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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m*thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 S 6 t%i- M ft-<^_;:yi-.' -f .'!*l ^K^^ ^^ />« T',:. BRITISH COLUMBIA. WILLIAMS LAKE AND CARIBOO. REPORT ON PORTIONS or THB WILLIAMS LAKE AND CARIBOO DISTRICTS, ANP ON THB FRASER RIVER, FROH FORT ALEXANDER TO FORT GEORGE. BY LIEUTEKAisT II. SPENCER PALMEli, ROYAL ENGINEERS. PRINTED AT THE ROYAL ENGINEER PHK8S, NEW WESTMINSTER, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 18G3. ^3^^^5|jSS=rrr::rTrsSasr0fflaBBaasaa!S iV (' Royal Engineer Camp, New 'Westminster, British Columbia, 21st February, 1863. Sir, The following report on portions of the Williams Lake and Cariboo districts of this colony, and on the Fraser river from Fort Alexander to Fort George, accompanied by the requisite maps, plans and tables, is respectfully submitted for your infor- mation. If a more detailed description of the character and requirements of so large a tract of country were made, enough might easily be written to fill a moderate volume ; therefore nothing beyond a gene- ral outline has been here attempted. I am, of course, prepared, at any time you may desire it, to famish you with such more specific information, on matters belonging ex- clusively to the departuieut under your charge, as my memory, aided by a copious note-book, can supply. I have the honour to be. Sir, Your most obedient servant, Henry Spencer Palmer, Lieut., Royal Engineers. Colonel R. C. Moody, R. E., Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, &c., &c., &c. To m > i] Y03r^3 Pacific M. vv. History Dopt, PROVirj-!A;,, LIBRARY VICTOaiA, 1.1^ ■aMiiiiii saa g- . .- .■in T .r. a a .-^« ^ ii LIST OF MAPS AND PLANS SUBMITTED WITH THIS REPORT. No. 1. A map of portions of the districts treated of in the Report. Scale, 5 statute miles to an inch. No. 2. A skeleton map of part of British Columbia. Scale, 50 statute miles to one inch. No. 3. Sections of some of the trails in Cariboo. No. 4. A plan ofa portion of the Government reserve at the mouth of Quesnel river. Scale, 6 inches to one statute mile. No. 6. A plan of the Government reserve at Cottonwood. Scale, 6 inches to one statute mile. I N.B.— The two first only have been lithographed. REPORT. V] I HE main routes to the upper part of British Columbia which lie to the east of the Fraser traverse portions of the great, elevated table- land bordering the eastern slope of the Cascade range. This table- land may, as a whole, be described as an extensive, slightly undulating, wooded district, dipping very gradually towards the northeast, and drained by the Fraser and its tributaries; its maximum altitude, in the neighbourhood of the mountains, ranges a little on either side of 4000 feet, and its features vary with its geological character. The country as far north aa Lake La Ilaelie, the pi osent terminus of waggon-road communication, will already have become familiar to you from the reports and sketches of others. From that point to the parallel 52° 30' N., the trails traverse one of the most favoured known districts of this colony. The table-land, whose general level at this part may be stated at a little under 3000 feet above the sea, is intersected in every direction by numerous broad, sheltered vales, of from 300 feet to 1000 feet in depth, whose slopes present gently undulating surfaces, and are usually scantily timbered with the yellow and other small pines. The vales undulate slightly, are sometimes more or less thickly wooded, and sometimes contain open prairies of fair extent. Both the vales and their slopes, and large portions of the intervening highlands, are nearly everywhere covered with a profusion of rich bunch-grass, and the rocks of the plateau, generally basaltic in character, afford by their decomposition a soil which, in the watered districts, may be pronounced fertile and valuable for agricultural purposes. The vales contain numerous picturesque lakes abounding in fish and water-fowl, and are drained i.^- ^ by etroams ofeimall sizo, which, in the hi^hhindfl, arc ^oiicmlly wind- ing and sluggish, with marshy l>anks, but, near their mouths, dis- appear in deep, narrow gorges, and descend with great rapidity into the valleys of the large rivers. | Such as have been hero described in general terms are the vales of Mud Lake, Beaver Lake, Alkali Creek, Deep Creek, the San Jose river, and others. Judging I'rom what I have myself seen, and from the assertions of reliable people, I think it fair to state that there is embraced betwee the parallels 61° 40' N and 62° 30' N, and the meridian 121° 30' W and the Fraser a region, some 2000 square miles in extent, beautiful and attractive in many respects, in which the available farming land of the vales may bo reckoned by scores, the grazing land of the slopes and plateaux by hundreds of square miles, and only needing settlement to prove its wortli. 1 The altitude of this district is frequently quoted as rendering it un- suitable to agriculture, but the highly satisfucvory results obtained at Williams Lake and Beaver Lake, two of the most advanced farms in the colony, where, at an elevation of between 2100 and 2200 feet, varieties of grain and vegetables are yearly raised in great perfec- tion and abundance, indicate at once tlio fertility of the soil, and the absence of influences materially discouraging to agriculture. There arc, in the section of country under discussion, large tracts of un- occupied land, where the soil rivals that of the farms above-mentioned, and where much of the ground is literally ready for the plough. 'A The main waggon-road to the north was, at the close of last sea- son's operations, open for traffic as far as a spot named Blue Tent, a little beyond the lower end of Lake La Hache. From that point an excellent, almost natural trail, following the fertile vale of the * San Jose, leads to the bead of Williams Lake. Here the route f l)nuiches in t\vo directions, — the one Ijrauch, which, for purposes of description, will be spoken of as the eastern route, running, via Deep Creek farm, in a general northeasterly course to the junction of the north and south branches of the Qucsnel river; the other, or western route, continuing past "Williams Lake, and following the v I OS of Joso I Frasor valloy to tlu; inontli of Hio QiuMiiol. Froiutlio Court-lionsc, Hituated near tliu i"oot ot'WiHiaTus Luke, another, for sonio time tVio only trail to QiioHiiol-forks, joins tlio cnstorii route at Deep Creek farm. • The portion of tlie tahle-hind, bet^veen Williams Lake and TJound Tent Lake, traversed by the eapteun route is BucliashaHhccn above describe ' the landscape pretty, the pasturage good and abundant, and the road excellent. Ucyond the latter place the country becomes inferior in character and beauty. Dense, monotonous forests, mo.st frequently of burnt tind)er, cover the plateau, and numerous deep fijm^es or depressions, reached by steep grades and watered by small lakes and muddy, torpid streams, traverse it in varyitur northwesterly directions. Fallen trees, stumps, roots and mud-hoh'ti everywhere encumber the path, and, though the burnt forests permit, in summer, the constant access of the suiishineand dry curre) of air, the tenacity of the soil "' ^ iich that it is late in the season before the trail becomes dry enough to bo fairly passable for traihc. Where the forest is green, — the case, happily, for five miles only between Beaver Lake and the descent to Quesnel river — even those wholesome influences are excluded, and, in the driest pai't of the au- tumn, the trail is but a slippery slough, a series of small, dark, muddy pools, divided only by the littk' ridges that have been left un- touched by the feet of the pack-aninuds. There are few travellers by this route who do not remember with disgust the abominations of the "Green Timber," and of the mud-holes in the swales beyond. At Beaver Lake there is fair pasturage; thence to the forks of Quesnel river it is very poor and scanty, scarcely deserving the name. Twenty-eight miles from Round Tent Lake, a long descent of 1420 feet in about three miles leads to "Quesnel City," a cheerless cluster of some 50 wooden houses and cabins situated on the tongue of l:ind which divides the branches of the stream. At this i-ivcr tlie tu'ule- land terminates, and on the right bank is seen an outlying pitiliou of the rugged hills of Cariboo. The country traversed by the western rouTo, as far as Alexander, u y presents no features of particular interest, other than were tlescribed in general ternir. at the comnienccnient of this paper, and offers no serious impediments to road-making. Between the Conrt-honse and Soda Creek there are some very steep ascents and descents by the more direct trail, so that, with animals, the detonr from the head of "Williams Lake hy Deep Creek farm is preferable ; and there is little doubt that a modification of this latter line will be adopted for the future waggon-road. Above Fort Alexander the Fraser sweeps in graceful cuiTes, but with considerable velocity, down a broad valley- which preser\'es a general north and south direction for nearly 40 miles. The breadth of this valley, measured between the extreme points where it breaks from the table-land on either side, is from three to four miles. In the neighbourhood ofAlexander the large bends of the stream are occasion- ally occujiicd by the peculiar level, grassy benches which prevail in many parts of the valleys of the Fraser and its tributaries — a forma- tion due, as many think, to successive sudden degradations of the river level at remote periods, occasioned b}- the removal of large barriers of rock or other obstacles in the defiles of the valleys. A fcAV miles above the Fort this formation dies out, and with it disappears also the bunch-grass, apparently an inseparable feature of bench lauds. Thence northwards continuous, gentle slo[>es rise from the river to the levels of the table-lands, interrupted here and there by flats of varying extent, and a few prairies of rich meadow-grass and productive soil, already the scenes of incipient farming enterprise. Small brooks, having their sources in the numerous lakes which dot the plateaux, flow to the Fraser in deep, narrow ravines, which will form almost the only serious obstacles to road-making in this part of the country. At these ravines the trail is very bad, but it is other- wise generally fair and level to within seven miles of the mouth of the (Juesnel. The river banks and islands abound with cottonwood, and the slopes and flats are plentifully clothed with various descrip- tions (jf forest, — the jioorer lands and steep hill-sides usually with bribed »M'S 110 lie and [)y tlio 3a d of little br the firs and spruces of small size, the poplar, alder, and other deciduoua trees prevailing in the rich and well-irrigated soils. The Quesnel river, a rapid, unnavigable stream, whose southern branch flows from the Great Quesnel, one of the largest lakes in the colony, empties into the Fraser from the southeast about thirty-five miles above Fort Alexander. Its breadth is from 40 to 100 yards, vary- ing at different stages of the water, and passengers cross it in ferry- boats which ply in two places, one at the mouth, tlie other three miles above ; but a horse-boat is much needed, to do away with the incon- venience of unloading and swimming pack-animals. The miniature settlement at the mouth is approached by seven miles of execrable, muddy trail, and, in making a waggon-road over this portion, much careful attention in the matters of draining and broad forest-clearing will be indispensably necessary. Leaving the Ques^nel, which is confined in a narrow, thickly-wood- ed and unattractive valley, the route to Cariboo runs directly away from the Fraser in nearly an east line, and crosses obliquely, in a distance of about 27 miles, that portion of the table-land* which lies between the Quesnel and Swift rivers. With the exception of nu- merouii beaver-swamps and marshes, and some extensive patches of poplar and willow trees, the whole of this tract is covered with a dense forest of varieties of pine and hemlock of inferior 8i;;e, grow- ing in a stiiF dark-blue clay, excessively fatiguing for animals to travel through, though not soft enough to mire them. The plateau is travordcd by low ridges, running generally in north and south di- rections, and, in the intermediate hollows, sluggish streams flow througli deep, black vegetable soils, and offer additional hindrances to the passage of laden animals. * The c,\pT(:Si Ion table-latid is, perhaps, scarcely applicftble to the undulating district under discussiuu, which contains many considonible swells and depressions, and is, more correctly speaking, intermediate in character between table and hilly country; hut its general fcalu.es present so great a contrast to the abrupt, mountainous region in the immediate neighbourhood that, for purposes of dcsci-iotion, it ■■ here fpokcn of under the former title. 4 .i^ JJ. -„,. ,l.^"l«J., Swift rivei', a clear-water stream from 80 to 50 yards broad, is reached by a gradual descent, and crossed just above the mouth of Lightning Creek. This river here flows through a spacious valley, containing much good soil, and dotted with prairies of tolerable pasture and patches of evergreen forest; but it is asserted by those who have travelled hence, down the stream, to its mouth, that this favourable character of country terminates six or seven miles below, and is succeeded by narrow gorges, walled in by cliffs and embar- rassing slides of rock and sand, from which there is rarely any escape, and which extend without intermission to its confluence with the Fraser. At the mouth of Lightning Creek, on its eastern bank, a small, thriving settlement has, during the past year, sprung up, named Cottonwood from the abundance of that growth in its neighbour- hood, and promising to become, in future seasons, a trading-post and depot of some importance. Cottonwood is the last attractive spot the traveller passes on his road to the mines. Here on the western route, as at Quesnel-fork^ on the eastern, the table-land terminates, and the trail enters within the limits of the Cariboo district, an entirely dijfferent description of country. Of the two thoroughfares which have been thus far described each has its own peculiar advantages, and each will be, when improved, well adapted, in its general direction, for the supply of the portion of the mining region to which it tends. Regarding Richfield as the centre of the present gold district, for its supply I give the preference to the western route, for, although it is about 149 miles from the head of Williams Lake to Richfield by the Cottonwood trail, and but 113 miles by way of the forks of Quesnel river, the extra distance in the former case is, I consider, more than compensated by the superior character of the trails in the latter, and by the quantity and quality of the pasture which borders them. As an arterial highway through the colony, the western line, as far as the mouth of the Quesnel river, undoubtedly has the superiority. The ascertained north-westerly tendency of the gold-bearing ranges, iHiiiaHiii each year becoming more apparent, the bent of the Cariboo mines in the same direction, and the reports of rich discoveries on Peace river at once indicate the policy of adhering to the Fraser valley in the construction of the first main trunk-road, thus avoiding the mountainous country, and admitting of the adoption of steam na- vigation in suitable places. The latter is found to be practicable between the mouth of *Soda Creek and the mouth of Quesnel river, and already a steamer has been constructed, in readiness to partici- pate in the traffic of future seasons. The application of blasting in the defilejust below the mouth of Soda Creek would render the Fraser navigable for powerful vessels from the mouth of the San Jose to the Grand Rapid, a distance of fully ninety miles. Access from the Fraser to the present Cariboo mines, by the Swift river valley and Cottonwood, will, on a reference to the accompanying map, be at once recognized as undesirable in a geographical point of view. Hence arises a partial exi/iuuation of the note on page 26 of my late report on the North Bcntinck Arm trail ; the difficulties of road-making in the lower part of Swift river valley have been already mentioned. I cannot at present see that the position of the mouth of this stream is possessed of any importance with reference to Cariboo traffic, though, judging from the diiection the mines are at present taking, it is far from improbable that trails to the east- ward from more northerly points on the Fraser may, ere long, be very desirable. The mining district has, during the past season, been entered by a third trail, which branches from the eastern route at Little Lake, and, crossing the Quesnel ten miles below its forks, reunites with the main trail near Snowahoe Creek. A good deal of travel took place last season over this, the "Middle Route, " attracted, I under- stand, by patches of pasturage, none of which is found on the north branch of Quesnel river; beyond this I can oft'er no report on its character. A scheme is said to be on foot for improving a rough trail, which leads from the neighbourhood of Bridge Creek to the * Erroneously so called, from their being a deposit of Carbonate of Lime on its bed and banks. ,i i' 8 mouth of Horsefly river, aud navigating part of tlie Quesnel Lake. A branch from this trail, leading from Horsefly river to Beaver Lake, is said to traverse an attractive line of country, and to shorten the eastern route about thirty miles. These will be alluded to hereafter. The sections of country that have been thus far briefly spoken of may be embodied^uuder the title the "Williams Lake District," and described as being in a partial state of civilization. Way-side houses exist at suitable intervals along the trails, in which good and whole- some, and, in some instances, even luxurious entertainment, can be had, at prices commensurate v^dth the cost of transport and the con- sequent value of imported goods in these remote parts. Thus, from Mud Lake and Little Lake southward, a substantial meal cost, last autumn, six shillings ; flour averaged in price about twenty-two pence per ft)., aud good, fresh beef was nearly everywhere to be had at from neventeen to twenty-two pence per ft). At several of the houses in the southern portion of the district, farms in various stages of progress are met with, those at Beaver Lake, Deep Creek, aud tli foot of Williams Lake being the most advanced ; and the laud in the San Jo.sc valley, along the line of the projected waggon-road, is being rapidly seized upon by intending settlers. There are no grounds for hoping that this region will ever be extensively grain-productive, but we may fairly look forward to the time when large tracts of land now lying waste shall have be- come occupied by stock-raising and agricultural farms, which will supply forage for the pack-animals, and beef and other commodities for the miners in the less favoured districts of Cariboo. At Quesnel- forks barley sold last autumn for two shillings and sixpence per ft) ; prices such as this should surely give a stimulus to agriculture. Again, the pack-animals, weakened and broken down on the arri- val of autumn, must, it is well known, be sent to winter in the less elevated valleys and the milder climate of the lower country; but it is found that some of the favourite wintering posts have an elevation of 1500 feet and more above the sea, and the inference that the strong and healthy cattle offtook farms might, with care, pass the winter in Lake. Lake, en the eafter. ken of and houses whole- can be e con- 8, from )8t, last ) pence at from ™ the Williania Lake district, at an additional altitude of but 800 or 900 feet, seems to be not an unreasonable one. South of Mud Lake the district is inhabited by the Atnah Indians, portions of a widely-dis- tributed though not numerous tribe, which occupies the country to the west ofthe north branch of Thompson river. They are usually met with alone or in small parties ; most of them have horses, and they move periodically about the country in quest of game, fish and berries, the usual diet of the mountain Indians. Mosquitoes may be said to disappear north ofthe Quesnel river, but most of the country to the south of it is more or less infested ; from them, and from the small black flies and large horse-flies, men and animals receive, during the months of July and August, almost intolerable annoyance. As far as Beaver Lake on the eastern route, and Round Prairie on the western, the traveller from the south may depend on finding excellent encamping places and good pasturage at reasonable inter- vals. Beyond these points the natural feed is miserable, and grain or good hay can rai'ely be purchased. The country does not readily admit of farming, though a few vegetables are here and there raised in fertile patches in the river bottoms, and retailed at astonishing prices. These remarks close the description ofthe "Williams Lake district. The confines of Cariboo have been reached by each ofthe two prin- cipal routes, and a report on that region will occupy the next section of this paper. The yellow border on the accompanying map may be taken to fair- ly v^-fine the southwestern and southeastern limits ofthe district of Cariboo. Any further description of its boundaries is needless, in- asmuch as each season's exploration tends to expand the mines fur- ther and further in a northerly direction ; it will suffice here to re- present its southern limits, and to remark that the region partially prospected and inhabited by miners up to the close of last year oc- cupies a rectangle about 1100 square miles in extent (defined on 10 the map), whose southwestern side is a line 40 miles in length, pas- sing from the neighbourhood of Quesnel-forks, in a northwesterly direction, through Cottonwood. The general tendency of the au- riferous ranges throughout the colony leads to the eoiyecture that future explorations will discover an almost unbroken continuation of rich deposits, maintaining a north-northwesterly direction, and oc- cupying a large portion of the great elbow of the Fraser river. Cariboo is closely packed with mountains of considerable altitude, singularly tumbled and irregular in character, and presenting steep and thickly-wooded slopes. Here and there tremendous masses, whose summits are from 6,000 to 7,000 feet above the sea, tower above the general level, and form centres of radiation of subordi- nate ranges. This mountain system is drained by innumerable streams, of every size from large brooks to tiny rivulets, known res- pectively in mining phraseology as "creeks" and "gulches", which run in every imaginable direction of the compass, and, winding a- mong the valleys and gorges, discharge themselves into the larger streams or "rivers," which at length conduct their waters to the Fraser. The fall of all these streams is very rapid, and they are subject to excessive increase of volume, from the melting of the immense ac- cumulations of hibernal snow, and from the' heavy rains which fall during the summer months. The most remunerative mining is ge- nerally found near th« head waters of the creeks, in close proximity to the mountain clusters which seem to be the great centres of wealth, and thus some of the less attractive diggings on the rivers and on the lower parts of the creeks have as yet bcarcely claimed attention. Of the superior mountain masses mentioned above, the most fa- miliar are Mounts Snowshoe, Burdett, and Agnes, the latter more generally known as "The Bald Mountain of Williams Creek." These rise in their most elevated parts to a little over 6,000 feet above the sea, and, though not the loftiest, are fair types of the other re- markable clusters in Cariboo. At these high altitudes vegetation becomes scanty, and their summits and the upper parts of their slopes may be described as undulating downs, clothed with I paa- iterly au- that ation id ce- ll good pasturage, and widely-scattered groups of undersized firs — hence the well known title, the " Bald Hills of Cariboo." It would be a hopeless task for me to attempt to convey in detail a fair idea of the impressive nature of the views from the summits of these h'.lls in fine weather — in tlie foreground the tumbled sea of the Cariboo mountains; narrow, gloomy valleys, forest-clad slopes, and the bleak unwieldy masses of the bald hills, here and there patched with snow — far off to the south and west, the softer outlines of the table-lands — to the east a singularly rugged, inhospitable country, crammed with serrated ranges of hills, and beyond them the snowy ridges of the Rocky Mountains glistening through the pure air from almost in- credible distances ; scenes such as these, ever varying in detail, re- ward the traveller in this remarkable region ; they should be often seen to be well described, but it would even then be no ordinary task to do justice to their wild grandeur and sublimity. I scarcely entertain a doubt that the hills of Cariboo are an out- lying portion of the Rocky Mountain system, for the connection between them and the distant lofty ridges to the east, whose remote- ness establishes their identity as part of the main Rocky Mountain range, appeared to me to be broken by no interval of magnitude, certainly by no extensive tract of table-land or low country. The most prominent of the mining creeks of Cariboo, mentioned in order of importance, are Williams, Lightning, Jack of Clubs, Antler, &c., and some of the smaller creeks, such as Lowhee, Last Chance and Nelson, have proved very rich. Many others are now well known, some worked and proved, some only "prospected", and each season's exploration adds numbers to the list. It will be observed, on an exami- nation of the sketch, that the head waters of many of these streams radiate in a remarkable manner from the bald clusters already des- cribed ; thus, on Mount Agnes, a small circle of one and a half miles' radius includes within its limits the sources of Williams, Lightning, Grouse, Jack of Clubs and Antler creeks, streams notorious for the richness of their gold yields ; the source of the north branch of Swift river is included within the same limits. Cunningham, Her- I 1 4 A 12 vey, Snowalioe and Keithiey Creeks, a second branch of Autler, and the south fork of Swift river take their rise, in like manner, within a small circle on Snowshoe mountain. These hills arc com- posed of metamorphic slate, traversed by veins of quartz which are beUeved to be of an auriferous nature; and, if Jit be reasonable to as- sume that the other unexamined bald hills of the region, similar to outward appearance in geological character, are foci of equal wealth, we may, vnth like reason, consider Cariboo one of the most inexhaust- ible gold-lields in the world. The streams of the southern and eastern portions of the district discharge their waters into the north branch of the Quesnel ; their importance in the eyes of miners is, owing to the superior wealth of the recently discovered creeks to the north, rapidly waning. Antler creek is described by prospectors as the main branch of Bear river, flowing into the Eraser near the crown of the great elbow ; three streams, viz : Willow river, Sugar and Lightning creeks, convey to the westward the waters of the richest part of Cariboo; the course of the last is well Known, the two iirst arc believed to join the Fraser below Fort George. The vallej'^s of the mining creeks are generally narrow, rocky, and thickly-wooded, and frequently swampy. The forests consist of cedar and many varieties of pine of inconsiderable size, and brushwood and fallen logs cause the usual difliculty in travelling. Richfield, Van Winkle, Antler and Keithiey, small, crowded clus- ters of wooden houses — the three last situated on the creeks whose names they bear — are the packing termini of Cariboo, the depots where miners can purchase at exorbitant prices food, clothing and mining tools, and sometimes luxuries. The cramped nature of these lo- calities will prevent their ever becoming towns of any size. The first named is the most cheerful and thriving ,and contains the largest num- ber of dwellings, and, from its position on Williams, the most iinportiuit kuuwn creek in the district, is the acknowledged capi- tal of Cariboo ; but the region is so closely packed with mountains that I at present know of no central site within its confines that 18 that would admit of tlio growth in future years, of a really large and l)opulou3 city. On and without the confines, reserves for town-sites have been already made, at Cottonwood and at the mouth of Ques- nel river; the importance of the latter is too obvious to require dis- cussion here. It is difftcnlt to find language to express in adequate terms the utter vilencss of the trails of Cariboo, dreaded alike by all classes of travellers; slippery, precipitous ascents and descents, fallen logs, overhanging branches, roots, rocks, swamps, turbid pools and miles of deep mud ; these are a few of the disagreeables of a journey through the district such as I performed in the driest part of the autumn, and I cannot conceive what the difficulties must be at the first melting of the snow, and during the subsequent heavy rains. Some of the trails owe their existence to travel alone, others have been partially constructed on emergencies by Government and by private enter- prise, but all are cxecral)lc, for the simple reason that they have never been properly made. The courses of the eastern and western routes, from Quesnel-forks and Cottonwood respectively to Richfield, may l)e readily traced, on reference to tlie map. As far as Keithley on the one hand and Van "Winkle on the other, the trails are level as comjiared with the portions that follow, but between these points, they reach to a grand acme of all that is abominable. The only good parts are on the actual summits of the bald hills; even the upper portions of the slopes are, in many places, green, spongy swamps, the head waters of the radiating creeks; and, directly the forest is entered, the more serious evils begin. The trail from Van "Winkle to Marmot Lake, the descent to the right bank of Williams Creek, the approaches to Antler from either side, and the hill rising from Keithley must be vividly remembered by all who have journeyed over them; the excessive variations of level are indicated on one of the plans accompanying this paper. These arc the main lines of com- mun' cation," the miners' trails, leading to the diggings on the outly- in;; creeks, can onlv be travelled on foot. 1 I ■wrap 14 One of the greatest evils of Cariboo is the entire absence of good pasturage in the lowlands, for, although on the summits and superi- or slopes of the bald hills there is plenty of excellent pasture-land, the valleys are clothed with dense, grassless forests, broken only by occasional lakes and beaver-sw^amps, fringed with poor, innutritive feed. Uence it is not to be wondered at that animals, arriving on the borders of Cariboo weakened already by two or three days' ab- sence from bunch-grass, soon succumb to want of food, and to ex- hausting journeys over the vilest imaginable trails. The most loath- some, if not the saddest sights that greet the traveller in this region are the numerous carcasses of horses that have been thus literally tired to death, and generally left to rot where they fell. Good mules are rarely seen in Cariboo, they are too valuable to be thus sacrificed by the score, and seldom pass to the north of the Quesnel river; cheap, hardy Indian horses are preferred by the packers, both for economy's sake and for the greater facility with which they traverse swampy ground; but it is a common occurrence for a laden train of these horses to start from the mouth or the forks of Quesnel for the inte- rior of the mines, and to return with but half, or even less, of their number. It is of course impracticable for the Government to follow with expensive trails closely on the rapid and wandering steps of the mi- ners, but I beg to testify to the grave importance of at least one good arterial trail through the mountainous, grassless mining regions north of the Quesnel. If facilities be afforded in this district for the rapid performance of journeys by pack-animals, a reduction in the prices of provisions — ^the result of all others the most desirable — will be at once attained, and I think it no exaggeration to say that, with good trails, the packer would perform three journeys in the time it now takes him to perform one. Thus the periods of the animals' absence from good feed would be shorter, and the increased facilities for trans- port would admit of their being supplied with a small amount of barley for the journeys through the mountains. I may observe, in 15 proof of tho urgent necessity for improved trails in and near Cariboo, that, while transport from Lillooet to Alexander, a distance of some 200 miles, cost, last autumn, about 85 cents ( 17id.) per ft, it was diflBcult to get packers to carry goods from Alexander to Bichfield, a distance of but 107 miles, for 50 cents (28. Id.) per ft. The importance of the matter here urged must, of course, have been ere this obvious to you,'and from tho steps towards the improve- ment of a central line ♦ that have been already taken, it is evident that the Government recognizes its immediate necessity. The inferior wealth of the creeks along the southeastern border of Cariboo, and the consequent thinner mining population in that part, have less ur- gent claims for the helping hand of Government. The efforts of private individuals, alluded to in an earlier part of this paper, viz : the construction of the "Middle Route," and of the trails from the neighbourhood of Bridge Creek to Beaver Lake and Quesnel Lake, respectively, are alike beneficial to the minor and to the country: by them new tracts of country are opened up, and new lines of pas- turage made available, and their tendency to facilitate and expedite traffic must result in a diminution of the prices of transport. The road system now being pursued will, if carried out, open up one im- portant main waggon-lino on the western route for tho supply of the richest and most largely populated creeks of Cariboo ; the other trails to the south, and the eastern route to the north, of Williams Lake, with their branches, may continue to furnish, by means of pack i- mals, supplies to the comparatively unimportant district south of Antler. The inclemency of the climate of the mining regions of Cariboo, due more directly to their great elevation, must be a subject for re- gret, and it is singularly unfortunate that the season most favour- able to mining, extending frnm June to September inclusive, is usually, from such accounts as we can gather, the wettest part of the ♦Government notices for tenders for the construction of a Waggon-road from Alexan-- der to Cottonwood, and of Bridle-roads thence to Richfield and Antler, dated 22nd of January, 1863. f » II* year, a fine iiitorvul of three or lour wcek^ in August alone exteptod. No reliable meteorological HtatiHlics have as yet Iteen obtained, but, from the testimony of those who spent the winter of '01-02 in the mines, we learn that the tirst heavy snows at the Kettlemonts fell in October, and were succeeded by a partial thaw. Tlic winter and spring weather seems to have been a succession of severe snow- storms and fine, clear intervals, until at length, towards the close of May, the regular thaw commenced, and was soon followed by the incessant, drenching rains of the mining season. The maximum depth of snow in the valleys, at a height of some 4000 feet above the sea, was about six feet— on the hills of course much greater. Viewed under tVie most favourable circumstances of weather, and with the accessories of such comforts as can late in the season bo obtained, Cariboo, though singularly healthy, is at best but a cheer- less, inhospitable region, possessing no attraction but its mines. I no longer wonder at the large exodus of last year, when, in spite of the allurements of wealth, hunthcr, and to work the whole ground thus cluimed for the benetit of the company. If rich "pay-dirt" be struck, and the mine be in a sufficiently advanced state, companies, anxious to obtiiin the greatest possible quantity of gold in the shortest possible space t)f time, will frequently employ additional working hands, and work during the whole 24 hf^urs. The wages given last season were £2 for the day of 12 hours. By these means extraordinary yields arc Bometimes obtained, and instances were known last autumn i>f as much as 250 oz. (about ^£800 sterling), or even more, being "washed up" by some of the ri'liest companies on Williams Creek, as the result of 24 hours' labour. Thus, although this sum, subject to de- ' \\ 1 I m r ■MMw; Lw»i » " — -y »J*i. / 21 plateau, is pp^^ed. Abrupt mountain massea of about 1200 feet in height mark its confluence wiih tbe Fraser; these soon die away, and from thence to Fort George an extensive, rolling, forest country is traversed, through wliich the river winds in a slight depression, scarcely, in this colony of mountains, deserving the name of a valley. Two streams, each about 30 yards in width, enter the Fraser from the east between the Grand and the Isle de Pierre Rapids. The mouth of the one is forty, of the other fifty-five, miles above the former. These may be reasonably taken to bo "Willow river and Sugar creek, streams which have been already mentioned in the re- marks on Cariboo; the supposition that they are so is strengthened on observing the general northwesterly courses of the other large eastern tributaries in these latitudes. At length, 136 miles from Alexander, Fort George, a droury Hudson Bay Company's trading-post, infested with dogs and Carrier Indians, is reached. The Fort stands on the right bank of the stream, on a sandy eminence surrounded by large, swampy flats con- taining groves of cotton-wood and small lakes. Half a mile further up, the Fraser divides into its two principal branches, the eastern or main branch, taking its cource amongst the snows of the Rocky Mountains, the other briuich, the Sluart river, draining a large tract of country to the northwest. At their confluence these streams appear to be about equal in volume. ITnliko the main branch, the Stuart passes on its course through many large lakes, and deposits in them most of the alluvium with which its waters are charged, arri- ving at the Fraser in an almost clear state. The temperature oi'tho Stuart, on the 20th of September last, was 40° 00 Fahrenheit— of the Fraser 44° 20, the thermometer in the air standing at 45° 50- The canoe journey up was performed by poling along the shores, and oc- cupied 50 hours, travelling time. The descent, in the strength of the current, was accomplished in 17 hours. Fine gold is found on the 'bars" of the Fraser all the way up, and small encampments of Chinese miners were frecpiently passed; whites keep C^u-iboo to themselves, and leave to the Chinamen an «4 Jl m fp' 0.0 t- n i undisturbed monopoly of V poorer gold deposits on che Fraser, and ltd tributaries, the ^n(^a. el and Swift rivers. We learn now that diggings of almost fabulous richness have been Htruck on Peace river, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, a little below the junction of its north and soutli branches. They are at present reached by the Hudson Bay Company's route, which, leav- ing Fort George, passes 120 miles up the Stuart to Fort James; thence by an easy "portage" of 90 miles to the head waters of the Peace river, and 130 miles down its stream to the mines. Thus the gold has been traced to the far off confines of British Columbia. It has been shewn here that most of the Fraser from Soda Creek to Fort George is easily navigable, and the accounts of travellers assign to the Stuart and Peace rivers equal, if not greater, fai:ilitie8 for navigation between the rapids by which, at widely- separated points , their evenness is broken. The remoteness of the new mines, and the difficulty of reaching them, scarcely warrant an expectation of an immediate "rush" thither; but those who take an interest in the future of this country must look forward with I)leasurc to the time when this northern region shall become subdu- ed to the requirements of civilization ,Vhen the large and distant in- lan. ., A ■» ■■■ - vw*" 28 TABLE I. SUEWINQ TUB APPROXIMATE ASTRONOMICAL POSITIONS OF SOME PLACES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, ASTHONOMICAL STATION. WILLIAMS LAKE DISTRICT. Eucanipnient at Bridge Creek house ,, West end of Lake La Hacho, (Captain Parsons, R. E.) . Crossing of Dee]) creek, (south) Court-bouse, Williams Lake . Crossing of first stream south of Soda Creek Crossing of creek, 8 miles below Alexander .... Fort Alexander Phillips' Farm, Round Prairie Mouth of Qucsncl river, upper ferry, (Cock's house) . Mouth of Quesnel river, lower ferry, (Danielson's house) . Cameion's farm, 12 miles from Cottonwood Reaver Lake, Sellers' hotel . Forks of Quesnel river, centre of settlement »» It M MEAN LATITUDE. CARIBOO DISTRICT. Encampment at Cottonwood settlement . ,, House at Beaver Pass, Lightning creek .... ,, Court-house, Van Winkle set- tlement .... ,, Court-hodse, Richfield do. ,, Marmot Lake ,, Antler Creek settlement ,, House (Leon's') on Snowshoc mountain .... n Keithley Creek settlement Mouth of Swift river Fort George 51° 39' 02'^ N. 51 51 50 .. 52 00 40 .. 52 09 24 .. 52 19 24 .. ."-2 28 17 .. 52 3.3 40 .. 52 47 57 .. 53 00 17 .. 52 58 15 .. 53 01 38 .. 52 29 19 .. 52 39 42 .. 53 00 33 53 03 58 53 01 :>.] 53 03 0!) 53 00 25 52 58 44 52 55 00 52 45 21 53 07 39 53 53 29 APPRO.NIMATK LONGITUDE. 121°24'58'MV, 121 44 10 .. 121 57 09 .. 122 13 32 .. 122 17 04 .. 122 23 24 .. 122 26 5tJ .. 122 23 49 .. 122 27 06 .. 122 26 52 .. 122 14 28 .. 121 55 04 .. 121 42 52 .. 122 05 07 121 52 49 121 44 42 121 .33 55 121 35 33 121 26 22 121 27 22 121 28 32 122 28 34 122 45 01 H. S. P. I / ■ . m tiwmtim k n* 24 TABLE n. SIIEWINQ THE APPROXIMATE ALTITUDES ABOVE THE SEA OF SOME PLACES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. ■'' h .1 (I APPROXIMATE . HEKIHT STATION. INFECT ABOTK THB SEA LEVEL. CENTRAL DISTRICTS. Roston Bar settlement, ..... 472 Court House at Lytton, 780 Thompson river, at mouth of Nicola river, 788 Tho Liikes, Venables', 2170 A«h(To)'t farm, Cornwall's, 1608 Buon.iparte river, at mouth of Maiden Creek, 1905 Summit altitude of trail from Green Lake to Bridge Creek, 3660 Bridge Creek house, (Cuptaia I'ursous, U. E.) 3086 Lake La Ilache, ( ilo. do. do. ) 2488 Deep Creek (south,) at the crossing. 2265 Court-house, Williams Lake, 2135 The Springs farm, .... 1850 Soda Creek crossiug, 1690 Mud Luke ..... 2075 Fort Alexander, Frascr level, . . . 1420 Summit altitude of trail from Mud Lake to Beaver Lake, 3300 Beavor Lake, Sellers' Hotel, 2110 The ''Green Timber," South limit, 2880 Little Lake house, .... 2535 Summit of trail thence to Quesnel-forks, 3375 Quesuel City, - . . . 1968 Mitchell's bridge, north branch of Quesnel river, . 2120 CARIBOO DISTRICT. Cariboo Lake, • • - . . 2566 Snowfhoe Creek, Leon's house, 4920 Snowshoe Peak,. .... 6130 Snowslioe Mountain Leon's house. 5844 Antler Creek settlement, 4010 Milk Farm, Malony's. .... 4490 Summit of trail over Mount Agnes to Lightning Creek, 5850 Marmot Peak, . , . . 6310 Marmot Lake, .... 5540 Richfield Court-house, 4216 Van Winkle Court-house, 3654 Cottonwood, .... 2530 Fraser river, at mouth of Quesnel river, . 1490 " mouth o'' Swift river. 1530 " Fort George,. . 1690 n. s. p. :^ABLE m. SHEWING THE ESTIMATED DISTANCES BY THE EXISTING MAIN ROUTES BETWEEN VARIOUS PLACES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. From the foot of Lake La Hache to the head of Williams Lake, EASTEBN ROUTE. From the head of Williams Lake to Round Tent Lake, " Round Tent Lake to Beaver Lake, " Beaver Lake to Little Lake, " Little Lake to Quesnel forks, " Quesnel forks to Mitchell's bridge, " Mitchell's bridge to Keithley, " Keithley to Antler, " Antler to Richfield, WESTERN ROUTE. From the head of Williams Lake to the Court-house, " the Court-house to Mud Lake, " Mud Lake to Alexander, . . . • " Alexander to the Round Prairie, . " the Round Prairie to the mouth of Quesnel river " the mouth of Quesnel river to Cottonwood, . ■' Cottonwood to Van Winkle, " Van Winkle to Marmot Lake, " Marmot Lake to Richfield, FKASEB RIVER. From Alexander, to the mouth of the Narcoslee river, " Narcoslee river to the mouth of Quesnel river, " the mouth of Quesnel river to the mouth of Swift river, " the mouth of Swift river to Grand Rapid, " Grand Rapid to the mouth of West river, " the mouth of West river to "Isle de Pierre" Rapid, " "Isle de Pierre" Rapid to Fort George, MILES. 25 32 8 16 7 7 12 21 10 —113 9 20 17 19 16 27 25 10 6 — ]4t« 20 13 21 3 18 40 21 —136 i H. S. P. h n St '' t-. N •nr- t. ^ * m aou 1 1 K I m ri i '\ !U4 K I e I MW/ {^ o U'ti /. ry '^ • 'CvL. > ^ ■!§■ \ ! I \ X \ .// #vM: ^, ' JrW" V iAjx/it»n ■"I \ £■ - 4^ N.^ y roRTALEXA r mmmrmm I ^ X KKFEItENrKS /««'/i 'J'ntiti< tmiun atuJ/hmrich,. . Mituitv liuiiim.imfl oiherTraUt. t^etNrifirn4A %\t, iftt^\ ^Hf /l<>u,ft\s jc; A^li^m-^intixil Stitiuuis (','iA^ fU'ftl'W/ WdplfOtl Itiird* ^rt'Vlln Jfi » at nljntt n t /*n ;taT-^9f£. 'lyltif- 7iV>(«/ r',i,ijLnf*iiv lit ihr (Hfireol' liiviUt iiiiil Wvrks. ^rw Wf.s 't. , *J00 :2r--^^ \ r^' mm. SKETCH OF PART OF BRITISH COLUMBIA BT IjIETJT^H.S PALMER, RE TO /ACCOMPANY REPORT OF 21^' FEBHUARY, I86i. SCALE li I I ' ' 6 StaiuteMlti 0> (hulnfh- ,f^ T V- .Vij// '""mi iVtie ofLcuiU* ciiid Work f,;.A-eMrru,u,ler ltnU.h i'oUuru.uj^.Feb'-im, loonier of cm. .9 C ««« "i.*..*. N.-' i ^/ G> r «/ ^ ^♦' »v .*' J!-- ^ k'/ -KM tarao StMt¥M Br J.a.lMMDinS.H.t, •fiwl I . ■ I ! I'r. t! , 1 , I 11 f^ i.,a^ ^-ii-* ,rtp« on 1 N«2 ^* /2« /as vi iSZ ^ » SKt', LE TON / MAP 0/" F/iHT OF St ^ L F . . -^ , — ■--, — L .-^^-~ ■ ,- , .-/».lft('/v /it-ttifH iv^^'/hr'Khiil fi.JC. /iC MOODY fl-f *'^ -^K' na /£! ~^*w«-/t fi' is 'v '^\ " S3 1 N ij««-/u i/J^ \^ .'r "T ■■/tuAbr""^ '^-^x "4- .0; /i',' 1- l T \. -T-. f. \ /*» ftrrv ,il 1/(1 ti/t), r >•/"/.. !/,,>„„„ K. A. [ - — ^-si—wr--. *, 11 ■ a pi II \ \ X X Is^^3| / / Tpr-^--. -^ T^' "^V fi! / 40101 .ANTLf b= IT. C. C^lff, New I ( f >:j ■■<'»t r >"' "'JP-"J''.' .^? " RITISN COLUMBIA. IT IONS OF sot ^E or THE T HAILS in CARIBOO ■f VAN WINKLEtoRICHFIELD 'Afiturt/j ^^ 41 ZS 7tMit.i:t 5^40 MARMOT LAKE 5850 6IS0 SUMMIT MILKFARM 4!I6 RlCHTICLD RICHntpToANTLER / jpJici- Crt^.( tT^riJt. branr^-' fftZ/yj . 5450 MILKfAHM 4490 MOLONY'S ANTUER NTLERtoKEITKEY (cariboo uake) a 566 CARtHOO LASC DHMifrt ttYj ^LAUftOknt.i^ t /^inrto B* w.otnHAM n.t