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To find any place on th« ms.p , draw a straight line from tiM letters on the iide to join a tiniiftr line drawn frmn the ittttiiemli ..........D 28 Po'^.tMoody .....Q 17 Forf&ip(«t._*.v.. L 7 PortEssmgton... A J FoitBb^&wd...;. Q 27 Princeton.... P « ^ fteat Slide.. ».>........tf 11 giic»i»Il«Poiat».....F^^^-^"^ H/kC6.Fort-..« L 21 RoraaaCatb u« Mission 2| Hogen's Landing *>.*«•..£ 82 g?wn;'. U i» ^l^^^ HoM .......P 20 'sntoomt ............a U v^^^ H.KCo'8. Trading Post. L 8 ^*Sena..... ••••••f ^^^^Mr- pl^ifUd Village... A 18 Soda Creek... ....... ....a l- ^ ^^g s^ ^ Kdiim Village ...B 29 Somenoa. .R |J - - Knniloopfit. .»•*.*. i ... .L 21 '^^ke **«. js 19 i Kitawalaks 29 f |»«*^'* *'**««^ « ® ox >x.. ..•'«•••••••#* >'B 30 g*» PiMu. .............. ...jL» ^ oay..^ •»...•.«... .♦.p ?8 Bumas..... ........ »••.•..« 18^ ................... ..D 29 ^©^^••••"•••"•***»**"» I? ftid^oaspri ^IV'^tttiifftoM^ 6 8 9 10 II 12 lakt .4 III 5t ;. ■ ■. 'ttgion P-.i% I ^ Coupee ^^» '^H^Kr w^ 'y*' 4S 18 B OkocMhut « •'soo cer 19 m 20 D ^ 21 22 ^ V. 9J ^^t)% lift v^ %, poUnay :<* w N Or. i* tina Z'<^a«n ■5JI B'?3rC5»r~ 1 %!.'»- j.'^ 1586. iherdtt' Colville ftrtt ' W74 D .If- 1Cooten»7 >«I00 27 L< do-^ So? LUMBIA' 'anadian Iff the ic Railway. 188 Repj^n^ from^W Map of R. t. Wil|I«m« Vlctorii SCAl!»4;^ STATUTB Ml S 28 29 ^ BttViMd Lti 30 31 i gri. k jtn.. Ma 82 48 OMiMt»i 83 THE PROVINCE OP BRITISH COLUMBIA, Its Resources, Commercial Position and Climate, AND DESCRIPTION- OF THE XF" KIKI.D OPENED UP BY THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY, WITH IXFOBMATIOX FOR INTENDING SETTLERS, Based on the Personal Investigations of the Writer, ani upom tho Reports of Scientific P^xplorers and Gov»r". ment Surveyors. ■TT^ltJa. a ^wdlap arud. "Vle-ws of Britisli. Col-u-xnTsleu Compiled by " A Province which Canada should be pi-oud to possess, and whosa association with the Dominion she ought to regard as the crowning triumph of Federation."— J*^ I of Dufferin. 4 CONTENTS. Pagt. Introductory Remarks, 3 Vancouver Island. General description, size, position, harbours, - - . . 6 Its lithological character, soil, productiveness, - - - - 12 Timber, climate, markets, 13 Wholesale prices current, - ' 14 Retail prices, 15 Rates of wages, 16 Employment for women, , - - - 17 ESQUIMALT. Its harbours, graving dock, town, business, &c., - - - . - 7 Victoria. Its foundation, growth, present size, business establishments, schools, institutions and societies, public buildings, surrounding neigh- bourhood, 7 Nanaimo. Position, harbours, coal mines, irade, 10 Saanich, Cowichan, Chemainus, Maple Bay, Somenos, Sooke, - - 11 Islands of the Straits, Taxada, 18 The Queen Charlotte Islands. Position, Indians of, tish oil manufacture, 18 Mainland of British Columbia, 19 Extent, boundaries, - - - - • 20 The Rocky Mountains, Cascade Mountains, Earl Dufferin's description, 21 The harbours, English Bay, Coal Harbour, Port Essington, V/addington Harbour, ..--..... 22 The rivers. — The Eraser, Columbia, Pearl, Thompson, Chilicoten, Lilloet and Nicola, - - 22 Burrard Inlet, - 23 Vancouver, the C. P. R. Terminus. The terminal city, the harbours, commercial position, C. P. R. works, 23 Future Metropolis. Comparative distances between European and Western sea-ports. Distances from Vancouver, - - - 24 Maury's calculations, ---25 On the Line of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Yale, Lytton, 25 Country between Yale and Kamloops, 26 Kamlocps and Southern District. Kamloops Lake, Okanagan and Spallumcheen valleys, the Shuswap Lakes, timber, cereals, roots of the district, - - - -27 / i Page. The Valley of the Cot-UMBtA, 27 The Kootenay Lake and district. The country and its resources, - 28 The Big Bend OF THE Columbia. - - 28 , The gold range, height of peaks, timber, - - - - - 29 The Gold Fields. Cariboo,. Cassiar, superficial working of, - - - - - 29 The waggon road, gold returns from Columbia, Yale, Lytton, Cariboo, Stickeen river, --------- 3° Gold bearing rocks, other minerals, - - - " - - 3° Coal. ^tjint^-n.: .;K^;i,i;. New Westminster. Nicola, - - '\i,-.-J]:n:/';c ' ' " -^^ Nanainio, Queen Charlotte Islands, - -. - " ■ "32 The Fisheries. . Canning on the Fraser. Salmon, oolachans, cod, sturgeon, &c., - 32 The Forests. Various descriptions of pine, - T .^ I *.:, ^ '; /, * v ^; J " ' -^^ Hard wood and deciduous trees, - - - - - - - 37 The timber regions. ... - -, , - - - 38 The Trade of the Province. 'r.^ ,. Exports and imports, - - - -. * .- ■ ' 39 Comparative statements and tables, 4P British Columbia's markets, ' " " ' " " " ^^ The Climate. The climate of the coast, -■""'" "43 The Southern Zone, --------- 46 The Middle Zone, - ■ " "46 The Northern Zone, - - ' " 47 The Indians, "^7 The Game of the Province, - - _, -.,..,.,.;.. - ■ - - 4 The Scenery OF British Columbia, - .- 5° Land Regulations. - - - - - - • " ■ " 5' Pre-emptions, grazing, timber, and provincial lands, - - - 52 Sale of and payment for land, - - - - ■ ' .,' S3 General information fcr emigrants, - " " ■ " " "55 r* 27 ■ 28 • 28 29 30 30 31 32 32 35 37 38 39 40 42 43 46 46 47 47 4 50 SI 52 S3 55 ■-■•; - '. J ^.#^f|;ji|^/;. ■'-.-■■ i KMl. "^ ^^^^^1 ^^^^1 ■ •■'*.■-. ■■& •■.•.,1 V ■ ■'m'- ■■ Bk.^#' t'^^v H^.^fe. ■■ t. «- ■ 11 'fiHJI W '1 " "^ * < ■■7i^!il^;<^< p:mM ^^1^1 I^^^^H^-^ ■ ^9 ' 1 - "^m ^ t' -1 ^P ^»;f;;p ■ F ^ ^ i"^ • ^^B^^ r ii ■ '■ ^ A ss^p" V W 1 r ' ■ W ■' ' V ^-^ #7 kL, _.^ 'M ^^ , ' ff' ■ (/I o o o Pi tn (/: •< 1^ W p: o » o iz; Ui o BRITISH COLUMBIA. Us Position, Resources, and Climate. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. I <— I tn V. < O u o o: en Concerning the Province of British Columbia, which the Canadian Pacific Railway has suddenly transformed from a remote and little cared for settlement an the Pacific, into an eaiiily acccasiblb and interesting field for commercial ■enterprise, the majority of people have only very indistinct ideas. This publi* cation may perhaps supply the information that is required. Its object is to impart to thoseentirelyunacquainted with British Columbia such knowledge of the country as may enable them to realize the great extent of that province, its present condition, its characte. 'sties and capabilities, and to understand the important position it now holds, and in the future will more •distinctly occupy, in its relations with the other provinces of the Dominion, the .trade of the Pacific coast, and the commerce of the world at large. The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway is the dawn of a new era 'on the North Pacific coasts. The province that has been lightly spoken of as *' A Sea of Mountains," deriving a certain majesty from its isolation, its wilder .attributes, and undiscovered mysteries has been traversed by a railway, accurately described as the highway between Liverpool and Hong Kong. The comple- tion of this road dispels the mists of British Columbian solitude, and allows the current of trade to flow uninterruptedly between the Atlantic and the Pacific, The freight>car and the saloon carriage have displaced the pack-mule .and the canoe. The trade of the past has been mere dabbling on the shores of the •ocean of commerce ; undertaken in doubt and prosecuted with difficulty. It was a handful of men essayinj^ the work of a million, and that they achieved any BRITISH COLUMBIA. success at all in the then far-distant colony in the Pacific affords a suggestive- indication of what will now be accomplished under die new conditions. The history of Bri»'sh Columbia may, for the presient, be summed up in a. few sentences. After a number of years, during which British Columbia under various names, was occupied only by Indians and Trade»-s of the North-west Company; afterwards amalgamated with the Hudsons Bay Company; Vancouver Island, an important part of the Province, was made a colony in 1849. In 1858 the Mainland territory became a colony, with the name of British Columbia, and . in 1866 the two colonies were united, and so remained until July 20th, 1871, when British Cplumbia, retaining its appellation, entered the Confederation of Canada. During the first years of its colonial phase of existence it was governed by Chief Factor James Douglas, afterwards Governor Sir James Douglas, with great ability and unqualified success. To a just and kijidly rule, the traditional policy of the Hudsons Bay Company, he added a courage and firmness that made his word respected amongst the Indians from the Columbia to the Skeena»- and when the discovery of gold brought a rush of white men into the country^ he displayed the same ability in governing them that he had exhibited in his- management of the Indians. Until the discovery of gold on the Columbia and the Fraser in. 4856, the trade of the country was almost exclusively in furs, which- were collected at Fort Victoria, on Vancouver Island, and shipped to England via Cape Horn. The arrival of a trading schooner froin California, the Hudsons - Bay ship from England, and an occasional British Man of War at Esquimalt,., afforded the only means of personal communication with the outside world. The people of British Columbia, walled out of communication with Canada by four ranges of mountains, hampered in their intercourse with California by national distinctions, and separated from their own nation by nearly twenty thousand miles of sea, were without any immediate prospect of improvement, when the confederaton of the British American colonies, with an invitation to British Columbia to join, on terms of unexpected generosity, opened to them a vista of possibilities that transformed their apathetic contentment into sanguine expectation. After the admission of the colony into ihe Dominion of Canada, consider- able dissatisfaction arose from the inability of the Canadian Goverment to construct a railway to the Pacific within the time specified in .the conditions upon which British Columbia had entered the confederation. Remonstrances^ were followed by a re-arrangement of terms, which in their turn were not entirely fulfilled, and fresh bickerings arose. BRITISH COLUMBIA. At last in 1881 the Canadian Government entered into a contract with a -syndicate of gentlemen to build a railway from Ontario to the Pacific ocean, -and to complete the distance by the year 1891. An Act of Parliament was passed embodying the contract with the Syndicate, a company was organized, and work was immediately commenced and prosecuted with such vigour that the last rail in the gigantic railway that now binds British Columbia to the Eastern provinces of Canada was laid in November, 1885, six years before the time stipulated in the contract between the Government and the Company. This road has pierced the successive ranges of the Rocky and British Columbian Mountains, it has penetrated the unknown country on the north of Lake Superior and opetied a way from ocean to ocean. British Columbia is no longer an ultima thule. The busy life that teems on either side of the Atlantic already surges towards the west, impatient to reach the latent wealth of the western provinces, and waits only the opening of the way to seek on the shores of the Pacific new fields for its enterprise and capital. ••*fl«9iJr" BRITISH COLUMBIA. GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION. VANCOUVER ISLAND AND THE ISLANDS ADJOINING. ■ <■> ■ British Columbia is that portion of North America that lies between the 49th parallel of north latitude (the international boundary between Canada and the United States) and latitude 60° N. On the east it is bounded by the sum- mit line of the Rocky Mountains and the meridian of 120° W, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean and the United States territory of Alaska, and it includes Vancouver Island, Queen Charlotte Islands, and all the others in the Straits of Georgia and on the coast north of it, as far as the 54th parallel of latitude, with the exception of the Island of San Juan and the small group lying between it and the United States, to which they belong. VANCOUVER ISLAND. Vancouver, which is the largest island on the west coast of America, is the- oblong crest of a submerged range running north west and south east between the parallels of 48° 20' and 51°, in latitude from 123° W to 128°, and therefore nearly in a parallel line with the Rocky Mountains and other ranges of the mainland, from which it is separated by the Straits of Georgia, varying from 5 tO' 20 miles in width. It is about 300 miles long, with an average breadth of about fifty miles, and contains an estimated area of from 12,000 to 20,000 square miles. The coast line, more particularly on the west side, is broken by numerous inlets of the sea, some of which run up into the interior of the island for many rniles, between precipitous cliffs, backed by high and rugged mountains, which arc clothed in fir, hemlock and cedar. At some points are sheltered bays which receive small streams watering an open gladed country, having a growth of wild flowers and grasses, among which are found the white clover, sweet grass, cowslip, wild timothy and a profusion of berries. The two ends of Vancouver Island are, comparatively speaking, flat, but there are mountains in the interior ranging from 6,000 to 8,000 feet on the highest ridges. The interior of the island, still unsettled, and, practically speaking, little known at any distance from the sea coast, is largely interspersed with lakes and small streams, and with waterfalls affording water power, the present inutility of which arises from the fact of its all being at some distance from the coast. The surface is beautifully diversified by mountain precipice, bills and open prairies, and on the east coast the open country is frequently so interspersed with small copses and single trees, and its soil so good, that great encouragement is oflfered to agricultural settlement. BRITISH COLUMBIA. IING, In other parts the soil is light and of little depth, but it is heavily wooded. > It is attractive in appearance everywhere; there is either the rugged mountains, the wildness that gives picturesqueness, with undisturbed lakes lying in these ' mountain valleys, or there is the park-like app'^arance of the openings, in many places margined by the sea and in perfect view of the mountains that back the Straits of Georgia on the opposite side. The greater part of these arable tracts is found in the south-eastern portion of the Island, in the strip of land lying between the mountains and the eastern coast. At the extreme north there is also some arable land, and a little on the west. In the inland lakes, and in the indentations of the coast, there is a plentiful supply of fish, and a faic variety of game on shore. There are many harbors on both sides of the island in which large ships care.. find anchorage, and very many more available to smaller coasting vessels. The eastern coast has been well surveyed by British sirveying vessels, and the soundings accurately marked. The principal harbour is that at " Esquimalt,"' which has long been the rendezvous of the English squadron when in the North Pacific. It is situated at the south end of the Island, on the eastern side, and can be approached in foggy weather by means of soundings, which are marked, on the admiralty charts, for a considerable distance seawards from the entrance- to the harbour; an advantage possessed by very few anchorages, and with the exception of Burrard inlet, at the terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway, by no other large harbour on that coast. ESQUIMALT. Esquimau harbour is about three miles long, and something under two mile*> broad in the widest part; it has an average depth of 6 to 8 fathoms and affords excellent holding ground, the bottom being a tenacious blue clay. The Canadian Government is now (1886) building a dry-dock at Esquimalt, intended to>. accommodate vessels of large size. Its length is 450 feet, depth 26 feet, andt 90 feet wide at the entrance. It is being built of concrete, faced with sandstone and will take two or three years in construction. There is a small town at the northern corner of the harbour bearing the- same name, Esquimalt. The nucleus of it are some British Government build- ings, consisting of a naval hospital, an arsenal and other dockyard buildings^ In the immediate vicinity of thes^ the town has arisen. There are two churches^, a public schbol, two hotels or inns, and a number of residences and business*; buildings. In the territorial division of Esquimalt there are several farming settlements and one or two manufactories, including a boot and shoe manufac- tory and a sawmill. Esquimalt will eventually be the terminus of the island railway which is in course of construction from Nanaimo to Victoria, but at present Victoria, the capital, being only three and a half miles from Esquimalt: by land, and connected with it by an excellent macadamized road, the principaL business is done at the larger place. VICTORIA. Victoria, the Capital of the Province of British Columbia, and the chief citjr on the island of Vancouver, has grown to its present size from its original ir e BRITISH COLUMBIA. commencttne.M as Fort Victoria, a stockaded post of the Hudsons Bajr company. It is beautifully situated on a small arm of the sea, commands a view of the Straits of Georgia, the snow-capped peak of Mount Baker, and the mountains of the mainland, and though probably not destined to be a very large city for some years to come, will always be attractive to visitors from its salubrious position, the natural beauty of its surroundings, and the charms of its neighbourhood. It is already re<;arded as a delightful holiday visiting spot by the residents of other places on the British Columbian and United States coasts and with the completion of the island railway it will be brought within easy reach of many places, which, while serving to increase {hs volume of its trade, will supply localities of a very invitHg description for country residences and subsidiary villages. The city's ige aay properly date from 1858. Before that time it was merely the H. B. Coy s post, with a few surrounding dwellings mainly belonging to the company's employees. But the discovery of gold on the mainland brought a rush of miners from the south, and at one time, during the winter of 1858, as these men returned from the mountains on their way to California, 30,000 men were camped round the Fort. Thus the city began with wooden shanties, ■canvas stores and a population that arrived and departed by thousands. The population when the last census was taken, 1881, was 7,000. The Government 6*ate that it is now 11,000. For its size it has a very motley collection of inhabitants. The principal residents, and the majority of the inhabitants are from Great Britain, but there are now a great number of Canadians besides Americans, Indians, Chi.iese, and that variety of nationalities in seafaring men that appertains to a seaport. The city is well built, the main thoroughfares being rectangular, and though there are still many wooden houses there are many solidly built structures in stone and brick. The two principal streets. Government street and Yates street, contain handsomely fitted shops, at which anything and everything may be ■obtained, from a miner's pick, to a lady's ball dress straight from London or iParis. And everything at fairly reasonable prices. The residences are mainly -villas and semi-detached villas, in many cases with surrounding gardens, in •which, even throughout the winter, flowers bloom luxuriantly. There are a great number of hotels, inns, and boarc ng houses, so that accommodation for strangers is easily obtained. Some indication of a city's business and prosperity may be derived from the number of Banking houses. Insurance offices and professional men within its limits. Victoria supports three banks, and the Dominion Government Savings Bank, six Insurance agencies, eight physicians and surgeons, and although it would at first sight appear to be a city of much brotherly love, S2eing that there is only one solicitor and one attorney mentioned in its directory, there are ten gentlemen of the law who style themselves "barristers and notaries public," who are equally dangerous to evil doers and others, as the solicitor and ■the attorney. Victoria has a handnome theatre and one of the most complete dubs in the Dominion. There is a little disptoportion in some callings. For BRITISH COLUMBIA. sons Ba^ imands a and the e a very from its harms of iting spot ed States ht within ime of irs esidences ne it was belonging id brought f 1858, as 0,000 men shanties, ids. The )vernment principal , but there i.iese, and jort. The lUgh there s in stone tes street, g may be London or ire mainly ardens, in lere are a dation for ived from len within (vernrnent eons, and ve, sseing ;ory, there i notaries icitor and complete igs. For instance, there are ten breweries and wholesale liquor establishments and forty* five retail bars, besides twenty-two groceries where liquor can be sold, but there are only two book stores. This plentitude of liquor however speaks well for the climate, for in spite of these establishments and of four stores specially devoted to the sale of firearms, there are only two undertakers. It takes twelve bakeries to supply thecity with its daily bread, and four butchers to supplement their eflforts. Cigars have one manufactory to themselves, and cigarettes another, and six stores are exclusively devoted to their sale, with the auxiliary distribution of the hotels and saloons. The women are cared for by two wholesale dry-goods houses, nine retail stores and eight dressmakers, and to meet seasons of difficulty ».!:ere is one pawnbroker. There is a telephone company, four brass-band asso- ciations, and a lunatic asylum. Three daily newpapers are published in the city, besides which there are other printing establishments, a mechanics'institute with a free library, a theatre and a number of churches of all denominations. Victoria has a public school, a high school for the more advanced scholars, from which teachers for the Province are graduated, and several private semin- aries. The sisterhood of St. Ann have an institution for the education of girls, and in addition to these edt'.cational estabishments it is in contemplation to 'establish a college in connection with the Anglican church. The Provincial Government buildings are on the north side of James' Bay, a small arm of the harbour which is crossed by a substantial bridge, and ii; the immediate vicinity is Government House, occupying a very pretty and commanding site over- looking the straits. Near this is the park at Beacon Hill, where the races, cricket matches and other sports are held, and in the neighbourhood of which are some of the principal residences. The city has a good water supply brought from a 'lake about seven miles distant. It has an efficient fire brigade, a telegraphic service, and by means of a submarine cable connecting with the mainland, has communication with the continental world. Its mail service, by tri-monthly steamer with San Franciscoiand via Portland several times a week, has been fairly good, but will now become more perfect and regular by way Af the Canadian Pacific Railway. Victoria reveals the nationality to which its people belong in more than one way. There are all the National and Benevolent " Societies " usually found where Britons congregate, and there are evidences of its being an old country colony in the customs and idiosyncracies of its society. The people are hospit- able, and their doors open readily to those accredited to them by their friends, or to those whom they believe deserving of their confidence. From what has been here said it will be seen that Victoria, though a small city, has all the conveniences of a larger one. It possesses attractions of its own that are rarely met with in towns, so much so that it has acquired a reputation as a place in Vvhich strangers may spend a holiday with pleasure and reasonable economy, and in consequence it is visited by people from many parts of the North Pacific coast. •• Stretching away from the City for some miles is the district of Victoria, which supports a scattered farming population, and from which the town draws. lA BRITISH COLUMBIA. a portion of its supplies, but in comparison with some otiicr districts on the line- of the Canadian Pacific, Vancouver can not be considered a fanning country. Near Victoria the eye is charmed rather by the picturesque beauty of the coast line than by the crops or cattle, although those that are to be seen are excellent of their kind. It is, however, a fruit country, and w'll in the future send large quantities eastward by the Canadian Pacific Railway. It is the garden of the Dominion, to which nature has added those wilder surroundings that a culti- vated taste usually demands from artificial resources. NANAIMO. Seventy miles north of Victoria, on the east coast of Vancouver Island, is the town of Nanaimo. It is built on rising ground overlooking a fine harbour, which is connected Vy a deep channel with another harbour cil led Departure IJay,, capable of taking the largest vessels. Nanaimo ranks next to Victoria in importance, but it is mainly dependent on the coaling interest and the business arising from the ships in harbour loading or waiting to load. There are two- companies, the Vancouver Coal Mining and Coke Co., and the Wellington Co'- working a number of coal mines in the neighbourhood, the coal from which is shipped either at Nanaimo or in Departure Bay, a few miles farther north. The coal is the best kind of bituminous coal found upon the coast and is very largely shipped to San Francisco, and also to the Sandwich Islands and China. It is of course the coaling station of the British squadron in the Pacific. San Francisco is the principal market. Within the past few years the coal trade from British Columbia to California has assumed large proportions. In the twelve years, ending with 1873, the ex- ports were 150,000 tons, or 12,500 tons per annum. In the last ten years these exports have been 1,280,000 tons, or 107,000 tons per annum. In the last five years they have averaged >; ;,ooo tons per annum, or as much in one year as •was received at San Franrisio in the first twelve years of the above period. The present indications point to a large increase of the coal trade of the: province. In quality, the Vancouver Island bituminous coals are found to be superior,, for all practical purposes, to any coals on the Pacific coast. Nature has given this advantage, exclusively, to Canada on the Pacific seaboard. These coals are in large demand in the San Francisco market, notwithstanding the high adverse tariff. They rank there with the West Hartley coals. On an average, »iearly two-thirds of the sea-borne Pai.i'ic coast coal, received annually at San Francisco, are from Vancouver Island. A test by the War Department of the United States, in order to find the best steam-raising coal on the Pacific coast, showed that to produce a given quantity of steam, it took 1,800 lbs. of Vancouver coal to 2,400 lbs. of Seattle (Washington Territory) coal, 2,600 lbs. of Coos Bay (Oregon) coal, and 2,600 lbs. of Monte Diablo (California) coal. This proved that, as far as the Pacific coast is concerned, the coal of Vancouver Island has n marked superiority over all the others. Nanaimo wharves, which are connected with the mines of the Vancouver Coal Mining Co'y narrow guage railway, have a capacity of 1000 tons per day. n the line- ; country, the coast excellent end large en of the U a culti- and, Is the our, which lure Hay, ictoria in business 'c are two- Vellington coal from lies farther ! coast and slands and ron in the > California 73> the ex- rears these he last five )ne year as >ve period, ade of the >e superior, , ; has given hese coals J the high n average, illy at San lent of the cific coast. I'^ancouver Coos Bay lis proved [sland has Vancouver I per day. 3 F ir 'ii •II i P BRITISH COLUMBIA. 11 The mine gives employment to about 800 men. The Wellington collieries^ which are a few miles from Nanaimo, connect with the wharves in Departure Bay and employ nearly 1000 men. They can ship 1 500 tons per day. A little farther north are other large deposits, and coal uas been found at several places, in the island. The discovery of coal at Nana'mo is attributed to the present proprietor of the Wellington mines, Mr. Dunsmuif, having stumbled over the root of a fallen tree which, on closer examinatio hv. discovered had some lumps of coal sticking to it. It has proved a fortunate stumble, both to himself and the island. It is to connect Nanaimo with Victoria thrt the island railway is being /•jnstriicted, though it is projected to run north to a place called Discovery Pass. In its first sections it will pass through several agricultural districts, and will serve to develop other interests. It is not however easy to imagine that it can. carry coal for ships, as its projectors hoped, since it must be cheaper for vessels to load at Nanaimo, but it may be found possible to supply the city of Victoria,, and perhaps Esquimalt, as cheaply by rail as by water. The town, for its size^ is well supplied with the requirements of a growing population. There are churches, schools, hotels and such industries as are adapted to the country. In this respect Nanaimo shows some enterprise. There is a tannery- which it>oks forward to a speedy development into a manufactory of boots ana shoes, a saw mill, a brewery, a ship-building yard that has built ani launched several vessels, and weekly and semi-weekly newspapers. la the neighbourhood are a few farmers. While on the subject of Nan^irr.r* and its coal fields, it may be well to say that it has been determined that the rocks of the extensive coal areas on the eaat coast of Vancouver Island are of cretaceous, not ternary, ag^e. They extend from the vi .nity of Cape Mudge to within 1 5 miles of Victoria, a length of about 130 miles. Rock? of the coal series also exist on the north-east and north-west coasts at the nortii end of the island, and there may be similar coal areas in the interior. Tevtiary rocks, holding lignite, occur at Sooke and various places on the soutii-west coast. These three places, Victoria, Nanaimo and Esquimalt, all on the south-eastern corner of Vancouver Island, are the principal centres^ There are smaller communities on the island, mainly on the south comer, and at no great distances from v.he three principal places already spoken of. Such is Cowichan, a settlement on the east coast, about midway between Victoria and Nanaimo, where the quality of the soil permits farming to be carried on to some advantage. Saanich, another farming Settlement at the extreme south- east Maple Bay, Chemainus, Somenos, .ill in the neighbourhood of Cowichan; Comox, some 60 miles north of Nanaimo, in the vicinity of which are some of the principal logging camps; Sooke, a short distance south-west of Esquimalt, and a few scattered and sparsely inhabited spots. But they have been settled even to their present limited extent by very gradual degrees. Distance from Europe has told against them. Of immigration, as the word is used in other western parts, there has been none since the gold fever abated, and these ou» mmam mmmim n BRITISH COLUMBIA. I. ! lying settlements have grown by the intermittent acquisitions of single families •or solitary individuals. Vancouver was an island in the far off Pacific, and a 4-ailway through the mountains was an enthusiast's dream. ROCKS OF THE ISLAND. The lithological character of Vancouver Island may be described as follows: Amongst the metamorphic and erupted rocks are gneiss, killas or clay slate, permeated by quartz veins, quartz and hornblende rocks, compact bituminous slates, serpentine, highly crystalline /elspathic traps and semi-crystalline con- cretionary limestone. Amongst the sedimentary rocks are sandstones and strati- fied limestones, fine and coarse grits, conglomerates andfossiiiferou? imostonts, shales, &c., associated with ihe seams of coal. The country -s 3^• ' :• with -erratic boulders and other marks of the glacial period, granites i P^an rocks of every kind ; mica schists with garnets, breccias and congiomf ates are to be met with. Some of these afford good building L.aterial, the grey granite equalling in beauty and closeness of crystalline texture the Scotch and English granites. THE SOIL OF VANCOUVER ISLAND. The soil of Vancouver Island varies considerably. In some parts are ■deposits of clay, sand and gravel, sometimes partially mixed, and frequently with a thick f^psoil of vegetable mould of varying depth. The soil is evidently -of marine origin, as it holds sea shells in quantities at depths from six inches to a foot. At other places towards the north of the island on the eastern shore are some rich loams, due to the decomposition of the limestone rocks, and these are immediately available for cultivation. The soil where it is mainly gravel, being quickly drp.ined, produces little but coarse grass and large timber. The mixed soil with proper treatment bears heavy crops of wheat ; the sand ai '■ gravelly loams do well for oats, rye, barley, buckwheat, roots, &c., and v.in e the soil is a deep loamy one, fruit grows well. The followin;^ average of tne yield of a properly cultivated farm in the Comox district is given by a member of the Canadian Geological Survey. This is from the best land in Comox, but Ihere are other parts of the island not much inferior : t in M \l V? Wheat, from 30 to 45 Bushels per Acre Barley, " 40 to 45 (( Oats, " 50 to 60 (t Peas, " 40 to 4f « Potatoes, "' 1 50 to 200 t( Turnips, '' 20 to 25 Tons in the midst of districts where good soils are found, rocky hills are sometimt. interspersed, having little soil upon them, but affording a nast",rage for sheep and cattle in summer. It is on the east coast that il.o aisble land is found ; there is little on the west, or in the interioi, tho jl: whei , i> the course cf time, the inland marshes are drained, the land now covertu v 'u vater will become available. BRITISH COLUMBIA. le families icific, and a as follows : clay slate, bituminous alline con- and strati- imostonts, ■ .'• with . pean rif ates are rey granite nd English parts are frequently is evidently six inches tern shore s, and these inly gravel, nber. The i sand ai '• and will e rage of the a member Comox, but •■'•«i somethnt . for sheep is found ; se cf time, ill become ' ■ TIMBER. The timber of Vancouver is one of its richest products. Throughout the island the celebrated " Douglas Fir" is found, and a variety of coniferous trees, of which more precise mention will be made in speaking of the mainland, grow on all parts of the island. It is impossible to travel on the island without marvelling at its forest growth, and sometimes stopping to wish that there had been less of it. This exuberance is not confined to the mammoth fir trees, or the enormous cedars ; trees of many of the deciduous varieties abound, so that either for lumber and square timber, or for the settlers' immediate requiitements, for the use of cities, and as arboreous adornments to the homes that will now be sought by immigrants from Europe and elsewhere, who prefer the mild climate of the Pacific to the more bracing atmosphere of the mountain regions, the forests t)f Vancouver Island have a value that every year will become more apparent. CLIMATE OF VANCOUVER ISLAND. The foregoing remarks have been made on subjects peculiar to Vancouver Island; questions of trade, products of the province, and matters generally appertaining to all parts, including the mainland, will presently be spoken of. Concerning Vancouver Island, therefore, it only remains to say th?t in the important matter of climate its inhabitants believe, an^'. with some reason, that they enjoy peculiar advantages. They have a mild ai.J even winter, with rain; the annual rainfall is estimated at 45 inches; and occasionally snow; an early spring; a dry, warm summer, and a clear, bright andenjoyableautuni.il. Some- times the frost is sufficiently hard to permit of skating, but this is exceptional. As a rule flowers bloom in the gardens of Victoria throughout the year. It is spoken of as England without its east winds; in reality it is Torquay in the Pacific. Fruits of i;ll kinds indigenous of the temperate climates ripen in the open air, and amongst them, some that are in England brought tc perfection only under glass. Thunder storms seldom break over Vancouver. They can be heard in the distance but are rarely experienced. It is this climate, co..ibined with the situation of Victoria, that makes that city such a pleasing contrast to those who visit its shores from the hot valk ys of California. The adjoining seas, partially shelteftd by islands, would seem to have been intended for yachting; the isl.xnd itself allures tourists and idlers to wander about its woods am! bays, for eve«7 ■■<">il'. brings some change of scene, and the summer and auturm days are without suspicion of storms, whether electrical or of dust. But this condition of things which bids fair to beget as an expression, " the glorious climate of Vancouver," applies more particularly to the coast and to the southern and central portion of it. The island is washed by the Pacific, and the littoral, therefore, is not an exact criterion of the mountainous interior,, where the temperature is varied by local agencies. MARKETS AND PRICES. In a country where the large majority are consumers, prices must necessarily bt high. What, with the city of Victoria, the shipping demands, both there, at Es,juimalt and Nanaimo, and th« steady consumption of the mines, the propor. h 1'. Si ill I ' 44 BRITISH COLUMBIA. (ion of farms has been small, and their produce in great demand. There is room Ducks, tame, do.- 9oo@$i3oo Turkeys, dressed, ¥ lb. 30 Turkeys, live, do. - - - - - 17 @ 20 Geese, each, - i 50 @ 3 00 The following prices sho%the cost of articles on the Victoria retail market. Butter — Choice Island, 50 cents ^ cents ^ doz. ; Puget Sound, 25 cents. ■CORNMEAL — 50 cents ¥ sack of 10 lbs. Oatmeal — 62^ cents ¥ sack of 10 lbs. Flour— Extra, $5.25 ¥ brl. ; $1.50 ¥ sack ; Super., $4.25 ¥ bri. Wheat — 2 cents ^ lb. Beans — Lima, 8 cents ¥ lb. ; Small White ^nd Uayou, 6 cents. Split Peas — 12>4 cents ¥ lb. Vegetables — Potatoes, 2 ccnta ¥ V.\ ; Onions, 4 cents ^ lb. ; Celery, 50 •cents <^ doz. ; Carrots, i cent ^ lb. ; Rhub-irb, I2>^ cents ¥ lb. ; Cucum- bers, $1.50 ¥ do2. ; C-ibbage, I2;< cents ^ lb. • H.VMS — Home cured, 18 cents l^lb. ; Chicago, 20 cents ; Oregon, 18 cents ; Shoulders, 18 cents. Bacon — Breakfast, 18 cents ¥ lb. Lard — 20 cents ¥ lb. Fish — Cod, 6 cents ; Salmon, 5 cents ; Boneless Cod, 16 cents ; Soles, 8 cents ; Halibut, 8 cents ^ lb. ; Yarmouth Bloaters, 25 cents ¥ doz. ; Salmon bellies, 3 for 50 cents ; Herring, 3 cents ; Flounder, 8 cents ; Smoked Oolachan and S.ilmon, izji cents ; Saieit, 8 cents ; Whiting, 7 cents ; Shrimp, 25 cents ; Salt Oolachan, 6 cents ¥ lb. ; Crabs, 75 cents ¥ doz. ; S.noked Herring, I2>i cents ; Salmon Trout, C cents ¥ lb. Canned Salmon— i lb. tins, i? doz., $2. Fruit — Lemons, 62K cents ^ doz. ; Oranges (blood), $1 ^ doz. ; Limes, 40 cents ¥ doz. ; Apples, 4 cents ¥ lb. ; Cranberries, 75 cents ¥ gal. , Bananas, ■Cz}^ cents per doz. : Cocoanuts, 1 5 cents each. Candied Fruits - Lemon, 50 cents V lb. ; Mixed, 50 cents ¥ lb. Currants — Zante, 15 @ 16 cents ¥ lb. Raisins— English Layers, 23H cents V lb. ; Cala., 25 cents ; Sultana, Valencia, and Eleme, 25 cents. - Figs— New, 37^ @ 50 cents ^ @ 15 cents ^ lb. ;' other cuts, 7 @ 10 cents ; soup- meat, 4 @ 6 cents. MUTTOX— Choice joints, I2>^ cents ^ lb. ; stewing meat, 6 @ 10 cents* Pork— 10 /«) 12K cents ^iMb. Veal— 12 @ 15 cents *J lb. Suet— 10 cents *? lb. Sucking Pigs— $2.50 @f3 each. ■ Ducks— Tame, $1.25 each. Chickens— f I ©75 cents each. Geese — Tame, 25 cents 1^ lb. Coal Oil- $2 # tin ; ^case, $3.7:^. Oysters— 75 cents ^ quart ; canned, 37K cents ¥ can. Hay— $12 @ $15 ^ ton. Oats— I ^ cents "^ lb. Middlings— 13^ cents ^ lb. Bran— I cent ^ lb. ' Kippered Salmon— i2>^ cents ^ lb. In this ,s encouragement to people to go in and raise the articles, for whiclv- there is so steady a demand. wages. The wages earned at Victoria and other parts of the island are, of course, governed by the demand for labour, and the amounts paid on the mainland, and these have of late been a little out of norh ^1 condition on account of the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. But although that gigantic employer of men has been finished in all its rougher work, it will still afford employment f r many hands, and for some time yet the building of the Island railway will continue. The restrictive laws against Chinese immigration tend to sustain wages, and it is unlikely that they can for many years be reduced even to the level of those paid in the more eastern parts of Canada. The following figures give the rate of wages as ruling at the beginning of the. present year ; — Collieries : — Carpenters and blacksmiths Labourers - Miners' earnings (contract wor' ) Fisheries: — f2 Soto - I Soto 3 00 to I3 75 per day. 2 00 " 4 00 " Fishermen - - - . . Other industries: — SO 00 to 60 CO per mo. Stonecutters, stonemasons and bricklayers Their labourers 4 09 to I 75 to S 00 per day^ 2 00 S" cents each :. :ents ; Chest- S cents each ; □ cents ; soup lo cents* les, for whiclr- re, of course, he mainland, xount of the :hat gigantic 11 still afford 3f the Island gration tend '< be reduced anada. The ming of the. )er day. )er mo. er day- BRITISH COLUMBIA. Plasterers $1 ooto •Carpenters and joiners ' Ship carpenters and caulkers Cabinet-makers and upholsterers Painters Shoemakers - Tailors - . • - - '1 ...loresses .... Bakers (with board and lodging) Butchers (cutters) - Slaughterers • • - •Cigarmakers . - - - Boys, as strippers, &c., from Printers - - - - . Waggon-makers Tinsmiths, plumbers and gasfitters Machinists, moulders, pattern and makers, and black-smiths Lonshoremen •• . . . Wood-turners ... ix ooto I4 50 per day. 2 50 to 3 00 M J ooto 4 50 (« 3 00 •• 3 £Oto A 00 U 2 00 to 3 00 II 2 50 to 3 00 II I 00 to I 50 i( Cj 00 per mo 75 ooto 100 00 i V if ft i pj u with the developing homestead. The consequence is that young women com- ing to the colony, and prepared to take their share of the duties of life as the wives of settlers in the back districts, do not long remain as servants or factory girls. They may at first miss some of the attractions «f a city life, but in a very few years a settler and his wife, by industry and orderly living, acquire a position in their neighbourhood, and gather about them so much to occupy their time and give an interest to their home, that the more garish life, which may at first have been relinquished with regret, ceases to be delightful even in imagination, and as the years roll on positions of credit and responsibility come to them, sometimes unsought, that in the early days did not even present themselves in the day dreams of their idle moments. THE ISLANDS OF THE STRAITS. On the east side of Vancouver, in the Straits of Georgia, that is between the island and the mainland, are innumerable islands of smaller size. Generally they are wooded, and some of them have spots well fitted for agriculture. They are not much sought for by white men at present, as there is plenty of land in places nearer the settlements. Here and there, however, will be found the hut of a white man, who for one reason or another prefers an island to the mainland. . TAXADA. in the vicinity of Vancouver is the island of Taxada, opposite the settle- ment at Comox, which, from its wealth of iron ore, is destined to be of considerable /alue. It is largely owned by speculators. The ore is in mountainous mass that can be traced for miles, and it can be mined, smelted and shipped without difficulty. It is a coarse granular magnetite, containin a large percentage of iron, with only .003 per cent, of phosphorus. An American company owning a bog iron area near Port Townsend, in Puget Sound — a short distance south of British Columbia— have recently purchased a portion of the Taxada iron field, and at first mixed the Puget Sound ore with that of Taxada, to produce pig iron for the San Francisco market. This operation, however, was discontinued for want of a sufficient market, which will now be opened. A little to the north of Taxada there is a small group of islands, and then< the island of Vancouver and the mainland approach one another to within two or three miles. Here it was at one time intended to bring the Canadian Pacific Railway across by way of Bute Inlet on the mainland, and Valdez Islands to Vancouver,' and down to Victoria with the terminus at Esquimalt, but the project was relinquished by the government, in whose hands the railway them V as, and an inspection of Bute Inlet will satisfy most people that its abandon- ment was a wise proceeding. THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS. To the north of Vancouver Island, and close to the coast of the mainland, there is a succession of islands continuing to the extreme limits of British Columbia. Of these, the Queen Charlotte Islands are the largest and most important. These are a group of which there are three principal islands, Graham, n i:': BRITISH COLUMBIA. tl women com- )f life as the Its or factorjr ife, but in a »g, acquire a li to occupy h life, which tful even in esponsibility even present is between Generally ulture. They :y of land in bund the hut he mainland. . e the settle- led to be of ore is in Ined, smelted containin a An American fet Sound — a 1 a portion of 5 with that of lis operation, will now be ds, and then* o within two adian Pacific ''aldez Islands malt, but the: railway theni its abandon- he mainland^ ts of British ;st and most ids, Graham, Moresby and Provost islands, situated between ^,7° an4 S4° north 'ongitudc. and 131° 25' and 134 west latitude. They are the home of the remnant of the Hydab Indians, numbering about 800 people, who live in villages scattered about the- three islands, their principal place being at Massett and Skidegate, on Graham» Island. They arc expert canoenien and fishermen, and find occupation in extract- ing oil from the livers of the dog fish, which abound on that coast. Their usuaF wayof doing this was by filling hollow logs with the fish livers and piling hot stones on them, but the oil thus obtained was dirty and sold for a low price. A company has started a few years ago called the Skidegate Oil Company, which,, by introducing proper machinery for extracting the oil, obtains an excellent arti- cle, especially for lubricating. It manufactures about 40,000 gallons annually,, and gives employment to the Indians during the summer months. These islands are heavily wooded, but not with the larger kinds of fir. The interior is mountainous, and there are numerous small streams flowing into the bays. Some of these bays afford good anchorage. The soil of the island is not rich, and opinions differ as to the quantity of arable or grazing land in the interior, though there is probably a large quantity now in marsh and wood land. It is. believed that there is gold on the islands, and in years past several attempts were made to find it; attempts that sometimes ended disastrously to the gold seekers. The Hydah Indians, in those days, were physically the finest and the most warlike on the coast. All others lived in dread of them. They were numerous,, brave, and as fond of war as all savages are that know themselves to be more powerful than their neighbours. Manning a fleet of their war canoes, each of which held forty or fifty men, they were accustomed to cross the open sea and unexpectedly descend upon any tribe that had incurred their anger or that offered inducements for plundering. On arriving in an inlet the waters were black with their canoes. An Indian village surprised by them was destroyed, only those inhabitants surviving that had escaped to the woods before the first assault. To- resist them, some of the Indians of Vancouver Island lived within stockades^ and even the colony at Victoria were not a little anxious when parties of the Hydahs paid them a visit. The result of these visits was ruinous to the Indians;; the men acquired a taste for spirits, the women became degraded, and in time smallpox, a disease to which Indians are peculiarly susceptible, and other maladies, reduced their numbers with startling rapidity. They will probably soon be extinct. THE MAINLAND OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. If there were no Island of Vancouver, and no harbour at Esquimalt,. British Columbia would s be one of the most important provinces of the Dominion, as we from a political as from a commercial point of view. With; that i&.and it is t-^ a maritime nation invaluable, for the limits of British Colum- bian coal fields ^ar oi.i; be guess. v. at, while enough coal has already been discovered on Vancouver Island to cover the uses of a century. The harbours of this province are unrivalled on the Paci'^.c coast, taking number and capacity into calculation, and are so situated that the Straits of Georgia could, without difficulty, be made impassable at either end to hostile ships.. 20 BRITISH COLUMBIA, Their possession gives command of the North Pacific, and that in its turn .goes far towards Hnminating the China Sea and the coasts of Japan. The commercial position of British Columbia is not less commanding. Besides its coaling facilities, it affords the shortest route between Europe and the East. It Nwill soon be the highway to Australasia. Its principal seaport must attract not -only a large portion of the China and Australian rapid transit trade, but must necessarily secure much of the commerce of the Pacific ocean. In itself it will be a large factor in the trade of the Dominion. Its timber is unequalled in. quan- tity, quality or variety; its mines already discovered, and its great extent of unexplored country, of which all that is known is that its geological conditions speak of vast areas of rich mineral wealth; its wate.s containing the breeding places of marvellous quantities of most valuable fish, combine to give British Columbia a value that has been little understood, and indeed hardly imagined, except by those whose personal investigations had made them acquainted with its resources. The author of " Greater Britain " says : "The position of the various stores •of coal in the Pacific is of extreme importance as an index to the future distribution of power in that portion of the world ; but it is not enough to know where coal is to be found, without looking also to the <}uantity, quality, cheapness of labour and facility of transport. In China and Borneo tnere are extensive coal fields, but they lie ' the wrong way' for trade; on the other hand, the California and Monte Diablo, San Diego and Monterey, coal lies well, but is of bad quality. Tasmania has good coal, but in no great quantity, and the beds nearest the coast are formed of inferior anthracite. The three countries of the Pacific which must for a time at least rise to manu- facturing greatness, are Japan, Vancouver Island and New South Wales; but •which of these will become wealthiest and most powerful depends mainly on the amount of coal which they respectively possess, so situated as to be ■cheaply raised. The dearness of labour under which Vancouver suffers will be removed by the opening of the Pacific Railroad; but for the present New South Wales has the cheapest labour, and upon her shores at Newcastle are abundant stores of coal of good quality for manufacturing purposes, although for sea use it burns 'dirtily' and too fast. • • • "j-^e future of the Pacific shores is inevitably brilliant, but it is not New Zealand, the centre of the water hemisphere, which will occupy the position that England has taken on the Atlantic, but some country such as Japan or Vancouver, jutting out into the ocean from Asia or from America, a^ England juts out from Europe." The mainland of British Columbia is about 760 miles long and 500 broad, taking the extreme length and breadth of the parallelogram which it forms, and jt contains a superficial area variously estimated from 230,000 to 350,000 square miles. Of this a large portion is comprised in the mountains which in four ranges traverse the greater length of the mainland of British Columbia. Th'i Rocky Mountains rise abruptly at their eastern base from the plain or prairie region of Central Canada, and present often to the east almost perpen- .dicular walls of rock. They are composed not of a single upheaved ridge, but I BRITISH COLUMBIA. in Its turn apan. The Besides its >e East. It t attract not ie, but must itself it wiil led in quan- U extent of .1 conditions he breeding give British y imagined, lainted with arious stores dex to the but it is also to the China and y' for trade; d Monterey, I, but in no ir anthracite, se to manu- i Wales; but ends mainly :ed as to be uffers will be t New South ire abundant h for sea use :ific shores is ' hemisphere, tic, but some from Asia or 1 500 broad, it forms, and ;o,ooo square ■hich in four nbia. t the plain or nost perpen- ed ridge, but of a number of more or less nearly parallel ranges, which have a general direction a little west of north, and a breadth of over sixty miles. The rivers that flow into Hudson's Bay have their sources farther back among the several ranges of the Rockies as we proceed north w.nrd. Between the 51st and 52nd parallels the ranges not only become more diffuse, but decrease rapidly in height. The surface of the country between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean may be divided into two subordinate mountain districts, flanking on cither side an irregular belt of high plateau country, which extends, with am average width of about 100 miles, up the interior of the province to about 55.30 N. L.., and is, in fact, a northerly continuation of the great basin of Utah and Nevada in the United States. On the eastern side of this high irregular plateau are masses of mountains that run generally parallel to the Rocky Moun- tains, and are not well distinguished from them. This is one of the mountain districts above-mentioned. The other is a mass of mountains on the western side o:*the plateau. These latter are commonly called the coast range of Brit- ish Columbia — a range up'fted later than the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, and not of the same formation. The large Islands of Vancouver and Queen Charlotte, which shelter the mainland coast, are above-water portions of a still more westerly range of mountains now half submerged in the Pacific Ocean. The Cascade Mountains of Oregon, though described in some accounts of the province as running longitudinally through it, in fact merely enter the south-west angle of British Columbia and disappear on the east side of the Fraser, about 1 50 miles up that river. In the extreme north of the province, as above said of the Rocky Mountains, the mountains generally, except those of the coast range, diminish in height, and the surface has a gentle northerly and north-easterly slope. ^ The coas^ of British Columbia has been well described by the Earl of Duflferin, who, while Governor-General of Canada, visited the Pacific province in 1876, and in a speech at Victoria on his return from the north, said : " Such. " a spectacle as its coast line presents is not to be paralleled by any country in "the world. Day after day for a whole week, in a vessel c" .e rly 2,000 tons, " we threaded an interminable labyrinth of watery lanes anu uches that wound " endlessly in and out of a network of islands, promontories, 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 rock, verdure,. " forest, glacier, and snow-capoed mountain of unrivalled grandeur and beauty. "When it is remembered that this wonderful system of navigation, equally well "adapted to the largest line of battle-ship and the frailest canoe, fringes th& "entire seaboard of your province and communicates at points, sometimes more " than a hundred miles from the coast, with a multitude of valleys stretching- " eastward into the interior, while at the same time it is furnished with innu- "merable harbours on -"ther hand, one is lost in admiration at the facilities for " inter-communication which are thus provided for the future inhabitants of this. " wonderful region." BRITISH COLUMBIA. ■II i ■ '.'•,•■ -•. ., . THE HARBOURS. . ' Of the many harbours in this general description of the coast, the principal are English Bay and Coal Harbour, at the entrance to Burrard Inlet a few miles north of the Eraser River. Vancouver, the terminus of the Canadian Pacific Kaihvay, is situated between these harbours. Port Essington, at the mouth of the Skeena, promises to be niuch used for the northern gold field traffic, and Waddington Harbour, at the head of Bute Inlet, is said to be the natural outlet for a large tract of valuable country in the inteiior. For stress of weather there is a harbour anywhere on the coast, but there can be no stress of •weather in the placid waters of the Straits of (ieorgia. But numerous as are ihe harbours along the coast their respective merits have all been duly weighed, and all have been discarded in favor of the harbours ir. Burrard inlet, which have been adopted by the railway. For the coast trade the others are all valuable, but tides, islands and other considerations affecting mariners, are against each of them for the ocean trade. THE RIVERS. Of the rivers of British Columbia the principal are the Fraser, i ^umbia and the Peace. The Fraser is the great water course of the proviii^^. it rises in the northern part of the Rocky Mountains, runs for about 200 miles in two branches, in a westerly direction, and then in one stream runs due south for •over 300 miles before turning to rush through the gorges of the coast range to the Straits of Georgia. On its way it receives the waters of a number of other streams, many of which would be rivers of some magnitude in other countries. Amongst these are the north and south branches of the Thompson, the Chilicoten, the Lilloet, the Nicola and numerous others, some of which are not yet named. The Columbia is a large river rising in the southern part of the province, in the neighbourhood of ihe Rocky Mountains, near the Kootenay Lake. It runs due north beyond the 52nd dtgree of latitude, when it takes a sudden turn and runs due south into Washington tciritory. It is this loop made by the abrupt turn of the river that is known as the "great bend of the Columbia." The Kootenay waters fall into the returning branch of this loop. The Peace river rises some distance north of the north bend of the Fraser, and flows eastwardly through the Rocky Mountains, draining the plains on the «ther side. It more properly be'ongs to the district east of the mountains that bears its name. In the far north are the Skeena river and the Stikeen flowing into the Pacific, the latter being in the country of the latest gold mining operations. The Fraser River is navigable for river boats to Yale, a small town 1 10 miles from the mouth ; and larger vessels, not drawing more than 1 8 feet, can ascend to New Westminster, situated about 15 miles from the mouth. THE ERASER RIVER DISTRICT. On either side of the river below New Westminster the country lying back from the river is good arable land. It is subject to occasional overflow, but this quickly subsides, and floods the land only for a short distance from the banks. I u ? ■ ' BRITISH COLUMBIA. ' It The whole of the lower Fraser country is much esteemed for farming. The soil is rich and strong, and heavy yields ire oDtained without much labour. Very large returns of wheat have been got trom land in this district — as much as 62 bushels from a measured acre, 75 bushels of oats per acre, and hay that yielded 3>4 tons to the acre. Good prices are realized for all farm produce. In some places near the river the land requires dyking. This part of British Columbia is fairly well settled, but there is still ample room for new comers. Those having a little money to use, and desirous of obtaining a ready made farm, may find many to choose from. These settlements, many of which have already adopted municipal government, are not all on the Fraser ; some are at a distance froir it on other streams. The climate, already described in speakinsf of Vancouver Island, applies toall districts west of the coast range of the mountains, and proves to be a great temp- tation to many who do not like the dry climate of California. The proximity of the great river and the Canadian Pacific Railu y are additional attractions. The Thompson is navigable in parts ; tliat is from a point on the Canadian Pacific Railway at Spences' Bridge, through Kamloops Lake to Clearwater on the North Thompson, and through the South Thompson, and Shuswap Lake, to some dis- tance up the Spallumcheen river. The Columbia is navigable between the point at which the Canadian Pacific Railway crosses the western side of the loop which the river makes — and Colville, a town in the Washington Territory. BURKARD INLET, VANCOUVER, THE CANADIAN PACIFIC TERMINUS. About two or three miles from the delta formed by the double outfall of the Fraser River, is Burrard Inlet, a land-locked sheet of water accessible at all times to vessels of all sizes, at the entrance to which are the harbours of Port Moody, Coal Harbour and English Bay. It is 75 miles from Victoria and 35 from Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. This, the most accessible and in several ways best anchorage on the mainland, is the one selected by the Canadian Pacific Railway at which to make their western terminus. On a peninsula having Coal Harbour on the east and English Bay on the west, the new city of Vancouver will arise. Rising gently from the sea to an undulating plateau thickly wooded with evergreen giants of the coniferous tribe, and with the many tinted trees of deciduous growth, the site of the city of Vancouver is surrqjiinded by a country that cannot become commonplace, never monotoi.?us and of which the climate is milder and less varying than that of Devonshire and more pleasant than that of Delaware. Backed in the far distance by the Olympian range, sheltered from the north by the mountains of the coast, over- looked from the Southern sky by the glistening summit of Mount Baker, the Titan of the Cascades, the single spot of snow eternal on that coast, and sheltered from the ocean by the high land^ of Vancouver island, it is protected on every side from nature's rougher moods, while enjoying a constant sea breeze and a view of the Straits of Georgia, whose tranquil waters bound the city on two sides. The location is admirably suited for its purpose. The inlet affords unhmited space f r sea-gomg ships, the land falls mm BRITISH COLUMBIA, Hi ;,J gru 'ially to the sea, rendering drainage easy, and the situation permits^ indennite expansion of th» city in two directions. The commencement of the terminal city has already been made, and the Canadian Pacific Railway Company are about to make la' ge expenditures there in connection with wharves, stations, workshops, and other adjuncts to their road. Business will rapidly spring up now that the terminus has l;een definitely located, and the raiUvay opened. Building will be asses. The bunch-grass country is equally valuable for horses; it affords them excellent pasturage during the winter, for though the outside may be frost killed the heart is swee-t, and the animals are kept in •good health. There is a steady demand for British Columbian horses in the settlements on the east side of the Tocky Mountains, UP THE FRASER. There are numerous small settlements in this district, particularly up the valley of the Fraser, on the Lillooel, and between the Fraser and Kamloops Lake. In summer a steamer uns on the Fraser from Soda Creek, 150 miles T^^rth of Lylton, to Quesnelle, sixty miles farther up the river, the surrounding country, which is traversed by the government waggon road, producing heavy crops of grain and fruit. Beyond this is the Cariboo country, from which a great deal of gold has been taken, i860 and the following few years a number of gold bearing creeks ■ ere discovered in the Cariboo district, great numbers of men flocked to the place, and very large quantities of gold were taken out, but the difficulties of transport were so serious that but little machinery could be taken in, and the work was mainly confined to placer mining. Rich veins exist, and with the use of proper machinery, which can now be taken into the countiy, large results will be obtained. Westward of the Fraser lies the Chilicoten country, where there are some fine rolling prairies of large extent, but they are at present out of the path of travel, and a.e not likely to invite much settlement while quantities of excellent Ian'! nearer the railway remain to be taken up. - Mffi the interior is, oil is concerned, ist. Cultivation he soils consist cter of the local , large crops of The climate is ns. Tomatoes, Very fine fruit ;tern side of the uit growing will r parts of the ntnd for those Coiumbia. ;d. Cattle and legion, produce close by over- L peculiar kind >. Taken from districts where -top, blue-joint quaiiy valuable iter, for though tals are kept in 1 horses in the cularly up the md Kamloops eek, 150 miles ■e surrounding oducing heavy from which a ears a number ;at numbers of taken out, but inery could be ich veins exist, ;o the country, he Chilicoten t, but they are ich settlement : taken up. m$ .1 t\ 01 <] t<:| Nj >l all ^1 H HI o| BRITISH COLUMBIA. Ti * KAMLOOPS AND THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT . • ' . About 40 miles north of Lytton the Canadian Pacific Railway turns due ' east to Kanuoops, a thriving town situated on the South Thompson, a few miles above its junction with Kamloops Lake. Kamloops was originally a Hudsons Bay Company's post, and round this a prosperous little town has grown up. It is in a good grazing neighbourhood, and has been used by the H. B. Co. as a horse breeding district., The country round is well settled, a large number of farmers liavmg established themselves in the neighbourhood of the lake, and on the banks of the Thompson, within the last two or three years. This district has many attractions, but in the lateral valleys, as yet mostly unoccupied, are tracts of land equally advantageous for farming. The lake is 25 miles long, and a steamer runs from Kamloops town to Savona's ferry at the other end. South of this is a hilly, well-timbered country, in which large numbers of cattle are r lised. In pari.s it is well watered with lakes, marshes and small streams, and in the Okanagan and Spallumcheen valleys, the soil is a deep, clayey loam, producing good crops of cereals and roots without irrigation. The climate of this southern part of the province is healthy, with moderate winters and with plenty of timber foi ihe use of settlers. A small steamer runs on the Spallum- cheen river through the Shuswap lakes, lying between Kamloops and the mountains, and down the South Thompson to Kamloops. There is room for many settlers in this southern area, and locp^ims are plenty where good soil, excellent pasturage and an ample supply of timber are to be found . This comprises Pine, Spruce, Cedar, Hemlock, Balsam and other kinds. On the high lands that back the valleys forest succeeds forest, the trees of which attain the enormous growth for which this province is so famous. These places like many other desirable localities in British Columbia, have hitherto been reached only by the adventurous who, facing hardships and difficulties before which ordinary men shrink, have secured, homesteads and founded settlements that are now within a day's journey from the line of railway. In the region that lies between the Shuswap Lakes and the coast range, there are two it Ai il 111 -^i their gold. Abandoned diggings have been visited after a lapse of years, and", new discoveries made in the neighbourhood. To the inaccessibleness of the- country this superficial working has been due. The Government at great cost built a wagon road from Yale to Liilooet and Cariboo, but this proved to be only of moderate convenience. Along the path of the explorer no animals could pass ; that which he required he carried on his back. The railway now pierces the auriferous ranges ; men and material can be : carried into the heart of the mountains and with each succeeding season fresh gold deposits will be found, or the old ones traced to the quartz rock, and capital and adequate machinery be brought to bear upon them. There are hundreds of miles open to the poor prospector, and there are, or shortly will be, numerous openings for the capitalist. To the agricultural settler the existence of gold is of double significance. He is certain of a market for his produce, he is not debarred from mining a little on his own account, and he is never deprived of the hope that he will one day become the fortunate discoverer of a- vein that may place him " beyond the dreams of avarice." In giving evidence before a committee of the House of Commons, a/ member of the Government Geelogical Survey said, — " After having travelled ** over i,ooo miles through British Columbia, I can say with safety that there- "will yet be taken out of her minea wealth enough to build the Pacific railway." This means many millions. Another gentleman in the same service said that,. " it may soon take its place as second to no other country in North America," which is even stronger language than the other. In i860, Antler Creek (on the Frasei) yielded at one time not less than; f 10,000 per day. On one claim $1,000 was obtained by a single day's work. In 1862 a more scientific system 01 working was adopted ; some companies- were formed, shafts were sunk and professional mining engineers employed. The gold returns for 1870, for which year an official report was made, from the mines of Columbia, Yale, Silionet, Lytton, Cariboo and Liilooet were 8 1,333,745 in addition to large quantities of gold carried away by individual miners and purchasers of gold dust. Altogether from 1862 to 1871 gold to the value of $16,650,036 was shipped from British Columbia by the Banks, and it is esti- mated that at least f6o,ooo more was taken out by miners and others. For the; year 1874 the export in gold from the Province was $1,072,422. Stickeen river, rising in the north-west of Alaska, has been workeiL successfully since 1875, and continues to yield well. It must be clear that a Province from which over fifty million dollars have been taken mainly by scratching in the shallow places of the few rivers which; were accessible in the former unopened state of the country, will in the altered condition of things yield very much larger amounts. The era of scientific mining in British Columbia is yet to come. GOLD-BEARING ROCKS. ^ The Geologist already quoted, describes the formations containing the gold of British Columbia as follows : "In British Columbia, a belt of rocks probably corresponding to the gold rocks of California, has already beem BRITISH COLUMBIA. 31 of years, and', leness of the- at great cost proved to be no animals terial can be: season fresh rtz rock, and There are hortly will be, the existence s produce, he he is never iscoverer of a' Commons, a; 'ing travelled ty that there- cific railway." ice said that, rth America," not less thaiij lay's work, me companies. irs employed, ide, from the -■■e? 1,333,74 5 ■I miners and the value of md it is esti- ers. For the^ )een worked.' dollars have rivers which; I the altered of scientific containing a, a belt of ilready been* proved to be richly auriferous, and it may reasonably be expected that the dis- covery and working of rich metalliferous deposits of other kinds will follow. Promising indications of many are already known. With a general similarity of topographical features in the disturbed belt of the west coast, a great uniformity in the lithological character of the rocks is found to follow, so that while a comparatively short distance from south-west to north-east may show considerable lithological change, great distances may be traversed from south- east to north-west and little difference noted. In Rritish Columbia, so far as geological explorations have yet gone, they have tv^nded to show a general resemblance of the rocks to those of the typical sections of California and the Western States, and though metalliferous veins, individually, are very inconstant as compared with rock formations, belts characterized by metalliferous deposits, and dependent on the continuance of some set of beds, are apt to be very much, more constant" " The general distribution of alluvial gold over the Province may indicate that several different rock formations produce it in greater or less quantity,, though it is only where 'coarse' or 'heavy' gold occurs that the original auriferous veins must be supposed to exist in the immediate vicinity of the deposit. Colours, as the finer particles of gold are called, travel far along the beds of the rapid rivers of this country before they are reduced by attrition tO' invisible shreds ; and the northern and other systems of distribution of drift material have, no doubt, also assisted in spreading the fine gold. The gold formation proper, however, of the country, consists of a series of talcose and chloritic, blackish or greenish-grey slates or schists, which occasionally become micaceous, and generally show evidence of greater metamorphism than the gold-bearing slates of California. Their precise geological horizon is not yet determined." Silver has been discovered in one or two places, and its further discovery will probably show that it follows the same rules as in Nevada and Colorado^ The best known argentiferous locality is that about six miles from Hope, on the Fraser river. The lodes probably traverse an outlyer of the lower cretaceous formation, which caps the Cascade crystalline rocks of the region. They occur at an elevation of 5,000 feet Great iron deposits exist on Taxada island, off thi east shore of Van- couver, and copper dep )sits have been found at several points on the coast of the mainland, Howe Sound, Jarvis Inlets, the Queen Charlotte islands, and other points. Mercury, Cinnabar and Platinum have been found in small quantities during the process of washing gold. COAL ON THE MAINLAND. Several seams of bituminous coal have been discovered on the mainland and some veins have been worked in the New Westminster and Nicola districts. Although indic^ions of coal have been found in several parts, but little has beerv done towards development or further discovery. The large quantities on Van-, couver Island of such excellent quality and so well situated for shipment have probably discouraged the search for coal in the interior. But very little doubt: 32 BRITISH COLUMBIA. exists as to the discovery and working of other beds in future years. The same lormations exist on the mainland as on the island, and the New Westminster and Nicola coal-beds are probably small portions only of large areas, Nanaimo may ere long find a rival on the mainland. Anthracite coal, comparing favourably with that of Pennsylvania, has been bund in seams of six feet and three feet, in Qaeen Charlotte islands. Fragments ■)f Anthracite have been picked up on several parts of Vancouver island, and this taken with the fact that the island except on its eastern coast is almost a terra incognita, would seem to indicate that in course of time the seams found in Queen Charlotte islands will be traced to Vancouver. And attention to the significance of British Columbian coal discoveries cannot be drawQ in a better manner than by quoting the remarks of Lord Dufferin on the subject. " When it is further remembered that inexhaustible "supplies of iron are found in juxtaposition with your coal, no one can blame ■" you for regarding the beautiful land in which you live as having been especially " favoured by I'rovidence in the distribution of its natural gifts." THE FISHERIES OF THE WEST COAST. An important part of the future trade of British Columbia will arise from the wealth of fish in the waters of her coasts. Of these the most valuable at present is the salmo- It is difficult to speak accurately of their appearance in the Fraser and Columbia rivers, and the smaller streams that flow into them without being suspected of exaggeration, and to quote the accounts given by travellers would make matters worse. During the season of 1885 the price paid at the canneries on the Fraser was three cents (d i>^) per fish, and for some short time, only a halfpenny was given for each salmon. They must therefore have been fairly numerous. The Delta cannery put up 6,600 cases in six days ; each case containing 48 tins of i lb. each. Another firm packed 5,000 cases or nearly a million and a quarter lbs. of salmon. In 1876 there vere three canneries in British Columbia ; there are now thirteen. The greater number are on the Fraser river but there are some in the far north. The salmon make their way for great distances up the rivers. The salmon of the Columbia fill the streams of the Kootenay ; those of the Fraser are found six hundred miles in the interior. There are several kinds of this fish, and they arrive from the sea at different dates. The silver salmon begin to arrive in March, or early in April, and continue till the end of June. Their weight is from four to twenty-five pounds, but they have been caught weighing over seventy. The second kind are caught from June to August, and are considered the finest. The average size is only five to six pounds. The third, coming in August, average seven pounds, and are an excellent fish. The humpback salmon com6s every second year, lasting from August till winter, weighing from six to fourteen pounds. The hookbill arrives in September and remains till winter, its weight ranges from twelve to forty-five pounds. The Government of Canada have taken some pains to acquire accurate information concerning these fisheries, and a statement published by them gives e left idle. The country is too inviting as a place of residence to fail in attracting men who have the means and the energy to make their own fortunes. The combination of a few men each of small means secures that which in the older East is reserved for millionaires. There are scores of men in the fishing trade of England and Scotland who struggle year after year for an uncertain percentage, who, in Hritish Columbia, would find competency in a few yeais' working, and hundreds who are no richer at the end of December than they were at the beginning of January, who would experience a very different con- dition of life on the coast of British Columbia. . This coast is peculiarly a land for Englishmen. The climnte of Devonshire and Cornwall, without the excessive rains, is reproduced along the Straits of Georgia, and the west coast of Vancouver ; the colder climate of Scotland is repeated yi BRITISH COLUMBIA. 3& that will bring untold quantities to the mills and railway stations. The Government Department of Agriculture has published a catalogue audi authoritative description of the trees of British Columbia, in which the several, species are ranked as follows:— Douglas Spruce (otherwise called " Douglas Fir," ' Douglas Pine," and^ commercially; "Oregon Pine'). A well known tree. It is straight, thougli* coarse-grained, exceedingly tough, rigid, and bears great transverse strain^: For lumber of all sizes, and planks, it is in great demand. Few woods equal it; for frames, bridges, ties, and sti~ng work generally, and for shipbuilding. Its. length, straightness and strength especially fit it for masts and ?pars. Masts- specially OirlcrEd have been shipped. 130 feet long and 42 inches in diameter,, octagonal'y hewn. For butter and othei boxes that require to be sweet andt odourless, it is very useful. There is a large export of the Douglas spruce tO' Australia, South America, China, etc. Woodmen distinguish this species into two kinds — red and yellow — but these are not separated in manufacture or i» scientific nomenclature. The one has a red, hard, knotty heart ; the other is». less hard, and with a feeble tinge of yellow— the latter \? supposed to be some- •vhat less lasting, though both are very durable. The Douglas spruce grows- oest near the coast, close to the waters of the bays and inlets. There: it frequently exceeds eight feet in diameter, at a considerable height, and. reaches 200 to 250 feet in length, forming prodigious, dark forests. Abound* on mainland coast, as far north as about the north end of Vancouver Island ;. also in Vancouver Island, but not on Queen Charlotte Island. In the arid southern interior of the province, grows on the higher uplands, and h«re »nd. there, in [^oves, on low lando, where the temperature, rainfall, etc., are suitable.. Occurs abundantly the Columbia, and is scattr.red irregularly in northern, portions of the interim-. The Western Hemlck occurs everywhere in the vicinity of coast, and up- the Fraser and other rivers to thi. limit of abundant rainfall ; reappears on the Selkirk and Gold ranges • on the coast (particularly Queen Charlotte Islands),, reaches 2-TO feet in height. Yields a good wood; bark has been used ire. tanning. Is like the eastern hem.lock, but larger. Englemamis Spruce (very like " white spruce "), probably will be of much, economic valae,— tall, straight, often over three feet in diameter— wood good', and dur,able. Is in the eastern part of province, and interior plateau (except: dry southern portion), what the Douglas spruce is on coast. Forms dense- forests in the mountains : believed to be the tree of thi dent.; groves in upper A ipine valleys of Rocky Mounv-ains near 49th parallel. Also borders nearly all the streams and s«i;amps in northern interior, between about 2,500 and 3,500 fe ;t in elevation. Mensies' Spruce chiefly clings to coast-perhaps may exist in humid regions of Gold and Selkirk ranges— a very large tree, wood white and free-^ useful for general purposes, but not considered equal to Douglas spruce. The Great Silver Fir, so far as known, is specially a coast tree, but may- reappear in south-east of the province. It grows to a great size, but the wood of the coast growth is aid to be soft and liable to decay rapidly 3C BRITISH COLUMBIA. Balsam Spruce apoears to take the place of the last-named in the region least of coast range, except in diy southern interior. Abounds on Gold and Selkirk ranges and east of McLeod's I ake. Jccurs in scattered groves in northern portion of interior plateau. Often exceeds two feet in diameter ; has •been used for mining and ordinary local purposes. WilliamsotCs Alpine Hemlock and scattered trees of the Abies Atnabilis need not be mentioned, as probably they are too scarce and grow too high up to be of use. Among the pines may be mentioned the familiar tree of the eternal dry region of the mainland (where the Douglas spruce seldom occurs on the low lands.) This is known locally as "red pine," '• yellow pine," or " pitch pine," and is generally considered to be a variety of the heavy yellow pine (Finns l^onderosa) of California and Oregon. It grows in open groves in the valleys, almost to the exclusion of other trees^ and ^n the slof es up to about 3,cxx) feet, where it is replaced by the Douglas spruce and Western Scrub ,jine. A very handsome tree ; half the shaft branchless : bark reddish brown ; seldom exceeds four feet in diameter. Is sawn intu lumL.r, and used for building and general purposes, locally. The lumber looks well, but is not equal to Douglas spruce lumber, being more brittle and less durable when exposed to the weather. The White Pine ("Mountain Pine';, though loving elevations, and ■occurring, so far as known, rather in groves than forests, probably will become an article of export. The wood resembles that of the eastern white pine, and may be used for the same purposes. It i^ found in the Columbia region— the best trees being high up — also on the Gold range and about Shuswap and Adams lakes, and scattered in all portions of the southern portion of the Coast range where there is sufficient rainfall ; also in the interior of Vancouver Island, but not, so far as kncwn, i •> Queen Charlotte Island. On the coast, the white pine reaches 60 to 80 feet, and a diameter of 2 to 3 feet. It is said to be larger on the Columbia. The Black Pine (" Bull" or "Western Scrub " Pine) occurs everywhere in the province, at varying heights, according to the local climate, but covers great areas in the northern part of the interior. There are a " coast" variety and an ''interior" variety. The interior variety, which often forms dense groves, reaches 60 or even 100 feet in height, but seldom exceeds a diameter of two feet. The wood is white and fairly durable. The coast variety is much less valuable. The White-barked P ne, go far as observed, grows in inaccessible situations, and is sn..TU. The Western Cedar ("Giant Cedar," or " Red Cedar"), is a valuable forest tree. The wood is of a yellowish or reddish colour, and very durable ; splits easily into plank ; has been used chiefly for shingles and rails. Abounds in the Columbia river region ; on slopes of Selkirk and Gold ranges ; at north- ■eastern part of Shuswap lake, and portion of North Thompson valley ; unknown in dry interior plateau ; reappears abundantly along the coast and lower parts of rivers of Coast range. Occurs sparingly in northern interior. On coast, is ■ /'' BRITISH COLUMBIA. i7 often found loo to 150 feet high and 15 feet thick, but the largest trees are generally hollow. Yellow Cypress (commonly known as " Yellow Cedar "). A strong, free, fine-grained wood ; p-jle golden yellow tint ; slight resinous smell ; very durable ; has been used in boat-building and for ornamental purposes ; often exceeds 6 feet in diameter. Occurs chiefly on coast. Generally a few hundred feet above sea level on southern part of coast ; farther north, descends. Occurs on mainland coast, also in interior of Vancouver island, and abounds oa west coast of Queen Charlotte islands. Western Larch (sometimes called " Tamarac"), occurs in Rocky Mountain* and valleys of Selkirk --^d Gold ranges where there is sufficient rainfall. Stretches westward nearly to head of Okanagan lake. Not found on coast. A large tree, yielding a strong, coarse, durable wood, probably good for ties, in absence of Douglas spruce. There is another species of larch, in the south-east of the province, of which little is known. The Maple^ a valuable hardwood, sometimes well adapted for cabinef- making. Found on Vancouver and adjacent islands, idso sparingly on mainland coast up to 55°, and on Queen Charlotte islands. Occasionally attains a. diameter of 4 feet. The F/«i? A/a/)/^, seldom over a foot thick, yielding a very tough, strong, white wood, suitable for helves, seems to be strictly confined tO' coast, and does not go far north. The Yew is found in Vancouver island and on opposite mainland shores. It goes up the Fraser above Yale. Few, if any^ in Queen Charlotte islands. Very tough, hard wood, of a beautiful rose colour^ Crab Apple occurs along all the coasts as a small tree or shrub. Wood very hard, but liable to check ; takes a good polish and withstands great wear in* mill machinery. Alder is found two feet thick on the Lower Fraser, and occurb as a small tree .long the whole coasts. A good furniture wood ; easily worked and takes a good polish. There are two birches— the Western Birch and the Paper or Ccrwe Birch^ but their range and value are not much known. Both occur in a number r^f localities. The " Western Birch " is a small tree, found in the Columbiii region, and belongs generally to the dry interior flora. The " Canoe Birch" is f ind sparingly in Vancouver island and on the Lower Fraser, but is common, ..nd larger, on the Upper Fraser, and in the Peace river district. The only CrrA; in '--province, so far as known (except a few, trees above Yale), is on Vancouver and — chiefly the south-eastern portion of it— and sparingly at places alon; the east cl ,. ; a few at north end. Reaches a diameter of 3 feet, and a heigl.t of about 7c feet, and yields a hard wood, but not very tough, which has been used for b Iding purposes and in making kegs. Many of the trees are scrubby. The Drgwood, on the mainland coast opposite Vancouver island and on Vancouver ibiand, reaches the dimensions of a small tree. The woodis close-graine' and hard. Another close-grained wood, heavy jnd resembling box, is furnishei by the handsome evergreen Arbutus, which reaches 50 feet in height and about 2(. inche: in diameter, but jccurs often as a shrub. It is found on Vancouver island and neighbouring islands, never ft'r from the sea. Not found north of Seymour Narrows. J» BRITISH COLUMBIA. The Aspen Poplar abounds over the whole interior, and reaches a thiclcness of two feet. In the dry southern interior, occurs along borders of streams and on the higher plateaux. In the north, grows everywhere, preferring the most fertile soil. There are, it is considered, three other varieties of poplars in the province, .-all of which are commonly included under the name of " Cottonwood." They .attain sometimes a diameter of 4 to 5 feet. The coast " Cottonwood ' may not ■extend above Yale on the :*'^raser. It is the same wood that has been largely lused in Puget Sound to make staves for sugar barrels required in San Francisco. The other kinds occur in the valleys throughout the interior of the Province, The Mountain Ash, as a small tree or bush, has been noticed in the .interior ; and the Jumper, or " Red Cedar," commonly known as " Pencil 'Cedar," has been observed on the east coast of Vancouver island, and, in a tree form, with a diameter of about a foot, along the shores of Kamloops, Francois .and other lakes in the interior. The following list comprises a general summary of the trees and shrubs rmet with : — Oak, red or swamp maple, elder, trailing arbutus, crab apple, hazel, red •elder, willow, balsam, poplar, various species of pine, balsam fir, cedar, barberry, wild red cherry, wild blackberry yellc v plum, choke cherry, black and red .raspberry, white raspberry, prickly purple raspberry, prickly gooseberry^ >vvamp gooseberry, several kinds of currants, bear berries, red elder, mooseberry, snow- iberry, blueberry, bilberry, cranberry, whortleberry, red and white mulberry. ;the timber region. Between the mountains and the sea the C:inadian Pacific Railway passes 'through many forests of these valuable woods, and brings within reach of ilumbering operations, vast additional quantities growing in the neighbourhood • of those streams that fall into the Columbia, the Thompson, and the Fraser. "The treeless prairies" is a phrase that loses significance, other than the {facilities it suggests to agriculturists, when describing the plains in contiguity to British Columbia. Timber on the western plains of Canada will now be ■obtainable at considerably less prices than those paid in the Western States. And such ti.nber will be of a class, and in such variety of kinds, as are unobtain- able in any other market of America. What the Canadian Pacific Railway has ■done for the Manitoba lumber markets by its construction round the north shore of Lake Superior, it will do for the centres west of Manitoba by its passage through the mountains of British Columbia. The distance from the Rocky Mountains' to the great farming and cattle raising districts of which Calgary, MacLeod, Medicine Hat, Maple Creek, Swift Current, Moosejaw, and Regina, Ate the centres, is less than that from Winnipeg to Minneapolis, from which inarket the earlier settlers in Manitoba were supplied before the Canadian Pacific Railway was built eastward to the Lake of the Woods. Cheap lumber, •so «'sseiuial to the settler, is therefore secured by the opening up of British :Colirml)ia, for the districts above described comprise so much of the Fertile 1>eit a« lies north and south of the South Saskatchewan, as well as the country ^n the Bow and Red Deer rivers. mmm BRITISH COLUMBIA. 3» THE TRADE OF THE PROVINCE. The trade of British Columbia though hirgely increased since the entry of •4he province into the Dominion, is still unimportant in comparison with the •capabilities of the country, or the amount that will within a few years be •credited to it in the government tables of Trade and Navigation. Thus the exports of British Columbia for the year 1872, (the year following the anion with Canada), were $1,912,107 ; the returns made in 1885 (for the fiscal year •of 1884) shows them to be $3,100,404. For two years preceding that, and probably for this year, the exports have been over three million dollars, and for the eight years before that they were over two million. A comparison with the exports of the older provinces for the last fiscal year 'Will give some indication of the small extent to which the capabilities of the province have been worked. EXPORTS FOR 1 884. Ontario. $26,891,017. New Brunswick. $7,753,072. Quebec. $42,029,878. Nova Scotia. $9,599,356. British Columbia. $3,100,404. Prince Edward Island. $1,310,039. These figures are slightly misleading so far as Quebec is concerned, ■'because the exports there shown belong partly to Ontari , Manitoba and elsewhere, but appear in Quebec because in that province, Montreal and Quebec, the great shippiifg ports of the Dominion, happen to be situated. The figures show however that if Nova Scotia, which is hardly larger than VancouveV Island, can expcit over nine million dollars worth annually, and if Prince Edward Island — which is not as large as the Queen Charlotte Islands, and whose area might be eliminated from British Columbia, figuratively speaking, without being missed — exports more than one-third as much as the whole of the Canadian Pa- cific coast, the inevitable conclusion is that the coal fields, gold deposits, forests, fisheries, and farming land of the vast and varied country that is comprised in British Columbia can have been worked to a very slight degree, and that innumerable openings for trade are merely waiting the advent of men to fill them. The imports of British Columbia, owing to the lack of population, have been very small. During the past three years the figures ha\e rim over two, three and four millions respectively ; increase being mainly due to the number - of men employed in the construction of that end of the Canadian Pacific Railway; but those amounts are. small compared to the figures shown by the - other provinces. IMPORTS FOH 1884. Ontario. Quebec. Nova Scotia. New Brunswict. $41,967,215. $49,122,472. $9,653,104. $6,467888. Manitoba. Prince Edward Island. Pritish Cohiinbia. $3,734,573- $822,766 $4,142,286. It being remembered that British Columbia is as large as the combined area of ^several of these Provinces. These figures indicate the sparse population yet 40 BRITISH COLUMBIA. in the country and the room there must be for others. Of the duty paid on so- much of this $4,142,286 as was collected, §884,076, the greater part $790,675 was collected at Victoria, on Vancouver Island, and $95.4° « at New Westminster, on the Fraser river. The imports for the year were in the pro- portion following; — Dutiable Goods. - $2,060,710 From United States - Great Britain China France Germany - Holland Central America Spanish West Indies Australia - Sandwich Islands - Society Islands Japan Belgium 886,601 364,571 10,493 6,991 77 3,788 2,787 Free. $246,902 409,957 36,122 113 6,203 1,800 1,570 54 ,286 158 Total. $2,307,612 1,296,558 400,693 10,606 7,^3 6,280 3,788 2,787 1,800 1.570 54 1,286 158 Duty. $480,181 44 277,002 73 1 1 5,670 42 5,522 55 1,837 27 IS 40. 2,235 10 1,360 80 235 5t> 15 00 Grand Total - - 3,337,642 702,693 4,o4o,335 884,076 21 It will be seen from the above that by far the largest amount of imports is from the United States, and the next from Great Britain. The same fact, though not in the same proportion, is noticeable in the exports. These were in the 1885 returns: — Produce of Canada. $1,691,767 - - 878,883 - 257,262 75,044 - 62,413 59,501 - 29,172 10,667 10,468 To United States Great Britain - Australia Chili Peru . - - China Sandwich Islands - British Africa - British East Indies Not Produce of Canada. $20,054 1,165 1,944 18 27 1,379 50 Total. $1,711,821 880,048- 259,206- • 75,062 62,44a 6o,88o' 29,17 . 10,717 10,468 3,099,814 Besides coin and bullion 590' $3,100,404. It is not uninteresting to examine the composition of this export trade. 6,193,968 lbs. 903,216 " Salmon (canned) to Great Britain " " " United States " " " Australia - - 226,800 " 7,323,984 lbs. BRlTIbtl COLUMBIA. 41 The total export value of this was $798,351. Salmon (pickled) to Australia - " <' " United States " " '• Sandwich Islands " 677 - 550 bils. 1,072 bils. The value of this barreled salmon was $15,304; the export value; of salmon, therefore for the year was $813,655. Coal followed salmon in the volume of 1884 trade. The shipments of this- were : — To Tons. Value. United States .... 211,901 $741,075 Sandwich Islands - . . . 6,955 24,343 Tons - 218,856 $760,018 Gold is third on the list. The whole of the gold produced was exported to- Uie United States, and amounted to $671,379. The timber trade of British Columbia has in the past found its largest customers in Australia and in the South American States. As purchasers of planks, boards, joists and other sawn timber of the larger dimensions, thejr irnked in the following order: — Australia ..... $209,104 Chili 75,044 Peru 62,413 China ------ 49,808 British East Indies - - - 10,468 British Africa 10,259 Great Britain . - - . 4^578 United States 1,956 $423,630 1. 1 addition to the above the export of masts and spars amounted to $13,654. tad of laths, staves, etc., to $20,967. The trees which suppUed this timber grew on the roast and in the vicinity V the outfall of the rivers. The volume of the trade is not a criterion of the tfuantity of available timber except to those who realize the conditions that have attended the lumbering business of that Province. Furs derived from land animals, the greater part of which are collected and exported by the Hudson's Bay Company, were exported to Great Britaia ajjd the United States in the following proportions:— To Great Britain - - - - $106,498 To United States 102,665 $209,163 and furs and skins from marine animals, mainly seal and sea otter, were: ♦xported: — -42 BRITISH COLUMBIA. To Great Britain - To China To United States - $61,645 8,283 ' 250 $70,178 Fish oil, the great bulk of which is obtained from the dog fish at the 'Queen Charlotte Islands, amounted to 39,251 gallons, of which 37,168 went to the United States and 2,083 to the Sandwich Islands. The value of this export was $15,017. The easy development of this trade will at once occur to every- one who has realized the practically inexhaustible quantities of fish in these waters. While those industries, the material for vvhich was more or less ready to hand, were worked only in a superficial manner, or at least within narrow limits, it was improbable that others requiring the use of larger capital and greater time for development would be prosecuted to any great extent. Never- theless a beginning has been made in several, despite the difficulties of trans- port, for we find that 9,451 dollars worth of wool was exported, $1,615 was .realized for hops, $4,041 for beef, and $1,150 for spirits. The success which has attended hop-growing in British Columbia is remarkable, and the demand both for export and home use is steadily increasing. The agricultural popula- tions of the southern counties of England will readily understand the value for farming purposes of a country where hops can be grown with certainty, and for which the markets of India and Australia, as well as Eastern Canada and the United States, are open. The shipt • nts of hops from the neighbouring dis- tricts in Washington Territory hav>, already attained large proportions, and they grow as well and better in quality in British Columbia. When trade facil- ities have been more fully provided, when lines of steamships run between Vancouver and the ports of China and Japan and Australasia, and Canada by means of the Canadian Pacific Railway begins her competition with the United States for the Australian and Asiatic trade, the resources of the Province will be exploited in more systematic manner than heretofore, and with results altogether out of comparison with what has been done in the past. In the past fiscal year the United States shipped at San Francisco over sixty-five million pounds of flour for China, Japan, and adjoining ports ; there should be room for Canada in this trade. During the same time San Francisco shipped over eighty-three thousand packages of merchandise for the same places, including various articles which Canada can produce as well and more •cheaply than they are made in the United States ; Vancouver's proper share of this business cannot be small. There is cheaper material to work upon and a shorter distance to travel, and a trade that has been only partially developed ■even by the United States. British Columbia has but to stretch forth her hand .and it will be filled. The fertile belt and the older provinces of Canada provide a market on the •east. The United States, Australasia, China, Japan, South America and, as we :see by the " Trade Retiu'os," the East Indies and Africa are her customers on, BRITISH COLUMBIA. •the west. The inexhaustible and unrivalled timber, the wealth of fish, the pasturage lands on which cattle, horses, and wool are raised with so much success, the gold, the coal and other undeveloped minerals combine to make British Columbia the most favored province of the Dominion, the richest territorial division of America. There is no other country on the globe that possesses the various natural sources of wealth in the same number, and to a like extent with British Columbia, and they are now open to those who choose to avail themselves of this new field for enterprise. THE CLIMATE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA ON THE COAST. The climate of the Pacific Province is spoken of by all who visit that coast as one of its great attractions'; it can hardly fail to please since there are several climates to choose from. The person who cannot stand cold weather and shudders at the sight of ice, can find ample space for enterprise or tempta- tion to idleness in a land that might have suggested "The Lotos Eaters." On reaching Vancouver Island or the coast line of the mainland, like them, he need ""no longer roam," for there he will find a climate such as he desires, as we have to some degree explained in speaking of Victoria and its neighbourhood. The man who discovered that Vancouver was an island, and thereupon gave it his name, speaks in his report of the " serenity of the climate," and draws a most pleasing picture of what the island must be when civilization, with its . adornments and appliances, reaches so far west. In i860, H.M.S. "Topaz" made meterological observations every day with the following result, and further observations show those here given to fairly indicate the ordinary conditions of the climate in Victoria, Esquimalt .and their neighbourhoods: — I860. April ------ May .----- June - -. - - - - - ; July «•.---■ August - - ■ - September .... October - « - - . - November . « - - December r . - - - 1861. January - « - • . - 38.00 February .--.-- 44.50 March .-.--- 46.00 " Mean heat of the year e|.8i " In the record of another year it is stated that in February the gooseberry "buds were opening ; at the beginning ot March the native plants were coming into leaf in sheltered places, native hemp was three inches high ; on the 7th March the catkins of the palm willow were in full bloom, on the 29th the buttercups were in flower. On the ijih April strawberries were coming into Mean Daily Heat. Deg. 51.50 F ahrenheit. 55.25 (( 61.00 last of the south-western section of the mainland (New Westminster district) than farther north, is owing to the abstraction of part of the moisture of the rain-bearing winds by the effect of their striking the moun- tains on the west coast of Vancouver Island (where it is ' ery wet), and to the lowness of the land about the mouth of the Fraser river. North along the coast of the mainland, which generally is mountainous, the case is different. There is a great i ainfall--greater than on the west coasts of the British Isles — on that part of the coast of the mainland lying open to the westerly winds between Vancouver and Queen Charlotte Islands. This also is the case further north, because the coast about Fort Simpson and the mouth of the Skeena is very imperfectly shelteied from the rain-bearing winds by the •Queen Charlotte Islands and the islands of the coast archipelago — these, for the most part, being of moderate elevation, much lower than a considerable portion of Vancouver Island. The rainfall on that northern portion of the coast, considered in conjunction with the fact that the sky, throughout the year, is essentially cloudy, preventing rapid evaporation and keeping the dew point near the actual temperature of the ^ir, accounts for the peculiar character of the vegetation there, and for the fact that ordinary cereals cannot be giown in the districts exposed to these con- ■ditions. At Fort Simpson, and on the west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands and elsewhere, many of the hills are but partially covered with forest, the remainder of the surface being occupied by sphagneous moss several feet in depth, and saturated with water even on steep slopes. This excessive humidity is of less consequence, as the agricultural areas are limited in that region. The low norih-eastern part of the Queen Charlotte Islands, which is in great measure sheltered from the rain-bearing winds, probably is the only extensive area of land which the climate would permit to be profitably cultivated on the northern part of the coast. The coast farther south including Burrard Inlet, the south of the Fraser river and in fact all those parts sheltered by Vancouver Island, and without any high coast line to precipitate excessive moisture, resembles the east coast of Vancouver ; although the settlers on the mainland assert that theirs is the finer eaking of the interior and its advantages for settlement said : "It will demand not a little faith by those living in the same parallels of latitude in Europe to believe that wheat, will ripen anywhere at all, at altitudes from 2,500 to 3,500 feet, and other grain, at even more. • • ♦ Nevertheless such is *he fact. In other countries, besides British Columbia, it has been found, at first, difficult indeed to reconcile, such facts with previous experiences elsewhere." THE MIDDLE ZONE. This comprises the region between 51" and 53° north latitude and contains much of the mountainous parts of the province including the Cariboo Mountains, the locality of the most celebrated gold-fields yet discovered in British Columbia. The rainfall is heavier here than in the southern zone and the forest growth therefore becomes more dense. The altitude of the settlements in this division varies from 1,900 to 2,50 'eet above the level of the sea; 3,000 feet, being about the maximum heighi for wheat, though other grains ripen at a. greater altitude. from longitude 1 22" the land falls toward fhe valley of the,- t HKITISII LOl.UMHIA. 47- * Fraser, the climate becomes milder than in the mountains and bunch-grass grows in the valleys and on the benches. 'I'lie climate, if less attractive than that of the two great divisions east and west of the coast range, is particularly healthy. THE NORTHERN ZONE. A consideration of this country hardly falls within the scope of this pamphlet. It is necessarily remote from the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway and except for its gold nlines and the fish in its waters will not by reason of its distance attract immediate settlement. Of its climate, however, an authimtic record states that from July 17th to August 5th, the mean of the observed minima in this part of the country is 39./". The mean of the early morning and evening readings of the thermometer, 49.4". This must be much below the actual mean temperature, for the thermometer seldom rises much above its minimum when observed at 6 a.m. The heat is sometimes great in the middle of the day. It will be seen from the foregoing that British Columbia possesses a greater variety of climate than any country of its size, and that the lines of demarkation between one and the other are singularly abrupt .ind well defined. There is the equable genial climate of Vancouver Island and the mainland coast, in which evcy fruit, from the ivild strawberry to the finer kinos of grape, grows luxuriantly, in which every flower, from the wild crocus to the orchid, blossoms in profusion, and the enormous Douglas fir grows side by side with the mountain ash. Within a few miles of the border of this land is a territory in which rain seldom falls, where the sky is ever clear and the air bracing, with sharper differences between the winter and summer temperatures, but with a mean differing but little from the adjoining region. Close on the edge of this is a climate of almost constant rain where timber grows so thickly as to induce the belief that the valleys are impenetrable, and where the tre^s attain the stupendous size that makes them a marvel of the forest world. orth of all these are further variations of climate intermingling to a certain extent from local causes and each adapted for the development of Ohe or other of the many resources of that bounteously endowed country. THE INDIANS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Some reference has been made to the Indians of British Columbia, and there remains little to be added. Whatever romance may have at one time attached to these tribes, and in this respect they bore no resemblance to the red nwn of the plains and eastern lakes, it has departed. They have entered upon the days of their decadence as nations, the two most warlike tribes of the northern coast taking separate paths ; the Hydahs adopting the vices of civilization, tempered with dog-fish catching, and the Timpseans becoming sons- of the Church and packers of salmon. They are peaceable and, like the Indians of the interior, quite willing to work for the white man. They have entirely abandoned their predatory habits and have quietly resigned themselves, to the process of gradual disappearance that seems to be the fate of the red man throughout the continent of America. There is a gradation of intelligence: 48 BRITISH COLUMBIA. aiViOngst them w'.iich is in some measure indicated by ttie degree of cleanliness, or the reverse, in which thev exist, but taken as a whole they are an uninterest- ing tl.ough perfectly harmless and sornefimes very useful people. The Indians of the interior are in some respects a superior division of the race. Physically they are liner mj^n than those of the coast, owing to the diftrevit methods of habitual locomotion, and they are serviceable as herders and sheplieids. As settlprs arrive and occupy the country the presence of Indians in their neighbourhood, when that occurs, may be regarded as a boon. Skilful axemen, learned in the ways of the country, familiar with the care of animals and anxious to earn money, they constitute a class v.'hich, when under- stood, is always valuable in a newly opened territory. They are under the control of :.erents appointed by the Government of Canada, and are found to be corner of their fisheries where the rudest appliances only were .necessary, and they cut timber chiefly in the vicinity of their mills ; for in their operations the "drive" of several hundred miles so familiar tc Canadian and American lumbermen was little known, and yet the export tables that have been quoted disclose an amount of trade achieved by these necessarily halting efforts that must come to many people like the revelation of an oracle. Their pioneers of trade sound markets in the remotest corners of the world ; their wares required only to be seen to attract purchasers who understood their worth; they rea'ized from the limited transactions of the present v !iat they could •do with ihe assistance so essential to the youth of commerce, and they appealed to those whcm they thought might most readily share in the advantages to be obtained. But until now it has been left for themselves alone to work, their own mercan'i..le salvation, and in doing it they have shown the world the prizes that are within reach of the adventurous. The old stones of Spanish prizes, of gold-laden galleons, of cities of untold wealth along the Pr.cific shore, which attracted the Curious idlers of the English coasts and gave ^hake a hundred volunteers for everv one he wanted, proved to be true, ai.a their truth ha» ■ ' BRITISH COLUMBIA. invested the Pacific with a halo of romance that still lingers over its name; to-day stories ma) be told of equal *.ruth but of more striking proportions concerning the gold and other, ir> its >'..;/, equally precious material that waiu the hand of the explorer and che adventurer. The gold brought home by Drake and Frobisher and their West-of-England shipmates, was scratched from the earth by unaided hands and was nothing as compared with the results obtained by the use of the machinery of the nineteenth century. The mountains that Vancouver Jooked upon but never reached still hold their only partially discovered treasures, destined directly and indirectly to enrich thousands on whose ears the words, British Columbia, have fallen unheeded, and tans of thousands yet unborn. The timber of British Columbia hat in impenetrable forests clothes the mountains of the Rocky, the Selkirk and the Columb'^n ranges, and friilges the waters of the Straits, is a fund of wealth for traders in the eastern and southern seas, no less than for those who make these forests marketable. And who will venture to accurately determine the results of adequate and systematic working in the prolific waters of British Columbia? If manufactorir- can flourish on such appliances for taking fish and from such limited ranges as have been deemed sufficient, what expansion of the trade may not be looked for when the methods of the older world are introduced, and the banks beyond Vancouver Island and the waters of the northern islands are worked by fleets of fishing boats. And in manufacturing, which usually follows with tardy steps upon the heels of other branches of commerce, British Columbia has made a beginning. In this division of trade capital is an essential element, and that has been wantingi and competition, which is hardly less necessary, has been wanting also. With unlimited iron ore side by side with unu.easured coal, the two great factors of England's wealth, are reproduced in Vancouver Island. With the introduction of capital and the presence of workmen in great numbers the industries of the iron and coal districts of England may be reproduced in this Province. Taxeda is a future Swansea in the Pacific. It is to be considered, moreover, that while these and other fountains of profit are in course of development, a new and nearer market is daily increasing in size and absorbing powers. Every settler that places foot west of Lake Superior, though he may establish himself a thousand miles from the Pacific, becomes a customer of British Columbia. Distance will limit his custom but not prevent it, and beyond him are the prairie territories of Alberta, Assiniboia and the Saskatche-van reaching to the doors rf British Columbia, all con- sumers of lumber, coal, fish, fruit and manufactured articles to the extent of many millions dollars. THE GAME OF THE PROVINCE, British Columbia has, perhaps, a greater variety of g^me than any other part of America. There are several distinct kinds of grouse, and a great variety of wild fowl, some of them being peculiar to the region. Quail and snipe are killed both on the islands and mainland, and the common deer of the country (the Virginia deer) abo>mds. The? so-called elk (the Wapiti) i& feuad BRlTtJfflr 'OOLUMBTA. priivtipally on the mainland, as well as fHnf ranhoo, and the mounidHi mountain goat arc in all of the ranges. S^ik Rocky Mountains are tl*** U<9me of the grizzly bea--, but he too is killed tflK-yjghout tli« mainland, ,ts .«*» the common black and cinnamon bears. The morntaiii sheep and goa^s ,«fford excellent sport, and the flesh of all these mentioned, excepting the grizzly l>ear, is excellent food. The country must always remain in parts a ri'-Ii fur hunting ground. Trapping is still a favourite way with some men of making a living, and it pays good wages. On the mainland there is excellent trout-fishing and every bay and shallow of the coast is stocked with those fish which have already been enumerated. To the sportsman, as to the settler, it is essential that he should see the country before determining where he will work. Having made his choice he can then acquire the information necessary to govern liii movements. ,i ^v, THE SCENERY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Ever present in the mind of him who speaks or writes of British Columbia is a vision of some spot in its unequalled scenery. The most richly endowed with gifts of material advantage of all provinces, British Columbia excels them all in beauty. In the magnificence of her rugged mountains, the charm of hot- land-locked waters, the lonely giandeur of her forests and the quiet beauty of her prairies, she possesses a wonderful variety — a combination of srcnic beauty. Whether a traveller approaches from the east after crossing the apparently illimitable prairies, or from the west at the conclusion of an ocean voyage, he is filled with a sense of relief, mingled with curiosity and pleased expectancy. The features that may be found most beautiful must depend on the temperament of each spectator, but it happens that nature has so arranged the forms and attributes of this country that whether coming from the east or west the traveller finds a striking contrast tu that which he is leaving behind him, and as contrast is a primary condition of excellence in that which is to delight the eye, his aesthetic sense is sure of gratification. The historic calm of the Pacific Ocean is sometimes disturbed ]yy Atlantic-like tum.ult, from which the smooth waters of the straits of Fuca and Georgia are a pleasant change. And even if the Pacific has deserved its name from China to Vancouver, and has preserved that proverbial demeanour which justifies the stories of lengthened voyages in a whale-boat, a voyager of so many miles, sees with delight the green shores of Vancouver Island, the timbered islands that seem to be floating where they rest, and the majestic range of the Olympic mountains that attract and hold the admiration of weary travellers. Or coming from the east when day after day the eye has rested on the unbroken horizon of the prairie-line, when it has seemed hat the earth must be one vast meadow with half hidden streams and copses only diversifying its appearance, the traveller sees, piercing the clouds before him, the great rocky barrier through which he is about to find a way, he experiences an axhilaration, and a sensation of having discovered something, that appears to him to have been waiting his coming during forgotten centuries. And as he «ipproagU«5 he