IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^ 5^ / ^/ y. O <0 ^J-" ...w ^^p.- f/. y^ ^ 1.0 I.I 1.25 I ^ IIL i-'o IIIII2.0 12.2 111= U IIIIII.6 V] <^ /] ol d? A /A 'W 7 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 1980 Technical Notes / Notes techniques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Physical features of this copy which may alter any of the images in the reproduction are i hacked below. L'Institut a microfilmd le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6td possible de se procurer. Certains ddfauts susceptibles de nuire d la quality de la reproduction sont not^s ci-dessous. 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The following diagrams illustrate the method: L'exemplaire filmd fut reproduit grdce d la g6n6rosit6 de I'itablissement prdteur suivant : Bibliothdque, Commission Gtotogique du Canada Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reproduites en un seul clich6 sont film^es d partir de i'angle supdrieure gauche, de gauche it droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n6cessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la mdthode : 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ■w SS J J Pl^EtlMINARY REPORT VS' wt=#^W ■ON' l^IELD Nt/l-ES CARIBOO DISTRICT, B. C.y 1885. t,' BY A'MOS BOWMAN, MINING 'ENGINEER. VICTORIA : rrinted by KikMahp Wolft ihs, Govorrnient Trii.tor, at Uic GovoJnmcnC PriiitlnjJ Offloe.' .tames' Bnv. i^miiAm'tmJaAlm -i (H TI.INK MAI» Tli//*..« J /'.«*■* >*A'/s, on the 4th of August, simultaneously with the waggon party. The latter had travelled for seventeen days at the rate of twenty-seven miles a day. Cariboo District, famous for its yield of twenty-eight to thirty million «eographicai position, dollars of placer gold between the years 1859 and 1886, or fifty-five to sixty per cent, of the entire product of British Columbia, may be defined as the area enclosed by the great bend of the Eraser, and lying north of latitude 52°. In its narrower sense, as referred to in connection with actual mining Limits of field, operations, it lies within the parallels of latitude 52' and 54° N., and the" meridians 120° and 123° W.; and it comprises, thus limited, an area of about 6,000 square miles. Judicially, and politically. Cariboo District covers the entire plateau between the coast and Rocky Mountains. It is the plateau of the Cordillera lying north of the Canadian Pacific Railway and within the drainage basiji of the Eraser. But this region is bisected in a north and south line by Eraser River, and it is only the eastern half, or the Rocky Mountain slope, that can be embraced, in virtue of its economical hearing, as within our field of inve.stigation. Its position and orographic relationships are sh«wn upon the accom- Map. panying outline map. The pre-eminence of Cariboo among the gold-producing regions of British caVih^deveiotinjent. Columbia is shown by the diagram, in which the broken line represents the annual gold product of Cariboo, and the firm line that of all the other districts, including Cariboo, in the corresponding y«»ars, from 1858 to 188f». Cariboo, indeed, was the first rich gold field found in the entire reg of the Central North American cordillera, but ten years after the great dis- • govery in the Sierra Nevadfi. of- California. As the coast^was first taken Road Traverse. • . •••*•. J^»' ,*' 880 Mr. Bowman's Rki'ort on CAiunnn Distrkx 1MH() Trend of Mining Belt. poHscssioii of liy the Cnnadinii fur traders in this nnrthfni latitudf, ho the reHux fi'om west to cnHt of tlit- aniiy of gold iiiiiicrH was northward and cast- ward, liy tho valh'y of tli« Frascr, to the northern lloeky Mountain gold region, asi(h' from tiie central and latar developed country. Thus, from all jMiints of view, it has hccii deemed hest to commence detailed sui'voys of this mining region first. Instrumunui work. IJy the Canadian Pacific Railway surveys in 1H71-6, instrumentally measured lines were carried almost completely round the Oarilioo region, while the central and mining portion, with the exception of the small part explored liy Lieut. Palmer in IMfi."?, has heen only sketched. To lay the foundation for our geography, the road traverse already men- tioned, with Barkerville as a CLMitre, was next exteiuh'd hy means of measur- ing wlieels in tlie hands of two assistants workiirg independently, along the lirinci|>al roads and trails of the mining region, 'i'lie trend of the richly auriferous district so covered, emhracing 04.7 miles of travei-stf, from Sugar Creek on the north to t^)uesnelle Forks on the south, is fi'oni N.N.W. to S.S.E., or, more precisely, from N. ^W W. to S. ;{!) K., running with tho drainag(> parallels of the Quesnelle, Cottonwood and Willow Hivers, I) and E F. These closely repeat the axial trend A !!, of the Upper Frasor and Colund)ia Jliver Valleys, as shown on the map. Triitngiiiatlon. \\'hil(( this work was in progress, a triangulation and topographical party occupied tlie prominent mountains of the mining region with tlie tran- sit, and delineated the intermediate and outlying country in sight. Tho plateau surface, 6,000 feet above the sea, surveyed hy ;.he topographical party, and the erosions or valleys followed liy the traverse party, are so unlike each otlicr as scarcely to he recognizable as lielonging to th(^ same country. A series of latitude; observations with a good Troughton k Sims sextant, was taken at Ba'-kprville. And when in September and October the advancing winter drove us down out of the mountains, the position in longitude of the whole was fixed by measuring from t^uesnelh- southwards along the waggon road, to a conneciing point at Lac La Ilache with the Provincial huid surveys, which join with the railway surveys and the several longitude stations recently established by th(^ aid of t\n- telegraph. TIk! total di.stances measured with the wheel amounted to 255. f) miles. This included surveys of the diggings and mining camps, which usually follow the valley of a stream for two or three miles, and were plotted on a larger scale, of 12i inches to tho mile. In carrying out this work bearings were taken with the prismatic compa.ss, with freijuent obsitrvations for variation of the needle Viy means of the solar transit. The wheels used were metallic hoops ; one made of l)rass with brass hub and win; spokes, by V''ipond of Victoria, the other of iron and wood, contrived with a carriage screw and washers, by our.selves ; V)oth of them light and strong. These were driven with one hand, and were so arranged that each revolution represented one- thousandth o£ a mile, or 5.28 feet. Revolutions were counted, added up into miles, and courses were plotted in the field, to enable details to be recorded on the spot. At convenient times in camp all these courses were separately calculated by latitudes and departures, to establish fixed points for the final map. Table of distances. Following is a table of distances so obtained, and plotted on a scale of 2^ inches to one mile : — Going eastward from Quesnelle (H. B. Co. 'a corner) — To Four-Mile Creek 3.8 miles. „ Wallace's ranch 13.3 „ „ Bohannan's, Cottonwood 20 „ „ Cottonwood Ranch 21.5 „ „ Boyd's Cold-Spring House 25.2 „ „ Beaver Pass House .... 38.3 „ „ Stanley Post-office 44.8 „ „ Eagle Creek Bridge 47.5 „ „ Barkerville 56.5 „ Latitude. liongitudo. Diatani'cs nicaaiircd. .1 ♦ •• • • • t i •• • • • • • • « I S • 1 i • ' • • • • 4!» Vic M». HoWMAN's I^KI'OllT ON ('AIUIKM* DISTRICT. MM .t; (ioiiiK S.K. from Uark.'rvillt> ria Suw Mill Flat- To (irimsti t!i('»^k I milcH. „ Antler Crt-'k iSridgc .S „ . „ Forti-r's (i)I(l AiitliT Town) lO.n „ „ Littlcr's t;iiliin, SiiwMill h'lat \',\ „ „ Vfith's Htorn, Liitlc Snow-shoe 24.4 „ „ .) unction Little Snow-8ho(MiM(l Keithley 27 „ „ Veith it norland's, mouth of Keithh^y 32.1 ,, „ (.,)uesnel',, KorkH 4!) „ (ioinj{ S. I'j. fro n iliirkerville rin (-uniiin;,'lmni t!reek over Snow-sho*! ' * I'lateiiu — To Shiirji's ciliin, Cunnin^hum Creek 10.!) miles. „ Harvey Oi'eek Forks 2r).,'5 ,, „ Veitli it {{orland'-s, nioulli of Keilhley 35.4 „ (loin;L; nfirlli tVom I'arkervillo — To .Mos(|uito (Jreek (5.2 „ „ I'ornish (^reek 8.4 „ „ iliirdserahlple (!reek lO.f) „ „ Walker's mine, Suj^ar (^reek \f}.7 ,, lirauchinf^ aside tVoni these meusiired lines at many points, and for various Truck .simujs. j)Ur|)oses, are nearly I wiee as many miles ot' track siu'veys, with estimated distances, suhjeit to correction hy littin;,' the (^nds hetween lixed [points, Thfiy were plotteil in the Held, mostly 2.', inches to on(^ mile. Home of tlaun lead to outlyini; ndnes ; otln^rs connect with toj»f);{ra[)hical stations. In view of the importance of ol>taiiiin|{ incn^ascul facility of connnunication for tlus propcM' development of the mininjj; resources of the district, loni? lines of traverse were made in this way at the close of the season, to t;ct the infoi'iua- tion reipiired f(;i' a connection hy railway of the Oaiil)oo mininj,' disti'ict with the Canadian I'acilic Railway, liy the valleys of the l!onaj)arte, tireen Lake, and Heaver and Qm-snelle liivers. The tinni o(H!U]>iod in tin? lield was from -July to Oclolier. The cost. Time oinploycd, ami ineludinii outfit of waL,';,'on and horses charj,'ealile to capital account, was *4,801.-'-)7. Of the .scope and character of the sea.soii's work, an placei's ha\<' lieen originally sui)plie(l, will rear latitude 511 N., longitude 121" W., th<' char- acteristic features of the region disclose thenisejvcH in the flat expanse of Snow shoe I'lateau. It is free from timlier, green and grasscoxcrt'd -a jD'airie remnant of the dry area extending ovei' the entire plateau of the Cordilleras to the southward. Its surface is soil-covered sonu- of it dotrital, and suggestive of the levelling presence of water in post-glacial times. From the plateau, or ))arallel swell, streams falling lioth eastward and westwai'd have intersected the gold-hearing /one, or /ones, of the lissufed slates. I>el(ouching into what were formerly swampy valleys (miocene, lignite- hearing), and more I'ecently lakes (pliocene gravel rang(>s), we see these water-courses blending on the horizon with the volcanic outflows which sep- arate here as in California, the nniterials lielonging to an older drainage system from those of the recent. Next all the phenomena of tin? drift are seen altering, and hiding, the channels so interesting to the gold minei'. The pay dirt passes under and mingles witli the deposits of a vast interior lake. The drainage of this lake, in recent times, has terraced the Britisli Colum- hia plateau from the inner miirgin of tlie Coast Range to the Rocky Moun- tnins. As in the mining region, however, the volcanic matter is wanting, it appears that the gold miiu-rs of the country are working indiscriminately in placers which date, prolial)ly, from the miocene period down to the present. Quartz mining has never yet lieen permanently estahlished, nor indeed fairly tried in the Carihoo l)istricl. In 1S77 some attention was drawn to the quartz veins of Carihoo, and a good deal of capital was invested in quartz mills. Tln^re was, however, a lacking lilement which thwarted success. As to the nature fif this obstacle, there has been nunOi ditlerence of opinion. Jt is certain that the largei' investments have all, so far, proved disastrous. It is also certain that iron pyrites was worked which contained '.(^ry \itt\o gold; while other samph's of ])yritous quartz, containing as nunii as !f20 per ton of finely disseminated gold locked up in the sulphuret, were worked in consid- erable quantity as though they had been fre«! milling ores. Owing to the want of concentrating machiiu>ry, the pyrites passed oti' ; and without wasting, or chlorinating, or othc^r appliance to save it, of course, the gold contained in the pyrites was lost at the same time. As it has never been decided to the satisfaction of all coiu'erned on whom the blame for the fail- ure of this attempt should be placed, there appears to have been a tendency in some (|uarters to conclude that the quartz lodes th.emselves are worthless — a tend(?ncy which the writer cainiot too .strongly deprecate. Inquiring into the real causes of failure, it will not be out of place to recall well-known facts. In the first place, it is to lie observed that the Cariboo quartz excitement of l(S77-8 followed upon the heels of the Washoe bonanza developments. Cariboo inherited some of the methods of handling stocks connected with the latter. The Washoe method worked badly as applied to British Columbia (juartz. Secondly, it is undoubtedly true that the gold- bearing quartz veins, or veinlets, which have contributed to the wealth of the placers are, to a considerable extent, disseminated throughout the slates. Net-works of small fissures of this character are quitt; usual in slate forma- tions, and are found here precisely as in other gold regions. The auriferous 6ssure8 have been exposed in detail by the disintegration of the friable rock, in combination with the conditions of sluicing. The ancient itreitmii nrift. Interior Lake. Ternwe f(.-in»tion. niffprent kinds of plat'ors. (jiiartz mining and milling Failure and cause. Experience. Cliaraoter of an "-ous placer regions. - 49 Vic. Mu. Uowman'h Uepokt on Caiuiuo Dihtuiut. 883 There aro alHo, liowovor, alitwiy known in Oarilioo District witll defined •"•""»"«"* '•'"■• and wide voiiiH, wliich a)i))far to occupy trnc liHsurcH ; and, doiilitlima, there will 1)0 found in al)un(luncc nit'taliforous veins of every other varii^ty known tu niineru, in no ricli and extitiiHivo a district. Cariboo, in fact, lias reached that Htago (well renieiniiered in California and Colorado i a* which people without experience or ineanu are found propounding to themselves the (|ueH- tion, " Will (|Uarl/. iniiung pay ?" Its richer deposits and jxtrinanent veins Uiwrlmlimtion. are heing segregated from the worthless l»y intelligent miners and pros- pt'ctors. Oltstacles heretofore sutlicient to keej) out the ni-cessary ca|)ital and practical skill with which to handle ({uartx. will not much longer be Butlered by investors to retard the dtivelopment of this promising district. The way out of the ditliculty with (juartz in (cariboo is l)y close attention Eeonomici. to the details and econonucs of handling any given ore 1'ho conditions uiu:::t be met, usually with capital. The amount of capital necessary will bo somewhat govtTned by the knowledge of dc^tails and skill possessed. Taking, for examj)le, the sul|)huret ores of the lUirns Mountain, the Enterprise, and the Cariboo Companies, when- separation, roasting and chlorination may be necessary, the costs of labour and material might readily lie deduced from a working test madt^ at (Jrass Valle>, San Francisco, or Cliicago. Applied to the conditions obtaining in Cariboo, the investor, once sure of his rock and of his process, can calculate in advani;e the (juality and extent of his bonanza. Free milling ores are now worked profitably in California and Wyoming, at an assay value of ^'.iJiO per ton. The assay value \)vt ton of a "bonanza" ledge n'.ust rise with the costs of material, laljour, and process, to the proper relative ligure. Even a $00 ore (as at Austin, Nevada, not many years ago) may have to b'iboo miners, who are now Ly avocation independent of mining, yet who have shown much enterprise in the development of their respective properties. It is still, however, largely a matter of transportation and supplies. Freights from the coast averaged this season §240 per ton — as much as they were fifteen years ago. With these conditions somewhat improved, and the necessary facts concerning the country and its resources maue known on good authority, capital and skill will both speedily find a foothold in the district. Such, at least, is my firm conviction, based on the observations so ar made. There are engaged in actual mining in Cariboo District at the present time Population ami wealth about 1,200 men, o£ whom four-tifths h-.t Chinese. The total product of »'"^"'-«'- placer gold for the year 1885 amounted (according to Mr. Bowron's reported figures) to 1^350,000. In former years (1875-7C-77) tliose engaged in mining comprised sixty-five per cent, cf the entire population i.i vlie diggings. The total population of the district closely connected with or dependent upon the mining industry may now be reckoned at more than double the mining popu- lation; or including Indians inhabiting the district in its wider sense, of \vhich Quesnelle is the centre, at more than treble. Including the fur, stock and agricultural interests, it is presumed that the total wea'ch produced, from the plateau north of the railway, might be reckoned at about double the product of the mines. - ^ 384 Mr. Bowman's Report on Caiuhoo District. 188G Bronch mllwny. [iiturinvilinte I'ouiitry. Distance uiid ocwt. Navit;:U>lt> writers. An inland empire. Sununary of whixl Iiun been done. \Vi)at remains to Itc done. With these facts in vi<'w us a hasis, tlie qupstion now anxiously canvassed liy tiiosc interested in the devel()|niient of tlie (^irilmd |)istriet is, wlicther tlie time has not ali'eiidy arii\ed wlicn a railway connection with the lately completed Canadian Paeitic line may t'aii'ly he considered practicahle '/ With a view of ascertaiidnj^ the most favourable route, and tlie nature of the ditliculties to V>c encount(>red in the construi'tiou of such a railway — witli which the future of nninni^ enterjirise in Carihoo District is so clo.sely con- nected — it was considered juhisalile, as a su|ijilen»eiit to thi' work ahove outlined, to carry out certain exaiiunations to the southward. Kxplorations were made hy way of the valleys of the (.^uesnelle, iieaver, Horselly and l>onaparte Rivers ; and I am happy to be able to .report, touchinf^ the ijues- tion of a railway, that these have disclosed an ea.sy and "natural" route, through an agricultural and stock-raising country and climate, for the ei>tire distance intervening between Oaril)00 and the railway. The distance from Ashcroft, on the Canadian Paeitic at the junction of Bonaparte Valley, to Quesnelle Lake, by this route, would be aiiout l.'JO miles ; and the cost might be limited, or pernntted to range, according to the gixugv and eiiuipment deterniined upon, at any ligure between one ndllion and two and a half million dollai's. Tapping the gi'cat Quesnelle Lake near its outlet, such a branch line or feeih.'r of the Canadian Pacilic would avail itself of 100 miles of steand)oat navigation eight months of tlie y(!ar, in the heart of the metaliferous Cariboo and ISelkirk paralhds of the Rocky Mountains. To reach Quesnellemouth, the easiest route would be by way of l?eaver Lake Valley and lower t^Hiesnelle River. iiut alternative routes, with e.xcel- lent grades and an eiiually good country, though increased side hill work, are available, either by the \alley of Quesnelle River throughout, or liy Lac La JIache, San Jose River, and the valley of tho Ki'aser. An i-xtension of t)5 nnles, or thereabouts, de]iending on tln' route followed, to Soda C^'ek, or to Quesnellemouth, wouUl tap another 150 miles of navigable water on the Upper Fraser, and bring under development the entire sweep of the phiteau, as far north as the great bend of the Fraser. Of tht; valuer of this great northern interior, in mines, agricultural and grazing lands, the fur trade, and other unthought of industries likely to follow present develojiments, only the need thereof, and a knowledge of its resources, seem to be wanting to remove^ tlu' last doubt. In brief, the connections have been made with the outside world, and the mining region has been ])rplinnnarily surveyed and examined. Thirty-one sheets of plotted surveys, of the diggings on a tU'tail scale, and of the roads and trails to be endiodied in a general map, are in hand and remain to be tilled and worked u]). Much material collected, and more to be gotten in one additional season of held work, will have to be prepared for publication, with the necessary delin- eation of formations, and sections, and studies of nnnes. In order to do jtistice to Cariboo District and its resources, it is designed to complete a good map of a linuted area, on a sufiieiently large scale to be valuable t j the miner and jirospector. Such a map, coiu'irisin;' the rectangle shown in the accompanying outline sketch, approximately f '^ by 75 miles, or ■i,700 : juare miles in su[)erticial area |See the heavy firm line], can be com- pleted in the season of IXSO. Owing to the expensiveiu'ss of sui)])lies and commodities of excry kind, however, should the amount approj)riated for this work l)(^ reduced below the figure allowed this season, the cost of the work would not be to that extent reduced. The useful part of it would only be cut ott". It is believed no one will question the fact that Cariboo is entitled to a fair consideration, in view of its phenomenal yield of gold in the past, and its promise of maintaining a good reputation in the future. 1 1