other like stove- 
 pipes; or they may have lead joints, if thought advisable. All being 
 in readiness, water is turned on and washing through the shaft begins. 
 The first wasliings must be made with care, and al! tho .-oil or gravel 
 within as great a radius as po.ssiblc earefuliy sloped and drawn toward 
 the mouth of the shaft before tlio timbering is removed. By this means 
 caves and washes arc avoided. As the work progresses, the timbers arc 
 removed till bed rock at the bottom of the shatt is n ached, and, finally 
 an open cut in front of the tunnel is made. The mine may then bo said 
 to be opened. The bank is undermined, caved, and washed into the bed 
 rock flume, here taking the place of the sluice boxes, and the latter is 
 carried forward as the bank recedes. Qiuehsih'er is largely employed, 
 the charging being done at the head of the uluice. It is added at 
 intervals, as required, being regulated by the amount iu view iu the 
 riffles. The quantity used depends upon the length of the sluice. 
 
 Hydraulic mining is a development from California, and it has 
 been largely employed both there and elsewhere in the States, where 
 long and expensive linch of ditches and iron pipes have been built, the 
 latter being provided with automatic air valves, distributing gates, and 
 improved nozzles Immense dams, forming storage reservoirs for 
 use during the dry season, were al.-o built. By this method, large 
 quantities of gravel, up to nine and ten thousand cubic yards, can be 
 run through the sluices it, a siuiile day. The average cost is about six 
 cents per cubic yard ; so that gravel yielding only 10 k^ i!0 cents per 
 cubic yard can be profitably worked. 
 
 Hydraulic mining is successfully carried on in British Columbia, but 
 in a more primitive ;ind very much le.'.s extensive ir)anner th.in abov^ 
 The expensive preliminary work is unnecessary, for the proce.s.s, so far 
 has been carried on in a r-mall scale in Cariboo and elsewhere, where, 
 from previous workings, the ground is known to m at least rich enough 
 to yield fair returns; water is also plentiful. Against thes*- advantages 
 we have the shortness of the season to contend with. 
 
 The disposal of sueh ((uantitics of gravel is a sirious ((uestion : 
 streams become choked up, and bottom lands are buried under the rush, 
 and in many parts ol the States it has become illegal to mine in this 
 way. But we need never fear that this will be the case, at all events in 
 the northern parts of the province; and the succfs.sful operation of 
 mi s by this method will, there is no doubt, oiwn and develoj) parts 
 of the province othi rwise useless, and foster and encourage an industry 
 furnishing u livelihotid ami independence for many miners. 
 
 VEIN MINING. 
 
 For convenience 1 have classified the various discoveries of minerals 
 in British Columbia under the above heading. The term is not strictly 
 accurate, notably .so in the case of coal and iron, and is adopted for 
 discription only, fiir it is beyond tho scope of this paper to speak of the 
 treatment of ores and niethcds of mining as the industry is in its 
 infancy still. I purpose, therefore, merely to give a brief .iccount of 
 some of the more important discoveries nf minerals in the Province. 
 
 As has been stated before, the placer miner is so to speak the 
 pioneer of tho quartz miner, it is only reasonable to suppose that in the 
 case of rich placer deposits surmises .should be made as to the origin 
 of the gold, and if the latUr is found to have a coarse unworn appearance 
 with fragments of (juariz adhering we may safely take it lor granted 
 that this .source is not liir disiant ; and when in addition to this, fruL'- 
 nieuts and imggets of other minerals, such as silver, copjicr, lead, plati- 
 num, etc., are hiund in the sluice boxes we know, with a fair amount of 
 
 14 
 
ccrtivioty, tlml ricli iliscovurius are likely to bu mailo. This Ims bee i 
 the ease iii Bi'itif-h Columbia, iitul such discovoriuH of lodnes and veins, 
 of quartz and iiiiuerais as ahove were uiade in many loealities shortly 
 alter the discovery of tlie placer depusils, and ihoui^h such finds from 
 the renioleness of the localities have up to the present time not be n 
 tested, still tliey arc valuable and intarostin}? as indications of future 
 developments wliiiK arc bound to come. 
 
 As may lit! noticed in every case, almost without exception, where 
 •placer deposits have been worked, proniisiiig lodges and viins have been 
 discovered, and this over a mountiiin district extending fmrn the Intcr- 
 luitional Boundary on the south, to tlie Youkon River ami boj'oud in 
 the north, a distanct: of over 1400 milrs, and thc^re is little reason to 
 doubt but that as the country becomes ()peiied_up the mineral deposits 
 of this vast re<fion will hecome extremely valuable. 
 
 1 purpose for cunvenieuce to divide this refjitai into districts as fol 
 lows: — Southern, Cherry Creek, Kamhops, Yule, Kootenai/, Lillooel 
 Cariboo, Ominica, Gussiar, and toizive brief notices of e.ieh. In some 
 of those districts, from their accessibility or Irom other favorin;;- circum- 
 stancci, more development work has been done than in others ; such 
 localities I purpose to treat more in detail, not because they are 
 likely to prove richer but siuijily because in .-ueh cases results may be 
 submitted to you . 
 
 In the Southern Piuision I include all that country to the south and 
 in the vicinity of Okan'gon Lake. In this district a great number of 
 promi^inj; lucaticms have been made at the Ibllowing camps and 
 places : — 
 
 Camp McKenneji, about 12 miles from the placer mines on I?(>ck 
 Creek and not far IVoni the boundary. A working t*;st frmu a quantity 
 of ore sent to Sau Francisco from these mines j^avo returns in "old oi 
 StiJ.OO to the ton. 
 
 Cavip Fairview, on Okauagon Kiver. 
 
 Copper Camp. 
 
 Boundary Creek. 
 
 North Fork of Kettle River. 
 
 Tulemeen River. 
 
 Wolfe Creek. 
 
 Koremeos. 
 
 Amelia. 
 
 Maple Leaf. 
 
 Bear Creek. 
 
 Toad Colley. 
 
 Newton District, near (rranitc Creek. 
 
 In all of '.hose lnealities promisim; ledges have been discovered, and a 
 considerable amount oldevelopment work done with satisfictory results 
 so fiir as they go, but tiie diMiiet is out of the reiiular line of travel and 
 the mines are not being developed as they would be were the country 
 a'ade more accessible by the building of lailroads or wagon roads. 
 
 Cherry Creek /A'ci'stOM. —In this locality we find two ledges upon 
 which a eonsiderable^amount of work has boeii done. One is silver 
 bearing, and crosses Cherry Creek near the placer mines. Assays 
 from this mine shew it to be extremely rich, one made by myself 
 yielding 1205 ounces of silver to the ton, and a working test from two 
 Umis of ore sent to San Franeiseo giving 023 ounces to the ton. The 
 oth-r ledge, known as the .Mclntyre ledge, is situated about 12 miles 
 further on, on Monashee Mountain, and shows gold visible to the naked 
 eye. A quartz mill has been erected at this mine, and both localities 
 reached by a go(jd wagon road. 
 
 Kamhiops Uioisiou includes the Nicola Mines and those claims 
 situated at Jameson Creek and vicinity, and elsewhere on the North 
 Th(mip.son River. 
 
 The Nicola Mines are situated about ;iO miles .south of Kamloops, in 
 the vicinity of .Stump Lake, and on Idaho Mountain. A good wa"ou 
 road connects them with the above place. The principal mine owners 
 are as follows: — 
 
 Nicola Milling and Milling Company (English Capital). 
 
 Star Milling Cn., I'atferson & Henderson. 
 
 Mary Reynolds Co. 
 
 16 
 
Wright A FlcfcluT. 
 
 Silver Kiiij; iMiuitii,' CVi., miuI otlicrs, 
 
 A cuupiuiy wftH loriucd abimt 188U to prospect tluwi' t'liiiiiis. About 
 18H(! they snlii out to tlic Xicola Miiiiiijj; & Milling' Oo., aii Eiii^lisli 
 Hyiidieate, wlio have (•xpiiuh i| ii hiri;v :i iiiount of money hi ;i systc miitic 
 and buMUiesH-like iiwiiiur, pnrieipall) on ihre,' of tlieir elaiins, known 
 as tlie Kin;; Williaui, Jo.-huii and 'J'ubiil Cain, wliieh claims tlie com- 
 pany are Usting thoroughly preparatory to urectinf; extenHive ri'dueti(ni 
 works. These mines deserve special nieiition, for the amount of work 
 done by this company far exeeei:,- tliat ilone by any other eonipaiie in 
 tiie provinci'. They employ a largi' force of men, arc usinj^ iiiiprovi'd 
 machinery, have run, ineludin,L>^ drifts and shafts up to 18!)0, some 
 3400 feet, and the future of tlie camp as a whide depends to a i;reat 
 extent upon th.^ir developments, with wliieh tliey have so far been 
 well satisfied. 
 
 The S/df Miniuij ('(imiKtiii/ have also done a considerable amimiit 
 of work on their claims, and have ul.so crect<'d a small concenfratini; 
 plant, and shipped some IG tons of ore to San l''ranci.seo, yielding 875 
 per ton. 
 
 tJthcr mine owners, as above, have also i)rospeetiMl their claims and 
 arc well .satisfied with the results. The principal miiu'ralsarc lead sul- 
 phides and carbonates, rich in]silver, and also earryiiifr a percentau-e of 
 gold. 
 
 Many claims have also been located in the vicinity td' Jameson Creek 
 which from surface indications promi.sc well, as do other claims located 
 further up the North Thomp.son and Clear Water llivers. IJnt asyit 
 little development work has hem done to piove the Inture value' of 
 those claims. 
 
 J'o/f JJiilsidii.—By t!ds is imanf that section of country in the 
 vicinity of Yale. Hope, North Bend, and 8iwash Creek. In this divi- 
 sion a number of claims have been developed to a considerable extent. 
 Some of them are known to b ■ rich, such for instance as those south (d' 
 ]J"pc, which havi' been known for a number (d' years, and upon which 
 difficulties nuardinf,' ownership liave jirev. nted dcvilopment. 
 
 The ore on two oftbe.se claims, known as the Eureka aii(l \'aii Hre- 
 mer, is described as heinj: (trincipally ar^.iitibrous jii-ey copper and 
 silver chloride, and assays varyin- from 8'.i.").00 to S2.100 to the ton 
 in silver ar obtained. I'rnniisiuu- indii ations ar • also obtained from 
 other claim.s, but. as in otiier localities, lack ef means prevents devclop- 
 mcnti*. 
 
 KdOtnuv/ bii'iddii is traver.sed by the Canadian Pacific Railway, 
 and important water stretches, sucli as the Columbia and Kooteii.jy 
 Rivers and Lakes, also exi.st, so that prospectors have been abh' to travel 
 about in the mountains, and the result of their labour is shown by ilie 
 large number of rich and prouiisiii,!;' leijjres discovered in the lollnwiii"- 
 localities : — 
 
 Deception (Jreek. 
 U indeiniere, 
 I5i.u IJend, 
 Uu^aboo Creek, 
 llor.se Thief (Jreek, 
 Toby Creek, 
 Otter Tail, 
 Findlay Creek, 
 Cojiper Creek, 
 liull Hiver. 
 
 Illccillewaet, 
 
 Field, 
 
 Fhsb Creek, » 
 
 North Arm of .\rrow Lake. 
 
 Toad Mountain, 
 
 Eagle Creek, 
 
 Hot Springs. 
 
 Hendryx Mines, 
 
 Spillemeheen Mountain, 
 
 Jubilee Mountain, 
 
 McMurdo District. 
 Of these localities I can only sp( ak briefly, nli rring moi'e jiarticularly 
 to tho.sc which have been developed lo tlie Lireatest e.vteiit. 
 
 The lUvi-iUnraif Minis are situated near_ilie slatiun of (hat name on 
 the Canadian Pacific Railway, and are within i siiort disiance of the 
 track. The Selkirk Minin- and Smelting ( 'o. own a number of claims 
 and haveerecteil saMj]iliie.i works, othces, Imardini; houses, etc,, and have 
 also built roads to their mines, 'fliey sliippid, in 1SS7. some :^(I0 tons 
 of ore to smilting works in Omaha, the in, rai;.' value li.iiii; 7(» ounces 
 of silver and 44 of had lo the ton. This company is n..\v eonhnin- 
 itself (diiefiy to di velopineiits in tile Jjanink .\lin. . 
 
 Corbin iV Co. also own a iiumher oI'vMluahle elaiins upon wliieh iliey 
 
 l(i 
 

 have oxpcndi'd n larj;^ niiimint of iiiniicv in flcvi'lnpuicnt". Mr. Mc- 
 Kiiiniiti hdlds till' iMii]ilc Ileal' Mine, udjoiniiiL; tliu liiiiiiirk, iit SS(I,()()(). 
 (Jliiiui> Mt ('iirili(M) Crcrk ai'i' .said to lie c (jiialiv rii'li. 
 
 At tile /■'/(?(/ Minis, olii.sf to tlii^ Canadian I'ufibe Railway station 
 Fii'ld, II Inr^c aiiiouiit of dcwlopiiiciit work lian aim) been done ; ore 
 Jiousi'H. offices, eti\, having lieen Imilt, ulsii a (rainway alon;; tlie vein 
 and down to tlie railway traek. Tliey liav.' sliipjied a lari^e amount 
 of ore to siueltiiij.; work.s. Tlu' ore i,s lead carljoiiate, and a low ^rade, 
 but as it i.s ua.iilj smelted, and eonveiiiently situattMl on the railway, 
 the, mines aro certainly valuable. To the other localities, I can fi;ive 
 iMily p:i'^sin,n notice, couliiiinj;' niysell' mainly to i^ivini,; workinu; bwts on 
 shipments ol' ore made from various miiios. 
 
 At M(!.Murdo's wc fiml galena ores, rich in silver, and apparently in 
 well-defined veins. Two ear loads of ore sliipped from the Wells, I'ol- 
 lock and Ayluier property averai^ed 1(10 ounces of silver and 03% of 
 lead to tiie t(Ml. 
 
 There 's also a well-defined gold belt which is said to average about 
 320.00 to the ton. A stamp mill is now at Golden awaiting .shipment 
 in tlu^ spring to this field. 
 
 The Spillnnclieeii itinl Jubilee districts also promise well, and are 
 conveniently situated near tlie (.'olumbia llivcr. The ore bodies are 
 enormous, and are chiefly sulphides of copper and lead, which, however, 
 are of a low grade character. 
 
 The lint Springa are situated on Kootenay Lake, about 30 miles 
 from Nelson. Tlu^ parallel lodes exist in tiers on the mountain side, the 
 lower onus being low grade galenas, whiuh b'Oome richer as the moun- 
 tain is ascended, till the summit lodes arc reached, where W'^ find rich 
 carbonates and .sulphides of lead containing Wire and Ruby Silver. 
 
 IJeii(/ri/.r Mimx are just on the opposite side of the lake from Hot 
 ■Springs. Development work is being vigoamusly pushed on by means 
 of an Ingersol drill, 'flie lode is said to be a nuiss of galena, 8ti feet 
 wide, which assays about 20 ounces of silver and 23/, of lead to the 
 ton. Perhaps the best way to convey an idea of the richness of these 
 claims is to give the following milling tests from various mines in 1889 : 
 No. 1 claim. ..l-i(i tons, 87 ounces of silver |ier ton. 
 Litllc J)onald. 85 '■ 00 ounces silver .'{.")/; K>ad per ton. 
 Silver King.... 40 " 29!' ' " 20% copper " " 
 
 " " .... 30 " 230 ■' " 20/; " " " 
 
 Spokane (15 " 40 " " 70% lead " " 
 
 Delia 2(1 " 120 " " " " 
 
 Skyline 15 " 225 " " " " 
 
 <iallaglier 14 " 11!> " " 814.00ingold '• " 
 
 Krao 12 " 05 '• " 50/ lead " " 
 
 Or altogether 427 tuns, yielding 50,393 ounces of silver. 
 
 Big Bind il/««c.v aro situated on th • bend of the Columbia River, 
 and are gdil-bearing, though galena i.s also found. l''iom the richness 
 of the placer deposils, there is every rea.son to siippo.se that they may b(! 
 valuable. Hut as the region is inaee.-:-sible, and as little devehipinent 
 work has been done, it is impossible to say much about their future 
 LAir the same rea.son little can bo said about the other localities men- 
 tioned in the list, cxceptini; that g.iod assays are obtained and the sur- 
 face prospects are promising. 
 
 Lilhiiiit Dioisiiin. — In this diivision the piiiicipal discoveries have 
 been made iu the vicinity of Cayoosh Creek, where a gri'at nnmlier of 
 claims have been staked off. The ledges are gold-bearing, and the uold 
 seem," to be unilbrnily distribute.! through the ipMrtz in a tine condition 
 as colors can be obtained almost eveiywiiere. The average assay value 
 is said to he about one ounce to the ton. These veins are undoubtedly 
 the sources from which the rich placer deposits of this loeidity obtained 
 ilieir gold,. ■Old ther(^ isthiTeforc a strong probability that they will prove 
 remunerative in the fnttiie. Jjcdges have .dso been di.scovercd in the 
 vieinily of .Seatoii and Ander.s<m Lakes, tliat at .-Vndorson Lake being 
 described as a strong lode (d'(iuartz carrying galena a.ssaying S!4t;.0l) in 
 silver and 814.00 in L:o;d to the Ion. In a few of these cuiims a Cou- 
 siderable amount of piosjiecling work h,is been d -ne, but in the ^reat 
 nittjority we find nothing l.^ynnd as.scssmcnt work. 
 
 Cnnlmo Division, from the richness of its plicer dejio^its worked in 
 
 17 
 
Parly days, has alwnyHbeeii looked u,)or, «» « lomlity from which much 
 in the way ot dcvolopmcniH in ,,uarlz n.i^-ht r.aw.„„!,ly hocxprctcd 
 M«,.y lodgcH wc-o known ov.n in Hum. nirly .l,iy«, fron. win,.), in 
 «cven.l in-tnn.v. «a.00 to «5.()(. a day ,„.,■ „,„n was ,„ado by wn.hil.K 
 the docompoac.l and o,idiH,.d rock n.utler at the snrti.ee ol the veins 
 Wo aecordi„Kly find lln.t in 1877-8 eon.panieH were li.nnd U. operate 
 mines here ; but from cxaf.w,rau.d idea, of tl,e rielu.ess and erron-'ons 
 vicwHrep»rd,nK the n.e.h.KlH and eost of working' the oreN these efforts 
 faded, and ,|uartz mining receive.l a severe cheek. Within the last few 
 years, however, attention has been again turned to these led-es with 
 what now appears to be a fair ebance of sueeess. I-Von^what is 
 known of the district, it is ele.r that a great number ol well defined 
 quarte ledges exist, from which good prospeets are obtained. As is well 
 known nmeh of the gold obtained from <,uartz is contained in sulphu 
 rets, which on the .suifaec has l^eonio oxidised, allowing the free gold 
 to escape, and on several of the veios sue), bodies of sulphurets have 
 been d>,scovercd. The (iovornment has established a small testin.- ninut 
 in this neighbourhood, to assist the development of the mine.s, and several 
 small stamp mills have also been erected. From the Black .Jack Mine 
 two lots of ore have been worked as follow.. :-No. 1 of 100 tons yielded 
 
 f V 'o *'To^'"''' ""'^ ^' '""-^ of sulphurets, worth «-4.00 to the 
 ton; No. 2 of 202 tons, yielding «4.50 in free gold and $13 00 in 
 sulphurets per ton. Ey mc».,s of t'.esc stamp mills an.l tcstin.- works 
 he miners will be able to realize from their ores, „nd thus obtain mon.T 
 to go on w.th development of their mines, and there is every hope tint 
 m a short time they mav be able to prove the value of ti.eir'own claims 
 andjiththem assure success in qu.irtz mining in the district as a 
 
 Omenica IHvlsion.-Tbe remote situation of this district will for the 
 present prevent the development of vein mining, but there is nodoubt 
 hat It ,s rich in minerals. Us placer deposits would .seem to i.ulicat.- 
 the existence of both gold and silver bearing ledges. On Vital Creek ■ 
 of tlie metal found was arquerite or .silver ainil<rim \ 1 , 'i 
 of ledges containing highly argentiferous galenr'o.e i„ largc'bodr'a^' 
 tilso known to exist which a.ssay from 30 to 130 ounces of silver to lie 
 ton. A number of tj.se clainis were at one time taken up, but have since 
 been abandoned. When taken in connection with .li.scoveries in n 
 accessible regions, the probability - that nothing will be done to I 
 yelop this dustnct till ,t can be reached in a more convenient man r 
 than It now is. ""-lunc r 
 
 Ca,vs.a/- i>.-.,V(Vm.-Almo8t the .same remarks may be annlied h,,l • 
 district, in whieh ^any well defined ledges are Lown t ^ ^ :; 
 which surface indications are promising, and from some of whieh He 
 assays have been obtained, indicating in connection with the rich pl.cer 
 winch have been worked that the district in the future will become ;..; 
 able from the mineral deposits in ius veins and ledges. As re.^ards ,> 
 situation it could be made accessible witl, a comparativelys man'ont^ 
 
 The vast Youkou District t^ the north is apparently 'e.,ually ri„b 
 in mineral deposits. •' • i" "'J' rieii 
 
 In addition to the minerals enumerate,! above, many others are also 
 o be found; such as molybdenum, mercury, antimony, plumb.^ 
 bitumen, asbestos, mica, platinum, eual uiid iron. 
 
 The j>/atinum is found as.sociated with the gold in placer mininu 
 in many localities throughout the province; but its princinal source it 
 Granite Creek, where, since 1885, some 4,0.J0 ounces has b^en collected 
 it ^ the most important field for this mineral which has been discovered 
 in North America. 
 
 The deposits of co„l in the province, as is well known are of v,.st 
 1 mportance The mines on Vancouver Iskod were mined before the 
 discovery o gold in the province. They are important, both from tliei 
 extent, quality, and favourable po.^itiun. The output for 188') from 
 the various mines in operation, was as follows :— 
 
 Nanaimo Colliery 223,870 ton.s. 
 
 Wellington " 273 383 " 
 
 East WellinL'ton (.'(illiery 5l''-i7-' •■ 
 
 ^Jn'on " 31,204 " 
 
 ''''""' 57!»,i»2!» lon.s. 
 
 18 
 
Tho total output of rami for tlio proviiioi\ up to tlio oiid of I88fi, 
 waH 4,358,2*21 tonn. 
 
 TlicHc! wmls lire of crotiieooiiM CormatioiiH, nnd they urc now lulinittod 
 to bu superior U) iiiiy otiii'r oohIh oh tho PaeifU! Coast. 
 
 In addition to tliu above, wu find tertiary dcpositH Moattcred throu){h- 
 out till' proviui^o, botli iilon)^ tho ooast and in tho interior. Tho tortiary 
 area in HritiMh Coiunihiii in ostiuiatod lo bo 12,(100 .-(((uaro uiilos. 
 
 JJopositH of irnii also occur in many plaoos in Uiitish (Columbia. At 
 pros(mt, only such as aro situitcd on tho ooiist aro available; bu., as 
 tho country boconio dovolopod, tho othorw will also be valuable. In 
 some eases, thoy occur as olay ironstono in tho coiil series ; but 
 principally in tho form ol mmnetitos. Little attention, as yet, 
 has boon devoted to this branch of niiniiii;. Tho only ores bcinj; 
 worked are those of Texada Island, which is uiat;netlto of excellent 
 (|Uultty. Tho mines are most favourably siluiteil, eitlier for flhipmcnit 
 or flmeltinf,', as the Ooinox coal fields aro only about twenty uiiles 
 distant. The following shipments have been made : — 188,'), 190 tons ; 
 1880, 3,941 tons; 1887, 1,410 tons; 1888, 7,300 tons. Similar 
 depoHits occur idsowhoro aloug tho coast, also favourably situated as 
 regards shipment. 
 
 A.s may be seen from the foregoing, the province po.s.se.sses important 
 mineral deposits in niiioy dift'erent localities, and extending over a vast 
 extent of country. It may very reasonably bu askod, then, how so little 
 has boon done towards the dovelopmont and working of these deposits ! 
 
 Want ol eapitjil and the inaccessibility of the co.intry have been, 
 and still are, the principal reasons. The completion of the Canadian 
 I'acific Railway has ojwncd the lvor)tenay iJistrict, and witness the 
 devolopmonta and discoveries which have been made since that time. 
 The di.scoveiers, almost without exception, aro poor men, and develo])- 
 ment of quartz mines require:: capital; for, in most cases, no returns 
 can be obtained, even when valuable ore is lying in the dump: the 
 groat hope, thou, is that monied men may bo induced to invest and 
 help in tho development, fn many eases, the miners aro themselves to 
 blame — they give exaggerated values to ilieir properties, based upon 
 fictitious results obtained from picked assays, or hold undoveloped 
 property at fabulous prices. This is more likely to do harm than (<ood, 
 and is bound to delay developments. Avorngi result- are what arc 
 required, and if these can bo obtained Irom a quantity of ore, they 
 give undoubted proof ;im to tiie value of tli(! mines. But, in the absence 
 of capital, tlieso working tests e:ni only be obtained under favourable 
 circumstances, both as regard.s situation and richness of ore, which has 
 usually to bo packed for lonir distances 1 1 the nearest shipping p )int-<. 
 Low grade ores oinot be tested in this way, except when reduction 
 works aro near, oven tiiough such deposits are ecjually as valuable as 
 tlio richer ores. The following examples will give an idea of the present 
 cost of shipping ore I'r.nn mines whicli are favourably situated : — .Silver 
 King .Mine, Toad .Mountain to Nelson, a cllstanee of seven miles, by 
 pack train, 810 per ton, and from there to Butte, .^[ontana, includiu" 
 smelting, 847 per ton ; in all, 857 per ton. The cost of transportation 
 from Hot Springs to the same destination, inoluding smelting charges 
 840 per ton. This does not include tho cost of packiny from the mines to 
 the water edge, wliieh, of course, varies with the distanoo. The erection 
 of such reduction work> in the priiviuoe, then, is of great importance : 
 First, becau.so it allows miners to receive some returns from their ore 
 and thus aids them in going on with development. Second, the erection 
 of such works by experieiiccil men is a direct proof that the importance 
 of tho deposits are recognized. It is not out of place, therefore to 
 shew what has boon done in this way. 
 
 In the Car 'Mod Dintrkt, stiimp mills have been erected as follows : 
 
 Island Mountain Mining Company.— (Jne ten stamp mill, operated 
 by a fifiy-hor.so power engine, with the view of working a larger number 
 stamps as required. 
 
 Britisji Columbia Miiiii^ and Milling tJoinpany, .Stout's Gulch. 
 
 Ono ten stamp mill and engine (on the gniuml, but not erected). 
 
 Black Jack t^uartz Mining Company. -A one stamp test mill, capable 
 of working I^ tons ol' ore per day (operated by water). 
 
 Nason & Co., Coakiin's Gui- ' -Ono four stamp mill, worked by 
 water. 
 
 19 
 
In luliliti'in to tlio iihivi-, the ( Jovcrniiii'iit, with tin- viiiw of ciinour- 
 ftj^iiii,' iind iiM«i>tiii,' till' iiiiiiiTH, li;i» iii.rtoil II Hiiiill listiim iiml t'lilor- 
 mating; |iliuit, witli ii ciipacity <il' ulxnit llin'i' tciii> pi'i iliiy. 
 
 NKW WKHTMINSTKIl IIIHTIIK'T. 
 
 At Viinoouvor, it Niiirlti'i' iiiiil !<iiiii()liii.; works, with ii (Mpiicity of (50 
 tons per (lay. 'I'liiouuli some fiuilt-s in coiiKtruution, not working lit 
 proHfnt. 
 
 KOOTENAY I) STIUCr. 
 
 At Oolilen, a snii'ltiir, 2tt toiiH «apai'ity \m iluy. witli roiistiiiir fnr- 
 niico, 14 tons ciipHfity \>^•\^ ilav. 
 
 At Rei'ehtitlcr a, suioitur, owni'il hy Mk; lU'viilstoko Smelting' Syndi- 
 cate, cap:ioity liOtons [wr iLiy ; iiUo, Munpliuf^ works, liaviiij; a capaoily 
 of 100 tons per day, ^pcralod by a 50 liorsc-powor oiiL-inc 
 
 At Summit iif Tom Mmml.nii, tlii' Colliiimvo.Ml (Juld Miiiinj; Com- 
 pany has two Iliiiitin^'dipn Mills of tivc tons aipauity oat'li :iiid two 
 Frue Viiiininf; ciinci'ntnitors. 
 
 At Kiujle (hwrk, ono ton stamp mill and Umi' Fni,' viinncrs, oapauily 
 15 tons per day, operated >>y a Polton water-wlicol. 
 
 A stamp mill now at tioldcii, uwaitiii',' -liipmciit to mines in tlio 
 spring, Itscapai'ity I am niialile tn ^i^'e, 
 
 In addition to the working tests already jjjivi'ii, .some :i()5 tuns of ore 
 wcro also tested, yielding; (i!>,.')l!0 ounees of silver ; ur say, on an iiver- 
 ago, 340 ounees of silver to ti.e ton. 
 
 In many of the loeilities the sueeess of the eanip as a whole depenils 
 to a great extent upon the sucee.ssful development perhaps id' .sinnle 
 claims, where owners are more h)rtiinati' as regards capital and means 
 to prove the value (d' their elaims. 
 
 Another reason whieh has iv tarded aetual wurking development.s 
 and ereetioii id' reduetion works is the fact that a large aiu(miit of pre- 
 liminary work is necessary, both to ensure u constant supjily ol ore 
 and also to determine the methods by which it is to he wurkod, liir in 
 many eases the eharaeter cd' the me eliaiiges after a certain depth is 
 reached. As tlu' eoarse gold of th.' placer deposits is derived from Uilnes 
 iu tlie immediate vicinity, we might fairly assume that the.se led"es 
 Would be gold-beari\ig. If this were the case, it wouhl simjility matters 
 considerably, and at the same time materially a.ssist in tlie inmiediate 
 development of niinr.s throughout the provinci', I'nr ores, if free miliiiii;, 
 are worked by iimchiiirry — in.'.vpeiisivi: when eompar.'d with the cost of 
 reduction works reijuired fnr the tiealiiieiit hI silver ores when a.s.so- 
 ciated with the baser metals. When a portion ol' the ledges Is de- 
 stroyed, the gold, from the fact that it is acted upon by h-w agents in 
 nature, is lel't, while the more alterabl' a.ssoeiated minerals, copper, lead 
 etc., arc destroyed and earried away. In this way in many ca.scs the 
 gold of the placer deposits may he rolihed from ledges which will in all 
 probability turn oul in many ca.ses to lie silver-bearing, the prineipai 
 as.sociated luineral.s being copper and lead, with tli.> iirohability ihal 
 silverbeariiiL;- copper onis will hi' more plentiful than silver-b,;ariiig 
 Ici'.d ores, tliounh surface inilications show the latter more abniidant. 
 
 Next in importance to the mines them.seives is the ways and means 
 of reaching iliem. 
 
 The Columbia .'oid Knoteiiay Itiiilway is imw uiidi'r eiiiistriietion 
 and will, I am told, bi; ready to carry dies ne.\t sumiiier. If mi in cmi- 
 liection with steamboats, now built and operated on the (Julnnihia lliver 
 miners will be enabled to ship ores direct to the sineitersat lievelstoUe 
 and Golden at a ccnuparatively small ccisl, and there is no reason to 
 doubt that these smelters will he kept steadily at work and in a short 
 time prove inadeijuate to treat the amount of or.' comiiii; in. In the 
 Kjotenay Di.strict at least, then, .v may look furw;ird to important 
 developmeius in a very short tiiin'. h;i>cwliere throughout the country 
 railroads, wagon roads, etc., lor reaching the mines are badly reiiuirod. 
 
 This paper has assiincid dimensions far hiyond what 1 had intiMidcd. 
 It has been impo.ssible to meiitioii iodividu.il eUiins, exi-ept where from 
 more important deVeiopmeiits I Imve been warranted in dojiiu so. You 
 will, tiie"elo|v, uuderstiiei lliiil this has bei-ii .ivojded, leii heeaii^i; tliev 
 were imwoifliy of humh. Ion Miiijily hecaus • -paee woiiid not uiliiw 
 
„„. to u-ivo it. Pro... the u.-«oHHi».ility of tl.o K.K,ten,.y .liMr.ot h»vo 
 .iv.... it .nuro .pac an,l .Ut-nlim.. probably «t the cxpcnno n „tlu.r 
 
 ,li.trictH..iu"lly "^ P^""''^'"'-' '""' ''''"''''''^' ''"' "' '^'''*'".' "'" "' ,'T' 
 My Hitu.U.l. Ti.i. in «i...ply b««au.-, i,. tl.i. a.ntv.ot. .is a wholo 
 
 ,„oro d«v«lop...on.H have boon made, affor.li..K mo more Uupblo proof 
 
 10 pri'ficiit to you. ... , 
 
 Mini...' in British Columbia l.a» now reaoho.l that ^ta^o when oxa....n- 
 
 ,.tion of U. .ni.uM i,s c„urt...l .u.l iovit. I. L.'t u» hop. th.n, that 
 with th.- ooinpl..ti»n of th.' ('a...aia.. I'.icilio lUulway. a...l .mproved 
 f,oiliti..H for travel, capitalintn will vinit th. country ..nd jud.^o tor 
 
 thcuirtolvcH, , , 
 
 I ct m.' state, in conclusion, that th« ux.Htonoo of noh, vuluablu and 
 uxtoHivu -ninoral dq.osiln within th. boundarioH ol' Britinh Colun.h,:. 
 in ..ow i(lu.iit..l, m.d that it in o..ly a -lUeHtion of u short ti.no t.ll thin 
 will he a.tioit^ly provcl. The devolopment and work.nK o( thoHo 
 dem«i.« will orcat. a vuHt a,.d p.!ru.a.....t industry, support...^ a large 
 
 ,Kj mlation. l...porla.,t tow...H and ...i..i..H ee..treH will Hp.L.K up at 
 various pointH, railroads will he hull., and British Col.unb.a, I venturo 
 to say, will becou... ....e of th. richest, if not the richest, aud most 
 
 valuable province of our Dominion of Canada. 
 
 21