%^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) /. % >^ I 7. ^ •^c> 1.0 I.I I^|2j8 |2.5 •^ 1^ 12.2 li£ 1112.0 us 11.25 III 1.4 I I 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 W«T '/Aif" S*3«T WnSTIR.N.y. >'.5I0 (7t«) S73-4503 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Hiatorical IMicroraproductiona Institut Canadian da microraproductions historiquas 1980 Technical and Bibliographic Notat/Notas tachniquaa at bibliographiquaa Tha Inatituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy av*ilabia for filming. Faaturas of thia copy which may ba bibliagraphicaily uniqua, which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha raproduction, or which may aignificantiy changa tha uaual mathcd of filming, ara chackad baiow. Coloured covara/ Couvarture da couleur I I Covera damaged/ D Couverture endommagia Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restauria et/ou pelliculAe I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque □ Coloured maps/ Cartes g^ographiques en couleur D D D D D Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ ReM avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or diatortion along interior margin/ La reliure serr6e peut causer de I'ombie ou de la distortion le long de la marge int^rieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear v.'Uhin the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouties lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6talt possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 fiimies. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplAmentaires; L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a AtA poaaible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dana la mithoda normala de filmage sont indiqute ci-dessous. I I Coloured pages/ D This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document eat filmA au taux de reduction indiqu* ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pagea andommagiaa Pages restored and/oi Pages restaurias et/ou peliicul^es Pages discoloured, staine^J or foxei Pages dicolor^es, tachet«^c i BRITISH COLUMBIA, Its Agricultural & Commercial Capabilities AND THE ADVANTAGES IT OFFERS FOR EMIGRATION PURPOSES, BT PROF. HENRY TANNER, M.R.A.C, F.C.S., 8E3IIOB BlllfliriB OH TBI PRIMCIPLU 0» lailOUIiTVmi VHOII TBI eOVKIHMIirr DBPABTMIKT OV BCIIITCB ; BIKBUTOB OV XODCATIOH CKOBB THB IlTBTITim OH AailCIIliTlIM, 80CTB KEHSIITGTOir, LONDOH. GEORGE KENNING, FBEEMA80N PBINTING WORKS, 16 GREAT QUEEN STREET LONDON, WO. 1887. 1 ■aw*#Mi»iiiiii»i Will n *\ II /g8V CIO) CONTENTS. Canadian Pacific Bailwat Thk National Park The Rockies and Sblkirks Gold Moontain District Vancouver City and Harbours Victoria City Vancodver Island Qdken Charlotte Tslanps Gkoruian Straits and Mainland TuK Fbasrr River New Westminster LlLLOOET AND ChILCOTIN DISTRICT Car*moo and Kamloops District KooTENAY District Aoricdltural Capabilities, Land Grants Fisheries... Mineral Resources Working Men— Supply and Demand... Land Regulations [Entered at StationerK' Hall] I'AQIC. 8 7 8 11 14 15 17 20 22 28 26 28 29 30 80 31 32 82 84 41 "l"! I 6L^ BRITISH COLUMBIA, i a ITS AGRICULTURAL & COMMERCIAL OAPABILITIPiS, aud THE ADVANTAGES IT OFFERS roR EMIGRATION PURPOSES. By an Act of Confederation which was entered into on the 20th of July, 1871, British Columbia ceased to be a Crown Colony of Groat Britain, and became a portion of the Dominion of Canada. It has until very recently been exceedingly difficult to enter British Columbia from Canada, and consequently very little intercourse has taken place between the Pacific Province and the more eastern portions of the Dominion. The general line of approach lias been by railway through the United States to San Francisco, and thence by steamer. One of the conditions under which British Columbia consented to give up her position as a Crown Colony, aud become part and parcel of the Dominion of Canada, was an undertaking entered into for the construction of a line of railway which should pass through the mountain barriers which separated her from Canada That pledge has now been faithfully redeemed, and this noble province of British Columbia is now in immediate contact with the Canadian North- West, and in direct communication with other parts of the Dominion. On the 7th of November, 1885, Sir Donald A. Smith, at Craigellachie, drove the last spike in the Canadian Pacific Railway, and thereby completed the connection between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceana on British Territory. That day marks an era in the history of British Colombia. Some few months necessarily elapsed in opening this line of railway for through traffic to British Columbia, but it was available ( ,■-», t »»imiimnii for pMSonger traffic on the 28th of Jnij, 1886, and thni the entire length of the main line waa oonatnxoted in 4^ years, at an average rate of a little oyer 2| miles daily. In response to an official request that I would risit British Columbia and report upon ita Taried capabilities, I sailed from Lirerpool for my sixth Canadian tour on the 29th of July, 1886. Again it was my privilege to face the Atlantic waters under conditions of enjoyment and much com- fort. The improvements which are from time to time introduced in ocean steamers go very far to deprive our voyages of the disagree- able associations of a by-gone period, and as we were favoured with bright and fair weather during our voyage over the oceau, it con- tributed greatly to the enjoyment of the passengers. Within six days after leaving Movillc and losing sight of Ireland, we had entered Canada and were steaming along in the St. Lawrence waters, proceeding rapidly towardH Quebec. The journey to the North- West of Canada is greatly favoured by convenient arrange- ments at Qaeboc, and the traveller, having had his baggage duly checked to the destination determined uix>a, is quite prepared to enjoy the luxurious railway oars provided by the Canadian Pacitic* Railway Company. Their curriageH combine all the most modern improvements and are extremely comfortablt*. I have travelled in them for one or two thousand niiies at a run, during the extremes of summer heat and winter cold, and they are really luxurious. The freedom given for exercise, their drawing room arrangements, their smoking rooms, their hot and cold baths, their excellent sleeping l>erths, and the outside platforms for viewing the scenery, contrast very favoumbly with the best English railway csare. In winter, with the thermometer lower than is ever known in England, the clothing usual in a drawing room is all that is required within the best cars. These good arrangements are not limited to such car- riages, for the% are extended to second class cars, but in u modified style. These socuud cIiish sleepers cun be used throughout the day just as an ordinat*y railway carrriagu, but when night comets on, convenient berths can be fitted up. Each pair of seats open out so that the two seats make a bedstead about G feet long and 4 feet in width. Abo^e these seats there is an arrangement for forming another sleeping berth about 3 or 4 feet higher up in the car, the supporting frame being turned down from the side of the car. For a railway journey extending over 2, 3 or 4 days, it is a matter of the greatest importance that there should be good and sufficient opportunities for taking proper rest and sleep at night. The rail- way company supply new mattresses for these berths at a very small charge, and the expenditure is extremely desirable even for the T pooreit trftTollera. At maj mte, it ilioald be dittinotly nndentood that both rich and poor oan trarel with oomfort, eT«n for the long diatanoes covered bj the railvray tyBtem, althoagh it i» the longest throngh connection in the world. The arrangementM for meale are aUo good, whether we regard the cheaper suppliMi at the railroad Mtationa, or those served by the stewards in the second class cars. In the dining cam, which are from time to time attached to the trains, excellent breakfasts, dinners, and snp{ier8 aro served ap in very superior hotel style. These creatnre comforts exercise a very practical influence upon the enjoyment of a journey, especially when it extends over 2, 3, or more days. In travelling towards British Columbiia we have great distance*! to deal with, for it is about 3080 miles from Quebec to Vancouver, and about 3600 miles from Halifax to Vancouver. These details may appear, to those who have only travelled for short journeys, to be matters of trifling moment, but experience soon shows that they are absolute essentials when great distances have to be uuvered, and travellers by the Canadian Pkcific Railway have been extremely well cannl for in these most important details of management. It is unnecessary here, to give any particulars of the district throngh whicli the railway passes, until we reach the confines of British Columbia. It may, however, be desirable to noiiico the rapid progress which was evident as we travelled through Manitoba and the North-West Territories. Three years have elapsed since I paid my Brst visit to this district in the summer of 1883. How short a jMjriod in the history of any country ! and yet how vast is the ])rogress which human labour and natural agencies have effected ! ! Travellers were not unnaturally impressed at that time with the vast open plains of prairie through which the train wended its way. Already the horizon is being very generally broken by woody growth, which decreases the monotony of the most open parts of the district, whilst thriving towns and good farmi< frequently enliven the scene. But settlement is doing much more than this, for as township roads are marked out, no these do much to check the prairie fires about which such indifference has been shown. As more care is shown in preventing theMc fires ao will much of the prairie become prettily wooded, the rainfall Vill be increased, and the lands will become more sheltered for stock. The import- ance of stock raising is steadily becoming more generally recognised, and it is worthy of note that live stuck always yield large profits when properly managed. Another truth which the farmers of the North- West have had forced upon them is, that a good tillage of the soil is as necessary here as in other countries, and that careless nRMMMM •«P" and negligent farming bringi iU own penalties. On the oiher hand, a rich soil and a glorione climate lead on to profit when the management ia good. Hence the rule that *' what it worth doing at all, ii worth doing well," flndi corroboration day by day. Oar jonmey along the Canadian Pacific Railway had been full of interest and witisfaction at the ateady progreiH of the youthfal giant ProTincee of the Canadian North-Weat through which we had travelled, bat we mast leave them with only a {Mssing notice, for we are now aboat to enter British Culombia. ..■.-^'..^^;. I -. - /-- .-^ 7. : VIEW AT CANMOKK, Bt H.R.U. I'KiircKa* Loi'MK. After passing Canmore station we soon beg^n to realize some- thing of the majestic monntain ranges, into which we are about to enter, and to observe the contrast thus offered to the fertile landn through which we have journeyed so long and so pleasantlv. It is a happy circumstance that close upon its frontier, ami about 15 or 20 miles beyond Canmore, the Dominion Government has set aside 100 square miles for THI NATIONAL PARC. t ( It ii as if Canada deaired thiia oonrteonsly to herald the approach to her newlj-attaohed siater prorince. The railwaj Htation at lianff ia somewhere abont the centre of this grand National Park, which, under the skilfnl direction of Mr. O. A. Stewert, is being deyeloped into a form worthy of the objects uimed at. Monntain ranges, which often ran up to considerable heights, enclose this vast tract of land, and from their sides Ntreams fall in picturesque variety. The river Spree runs through the park, forming a series of grat i cataracts, pretty lakes, and islands, whilst at the Bow there is a lovely stretch of water charm- ingly suited for canoes, or oven for steam launches. Away towards the northern boundary of the park we have a lovely lake at present known us the Devil's Head Luke, which is about 12 miles long and about 3 miles in width. WalkH, rides, and carriage drives are now being laid out with great taste and skill, so aa to give eaaj nproach to these various points of interest, and thereby provide i uiilities for their inspection by lovers of grand scenery. Withiii the park there is good fishing, and excellent shooting may alsr- i had, uut the latter sport will b^ prudently controlled within the park ; i\t\\\, the sportsman will iind in the district immediately surmimding the park ve j excellent mountain sport. The district is not only exceedingly lovely, but it has exceptional advantages as a health resort, and the hot springs will be per- manently attractive. For the last 25 or 30 years these springs have been used under conditions of great difficulty, even when hunters and traders alone traversed these mountains ; for these brought many a disabled relative within the curative influence of these waters, and in this way a long standing reputation has become attached to these waters, dating long before the railway gave the present ready access. The highest hot water spring I visited is about 800 feet above the level of the valley. Its temperature at the point where it issues from the mountain is 120° Fah., and the yield of water is about half -a- million gallons daily. Immediately around it, a great variety of baths had been constructed, more or less luxurious in their arrangements, according as the invalids can afford to pay for additional comforts. It is easy to understand that those who have plenty of funds at their disposal may be tempted to try the curative properties of these waters, but fully two-thii-ds I saw there were persons of very limited means, who could only have used these waters at considerable sacrifice. Happily the Dominion Government, as guardian of the public interests, has "~ ■* ■ ' " mMi ''>* '» ifK»i0>m0>M iuiM^yf ,}§ i t M vtm0»mt»mi 'l«feSMf||||||j^|*«^y i^pointed pablio ofioen to pvotaot tli* «niirB nriM of thoM talvablo ■piingi, tlimvbj Mouring to aaoh and orerj comer » free, indopan* dant, Mid waU-Mgnlated aspplj. There are at proaent aeven of ihaaa apringa known, nil Tarying ali^rlitly in tempemtnre and rented to poaaaaa aomewhat difierani propertiaa. Without ex- presaing anj opinion upon the madioal propertiea of theae watera, I maj aay tiiat it waa a Honroe of great pleaaore to meto aeeamidat the lar^ group of yonng men and maidena, old men and children, the progvaaaive advanoea which thej had made towarda health and aotirity, ranging from one man who having beenbronght there on a atretoher waa walking qnietly with the aid of a atick, to othera who were climbing the mountain tops like wild goata. Already excellent accommodation haa been provided for visitora, and in Dr. Brett'a Hotel I found very enjoyable accommodation. A further point of intereat connected with thia neighbourhood ia the disoovery of valnable beda of an(Jiracite coal within eaay reach of the railway. I left the National Park with an eameat desire to see it again, and with a confident aaauranoe on my mind that the location for such a park had been well selected, and that it would become a very ftivourite place of resoft. From thia point we continue our course westward through TBI Koonis. I j| The Oanadian Pacific Railway Company are now eatablishing at Field an excellent Hotel, which will be most welcome to travel- lers, as giving t . additional opportunity for quietly inspecting aome of the glorious scenery through which we travel, much of which is lost on the continuous journey by passing it during the hours of quiet sleep. With relentless perseverance the train rushed onward through an ever varying panorama of beauteous scenery. How glorious the scene as we approach Golden City ! Mountain after mountain helps to surround a lovely valley through which the Kicking Home Biver flowa. Its pretty woods — whieh run Hir up, and sometimea crest, the lower mountain rangea — carry very Inilliant Autumn tinta far up the mountain aidea to- wards some of the snow-oapped summits. It is a fitting spot at which to make acquaintance with the Columbia Biver. On the aouthern side of the Valley we also get the first sight of the Selkirk mountains, with the Rockies on the North and East, between which and the Columbia River we take a North- Westerly course in the direction of Donald. Rich as was thia feast of glorious scenery, it waa rendered the more enjoyable because we saw yte beauties whilst sitting in the Breakfast Oar, whieh for a time w,«.». ■ "yiiff ! ■ ing jonmey through the passes of the Selkirk Mountains. Shortly before we leave the Sel kirks we see one of the highest mountain peaks in the entire range rising in all its beauty and grandeur, and holding a very commanding position in relation to the line of railway along which we travel — this is Mount Donald. It is very appropriately so named, for whilst Mount Stephen hold^ an equally grand and distinguished position as we enter into the Rockies, so also does Mount Donald watch over us as we leave the Selkirks — two noble sentinels guarding the loveliest mountain scenery on the American continent. Having thus reached the level of the valley, we thread our way for many miles amidst mountains of gigantic size, until at length we reach Revelstoke, on the Columbia River. This is already a large and prosperous town, and it is one which is likely to increase i-apidly by reason of its being an important centre for the supplies required for the gold miners in the surrounding district, who are steadily increasing in number and wealth. We have now to bid farewell to the Selkirk Mountains, and, passing over the Columbia a second time, we enter the region of THE aOLD MOUNTAIN DISTRICT. In carrying out this great enterprise of constructing the Canadian Pacific Railway, no sooner was one difficulty successfully solved than othei-s had to be overcome. In proceeding westward from this point the pioneers were severely puzzled. Numerous attempts had been made to find a pass through the Gold Mountains, but whilst the last survey part;^ was endeavouring to penetrate the mountains. .. . eagle was seen to follow a stream, and as they fol- lowed the lead thus given, it ultimately proved to be practicable for the railroad, and was consequently named " The Eagle Pass." As soon as we have passed the second crossing of the Columbia we get evidence of the Chinese taking part in various works and industries. The Columbia is the boundary beyond which Chinese labour must not penetrate — and although it be an unwritten law, and one which is not officially recognised, still it is none the less binding upon the Chinese. We passed several Chinese settlements in which men 12 engaged on tiie railway were located, and as the daj'a work had now ended we found them clastering around their tents. Having taken on the dining car at Beyelstoke, we wem soon summoned to a yery agreeable repast, and this was followed by a variety of amusements in the drawing room car, until the time arrived for seeking complete repose. During the evening we came alongside the Thompson River, which after some miles widens gradually into the Shuswap Lakes. We were much interested as we travelled during the night, in watching persons spearing salmon, which they attracted to their boats by torchlights burning at the bows. At breakfast on the following morning we had some splendid salmon steaks — from fish caught in the night in the Thompson River. These ware exceedingly delicious, and we also soon discovered that we had entered the region in which the Bartlett pears grow to perfec- tion. We had passed Kamloops in the night and had for some hours run along-side the Thompson River, and with early morning we had passed Lytton, where the Thompson River runs into the Fraser. On approaching Spuzzum there is a very grand mountain gorge through which the Fraser passes. The town of Yale has hitherto been the head of navigation for steamers on the Fraser River, and it has consequently been an important point for dis- charging freight and other traffic to and from the Cariboo country. Here also is the well known suspension bridge whereby the Cariboo road passes over the Fraser. The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway will materially alter the inland traffic, and give a series of shorter distances for the delivery of freight. Hitherto the line of settlement has been materially influenced by the water communications, but the railway has now become a still more powerful agency. For the same reason most of the land which has been brought under cultivation is at present found within easy reach of the water. The railway ceases to follow the Fraser after leaving Hope, and as the mountains through which we pass to the coast became more distant, the railway ranges with greater freedom, opening up new tracts of laud for reclamation. As we a|7«iin touched the older settled neighbourhoods it was delightfully reireshing to see the number of genuine English homes which we passed. — very pretty cottage residencjs, with trellised verandahs covered with honey suckle, roses, clematis, hops, jessa- mine, and other familiar plants of a similar character. These cottages had gardens around them with many old-fashioned English flowers, and surrounding all, pretty orchards in which very delicious fruit was hanging from the trees. Many of these pretty cottage residences are seen as we pass along the banks of the Fraser River, 13 and charmingly beaatifnl they are. In fact, in snch a rural dwell- ing, with plenty of salmon and salmon-trout in the river beneath, and abundance of game in the country around, the difficulties of life appear to me to be reduced to a minimum, and a man ought to be able to enjoy himself amidst a happy family circle, without very much trouble. Before entering Port Moody we pass through some very extensive plains of rich grazing land, which will soon be r>jrofitably utilised. Punctual as the clock the train ran into Port Moody, finishing a journey of over 3000 miles '' on time," and the moment had come when we had to change into the steamer which awaited our arrival. But before we leave the well-equipped train which had conveyed us thus far, we may well give some consideration to the great undertaking whereby we have been able to pa8s from the waters of the Atlantic to the noble harbours, now lying before us, and which give us a clear passage to the Pacific. Brave hearts, great courage, and brilliant powers of mind were needed for the work, and the Board of Directors brought these to bear successfully upon the never ceasing difficulties with which they had to contend. The names of Sir George Stephen, Bart., Sir Donald A. Smith, K.C.M.G., Mr. W. C. Van Home, Mr. R. B. Angus, and the Hon. J. G. Abbott merit the gratitude of the Dominion of Canada, and the noble manner in which Sir John A. Macdonald's government rallied to their side, and bravely aided them at critical periods, re- dounds greatly to their political credit. If we consider for a moment what has been accomplished, we shall be greatly impressed by its magnitude. They have bound the federated provinces into a compact and complete Dominion, as by a ring of iron — they have given to it a well-blended unity and secured facilities for the development of an unlimited commerce and boundless wealth — they have made the Canadian North- West one of the centres of our Imperial Power, by reason of its importance for the future defence of the Colonies of Great Britain — they have materially reduced the importance of the Suez Canal as a means for protecting our interests in India — they have shortdued the distance between Liverpool and China or Japan by more than one thousand miles, and they have done so by means of a railway having summits which are 3,000 feet lower than its great competitor, the Central Pacific Railway. It would be use- less to attempt to estimate the advantages which Canada must derive from the Canadian Pacific Railway, for, apart from its wealth- producing agency, this noble work was the only means for binding Canadians together by one common bond of union. Thaaks to the indomitable courage and the true commercial policy shown by the i : •mim* ■'W'iWir 14 Direoton of this railway, they will hand down to poaterity an iron hond more preoioni than g^ld. Her Majesty's personal recognition of these serrioes to the Empire sigpiificantly testifies to their Imperial importance. Coal Harbonr, in which Port Moody is located, is a harbour of charming beauty and rast extent, opening out into the still larger harbour of Burrard Inlet, in which the fleets of the world might float in safety and without crowding each other in the least degree. At Port Moody we passed on board the steamer which awaited our arrival — the Princess Louise — end were soon called from our reflec« tions by being summoned to luncheon just as the vessel commenced her westerly run under full steam. A very agreeable repast awaited our attention in the saloon, which was prettily decorated with Columbian flowers of great beauty and brilliancy. Skirting the south side of Burrard Inlet we saw the railway which is being extended to Vancouver. On the northern shore there are extensive lumber mills at Moodyville which are backed up by an immense forest of timber, whilst still further in the rear, four mountain ranges may be seen clothed with forests to their crests. Alongside of the '.f harfs, ships were loading sawn timber for Australia, China, and Japan, and as we watched their progress a fine tea ship from China passed us for Port Moody. We soon reached Vancouver, the youngest of the young Canadian cities, for it had been swept with fires twice within the current year, yet it stood before us phoBnix-like and brighter than ever, for already over 500 good houses had been built. As a trading port Vancouver City has a great future, and a rapid extension is a moral certainty. This town is the terminal point of the Canadian Pacific Railway, but branch lines radiate from Port Moody to New Westminster and from Vancouver City to English Bay. The town site for Vancouver City has been cleared from forest land carrying Douglas Pines of gigantic growth, amidst cedar and other large timber. One magnificent Douglas Pine stands alone in the fore front of the city towards the water, a tree which was spared by the intervention of H. B. Highness the Princess Louise. It is now called after her name, and at her request it will be hereafter protected. On the western side of the City of Vancouver, a tongue of land strikes boldly from the shore, and running in a northerly direction gives a very sheltered harbour araund tbnt city. On the other side of this land we have the more open sea known as English Bay, and the lands on the shore have — with commendable prudence — been reserved for some years past for Imperial purposes. The utilisation of this portion of the shore is not likely to be delayed, 15 and English Bay will soon be better known than it is at present. As we steam onwards into the more open waters of the Straits of Qeorgia, a scene of g^reat beanty snrronnds us. Tho weather being glorioas.y fine, we took a southerly course, and entering Plumper's Pass we steamed along the inland waters leading to Victoria. Our course lay through a group of small islands possessing great beauty and foathered to the water's edge by a rich and varied foliage. The water was as still and as brilliant as a mirror, and the whole scene reminded me excessively of the waters of the Bosphorns in all their varied glory. In one respect the scenery here has an important advantage over the beauties even of the Bosphorns, for the Olympian range of mountains, with Mount Baker standing out in full majesty, forms a glorious background to a scene which scarcely admits of a successful rival. Lord Dnfferin speaking of these lovely island channels says :— " They are not to be paralleled by any country in the world," and he adds, " Day after day for a whole week, in a vessel of nearly 2000 tons, we threaded an interminable labyrinth of watery lanes and reaches that wound endlessly in and out of a net work of island promon- tories and peninsulas for thousands of miles, unruffled by the slightest swell from the adjoining ocean, and presenting at every turn an ever shifting combination of rocks, verdure, forest, glacier, and snow-capped mountains of unrivalled grandeur and beauty." Bright and glorious as was the scene through which we passed, it was rendered even more perfectly beautiful by a brilliant sui set such as the far west so richly enjoys. This lovely display of colour was in due course followed by a beautifully clear moonlight and a phosphorescent sea, amidst which we steamed tranquilly into the very brilliantly lighted harbour of Victoria — The Queen- City of the West — a title which my subsequent observations enable me to say she most thoroughly deserves. The Marquis of Lome speak- ing of this city says : " There is no fairer land in the world than the country around Victoria, the capital of Vancouver." Another eminent writer (Mr. Macfie) says : " In March the trees were ( )vered with tinted buds and the fields with verdure. Then kxacome visible the star-eyed and delicately blue collinsia, the scarlet-blossomed lilies and the graceful trillium, the spring grass and young fern show promise of returning life, the unfolding oakleaf and the budding wild fruits proclaim the winter is gone. The sensations produced by the aspect of nature in May are indescribably delightful. The freshness of the air, the warble of birds, the clearness of the sky, the profusion and fragrance of wild roses, the wide-spread variegated hues of buttercups and daisies, nwHHaiinii ilii inta Hkm iitote and hkL&ka, togetli«r with distent now pttki InuttiBg vpon Um Tiaw M one Moenda moio oontiniiovi ominanoo, oomUao to fill Mm mind with wirhantmont uneqnallad out of PandiM." It ii ■In worifbj of note that thoM who hare been Twidonte in Viotoria and ite noighboorhood — it nuij be in by^gone yean — alwaye xefnr to ite ohanning ranonndingi in terms which atrangen maj oon* iidar florid — if not eren exaggerated. Certein it is, that the Oity of Yictoria has snrroncdings worthy of ite name, and an aoonrate description compels the use of the perfectly exceptional terms I have quoted. Another charming speciality is the intensely English type and character of the people. This is the more renuurkable con- sidering how thoronghly detached they have been from England, and that their commercial interoonrae has nnayoidably thrown them largely in contact with tho Stetes vid San Francisco. In no purt of Oanadn is the English language equally pure, the rural homes of the West of England so strikingly reproduced, or the rule of the road in driring so correctly obserred. There is one rery striking yarintion observable, and that is the employment of Chinese servante and workmen, but it will be more convenient to refer to thia very im- portant subject subsequently. As a prosperous people the Victorians have got into the habit of taking life at an easy pace, and at this time when business is so generally done at a greased lightning speed, it is positively delightful to meet persons who are not in a desperate hurry. The City of Victoria has made considerable progress during the past four years, and is likely to stretoh out her bounda- ries for many a year to come, for she possesses all the elemento for becoming a great residential centre. The beautiful and very im- portant harbour of Esquimalt, with its naval stetion, may be said to be a part of Victoria, at any rate, it is quite a suburb of the city. Kow that the Canadian Pacific Railway is oompletod from ocean to ocean, one of the earliest resulto will probably be the esteblishment of a strong naval and militery depot in the Pacific. On this point it will be well for our highest authority to be heard, and upon this subject I cannot do better than quote the words of His Excel- lency the Marquis of Lansdowne — " You have here a naval stetion likely, I think, in time to become one of the greatest and most im- portant strongholds of the Empire. Ton have a coal supply sufficient for all the navies of the world. You have a line of rail- way, which is ready to bring that coal up to the harbour of Esqui- malt. You will shortly have a graving dock capable of accommo- dating all but one or two of the largest of Her Majesty's ships. You have, in short, all the conditions requisite for the creation of what I bsilieve is spoken of as a place d'armes. But it is unneces- I ■ary for me to point out in yon ihsi if » pUoe d'annM shoald ivnuun iiiMoeMibl* except by sea, mad out off from the reet of the Empire, its OMfalueie »■ ftn Addition to the Imperial defenoee might, under oonoeiyablecironmatMioee, be rery much reetrioted and diminiahed. It ia therefore with no little ■atistaotion that I reflect that we ahall henceforth be able to bring auppliea, etores, and material of war to ihif. coast by an altematiTe ronte— direct, cKpeditioua, and lying fer more than half its way orer British territory. I think, thftre- fore, that we need be under no doubt as to the interests touched by the establishment of this line, a^d that we may be assured that if this Province has a special interest in the matter, the whole Dominvon, and not only the whole Dominion, but the Empire at large, is likely to gain in strength and solidity by the change which is about to take place." }1 iTAXCOmrBl ISLAMD. This island was so named after Sir G^rge Vancourer, who, in 1792, when in command of H.M. Ship '* DisooTory," planted the British flag upon it. The inland ae^ he named the Straits of (Georgia, after his Sorereign, (George III., and the inlet known as Burrard Inlet be so-called after Sir H. Bnrrard, who was in com« mand of the armed tender, ** Chatham," which aocompanied him. In his report upon the character of the locality, he says : — ** The serenity of the climate, the innumerable pleasing landscapes, and the abundant fertility that unassisted nature puts forth, require only to be enriched by the industry of man, with Tillages, mansions, cottages, and other buildings, to render it the most lovely country that can be imagined, whilst the labour of the inhabitants would be amply rewarded in the bounties which nature seemed ready to bestow on cnltivation." Nature, it must be acknowledged, has done very much, but the hand of the cultivator has done little. It is probable that on this island alone over two or three million acres of good land admit of profitable farm use. A railway has jnst been completed from Victoria to Nanaimo, a distance of 73 miles, which opens up hundreds of locations, somo of which are of extreme beautj', having lakes with hilly surroundings, which embrace moderate-sized tracts of good land. These offer residential facilities of a very desirable character where farms of from 100 to 250 acres are required. In the Cowichan district, extending from the railway up to and beyond Cowichan Lake, there is much good land awaiting settlement; here wefind some good lime stonesoils, and richloams. It is true that much of this land has been taken up during the constmo- I i . -J-^---"" i J ^N *^C^.''* >j ■ I' I ^ 1 1 - ^*'^^^^^^^ -1 1 .. . ' mm ^'^ *H^^^^B^ ■J.'l 'h\ iBll ^''lir' ■ ' - .. <.* ■-- -■ ■ ■ a* ia ,- ^ ^ ^* " ^ - * -'.1 , ■ ' ' 1 ir^ - r ■ ■ >■ - 1 V^;.' M; . Siiii if''.' f 1 ' 'i'' pi' irn^n ■■"*"."■ ' S". ' ' Road near New Westminster, From a Sketch by the Mabqvw w I^knb, K.T. mliMiiOilii M, 28 oing oiviliMtion are making themselves manifest. On our arriral in Port Moody we found the Canadian Pacific train readj for ■tai'ting eastward as soon as the passengers from Victoria had arrived by steamer, and we entered the carriages for oar homeward journey. It may be convenient to mention at this point that, although it has been necessary for engineering purposes for the railway to wind ite coarse as much as possible between the several mountain ranges, it is often quite practicable to secure roadways from the rail- way to the open plains which lie beyond these mountains. Hence it is that railway stations which appear to the traveller as simply useful for local traffic, really have lines of approach to and from very much larger districts than are at first apparent. THE ULLOOET DISTRICT is that through which the railway passes, and bounds upon the south and east for 180 miles between Hammond and Ashcroft. It represents about two million acres of land, a large proportion of which is a well-watered district possessing much land of a fertile character. Lillooet is quite an important town and an agreeable place of residence. Much of the traffic for the gold mines passes through this town, and this circumstance has contributed to the prosperity of the town. The fine samples of wheat, oats, and barley contributed to the Colonial and Indian Exhibition testify to the capabilities of the district. There are many successful farmers and stock-keepers within this district, but much land remains open for new comers. THE CHILCOTIN DISTRICT, which lies to the north of Lillooet River and Anderson Lake, may be taken as bounded on the east by the Fraser River, and on the west by the Cascade Mountains, and includes an area of fully 25 million acres of land. There is much valuable grazing land here, which is at present carrying large herds of cattle and flocks of sheep. It is a great country for the bunch grass, which is such strong feed for cattle. It is an invariable rule here to keep the grazing lands for sheep and for cattle perfectly restricted to one class of stock only, it being considered that each damages the feed for the other. Sheep have to be carefully guarded in this district from the cayotes, wild dogs (cowardly curs) which will worry a flock of sheep, but do not interfere with cattle. It is scarcely necessary to say that not a thousandth part of this land is made any use of, and yet it is well adapted for raising vast numbers of cattle, horses, and shoep. To the north of this district wc have a vast unexplored district with g^reat stock raising-capabilities, and this connects with the well-known Peace Riror grazing district in the North-West Territories, TUB CARIBOO DISTRICT occnpies a triangnlnr area of country also, on the northern side of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It may be said to occupy the district east of the Fraser, where that river takes a southern course of nearly 300 miles from Fort George to Lytton. Its area is 22| million acres, and although it does not possess as large a propor- tion of open grazing land us the Chilcotin district on the west, yet it is equally well adapted for ranching parposets and is even more abundantly watered. The cultivation of com is less sncceHsfuUy carried oat here than in drier climates to the west ; but there need Le no difBculty in producing all the grain and vegetables that are or will be needed for local consumption. This district includes gold regions which — as we shall subsequently see — have yielded vast stores of wealth in the past, and are ready to render up still larger supplies in the future. There arc^ consequently many and great advantages which may arise from this ability of the district to yield an abundant supply of food for any inflow of gold minerb which may hereafter arise. In any case, however, the food supplies will be within easy command in the future. lay the 25 srs THE KAM LOOPS DISTRICT lies to the east of Yale and south of Kamloops station, and extends over about foui'teen or fifteen million acres. It ropresciits some of the best grazing lands in British Columbia, and many large herds of cattle are being kept here with very profitable results. The Douglas Lake Cattle Company are large breeders of stock, and at the present time have about 25,000 head of cattle. During the summer and autumn these cattle range about in perfect freedom, but in winter and spring they are kept within 50,000 acres of land which the Company has enclosed for the purpose. The enterprise is exceedingly profitable, and the Manager, Mr. Hayes, is reputed to be very competent for holding snch a position. At any i-ate, the success they have secured may be taken as typical of what other breeders are doing, and what many new comers may attain to. The climate here is much more favourable than it is in some of the northern and more exposed districts, and the quality of the natural herbage is excellent. ( 30 THE KOOTKMAT DISTRICT. This diBtriot is bounded on the west by the Arrow Lakes and the Columbia River, so far as the latter extends to the north. At the Big Bend of the Columbia the district becomes narrovr, and the eastern boundary of the Rockies forms it into a triangular area which extends southward to tho International Boundary. Within this district there is some very excellent pasturage, often in the midst of exceedingly beautiful scenery. Here and there we have evidences of good cultivation by a rich and fertile soil producing most satisfactory results. We need no better illustration of this fact than near the Spellamchecu River, to which we g^in access from Siuamous, on the Canadian PnciBo Railway. Here we have about ten townships of the best wheat-growing land in the country, some of which is already under good care and management. This district is, however, naturaiiy a first class grazing country, and although we shall doubtless find, as settlement advances, that grain, fruit, and root crops will be grown successfully wherever they are wanted as food supplies, this class of work is likely to continue to be supplemental to stock raising, for which it is so admirably adapted. Sir George Simpson, in his "Narrative of a Journey round the World," calls the Lower Kootenay Valley " a little Paradise." " Look- ing down from a promontory overlooking a part of the valley;" he says : *'at our feet lay a valley . . . bounded on the western side by lofty mounuains, and on the eastern by a lower range of the same kind; while the verdant bottom, unbroken by a single mound or hillock, was threaded by a meandering stream, and studded on either side with lakes, diminishing in the distance to mere specks or stars .... An amphitlieatro of mountains, with a small lake in the centre, was skirted by a rich sward, of about half-a-mile in depth, on which were clumps of as noble elms as any part of the world con\d produce. Beneath the shade of these magnificent trees the white tents were pitched, while large bands of horses were quietly grazing on the open glade. The spot was so ^-oftaud lovely that a traveller, fresh from the rugged sublimities af the mount- ains, might almost be tempted here to spend the ran^iainder of his • days amid the surrounding beauties of Natui*e." AGRICULTURAL CAPABILITIES. Having stated somewhat in detail the general character of Vanoouver Island, and the mainland of British Columbia, little need be added to describe in general terms the agricultural capa- >JbilitieB of the Province. The great variations iu the climate and 'njij iyiii .H), ! I ■ ■ I w ^ 31 the soil ^ve a ran((e of agrioaltnral oapabilitieB which cannot be sarpassed in any country. The mild and oqoable climate of some portions enables rich and lasoiuas fraits, the bent quality of cereals, and every variety of dairy produce to be grown in perfection, and from this we advance step by step to the highest excellences of meat production. As a district for raising horses, cattle, and sheep, opportunities are abundantly offered for carrying out this depart^ nient of work to an a' most unlimited extent, and under conditions which enable highly profitable results to be easily seciu'tid. The Province rarely offers opportunities for large tillage farms being established, but there are an infinite number of localities on which persons with moderate capital may establish themselves upon farnin of medium size, and fertile in character, and tliereon combine the rich comforts of charming residences with the profits of highly productive farms. But hero, as elsewhere, whilst Nature has done much — yes, very much — Man must exercise good common sense in utilising the boundless opportunities whic)i are placed within his reach. Rarely has any country been surrounded by such favour- able conditions of life, or with equal facilities for securing the additional advantages of iovely scenery and an endless supply of field and river sports. " To the West | To tho West ! Tlnn-o is wealth to bo won. The prairie to ]>lon^:h is the work to be chiiie ; We'll try it, we'll do it, and never despair, While there's li^^ht in the sunshine, or breath in tho air. The bold independence that labour shall buy, Shall stren^hen our hands, and forbid us to sigh ; Away ! far away ! let us ho|Mj for the best, And build up a home in The Land of the West." of Ittle jpa- ind LAND GRANTS. The Lieutenant-Governor in Council may make special frtie or partially fiiiiA ' iiii W '. " - ^H^rl^m'^r ^tfj ^ | VffM^ii^^^^^^^ _ H Ftm gimnis of land ere not made to the general pnblio, bat Orown lands xoMj be pre-empted bj any penon being the head of a family, a widow, or a eingle man over 18 years of age, being a Britidi snbjeot, or making a declaration of intention to become a British subject. The price of Grown lands pre-empted is one dollar per apre, which must be paid in four equal instalments ao follows — First instalment, two years from date of record, and each other instalment yearly thereafter, until the full amount is paid. This abbreviated statement must not be considered as complete, fuller jtartioulars being appended to this report. THE FISHERIES. No coasts or rivers are better supplied with fish than those of British Columbia. Of these the salmon, trout, smelts, sturgeon, oulaohans, and herrings take a prominent position. The supply is excessively larg^ and the quality unsurpassed. Apart, however, from the enormous quantities of fresh, smoked, and dried fish used for local purposes, there is a very large export trade in fish car: 'ed on. The vessels, nets, &o., omployed in this trade represent an intestment of about £50,000, »nd the canneries and fishing stations represent a further expenditure of capital of fully £80,000, in connection ^Tnth which, employment is g^ven to between 5000 and 6000 persons. Thero are about twenty canneries now at work, and of these thixieen are situated on the Fraser River, and seven are along the northern coast as far north as the boundary of Alaska. The annual export of salmon in cans ranges from 7000 to 8000 tons, and is worth over £300,000, indicating not only a trade which is largely profitable to those engaged in it, but an im portant means for distributing, far and wide, a most desirr^ble dbsoription of food. This becomes the more evident when it is remembered that the i^-arkets for this food supply are England, Canada, Sydney, Adelaide, and other parts of Austi'&Iia, South America, Sandwich Islands, &o., 6so. MINERAL RESOURCES. British Columbia has nlready gained a world-wide fame by reason of her gold workings, and that reputation is likely to be materially advanced. The wild gold rush of the past no longer exists, but quiet and very satisfactory work is being done. Indications of gold have been observed in all her rivers. Of these riverr, the Fraser has probably been the most distinguished, and along much of her course gold has been found, and especially between Hope i & iPnw mmmm ■RH mmmmmmmm I \ I I t ^ % 83 and Alexandria, where there are certain well-known gold-bearing benches. These terraces or benches rnn along the river-sides often for miles in length. As we advance up the Fraser the gold be- comes coarser and more valuable. In fact, the gold becomes more' and more broken up into minute portions by reason of its travelling down the river from stage to stage. The search gradually advanced np the Frasei' to the mountain ranges from which its water* originally drew their snpplios. The same course of proceduro has marked the work in other rivers also, for we have just the same conditions existing on the Stickeen and Peace Rivers in the north. Hitherto tie greatest source of gold has been the alluvium of the Fraser and the Columbia Rivers, but the search is being carried forward to the gold-bearing quartis rooks, and in point of value the Cariboo district stands pic^-eminent, and from these rocks the great developments of the future will in all probability arise. 'Che machinery required for working the gold-bearing quartz ''• heavy and carriage expensive, and hence the difficulties which have hitherto attended the working of these gold beds have been exceedingly great. Here, then, the Canadian Pacific Railway will efiect a complete revolution in the gold workings of British Columbia. It may be fairly estimated that the alluvial deposits of the rivers have already yielded ten million pounds sterling in gold, and an eminent authority has expressed his conviction that the gold workings of British Columbia, opened up and rendered practicable by the Canadian Pacific Railroad, will soon yield more than the cost of the construction of the entire railway. We shall probably be reminded by new workings, of the snocess w^ioh a few years since was gained on the Antler Creek, when 1:'^<-KXJ worth of gold was for some considerable time the daily irVl This was, however, surpassed on Williams' Creek, for t Ti ■■w> Steele's claim, the yield reached as high as 409 ounces, and the i >< >! obtained from an area of 80 feet by 25 feet was the sum of £21,0lv. One of the largest yields in any one day was obtained from Cunningham's claim, and amounted to £1310, and the average yield from this claim for one entire seasou was £5 JO daily. The Bishop of Columbia witnessed 600 ounces taKeu c«ut in one claim. Adams' claim yielded to each of its three partners £8000 clear of all expenses. In Barker's claim eight partners realised £1400 eac''~ There is every reason to believe that on this creek the entire jiiL^r' r one year's working was fully £144,000. Subsequently a lowt? , 1 A ou jf this creek, which had been previously unsuspected of containing gold, yielded £60,000 on three claims, between October and January. Later on Dillon's claim gave the extraordinary i — 11-wm i — iwm-m — III I ii mup W^f U" ' ' yield of 102 pounds in one day, equal in valae to £4000 sterling. Everything indicates that Gariboo is one of the richest gold fields in the world. It would be vain to attempt any estimate as to the extent and duration of the Cariboo mines. Its ^ >untains belong to a gold range, and extend both north and south of Gariboo. That the latter forms part of a great gold region is clear from the fact that several gold<-bearing rivers take their rise in that portion of the country, the gold field is not even confined to the eastern section of the country ; from Peace River to the Border, and even to the west of the Fraser, gold has been found. British Golumbia appears to be on the eve of a great gold development, one probably unequalled in the past : and the facilities which now enable food supplies and other comforts of life being provided and supplied, will rob any " gQld fever " of many of its mopt painful associations. WORKING MEN— SUP. ND DEMAND. This is a most important oonsiderbcion for any capitalist or employer who contemplates becoming a resident in British Columbia. An excessive rate of wages might render ^ occupa- tion rnprofi table, which under fairly remunerative wages would permit of a safe nnd thoroughly advantageous investment of capital. The capitalist will naturally take his money to districts in which the Qsual wages ere consistent with its safety and successful use. ; On tue other hand, emigrant workmen seeking employment equally desire to be satisfied that the wages are remunerative, and that employment is to be obtained. This question of labour supply and demand has recently attracted much attention in British Columbia, by reason of the Chinese who are engaged in the various industries of the Province. A Eloyal Commission has recently enquired into the facts of the case, and has presented a most important and exceedingly valuable report, from which the following quotations are made : — The Hon. Mr. Justice Ghat, one of the Royal Commissioners, says : — " In British Golumbia we have a Province where there is an enormous capacity for production, coupled with an utter inadequacy of means. It covers a habitable space .... larger than Great Britain and Ireland, larger than France, and equal in extent to the German Empire. It has an assumed population of 60,000 inhabitants, located in a few towns, and scattei'ed along the margins of the rivers and the forests. It contains in round numbers 219 million acres, which would give a pre-emption lot of 160 acres to 1,368,759 people, or 3650 acres for every man, woman, and child in British Columbia, in town and coantry, including Indians, Chinese, and all or Id il. y at id a, 3S d IS 8, n n n otLer nationalities. Its great internal area, capable of unlimited development, is almost unutilised, save for the roaming of cattle, or the natural growth of timber. What is wanted is population — tillers of the soil, manufacturers, settlers, traders, laborers — mental find manual — merchants, capitalists, who will make its rich resources conducive to the comforts of life. " From the evidence adduced before the Commissioners; the competition of the Chinese with white labor in British Columbia bas only been with labor of the lowest kind. It has not interfered with the mechanic, or skilled labor. The carpenter, the foundry- anan, the gasfitter, the mason, the cabinetmaker, the wharfinger, the glazier, the painter .... and all industries requiring skill, intelli- gence, and steady industry, pursue their different vocations, and are carried on without competition from the Chinese. All those pur- suits which pertain to the higher order of intellectual and physical labor, which raise the white man in the scale of life, and enable him to bring up his ftunily to take the highest position in the land, are untouched by the Chinese ; but to dig a ditch, shovel earth, cut wood, and wash clothes, which white men, who can get anything else to do, will not do — this labour is left to Chinamen, and for such ipurposea affords to the industrious mechanic an opportunity for ;gettii^g it done at a price within his command, work on which his own time is too valuable to be employed. It is fortunate that in a young ;and sparsely-settled Province this cheap labor can be obtained, for it •enables those whose minds are capable of higher development, and whose ambition looks to more ennobling industry, to follow pursuits in which they will rise, rather than toil and slave' in grovelling work w^hich wears out the body without elevating the mind. B:it it does more. It enables the capitalist to bring money into the '•ountry, with the prospect of benefiting himself by its investment, while the expenditure benefits the country by the development of its resources. This is not a question between labor and capital. In British •Columbia there is neither the one nor the other at all proportionate to its extent of territory. It is a question of bringing in both. * . . . It may be safely affirmed, such are the resources and varied opportanities for industry in British Columbia, that no instance can be named wherd a laboring man, with health, steady industry, and sobriety, has ever failed to make a comfortable living, tinloss disabled by some unforeseen misfortune. Some think they ■onjarht to be special favourites of Providence, and wait until some- thing turns up ; but, Chinese or no Chinese, in the country or out •of it, an instance cannot be named where a sober, industrious, frugal, and ordinarily sensible laboring man has ever failed to make a comfortable living in British Columbia. The question has 86 now been brought to a point whore it is necessary to lay before the Parliament and country the facts, without reference to persons or parties. It is something strange to hear iho strong, broad- shouldered, superior race — superior physically and mentally — sprung from the highest types of the Old and the New World, expressing a fear of competition with a small, inferior, and, com- paratively speaking, feminine race The argument that their presence cheapens labour, to the detriment of the white man, is simply the argument that has been used against every labor* saving machine, and every improvement that science has ever made tending to the advancement of the human race. . . . The fallacy which has pervaded the whole discussion in British Columbia is the assumption that laannal and bodily labor, digging and delving, is the only labor in the world, and that no persons were to be considered in this matter, save the diggera and the delvers. The man who toils with liis brain to unfold the mysteries of nature, to add to the humanities of life, and ennoble the daily discharge of duty, is as great a benefactor of his race, and as much deserving of consideration, as the man who works with his hands or in the ordi- nary paths of labor. . . . Service, servitude, or help — by which ever name it may be called — is absolutely necessary for the comfort of domestic life. Can that be obtained in British Columbia withont the Chinese in the present state of this Province ? It may b<^ safely affirmed it cannot be, nor for very many years to come. • • . The whole feeling of the people is against it, the silent protest of facts is against it, the unspoken language of every &ther and mother in the country is against it ; their children are not mi^ant to be servants. . . . From the i ar that a boy or a girl enters the public school they are taught that the education, so freely given at the public expense, is to raise them to the level of the highest, and that there is no position in the Province to which, under the Constitution, they may not aspire. • . . As, however, domestic service is a necessity, if the people of the country are of too high a grade for it, a substitute must be found where best it can be. Incoming immigration will not supply the want. If an immigrant is a desirable one, the first thing he does is to assimilate himself to the feelings of the country. After living in the province two or three years, he will not admit hi» children to be inferior to those of other residents. ... It can- not, therefore, be regarded as injurious to British Columbia that, without violating the feelings and principles of a self -educating people, she has hitherto been able to obtain for this purpose a class peculiarly adapted to this end, and to leave her own rising genera- tion the pursuits of a higher and nobler character. 87 " If personal prejudice and feeling be eliminated from the evidence taken, it is impossible not to admit that, as a laboring class, the preponderance is not against the Chinese. > They are stated to be honest in their dealings, indastrious, sober, peaceable, and law-abiding, frugal and cleanly, and when doing well to live well, consuming the same articles and goods as do the white laborers, thereby equally contributing with them to the revenue ; that as domestic servants they are quite as good, if not preferable ; that they do not compete or interfere with lumbering, farming, or any skilled industry, and that even in market gardening they could be beaten by the whites, if the latter were willing to work as hard. . . . That the white laboring classes themselves, the moment they become cc .ractors, are the first to employ the Chinese aa laborers, and that the manufacturers prefer them, because they have no ' Blue Mondays ; ' that in mining countries and great public undertakings they are more to be depended on, as the white labourers rush off to the mining grounds, when they hear of % successful strike, whereas the Chinese do not ; and that up to this time their presence in the Province has been most useful, if not indispensable. '* The habits and modes of life of the Chinese are in many ret pects objectionable, their religious practices are idolatrous, their sordid desire foi- the accumulation of money and hoarding up injurious ; but these same faults are to be found among other people, and if all were excluded against whom such charges could be brought, the population of British Columbia would be extremely limited. The soundest legislation in a free country is that which is based on the highest moral principles, at the same time recognises the existence of the frailties and errors of mankind, and so frames its enactments that it will accomplish the greatest good attainable for the greatest number, though it may not be all the good that might be desired. . . . There can be no difficulty in enacting laws based on sound economical and commercial principles, regulating the immigration of Chinese, and, indeed, all other labor coming into the country, without interfering with that inducement to healthy immigration which Canada so essentially wants ; but this Commission has to deal with the Chinese only, and even though the danger arising from their coming be imaginary (if not questionable), it would be satis- factorv that there should be a limited restraint ; for their still exists, and will always exist, the objection that there is no homogeneity of race between them and ourselves, nor can they comprehend or assimilate themselves to our institutions. . . . The policj' of restriction and regulation which the Commis3ioners report is a' policy of judicious selection. Take what is good, reject what is "!>!t"" 88 bad, study the interests of the country, consider its circumstances. There is not in the Province of British Columbia the white labor to do the required work. Yet the work must be done, or the country must stand still. When the white labor is so abundant that there is reasonable fear that the country may be injured by competition, Parliament can legislate, by exclusion or otherwise, to meet the occasion. There is no such fear at present, and the evidence shows that the occasion has not arisen." Frotti the evidence given before the Royal Commission some interesting ftkctfi may also be quoted : — Sir Matthew Begbie, Chief Justice of British Columbia, states: " I have never heard of any person, white, black, or yellow, who had labour to sell that was worth buying, who could not in this Province find a ready employer. But in order to get remunerative employment here, or anywhere else in the world, a man must be able to do remunerative work. And the misery is that many men who profess to be willing to turn their hands to anything know nothing to which they can usefully turn their hands. Handicrafts require teaching and practice, but they have never learned. The normal rates of wages are five shillings a day for Chinamen, and in Victoria eight shillings a day for white men. Below that rate no white man, if penniless and hi.ngry, is willing to engage upon any service or work whatever. Skilled artizans, carpenters, masons, blacksmiths, ask from twelve to twenty shillings a day. Board is advefrtised at sixteen shillings a week, so I suppose eight shillings a day is remunerative. I append a published list of labor, rail- way rates for whites, issued in the summer of 1884 : — Nanaimo i-< Canadian Pacific Railway. Railway. Dollars, Shillings. Dollars. Shillinfrs. Ttnok Foremen 3 to 4 12 to 16 3 to 4 12 to 16 Earth Foremen 2^ to 3 10 to 12 2i to 3 10 to 12 Bridge Foremen 3^ to 4 14 to 16 3i to 4 14 to 16 Bridge Carpenters 3 12 3 to B\ 12 to 14 Blacksmiths 3i 14 3 to Si 12 to 14 Masons 2i to 8i 10 to 14 Stonecntters 3 to 3i 12 to 14 Drillers 2 to 2i 8 to 10 2 to 2i 8 to 9 liaborers ..■ ... ... IJto 2 7 to 8 li to 2 7 to 8 Hewers 3 12 3* 14 Ghoppers li to 2 7 to 8 2 to 2i 8 to 10 (Signed) Graham and Evsk. (Signed) A. Ond«kdonk, 39 It will be well to see what was the result arising from such liberal wages being offered. The fact is that on the 31st December, 1884, the following official notice was given in Victoria City : — " Messrs. Graham and Bosk, finding it impossible to secare sufficient whit* labour to complete their contracts in time, have been reluotanilj compelled to arrange with Tai Chong Oompany for a supply of Chinese labour." Mr. As drew Omdebdomk equally failed to obtain the required supply of white labour, and consequently he took 6000 Chinese into his employ. The Hon. Mr. Justice Cbeasb, of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, also contributed a very valuable mass of evidence to the Royal Commission, from which a few quotations will throw ad- ditional light upon the labor question in British Columbia. He says : " The white settlers who first came to this country were very few in number, and had their own work to attend to. Those who followed in the search after gold all wanted to be ' bosses,' and either to be their own masters, or snr^rintendents of other men's work. When the railway office was first opened for white labourers in British Columbia, out of every hundred about eighty wanted to be * bosses.' . . . The English settlers had all the household occupations to discharge themselves ; chop and cut wood, get water, wash, bake, sew, and rear families, and to disoharge all the other onerous and multifarious duties of the household. . . . It is not too much to say that without Chinese servants the privations in family life, extreme and of wearying monotony, would have become intolerable, and a general exodus of families would have be«)n the result. The relief given by Chinese to overworked households, when sorely needed, created a good feeling towards them. . . . The real fact is, and the more completely it is recognised the better, that we cannot do without a certain number of Chinese for manual labour, and for domestic servants, and that throughout all British Columbia. For any great works too, which have to be carried out- such, for instance, as railways — Chinese labour cannot at present be dispensed with. Good white labour is so far superior to Chinese, that it will of itself, when it can bo contented with reasonable prices, as in the East, infallibly work Chinese manual labour out of the field. No reasonable man will employ the labour of a person whose language he can never understand, if he can get even as good service from one who cannot mistake his orders, and can enter into his wishes for the work in hand. But what is as necessary for the white man as for the Chinaman is, that he should be sober, honest, and steady at his work, and exhibit a fair share of all those qualities which go to constitute good labour. . . . Tha < \ wm tmm 40 moment an immigrant labourer now tonches British Columbia, he .becomes, in his own mind, ' a boss,' and will do as littlo manual labour as he can help. He can get rich land, and a homestead for a mere nothing, and become a farmer, and in a short time an employer of labour himself, looking out very likely for the first Chinaman that comes along whom he may \boss.' To the question, can white people find in British Columbia remunerative employment and steady work, and a provision for old age, I answer, yea, most certainly, if they do not want it all at once. That is the trouble. The world, the Columbian world, is for him that can work and wait ; and I may add that success requires from him the same kind of qualities as ensure it anywhere else — sobriety, industry, and honesty. Hera there are no poor. To mes with such qualities success is a mero question of time, especially here. British Columbia, with its opportunities, unrivalled climate, regular succession of seasons, and unlimited resources, is a Paradise for the poor man." It is impossible to produce higher authorities respecting the opportunities which skilled working men have at their command than those from whom I have quoted. Their judicial rank and their lengthened experience entitle their opinions to the deepest respect ; and I feel that any original statementn of my own are advantageously displaced by the quotations which have been made. These facts are abundantly sufficient to show the varied opportunities which British Columbia o£Fers to good, steady, and competent work- men. The demand for such men is great, and, in the face of the offer of such splendid wages as have been quoted, employers are still reluctantly compelled to employ the Chinese, and they have to give to the Chinese the gold they would far rather hand over to good British workmen. It will be well for the over^crowded working classes in Great Britain to bear these facts in mind, for — " In this fair region far away, Will labour find employment ; A. fair day'i work, a fair day's pay, And toil will earn enjoyment. What need then of this daily Btrife, Each warring with his brother ; Why need we in the crowd of life Keep trampling down each other ? Oh ! fellow-men, remember then, Whatever chance befall, The world is wide : where those abide, V There's room enough for all." 41 LAND REGULATIONS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. For the information of intending settlora, a few words conoera. ing the acqnirement of lands in the Provinces of British Columbia may be useful. i DOMINION GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS. Along the Canadian Pacific Railway and within twenty miles on •each side of the line is a tract of land known as the Railway Belt, the regulations concerning which difEer slightly from those govern* ing other portions of the country. This belt is vested in the ■Government of the Dominion, as distinguished from the Government of the Province of British Columbia, ^^hosc regulations are in force for all other parts. The country is laid out in townships of six miles square, and each of the thirty- six enclosed square miles (called sections, and numbered I to 36^ is divided into four quarter-sections, containing 160 acres each. These quarter-sections may be purchased at a price now fixed at $2.50 (10s.) per acre. Snbjeot to change by order-in-oouncil. They may be " home- steaded " by settlers who intend to reside on then A registration fee of 910 (£2) is charged at the time of application. Six months is allowed in which to take possession, and at the end of three years if the settler can show to the local agent that he has resided on and Cultivated the land during that period, he acquires a patent on payment of $1 per acre for the land, and becomes owner of the homestead in fee simple. In case of illness, or of necessary absence from the homestead during the three years, additional time will bn granted to the settler to conform to the Government regulations. These conditions apply to agricultural lands. TIMBEB LANDS. The timber lands within the Railway Belt may be acquired from the Dominion Government on payment of an annual fee of $50 (£10), and thirty cents (Is. 3d.) for each tree felled. This refers to the large timber-making trees cut for sale, and not to the smaller deciduous trees that may be required for use. These terms apply to licenses granted for " timber limits " east of the 120° parallel of longitude, all timber west of that to the sea being governed by the regulations of the Provincial Government. Mining and mineral lands within the Railway Belt are disposed of by the Dominion Government on special terms governed by the circumstances of the case. 48 PROVINCIAL GOVET'.l^MENT REGULATIONS. Crown lands in Britisli Columbia are classified as either surveyei or nnaarfeyed lands, and may be Rcqnirec' either by record and pre-emption, or purchase. PRE-EMPTIONS. The following persons xxuxf record or pre-empt Crown lands,. ▼iz : — Any person being the head of a family, a widow, or a single man over 18 years of age, being a British subject, may record sur- veyed or unsurveyed Crown lands which are unoccupied, or unreserved, and unrecorded. Alicrs may also record auch surveyed or unsurveyed lands, on malting a declaration of intention to become a British subject. The quantity of land which may be recorded or pre-empted ia not to exce*^d 320 acres northward and eastward of the Cascade or Coast Mountains, or 160 acres in the rest of the Province. No person can hold more than one pre-emption claim a*; a time. Prio^ record or pre-emption of one claim, and all rights under it, are forfeited by subsequent record or pre-emption of another claim. Land recorded or pre-empted sannot be transferred or conveyed till after a Crown grant has been issued. Such land, until the Crown grant is issued, is held by occupation. Such occupation mast be a bona fide personal residence of the- settler or homestead settler, or his family or agent. Indians oi Chinese cannot be agents. The settler mus enter into occupation of the land within thirty days after recording, and must continue to occupy it. Continuous absence for a longer period than t.'^o months con< seoutively, of the settler or homestead settler, and his agent or family, is deemed cessation of occupation -, but leave of absence may be granted not exceeding four months in any one year, inclusive of tb3 two months' absence. Land is considered abandoned if unoccupied for more than four months in the aggregate in one year, or for more than two monthi consecutively. If so abandoned., the land becomes waste lands of the Crown,, without any cancellation of the recorc'i. The fee on recording is two dollars, (8s.) The settler may either bar? the land surveyed at his own instance (subject to rectification of boundaries) or wait till thQ» Chief Commissioner causes it to be surveyed. After survey lias been made, upon proof, by declaration in> writing, of himself and two other persons, of occupation from dato of pre-emption, and of uavi'- made permanent improvements on the land to the valne of two dollars and fifty cents per acre, the settler, on producing the pire-emption certificate, obtains a certificate of improvement. After obtaining the certificate of improvement and paying for the land, the settler is entitled to a Grown grant in fee simple. He pays five dollars therefor. PAYMENT ?0R LAND AND CROWN GRANT. The price of Crown lands, pre-empted, is one dollar per acre, vrhich must be fpaid in four equal instalments, as follows — First instalment, two years from date of record or pre-emption, and each other instalment yearly until the full amount is paid, but the last instalment is not payable till after the survey. The Crown grant excludes gold and silver ore, and reservea to the Crown a royaiiy of five cents per ton on every ton of merchant- able coal raised or gotten from the land, not including dross or fine slack. No Crew 1 grant can be issued to an alien who may have recorded or pre-empted by virtue of his declaring his intention to become a British subject, unlesR he has become naturalized. The heirs or devisees of the homestead settler are, if resident in the Province, entitled to the Crown grant on his decease. PRE-EMPTIONS FOB PARTNERSHIP PURPOSES. Partners, no . exf^eeding four, may pre-empt, as a firm, 160 acres, f7est of the Cascader-, to each partner, and 320 acres east of the Casojides, to each partner. Ea(;h partner mast represent his interest in the firm by actual residence on th« land, of himself or agent. But ea 'i partner, or his agonfc, need not reside on his particular pre-emption. The partners, or their agents, may reside together on one home- stead, if the homestead be situated on aay part of the partnership pre-emption. Fcr obtaining a certificate of improvement, it is sufficient to show that improvements have been made on some portion of the claim, amounting, in the aggregate, tu two dollars and fifty cents per acre on the whole land. I ftmmomm u MILITABT AMD NAVAL SETTLERS. Military and Naval officers, of 7 years* service and upwards, may acquire free grants of land, of from 200 to 600 acres, according to rank, under the " Military and Naval Settlers* Act, 1863." Such grants are confined to the mainland of the Province, east of the Cascade or Coast Range. The regulations governing this concession are briefly as under. The production to the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works of British Columbia, of a certificate from the General Commander in Chief, in England, or the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty sanctioning the settlement of the applicant, who must be either on full or staff pay at the time of settling, or have retired from the service for the purpose of settling in a British Colony. In the case of the latter an official statement of the date of retirement must be obtained and presented to the Lieut. Qovernor of the province within one year from such date. Title to grant is issued after 2 years actual residence upon the same. FREE GRANTS FOR IMMiaBATlON. The Lieutenant-Goverr or in Council may, subject to such pro- visions and restrictions as he may deem advisable, {make special free, or partially free, grants of unoccupied or unappropriated lands, for the encouragement of immigration, or other purposes of public advantage. SALE OF BUBVETED LANDS. Vacant surveyed lands, which are not the sites of towns or the suburbs thereof, and not Indian settlements, may be purchased at the rate of two dollars and fifty cents per acre. Survey 3d lands purchased under the provisions of this section must be paid for in full at the time of the purchase thereof. SALE OF UNSURVETED LANDS. The applicant to purchase unsurveyed Crown lands, after staking, posting, Sue., must give two months' notice of his intended application in the " Government Gazette," and in any newspaper circulating in the district where the land is situated. He must also have the land surveyed at his own expense, by a surveyor approved of and acting under the instructions of the Chief Commissioner. The price is two dollars and fifty cents per acre, to be paid as •m»mmsr. ^'*4MiMM*'Miii*" ding Such the der. }rks ider ilty on the ase be ice )he o- al ^, ic 45 followp r—lO per cent, at the time of application, and 90 per cent. on completion and acceptance of survey. The quantity of land must be nob less than 160 acres, nor mere than 640 acres. The purchase must be completed within six months from date of application. WATER RIGHTS. Landholders may divert, for agricultural or other purposes, the required quantity of unrecorded and unappropriated water from the natural channel of any stream, lake, &c.. adjacent to or passing through their land, upon obcaining the written authority of the Commissioner. HOMESTEAD ACT. The farm and buildings, wl.an registered, cannot be taken for debt incurred after the registration ; it is free from seizure up to a value not greater than 32,50J (£500 English) ; goods and chattels are also fr^ up to $500 (£100 English) ; cattle " farmed on shares are also protected oy an Exemption Act. mmmmm CANADIAN 007EBNHENT AGENCIES. JLLL PEBSONS desirous of obtaining information ?9lating to Canada, can m&ke application to the following Agents: IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. 'LONDON The High Commjssionkb fob Canada, 9 Victoria '^hambew, London, S.W. ' Mr. J. CoLMER, Secretary, High Gommissioner'a Office (addresB as above). Mr. C. Campbell Chipmax, Assistant Secretary and Accountant (address as above). 'LIVERPOOL.. .Mr- John Dyke, 15 Water Street. •GLASGOW Mr. Thomas Gbahame, 40 St. Enoch Square. BELFAST Mr. Charles Foy, 29 Victoria Place. DUBLIN Mr. Thomas Connolly, Northumberland House. BRISTOL Mr. J. W. Down, Bath Bridge. CANADA. IN THE OLD PROVINCES. •QUEBEC Mr. L. L. Stafford, Point Levis, Quebec. TORONTO Mr. J. A. Donaldson, Strachan Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, OTTAWA Mr. W. J. Wills, Wellington SL>-;et, Ottawa, Onterio. MONTREAL Mr. J. J. Daley, Bonaventure Strett, Montreal, Quebec. KINGSTON Mr. R. Macpherson, William Street, Kingston, Ontario. HAMILTON Mr. John Smith, Great Western Railway Station, Hamilton, Ontario. LONDON Mr. A. G. Smyth, London, Ontario. HALIFAX Mr. E. Clay, Halifa-, Nova Scotia. ST. JOHN Mr. S. Gardner, St. John, New Brunswick. IN MANITOBA AND THE NORTHWEST. WINNIPEG Mr. W. C. B. Grahame, Winnipog, Manit..rMi. EMERSON Mr. J. E. Tetc, Railway Station, Emerson, Manitoba. BRANDON Mr. Thomas Bennett, Office at the Railway Station. PORT ARTHUR Mr. J. M. McGovern. MEDICINE HAT Mr. Morrison Sutherland. CALGARY Mr. Mic^uelon. QU'APPELLE Mr. A. J. Baker. IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. VICTORIA Mr. John Jessop. NEW WESTMINSTER.. .Mr. H. B. W. Aikman. Provincial Government of British Columbia. AGENCIES IN EUROPE '• '• ^- "" ^''*^^^"' 1^ B-Jevard de la Madeleine. IN CANADA. TORONTO nr r. Mr. George Faulkneb. Mr. S. G. ROWBOTHOM NEW WESTMlNSTSR...Mr. Jchx Spkott. :) BY THE SAME AUTHOR. For very Elementary Learner ». Reading Book for First Stage. Tho Ali)imbet of the Principles of Agriculture. 8vo. C<1. Reading Book for Second Stage. Further Steps in the Principles of Agri(;uIturo. 8vo. Is. Reading Book for Third Stage. Elementary Readings on tho Principles of Agriculture. 8vo. Is. For use in Science Clausen, f % First Principles of Agriculture. 18mo. Is. Fourth Edition. Elementary Lessons on the Science of Agricultural Practice. Third Edition. Fcap. 8vo. 3s. 6d. For Prizes and General Readixgs. .... The Abbott's Farm ; or, Practice with Science. Crown Sro. 3a. Gd. MACMILLAN AND CO., LONDON. BY THE SAME AUTHOR. For Prizes and General Readings. Jack's Education i or, How he learnt Fanning. Second Edition. Crown 8vo. 38. Gd. Holt Castle; or, The Threefold Interest in the Land. Crown 8vo. 3s. Gd. CHAPMAN AND HALL, LONDON. 't- ^\,}.. jk: ^^%'*'W^ 4 fitr ib* |iti»'«tilwii^ It- (J T « ^'*W^ff^ '^^^^■'^Plp ••^^pipp^*'^ ^^^^**^P[«p ^ 4W^K^W)^^ff^^ W^*^^W^^^^4i^0 i#; » -took of AgHofiltorri toowl^aw^ t ""If^JSra! * i&atfiten. to M. MiHtt to be the wi«M of the furmen of liio fuvifb 'Alew mb* SMtoh il«i)d boftfpdb to Bi^ana, the T»loeof mtml^ mm^ .m ■fmilu^:,im ■'^T^: ^--^^'^ ■■'' ■ '^vy' ■l%dioa.Oi»«rdlan* '^sNW tw«g<»*H^' llihliiln Mnim Irith nnHft fftitnr- ffe can enemotnr yoMur pWJ>lo t«jh na*!**/ Mi^Ued to Hwir destined ipietoi of Utiog> U mjvm ^mL** 1^»' i^^P*^ II^EdMitMif *J»i> co» W)in)<»r. -^ '(••'f* ' it yam 943fM 4VTSQB, i^ B il^ U L T tJ R A JL ^ 1*11 A OT 10% • O Wl0i& ' OF ■ THi^ ■ f»RB8$i : _ ; ; Z^" ' '■ ■ lininMMfi Couftoiv ##hiioH(|p Mhtthrtdy irtth t^ Vgftttont . oTJTitfM &iM>oet«d fai i#iWitw» who raid ttiw«i%^^^^^^^ *^^ ' •" ^«df!i^j«^;t»ei»9,i8od«*d ^■icmiM£.m^ liudititLAJr- AKi> GQf, i^curijcfti^ ^^iis'f'V' ■,mif^ 'm','^wM^''! . .'.'^