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BT KINAHAN CORNWALLIS, /UTIIOB OF " TABRA VABBA," " HOWARD PLCKKETT," &C., &C. 1^ t, < ■-' O -- c rc >- ; ij o 5 CO ?o To tbe cllmo of Columbia, Uriraln's new born, Where the rays of the riiii K'tdly usher the mom, And the landncape deck out with « smile ; Where the liearts of the countless bMt hopefully high, And gold doth the nioinents bv^iiile; Where the frown of the niountaiuH, the blue of the sky, (.'ontrasi in their beauty with forest and plain ; Where tlic green perlumed prairie rolls in tlie breeze, And uiaukind ever struggle for gain ; Where tlie Hi^ht of the ore even failH to appease Man's inordinate yearning; for gold, — Still making each eagerly struggle the more For the treasure ungather'd— untold. To that climo go, ye people, ye sons of the west, 'Tis a land of exuberant plenty and Joy; Qo, ye childrsn of cities, by fortune oppreut, Where gold may be gathered which knows no alloy ; Far and wide doth it lie on that beautiful shore ; May it gladden and laurel tbe pathway of time Left the wauderer to tniverne who reaps from its mine. 'TlH the bauble of earth ;— 'tis the gift of the clime, Of millions the spoil,— It is mine— It is thine. I ^ WITH A HAP AND ILLUSTRATION BT THE ArTHOB. LONDON: THOMAS CAUTLEY NEWBY, PUBLISHEE, 30, WELBECR STREET. 1858. Phhp ^yz-^S /N BY PERMISSION. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR EDW. G. EARLE LYTTON BULWER LYTTON, BART., D.C.L., &c., HER majesty's SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES, %\\$ mni WITH THE HIGHEST ADMIRATION FOR HIS BRILLIANT GENIUS, AND AS A SLIGHT BUT REFLECTED EVIDENCE OF THE UNIVERSAL POPULARITY OF HIS ABLE POLITICAL A4)M I N I ST R AT ION, MORE ESPECIALLY IX THE FOUNDING AND CONSTITUTION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, IS MOST RESPECTFULLY DiJDICATED, BY THE AUTHOR. '» PEEFACE. After being long tossed upon the billows of the world, and buffeting with the contending winds of fortune, it is a refreshing season in which the wearied wanderer enters the haven of repose, there to beguile the unconscious moments in a happy contemplation of the past; of dangers braved and hoped for ends achieved. Delicious must be the retrospection of him who can look back upon a career, however short, in which the finger-posts of time point to deeds upon which he can reflect and look upon again with- out experiencing a shadow of remorse ; where the mile-stones of his backward path denote the a2 ▼I PREFACE. manful deeds of heroism and generosity ; where the practice of true religion and philanthropy, the upholding of the weak and the repelling of the aggressive, are associated with the never.to-be re- called events of his manhood, from the contem- plation of which he will never have cause to shrink, when the cold hand of death is stealing silently yet relentlessly upon him. Happy, I say, is such a man. But thrice happier is he who, beyond all this, can look forward and see in his ideal future a welcome reward in some treasured object of his affection, with whom he may build up to himself a habitation and found a name ; for how much more noble is it to be a founder than a parasite, and with her to sail buoyantly along over the sea of his ambition, and in his children to see his own life perpetuated, and his name and fame handed down to generations of their posterity. . I do not alone speak of the bauble fame of public life — I speak of the richer fame of worthy deeds ; for worth and heroism dwell in ob- PREFACE. VII scurity and the cottage, as noble as ever consecrated kings and riches. It is these prophetic feelings and objects of a liappy future that actuate men in their ardent pursuit of wealth, that impel and sustain them through arduous enterprises, and so lead them to achieve successes which otherwise would never have been. It is the influence of woman that more or less ^lls the mind of every man with a latent and holy fire, which arms, embolden!*, and cheers him through all the great vicissitudes of life ; and it is these impulses and these feelings which will send forth to the New El Dorado of Tifty-Eight a valorous throng, fresh, eager, and impetuous, to gather gold and plant intelligence in tlie newly-awakened wilderness of British Columbia. May the light of heaven smile continually upon them from without, and their highest hopes be crowned with the success which enterprise deserves, is my most fervent bene- diction; and may they, on an ultimate survey of their career, find that the finger-posts and Vlll PREFACE. ■< milestones which flank the vista of departed time recall to memory the happy consciousness of noble deeds — for there is a nobility in little things as well as in great ones — and every action of our lives bears witness of our hearts and understanding. Having thus said, this book I usher upon the world, and again am a mere spectator. September 4tb, 1858. ;..; ■-.II- CONTENTS. rage INTRODUCTION. Social and Political xi CHAPTER I. A Starting' OlinipBe 1 CHAPTER II. The Rush from California . . . . 11 CHAPTER III. Dazzling Prospects 20 CHAPTER IV. The England of the Pacific .... 27 CHAPTER V. The Grand Area S6 CHAPTER VI. Historical Sketches 52 CHAPTER VII. The Oasis in the "Wilderness . . . . 56 CHAPTER VIII. Overland Railway and other Communication be- tween Canada, the United States, and British Columbia 66 CHAPTER IX. Sketches of IndianLife — Invasion and extermina- tion—the Glorious Future of British Columbia 97 1 iH X CONTENTS. CHAPTER X. Aboriginal and Descriptive CHAPTER XI. The Future Government of British Columbia CHAPTER XII. The Magic Spell CHAPTER XIII. The FiDgcr-post CHAPTER XIV. Useful und Pictorial .... CHAPTER XV. The Diggings ..... CHAPTER XVI. From London to San Francisco CHAPITER XVII. I embark for Vancouver, and subsequently make use of my Geological Shovel . . . . CHAPTER XVIII. Our Ascent of the Frazer . . . . CHAPTER XIX. Our Bivouac beyond the " Forks" CHAPTER XX. The El Dorado CHAPTER XXI. A Cold Chop and a Hot Steak . . . . CHAPTER XXII. Back to the Island Prodigious Doings CHAPTER XXIII. Page 113 138 141 152 157 170 176 182 203 216 227 244 257 281 CONTENTS. XI Page APPENDIX. No. I. An Act to provide for the government of British Columbia. 2d August, 1858 . . .317 No. IT. Letter from Gov. Stevens, Congressional Delegate from "Washington, to Mr. Cass — Protest against the Tax on Miners — History of the affair — The form of license — Alleged ExtorticDs of the Hudson's Bay Company — The Legal Aspect of the Questions involved ..... 322 Treaty made between the United States and Great Britain in regard to limits "Westward of the Rocky Mountains, June 15, 1846 . . 337 No. III. Despatch from "Washington .... 338 No. IV. Copies or Extracts of Correspondence relative to the Discovery of Gold in the Frazer's lliver dis- trict, in British North America . . .341 No. V. Report of a Canoe Expedition along the East Coast of "Vancouver Island. Communicated by Governor Douglas to the Colonial Office. . 369 No. VI. Copy of the original Charter for incorporating the Hudson's Bay Company, granted by his Majesty King Charles the Second, in the twenty- third year of his reign, A.D. 1670 . . . .374 Xll CONTENTS. Page No. VII. Extract from the Crown-grant Charter of 1838, conferring the privilege of Exclusive Trade with the Indians, upon the surrender of a former grant to the Hudson's Bay Company by King George IV, in 1821 . . * . No. VIII. Copy of the Treaty between her Majesty Queen Victoria and the United States of America, for the settlement of the Oregon boundary. Signed at Washington, June the 15th, 1846. Ratifica- tions exchanged at London, June 17th, 1846. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by com- mand of her Majesty 388 389 No. IX. Free Trade with Vancouver Island and upon Fra- zer Eiver . . . . 392 No. X. Rights of the Hudson's Bay Company — Opening up Frazer River to Free Trade 396 No. XI. Miscellaneous 400 No. XII. The Way there 403 INTKODUGTION. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL. The history, brief as yet and marvellous, of the country of our El Dorado, by the wash of the North Pacific, stands alone and unparalleled in the long annals of the world. It has eclipsed California and outshone Australia; it has at- tracted, by an almost magical influence, tens of thousands to its shores, and flashed upon the universe in alluring fascination. It has sprung into life full armed, as Minerva from the brain of Jove. That which, but a brief period gone, reposed a solitary yet riant wilderness, is now alive with the clamours of a rushing sea of men, ITRODUCTION. and the foundations of cities are already laid far down from the Rocky Mouuiains to Vancouver, that hilly aud forest-clad isle of a thousand beau- ties and a nation's promise — the England of its ocean. Gold is the mighty magnet which attracts them — the guiding talisman of their career. For gold has been the absorbing object of their search in the country from which they came, and from which their fellow-men are still rushing in palpitating gladness — a vast and headlong tide — towards its favoured clime. The magic spell of the discovery is being felt throughout the world, and nations have been awakened to the knowledge of another — a new — El Dorado, outvying all beside. And this land, upon which nature has so lavished her treasures, in inviting prodigality, rests beneath the sway of the British sceptre, and its riches are open to all. Apart from gold, the other resources with which it is endowed are in every way equally bountiful and boundless; while its geogra- phical position with regard to China and the great islands lying to the northward is destined to make it a grand emporium of trade with INTRODUCTION. XV those coi'ntries.* Thus, when such of the rest- less, thirsty souls as are now amassing the earthy lucre of their ambition and their greed, may choose to embark in a more steady and less exciting career than that of " digging," they will find around them an equally extensive and illi- mitable field, in which their talents and their industry may be successfully exerted in the building up of an empire, which is destined to be the chief — the ruling power of the southern hemisphere. It is already, in future promise, the brightest star in the constellation of Her Majesty's colonial dominions ; and the giant march of its progress, swift as the flight of time, is fast out-blazoning even the rapid growth of that once wondrous country of the Sacramento. These men, al- Miles. * From Victoria to San Francisco the distance is 800 „ Honolula "> ^^370 ,, Sandwich Islands $ ■ „ Japan 4,400 „ Shanghai 5,800 „ Canton 6,900 „ Sidney (Australia) 7,230 „ Singapore 8,200 XVI INTRODUCTION. though possessing an affinity of race and lan- guage with ourselves, are, however, alien to us in constitutional government. They are republicans and democrats — we are supporters of a monarchy and an aristocracy ; and, therefore, it is desirable that the latter element should be at once infused into the disorderly mass of the Americans now populating the regions alluded to, by emigration from the British islands. An exodus of this kind would both benefit imperial, social, and individual interests. Firstly, in fortifying our power in these colonies, which are at present so thinly peopled with British- born subjects; and, secondly, in relieving the population of England of a superabundant num- ber of the educated classes, amongst which so much struggling and competition exists, as well as benefiting those individuals by a transplanta- tion into a field where energy and enterprise will be more amply and universally rewarded than are they in these, the crowded walks of the mother country, where, alas ! in too many cases, the intellectual labourer may unceasingly toil in the vineyard of professional and daily life, and I INTRODUCTION. XVI! scarce eke out for himself the means of a bare subsistence. Moreover, the higher the social element im- planted in a new country, the better does it augur for the future welfare, stability, and great- ness of that country. Neither the Phoenicians nor the Romans of old, nor the colonizing nations of more modern times, were regardless of the elements which composed the society first found- ing a new colony. Thus it was that Spain sent her dignified clergy, and her noblest families their sons, to settle in Mexico and Peru. With our- selves, Raleigh retired from the brilliant court of Elizabeth and the highest sphere of political am- bition and laid the foundation of Virginia, while Maryland was founded by Lord Baltimore and the highest Catholic families ; and Pennsylvania was the home of Penn, after he had been a courtier. Caroline, was similarly occupied, the framing of its constitution being intrusted to John Locke. In connection with Nova Scotia, the title of baronet was first introduced and conferred ; while Cromv^ell and Hampden both fostered the pros- pect of a colonial career. Colonies, to remain long integral portions of xvni .^MTRODTir'^^'^'^ Si the parent Cinpire, should be composed, to a great extent, of the elements which govern so- ciety there. This gives strength and insures congeniality ; it reflects back, to a great extent, and in an improved form, the habits and civili- zation of that nation ; and this is exactly what is wanted in British Columbia and Vancouver, to counteract the effect of opposite principles and political tendencies to our own, which exist and preponderate amongst the mixed and desperate men who are now, in swelling tide, flocking over and exploring that country, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, as well as the neigh- bouring islands. For the country, so far as its established laws, customs, and population are concerned, is still to us a Virginia in the time of Raleigh, a Massachusetts in the days of the Pilgrim Fathers; and although society, under such circumstances, inevitably forms and regu- lates itself, adapting its uses to its necessities, still the political helmsman over this newly- awakened country has a mighty charge in hand ; for he can guide its ultimate destiny, while one false move might leave nothing but a shattered wreck to view. INTRODUCTION. XIX Such is the critical nature of the emergency. The voice of the country is, however, unanimous in its approval of the prompt and liberal policy pursued by the Colonial Minister in the matter ; and its successful issue will be sufficient to confer upon hinx a political immortality as great as that which he has already so deservedly earned in the lofty walks of literature and of learning. The wisdom of dispatching to British Colum- bia " a powerful force of the corps of Royal En- gineers, provided with everything necessary for the formation of roads and bridges, to open up the resources of the colony ; also to erect blockhouses for the reception and safe custody of the gold which may be disposed of by the miners, and at the same time to form an organised force for the maintenance of law and order,"is deserving of the highest praise. Thie force is under the com- mand of Colonel Moody, a gentleman who, from his tried talents and his past experience in superin- tending the formation of the small colony which has existed during the last eighteen years at the Falkland Islands, is in every way adapted for the important service. Great firmness and discretion will be required of him in the performance of the XX INTRODUCTION. arduous duties he will ho^il doubt, be called upon to take pnrt in c u perform until the ordi- nary machinery of government, municipal and imperial, is so far introduced and set in motion, as to dispense with the arbitrary rule which he may find himself compelled in the mean time to adopt. Prudent and lenient measures will, however, alone be successful — the rule of equity must be strictly adhered to, else the result might be fatal ; for what is a troop of armed, dis- ciplined men in a country where the entire popu- lation consists of men equally well armed and disciplined, and infinitely more desperate when opposed, although generous and peaceful when their " rights " are not infringed upon, and the obstacles of nature, which it is their lot to con- tend against, are not multiplied by the fiscal and other exactions of a too arbitrary and moribund government — I allude to that of the Hudson's Bay Company. And while I so speak I must not omit allusion to the peculiar position and highly commendable personal conduct of Governor Douglas. Never was man placed in a more awkward position than he was, in having to deal with con- INTRODUCTION. XXI flicting interests, to serve two masters, as it were, the Imperial Government and the Hudson's Bay Company, and yet to have to please his new and foreign population rushing down upon him like a whirlwind, and that while the criticising eyes of England and America were upon him, to give, or at any rate be expected to give, satisfaction to both and to all. Now in forming a correct estimate of the policy which he has and is adopting with regard to the internal regulation of the two colonies of which he is now Gover. or, this his peculiar and difficult position must be taken into careful consideration ; and when such is done, it cannot fail to be said that Governor Douglas has acted, in so far as he judged right, ably and energetically, and moreover has, by his urbanity and liberal feeling, rendered himself popular with the very men who had the first right to complain, when complaint was necessary. The Hudson's Bay Company were fortunate in having so efficient an officer to attend to their interests, for he cer- tainly seems to have done his best in that respect so far as was at all compatible with justice to others. Thus it is that, however much the XXII INTRODUCTION. world may disapprove of tlic monopoly which he represents, it cannot but be acknowledged that he has, so far as he was personally concerned, acled m a manner as agreeable and conciliatory as any Governor of a Colony could have done under the circumstances. Still a Company's officer is in a wrong position as Governor of its Imperial and consequently social interests, and so the Colonists themselves feel it, as was testified in a memorial presented by them to the first Governor, Blanchard, on his retirement, against the anticipated appointment of the present Governor, then chief factor of the Hudson's Bav Company, and in this important respect it is that Governor Douglas has been, and is, singularly unfortunate. He was like the country school- master, who because he felt himself master of his boys, thought himself master of everybody else also, and who did not find out his mistake till he came to London. This was just the case with Governor Douglas : long accustomed to absolute control and discipline over the servants of the all-powerful, half-venerated Company, stationed over the territory ; he thought he could, or perhaps took it for granted as a INTRODUCTION. • •• XXIII matter of principle, that the same thing could be done with a free and independent popula- tion, — but when tens of thousands of armed diggers became arrayed before his vision, his restrictive policy, or rather that of the Company, seems to have recoiled back upon him ; he be- came at once an experienced man, and saw that the diggers, instead of entertaining the antici- pated awe and respect for the edicts of the Fur Company, took upon themselves the power of questioning the authority under which they is- sued proclamations of right and control, entire and universal, over certain territories, and all the inhabitants of such, and is now partly by force of actual circumstances, and partly under the calming influence of Home dispatches, wisely re- fraining from " enforcing " anything opposed to the interests of the new population. But, notwithstanding his having thus altered his tack, if I may use the expression, he is just as zealous and energetic in behalf of all, as he was when pro- posing to stop their supplies. He is an active, talented, and good-intentioned man ; and had he not been harassed by having to defend and sustain the rights, real and supposed, ,-^p« XXIV INTRODUCTION. of the Hudson's Bay Company, under the new and unprecedented order of things, he would have been greeted with that unalloyed praise to which his many excellencies would have so well entitled him. As it is, let the monopoly be blamed, and not their individual representative. Situated, however, as the crown is, with re- gard to the Hudson's Bay Company, there was no alternative for all this, and therefore we can only remain on guard and wait patiently till the expira- tion of the term of license in May next, when we may hail the institution of a new and more fitting order of things under the superintendence of a new governor and legislature, and of an organized and distributed force, magisterial and police, to be dispatched from England. With respect to the levying a license fee and other conditions relating to the mainland, it is certain that Governor Douglas had no Imperial right whatever to do so, having at that time no official control over the mainland, unless as an officer of the Hudson's Bay Company, neither have such exactions been confirmed or acqui- esced in by the Home Government; but as they have not been negatived, and as control INTRODUCTION. XXV the new )uld have to which entitled blamed, with re- e was no can only e expira- when we re fitting tience of of an rial and fee and nd, it is imperial time no s as an neither • acqui- biit as control over the mainland has been since vested in the Governor of Vancouver's Island, and still will continue to be so, Colonel Moody being for the present merely surveyor of crown lands or Lieu- tenant-Governor of British Columbia, it is left to the power and discretion of that officer (vide Sir E. B. Lytton's despatch of July 1st, in Appendix) as to whether the license-fees may or can be collected. If the diggers rebel against it, instead of as they now do, in many cases, " shirk it," then there is no authority to support him in its enforcement, neither in the prohibi- tion of a free trade, — and very rightly. Ulterior results will be much more safely brought about to British interests and advantage in conse- quence of the provision of this outlet, and the satisfaction which the liberality and wisdom of its policy has given to the government and people of the United States, from whom a diplomatic agent was promptly sent to the New Gold Region, than would the egregious error of " enforcing^* " rights " militating against the prosperity of the country, and especially when placed as we are with regard to defences in those regions. It would have been something like tilting against a pyramid. b XXVI INTRODUCTION. M As it is, with much good feeling, more than thirteen hundred miners, nearly all Americans, had paid the tax up to the 25th of June. One measure there was of the Governor of Van- couver which justly deserved the unpopularity which it met with, and that was the prohibition of promiscuous trading and the seizing of goods imported contrary to the terms of his procla- mation, claiming, for the Company, the right of exclusive trade. This was about as preposterous and injurious an act as any man in his ignorance of right and wrong ever committed, and quite illegal, the Company being unempowered to mo- nopolize any trade, save that " with the Indians'* — (vide Crown licenses of 1838 and zi.ugust, 1849). But this imposition has, no doubt, by this time been relinquished by sheer force of necessity, which there would be no resisting. Again, the navigation of the Frazer ought to be free to all nations ; but Governor Douglas had issued a proclamation limiting such to " British bot- toms" only. However, it is to be hoped that this also will remain a dead letter, and that the would-be tyranny of the Hudson's Bay Company will be reined in by the wiser policy of the Home Government, il INTRODUCTION. XXVll As respects the treatment of the aborigines, the universal feeling of friendship which is en- tertained by the latter towards the servants of the Hudson's Bay Company, is in itself a suffi- cient criterion of the kindness practised by them, the greatest part of that kindness being in their having left them alone, and in main- taining their trade with them, without infringing upon their aboriginal habits of life, during the course of more than a century and a half, so that up to the present time there was little or no decrease in the Indian population with which they trafficked. This in itself is sufficient to atone for nearly all the past evils of the mono- poly, and presents a highly favourable and striking contrast to the regime and conduct of the United States Government and people in dealing with the Indians on their territory, where the Red Man was uncared-for, and slaughtered with impunity. It is a melancholy reflection. Even now there is a war going on in Oregon between the United States army and the Indians, a recent result of which was, that the former were defeated. But of course the attack will be renewed with a reinforced number of troops, and the aborigines will inevitably be mowed and U I : I- IV^-.s/ ~ K I N A Vl.V:^ C of N ^VAL '^S VEl »/,",4 ,- V'-, -JfJJf.fcl.iiKii'r' '^^^ //-^^t ' ■■'■■'"^ r ^r^;,^^'^ V, 'f,<'>ui77uiTi I 2x We.-il r*'r.oth bla nkets and pillow ; in other words, bare of everything but a scanty mattrass ; sheets, apparently, not being there in vogue. The ir K«*i 6 THE NEW EL DORADO ; reason of this I soon perceived ; the weather being cold, those who had preceded me had helped themselves to additional blankets at the expense of those who were to follow, so in self- defence I was compelled to do likewise, and, moreover, thought myself very lucky in being able to do so. Thus it was with but little compunction that I stripped a stretcher a few yards higher up in the room than my own, and in addition helped myself to an extra blanket from another. After that, I f )llowed the ex- ample of my snoring chamber-mates, and with my revolver under my pillow, sank to slumber as happily and contentedly as I had ever done in regions of elegance and luxury. At about three in the morning, however, I awoke, feeling very chilly, a natural consequence, indeed, of sleeping uncovered. It was dark, and I could hear nothing, save the snoring of those around me. I felt that my only alternative was to dress myself; accordingly I adopted it without delay, and after that dozed till morning. Of course I comprehended that the cause of this midnight interference was the scarcity of blan- kets amongst those who came last, and who OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. determined not to be done, pulled them oft* others, and so established themselves, as their saying went. It was prompt retribution ; but Americans are the people, and California is the place for it. On the Monday morning following, I accom- panied my " chawing," twanging, but never- theless good-hearted companion to his " hole" and tent at the neighbouring mines, for he had two mates, and they had been working while he was away, banking the " dust," and doing " a little on his own hook," at San Francisco. He was now ready to rejoin them. The history of this man was, that he had been a performer in a circus, a workman in a pegged boot manufactory, a clerk in a store, a barman at an oyster saloon, and several other things respectively in the United States, before setting out for California. This he had done together with six others across the Rocky Mountains, an arduous and perilous undertaking, four years antecedent to this period of ray meeting with him. Four only of their number reached San Francisco, three having died through the hard- ships of the road. These four set to work 8 THE NEW EL DORADO ; digging at " Hell Gato," and their labours were attended with sueh success, that in eight months they amassed sixty thousand dollars. With this they returned together to San Francisco, where one of their number was shot in a gam- bling saloon, and the rest were, to use popular phraseology, left without a cent, having gam- bl(^d and extravagantly wasted away their wealth. After this, the three separated ; one went down to Sacramento, — a city in which during half the year one-half of the population good humourcdly supports the other half, by reason of the latter being out of luck, — and was never heard of after- wards ; another, who remained in San Francisco, was lynched, which means that he was hanged for an attempt at highway robbery ; while the third, my companion, joined a party for the Sonora Mines, and commenced digging again. After ten months' hard work his share came to four thousand dollars, and with this sum he revisited San Francisco and " started" a store. Unfortunately he was burnt out " flat" — flat as a d — d pancake, to use his own expression, alike with all San Francisco three months after- wards. On this he resolved to return to gold- OR, niUTISH COUJMHIA. 9 digging, and with this view again joined a party for the same mines, and to this party he still lu'longed. We arrived at the tent ; two lanky, hlaek- haired, long-bearded men welcomed my com- panion, and guessed he was serene, and guessj'd the *' stranger," meaning myself, was a Bri- tisher, and hoped I'd " li(|uor," which I assented to, and so on — all warmth and inquiry. These men had been digging with but indifferent success for sixteen months, that is, they had only paid expenses and put by a thousand dol- lars a-piece. They had often stood and worked for days together, as a matter of course, up to the knees in water at the bottom of a hole, and endured wet beds, a windy tent, and rheumatism half the winter round. But the excitement of their free and independent occupation sustained them through all this, and they dug on from day to day with all the undiminished ardour and specu- lative perseverance of their hopeful nature, for nil desperandum is, and ever ought to be, the motto of the unsuccessful and unsatisfied gold-digger — if he but work long enough, he is B 3 10 THE NEW EL DORADO :l sure to succeed. It is such men as these that are now flocking over to the New El Dorado. Intent upon speedy gain, they are ready to brave every risk, i\ice every danger, and bear with every hardship and privation. Dauntless, fearless, and restless, they will brook no oppo- sition nor restraint, but with a wild self-de- pendence of character, plunge, wherever gold attracts them, defying everything, and sur- mounting all obstacles. There is a savage heroism in this, which the pampered conservative may denounce, but which, nevertheless, all must admire. It is such nien as these that are now populating the new colony on the banks of Frazer River ; they have strength, courage, and enterprise ; and although chiefly Americans, they enjoy an aflinity of race and language with ourselves, and will no doubt endeavour to preserve those friendly relations with us in British Columbia which ever ought to subsist between two great nations, the one the off'spring of the other, and each emulous of higher advancement and the maintenance of a growing prosperity. OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 11 CHAPTER II. THE RUSH FROM CALIFORNIA. .i It was on the 20th of April of the present year, that the first rush by steamer of four hun- dred and fifty adventurers took place from San Francisco to the gold mines on Frazer's River, and between that time and June the 9th, two thousand five hundred people, mostly miners from the interior of California, had taken their departure from San Francisco. It was estimated then that an additional number of five thousand were collected in Puget Sound en route. The exodus continued. All California was m a ferment; the excitement was universal. \2 tup: man v.l DOHA no ; 3 Uwmlnds timi woiild not \\\\\i for thn stimincM*, ai\(i if i\w\ Iwui, could not have hvxm U\\ivi\ hy lu !•, set out on tin; journey overland, starting from Shasta and from YreKa in tlie nortli, and travillin^ through Oregon to the New VA Dorado. This is a perteetly jmictieahle route, and the time necessary to the performanee of the jt^urney is ahout eigl\teen days. Fronj all points s()uads of miniMs were to he seen making for San Francisco, and to ship themselv(>s otf, or taking tlie direction towards Oregon. Stock was heing driven overland, horses, mules, and cattle through the Tuget Sound country. It was calculated that fifty thousand souls would leave California before the end of August. Business in the interior, as a natural consc- (juenoe. was deranged, suspended, or broken up rents were diminishing, and all, sjive San Francisco, was being deserted ; the latter city was rejoicing at the great influx of the mii\ers, and still more at the prospect of the new trade with the Frazer River settlement. Storekeepers tVom the interior were hurrying down to set up as merchants in San Francisco, and all was uproar and delight. OH, liiurisi! cnn'MhiA. 13 If wns on .hily tlin Hth thjit on thr ordrr for its second rortdin^, Sir Kdwfird l^yiUu) liiilwcr Lvtt')n, Srrn'tiiry of State; for the (Jolonirs, brcju^lit profnitjcntly, in an uMr; sprncfi, Ixforn tlio Ilonsr of Cornmoris a liill i'nr tfie (toverri- inont of New (jalrdonia ; of that. «'xtf'f)Kiv<' rj'gion, wliioh oxtcnds from the Rocky Mrjiin- tains to the I'acifir Ocean, a re^rirtn which fiiis hith(>rto heen nlorm trodden hy the I(ed Iiifhan, or the traders of the Hudson's IJay Company in the pursuit of peltries. Th(5 hill propos(ul to (constitute the district, of " N(!vv Caledonia," on thn nortlj-west coast (»f America, a British colony, sa\in^r, " Wl)ereas divers of h(;r Majesty's suhjects and others have;, hy th(; license and consent of her Majesty, resorted and settled tliere; for rriining and other purposes, juul it heing desirahle to provide for the civil government of such territories, it is proj-jsed to enact that her Majesty shall he enahled, by order in Council, to provide; for th<; making of laws for the government of the colony ; her Majesty is, as soon as she may deem it expedient, to constitute a local council and assembly, to be [ippointcfl or sel(!cted, sub- 14 THE NEW EL DORADO 1^ jpct to such regulations as may be considered suitable to the requirements of the colony." * The bill does not empower the crown to an- nex Vancouver's Island to the mainland, but there is a clause conferring that authority at a future date, should the legislature of Vancouver pray for such incorporation, the present object being simply to provide some form of govern- ment, deferring a fuller measure until the colony is more advanced, and its character and circum- stances are more decided than they can be for some time to come. The solution of the question, which had from time to time been raised, as to what should be done with the territories which the Hudson's Bay Company have held under royal license during the last forty years, was forced upon the cabinet by the gold discoveries. It is a difficult thing to form any kind of go- vernment for such men, desperate, heedless, un- * This measure was to empower the crown for a period of five years to make laws for the district by orders in council, and to establish a legislature, such legislature to be appointed in the first instance by the Governor alone, but subsequently it would be open to establish a repre- sentative assembly. OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 15 accustomed to any kind of restraint, and regard- less of every consequence, as those, schooled in California, who now people the newly.disturbed wilderness of British Columbia ; yet it seemed necessary to be done, and the co-operation of men of all parties shewed a laudable feeling towards that end. The territory to be regulated and pro- tected is bounded on the south by the American frontier line, forty-nine degrees of latitude, and extends to the sources of the Frazer River, ,n lati. tude fifty-five degrees. It is about four '/undred and twenty miles long in a straight lint;, and its average breadth is from two hundred and fifty to three iiundred miles ; taken from corner to corner, its greatest length would be, however, ei^ ^t hundred and five rrjlies, and its greatest breadth four hundred miles. Its area is com- puted at, including Queen Charlotte's Island, two hundred thousand square miles. Of its two gold-bearing rivers, one, the Frazer, rises in the northern boundary, and flowing soutii, falls into the sea, on the south-western ex- tremity, opposite the south end of Vancouver's Island, and within a few miles of the American boundary; the other, the Thompson River, 16 THE NEW EL DORADO ; which rises in the Rocky Mountains, and flow- ing westward, joins the Frazcr, at the " Forks." (See Appendix.) It is on these two rivers, and chiefly at their confluence, that the gold dis- coveries have been made. The land on the lower part of the Frazer River is good, hut the Thompson's River dis- trict is one of the finest countries in the British dominions, possessing a climate far superior to that of countries in the same latitude on the other side of the mountains. Its fisheries are most valuable, its timber the finest in the world for marine purposes. It abounds witli bitu- minous coal, well fitted for the generation of steam. From Thompson's River and Colville districts to the Rocky Mountains, and from the forty-ninth parallel, some three hundred and fifty miles north, a more beautiful region does not exist. It is in every way suitable for colonization. Therefore, apart from the gold fields, this cou.itry affords the highest promise of becoming a flourishing and important colony. When the bill referred to was introduced to the House, the colonial Secretary, who is entitled to the fullest praise of his country for his OK, URITISU COLUMBIA. 17 tulented exertions, and expeditious tuct in this matter, mentioned that Government had already received overtures from Messrs. Cunard for a lino of postal steam vessels, for letters, goods, and passengers, by which it was calculated that the colony might be reached in about thirty-five days from Liverpool, by way of New York, «md the Isthmus of Panama. It is said that there are two sides to every picture ; be it so, but the one side is but a shade darker than the other, as resp'^cts the country we are dealing with. There are reports which advert to the almost total absence of food sup- plies, and to the sufferings of the Indian tribes from want and starvation ; that those wild tribes roam over the country, disputing, fighting, and robbing the Americans who venture there, and are at peace only with the free-traders of the Hudson's Bay Company, who furnish them with much of their food. But these reports are not to deter stout hearts, and were only ap- plicable to the first thousand that crossed the frontier. The rivers which run into the Pacific are navigable for some distance into the interior, but then terrific rapids and fearful gorges occur 18 THE NEW EL DORADO ; to deter the traveller from further progress. The adventurer in search of gold has to make a path along the mountains, carrying his meagre sustenance with him on a starveing horse, which, food failing, he might have to kill and devour. But such are, and always were, the exceptional experiences of life in a new and mountainous country. Still when gold allures, what obstacles will not man surmount, what hardships will he not bear. These terrors will not discourage gold- seekers. The men who are rushing to the region to establish *' new diggings," are as fierce as the Indians themselves, and will have no hesitation in declaring war to the knife against natives who obstruct their progress. It is a matter of present doubt whether Van- couver's Island, which is off the mainland, will become an active gold district in itself; but apart from that, its mere commerce will suffi- ciently enrich it. It is proposed to be made the principal station of our naval force in the Pacific. It has the best harbour, — Esquimault — in fact the only good one, northward of San Francisco, OK, HUITISII COLLMBIA. 19 as fur northward as Sitka, the Ru.':sian settlement; there is fine timber in every direction, and coal enough for a dozen navies. It has been said that the Americans will scarcely like the establishment of the new colony, and that we can readily imagine the feeling with which some of the braves among them will contemplate the " location" of Bri- tishers on part of the American continent, which they would like to consider it their exclusive right to possess, while one of the London morning papers accounted for a decline in the funds by referring to an apprehension that the occupation of " New Caledonia " might be considered offen- sive by the United States. But all this is idle talk, as the good sense and right feeling of the Americans is sure to be found paramount in the consideration of this question, and that the two nations individually will cheerfully and cordially support each other in the work of colonization. f 20 THE NEW EL DORADO CHAPTER III. DAZZLING PROSPECTS. It is not my province to endeavour to divert emigration from its present channels, in favour of the newly-discovered gold regions of British Columbia. But it behoves me as a writer, to describe accurately and impartially the country with which I have to deal, as well as to express my own candid and unbiassed belief in the de- sirability of that country as a place of settlement for those who, emulous of gain, and intent upon doing something for themselves, which in En- gland may be of doubtful promise, are willing to go forth and brave the world amongst a class OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. '21 of society, which, although crude and unsettled, in its unsophisticated roughness may be found all the more hospitable, and encouraging than in England, where starched and hollow conven- tionalism curbs, and fetters, and repels, and narrows the souls of men to a methodical rou- tine J nd a humiliating code, which destroys self- dependence and magnanimity, and, like the desert traveller, lost amid the dust of the si- rocco, makes the spirit of enterprize pant for the fresher air of unshackled freedom. In giving this opinion I cannot do otherwise than pro- nounce Vancouver's Island, and the territory of the neighbouring mainland, as the most desirable fields for the exercise of that talent, and that industry, which the still over-burdened population of this country may send forth. Although the climate and other natural advan- tages of British Columbia are not everywhere so great as those which favour the island, still the proximity of both is so close, that each can be made to conduce to the general comfort of man. The climate of Vancouver's Island, although in many respects closely resembling that of England, is very much to be preferred to it. The face of f 22 THE NEW EL DORADO ; the country is more radiant — the vegetation is by far more luxuriant, and during the summer months, that is from April to September, the vivifying rays of an unclouded sun, shining through a tinted but hjilf shadowy sky, gladdens the earth, and while decking all nature in a festive array, makes joyful the hearts of men, and merry indeed the carol of feathered throngs. Rich and bounteous in its superficial treasures, it offers to man the solid wealth of gold ; here can be achieved the sudden gain of what else- where millions strive for in vain. Commerce always follows in the footsteps of emigration and colonization, and rare will be the advantages reaped from an influx of people so great as the countries referred to are now experiencing, and which tide of immigration will continue to flow on in augmented greatness and impetuosity, till the favoured territories blaze out upon the world in dazzling attractive- ness and importance, and British American gold circulates in uncounted millions through the coflxjrs of civiHzation. And while I so speak of these lands, I cannot but extol the spirit which has actuated that grand mouth-piece of the British m OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 23 tive- gold the ik of has Ktish nation, the Times newspaper, in its endeavours to induce emigration generally, as well as the puhlicity which it has given to the new gold regions of our ohservation. The ample resources which it commands, as well as the magnanimous feeling of impartiality and philanthropy which guides its conduct, and which has long placed it on the highest pinnacle of journalistic fame, have conduced to the distsf.'mination of more good throughout Great Britain and her dependencies, and to an establishment of more thorough and correct information, than all the other newspapers of the United Kingdom joined together, and per- haps than all the emanations of the press for the last fifty years throughout the world. To some this possibly may seem an exag- gerated statement, but can they refute it ? It is beyond individual power to measure the extent of good which has resulted from its able advo- cacy. Reforms may not have sprung up on the instant of its bidding, neither have abuses been always as quickly corrected, but still the effect, however latent — has been nevertheless as as- suredly potent — has worked a marvellou'> change in our government, our institutions, and our social •21 riir, Ninv Ki, H()nM>o; W of (he j>crmaM(MUM' oC suj'h clViM't in slmpiii^; nnd inlliu'ncing I he dcsliiiy nf lutun^ Mg«vM, niul nol only ol' its »)\vn nnliuii, hut of \\w world. 1( has uiiiniMl ihr ciU" of humiinilv, wlujth is povvor ; Nvhilc I\v ihv liuuiiibit' luul judicions use of thai |nnv(M" il has ronlrihuliMl lu Ihi^ julvaiuM*- nwnl of rivihzaliitn, \\\v ends <»!' jiislicc% m\d the iiu'idt-atitMi ol' rv(M-vtluMn- ralculaliMl (o vKwlt and torlitV ; a jMuvc'r wlioso sci '\^{\r n O () \\\vr j onnia 1 was ahl(^ (o wield. This is pid»li<^ a|)pn»ha(i(m, .\\u\ it is ihat pul»lii' approhaliou and conlidcMcc whii'h still keeps it. and pionnses ever t(» ke('p it. ou a pillar ot' its own, thi^ shining* sun of «>nlichttM\n\ent and intelliu;(>nee, the monitor as w«'ll as tho trunipet voiei^ of Ihitannia, whidi is t'elt and eenoi>d thnnighout the length and hieadth of eivilisation. Wi^U. indtHul, may enutrration from tho mo- thor country h«^ advoeattul, while millions of ahle. and intrlligrnt nuM\ and womon drag out a feehle oxistonco, vegetating on the merest |)ittanco neeessarv for aetiial suhsistenee, and when to attain th.at is toi> frecjuently a difiieult struggle. Well may emigration be encouraged when thou- OH, r.KI'IlSlI (OIUMHIA, inco to |\ou- Minds iire rvcn diiy l)ri?ijr usIh red ifitf> our jails for prtly thrfts for bn^id. Wlifri millions proy upon vnvh oIIut by tlu^ fon^c <»(' slucr liuri^ry necessity, jind wrr hnrried swiftly down the tidi; of life iind enine into premature i^raves, Wlien tlir widow may vvnil, and lier breadless, hofne- less i;!>ndren die on her l)rea.st without any help- in|^" h;md l)ein^ extended until it is too latr. When monopoly is lyranny suekirj^r tlw; life hlood of tiie people, and of trade, and m-ri's luiuts are as e;dlous as stones. When th(r thirst I the; stru<'''le for 'j-old is a work of lite ( aiK )r (leiilii an)on;;st tlie muss of our populahon, and th(; ever unsatisfied yearning and aim of the wealthy the nnMieyed monopolist M'lien the weak man strong in gold, crushes the strong man weak in gold, and all the world worshij) money. In such aii a;:e, and in sin h a stat<^ of M)ciely, is it not thehest thing possible to induce as many of thi; needy as can piocure th(^ means of emigration to do so with as little delay as is compatible with their own good interests '^ Yes. The beckoning hand of another Kl Dorado in- vites tbciii from their squalid homes and resorts of wretchedness to participate in the plenteous- 26 THE NEW EL DORADO ; ness of its enduring harvest. Certain wealth is spread out before them. The cry of gold re- sounds far and wide throughout its territories, and present riches, with still richer promise, shine out in alluring fascination, saying, " Come and partake, ye that are weary and wayworn. Come, ye children of enterprise and ambition — all ye that are hungry and desolate, come and partake of that which ye have long hoped and struggled for, but never realized." ' OR. BRITISH COLUMBIA. 27 CHAPTER IV. THE ENGLAND OF THE PACIFIC. Vancou^^er, or Quadra and Vancouver, is an island on the west coast of British America, extending from latitude 48 deg. 19 min. to 50 deg. 53 min. north, and longitude 123 deg. 17 min. to 128 deg. 28 min. west. Its length, measured from N.W. to S.E., is 278 miles, its extreme length 290 miles, and in breadth it varies from 50 to 65 miles. On the east and north-eastern side it is separated from the main- land of British America by the Gulf of Georgia and Queen Charlotte's Sound, and on the south from that of the United States by the Strait of Juan-de-Fuca, while on the north and western c 2 28 THE NEW EL DORADO; »i! side it lies open to the north Pacific. The inte- rior is highly fertile, well timbered with cedar, pine, maple, oak, ^nd ash, and picturesquely diversified by intersecting mountain ranges and extensive prairies ; the shores are bold, precipi- tous, and rocky, nearly unbroken on the north- eastern side, but presenting in other directions numerous indentations, many of which are so completely land-locked either by projecting pro- montories or minor islands stretching across their mouths as to form excellent natural harbours. Of these may be mentioned Nootka Sound on the west, and Camosack, or Victoria Harbour on the southern side. The only navigable river hitherto known, is that of Nimkis in the north east. In the same part of the coast, and stretching to a consider- able extent inland, an excellent field of coal exists, and lies so near to the surface that by the aid of the Indians it has been obtained at an average cost of four shillings per ton ; the seams, how- ever, although in some places three feet, are in general only from ten to eighteen inches thick. Fogs, remarkable both for their density and duration, are of frequent occurrence. The 1 OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 29 )f re winter is stormy, and heavy rains fall, par- ticularly during November and December. Frost occurs on the lowlands in January, but is rarely of long duration, and can hardly be said to interrupt agricultural operations. Vegetation begins to advance in February, makes rapid progress in March, and contUiUes to be fostered by alternately warm showers and sunshine in April and May. Tiie summer heats are excessive, particularly during June and July, and by the end of August the long grass becomes so thoroughly parched as to be easily ignited- Long before the period of the present gold dis- coveries, the agricultural and farming operations, for the encouragement of which the country is endowed with the most boundless resources, car- ried on chiefly at Victoria, exceeded in their successful results the most sanguine expectations, and are now being conducted with even greater returns than before. The principal products, in addition to those of the soil, are furs, chiefly those of the bear, beaver, fox, racoon, deer, ermine, squirrel, land otter, and sea otter, while fish, including the sperm whale, abound plentifully on all parts of the coasts. <-ts 30 THE Ni:\V KL DOHADO ; The Indian population numbers about ten thousand five hundred,* and is divided into twelve tribes ; of these the Kawitchen, Quacjuidts, and Nootka, are the largest. They arc a fine stalwart race, and have since the estublishmcint of the Hudson Bay Company traded with their civilivsed brethren on the most friendly terms. Tile propiirty of the whole island was granted to the latter company in 1849, on the express condition of their colonising it, but up to the present time comparatively little progress has been made towards tl at object. Vancouver's Island was supposed to form a ])art of the mainland till the year 1789, when an American vessel sailed through the east channel which separates it. In 1792 it was visited by Vancouver, who named it Quadra Vancouver, the former out of compliment to the Spaniiih Commandant of Nootka Sound, which, howev^er, has now become obsolete. The agents of the Hudson's Bay Company had long been in the habit of visiting it periodically before the * Before a parliamentary committee in 1857, Mr. Cooper, an ex-resident on the island, in his evidence, estimated the ahoriginal population at from eighteen to twenty thousand. OM, nUITISII CO; UMUIA. 31 (lato of its cudun; to them, for the sake; (.f tlic trade in furs juid otliiir commodities supplied hy tlu! Indians ; it attracted, however, l)ut litth- attention till thi; (lis(;ussion of the Oregon qn<'s- tion hroiij^ht it prominently into notice. By the boundary treaty with the Unitc^d States, the entire possession of it was then formally fixed in Great liritain. Fort Victoria, ercct(!(i hy the Hudson's Buy Company, is situated on the southern extnimity of th(^ island, in the small harbour of Cammusan, the entrance to which is rather intricate. The fort is a square enclosure of one hundred yards, surrounded by cedar pickets twenty feet in height, and having octagonal bastions containing each six-pounder iron guns at the north-east :»nd south-west angles ; the buildings are made of squared timber ; they are eight in number, and so constructed as to form three sides of an ob- long. This fort is badly situated with regard to water position, the site having been chosen for its agricultural advantages only. Distant from this about three miles, and nearly connected hy a small inlet, is the Squimal Harbour, which is very commodious and easily accessible at all 32 THE NEW EL DORADO ; times, offering a much better position, and having also an abundant supply of fresh water in its vicinity. Fields of limestone also abound in the neighbourhood, admirably suited for building purposes. The Straits of Juan de Fuca, which separate Vancouver's Tsliuid from the mninland, are safe and easy of navigation ; the shores are straight and bold ; on the south composed of per- pendicular cliffs that run bnckward in high and ragged peaks, while on the north they are bold and rocky, and in some places formed of reddish granite. The port of Camosack is the most eligible within the latter straits ; it is hemmed in by a range of plains nearly six miles square, containing a great extent of valuable tillage and pasture land, sprinkled here and there with pine and oak, and intersected by a canal six miles long, and rivulets well adapted for the ordinary water-power purposes of flour and saw mill driving. The aspect of the coun- try is most picturesque, the climate highly salubrious, while cattle and the necessaries of life are abundant. Clover grows wild with a rank and luxurious compactness more resem- '» OR, nUITISH COLUMBIA. 33 bling the close sward of a well-managed lea than the produce of an uncultivated waste. The following is the synopsis of the basis of the constitution of the Vancouver Island Colony : — " The Governor is appointed by the Crown, with a council of seven members likewise so appointed. " The Governor is authorised to call assem- blies to be elected by the inhabitants holding twenty acres of freehold Lind. " For this purpose it is left to the discretion of the Governor to fix the number of represen- tatives ; and to divide the island into eltictoral districts, if he shall think such division neces- sary. " The Governor has the usual power of pro- roguing or dissolving such assembly. " The legislature thus constituted jwill have fiiU power to impose taxes and regulate the affairs of the island, and to modify its institu- tions, subject to the usual control of the crown. " Laws will be passed by the Governor, coun- cil, and assembly." There is little to object in the above, but c 3 34 THE NEW EL DORADO; when we come to the following we plainly recog- nise the cause which has hitherto militated against the colonisation of the island : — 1 . That no grant of land shall contain less than twenty acres. 2. That purchasers of land shall pay to the Hudson's Bay Company, at their house in Lon- don, the sum of £1 per acre for the land sold to them, and to be held in free and common soccage. 3. That purchasers of land shall provide a passage to Vancouver's Island for themselves and families if they have £iny ; or be provided, if they prefer it, with a passage on paying for the same at a reasonable rate. 4. That purchasers of a larger quantity of land shall pay the same price per acre, viz. £1, and shall take out with them five single men or three married couples for every hundred acres. 5. That all minerals, wherever found, shall belong to the company, who shall have the right of digging for the same, compensation being made to the owner of the soil for any injury done to the surface ; but that the said owner sliall have the privilege of working for his / OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 35 1 f J )' own benefit any coal mine that may bp on his land on payment of a royalty of 2s. 6d. per ton. It is needless to offer comment on these im- politic and suicidal regulations, vvh(;n at the same time, in both Oregon and California, where gold was abundant, land was purchasable at 6s, per acre. The fact was, the Hudson's Bay Company wanted to keep back emigration, for the sake of the furs and other petty traffic with the natives ; and so far, as anti-civiliscrs, they succeeded. By rigiit of charter their territory extends from 49 deg. to 70 deg. north latitude, and from 55 deg. to 135 deg. wesi longitude, and contains more than three millions of square miles, over which they maintain one hundred and sixty distinct establishments where the fur trade is carried on. In 1838, the charter granted by Charles II. was renewed for twenty- one years, and will consequently expire in 1859, as also that granted in 1848 for Vancouver's Island, when it is to be hoped there will be a dissolution of that monopoly which has since 1670 kept back civilisation for the mere sake of gratifying the wants of the few. 36 THE NhW EL DORADO J CHAPTER V. THE GRAND AREA. British Columbia is a rugged but highly diversified tract of country in Oregon, west of the Rocky Mountains, stretching between lati- tude 48 and 57 deg. north, extending about 500 miles north to south, and nearly 400 miles east to west. It is mountainous, and abounds in lakes and rivers, the largest of the latter being the auriferous Frazer. Agriculture has not been prosecuted with so much zeal or success here as. on Vancouver's Island, but the natural advantages of the country are in many parts fully equal, if not superior, to it; potatoes, turnips, wheat, and barley, have been long cultivated at the principal posts or stations t w OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 37 of the Hudson's Bay Company in the territory, and with much success, especially at Nisqually, where they have fifteen miles of land under tillage, besides large flocks of cattle on pasturage. The soil varies from a deep black vegetable loam to a light brown loamy earth. The hills are generally basalt, stone, and slate. The surface is generally undulating, well watered, well wooded, and well adapted for agriculture and pasturnge. The timber consists principally of pine, fir, spruce, oak (white and red), ash, yew, arbutus, cedar, arborvitse, poplar, maple, willow, cherry, and tea. All kinds of grain, including wheat, rye, barley, oats, and peas, may be raised in abun- dance. Fruits, particularly apples and pears, to- gether with every kind of vegetable grown in England, flourish admirably, and produce most abundant crops. The winters are more humid than cold, as from the middle of October to March the rains are almost incessant, and fre- quently accompanied with heavy thunder and lightning. The winds which prevail at this season are from the south and southeast, and these usually bring rain, while those from the north and north-west bring fair weather and a clear 38 Till!: NKW EL DORADO ; sky. From the middle of March to the middle of October, the weather is serene and delightful ; only a few gentle showers fall, hut in the morn- ing (he dews and fogs are fre(|uent and heavy. The middle and eastern regions have, from their eleviition, a severer climate. Nearly at the southern extremity of Puget's Sound stiinds Fort Nisqually, where the Hud son's Bay Company have extensive farms and granaries.* Some of the nativTS here live in the plains, and others on the hanks of the Sound. Each of the tribes observe a marked aversion to mutual incorporation, and confine themselves to their distinct localities, the plain tribes not apprcaching the Sound, and the *• The anchorage off Nisqually is very contracted, in consequence of the rapid shelving of the hunk, that soon dr(q)S itself into deep water. The shore rises ahruptly to a height of ahout two hundred feet, and on the top of the ascent is an extended plain covered with pine, oak, and ai?h trees scattered here and there, so as to form a |)ark-like scene. 'J'he hill-side is mounted hy a well- constructed road, easy of ascent. From the summit of the road the view is beautiful, over Puget's Sound and its many islands, with Mount Olympus covered with snow for a hack-ground. Fort Nisqually, with its out- buildings and enclosures, stands back about half a mile from the tdae of the table land. oil, niuTisii coLUv.niA. 39 tribes bordering on the Sound not extending their rovings into the plains. Their habits and food are in confornnity with their condition ; the one are fishers, the other hunters, living ])rincipally on roots dried, pounded, and kneaded into cakes, pnd on deer's flesh. All this coun- try, both maritime and inland, r/oounds in all sorts of game, — geese, ducks, plovers, j)ar- tridges, &c. These are not only used by them for food, but arc bartered with the Company's servants for articles of use and ornameitt, such as blankets, tobacco, ammunition, and trinl 'ts. From this fort, to obviate the necessity of passing up the Sound, then westward up the Fuca Straits, and thence southward to the mouth of the Columbia, and crossing the bar in a vessel, there is a portage-way across the land, the distance being about ninety miles from this to the banks of the Cowlitz River. This river runs from the northern interior into the Columbia, about forty-nine miles below Fort Vancouver, in a south-westerly direction. At the end of this portage, on the river's banks, there is a British settlement, principally com- posed of retired Hudson's Bay traders. i1 I 40 THE NEW EL DORADO ; Frazer's River rises in the Rocky Moun- tains, between latitudes 55 and 56 deg. north, near the source of Canoe River (which is the first large tributary of the Columbia after the latter issues from its source), and at first runs about north-west for a distance of about eighty miles. It then takes a southerly direction, re- ceiving the waters of Stuart's River, which rises in one of the chains of lakes that abound in all Columbia. Tt continues its southern course by west, receiving the waters of the Chilcotin, Pinklitsa, and several other minor rivers flowing from the lakes or hills of the west, and also the waters of Thompson's River, Quisnell's River, and others which flow into it from the east. In parallel 49 deg it breaks through the cas- cade range of mountains, a continuation of the Sierra Nevada, in a succession of falls and rapids, and running westward is emptied into the Gulf of Georgia in 49 deg. 7 min. north. During this latter part of its course, as far up as Fort Yak;, it is navigable for vessels, after passing its bar, that draw not more than twelve feet of water. Its direct length across country is about four hundred miles. But taking its irregular winding OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 41 llf kt its ?r. ir i course into consideration it is nearly nine hun- dred miles long. The country along its lower section is hillv, and covered with forests of white pine, cedar, and other evergreens, while the soil is generally well fitted for pasturage, and in many places for tillage But along the other and more southern sections the country is more un- genial and un))r()ductive, being cut up by moun- tains, ravines, torrents, lakes, and marshes. Yet it is well wooded, yielding all the varieties of trees growing in that region, fir, spruce, willow, cedar, cypress, birch, and alder. The climate is very variable, and the transitions, though periodically regular, are remarkably sudden, if not violent. During the sprino^, which lasts from April till June, the weather and the face of the coun- try are delightful. In June there arc occasional rains, drifted along by a strong south wind ; and in July and August the heat is intense, while the ground, previously saturated with moisture, produces myriads of flies and other insects. This heat and glaring sunshine are sometimes succeeded in September by fogs of such palpable darkness, that until noon it is seldom possible to 42 THE NF.W EL DORADO ; ^ distinguish objects at a longer distance than one hundred yards. In November the winter sets in, mildly freezing the lakes and smaller rivers. T ! coid, however, is not so intense as might ^ • agined in such a country and climate, being rar les.:. .. vcre than that of any part of Canada. The country is easy of access from Niscjually to the Chetreels River, when the soil changes from gravelly loam to a stiff clay ; and nume- rous little rivers which overflow tlieir banks and flood the country for an immense distance during the winter and spring freshets, render the land journey to the Cowlitz River difficult ; and during that season, to all, save gold diggers, who are undauntable, almost impracticable. A few settlers have lately been located on this route, and the Americans had formed a village as far north as Puget's Sound ten years ago. Simultaneously with the latter, a settle- ment of Canadians was formed on the Cowlitz River, where the Puget's Sound Company had about one thousand acres of land under cultiva- tion. The course of the Cowlitz is irregular and rapid, and at high-w^ater dangerous, but the obstacles are such as the Canadian boatmen can I; OR, imiTISII COLUMF.IA 43 he an {ruard against and overcome. An cstablisliment lias been fornncd by the Hudson's Bay Company at the mouth of this river, in whieh wheat and other produce is stored and shipped in large quantities to the Russian settlement at Sitka, and to the Sandwicn Islatids Coal abounds over the v'iol( f the north- eastern territory , that is to y, from Cheslaker's, latitude 50 (leg. 3() min., to V^ape Scott at its southern extremity. On the borders of M 'Neil's Harbour the coal juts out above the surface. The beds are di- vided by intermediate layers of sandstone, and are seen most distinctly on the open beach, extend- ing over about a mile in length, generally within the line of high water ; the mineral having evi- dently been laid bare by the wash of the sea, which has frittered and worn away the incum- bent mould and sandstone. A fresh- water rivulet which runs across the bed, in a direction perpendicular to the beach, has also laid bare a transverse section of the coal to the distance of nearly a mile from the sea; shewing that the bed runs in a nearly horizontal direction as far as that point, beyond which the ;>''*", 44 THR NF,W RL DORADO; iH depth of th(^ strata has not been reliably ascer- tained. The coal can be worked at a comparatively small expense over a field of such extent. Some of it has been brought to En{^land, and an- swered exceedingly well in forg:es. Externally it is hard and brittle, interspersed with sulphuret of iron, and it contains but little earthy or in- combustible niatter ; it, however, burns better in furnaces than elsewhere, and in small quantities. In the upper and conse(juently eold(?r regions of British Columbia, the most fertile spots tlank the rivers, the thermometer sometimes falls 22 deg. below zero; but the seasons are milder than in the same parallel east of the Rocky Moun- tains. The summer is there never very hot, although fires can be dispensed with from the end of May till the beginning of September. Snow covers the ground from December to April, and at an average depth of two feet. This elevated part of the North American continent is inhabited by the two great Indian nations of the north — the Takali or Carrier In- dians, and the Atnalis or Shouswaps. pi I A OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 45 )UI1- |ugh Vlay ■vers an lean lian lln- The Carriers live principally upon salmon, and protor their moat putrid ; for which end thoy bury it for months under ground, till it becomes a mass of corruption, when it is eaten and es teemed a delicacy. I'hey are quick temp(n*ed, but neither sullen nor reveng(!ful, and are singu- larly susceptible^ of ridicule;. Th(Mr heads present a somewhat oval appearance, owing to the prac- tice amongst them of flattening, during infancy, l)V artificial means, thecraniums of their children. Tlie Hudson's Bay Company have s(n(!ral river posts, or stations in this upper territory. The country is too humid for the growth of the finest wool ; but much of a coarser nature, and well adapted for commerce, has and may be cultivated with profit. In Quen Charlotte's Island, which is included in the new colony, gold was discovered in 18.50, but only in small quantities. The disc:avery of gold on the mainland was first reported to the Colonial Office by a dispatch from the Governor of Vancouver's Island, dated Apiil the 1 6th, 1856. His words were, — •' From experiments made in the Frazer River, there is reason to believe that the gold region is K I If ! i 40 Tin: Nicw i:l dorado ; cxtcnsivo.' In that year ho granted licenses to dig in the Frnzer and Thompson Rivers. In 1857 the license fees wore raised from 10s. to 20s. per month, and persons were prohihited from digging without authority from the colonial goverment. Bui; the prohibition remained a dead letter, as it was found that the Governor had no authority to issue such proclamations, he luiving no commission as Governor on the main land. In 1858 the Governor wrot(! to the Hudson's Bay Company, expressing a hope that her Ma- jesty's government would take measures to pro- tect life and property, otherwise there would he many difficulties; as a large number of Ameri- cans had entered the territory, and others were about to follow in rapid succession. Those who were now hastening to that land only went in search of sudden gain, and it was therefore proposed at home to establish only a temporary government. On the 29th of July, the bill as originally proposed, for the future government of British Columbia, was read a third time and passed ; by this measure the Governor of Vancouver's Island is conditionally empow^ered, for the period of five OR, niUTISII COLUMBIA. 47 land was inly a linally Iritish ; ty island k five years, to appoint such legislature as he may think fit for the due administration of the teruis of the new hill (for copy, see Appendix) ; the two colonies in the meantime to remain entirely distinct, unless it should he otherwise enacted l)y the home government. Goods may he shipped in London, and carried without transhipment to the western shores of Lake Superior. This has hcen effected by ren- dering, among other things, the St. Lawrence navigable hy ships of high tonnage. The English are now further across the great continent of America than the Americans themselves. The line of route from Halifax to Lake Supe- rior exceeds in extent any possessed by the United States ; and it is proposed to carry a railway com- pletely across the continent, so that direct com- munication would be established between Eng- land and Vancouver's Island by way of Halifax. With the view of opening a communication by railway or canal between Lake Superior and the Pacific, it has been suggested that the system adopted by the United States in the formation of a certain ship canal, might be resorted to oy the British government with eve^y likelihood of success. One hundred and eighty thousand ui b ! { 48 THE NEW EL DOKADO ; acres of land were set aside in the State of Mi- chigan, and were given in trust for those who made the canal, on condition that they finished it ; and as the work advanced and money was required, part of the land was sold, and supplied funds for continuing the undertaking. It was found that the sale of these lands, made infinitely more valuable by tlie proximiry of tlie canal itself fullv remunerated the share- holders for their task and outlay of construction : and it would not be at all difficult to set aside reserves ot" land along the line, from Lake Supe- rior to the Paeiiic, and apply that to complete the communication between those two points. Witii the exception of a single rapid (which might be avoided by a canal), the navigation of the Saskatchewan river offers no impediment. With this one exception, a vessel ot" considerable size could be taken up to the foot of the Rocky Mountains ; and at this point there is a gap in the mountains, which would interpose no great ob- stacle in the way of a junction between the Co- lumbia and the Saskatchewan, whose sources are but a little distance apart. Thus a communica- tion with the Pacific would be established. OR, BRITISH COLUMBI\. 49 tate of Mi- thosc who hoy finished money was uid supphed these lands, 10 proximity id the bhare- lonstruction ; to set aside 1 Lake Supe- to complete k'o points, rapid (which navigation ot impediment, t" considerahle f the Rocky s a gap hi the no great oh- Iween the Co- ,e sources are communica- Iblished. J This colossal design, with the aid of skill and capital, will be, without doubt, eventually achieved unless, indeed, we should become a race of aero- nauts, and sail about in balloons, or fly with talis- mans instead of being drawn over land and ocean by steam. It is hard to say where the march of improve- ment may carry us to ; but even calculating by our present standard of inventions, the feasability of the suggestion just made is complete. With respect to the territory embraced in our El Dorado, over wdiich the authority of the Hudson's Bay Company extends, it is a somewhat peculiar historical circumstance that England herself did not acquire exclusive possession of it until the treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, yet it was given away by Charles the Second, \mder charter, in 1670. Glancing over the vast regions dcn-otcd to the fur trade, the area of which is as large as that of all Europe, the first idea is that of amazement, that so large a portion of the earth's surface, and that under the British sceptre, should have been so long abandoned as a mere hunting ground. Government, however, will not renew the license of the Hudson's Bay Company over any part of D H 50 THE NEW EL DORADO ; the North American territory, which promises early colonization ; but it is reserved for further deliberation, whether they will renew it for a limited period over the more remote and northern regions, taking care that the government shall have always the power to withdraw from that license any land that may be required for the purposes of civilization ; that they shall retain all imperial rights to fisheries, and to mines, and whatever may call forth human industry and en- t(!rprise, in pursuits more congenial to our tastes and wants, than the barren trade in skins, which carries us back to times without a history. Already in the large territory which extends west of the Rocky Mountains, from the x\meri- can frontier up to the skirts of the Russian do- mains. Great Britain is laying the mighty foun- dation of what will become a magnificent abode for the human race. And now, eastward of the Rocky Mountains, we are invited to see in the settlement of the Red River the nucleus of a new colony, a rampart against any hostile in- roads from the American frontier, and an essen- tial arch, as it were, to that great viaduct, by which it is to be hoped we may one day, and that OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 51 lof a in- ssen- [t, by that not very remote, connect the harbours of Van- couver with the Gulf of St. Lawrence. With regard to the safety of the Red River settlement from an attack from the United States quarter, the population numbers about eight thousand five hundred, of which two thou- sand are English, Irish, and Scotch, the remainder consisting of half breeds. They are good shots, and capital horsemen. A local militia of at least one thousand men could be readily embo- died at any time. The post is easy of defence, unless against heavy ordnance, which it would be difficult to bring up against it ; but the position might be rendered impregnable. I have thus made allusion to the Red River settlementjOwing to the probability of its becoming an intermediate station, and city of high import- ance in our future overland traffic between Canada and British Columbia ; as, from its geographical position, it is well adapted for, being without a rival; and as we have before said, the solitary oasis in the wilderness east of the Rockv Mountains. D 2 i '^ 1 I \i I ^1, ii^ ^ II I .1 :l • 52 THE NEW EL DORADO ; CHAPTER VI. HISTORICAL SKETCHES. In the year 1497, and under the patronage of Htnry VII., when the discoveries of Columbus had awoke liic s| 'rit of adventure in England, an expedition was fitted out from Bristol under the command of one Cabot, a merchant. This enterprise resulted in the discovery of Newfound- land, and an exploration of the coast from Labrador to Virginia. Thus the English were the next follow^ers of the Spanish in the new world. This opened the way for other adven- turers, and in 1608, the French, under Cartier, penetrated as far as the Island of Montreal, where •r^r^'k .„ OR BRITISH COLUMBIA. they founded a colony. After that, the wildesi. and most seemingly inaccessible country was explored, and a trade at once sprung up between the Indians and the whites. In 1610, the English, in the person of John Hudson, explored the so-named Hudson's Bay, nine hundred miles in Itngth, by six hundred in greatest breadth. Both nations soon joined in the traffic with the natives for skins and furs, the trade rapidly grew, and immense profits accrued to those engaged in it. The white man plunged into the as yet unknown wilderness, and by the gift of trifling baubles procured all that th.e Red man could give. Montreal became the 'hiof mart of this traffic. Hordes of Indians came down periodically m their canoes, laden with the s jils of the huntiiig season — unloaded their priiuitive crafts, which they drew up on the beach, and formed en- campments outside the town, where, with much show of native ceremony, they held fairs for the disposal of their produce. They would ask an audience of the Governor- General, who would respond to their application, and hold the conference with some pom, , seated in an arm ^1 I 54 THE NEW EL DORADO; chair — which for the time being he felt a throne — while the Indians would squat round him in a semicircle, smoking pipes. Speeches and presents would be exchanged, and then the meeting w^ould break up. When the work of barter, in which knives, axes, kettles, and blan- kets took the place of money, was over, the aborigines would strike their tents, launch their canoes, and ply their way back into the interior. At this primitive period a class of men called Coureurs des Bois, or Rangers of the Woods, sprung up. Tiese would set out well stocked with wares suited to the Indian tastes and wants, and make their way along the rivers far into the primeval wilderness, and by the attrac- tion of their goods create new wants and habi- tudes among the natives, assimilating themselves meanwhile for months to the habits and customs of the various tribes. They would often clothe themselves in skins, and travel with Indian wives. As, however, civilization leaves behind no- thing but its vices amongst an aboriginal people, so these men did not fail in their intercourse with the red men to contaminate and vitiate both physically and morally. Subsequently the OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 55 French issued orders prohibiting all persons, on pain of death, from trading in the interior of the country without a license ; this, however, failed to abolish the traffic referred to, and it therefurc continued long after, to the great detriment of the native population, who revelled away in unsightly drunkenness, pitiable victims of " Old Tom," supplied by these outlaws of civilization. Sixty years later, the Hudson's Bay Company, in the person of Prince Rupert, obtained their charter. In 1794, the United States and Great Britain signed a treaty of commerce and navi- gation, when an extensive and regular trade, solely in furs, set in with redoubled force between the Americans and the Indian tribes of the Mississippi and Lake Superior. About this period the great North West Fur Company, and subsequently the Pacific Russian-American Fur Company, the latter originated by a wealthy New Yorker, one John Jacob Astor, commenced operations, when fearful rivalry, often involving bloodshed, ensued between them and the estab- lished Hudson's Bay Company ; the three com- panies, however, became amalgamated by the intervention of the British government in 1819. o6 THE NEW EL DORADO ; I! In 1821, an act of Parliament was passed, under which the crown granted to the then amalgamated companies, trading under the title of the Hudson's Bay Company, a license of ex- clusive trade " over all those tracts that might not be included in the original charter, and also over those tracts which by mutual consent were equally open to the subjects of England and the United States." It was this license, which, on the 30th of May, 1 838, was renewed for the ^pace of twenty- one years, and which consequently terminates on that day 1859. OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 57 CHAPTER VII. THE OASIS IN THE WILDERNESS. As It is not improbable that the influx of popu- lation at one part of the coast will extend its influence to the other settlements of that region, a brief sketch of the Red River settlement, which I visited some years back, may not be unaccept- able. Originally established by the Scotch of the Hudson's Bay Company in 1812, it, from its singularity of character and position, lies as an oasis in the vast wilderness of a savage re- gion. It is situated in the fiftieth degree of north latitude, and the ninety-seventh of west longitude, and at an elevation of about a thou- sand feet above the level of the sea, and near D 3 I' K ! 58 THE NEW EL DORADO ; the confluence of the Red and Assinaboinc Rivers, whose united waters run northward about thirty miles into lake Winnipeg, which also re- ceives nnany other tributary streams. Those two rivers flow through a vast extent of country, fertile, and redundant of vegetation, and of salu- brious climate. The Red River rises in the United States, near the sources of the Mississippi, and runs northward ; the Assinaboinc flows from the north-west. The cold season lasts about five months, from November till April ; but the ice on lake Winnipeg does not break up till May. The range of the settlement stretches upwards of fifty miles along the romantic and woody banks of those rivers. Their borders are cultivated to the breadth of more than a mile ; all the back country remaining to a great extent in its original state — a vast natural pas- ture, covered during the greater part of the year with cattle, and furnishing the colonists with a considerable quantity of hay for the support of their herds during the winter. Horses, horned cattle, hogs, and poultry, are exceedingly numerous. Sheep introduced from England and the United States speckle the OR BRITISH COLUMniA. 59 \n(l ders n u [:reat pas- year th a :t of are Ifrom the landscape, and arc reared with great success. Wheat, harley, oats, heans, peas, maise, potatoes, turnips, and culinary vegetables thrive well. Pumpkins, melons, and cucumbers arrive at maturity in the open air. Hops, as also flax imd hemp, grow luxuriously. The most common sorts of wood are oak, poplar, elm, and maple ; pines are found towards lake Winnipeg. On this lake vessels ply in summer between the colony and the Hudson's Bay Company's entre- pot of Norway House, which is situated at its northern extremity, where the river navigation to Hudson's Bay commences, the lake empty- ing itself into the latter by the Nelson River. There are two principal churches, the Protes- tant and Roman Catholic, the latter a bishopric, and these, together with the jail, the bishop's residence, the oflSces of the Fludson's Bay Com- pany, and many of the houses of those retired officers of the fur trade who prefer remaining here to returning to their native country, are built of stone. The generality of the settlers, however, live in frame or log houses roofed with wooden slabs, bark, or shingles, which are for the most part whitewashed, or painted externally. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1^128 |Z5 |jo "^™ iimb ^ Ui 122 S la 12.0 IL25 iiy 1.4 V y] rt '> ') ^'^' ^ Photographic Sciences Corporation M i\ iV :\ \ ^^ '^<\*/'' 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MSSO (716) 872-4503 60 THE NEW EL DORADO ; Every man, however low his condition, possesses a horse, and each vies with the other in gay curricles, harness, saddle, and fine clothes. Labour is dear, and produce of every kind sells at a higher price than could be expected in a place so remote and secluded. Domestic manufactures are now lessening the demand for imported goods, and a trade in grain and cattle has sprung up between the colonists and the Americans of the level plains leading to the Mississippi and the St. Peter's; while hides, tallow, wool, hemp, and flax, have already been ex- ported to England. Wind and water mills are as common as in Holland, and Crces and Chip- peway Indians have settlements at the lower extremity of the colony. The Red River Settlement is situated partly on the banks of the Red River and partly on the banks of a smaller stream called the Assina- boine, in latitude 50 deg. and extends upwards of fifty miles along the banks of these two streams. The country around it is a vast tree- less prairie, upon which scarcely a shrub is to be seen, but a thick coat of grass covers it throughout its entire extent, with the exception OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 61 of a few spots, where the hollowness of the ground has collected a little moisture, or the meandering of some small stream or rivulet en- riches the soil and covers the banks with verdant shrubs and trees. The banks of the Red and Assinaboine Rivers are covered with a thick belt of woodland, which does not, however, extend far back into the plains. It is composed of oak, poplar, willows, and pine, the first of which is much used for firewood by the settlers. The larger timber in the adjacent woods is thus being rapidly thinned, and very soon the inhabi- tants will have to raft their firewood down the rivers from a considerable distance. The settlers are a mixture of French, Canadians, Scotchmen, and Indians. In the year 1826, Red River overflowed its banks and flooded the whole settlement, obliging the settlers to forsake their houses and drive their horses and cattle to the hilly eminences in the immediate vicinity. These eminences are few and small, so that during the flood they presented a curious appearance, being crowded with men, women, and children, horses, cattle, sheep, and poultry. The houses being made (?2 VUK NKW V\. DOUADO; «>f wood, and o!\ly built on (Ik* gro\n»d, nol s\nd< into it, wore raniod away by tlozons, and great nundurs ot' horvsrs and cattle were drowned. Durinjr the time it laatcMl, the settlers saih'd and |)ad(]l(*d a?nong their honues in boats and eanoes ; ai\d th(\v now point, out grassy and i)ushy spots where the\ dw(»lt in tluMr tents, or paddled about the derp waters in their eanoes in the year of the tiood. This sounds verv antediluvian ; luul when you hear a hale, nuddleaged colonist tell you with a ludicrously grave countenance that vso-and so occvutihI, or that his lu)use stotxl in such a place a year before the flood, it is hani to refrain from grinning — pardon the expression. Fort Garry, the principal establislunont of the Hudson's Hay Company, stands on the banks of the Assinaboino River, at about two hundred yards from the junction with Red River. It is a square, stone building, with bastions pier(;ed (or camion at the corners. The principal dwell- ing-houses, stores, ar.d otiiccs arc built within the walls, and the stables at a short distance from the fort. The situation is pretty and (juict ; but the surrounding country is too fiat for the lover o{ the grand and picturesque, .lust in on, imiTisii ohUMiUA. f)3 fnint of the; lako glidos tli<; |)cuc(;l'iil AHsinu- l)()iiii', wlu;i'(;, on ii liiH; dny in autuinri, may Ix; Hvvw tliousands of fish (gold ryes) playiiifr in its waters. On tlie Irft oxtonds tlu! woodland, iVinging the river, with hero and tlirn; a (;lnrn|) of 8inall('r trees and willows, surroundirig the swainpH formed hy tlu; melting snows of sprinjj^, wliere (locks of wild ducks and noisy plovers giv■ ? couver Island, and, accompanied by a hundred voyagers, will thence move eastward through British territory, definitely locating a railroad route as he advances. Simultaneously, a joint commission of the American and English go- vernments are engaged in running the inter- national boundary from Puget's Sound to Lake Superior, commencing at the Pacific terminus. And now comes the gold discovery of the north west, which will probably renew, if not outvie, in that direction, the wonderful history of California and Australia. An overland route from St. Paul, on Ame- rican territory, to Puget's Sound, or through the Saskatchewan basin to Frazer River and Van- couver's Island, is central to an immense and fertile area, which, at no remote day, must connect with the channels of the Mississippi and the St. Lawrence, vvithin the limits of Minnesota. From lat. 44 to 54 deg., and from longitude 92 to 112 deg. (west of Greenwich), or between Lake Superior and Winnepeg on the east, and the Rocky Mountains, there is comprised an area of 631,050 square miles. I i OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 73 Extend these lines of latitude to the Pacific, in longitude 124, and we have a further area of 378,636 square miles, or an aggregate of 1,009,686 square miles, equal in extent to France, Germany, Prussia, Austria, and that portion of Russia which lies south of St. Petershurg and west of Moscow. A district 10 degrees of latitude wide by 32 of longitude in length, would comprise twenty-four states of the size of Ohio. Our present inquiry, however, is confined to the upper half of this vast region, or exclusively north of the boundary of forty-nine degrees ; and since an emigrant route to Frazer River is under consideration, a general view of the dis- tricts to be traversed by such a route, or closely connected with it, will first be presented. Those districts of British America west of the lakes, which by soil and climate are suitable for settle- ment, may be thus enumerated : — square miles. Vancouver's Island 16,000 Frazer and Thompson Rivers 60,000 Sources of the Upper Columbia 20,000 Athabaska District 50,000 Saskatchewan, Red River, Assineboin, &c. 360,000 506,200 ,1 i 74 THE NEW EL DORADO; Under these geographical divisions — whose area would constitute twelve States of the size of Ohio — I propose to give the results of a parliamentary investigation, recently published, into the affairs of the Hudson's Bay Company, so far as they are descriptive of the foregoing districts : — Vancouver's island. This island is fertile, well timbered, finely diversified by intersecting mountain ranges and small prairies, with extensive coal fields, com- pared by one witness to the West Riding of Yorkshire coal, and fortunate in its harbours. Esquimuult Harbour, on which Victoria is situa- ted, is equal to San Francisco. The salmon and other fisheries are excellent ; but this advan- tage is shared by every stream and inlet of the adjacent coast. The climate is frequently com- pared with England, except that it is even warmer. The winter is stormy, with heavy rains in November and December ; frosts occur in the lowlands in January, but seldom interrupt agriculture ; veg'itation starts in February, rapidly OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 75 progressing in March, and fostered by alternate warm showers and sunshine in April and May — while intense heat and drought are often ex- perienced during June, July, and August. As already remarked, the island has an area of sixteen thousand two hundred square miles, and is as large as Vermont and New Hampshire. FRAZER AND THOMPSON RIVERS. Northward of Vancouver's Island, the coast range of mountains trends so near the Pacific as to obstruct intercourse with the interior, but it is a fine open country. This is the valley of Frazer River. Ascending this river, near Fort Langley, a large tract of land is excellently adapted to colonists ; while of Thompson River, it is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, with a climate capable of producing all the crops of England, and rfiuch milder than Canada. The sources of Frazer River, in latitude fifty-five degrees, are separated from those of Peace River, (which flows through the Rocky Mountains eastwardly, into the Athabasca,) by the distance of only three hundred and seven- teen yards. £ 2 1^ .'HI 1 I 76 THE NEW EL DORADO ; SOURCES OF THE COLUMBIA. A glance at the map will show how consider- able a district of British Oregon is watered by the Upper Columbia and its tributary, the McGillivray or Flat-bow River. It is estimated above as twenty thousand square miles, and has been described in enthusiastic terms by the Catho- lic Bishop of Oregon — De Smet — in his " Ore- gon Missions." The territory of the Kootonais Indians would seem, from his glowing descrip- tion, to be divided into favourable proportion between forests and prairies. Of timber, he names birch, pine of different species, cedar, and cypress. He remarked specimens of cojil, and " great quantities of lead," apparently mixed with silver. The source of the Columbia seemed to impress him as " a very important point." He observes that '* the climate is delightful" — that the extremes of heat and cold are seldom known, the snow disappearing as it falls. He reiterates the opinion, "that the advantages nature seemed to have bestowed on the Columbia, will render its geographical position very important at some future day, and that the hand of civi- OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 77 lizeJ man would transform it into a terrestrial paradise." It is an interesting coincidence that Father De Sniet published in a St. Louis (American) paper, a few months since, a similar description of this region, adding that it could be reached from Salt Lake City, along the western base of the Rocky Mountains, with waggons, and that Brigham Young proposed to lead his next Mormon exodus to the sources of the Columbia river. Such a movement is not improbable, and would exhibit far greater sagacity than an emigration to Sonora. Already the Mormons — obnoxious though they be — have established a flourishing half-way post on the Salmon River, (a branch of the Columbia) ; and as De Smet has had many opportunities for ascertaining the designs of the Mormon hierarchy, the next scene of their zeal and industry— should they still exist — may be under the protection of the British crown. THE ATHABASCA DISTRICT. The valley Ot' the Peace and Athabasca Rivers, which occupy the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains from lat. 55 to 59 deg., share the I 78 THE NEW EL DORADO; Pacific climate in a remarkable degree. The Rocky Mountains are greatly reduced in breadth and mean elevation, and through the numerous passes between their lofty peaks the winds of the Pacific reach the district in question. Hence it is that Sir Alexander Mackenzie, under date of May 10, mentions the " exuberant verdure of the whole country," trees about to blossom, and buf- faloes attended by their young. During the late Parliamentary investigation, similar statements were elicited. Dr. Richard King, who accom- panied an expedition in search of Sir John Ross, as "surgeon and naturalist," was asked what portion of the country he saw was available for the purpose of settlement. In reply, he de- scribed as a " very fertile valley," a " square piece of country," bounded on the south by Cumber- land-house, and by the Athabasca Lake on the north. His own words are as follow : " The sources of the Athabasca and the sources of the Saskatchewan include an enormous area of coun- try ; — it is, in fact, a vast piece of land sur- rounded by water. When I heard Dr. Living- ston *s description of that splendid country which he found in the interior of Africa within the OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 79 ' equator, it appeared to mo to be precisely the kind of country which I am now describing. . . . It is a rich soil, interspersed with well wooded country, there being growth of every kind, and the whole vegetable kingdom alive." When asked concerning mineral productions, his reply was, " I do not know of any other mineral except limestone ; this is apparent in all directions. . . . The birch, the beech, and the maple arc in abundance, and there is every sort of fruit." When questioned further is to the growth of trees, Dr. King nplied by a comparison " with the magnificent trees round Kensington Park, in London." He described a farm near Cumber- land-house under very successful cultivation — " luxuriant wheat " — potatoes, barley, pigs, cows, and horses. THE SASiCATCHEWAN, ASSINEBOIN AND RED RIVER DISTRICT. The area of this continent, north-west of Min- nesota, and known as the Saskatchewan district, is estimated by English authorities to comprise three hundred and sixty-eight thousand square miles. North-west from Otter-fall Lake, the 80 THE NEW EL DORADO ; If:: ^i geographical centre of Minnesota, extends a vast Silurian formation, bounded on the west along the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains by coal measures. Such a predominance of limestone implies fertility of soil, as in the north-western states, and the speedy colonization of Saskatche- wan would be assured, if the current objection to the severity of the climate was removed. On this point I shall offer a few illustrative facts. The Sea of Azof, which empties into the Black Sea, forming the eastern border of the Crimean peninsula, freezes about the beginning of November, and is seldom open before the be- ginning of April. A point less than one hun- dred miles north, but far down in Southern Russia, namely, Cathcrineoslay, has been found, from the observation of many years, to be iden- tical in summer and winter climate with Fort Snelling. Nine-tenths of European Russia, there- fore — the main seat of population and resources — is further north than St. Paul. In fact, Pembina is the climate equivalent of Moscow, and for that of St. Petersburg, (which is sixty degrees north) we may reasonably go to latitude fifty-five degrees on the American continent. I OR BRITISH COLUMBIA. 81 Like European Russia, also, the Saskatchewan district has a climate of extremes — the thermo- meter having a wide range ; but it is well under- stood that the r^jrowth of the cereals and of the most useful vegetables depends chiefly on the intensity and duration of the summer heats, and is comparatively little influenced by the severity of winter cold, or the lowness of the mean tem- perature during the year. Therefore it is important to observe that the northern shore of Lake Huron has the mean summer heat of BourdeauXjin southern France, or seventy degrees Fahrenheit, while Cumberland-house, in latitude fifty-four degrees, longitude one hundred and two degrees, on the Saskatchewan, exceeds in this respect Brussels and Paris. The United States' Army Mcierological Regis- ter has ascertained that the line of 70 deg. mean summer heat crosses the Hudson river at West Point, thence descends to the latitude of Pitts- burg, but westward is traced through Sandusky, Chicago, Fort Snelling, and Fort Union, near latitude 49 deg., into British America. The average annual heat at Quebec is experienced as E 3 i II i 8-2 THE NEW EL DORADO far north as latitude 52 deg. in the Saskatchewan country. It is justly claimed that, not only all the vicinity of the south hranch of the Saskatchewan is as mild in climate as St. Paul, but that the north branch of that river is almost equally favourable, and that the ameliorating influence of the Pacific, through the gorges of the Rocky Mountains, is so far felt on M'Kenzie's riven that wheat may be grown in its valley nearly to the 65th parallel. I have quoted the foregoing details in order to exhibit the general features and advantages of the country which extends between Minnesota and the gold regions of the North Pacific. It now remains for me to arrange the facts relative to the journey thither by the route of Pembina and the Saskatchewan The jturney from St. Paul to Pembina is familiarly known and easy of travel. From Pembina to the junction of Moose river with the Assineboin there is a well-defined track over a plain, such as Sir George Simpson describes on the way to the same point from Fort Garry. Under date of July 3d, he says : — " On the east, OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 83 i north, and south there was not a mound or a tree to vary the vast expanse of the greensward, while to the west (it would be to the north of our advancing party) were the gl'^aming hays of the Assineboin, separated from each other by wooded points of considerable depth." Gov. Simpson, with relays of horses, made the journey to Carlton-house in thirteen days, about forty- six miles per day. Commencing with his diary of the third day from Fort Garry (at the point where a party from Pombina would intersect his trail), such extracts I shall make as seem to embody useful information. July 5. — On resuming our journey we passed among tolerably well-wooded hills, while on cither side of us lay a constant succession of small lakes — some of them salt — which abounded in wild fowl. In the neighbourhood of these waters the pastures were rich and luxuriant ; and we tra- versed two fields (for so they might be termed) of the rose and the sweet briar. On reaching the summit of the hills that bounded the pretty valley of the Rapid River, we descried an encamp- ment, which proved lodges of Saulteaux Indians. We spent an hour in fording the stream. No - ,A jC^*«- while the gathered Indians chant, in measured order and suhdued tone, a song of reverence, Jiwe, and devotion. There is one very remarkahle peculiarity of their religious customs, which deservf^s notice. The chief who is supposed to possess the " right divine " of governing, and to he the intermediate agent between some vague Spirit and his creatures below, retires at times, whenever he fancies himself summoned, \ 104 THE NEW EL DORADO ; from the tribe, without giving them any previous intimation of his mission, and takes up his abode in the lonely ^*■oods and mountains, bearing with him clandestinely a small stock of dried salmon for sustenance. When he is missed, the report is soon spread abroad, und it becomes known that he is gone to hold communion with the Spirit. The Indian who saw him last on the day of his departure gives his testimony as to the direction which he took, and by that it is judged as to the district to which he has repaired ; a boundary line is then drawn, beyond v/hich it would be heinous to venture, as the region in which the chief is supposed to be, is held sacred till the period of his return ; any violation of this law is death, at the hand of the chief himself or of the tribe. The duration of his absence on this mission is irregular — often three weeks, and in general he selects the most barren and dreary region for his pilgrimage. He returns at last to the vil- lage, the most hideous object in nature, with matted hair, shrunken cheeks, blood-shot eyes, and parched lips — his blanket, which is his sole covering, hanging in shreds about him, torn by OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 105 boughs and brambles — his face begrimed with filth, and himself animated with all the unnati • ral ferocity of a demoniac. His return is by night, and as uncertain as his departure. In general he does not repair first to his own hoLse, but rushes to some other, according to the blind caprice of his wildness, and instead of entering it by the door, he ascends the roof, tears off one of the cedar-board coverings, and plunges down into the centre of the family circle ; he then springs on one of the full-grown inmates like a famished wolf, and wrenches with his teeth a mouthful of the flesh from his limbs or body, which he convulsively bolts down with- out any process of mastication, but barely chop- ping the lump once or twice for the purpose of easier deglutition. No resistance is made, for the sufferer thinks that he has been ordered by the Spirit to yield up a certain portion of his anatomy in sacrifice to the chief The latter then runs to another hut, and makes the same sort of hurried repast. He continues this process into other houses, until in a few hours he becomes ex- hausted from the quantity of human living flesh F 3 ^ 111 I \ 106 TIIU: NKVV EL DOUAT)0 ; whicli ho has (lcvoun3(l. He is then taken hoiiH' ill a state of torpor, ami thus remains like an overgorged beast of pri;y for a day or two afterwards. So rnueh importnnee and pride do the Indians attaeh to these kieerations, that the young men who liave not experieneed the luck of being thus fed upon, apply lighted gunpowder to their limbs, and use other means to produce the effect of a bite. In the neighbourhood tf Seal Harbour dwell the Sebassa tribe. They daub themselves en- tirely over with vermilion, and wear large rings through the nose. When a relative or parent dies, they put themselves in mourning by cut- ting the hair quite close, and blacking tlie face and neck for some months. Both sexes have large holes bored through their ears, from which they suspend plaited red worsted, hanging down about eiglit inches. They also wear bracelets of brass wire. The old women disfigure them- selves by having a slit cut right through their 1( owcr lip crosswise from one end to the other. They then have a piece of hard wood or bone made the length of the cut, rounded at the end. 3 OR, BRITISH COLUMlilA. 107 iibout two inches long, half an inch broad, and a (juartcr of an inch thick. This is inserted in the slit inside, between the lip and gum, making the lower lip project about an inch b(;yoii(l the upper, which of course is hideous. The Nass tribe adjoin the latter, and much resemble each other in many respects. They, the Nass, however, burn their dead, and deposit the ashes in a box in a secluded spot in the woods When a chief dies, lie is, before the roasting takes place, dressed up in his ermine — his face painted — and placed in a sitting posture in a canoe, and paddled round the maritime village looking almost alive again. The magicians, or doctors, wear very long hair ; they carry images of their gods in a box, which is kc^pt sacred from the eyes of the multitude. The natives stand in great awe of them, as they think them endowed with the power of charming away life. The natives along the entire coast speak, to some extent, broken English, owing to their traffic with Americans and Europeans. There can be no doubt but that civilised man is the worst enemy of the savage. Vice and extermination invariably and eventually attend 108 THE NEW EL DORADO ; his presence amongst the primitive children of the wilderness, and the remaining tribes of North American Indians are as surely fated to extinction as were the Mohicans who peopled the hanks of the Hudson, as are the Choctaws, the Poncas, the Pawnees, and the Pottowat- taines of the same continent, whose remnants still drag out a fettered and miserable existence on the usurped lands of their primogenial in- heritance. The discordant din of civilization is now heard far and wide over the grand extent of the land of the prairie and the lake ; and where the song and the war-cry of the red man alone resounded through the mighty soli- tude of forest and of plain, now the busy cla- mour of a million tongues strike harshly upon the ear from the midst of a city of bricks, and alas ! the red man is no more. But is society in a healthier state than when nature reigned in undisturbed, unmolested sovereignty , when the savage was lord of all, and he rang out in strains triumphant the thrilling whoop of vic- tory, the enchanting and unsophisticated song of freedom, unconscious of a blighting future ; when his native glee was boundless, and the I OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 109 thought of a world beyond his own never broke through the sunlight of his imagination, nor darkened the horizon of his happiness. No ; civilization preys upon itself. It creates wants, and it supplies them ; but in that creation and supply we have involved an sunount of strife, contention, and infamy which, in a more primitive state of soc iety, would never have had existence. A mixture of vice and effeminacy, it has given us an inheritance of woe, and built i.p around us a complex network ev(T destined to thwart and repel, struggle and toil as we may in our passage through the chequered labyrinth of life. It has made human nature base Jind sordid and rendered the whole v/orld one vast vortex of sin and iniquity. It has extinguished the spark of more than brotherly love which nature and nature's God primevally ordained, and has made callous the heax*t of man. This is an age, however, corrupted though it be, when might is right, and all the world worships Mammon ; when gold is more fascinating than wisdom or virtue, and money is indis- pensable to power. Thus iC is that invasion is \ 1 * f ! 110 THE NEW EL DORADO ; nothing worse than the other crafts and wiles of our complicated machinery, in which the stronger tyrannize over the weaker, and every deed and word is shackled by the hollow mockery — the giant hypocrisy — of conventionalism. It is in England that humanity is most shackled, and curbed, and oppressed by the offspring codes of a narrow civilization, rather than to endure which it would be a happier lot to sniff the woodland perfume of the primeval wilderness, and make nature alone tributary to our individual wants, far away from the pale of civilization, where the white man as yet hath never trodden. Fain would I echo the words of the last of Wau- vvaurrong, and exclaim — Give me the fierce wild wass-^ilrv of vore, Now but remember'd in my country's lore ; Give me a gunya, I should spurn a throne, And cherish more a boomerang my own, Than all the pomp conventionalism I see Gather'd around from which I long to flee, (E'en as the eagle doth in search of prey), And plough the distance lone and far away, Far as the desert by gay Kordofan, Or farther still, where never yet trod man. Give me a free, wild, boundless solitude, With panthers for companions and food, OU, milTISIl COLUMBIA. I II Where lions and hysienas prowl awide, And stealthy tigers spring and leopards hide, For I would rule them with an eye of fire, And t«ime them with the music of my lyre. Give me the q.iick Red Indian's thrilling whoop, The hungry vulture's swift unerring swoop. These are the things I love to hear and see, Hut hetter still to be alone and free On some wild crugland where the ocean's roar Blends up with wind-mouth'd caverns and the shore Is desolate of man, there would I dwell, • And build my gunya in some covert dell. That, however, which next approaches such a state is the ente/prise which impels a man into a strange and distant country, there to combat with the rude hand of nature, and build up to himself a habitation, become a founder of a new nation, the basis of whose social structure may rest on more independent ground than does the tinsel fabric of his mother country, and whose children may deck his memory with laurels. Such a carreer, gilded with wealth and attended by all the excitement and pleasures of dazzling promise, is open to any and every son of enterprise, who, discontented with his present lot and endowed with physical energy, may go forth to the New El Dorado of the Il 112 TIIK NEW KL DORADO ; North Pacific, where the hanncr of England fiaunts in the hreezo, and Hope ever smiHng, " leads on to fortune ;" where millions may revel away in luxurious delight, and the sun of lihertv will ever shine.. OR, IJRITISII COLUMlilA. 113 CHAPTER X. ABORIGINAL AND DESCRirTIVE. Fort St. James, the depot of British Columbia, erected by the Hudson's Buy Company, stands near the outlet of Stuart's Lake, and commands a magnificent view of the surrounding country. The lake is about fifty miles in length, and from three to four miles in breadth, stretching away to the north and north-east for about twenty miles ; the view from the Fort embraces nearly the whole of this section of it, which is studded with beautiful islets, that repose like bouquets of flowers upon the bright and smiling face of the living waters. The western shore is low, and indented by a number of small bays formed by 114 THE NEW EL DORADO; 1 iii wooded points projecting into the lake, the background rising abruptly into a ridge of hills of varied height and magnitude. On the east the view is limited to a range of two or three miles by the intervention of a high promontory, from which the eye glances to the snow-cL\J summits of the Rocky Mountains, that loom far in the distance, an imposing'* panorama of the bold and beautiful, hewn out in rugged grandeur, stern and picturesque. There is an Indian village, situated in a lovely spot, at the outlet of this lake. The houses, however, are few, and of very slight and simple construction ; they are formed of stakes driven into the ground, a square slab of wood being placed horizontally along the top of the wall made by the stakes, to which the latter are fastened by strips of willow bark. This enclosure, which is of a square form, is roofed in by placing two strong posts at each gable, which support the ridge-pole on which the roof-sticks are placed, one end resting on the ridge-pole and the other on the wall, the whole being covered with pine- tree bark. There is, in general, a door at each end, which is cut in the wall after the structure OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 115 is erected : these apertures are of a circular form, and about two and a half feet in diameter, so that a stranger finds it very awkward to pass through them. In effecting an entrance you first introduce a leg, then bending low the body, you press in head and shoulders ; in this posi- tion you will have some difficulty in maintaining your equilibrium, for if you draw in the rest of your body too quickly, it is but a chance that you will find yourself head undermost. The natives, however, glide through them with the agility of a weasel. A little further on, over a somewhat flat country, and in latitude 53 deg. north, stands Fort Alexandria, on the banks of Frazer's River, so called after the celebrated traveller. Sir Alexander Mackenzie. The tim- ber in this district is chiefly poplar, alder, and birch ; there is also some wild fruit scrub in the neighbourhood, furnishing abundant and j.;rateful crops of berries to the natives. Rock crystal, cobalt, talc, iron, marcosites of a gold colour, granite, fullers' earth, black marble, and limestone have been found about here, probably owing to their having been forced down the beds of rivers from the mountains. J^ 116 THE NEW EL DORADO ; ) The tribe of the Talkotins inhabit this imme- diate region. They are, however, alike with the Slowcrcuss, Dinais, Nascud, and Dinnee tribes, inhabiting the upper part of Frazer's River, as also, the entire tribes of British Columbia, merely divisions of the great Carrier tribe, and speak ostensibly the one language, although broken up into various dialects. They enter- tain great affection for their dogs, which are of diminutive size, resembling those of the Es- quimaux, with the curled-up tail, small ears and pointed nose. The natives here are very friendly and hospitable, and on the most peaceful terms with the whites. The salmon, the so-called British Columbian staif of life, ascend Frazer's River and its tributa- ries from the Pacific, in immense shoals, proceed- ing towards the sources of the streams, until stopped by shallow water. Having depo- sited their spawn, their dead bodies are to be seen floating down the current in thousands; few of them ever return to the sea ; thus it is that in consequence of the old fish perishing in this manner, they fail in this quarter every fourth year. The natives display a good deal of inge- OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 117 nuity in catching them. Where the current and depth of water permits, they bar the stream across by means of stakes driven into the bottom with much labour, and standing about six inches apart ; these are strongly bound to a piece of timber or plate running along the top, stays or supporters being placed at intervals of ten or twelve feet, and the upper end bearing against the plate so as to form an angle with the stream. Gaps arc left in the works of sufficient size to admit the baskets in which the tish are taken. After the whole is finished, square frames of wicker work, called keys, are let down against the upper side, to prevent the fish from ascending, and at the same time to allow the water a free passage. The keys require to be kept entirely free from obstruction, such as branches and leaves, other- wise the whole woi ks would soon be swept away from the force of the current. The baskets ire of a cylindrical form, about two and a half feet in diameter at the mouth, terminating in a point of four or five inches. When the fishing is over, all the materials are removed, and replaced the ensuing year with equal labour. 118 THE NEW EL DORADO ; In order to preserve the fish for future con- sumption, the back is split up, and the back bone extracted ; it is then hung up by the tail for a few days, when it is taken down and distended on splinters of wood ; these are attached to a sort of scaffold erected for the purpose, where the fish remains till sufficiently dry for preservation, it is rather a singular circumstance that at each periodical failing of the salmon, rabbits should swarm over the country in far greater numbers than at the other, and plentiful seasons ; but such is the case ; without which the natives would experience little short of famine. When the salmon return, the rabbits disap- pear, being destroyed or driven away by their greatest enemy, the lynx, which gradually swarm, also retiring, however, with the rabbits. The primitive custom amongst the natives here, as well as of the other unsettled tribes, is to burn their dead. The process is rather revolt- ing than anything else ; so I shall not enter into its minute detail. If a male, the relatives of the deceased as well as of the widow are present, and stand up armed while a funeral pile is erected. On this the body is placed, after which the widow OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 119 immediately sets fire to the pile, and stands by it during the entire process of blazing demolition, which lasts several days. After the burning, the bones and ashes are collected in a box and given in charge to the widc»v, who carries them about on her back until the time of the appointed feast day vo his memory, when they are takejji from her and deposited in a small hut, or placed on the top of a wooden pillar neatly carved, as their final resting place. These people have no idea, primitively, of a deity, nor of a future state ; it is therefore a popular error amongst Christians, promulgated chiefly by missionaries, that of supposing that there exists no nation on earth who are entirely strangers to the belief in a Supreme Being, or a resurrection of the dead. This opinion has been disseminated and strengthened by the representations of superficial, hearsay travellers, who have but imperfectly conversed with the aborigines of a country, and that after their intercourse with disciples of Christianity. The Indian, as well as the untutored mind generally, is too ready to catch at novelty to 1» h ! ; li ■ > I, ; , 120 THE NEW EL DORADO ; allow anything to pass unnoticed, or even with- out enlarging upon it, and making it applicable and tributary to himself; and so it was and is that the savage, in whom poetry is innate, has conjured up to himself superficial images of Divine agency, without knowing why or where- fore, but simply at the prompting of missionaries, and just as readily as a parrot may be taught to speak and the monkey to mimic, with this exception, that the Indian, having a keen intelli- gence and perception, readily fastens upon and comprehends a new idea ; he delights in the ideal — he is a creature of imagination, and so far as his thinking faculties go, he strives for em/ulation ; for anything else save the chase, and absolutely aboriginal occupations, he is disinclined, and hence his inadaptability for civilisation, and the certain destruction that succeeds to it. ** Sees God in clouds, and hears him in the storm," is a poetical phantasy — true he hears the thun- der and he sees the lightning, but with the same, only keener, effect as the buffalo and the deer. The God, which the poet mentions, is with him vague and undefined ; the commotion of the V *^_ OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 121 elements he considers, and rightly, to he the effect of natural causes. He never ponders over the creation of these things. He considers hinnself aloof, as he really is, entirely disconnected from their great workings He accepts the moon and the stars as a part of this vast system, but he never associates himself with these things, and he never hopes for anything beyond the grave. I have conversed with New Zenlanders, Aus- tralians, Kaffirs, Esquimaux, and other abori- gines, but could never deduce from their testi- mony that before they were sul)mitted to the indoctrinating influence of Christianity in the persons of the missionaries, they ever pictured to themselves a resurrection or a life hereafter ; and even now their belief, if such be at all enter- tained, is too vague and empty to influence their hopes or actions. Even at the present day the Takelly or Carrier Indians never allude to the deity ; in fact the Takelly language has not a term in it expressive of either deity, spirit, or soul — heaven or hell, — or anything approaching such. The Takelly says, "The toad hears me." When a Takelly is asked what becomes of him o 1! If J II I 4. ' ! ii 'I M . i 1'22 THK NKNV Ki, nnu A DO ; after {\vM\\, \\v rrplios, " My lifr sliiill Im^ r,i7/M(7, am! 1 shall be dead." Nut an idea has he i)f the soul, or o( a future f>>U\W of rewards and piuushiueuts. Fort Alexander is agreeahly vsituated, ns beft)re nientioued, on the hiudvs of Frazer's Riv(M-, on (lie outskirts of the great prairies. The surrounding eountry is beautifully diver- sitied hy hill and dale, grove and plain ; thi^ soil is rieh, yielding ahiuulant sueeessivo cro|)s of grain and vegetable, uniuanur(>d. • The eharnung loralify, the friendly disposition or thi^ Indians, iind the nrolitic abundance of vetretable e./d animal life, render this settlement one of the most pleasing in British Columbia. In spring the eountry swarms with game, pheasants and eurl(>w, ducks and geest;. Fort George, an outpost of Alexandria, stands higher up on tlie right bank of the same river. Its situation is exceedingly dreary, having in front a high hill that shades the summit late in th(^ morning, while the forest, deep and far, hems it in and (Rothes it in a somewhat melancholy gloom ; yet the soil is as prolific and the other products of the farm and the dairy are as abundant as at Alexandria. oil, imrnsii c;oi,uMni\. 123 TIk; 'rnkclly, t»r Carrinr liingun^n, ia a (liulcct of \\\{) Chi|)|)('wuynn ; niid it is rtitlior a singular fact tliat i\w two iritorvi^ninj^ dialects of tho UravMM- Indians and Tsckanirs, kindrod nations, hIiouM dillVr more from the ( Uiippcwayan than tli(^ (Jan icr ; the two latter nations heing per- te(;tly inti^Ilij^ihhi to each oth(;r, while the fonn(!r are hut very iM)|)erreetly understood hy their 'lOiniMhate nei;^hl)oiirH, the ChippewayaiiH. I may here njentioij that a popular error is extant reliilive to the number and variety of languages spoken l)y tlie North American In- dians. Th(i'e ixrv, in reahty, ordy four radically distinct languages from thr; shores of Lalu'ador to the Pacific : Saut«aix, Chippcwayan, Atna, and Chirsook. The Cree language is evidently a dialect of the Sauteux, sinnilar in construction, afid dilVering only in the modification of a few words. The Nascopics, or mountainc(Ts of Lalirador, speak a mixture of Crcc and Sauteux, the former predominafing. Along the communication from Montreal to the foot of the Rocky Mountains, following the Peace River route, the Sauteux are first met with ; their region extends from the lake of the Q 2 t ' «' 1-24 THE NEW EL DORADO; Two Mountains to Lake Winnipeg ; then come the Crocs as far as the Isle k la Crosse ; after them Crees and Chippewayans as far as Atha- basca ; and along the banks of Peace River the Beaver Indians occupy the lower, and the Tsckanics the upper part. The Chippcwayan is evidently the root of the Beaver, Tsekany, and Carrier dialects. On the west side of the Rocky Mountains, the Carrier language is suc- ceeded by the Atna, which extends along the Columbia as far down as the Chinooks, who inhabit the coast. The Atna language, in its variety of dialects, seems to have as wide a scope as either the Sauteux or Chippewayan. , The climate of British Columbia is exceed- ingly variable at all seasons of the year. Dur- ing some winters the weather continues mild throughout. These vicissitudes of temperature are owing to local causes, — proximity to, or distance from, the glaciers of the Rocky Moun- tains, the direction of the winds, the aspect of the place, and such other causes. Fort St. James is so situated as to be com- pletely exposed to the north-east wind, which wafts on its wings the freezing vapours of the v- '•Hi'i OU, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 125 glaciers. The instant the wind shifts to this quarter, a change of temperature is felt ; and when it continues to blow for a few hours, it becomes so cold, that even in summer small ponds are frozen over. The surrounding country is mountainous and rocky. Frazer's Lake is only about thirty miles distant from Fort St. James (on Stuart's Lake), yet there the climate is beautiful. But then the Fort stands in a valley open to the south- west, a fine champaign country, of a sandy soil, and is protected from the north-east winds by a high ridge of hills. The winter consequently seldom sets in before December, and the navi- gation is generally open at the end of April. Few countries present a more bold and beau- tiful variety of scenery than British Columbia, where towering mountains, hill and dale, valley and plain, forest and lake, all blend together in picturesque antitheses, and can be taken in at one meandering glance. There is nothing, I think, better calculated to awaken the more solemn feelings of our nature than these noble lakes, studded with innumerable islets, suddenly bursting upon the rJ' /..* '■ I 126 THE NKW EL DORADO; traveller's view as he emerges from the sombrt? forests of the American wilderness. The clear, unruffled waters stretching out to the horizon, here embracing the heavy and luxuriant foliage of a hundred wooded isles, or reflecting the wood-clad mountains on its margin, clothed in all the variegated hues of autumn ; and there glittering with dazzling brilliancy in the bright rays of the evening sun, or rippling among the reeds and rushes of some shallow bay, where hundreds of wild fowl chatter as they feed, with varied cry, rendering more apparent, rather than disturbing, the solemn stillness of the scene. This region is still rich in fur-bearing animals, especially beavers and martens, owing to their finding a safe retreat among the fastnesses of the Rocky Mountains, where they multiply undis- turbed ; there are also others, chiefly musk rats, minxes, and lynxes. Of the larger quadrupeds, bears only are numerous ; they are, however, to be met with in all their varieties, black, brown, chocolate, and grizzled. When I write the word grizzled, I am led to a vivid remembrance of a very narrow escape that I once had from one that I had wounded when out shooting '■Hi-., OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 127 alone In California. On that occasion 1 had to run a considerable distance, with the hear in close pursuit, befoi'; reaching a tree, my only chance of preseiMition. No sooner, however, had I sprung and clambered up to the second branches, than I perceived Bruin had reached its base, and moreover, was on the point ot' climbing up after me. Fortunately the tree was an awkward one for him on account of its slender trunk, but wps nevertheless climbable and strong enough to bear his weight. Without a moment's hesitation, and with all the deliberate impetuosity of desperation, I commenced load- ing my double-barrel piece, balancing myself meanwhile astride a branch, with legs de- pending and my left shoulder leaning against the trunk. I had not a moment to lose, the tree shook violently with the eiforts of my grizzly enemy to ascend ; and no sooner had I capped my charge, than up he came with stealthy but savage strides. He was within two feet only of me when I fired straight into his skull, upon which he fell half reelingly to the ground, and died within five minutes. — However, back to our El Dorado. A most 128 THE NEW EL DORADO; destructive little animal, the wood rat, infests the country, and generally nestles in the rocks, but prefers still more human habitations. They domicile under the floors of outbuildings, and not content with this, force their way into the inside, where they destroy and carry off every- thing they can. There is no way of securing the property in the stores from their depreda- tions but by placing it in strong boxes. When fairly located, it is almost impossible to root them out. They are of a grey colour, and of nearly the same form and size as the common rat, the tail excepted, which resembles that of the ground squirrel. The birds of British Columbia are the same as in Canada, excepting that more frequently than in the latter country, immense flocks of cranes are to be seen in autumn and spring flying high in the air; in autumn directing their flight to- wards the south, and in spring towards the north. Most of the lakes abound in fish ; the princi- pal varieties are trout, carp, white fish, and pike. Sturgeon weighing from one hundred to five hundred pounds, are sometimes caught. A beau- tiful small fish of the size of an anchovy, and shaped like a salmon, is found la a river that OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 129 of th. ind that falls into Stuart's Lake ; it is said they pass the winter in the lake, and ascend their favourite stream in the month of June, where they de- posit their spawn. They have the silvery scales of the large salmon, and are exceedingly rich, but the natives preserve them almost exclusively for their own use. There are four varieties of salmon, distinguished from each other by the peculiar form of their head ; the largest species seems to be the same as abounds in the rivers of Britain, and weighs from ten to twenty pounds ; the others do not exceed half that weight. The Takellies, or Carriers, do not use canoes on their hunting excursions, so that they are neces- sitated to carry all their conveniences on their backs ; and it is astonishing to see what heavy loads they can carry, especially the women, on whom the transport duty generally devolves. Amongst this nation, however, the women are held in much higher consideration than amongst other Indians ; they assist at the councils, and bome are even admitted to the feasts. This con- sideration they doubtless owe to the efficient aid they afford in procuring the means of subsist- ence. G 3 "liilW 130 TlIK NEW KL DORADO ; t ii *r *' The one sex is as actively exployed as the other during the fishing season. The men con- struct the weirs, repair thcin when necessary, and capture the fish ; the women split them up, a most laborious occu])ation when salmon is plen- tiful, suspend them on the scaftolds, attend to the drying, and other processes connected witli their preservation. They also collect berries, and dig up the edible roots that are found in the country, and which are of great service during the years of scarcity. Thus the labour of the women contributes as much to the support of the com- munity as that of the men. The latter are passionately addicted to gambling, staking every- thing they may possess, and continuing at it night and day until compelled to desist by sheer hunger. Their games are played with a few- small sticks neatly carved with a certain varying number of marks upon them, which being tied up in a small bundle of hay, the players draw out successively, throw up and catch in their hands until all are drawn, when they are taken up one by one and dashed against a piece of skin parchment and rolled up again in the hay ; the process being repeated after the manner of our card dealing. OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 131 They sing in chorus during the play, and manifest much merriment. The Takellies are a sedentary people, remain- ing shut up in their huts during the more severe part of the winter. A native encampment may then he approached without any sign being perceived of its vicinity, until their well or one of the salmon catches is arrived at. They are very social, congregating at each other's huts, and passing their time either in talking or sleeping. When awake their tongues are ever in motion, all bawling out at the same time, and creating a babbling uproar highly ludicrous to hear. There is much variety and melody in the airs ihey sing. They dance in circles, men and wo- men promiscuously, and while holding each other by the hand, and keeping both feet together, they hop sideways with a sudden jerk of the body ; this movement is difficult of execution, excellent time is, however, kept, while the blending together of the voices — male and female — in symphony, has an effect which cannot be called other than delightful. They are extremely hospitable, cheerfully ■Mi 132 THE NEW EL DORADO; u 1! ••I > sharing their last morsel with the stranger who may be in want. Hospitality, however, is a virtue which civilisation never improves. British Columbia has hitherto been the rich- est district in the vast domain of the Hudson's Bay Company : its annual returns averaged about 8,000 bearers, with a fair proportion of other valuable furs. When first settled, the goods required for trade were brought in by the winterers from Lac la Pluie, which was their depot. The people left the district as early in spring as navigation permitted, and returned so late that they were frequently overtaken by winter ere they reached their destination. Cold, hunger, and fatigue were the unavoidable consequences ex- perienced ; but the enterprising spirit of the men of those days — the intrepid and indefatigable adventurers of the North-west Company — was undauntable, and vanquished over every difficulty. It was that spirit that opened a communica- tion across the broad continent of America ; that penetrated to the frost-bound regions of the Arctic circle ; and that established a trade with the natives in tliis remote land, when the OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 133 merchandize required for it was in one season transported from Montreal across the wilderness, to within a short distance from the Pacific. Such enterprise is now dead so far as the fur trade is concerned. The Hudson's Bay Company's outfit stores have heen hitherto sent out from England, via Cape Horn, usually to Fort Van- couver ; thence they are conveyed in hoats to Okanagan, tl en transported on horses' backs to Alexandria, the lower post of the district on Frazer's River, whence they are conveyed in boats onward to Fort St. James. Over these tracts of country once ranged the hardy mountaineers, — the trading trappers who scaled the vast mountain chains of North America, and pursued their hazardous vocations amidst their wild recesses — moving from place to place on horseback, piercing the rugged defiles and threading the narrow gorges of the moun- tains, bounding across plains and valleys, whose pure and exhilarating atmosphere seemed to make them both physically and mentally a more lively and mercurial race than their fellow men — lithe, vigorous, and active ; extravagant in word, deed, and thought ; heedless of hardship, daring ill 134 THE NEW EL DORADO ; i of danger, prodigal of the present, and thought- less of the future ; hardy, self-dependent, and game-spirited, they pursued a career whose iromantic wildness was only surpassed by its vicis- situdes. Accustomed to live in tents, or to bivouac in the open air, the mountaineer despised even the comforts of the log hut, and preferred shooting his own game, lighting his own fire, and cooking his osvn repast a/ //'e^co. With his horse and his rifle he felt himself independent of the world, and spurned all its restraints. There was a nobility in this, more sterling than the peerage, which could not but command admiration. No class of men on the face of the earth led a life of more continued peril, exertion, and excitement, and were more enamoured of their occupation than these free trappers of the west. No toil, no privation, no danger, could turn the trapper from his pursuit. His passionate ex- citement at times resembled a mania. In vain might the most vigilant and cruel savages beset his path ; in vain might rocks, and precipices, and wintry torrents oppose his progress ; let OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 135 but a single track of the beaver meet his eye, all thoughts of danger were banished, all diffi- culties defied. At times he might be seen with his traps slung over his shoulder, buffeting his way across rapid streams, amidst floating blocks of ice ; at other times, with his traps swung on his back, clambering the most rugged mountains, scaling or descending the most frightful precipices, searching by routes inac- cessible to the horse, and never before trodden by white man, for springs and lakes unknown to his comrades, and where he might meet with his favourite game. Such was the mountaineer, and such he still may be ; but he has changed his field of enterprise, he has gone still higher, and still further from the haunts of civilization, and he is but seldom seen, and few indeed is the number of his once wild band. There was a fascination in savage life for these men — many of them shunned the haunts of civili- zation, ever after plunging beyond its pale, and so marrying native women, whom they became as attached to as they could have been to women of their own English, French, Canadian, or American race, transmitted to 136 THE NEW EL DORADO J .,1 posterity the "half-breeds" who so plentifully abound over the northern continent. It was a matter of emulation with them to adopt the man rs, .,ibits, dress, gesture, and even walk oif th Indian. Their hair, suffered to attain o. gre. ' length, was carefully combed out, and either left to fall carelessly over the shoulders, or plaited neatly, and tied up in otter skins or parti-coloured ribbons. A hunting shirt of ruffled calico of bright dyes, or of ornamented leather, fell as far down as the knee, below v nich curiously-fashioned leggings ornamented with strings, fringes, and a pro- fusion of hawks' bells, reached to a costly pair of mocassins of the finest Indian fabric, richly embroidered with beads. A blanket of scarlet or some other bright colour hung from the shoulders, and was girt round the waist with a red sash, which held the customary pistols, knife, and the stem of an Indian pipe. His gun would be lavishly decorated with brass tacks and vermilion, and provided with a fringe cover, occasionally of buckskin, ornamented with feathers. His horse, the noble minister to his pride, pleasure, and profit, was selected for his OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. L37 speed, spirit, and prancing carriage, and held a place in his estimation second only to himself, sharing largely of his bounty and of his pride and prowess of trapping, caparisoned in the most dashing and fantastic style; the bridles and crupper weightily embossed with beads and cockades, with the head, maae, and t? inter- woven with an abundance of eagles' pi les, that fluttered in the wind ; while, * complete his grotesque equipment, the proud an nal was bestreaked and bespotted with \ rn.*lion or white clay, whichever presented the most glaring contrast to his real colour. These tastes were and are still exactly those of the Indian, who prides himself as much upon his horse as upon his wife, and when thus gaudily caparisoned, is in his highest glory. ^tC' 138 THE NEW EL DORADO J CHAPTER XI. THE FUTURE GOVERNMENT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Let the colony of British Columhia he consti- tuted on the same hasis as was New South Wales, Why talk of ever annexing it to Canada ? The plan did not answer with regard to Vic- toria, whose geographical position with respect to New South Wales was far more favourable than is that of British Columbia with Canada ; and if worse did not befall it, the yoke would be even sooner thrown off by the settlement under consideration, than was that of the colony alluded to. Let a provisional government be formed, and sent out, if necessary, to administer the affairs OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 139 of the colony until such time as a fitting legis- lature might be provided, but by all means let it remain independent, and tributary alone to the mother country. For Canada to exercise surveillance over it would be at once fettering and obnoxious ; moreover, the work would be but inefficiently performed with so wide a distance between the seat of government and the local staff. For a rapidly rising country such as British Columbia, which has sprung into giant manhood, as it were, in a day, the ruling power must be on the spot ; the time which would necessarily elapse in com- municating from the one country to the other would be too great to suit the exigencies and requirements of a community and a territory so peculiarly situated as this. It must have a special governor and legis- lature of its own; it would be a dangerous experiment to try to dispense with such ; whereas their presence will contribute more to the safety, stability, and good order of the place amongst the sea of aliens for whom we have to legislate, than any other measure which the Bri- tish Government might organize. To make it 140 THE NEW EL DORADO; a mere undignified parasite of Canada would be the greatest blunder of statesmanship ever com- mitted ; the probable consequences of such a course I shall not presume to mention ; suffice it to say, that the representatives of the elder colony would be as little respected by the heed- less population who are now swarming from Puget's Sound to Thompson's River, as the laws they might be instructed to enforce. It is therefore to be sincerely hoped that the result of present and future deliberations upon this important subject which has so prominently engaged the minds of our politicians, and in which our present colonial secretary. Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, has taken so leading and praise- worthy a part, will be such as to obviate the hazardous evils which would inevitably arise from a union at any time of Canada with British Columbia, and to ensure the safe keeping of a land so extensive and bountifully supplied with the requirements of man, and upon which Nature has lavished her treasures with so inviting a prodigality. !l OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 141 CHAPTER XII. THE MAGIC SPELL. It would be hard to describe in colours and language sufficiently vivid, the tremendous excitement which is now raging, and the exodus that is now going forward from California to the new El Dorado of the North Pacific. Since the middle of the month of April the fever has been increasing with an almost maddened pulse, aftd its climax is far from' reached. The San Francisconians are rejoicing ; the halcyon days of 1849 were supposed to have gone by for ever; but suddenly they have awoke again — with their rush, their clamour, and their gold. 142 THIS NEW EL DORADO; I I V ^ I As she looked ten years ago in the first flush of her prosperity, now looks she again. Red and blue woollen shirted men, rough and stal- wart, now throng and lend renewed anima- tion to her streets, ranging about in squads, with picks, shovels, pans, blankets, and primitive looking rockers on their shoulders. It is nearly nine years since such scenes were witnessed there before. Shopkeepers are over- run with customers they never dreamt of seeing at their counters. This is owing to San Francisco being the grand rendezvous for miners from all parts of the interior, en route for Frazer's River. They, of course, require to replete their " kit " before starting, with the substantial addition also of a second revolver. Thus, it will be seen, that although anticipating it, they are not to be deterred by danger; al- though it is to be hoped that order will prevail, and the sacrifice of human life be avoided. So far as this refers to the Indians, it is sincerely to be desired ; unfortunately, however, a chief and another were shot, during a disturbance in the vicinity of Fort Hope, on Frazer River, OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 143 when the whole tribe was with great difficulty appeased by the agent of the Hudson's Bay Company. It is said, that men who have worked for vears in the mountains of California, know how to mana<£e the red men better than any regulars in the world ; but it is to be deplored, that their management is conducted too much at the revolver's mouth to be in accordance with true philanthropy, or yet the views of the Abo- rigines' Protection Society. Civilisation, how- ever, is a pestilence, and aboriginalism is as fated to fall before its inroads as, to use a scriptural simile, the sparks fly upward. Alas, that it should be so ! but we are driven, in self- defence, to seek sustenance in lands hitherto alone roamed over by the primitive rulers of the earth. Even in civilised society each preys upon the other — the stronger upon the weaker — and in this crushing of barbarism under the foot of civilisation, we have nothing worse than is being despotically enacted every moment of our lives in our cities and our homes. No longer is it doubted, or disputed, that a new 144 THE NEW EL DORADO; i I gold country awaits development in the North as rich, or even richer, in its resources as was Cali- fornia or Australia. The magic spell of the discovery is now being experienced throughout America, and its influence cannot fail to spread far and wide over the whole dominion of civilisation. Even up to the 20th of June, 14,800 souls had embarked from San Francisco alone, by steam and sailing vessels, for the new El Do- rado ; and it was fully anticipated that during the ensuing two months an equal or greater number would depart, and that the entire exodus from California, during the first six months of the Frazer's River fever would reach the enormous figure of 50,000. The rapidity and extent of the emigration now going forward has never been paralleled. On the 19th of June, when the steamer Republic, from Frazer's River, was telegraphed as coming up the bay about half-past two o'clock, the town was quite taken by surprise, as she was not expected till the 21st. The sensation which swayed the city was tremendous. Excitement and anticipation had been at a high pitch for two entire weeks, as no steamer had come down in the interim OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 145 )rth as 3 Cali- of the ugh out ead far isation. ) souls me, by El Do- during greater entire rst six d reach -apidity brward 9th of Tazer's he bay IS quite cted till he city cipation weeks, interim with later news than the Panama brought on the 5th of the same month ; the Pacific had arrived on the 8 th, but her dates only corre- sponded with those of the Panama. This was a long period of suspense ; but faith in Frazer River had never once flagged among the great body of the people of California, although more than one of the leading San Francisco journals had seemingly wavered, and striven to check the swelling tide of the northward bound. In less than an hour after the Republic had reached the wharf, several extras, i.e. evening editions of newspapers, were issued, as also the Evening Bulletin flooding the city with the eagerly sought intelligence. The result was, that con- fidence and assurance became doubly sure, and those who had hitherto hesitated and held back, hauled down their colours, and went in pell mell with the enthusiasm common to fresh con- verts. The question was no longer, " Are you going?" but "When do you get oflF?" All was animation and florid excitement, while gin slings and cocktails were in greater demand than ever. All the letters received H 146 THE NEW EL DORADO; fr(3m the various ports on Pugct's Sound (Ame- rican territory) and the diggings furnished cor- roborative testimony as to the extent and richness of the new placers. The impression of all who have gone is, alike with my own, unanimous and conclusive as to the grand fact of the new El Dorado being tfu; seat of even greater treasures than have made famous the name of Cahfornia. Up to the 22nd of June no steamer had returned with more than a dozen passengers, and these had come down to obtain supplies either for themselves or party, with the intention of returning by the next steamer; saying, however, that nothing would be l(>st by not reaching there before the boginnin:. -A August, as the rivers will remain Hooded tiii that time. But this intormation has no effect m retarding the people of California ; on they rush, mjiking every sacrifice, and caring for nothing save a passage to the glittering land. Impatient of the day, they rush on with resistless speed and palpitating gladness — at- tracted as the magnet to the steel, they fly to the demon of gold. r ] \ 1 ♦ OR, BllITISH COLUMBIA. 147 Between the 5th and the 20th of June the following vessels sailed from San Franciseo for Victoria (Vancouver's Island) and ports on Puget's Sound : June 5, Barque, Gold Hunter. — 7, Steamer, Republic. — 9, „ Commodore. — 10, Schooner, Giulietta. — 12, Steamer, Panama. — — , Ship, Georgiana. — — , Barque, Adelaide. — — , Sloop, Curlew. — 14, Siiip, William Berry. — - 15, Barque, Live Yankee. — 17, Steamer, Cortez. — — , Schooner, Kossuth. — 18, „ Osprey. — — , Barque, Madonna. — 19, Steamer, Sarta Cruz. The above is one fortnight's list, according to the clearances at tha Custom-liouse, besides which several vessels in the regular coasting trade to those ports left, each taking a full com- plement of passengers ; about 6,000 took their departure between the dates named. .1 2 m. ' H 148 THE NEW EL DOR/ DO ; On thf 22nd of June the steamer Republic took her departure for the north again ; the Oregon on the 23rd, and the Commodore on the 24fh; while, at least, twenty vessels were on th'j berths announced for immediate des- patch ; some of the smaller vessels to take pas- sengers through to Fort Langley, stopping at Victoria to obtain permits to pass up Frazer's River, at the mouth of v;hich the British steamer, Satellite, is stationed to guard against unlicensed egress. The price of a first-class cabin passage to Victoria by steamer is sixty- five dollars, and thirty- five dollars in the steer- age. The sailing craft charge from sixty down to twenty-five dollars. Nearly all the Califor- nian emigration has hitherto landed at Victoria, owing to Governor Douglas not granting licenses elsewhere From the 1st of May to the 15 th of June, 9,1' 00 oassengers left Sacramento for San Fran- cisco > agan'^-t 5,800 during a previous period of six weeks. The excess of travel over the different sta^^e routes to Sacramento and Folsom since the fever set in w^as 3,674. What the emigration by the San Joaquin has been was OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 149 10 d the som the was not computed ; but the rush from the southern mines was even more general than from the middle and northern sections. The arrivals by up-river steamers in San Francisco during the week ending the 20th of June averaged 500 nightly of those bound to the New El Dorado, while the departures for the latter were of about the same daily average. The roads in the interior and across the moun- tains presented, meanwhile, an appearance simi- lar to the retreat of a routed army. Stages, express waggons, and vehicles of every character, were called into requisition for the immediate emergency, and all rolled along crowded, while whole battalions were preSvsing forward before, behind, and alongside, either on horse or mule- back, or on foot, all eager for the fray. New life has been infused into the blood of the vast mining population of North America, and on they roll in one resistless tide. To gather gokl where ghastly hunger hies. However, plenty will follow in their train, And gold will gild what nought but wealth could build. 150 THE NEW EL DORADO; May happiness crown their hopes is my most enthusiastic wish. Of course, the shipments of merchandise from San Francisco were very large to keep pace with this sudden transmigration of thousands to a region totally unsupplied with the commodities necesisary for their use and subsistence, but the supply was still unequal to the demand. Recurring again to San Francisco, the rush and excitement are by no means confined to miners, but seem to have operated on all classes alike. Even newspaper men, the most inveterate and pertinacious of all, were about leaving in considerable numbers. A lively /.nsiness — very lively it is to be presumed — was reported to be doing in the hardware and clothing lines as well as in provisions — very indispensable, we guess. Nearly all those from the interior require a new fit out in whole or in part. Revolvers, rifles, shot, guns, and knives ; pickaxes, shovels, and hoes, rocker iron drills and rifle boxes, flannel shirts, thick coats and pants, waterproofs, oilcloths, and water-boots — eagle -topped ones, of course — were all in high demand. So great is the rush, that hundreds OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 151 arc unable to procure an immediate passage, while thousands were waiting their turn at Sacramento and Stockton for conveyance to San Francisco. Scarcely one leaves the latter city without disbursing more or less money, and more than a million dollars were calculated to have been added to the daily circulation of the place since the rage set in. Such is the unpa- ralleled effect of the discovery of our New El Dorado — the golden realm of thrice ten thousand hopes. ml » 152 THE NEW KK DORADO ; CHAPTER XIII. t THE FINGER-POST. The difficulties which present themscmselves at first sight in the way of reaching our El Dorado, are obviously greater than those attending a transmigration direct to the shores of the Australasian isles ; these, however, upon ex- amination, will be found either easy of obviation or such as may be readily surmounted by those endowed with the spirit of enterprise, and pos- sessed of that subordinate but necessary quali- fication, their passage-money. The readiest mode whi'^h the traveller can pursue is to take passage to New York, from OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 153 which city he can travel with a through ticket to San Francisco via the Isthmus From San Francisco steamers ply to Frazcr's River, up which he can proceed without delay in boats and canoes. California may be reached at a minimum expense of twenty-tive or thirty pounds only from England, from which the ad- venturer can either proceed overland on foot and horse via Puget's Sound, or bysteamer,at a chance fare, to the nearest navigable point of the new gold diggings. Frazcr's River lies seven hundred miles north of San Francisco, yet it is still one or two degrees south of the latitude of London ; and although at a distance of one hundred and fifty miles from the shores of the Pacific, there stands a barrier of mountains, whose rugged and lofty summits are ever snow-capped ; still the ave- rage temperature throughout the year between that and the coast is fifty-four degrees Fahren- heit, while snow is seldom lodged on the ground for more than three days throughout the entire winter. Fruit-trees blossom in April, and salad goes to seed early in May. Wlieat yields from twenty-five to thirty bushels per acre. The trees are gigantic, while iron, copper, and other H 3 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // 1.0 I.I lU 1st u 140 u& IL25 II 1.4 11^ I 1.6 vl "w o^ VI ^ '^ Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRiCT WnSTM.N.Y. ViSM (716)r/1-4S03 '^ 154 TllK NEW EL DORADO ; minerals intersect the rich and flowery pasture lands. From Frazer's River down to Peru the rivers all bear down treasures of a natural wealth perfectly inestimable; thus demonstrating the vast resources, collateral and direct, of that land where Fortune stands beckoninf^, and lavishes her bounteous gifts upon all who come. There is a strong and growing demand for all kinds of labour at almost fabulous rates of remuneration. There are the finest openings for trade specula- tions that ever existed. Credit, of course, as in all new countries, is, and will continue to be abundant, thus dispensing ^vith the necessity for capital ; all that is required being the wide- awake faculty, — a stout heart and a strong arm. Men who have been groping in the hazy squalor of poverty for years in this country, and might remain so for ever, may at once make a plunge into the arena of wealth and all its attendant glory, by embarking for the golden shores of our dazzling El Dorado. There are 500,000 square miles of the richest and most splendid country in the world, even looking at it in an agricultural point of view only, spread out before him, when he stands on OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 155 the auriferous region of which we speak. The salubrity of the climate sustains health and prolongs life, as is universally testified by those who have resided there, and who have displayed and borne out theu* good opinion of it by making it their final home — this is especially applicable to the retired officers of the Hudson's Bay Company. Of course, it is the grand object and interest of the latter monopoly to make the world believe the territory which they hold is a barren and rocky wilderness, unfit for anything but fur-bearing animals and those red warriors of the soil with whom they have so long trafficked in toys ; but the Hudson's Bay Company must remember that geographers and the world know to the contrary of what they would make believe, and that at least the 500,000 square miles already mentioned of their three millions of square miles of terri- tory are highly fertile and cultivable, and that the new and unprecedentedly rich gold fields which have just eclipsed Australia, and made California look pale, form the central gem of this vast and wealthy domain, where the Red Indian is now being driven before the rush of civilization, 156 THE NEW EL DORADO; which in its influence, alas I cannot fail to be otherwise than blasting and exterminating to him, but which will build up cities in the wil- derness where the waving of the prairie and the solitude of the mighty forest before only inspired the explorer with awe — regions of Indian ro- mance — unchronicled — forgotten. !ii| OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 157 ■3^' rC-: CHAPTER XIV. USEFUL AND PICTORIAL. Taking steamer from Liverpool or Southamp- ton, the passenger will find himself in all proba- bility the cabin-chum of some trading German, or Yankee, returning home after his travels. If he should have the misfortune to come in such close proximity with the former, I can only wish him married, — anywhere but berthed under or over a Dutch-bottomed lager beer-drinker. Yankees themselves are usually pretty smart^ agreeable sort of fellows ; although when a revolver has been pointed at a man's head by one, as was the case with myself, I might be expected to speak differently. However, if the m 158 THE NEW EL DORADO ; adventurer — I use the term in its most ennobled dignity — keeps clear of the aUoy of *' loafers" and card sharpers, which so plentifully abound amongst the American community, he stands a good chance of being fairly dealt with. The American character, on the whole, is highly to be commended ; they are extremely good-hearted, frank and obliging, and their faults, if in our egotism we so denote them, are rendered more conspicuous owing to their freedom from cant and treachery. A set of empty-headed, starched, convention- alists have gone to the United States and written books about a people of whom and their institu- tions they were all but entirely ignorant, and so have impressed John Bull with some odd notions of Jonathan, which, however, the latter is well able to defend and repudiate, were it worth the trouble ; the Yankee, however, is too mag- nanimous to heed or to retaliate — he can afford to stand the brunt of a few stray shots from such nurselings of vanity as have wasted their feeble strength in still more feeble satire and malignation. So much for the nation which report tells us has threatened to lick all creation, OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 159 and something else — but I forget what — into the bargain. From the foot of Canal Street, where the principal steam wharf lies, in the city of New York, the passenger may proceed to any of the hotels — I prefer the Metropolitan — in the car- riages of the latter, which he will find in attend- ance. He had better do this if he wishes to avoid exorbitant cab fare, and is unwilling to trust his luggage to hand porters and himself to his legs. His first duty after arrival should be to repair to the A spin wall and Pacific Steam Com- pany's offices, and engage his passage through to San Francisco. Afterwards, and up to the time of his departure, he can amuse himself to his perfect satisfaction ; for what with the continual eating and drinking going forward at the hotels, the most magnificent in the world, which charge at the uniform rate of two dollars and a half a day — the bustle of Broadway, and the thousands of pretty — I should say lovely — women that are there to be seen — the morning and evening amusements at Niblo's and other theatres and places, — he cannot fail in making matters agree- able to himself. The life and animation of the 160 THE NEW EL DORADO ; \i I Broadway is unparalleled in any other city of the world ; there is an excitement in merely looking at it. Moreover, there is u frankness and hospitality of manner and feeling ahout the people, that to any, save a narrowed and prejudiced mind, is pleasing and comforting. For my own part I should prefer living in New York to any other place 1 have ever seen, both on account of its society, liberality of opinion, which I term general magnanimity, and the beauties of the island city itself, as well as its contiguity to Brooklyn, the mosi . Ightful place of residence in the new world. After embarking, the passenger will find himself one of a thousand as regards the number on board, and in order to enjoy the voyage, he must blend in with the multitude, and guess and talk with them. This is an easy and congenial task, and one from which he may derive much information of the country to which he is bound, that is so far as California is concerned, there always being miners and traders on board, who have made the voyage there and back more than once before. When he gets to Panama, after crossing the OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 161 Isthmus from Aspinwall, it will well repay him to make a visit to the island of Tuboga, which lies at a distance of five miles from the city. It is highly picturesque, as well as being the old resort of the Gulf pirates, and the present dock-yard of the Pacific. The exuberant density of the foliage is presented to the eye in every direction, and the island having a hilly and undulating surface, the efl'ect is very fine and imposing, mountain rising on mountain, as it were, of luxuriant forest and mangrove trees, whose unfading and perennial green ever invites the eye of the traveller down the lovely Bay of Panama. When I was there, three years ago, a much-to-be-deplored tragedy was enacted. A carpenter by trade, who resided with his wife in a cottage near the beach, was known to have amassed some money, and he was about to leave the island. This was also known, — his cottage was broken into at two o'clock on one morning in June ; his throat was gashed at the hand of a rude assassin as he slept. His wife, w^ho was in bed with him at the time, miraculously escaped from the house in her night dress, with her throat also half dissevered. She ran through 162 THE NEW EL DORADO; ' I the forest and the night to the nearest habita- tion — the " Verandah Hotel ;" an alarm was given, but the murderers had fled when the scene of bloodshed was reached. During the day, however, two suspected men were captured and hanged by the populace ; one from the bowsprit of an old ship, stranded on the beach, the other from the bough of a tree. This was Lynch law with a vengeance. Their bodies were afterwards thrown into the bay, where they were quickly devoured by sharks, which there abound in large numbers. A short period after that, a melancholy catastrophe occurred, by the upsetting of a boat on her way from Panama to Taboga, which resulted in the loss of six lives, and of which the following lines offer a more graphic description than any other 1 can afford : — Returning to that island yet cncc more. The breeze-impelled swift-coarsing cutter flew On o'er the rock-strewn waters tow'rds the shore Of high Taboga, picturesque to view. The wind blew fresher, and the rampant waves Lash'd the bare breakers as we passed them by In plunging haste. Here ocean often raves, And sharks disport and wuids blow fierce and high } OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 163 The blue above turns black with sudden change, And all is wild commotion, till the squall Passes away, and then with lengthy range The eye can mark the mountains dark and tall, That flank the main five thousand miles along, From this the Gulf of Islands, to that strait Cours'd by Magellan once. But to my song. On plunged the boat, she bounded to her fate-~ One moment more a sunken reef was struck, (The sailors cursed their own and vessel's luck) ; She filled, she snnk, and left eight struggling souls To battle with the elements or die — To flee the sharks which now swam up in shoals, Or be devoured. IJut whither cuuld they fly ? An island lay not far from where she sank. So all dashed forward, madly, towVds its bank. But of the eight, two only gainM the shore, The rest were gorged or mangled as they swam. And on thuse waters, save some crimson gore, No sign of those who'd peopled the " Wig-wam"* Was left. Woeful their fate ! sad, thrilling, yea. Too wild to tell. Alas that island bay ! From Panama to San Francisco across smooth water, and with the balmiest of sea breezes, the passenger will observe nothing unusual to strike his attention, or mark the voyage with more than ordinary incident ; on nearing the Gulf Strait of San Francisco, however, the bold and picturesque * The name of the eunken boat. 164 THE NEW EL DORADO; scenery of in outi tains and coast cannot fuil to excite his admiration. The Bay is separated from the sea l)y low mountain ranges, looking from the peaks of the Sierra Nevada. The coast mountains present an apparently continuous line with only a single gap, and that resemhling an Alpine pass. This is the only water communication from the const to the interior country. Approaching from the sea, the coast presents a hold and declivitous outline, with undulating shade, here sharp and rugged, there almost smokelike in its softness. On the south the bordering mountains come down in a narrow ridge of broken hills, termi- nating in a precipitous point, against which the sea breaks heavily. On the northern side the mountains present a stern and imposing pro- montory, rising, in a few miles, to a height of two or three thousand feet. Between these points lies the strait, about a mile broad in the narrowest part, and five miles long from the sea to the bay. Passing through this so-called Golden Gate, the bay opens to the right and left, extending in each direction about thirty-five miles, having OR, niUTISlI COLUMIUA. 165 a total length of more than sijvcnty miles, and a coast of two hundnul and soventy-tivo miles. It is dividcul i)y straits and projecting points into three separate bays, of which the northern two ar^ called San I'ahlo, and Luisoon bays. Within the view presented lies a mountainous country, the bay n^sembling an interior lake of large cixtent, lying between parallel ranges of mountains. Islands, which have the bold aspect of the shores, some mere masses of rock, others ver- dant and moss clad, rising to the height of from three to eiglit hundred feet, break its surface, and enhance its pictun^squeness Directly fronting the entrance, and a few miles back from tlic shore, are to be seen a lofty range of mountains, rising about two thousand feet above the water level, and crowned by forests of gigantic cypress trees. Behind, the rugged peak of Mount Diavola, nearly four thousand feet high, overlooks the surrounding country of the bay, and the San Joaquim. The immediate shore of the bay derives, from its proximate and opposite relation to the sea, the name of Contra Costa, or Counter Coast. 166 THE NEW EL DORADO; It presents a varied character of rugged and broken hills, rolling and undulating land, and rich alluvial shores, backed by fertile and wooded ranges, here and there marked with villages and farms. A low alluvial bottom land, several miles in breadth, with occasional open woods of oak, borders the base of the mountains around the southern arm of the bay, terminating in a breadth of twenty miles in the beautiful valley of San Joseph ; a nairow plain of rich alluvial soil, lying between, ranges from two to three thousand feet high. The vaUey is thinly wooded with groves of oak, free from under- brush, and after the spring rains is covered with grass. Taken in connection with the valley of San Juan, with which it forms a con- tinuous plain, it is fifty-five miles long, and from one to twenty broad, opening into smaller valleys amongst the hills. At the head of the bay it is twenty miles broad, and about the same at the southern end ; where the soil is beautifully fertile, covered in the summer with four or five varieties of wild clover. In many places it is overgrown with wild mustard. OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 167 growing ten or twelve feet high, in almost im- penetrable fields, through which roads are made like lanes. On both sides, the mountains are fertile, wooded, or covered with grass and scattered trees. On the west it is protected from the chilly influence of the north-west winds by the Wild Cat ridge which separates it from the coast. This is a grassy timbered mountain, watered with small streams, and wooded on both sides with many varieties of trees and shrubbery, the heavier forest pine and cypress occupying the western slope. This range terminates in the south in the Anno Nuevo point of Monterey Bay ; and in the north declines into a broken ridge of hills about five miles wide, between the bay and the sea ; and having the city of San Francisco on the bay shore near its northern extremity, sheltered from the cold winds and sea fog. The slope of alluvial land continues around the eastern shores of the bays, intersected witli small streams, with good landing-places and deep water. The Strait of Carquines, about a mile broad, :W 168 THE NEW EL DORADO J connects the San Pablo and Suisocn Bays. The latter is connected with an expansion of the river, formed by the junction of the Sacramento and the San Joaquim, which enter San Fran- cisco Bay at the same latitude nearly as the Tagus at Lisbon. A delta of twenty-five miles in length, divided into islands by channels, connects the bay with the valleys of the Sacra- mento and the San Joaquim, into the mouth of which the tide flows, and which water the bay together as one river. Such is the bay of San Francisco and its bounding coast land. It lies as a sea in itself, connected only with the ocean by a defensible neck, or gate, opening out, between seventy and eighty miles to the right and left, upon a breadth of fifteen, deep enough for the largest ships. The head of the bay is about forty miles from the sea, and there connects it with the noble valleys of the Sacramento and the San Joaquim. Fascinating as is the scenery just described, it is, however, more probable that the traveller will have his though*^? more engrossed by the land b3 is nearing, and the wealth it has in OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 109 ^s. The of the •amen to a Fran- as the nty-five [lannels, 5 Sacra- louth of the bay and its n itself, fensible seventy upon a largest b forty it with nd the store for him, than in the contemplation of forest and mountain, flood and plain ; and he will more eagerly canvass the pilot's news, and join in the clamour of enquiry and conversation about the latest from the diggings on Frazer River, than he will about the geographical prospect within his view. However that may be, it is to be hoped, that he will not omit the survey on his return, when his mind has been rendered more calm by the realization of his hopes : for there is no excuse for a man who has wealth in gold, and con- sequently entertains no fear of sheriff's officers, not enjoying the beauties of Nature wherever he be. So much for the picturesque. jcribed, 'aveller by the has in 170 THE NEW EL DORADO ; CHAPTER XV. li 1 ) \ THE DIOGINGS. It is a pleasing sight to stand on the here rocky and there moss-elad banks of that pic- turesque but unpoetically-named river, the Frazer, and watch canoe after canoe glide past at regatta speed, laden with the gold-thirsty adventurers of eclipsed California. There is a romance in the lot and career of each of those weather- beaten daring sons of enterprise who launch forth into the wilderness to brave danger and endure hardships far away from the homes of their childhood, to which many of them are assuredly never destined to return. There is Ik m OR, lUUTISn COLMMnU 171 something noble in the self-dependence they manifest, and the hope and perseverance which fires and actuates tliem in their arduous struggle for the necessary bauble of earth. Put those who have felt the pains of poverty and the insults of debt, will at least in spirit join with them in their quest for giiin, for this is an fige and a world in which we must have money or sink ; and if we die in its pursuit, we scarcely shiU'c a worse fate than would have aw.iited us had we remained passive. All the world wor- ship Mammon, and woe unto him who does not gain and lives ; better to perish ; to be un- successful is to be socially damned. Such is the barren code of English life and opinion. Get me out of it, say I, and may millions echo my words and sentiment. The Frazer was navigated as far as Fort Hope, one hundred and fifty miles from its mouth, on the 4th of June, by the steamer Surprise, and for the first time, Fort Langley having hitherto been considered the highest navigable point. It is now known that Fort Yale, which is still higher, may be reached by sea-going vessels. The Sur- prise, together with others, was regularly steam- I 2 %. SJ* t 175 THE NEW EL DORADO; ing between Victoria (Vancouver's Island) and Fort Hope, in connection with the Pacific Mail Steam Packet Company's steamers from San Francisco to the former port. The Hudson's Bay Company's steamer the Otter, together with the Seabird, owned by a private party, were also engaged in the same traffic, each charging the same fare, viz. twenty dollars from the island, or anv of the sound ports, to Fort Langley, and the ports beyond. Between the 27 th of May and the 5 th of June, fifty canoes had reached the latter-named fort, each containing an average of six persons. The governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, together with four directors, and the captain of the British steamer Satellite, proceeded to Fort Yale on the 22nd of May, where they appointed Custom House officers. They were cordially received by the miners on the various bars along the river, and appointed magistrates from among them. After the 1st of August Go- vernor Douglas will, to the best of his ability, enforce strictly the terms of his late pro- clamation, requiring every man to take out a license, for which he is to pay five dollars l^3M*^" t OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 173 per month. The edict that no freight shall be taken into the interior on the steamers or otherwise, except that shipped by and belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company, is hardly likely to be strictly enforced for the time being. Miners were being allowed to carry full supplies for themselves, but none for trade. The up-river steamers were prohibited carrying any male passenger without his having a digging license. The sale of ardent spirits to the Indians was also prohibited. Already some have vio- lated these regulation:, and are to be severely dealt with in .consequence. One American trader from Bellingham Bay had two thousand dollars' worth of goods con- fiscated by the Hudson's Bay Company for trading near Fort Langley. It will be well, however, when such exasperating tyranny as this is done away with, and when that mono- poly p.od impediment, the Company referred to, are dispossessed of the territory on which at present they form the grand stumbling-block of civilization. They would fain make each of their skin-buyers an autocrat, and constitute each digging community a serfdom; but they i 174 THE NEW EL DORADO; will find the strong arm of rebellion lifted up against them, if they persist in too arbitrary a mode of government during their small remain- ing reign in that region. The American and the gold-digger will brook no infringement of the law of right and equity ; with him it is justice or death. Gold is found everywhere along TVazer's River ; and even during its extreme height par- ties were averaging fifteen to thirty dollars per day digging in the bank or on the upper edge of the bars, nearly all of which were overflowed. Big strikes of from fifty to two hundred and fiftv dollars were common. The miners were chiefly congregated between Forts Langley and Yale, and for some twenty or thirty miles above the latter, stretching along a distance of more than one hundred miles. A few were digging on Harrison River and other tributaries, where the gold abounds in larger particles. Those who were mining on the forks of Thompson's River showed still richer vields, but were com- pelled to leave, owing to the absence of provi- sions and the high stage of the water. The god upon the bars of the river, where the great OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 175 t 4. bodv of the miners are at work, is found in little particles like sand. No quicksilver liad been used ; but when that is attainable, the yield will be greatly augmented. At HiV's Bar, those at work averaged fifty dollars per day during the whole time they had been there. The Indians are as rich in gold and as excited as the whit^. While the river remains at its height, trails have to be resorted to above Fort Hope, and these are difficult. When the water falls, the river is navigable for canoes almost to its source, with the interruption of a few short portages. 176* •-•••If THE NEW EL DORADO ; CHAPTER XVI. FROM LONDON TO SAN FRANCISCO. It is well to keep to facts — bald facts in a work of this kind — and therefore the reader will fix his reliance more upon what is said than turn over the leaves, seeking the amusement ut a romance, or the fun of comedy. This hook may shape the destiny of hundreds, pardon my egotism, therefore; it behoves me to consider of the responsibility of my task, and, however sprightly may be my step, not to stumble into the ditch of error. Let us then proceed, reader, arm in arm — that is to say — with our spades and pickaxes, up the golden river of our hopes. Anything for money ; we »*•♦ of ; us we OR, URITISII COLUMlilA. i77 (tnnr.Dt do without it, and that iy the rijason we pay our sixty ])or cent, for monciy, and half that swallowed up in ^\\t jewelry, and — deliv(!r us, ye gods — a picture. However, Moses must suffer a postponennent ; if the diggings pay, h(5's sure to he glad to see us again — in the mean time cre- ditors* proceedings must hv. adjourned till our return to town — next year hut one. Mos(!Swill like that. Unanimously resolved that we go to the diggings, and take our petty cash with us instead of into the Queen's Bench. Let us fancy ourselves off, whizz ig across country, under arches and over bridges, past the brightly gleaming light — the red flare of the Lancashire furnaces, bang into the Lime Street station at Liverpool. Then far away over the dancing waves of the merry Atlantic to the Parian spin s and the islet-strewed bay of New York — the citv of bricks and marble, of beautiful women and fried oysters — of gorgeous hotels and flirta- tions. Then away with the rabble, nine hun- dred at least, to the Isthmus, where Aspinwall lies as flat as a pancake half hid in a swamp, and looking most blistered and brown. By the way at Jamaica, the steamer may call to take I 3 .^— -^^ 178 I I i I I 1 1 TIIK NKW EL DORAOO; in licr (liniior of coiils, when women alone to the feeding are set, while the lords of creation sit by, and bamboo-faced Englishmen tear about town as though they were treading Dundee, when of course all the time it is as hot as Bombay, and as dusty as Melbourne in May. From Aspin- wall, starting by railway, you go with a mountain of forest in view, built up on each side in im- pervious growth, rank and gigantic and wild. Ten to one but we shall have to get out before we are half way across, to give the engine a push along. Such is travelling across the Isthmus. Panama is an old tumble-down city, with ancient and defenceless walls and narrow streets, but possessing, however rocky and treacherous it may be, a picturesque and lovely bay, decked out with flower-clad isles, and overlooked by the mighty Andes, that loom far and high in the enchanting distance. After the arrival of the train all Panama will be tramped over and blockaded by the eight hundred live Yankees ; all the cafes and bar- rooms will be overcrowded, and Panama will seem to writhe under the din and weight of the sacrilegious strangers. A gun is fired — all rush I !. OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 179 down to the beach — a tender takes us off batch after batch to the steam(;r yonder ; away we j^o. A sudden squall springs up, we career gaily over, and sing and drink amidst the clamour of nearly a thousand voices. There is scarcely moving room on board, yet there is a life-belt slung up for every soul of us — happy consolation — whcre's mine ? It is all eating, drinking, and anticipa- tion till we reach San Francisco. They don't care so much about our arrival now as they do of the El Dorado ships, but still they are very glad to see us in their way. It is the twenty- ninth of May. On shore we gci, leaping like so many frogs from the whole side -length of the steamer. Here we are ; what a hubbub I We drink cocktails and gum-ticklers to amuse ourselves. We go with the crowd to " book " for the next steamer to Victoria — we have to wait our turn — there are at least five hundred before us, and just as many coming up behind. Glorious country ! Wc have reached it at last. Once more I stand on the shores of California, and the bay of San Francisco. It is the rosy month of Juue. On three 1 180 THE NEW EL DORADO; sides the glorious waters are spread out to the view, bounded by shores beautifully diver- sified with bold headlands, verdant promon- tories, and shaded islets, where the streamlets stealing down from the sloping hills com- mingle with the blue waters of the Pacific, while towering above -are lofty mountain ranges, amongst which the half shadowy crest of Mount Diavola stands in towering pre-eminence, form- ing a striking background, holding the bay and its contiguous shores in4heir embrace, like a large inland lake ; the broad expanse of its rippling bosom picturesquely relieved by the sight of many a sail -spread craft, with here and there a steamer, and the naked rigging of the anchorage ground. San Francisco itself is all life and animation, full of revelry and delight ; the very streets and wharves seem to groan beneath the weight, and the hotels and saloons swarm with the daring adventurers destined for the El Dorado, hardy sons of toil and enterprise, ready to penetrate even to the North Pole, in their eager, fevered pursuit of gold. Down the Sacramento pours night after night a torrent of future British OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 181 Columbians. It is useless to attempt to stem the tide : in the rush, the words of advice and the voice of reason are equally unheeded. The fever rages with a virulence that defies descrip- tion, and those who have become infected with it will hear nothing, listen to nothing, think of nothing, dream of nothing* but Erazer River and its golden sands. Even newspaper men, the last and least credulous in the world, are making off, — all seem determined upon ex- ploring for themselves. »They cannot be stopped even for a moment in their excited career; and although those who are now there, from whom letters have been received, advise intending emigrants not to start for a month till the river falls, yet every steamer, clipper ship, or barque, which sets sail for the north, is filled with pas- sengers, and hundreds have to be left behind for want of accommodation-room for them. For the rest — to my narrative. 182 THE NEW EL DORADO ; CHAPTER XVII. ii t I EMBARK FOR VANCOUVER, AND SUBSEQUENTLY MAKE USE OF MY GEOLOGICAL SHOVEL. It was a bright and beaming morning in early June on which I embarked on board the steamer Cortes for Victoria, Vancouver's Island ; all things to me wore a riant and festive aspect, for my spirit was elate with hope and buoyed up with the pleasures of anticipation ; to my eyes all was gold and glitter, and all that glittered gold. Ardent and impetuous, with a daring love of enterprise, danger, and excitement, I felt ready to plunge wherever the hand of fate or fortune beckoned, and, being reckless of conse- quences, wherever destiny determined. I stood upon the deck of that vessel as she slowly moved from htr place at San Francisco OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 183 wharf, one of nearly fifteen hundred passengers, and I blended up my voice with the farewell of that mighty crowd in a hearty, hopeful cheer to those collected on shore, although I had no friend there to respond. I was alone — I had been alone in lifp before — but I make friends with all mankind, and I never expect to find one more true to me than another till I am smiled upon in Holy — , my friend Parson Baggs will fill up the blank, by her whose love and every pleasure may be mine. The cheers of those on shore died faintly away in the distance, as the paddle-wheels flew round ; the waving of hats ceased, and the broad bay, with its bounding and picturesque coast- lands, lay out before our view. The bright glare of the sun lent a golden tinge to the rippling waters, and all nature seemed clad in her most brilliant array. The majority of those on board were, like myself, alone in California, and had forsaken the city we were so fastly receding from, without compunction or regret, without a shade of sorrow at parting from any beloved object, or a qualm of conscience for the past ', but some there were whose anxious, lingering looks proclaimed the inner working 184 THE NEW EL DORADO; of the heart, and as the wharf became entirely hidden from the view, seemed to utter within themselves a benediction on those whom they had left behind — wives and children dear to them — for the gold-digger is a man of deep and generous feelings ; his avocations foster affection and endear the remembrance of home, and as he rocks away at his cradle-rocker, and gathers the glittering treasure presented to his eye, he thinks of those to whom he is endeared, and contemplates it more for the sake of the good it will be productive of to those whom he loves, than he does for the mere sake of gratifying his taste for gain. Away sped the ship, her sails pouting in the gentle breeze ; soon we cleared the strait, and the ocean, calm and expansive, lay spread out befoe us, with here and there a sail coursing along the horizon, not " small by degrees and beauti- fully less," but Slowly ex[ anding as we nearer drew, 'Neath and above the ever rolling blue. There were several companies on board, num- bering from three to six men each. Some of these had brought whaleboats with them, in which they intended making the voyage up-river from OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 185 Victoria, and all were tolerably well stocked with mining tools and provisions. Swarthy, restless fellows, they walked backwards and forwards, and guessed and calculated, either on deck or in the cabins, from early morning till midnight. The same restlessness of tongue and manner manifested itself during the consumption of their usual meals, when pork and beans, pickles and molasses, were thrown together on the one plate, and hurried into obscurity with all the impetuosity of an ardent gusto and excitement peculiar to themselves. At length, and on the morning of the sixth day from San Francisco, the bold shore of the destined island was presented to our longing view, and in two hours afterwards we anchored within the harbour of Esquimault, Victoria. We all went ashore immediately, that is as fast as boats could be had to carry us, so that very shortly the streets of the island town presented an appearance of human traffic not dissimilar to that of Panama after receiving a similar freight. We lost no time in repairing to the government gold license office, where we tendered our five dollars each, in exchange for a monthly voucher, privileging us to dig, which also was our neces- 186 THE NEW EL DORADO ; sary passport to travel up river, for without it we could not have proceeded along the main- land. This tax was frankly paid, but heartily denounced. The town wore a highly flourishing and pleasing appearance, the most noticeable feature in the shop and trading line being the scarcity of anything like hotels ; there were five places, however, where liquor was sold, the pro- prietor of each having to pay the Hudson's Bay Company a license fee of no less than £120 per annum for the privilege. For my own part, I strolled a little way inland along green Jamaica- looking lanes, running like channels through a continent of cultivation ; acres of potatoes, wheat, maize, barley, and gently-waving rye, were suc- cessively presented to my admiring view. The fertility of the soil was everywhere apparent. Limestone-built villas here and there decked the suburbs, and cottages festooned with a profusion of blossoming creeping plants flanked the road a little to the westward of Government House, which from its elevated position seemed to hold presidence over all the lesser architecture around. The sun with his golden radiance was shed- ding floods of light over the varied landscape, casting the shadow of the Indian on the placid OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 187 af.cr of a h I'hich wound like a liver lagoon, in a gently-shelving valley beyond, and giving a glow of life and animation to the bend- ing corn-fields and the parian habitations of men. The birds were joyfully caroling away in sweet and hope-inspiring unison ; the herds at pasture lowed plaintively, and the bleating of sheep and lambkin broke audibly to life as I passed by natural hedges of wild rose and black- berry bushes, and fields redundant of grass and clover, whose aroma was borne on the breeze far away to the uplands, where the wild man still holds sway, and civilization hath scarce or never trodden. At five o'clock on the same day I embarked on board the American steamer Surprize, — (which had just returned from Fort Hope with Governor Douglas and suite. He is a fine old, jolly looking Scotchman, very gentlemanly and agreeable ; his wife is a half breed lady, and he has issue a daughter, recently married, as beautiful and valiant as ever sprang to life in North America) — for the highest navigable point of the Frazer River; the passage-money being twenty dollars without distinction, whereas the San Francisco steam(Ts' fares varied from thirty to sixty-five 188 THE NEW EL DORADO; dollars. We passed and saluted the steamer Satellite, as we entered the mouth of the river, after crossing, or rather rounding, the Strait of San Juan de Fuca, which separates the island from the mainland, and after that, threaded our way amongst the canoes past Fort Langley and the mouth of the Harrison River, towards For^ Hope, which we reached early on the morning of the second day afterwards ; having sailed a hundred and sixty miles in all from Victoria. The slowness of our progress was owing to the strong down-river current ; had the supply of coal not been limited, she would have advanced as far as Fort Yale. Here I disembarked. The weather was delightful, and tended to enhance the merry excitement of tlie gold- hunters. The right bank of the river on either side of the Fort and the Que-Que-alla River, was dotted with miners, each stooping and busy, rocking, digging, or scooping up the gold. Gold glittered amongst the sands on the beach ; I stooped down and gathered a few grains, and finding the bait too tempting to resist, I set manfully to work, turning over the sand with a geological shovel I had brought with me from San Francisco. 1 was but an amateur, and had OR, BRITISH COLUMRIV. 189 either liver, and gold. leach ; and I set rith a from d had entered on the Frazor River journey more for the sake of seeing a young nation spring into life than anything else, although I do not disclaim having turned digger for the time being, an avocation too remunerative and independent to be considered infra dig. True, I had dug for gold at the Sonora mines and at Ballaarat, on two respective occasions of half-nn -hour each, and found a little, but still, as the Yankees would say, I was green at the business ; yet, in spite of my greenness and geological shovel, I realized, to use another of their expressions, in the space of three hours, no less than fifteen dollars and sixty cents.' worth of particles. I thought my- self in for a run of luck, and resolved to s(^t to work on the next morning in the same place ; in the meantime, however, I met with several of the red-shirted community, who rather made small of my day's earnings and geological shovel than otherwise, and guessed if they hadn't real- ized more than that 'ere they'd be looking tarnation down flat on their rockers. " I guess, I calculate pretty correctly when I say that I've realized three hundred and seventy . three dollars and fifty-eight cents this ar week," said a gaunt, sleek-haired man with a black beard h II Is )E 11 190 THE NEW EL DORADO; and restless eyes, and with two revolvers slung to hio belt. He stood in front of a large tent used as a boarding house, the only concern of the kind nearer than Fort Langley, and in which I had engaged residence at a charge of three dollars a day, being half a dollar in excess of the charge at the hotel-palaces of New York. It was supper ijine and seven o'clock, so I sat down with my successful double-revolvered friend, and commenced with considerable gusto the work of tca-drink:ng, mutton-chop eating, and specula- tion as to the probable yield of gold both during and after the freshets. There were fifteen of us in all, including our German host, who hat' only just set up his canvas hotel, having run down from San Francisco on the previous steamer to the Cortes, for the purpose of boarding and lodg- ing the miners in the octagonal tent he brought for the occasion. *' I guess he's realizing a pretty considerable sum," remarked a party with only one revolver, but a terrific pair of moustachios. I nodded assent, guessing at the same time that we should have to sleep on the ground. My com- panion guessed likewise, but accompanied it with the ejaculation " skins " and a significant OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 191 point of the head and the eye towards the tent wall ; seeing nothing there, I guessed the skins alluded to were outside for the time heing. I was right ; they were lying alfresco^ and were destined to constitute our only heds. After dark, the skins were hrought in and spread along either side of the tent, leaving a space of about half a foot for the purposes of navigation. They were soon covered with the lounging and recum- bent bodies of the miners, who kept on talking and medicinal-brandy drinking till about ten o'clock, when silence supervened or rather snoring was substituted for talking. All slept with their revolvers and gold under their variously improvised pillows, and I did not form an exception to the rule. The host slept in the middle of his pantry, sur- rounded and almost hidden by pots and pans, and occasionally making commotion amongst his scanty supply of crockery ware. I did not very readily yield to the embrace of slumber, for the novelty and excitement of my new life kept my thinking powers awake. It was a little past mid- night, and the sickly oil lamp which swung from the tent roof still shed its hazy light. Suddenly I heard a rustle and a hissing noise, something between that of a hostler currycombing and 192 THE NEW EL DORADO ; 11 ' i 11 'I stifled laughter. I lifted my head, and directing my eyes towards the tent's opening, beheld a Red Indian, more than six feet in height, holding the canvas drop up, and grinning with evident delight, while the heads and eyes of two or three of his fellows were to be seen peering in the back ground. " Hillo I" I Involuntaiily exclaimed : two or three awoke at the signal, and sprang upon their legs as they heard the glee shouts and tramp of the Indians, who bounded off at the instant. At least a dozen awoke and asked " What's up ?" but after ascertaining that it was all over, went to sleep again, including our host, who upset a mustard pot over his whiskers, in his sudden endeavour to attain the perpendicular, and dropped flat on a ^lidiron when he proceeded to resume the horizontal. At about five o'clock, several began yawning, and recommended " the bolt upright." " I guess, mate, you've had a pretty good hiding ?" said one jocularly, in allusion to a good night's rest on the skins. " Guess I have, it's done me a tarnation deal more good than a cow-hiding," was the response. *' What was that about Indians ?" some one 4 oil, niUTlSll COLUMBIA, rj3 asked ; and so tiioy talked, meanwhile assuming the bolt upright, and adjourning outside the tent to make their slight and hasty toilet. After that, gold was the sole and absorbing theme, the great order of the day. Already miners were at work along the river's banks, and the lurid sun shot out his rays of fire in dazzling brightness, and hope-inspiring efful- gence far and wide, over the river and over the grass land, lighting up the mountains in beauty of many shades, and displaying the mighty fo- liage of the forest in gilded loveliness — giving gaiety and animation to everything ; and while buoying up the hearts of men, making all nature glad and rosy. It was such a morning — the tirst after my arrival — when I again set to work with my geological shovel, not half a mile from the tent, and about three miles above Fort Hope. The river was a little lower than on the previous day, and miners were busy, either singly or in twos, rocking the washing stuff; it requires two to work a rocker well, one to dig and the other to wash p.nd collect the " bits." Some who had not brought rockers with them, were engaged in making them out of green timber; the bot- K ?l 104 THE NEW El. DORADO ; torn, however, a thin metal plate punctured with holes, had to be purchased, and at an exorbitant price — one of my fellow boarders have given forty dollars for one ; a thing that in England would cost about eighteen pence, and in San Francisco two dollars and a half. But the necessity for a rocker in wet diggings is nil but ab- solute. For my own part, I gave four dollars for a pan, and w^orked that in lieu of a rocker, making about four bits each washing, equivalent to two shillings sterling : this continued throughout the day, so that by nightfall I had realized " pretty considerable," which means more than two ounces of clean gold. In spite of the proverb of a rolling stone gathering no moss, I was impelled by force of reports coming down river of great yields nearer the mountains, as well as by seeing the canoes making their way past me for a higher part of the river, to join in the purchase of a canoe for eighty dollars, with five others; and accordingly, everything connected with the Yankee- California and gold-hunting element being done with a rush, we set off at seven o'clock on the next morning for Fort Yale, afterwards to advance as we deemed best. Two \l '1 OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 01 d with rbitaiit given England in San iut the but ah- irs for a making t to two hout the " pretty lan two proverb I was ivvn river well as past me in the ith five lonnected i-hunting t off at 'ort Yale, it. Two or three miles below the latter, however, at a point called Hill's Bar, a sandy flat about five hundred yards in length, we went ashore, having heard reports before starting, of good returns tiiere. We found the place crowded with Indians, at least five hundred of them, men, squaws, and children ; with about eighty miners at work on the bar. These were averaging from fifteen to twenty-five dollars a day each man. Provisions were exceedingly dear and scarce, flour selling at eighty dollars the barrel, bacon at seventy-five cents per pound, and butter at a dollar per pound. A party of twenty miners had set out on the previous day to prospect for dry diggings in the interior, under the guidance of a batch of Indians, who said there was plenty (hihew) of gold to be found, but no tidings of their success had yet been heard of. The population were subsisting chiefly upon deer's flesh and salmon, both of which were abundant. My companions went " in for a dig " as they termed it, at this place, but being anxious to explore new spots, did not remain beyond noon on the day following, during which time I ate a " green bear " steak — the first of the kind I had ever partaken of, and K 2 1 1 * I* 'U \ ^' 1 ; i 1 1 \ 1 1 ^ 1 y .; 196 THE NEW EL DORADO ; worthy of being ranked with the shark cutlets, and pieces of a whale's tail, not omitting the morsel of horse-flesh, which I had previously demolished in other regions of land and water. About half-a-milc higher up than Fort Yale the river rushes between huge and naked rocks, belonging to the Cascade range, the sides being almost perpendicuku'. Here a portage has to be made along an Indian track- way, and ovTr rugged ground ; the scenery on either side, how- ever, is highly picturesque and mountainous. We ascended the river under the pilotage of an Indian, whom we had engaged at eight dollars a day wages, about sixty miles above this fort, passing the " Forks," the junction of the Thompson and Frazcr, on our way, and making about a hundred and seventy miles in till from the river's mouth. During the journey we had to stem and round a rapid where the water fell and swilled rather heavily over rocky shoals; this was about five miles below " Sailors' Diggings," and twenty above Fort Yale, consequently about forty miles from where we now found ourselves. There were not more than half-a-dozen OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 197 utlets, ig the aously iter, •t Yale rocks, i being ls to be \ over e, hovv- lOUS. itnge of ,t eight above L ay ction of and miles ng the , rapid heavily miles y above es from 'e •a •dozen miners to be seen along the shore in cither direction ; and these were stragglers, or rather prospecting explorers from the Thompson and Sailors' Diggings lower down, and reported to be very rich, but which our party were eager to " beat," and outvie by fresh discoveries. On shore we jumped, pell mell and excited, for there is ever an excitement about gold digging ; and blunted must be the suscepti- bility, and torpid the soul of that man who can gather naked gold and not feel a throb of delight and an ever unsatisfied longing for more, which keeps alive every faculty of the human mind, and makes imagination picture joys and comforts to be bought, and perhaps castles to be built, with that same lucre. Thus, practical as is the labour of the "digger," it is the strongest incentive to romance of thought, as well as the most ambition firing of any of the manual occupations of the age. My companions of the canoe were soon hard at work: three were single-handed, that is, with- out partners; the other two were in partnership and had a rocker between them, one filling, the other rocking. I set to work, after a salmon li l!)8 TIIK, NIIW K\, noUADO ; (llnnor, with my f.»;('ol«»}^i(';vl shovol iuhI my tin jiivn, iind WiisliiMl suvay with nil the j^nslo of ii V(M'it!il)1o (ligirfM'. At about s\ms(»t I wuh intci- nip(('(i ljy !i h();us<> '• Ilillo, mntn !" frotii oun of my cation hn^tlircu, an Au^lo-Saxon Cali- rorniamzod pwU and sliovrl haiidlor. "The yc^Ilow fovrr'.s pretty liigli with you, I guosvS," li«3 obsprvrd. Of coui'vsc I ('omprrbondod bis mctallio joko, nrtd iTtortod by tbo roady caloulr.tioii tbat it was tbc samr witb bim. *' Snrtinly," was bis reply, " it's raging up luTc awful slrong." After tbis interesting exebango of feveiisb ideas we joined tbo rest of our party, and found tbat oavb man, during tbc six bours we bad been working, bad realized from tbree to five ounees, or in otber words, from forty-cigbt to cigbty dollars ; tbe market value of goki being sixteen dollars tbo ounce. Tbcsc were good earnings, and as satisfac- tory as any we bad beard of lower down thc^ river; but still tbe mania was for advancing furtbor still, by making n land portage witb tbe canoe to avoid tbe rapids a few miles bigber ^ f)H, JJIllTlSlI COLUMUIA. \'J{) iny ill) lio of II s inter- im onn n Ciili- you, 1 io joko, that, it ;in^r up foviMisii I round wv. hiul to five ;y-oight A' gold mtisfac- vvn th(^ vancing nth the higher f 'M m "-If. i* iij), as the fnincrs had tlie, inijirr.Hsiori, and Inily NO, tliat whaiovrr tin; yield hrn; might hr, it was siin^ to he still greater liigher u| ; Tor it was evident that th(^ grains heeame more ()l<'n- tifiil and larger the more we advanced ; thus demonstrating that siieh, during the eours<; of time, had l)(;en washed down from the mountains, or other highly auriferous nigions adjarurit, whieh, when reacluid, would far outvie the, most sjiiiguiiKJ oxpeetations. Wo lookcid forward to fields of gold ; and our imaginations trans- formed the v(;ry mountains into gold, whiefi wc should find in nn[)ortal)l(; ahundance. We thought of gold as a collier does of coal ; hut still we treasured every grain we gathered, and would have defended it at the revolver's j)oint as desperately as life itself. Such is Mammon. As for provisions and hahitations, at tiiis stage, they W(;ro hoth ecjually scarce. We had to run down river three miles, tov/ards 8ailf>rs' Bar, h(!forc we arrived at a newly constructed store' of green timher, where flour was selling at a hundred dollars the harrcl ; molasses, seven dollars a gallon ; pork, a dollar per pound ; tea, four dollars per pound ; sugar, two dollars // f< i I ^ ! i ! !00 THE NEW EL DORADO; per pound ; beans, one dollar per pound ; picks at six dollars each, and shovels three dollars each : and where we were taken in for the night at three dollars a head. For the benefit of the unsophisticated, who know as much about dollars and cents as those who live in Buffalo do about the falls of Niagara, I may as well mention that five go to the sovereign ; the dollar Yankee being here worth forty-eight pence British currency. The Indians at this spot were "straggling in their numbers, but were as well stocked with gold as the white men. They carried it about with them in skin pouches and bags containing from one to five hundred dollars' worth, and manifested the most friendly feelings towards us, froHcing about in the highest glee imagin- able ; and giving ejaculatory utterance to a more complicated amount of Chinook than I could possibly comprehend. They " absquat- ulated " as the evening closed in, and sought rest, or revelry, as the case might be, in their encampment, which lay at the distance of a mile or so inland. As for myself, I " turned in," or rather on OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 201 ; picV.s dollars B night d, who is those Niagara, to the e worth ^ling in ed with it about itaining th, and towards imagin- 3e to a than I [ibsquat- sought in their ce of a ather on to a wooden bench covered over with a bear skin, at about ten o'clock, and so passed the night together with about twenty others, who were variously located about the store, which, of course, consisted of one room only; most of them occupying positions on the tops of boxes of merchandize, surrounded by varieties, raw and manufactured, in a manner similar to the German boarding-house keeper amongst his crockery ; and constituting in all a perfect chaos of legs, arms, provisions, and hardware. No Red Indian disturbed our slumbers during this night, which, to speak poetically, was beautifully radiant with moonbeams that pene- trated with welcome light (through the place where the windows ** ought to be ") into our chaotic dormitory, where molasses and butter were the silent witnesses of our unconscious repose, and where nails were our sharpest bed- fellows. By-the-bye, speaking of nails, they were here selling at a rate equivalent to a shilling each, thus placing their famous brethren, the so-called Ninepennys, completely in the shade. We were up and at work by six o'clock, and K 3 1 ■ § 202 THE NEW EL DORADO ; on one of the most lovely mornings that the month of June ever ushered into existence — the air at once warm and fragrant of the forest and wild clover, was just sufficiently stirring to prevent the heat feeling oppressive, while the enchanting rays of the rising sun decked out the prospect in magnificent array, brightening the more promi- nent parts of the mountains hundreds of miles away, and leaving the recesses lost in a deeply con- trasting shade, while far and high in the back- ground the lofty snow-capped summits shone in crystal purity, white and dazzling in the midst of a sky of tranquil blue ; further down, the pic- turesque shores of the river enhanced the beauty of the scene, and as the eye ranged far and wide over the landscape of forest and prairie, gentle hill and sloping valley, admiration could not fail in taking possession of the beholder, and imbuing the most imaginative with feelings of delight, and making even the most practical of gold diggers feel that he stood up w'thin view of a perfect paradise of scenery — a land as rich and as beautiful, a clime as golden and luxurious as any upon which Nature ever lavished her inviting treasures. OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 203 CHAPTER XVIII. OUR ASCENT OF THE FRAi.E»T Not fiiiding the yield equal to expectation, and being myself equally, or even more, anxious than my partners in the canoe to press on higher up the river, we set out with a newly- engaged Indian, with the view of passing the upper falls, either by land portage or skilful steersmanship ; the latter, however, we were warned against testing to, as two miners and an Indian had been drowned in the attempt to pass through, their canoe being also smashed to pieces, five days previously. i fl ^ ! '201 THE NEW KL DOUADf) Wliilc speaking of culamitics, I mny fts well mention thiit, on the 12th of May u inincM- from this ])lao(\ who had followtMl his mate down river, under the impression that tlu5 latter meant to " ahsquatidate " on French leaver witli their joint earnings which he had in his posses- sion, mot him not far from the mouth of the river, and shot liim dead. lie was suhsequently arrested, and imprisoned at Whatcom under government order. In the vicinity of Fort Hope an American ill- treated an Indian chief, which resulted in a return of hostilities, the former drawing his revolver and shooting the chief throiigh the left side, from the effects of which he died almost instantlv. This aroused the wrath of the Indians standing near ; one of whom hcing also armed, returned the fire, and shot a miner through the heart, from which he fc^ll dead. The murderer of the chief then made his escape ; and some days of commotion and anger elapsed hefore the Indians were pacitied by the agent of Inc Hudson's Bay Company, who very laudably exerted himself in the re- establishment of peace, and the work of con- a * oil, nuiTisii coi.iJMiii\. 205 dolrnco, fiftcr so diabolical an injury rorrivcd at tlio Imnrls of a nidi! assassin. On rnacliinp; tin; falls vv(! discimbarkcd, c.'ich man rarryin/^ liis own " kit," and our Indian pilot tho canoo. Had it not been for the un- usually bigb state of tbn rivor at tbis particular time and season, wo could bav(! easily avoidcsd making tlu; portage, but as tbo riv(3r ran, it was tlu! wisest tbing vv(! could do to abstain from trying it. Still tbc American charactcT — • and four out of tbc five were Americans — is more apt to study dispatch tban safiity ; as for instance, a go-a-bcad Yankee would sooner travel by a train tbat was likely to take him to his destination an hour quicker tban another one, although the chances were in favour of his having his neck broken on the journey. The American is eager, pushing, and im|)etuous ; he is fond of risk, if there is the remotest chance of gaining anything by it ; and in under- takings of a haz irdous and uncertain nature he ib without a rival in his achievements. He will " drive a trade," and explore, in the hope of gain, farther and quicker into the heart of a country, no matter what the hardships and Ill 200 THE NKVV liL DOHA no ; % obstacles to bi3 cuntcndod ugiiinst, flmu any other; not even his Anglo-Saxon musins ex- cepted. Civilizafion follows more briskly in his wake than with any other nation ; he hiis scarcely " set up" in the wilderness, befon^ lie tinds materials for a newspaper arriving, and a '* spick span" editor heralding the events of the hour, and that on a spot where the red man dances and the wild animals of the ibrest are still to be seen. However, to our portage : after proc(;ed- ing nearly a mile, the canoes were again laid on the water, and our oars plashed away with feathered spray towards — where we knew not, nearer than the mountains. Wc seemed hemmed in by mountains, and we positively talked of nothing but the mountains and the j)robability of our making " big strikes," as we drew nearer them. At dusk, feeling hot and tired, we drew up in a small natural cove ou the right bank of the river, partly overhung by a species of water-willow, which for beauty of position might have had the advantag(;s and labour of art and cultivation devoted to its planting and bestowed upon its growth. We oil, nniTisii coi-UMiiiA. 207 llmu any >usins ox- his vvak(5 ccly " act materials ick span" , and that 1 and the ic seen. proccHMl- i|r:iin laid iway with :nevv not, seemed positively and tlu' ;s," as we hot and cove on rhung by beauty of ag(!s and 3d to its th. We st(!pp(!d ashore with the leelinpjs of pione(;rs, and the reliant self-eonfidence whieh stei'ls upon us when alon(5 in the wilderness and far away from the- haunts of civilization. Wc; felt morally armed, and sledged against danger and foreign foes. We expected to meet with unaccustomed things, and hardships wtt had hitherto escaped ; but fortitude gives strength, and w(! stood up each as a pillar to brave and to defy. It is under such circumstances as these that m(!n unite in one common and solid friendship, and are ever ready to join together in the cause of self-defence, and mutuid protection, and well- being. All conventionalism is quickly banished or thrown aside, and generosity and the better feelings of the human heart preside and unite men in one honest brotherhood. The singing of a bird, shrill, long, and musical, and the half-seething murmuring of the flowing waters of the river, alone disturbed the solitude of the seemingly primeval wilderness into whieh we had plunged, and which the rustling sound gently wafted from the giant forest, only tended to enhance and to render our loneliness the more impressive. But for us i ' I 208 THE NKW EL DORADO; solemnity of scene had fewer charnns than for • hose who, fresh from the lap of luxury, may contemplate Nature's beauties in idle peace, and smoke a nargileh beneath a fig-tree, or wander by the rivers of Damascus ; for us there was the excitement of danger and uncertainty, the hope of gold and the risk of starvation. True all these were powerful incentives to hard work and enterprise ; but they, in their sliarpening influence, tended to disturb that calm and happy contemplation of the beautiful which, under less adventurous circumstances, could not have failed to soothe and to inspire. We were eager, impa- tient, and restless ; and, as a matter of neces- sity, our thoughts were more engrossed by the consideration of where our camping-ground should be, and where and when we might be able to renew our stock of provisions, than by the scenery which met our gaze, and which promised soon to be shrouded in the embrace of nigiit, setting aside the anxiety of the miners as to the "yield" and "big strikes" which were to accrue to them in return for their enterprise and toil ; however, I must sny, in justice to my own good taste, that, in spite of hope and danger, I OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 209 dwelt with something like rhapsody on the picturesque region of mountain and forest which delighted my admiring, not to say asto- nished, gaze. No douht the brilliant and changing hues of the sky, which were reflected upon the landscape, and threw out the irregular outline and undulations of the mountains, con- tributed greatly to the fascination of the view ; but still I became enamoured of it, and I thought it the loveliest clime it had ever been my changeful lot to wander in. Not an Indian was to be seen, the woodland was deserted. We began, of course, with our usual avidity, to explore and prospect, from the instant of our mooring the canoe, while our native pilot collected faggots for a fire. I soon saw that the country was not so thickly wooded as at first sight I had been led to suppose ; a belt of trees merely flanked the water-side, beyond which deeply-grassed rich prairie land stretched for several miles, bounded to the west- ward by lofty forest trees, and to the north by the overtowering mountains, but open to the south, and reaching further than the eye could carry. We returned to our camping-ground •IMM 210 THE NKW EL DORADO ; I '1 ^ 11 ■ near the beach, and a few yards only from the canoe, before darkness set in, and very soon the crackling of the pile of leaves and branches which our Indian pilot had collected, was heard amid the lively flames of an al fresco fire. The weather was warm, so that we would have readily dispensed with such, had it not been for the sake of cooking some dried salmon, and making a decoction of tea — glorious beverage — it reminded me of Australia, where we cannot do without it. The "Bushman" has his tea three times a day ; and although the Chinese only favour him with the big-leaved quality of the commodity, it makes, nevertheless, a plea- sant, cheering beverage, and with a cake of damper, is highly comforting, both " now and hereafter," which is more than can be said of alcohol, or the more complex and sophisticated food and cookery of Paris and of New York ; as for London, it need not be mentioned, the orthodox sole, and roast beef of the hotels, with variations of fresh mustard, and a ' steak for a year together, being too harmless for com- plaint. The fire crackled as if rejoicing ; merrily, OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 211 laughingly curled the flames, and the pleasant smoke wriggling out of their embrace, sailed up peacefully over our heads and wasted itself away in the pure atmosphere of the forest. We sat ourselves down on the cool turf and partook of the repast prepared with all the gusto of a healthy appetite and relish, and then sat round the cheering fire, which we plied with faggots from time to time, talking of our hopes and fears, but chiefly of the successes that awaited us, — for the miner is constitutionally sanguine, — and hard, indeed, must have been his luck when he is bowed down and despairing. Each man had blankets with him, and for myself I had an opossum vug in addition, which I found highly serviceable ; it was one that had served me during a "bush" excursion in Aus- tralia, and was now doubly prized by me on that account. I spread it at the base of a large tree not far from the fire, and there I prostrated myself, the rest of the party following my ex- ample, one by one, within a radius of twenty yards. As the night fell in, the stars shone out like jets of fire, and the moon again, with steady light, silvered the landscape : once through an '-«Mr| I \' '^.m \ I 212 THE NEW EL DORADO ; opening in the forest above me I caught a glimpse of her radiant face, and felt glad in the contemplation of such heavenly beauty, which, although a common sight, was nevertheless to me, under the circumstances in which I then lay, peculiarly grateful and soothing ; for I am an admirer of the great and beautiful, and a sunny clime to me is earthly paradise. The howling of a wolf and the cries of other animals of the wilderness were heard from time to time coming faintly from the distance, but did not excite our fears ; at any rate, our re- volvers were ready, and our Indian pilot was as quick of hearing, whether asleep or awake, as Paddy might say, as he was sure and composed as to our safety and his own. We were rp and " hard at it" soon after daybreak on the following morning. We found gold everywhere ; and my only surprise was, that a region so palpably auriferous should have remained so long unproclaimed and hidden from the gaze of civilization. I found a very choice quartz " specimen," six ounces in weight, half jutting out of the sand on the river's bank, which contained at least four ounces of the OR, BRITISH COLUMDIA. 213 precious metal, — in fact, the larger half of the piece was solid gold, and could have been broken off from the quartz to which it was attached ; this was a sure sign to us that large masses of gold must lie soiyewhere higher up the river than we had yet proceeded, most probably in the reccGsns, and at the foot of the mountains thembelves, and that the gold found on the banks, and which is no doubt equally abundant in the bed of the river, was merely the off- scouring and broken fragments of the great gold region lying further inland. During this day's work seven " nuggets," varying from about half an ounce to five ounces in weight, were picked up, while the average yield of " dust" was no less than four ounces each man, equal to about sixty-four dollars (£12 1 6s.), besides the nug- gets. This was glorious ; but still the Yankees were anything but satisfied ; it seemed as if the more they got the more they expected to get ; and if they could only find out and reach this " source," of which we talked so much, they would have nothing to do but use their picks and shovels in gathering as much gold as they could get horses and canoes to carry. We 214 THE NEW EL DORADO; 1:: I appeared to be the first who had tried this " spot ;" but it was known that another party of six had ascended the river higher than we were, but they were reported to have diverged into the interior, and found diggings at the foot of the Cascade Mountains, many miles in a south- westernly direction, and away from the river alto- gether. We therefore entertained strong hopes of being ourselves the sole discoverers of this prime mine of wealth, and leaving the rich diggings behind us, pushed on for richer dig- gings and "bigger strikes" still, on the very day following the yield last quoted, assured in ovir own minds, and moreover with experience in our favour, that we could not but be gainers by the movement, and perhaps — as, indeed, we sanguinely hoped, and I as reliantly as any of them — solve the grand problem as to where the gold came from. So with this hope impelling us, and this achievement strongly before us, we moved away from the newly-baptized Willow Bank, which, by-the-bye, had been and still promised, if we could do no better elsewhere, to be a very good bank for us; and while the word " Excelsior" rang out from the lips of one OF, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 215 on board, rowed swiftly along a somewhat rapid and now shoaly river, the navigation of which was both intricate and dangerous, towards — the mountains now transformed into — visionary gold. 216 THE NEW EL DORADO; 1 CHAPTER XIX. OUR BIVOUAC BEYOND THE "FORKS. As we advanced, low, umbrageous shrubs met our view from time to time, skirting the river, amongst which rank weeds and grasses grew up luxuriantly, and where startled water-fowl rose in the air or flew half- paddling along the sur- face of the water before us. I made ready my revolver, determined to bring down one of these birds of the Upper Frazer, but it was some time before I could find one sufficiently near for a certain shot ; moreover they were the wildest birds I had ever seen, and scudded with flurried and rapid flight into the scrub, or far out of reach, the instant the canoe was seen approaching along the various bends of the river. 1 OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 217 However one rash bird suddenly flew from under cover of the weeds, a few yards only a-head of us ; I had my revolver levelled in a second, when flash — bang — the bullet whizzed forward, and down for an instant went the duck, which lay disabled on the water when we came up to it ; the bullet had pierced the back, and the bird died as we lifted it into the canoe. This was legitimate sport, and moreover very welcome pro- vision, as of the latter our stock was becoming very attenuated, owing to the absence of natives ; we, however, expected to meet with them every hour, when we should be able to negociate for the purchase of bears' flesh, wild vegetables, and fresh salmon, which we were too much disinclined to catch in sufficient quantities ourselves, owing to the loss of time which it entailed. I watched along the right bank of the river with the view of having a shot at one near the surface, but nothing presented itself, so I was baffled in this my endeavour after destruction. We had to make another portage at about four o'clock in the afternoon, in order to keep clear of the rapids, and proceeded in the same order as on the last similar occasion, carrying our own " kit," while I 218 THE NEW EL DORADO; the Indian walked along with the canoe on his back ; he was a fine, intelligent fellow, about six feet in height, and as kind-hearted a guide as I over had the pleasure of being associated with in any enterprize. We only gave him four dollars a-day for his services, as he had the advantage of making a " pile " on the journey, if luck threw it in his way — a pile being, in digger parlance, a small fortune in " dust " or " nuggets." We had scarcely got the canoe into water again on the other side the rapids, when I caught sight of an ordinary-sized brown bear, standing with one paw bent forward on a shelving part of the river's bank, about twenty yards a-head. His eye was fixed in evident curiosity, and I saw by his unde- cided position that his movements were uncertain. I directed the attention of the Indian and my companions to him, and quietly levelling my revolver, while the others did likewise, fired straight into his skull before he had time to move. He uttered a loud hoarse yell and rolled, struggling, down the bank into the water, tearing the ground heavily with his paws. We did not advance upon him instantly, well knowing that this kind of bear, and in fact all bears, the polar OR, nRITISII COLUMBIA. 219 on his lOut six de as I with in dollars ntage of threw it rlance, a " We again on t sight of • with one ,the river's is eye was his unde- uncertain- and my relUng my 7ise, fired [d time to and rolled, ^ter, tearing 'e did not lowing that Is, the polar excepted, will instinctively fcipn death till the near approach of his assailant, when he will spring upon and gnaw and crush him horribly to death. However, in order to ascertain the extent of his liveliness, and to dispatch him the quicker, one of our party sent another bullet into his carcass ; this seemed effectually to send the remaining life out of him, for he gave a kick and stretched himself immediately on its receipt, remaining there without further movement flat on his side, his face fronting the river. We then drew up and examined him ; he was quite dead, and in ten minutes afterwards our Indian had successfullv " hided" him, and amputated his fore hams and some steaks from off the hind-quarter — cut the tongue out of his mouth and otherwise mangled him. In the course of an hour from the time of his being shot, he was unconsciously undergoing the process of digestion in our respective stomachs, the Red Indian's included. Such is life. Still no natives — we were surprized. Our guide, however, assured us, in a torrent of Chinook, with the smallest perplexing admixture of broken English, which he hi^d acquired from association with the Hudson's Bay traders, that L 2 r 220 THE NEW EL DORADO; we should meet with plenty of them shortly ; — it appeared that their encampments lay at some miles* distance from the shores of the river, generally near a creek or lagoon. Gold was just as abundant here as at Willow Bank, but still the grand object of our wild expectations re- mained unrealized — the mountain of gold was not yet reached. We had very little time to dig be- fore nightfall, but what labour was expended was well repaid in the shape of sundry " specimens " and large grains of the shining metal which we noticed at this place ; it wore a brown, crusty look, which was attributed to the action of the soil, air, and water upon particles long separated from the chief mass. However, it was gold, and that was enough for us ; we gathered it, and only wished we had more of it, for the digger is never satisfied ; and if he could make a fortune in a day, his next wish would be to make one in five minutes. We camped beneath the shadow of trees within sight of the river, in the same manner as on the previous night, having previously regaled ourselves with tea and a quantum of brandy, good neutralizers of the effect of bear's-flesh and dried OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 221 •tly ;— t some B river, ^as just but still ions re- l was not dig be- nded was Bcimens " which we n, crusty ,on of the separated , gold, and :, and only rer is never rtune in a one in five V of trees manner as isly regaled andy, good and dried salmon ; we also tore the duck, before spoken of, after a cannibal fashion, and devoured it with all the rude appetite of explorers. The weather had been throughout beautiful ; but a little after dusk it began to rain heavily, accompanied with thunder and with lightning, but it only lasted about two hours, and after that all was calm ; while the coolness which it pru- duced was refreshing, >.'/ter the heat of the previ- ous few days. I noticed, however, that liies and other insects seemed to spring into life immedi- ately after the storm, for they dew about in great numbers, and were almost as annoying as the mosquitoes in Australia ; but of course in this respect the Frazer River country was no worse than any other, and not half so bad as by an English road- side, where the gnats sting and whirl round, biting poison into every passer-by — the pestilence of ditches. I have always found myself as free from mosquito-bites as from sea- sickness — a happy deliverance for me I own — but I candidly say, that I would sooner take my chance amongst all the mosquitoes in Asia, and all their varieties in British Columbia, than I would amongst a swarm of British gnats. !«l!«l ' 222 THE NEW EL DORADO ; I was delighted with the country, and this sudden abundance of harmless insect-life did not mar my first feeling and enjoyment of it. The trees sheltered us almost completely from the rain ; the upper foliage being dense, and the branches in some places interlaced. The reader has been already led to understand that the river freshets which occur between June and August are not caused by rains, but by the melting of the snow high up on the Rocky Moun- tains, which pours down through all the streams and rivers leading from them ; thus the Thomp- son, the Harrison, and the Chilcotin rush into the Frazer, and the same is repeated, but to a lesser extent, along the Columbia. A little after breakfast, and at about eight o'clock on the following morning, we were suddenly startled by the appearance of Indians, who came down to the river-side in a bevy of about a hundred, the number consisting chiefly of men wearing an aspect at once fierce and warlike : these were rapidly followed by about twenty on horseback, evidently men of the same tribe, who came galloping furiously along, and pranced about us in thrj most humorously des- potic style, the whole moving multitude uttering OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 223 id this life did t of it. ly from and the B reader hat the ine and by the y Moun- streams Thomp- 1 into the ) a lesser lilt eight we were Indians, I bevy of ig chiefly erce and 3y about the same ong, and msly des- uttering 1 V -1 vociferous yells, and brandishing their arms in authoritative delight and savage glee. Here was revelry. What was to be done? I at once ascertained from our native pilot, unpoetically called by us Jack, that although Carriers, tliey were not of his tribe ; this I had anticipated, as we had advanced into other Indian territory since picking him up. Courage is a grand thing in first confronting the savage ; it inspires imme- diate respect, whereas the sHghtest faltering or manifestation of fear leaves the traveller at the mercy of those who can entertain contempt, and detect a want of bravery as readily as any vassal of civilisation, and who hold as valueless that which they are not awed by. The best way therefore is to meet the aborigine with a bold, fearless front, a steady eye and a defiant look and posture ; such self-possession is the white man's only moral defence against the hostility of the Indian, and the safest line of procedure he can adopt when friendly, and especially at a first meeting. With such a look and such a front did I face the rampant Red Indians of the as yet untraversed wilderness of British Columbia. I made signs of friendship to them in the best way » ^!"" f I I 224 THE NEW EL DORADO ; I could, and put forward our Indian guide to make proclamations of peace and good will, and advancing myself to one more gaily caparisoned than the rest, who sat on a pawing steed, and whom I rightly judged to be a chief, I held out my hand in token of friendship, and remember- ing that I had a knife in my pocket, drew it forth and gave it to him with every gesture of delight at our meeting. The Indian received the gift, and after scrutinising it with evident pleasure, thanked me, and shook my proffered hand ; a ceremony that he had no doubt wit- nessed and experienced before amongst the whites at the stations of the Hudson*s Bay Company, with whom all the Indians had long been in the habit of trading. During these movements the crowd assembled round us and looked on in silence and evident admiration. I saw that the knife had turned out a talisman, and that we need apprehend no danger at their hands. After this they indicated their intention of trading with us in provisions ; which we gladly acceded to, a detachment of the younger men and squaws being sent off to their villages for the necessary produce; in the meantime they dis- •'■'vt:- OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 225 le to I, and soned 1, and Id out mber- ew it ;ure of sceived svident offered 3t wit- st the s Bay id long ; these us and jn. I in, and hands, trading acceded in and for the ey dis- played a curiosity quite unsatisfiable, ransacking everything belonging to us, eating up the re- mains of Bruin*s carcase with evident satisfaction, and making temporary use of everything not actually in hand or on our backs, and all this in the most perfect good humour and friend- ship. The chief in particular seemed highly fascinated by my opossum skin rug, and wound it round his body and across his shoulders, and in various other ways, as if to see how it would look and suit him, strutting about meanwhile to excite the admiration of his people, who loudly applauded and violently gesticulated on each occasion of his altering the mode of wearing it. Our blankets were simultaneously doing similar service on the backs of half-a-dozen others, and my shirts — two red flannel ones — 1 had only three in all, and quite enough too — were to be seen dancing about like drunken soldiers in the midst of a street fight. Of course this was very well to look at, and the fun of the thing was worth more than the shirts ; but still — well, per- haps my " particular '* friend, Sir Buckram Starch, will say whether he would have liked it. L 3 Tstesn ■ _i^-_ji«iw«»"«*i»r»i" HI 'i I'h'i 1 , fJl , fei 11 i v L^ 226 THE NEW EL DORADO ; But — tut — all these things are well in their way, and I congratulated myself on my suc- cessful diplomacy, and had a hearty laugh at these wild appropriators of my travelling wardrobe. % i their y suc- laugh veiling OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 227 CHAPTER XX. •t THE EL DORADO. The detachment returned with provisions, the opossum rug and the shirts were restored, the natives sat down and fed, and we filled our pouches with gold. Such is the summary of events — the striking incidents of an hour. Ex- citement with us was at a high pitch, for the banks of the river were literally strewed with gold ; the natives rooted it up with sticks, and the heart of the El Dorado seemed already reached ; we had only to expend a larger amount of labour in the gathering of that wealth which we had looked forward to in our most sanguine f f; Jm 1 ■ I : -■ wgWjm'' 'i l! IJl 'Hi 228 THE NEW EL DORADO; moments. All was riant as the noonday sun, and festive as the morn. Away we dug ; it was a day of eager ex- pectation and success. One of our party made twenty-two ounces, and the others followed deeply in his wake. I, myself, with the assist- ance of my geological shovel, turned up sixteen small nuggets, some of them mixed with quartz, worth about two hundred and fifty dollars, and this with an amount of labour which could only be called an amusement. The Indians were rooting up the ground for a mile on either side of us along the beach, working, to quote popular phraseology, by fits and starts, and not caring to pick up more than would purchase for them some unprohibited luxuries — spirits being very properly disallowed to them. Night at length set in, to afford rest to our exhausted frames, bringing with it a batch of canoes from the lower river, each laden with its half-dozen hardy, enterprising miners, who landed immediately in the vicinity of our canoe. We all hailed the arrival ; there was no envy, no rivalry ; we knew there was plenty of gold for us all, and we were glad to find our ^^ OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 229 ■m numbers swelled, and a community of men having affinity with ourselves, springing up around us. All was riot and revelry until a lato hour on that night, as we became convivial under the influence of some excellent brandy, which the new arrivals had brought with them, and which they dealt out with a liberal hand, jiro bono publico. The natives had, before this, retired to their own encampment, and the silent night alone witnessed our corrobberri. We were now, at a guessing calculation, about two hundred and eighty miles from the river's mouth, and one hundred and forty from the mountains. Early on the succeeding morning we were disturbed by a fleet of canoes coming down river, and manned, judging at a bird's-eye view, by about two hundred Indian warriors, all armed ; we, however, rightly supposed them to belong to the same tribe as those with whom we had made acquaintance on the previous day, and who had so unceremoniously paraded my shirts before the admiring gaze of the multitude. They greeted us with a wild and flexible whooping, — a thrilling chorus of shouts and 230 H >i 1 II ■ j Wv H V ' 1 M 1 ! 1 1 i aa ' ffHH H 1 i ■ 1 THE NEW EL DORADO ; ringing cries, and landed immediately in the vicinity of our encampment. We soon saw that their intentions were pacific, notwithstand- m 'heir boisterous display of feeling, and the ' , vhelming manner in which they gathered trrar'^ r rushed round us after leaving their canoes. Their inquisitiveness was just as great as that which had been manifested by their brethren of yesterday ; and once more every rag and implement we possessed was being paraded and hustled about. They were, however, more respf .tful towards our provisions than had been their brethren of the previous day, probably on account of there being no novelty attached to them ; but in all probability had there been anything in our " pantry" with which they were unacquainted — roast pig, for instance — it would have been just as promptly seized upon, and passed from hand to hand, as were my compa- nion shirts, and that unlucky opossum skin rug, the evident delight of all. I suspect the fascination lay in its great size, square shape, and the stitching which held the skins together. However, whatever the cause might have been, it did not alter the fact of their being in love with it, and moreover, by the grimaces and signs of OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 231 in the )on saw ithstand- and the gathered ing their ; as great by their every rag g paraded ;ver, more had been obably on tached to here been they were ■it would ipon, and ,y compa- isum skin inspect the are shape, s together, ive been, it love with id signs of ,it i% invitation which they made for me to give it them, I very much despaired of being able to claim it for another night's covering. My only chance of preserving it as my own was by the exercise of moral force, and the law of kind- ness, which is everything, however, with the savage, for our numbci'S did no- pr^mit of the thought of physical resistance "f t' ir spirit of caprice ; and if it had, I sh- ■ M have been the last in the universe to contend p.^ysically against a peaceful and aboriginal ^^le, on whose empire we had encroached, impelled by the hope of gain, and on whose golden territory we stood as sheer usurpers, the forerunners of a civilization, which, alas ! cannot fail to blast and eventually to exterminate their valiant race from off the face of the earth. I knew that this was not the theory enter- tained by my brethren of the white skin, half of whom, by their own confession, were murderers and assassins, and that too, of a more diabolical type than were the conspirators of Paris, because they inflicted death upon the helpless and defence- less Indian, whose dwindling race bore out too melancholy an attestation of the moral wrongs ^tC^ B V II 1 i i 1 1 1 1 1 J . 1 232 THE NEW EL DORADO J which civilization had hurled relentlessly upon him; whereas the others were secretly, but hazard- ously, contending against a mightier power than their own, and by which they were deservedly vanquished on the scaffold, when the heads of the guillotined fell dissevered into the basket of the executioner. T allude to the reckless and indiscriminate slaughter of the Indians in California, which took place from the time of the first rush there in 1849, and which cold-blooded and heartless sport is even now persisted in where the red man is not altogether swept away and extinct. It is only the superior numbers of the Indian over the rude outpourings of civilization in these regions, which at present deters the Californian — but will not always — from as cruel and reckless a use of his revolver as stained the early annals of the country of the Sacra- mento with the direst bloodshed of modern times. True, the same, to some extent, may be said of the early squatters of Australia in their intercourse with the aborigines as well as the early settlers and conquerors of most other countries ; but it does not tend to mitigate the OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 233 essly lipon 3Ut hazard- power than deservedly le heads of le basket of discriminate arnia, which J first rush flooded and bed in where pt away and mbers of the f civilization deters the from as cruel ir as stained if the Sacra- l of modern j extent, may Australia in les as well as of most other mitigate the crime of indiscriminate murder, merely showing that inhumanity and infamy hold more rampant and ignoble dominion in the breast of the too often morally-debased scion of so-called civili- zation and enlightenment, than ever loomed on the mental horizon — the unsophisticated mind of primitive man. Adventurers from out the pale of society never look upon themselves as the real usurpers and invaders, nor pause to consider that every encroachment of theirs is but hurrying destruc- tion the more swiftly to the savage, ousting him of his birthright, and strewing with thorns and calamity the remaining length of his short passage to the grave. To return to the banks of the Frazer. The river was no longer navigable, save after a port- age of some half mile in length, being choked up with rocks ; and the waters whirling heavily as they rushed past with all the force of a torrent. The natives, however, indicated that higher up the river was smooth and deep. As yet we had only ascended, as the reader is aware, about two hundred and eighty miles from the river's mouth ; we should have had to travel bun- 234 THE NEW EL DORADO ; drcds of miks further up, following the river's course, before reaching its source in the Rocky Mountaiiis. Gold, however, will allure as far us man can travel or human hopes can reach, and ere long I have every expectation of hearing a re- port of "dry diggings," "hill diggings," and mon- ster nuggets having been found at the base and in the ravines of the Rocky Mountains themselves. We were a sun-burnt, motley group, as, camped together by the banks of the noisy river, we talked on many a diverse thing ; of gold, of home, of murder, of love and enterprise; of bygone dangers braved, of fallen comrades and defiant foes. There was something, I thought, of the hungry beast of prey in the eager, yearn- ing flash of each other's restless eyes, in which the fire of hardened desperation and unflinching physical bravery ever glowed, and which seemed to feed upon continual excitement. There was something embodying all the wildness of the savage and all the ghastliness of civilization in the hair-grown swarthy faces of the men, as now and again the flickering blaze of the fire round which we sat was reflected upon them, giving a look of ferocity even to repose ; while the OR, imiTISlI COLUMIIIA. 235 boundless waste of universal space — the void of night — Hung o'er and round in solemn silent reign, Obscuring deep the mountain and the plain, The sea-like prairie rolling in the breeze, The giant forms of yonder rustling trees ; The rocky river's rugged, winding way. The bird, the blossom, all that deck'd the day. Occasionally the hoarse laughter of the whole party disturbed the natural solitude, — the half- starthng tones of jocose revelry rose up in the virgin air, and were wafted on the breeze over a landscape which had hitherto reposed primeval. We were all nicrry on the strength of nuggets found and " dust" gathered, for the yield of to- day had been with some of us considerably in excess of the previous day's average, one man of the new comers having realized, with the assistance of a rocker, nearly five hundred dol- lars in dust and nuggets. His *' belt" was full of the former, and two leather bags had grown pleasingly bulky under the latter. For myself, I made about ten ounces in nuggets alone- -I did not dig for dust — my geological shovel and pan being my only artificial machinery eir ployed. 236 THE NEW EL DORADO; I 1 The five hundred-dollar man was a hard, gaunt, stringy, dried-up looking Kentuckian, with a gutta-percha-coloured face, sunk into which, on either side of his nose, twinkled two all alive and piercing grey eyes. His hair was long and light, and crisped up with the dry heat of the weather, so much so that it gave me the idea of extreme fragility and brittleness. He carried a couple of revolvers, and a bowie knife, with the point of which he took the opportunity of picking his teeth immediately after supper, following which he gave us a long yarn about an old ** claim " of his at Hangtown,* which yielded sixteen hundred dollars the first day, and about an Indian whom he shot " in the white of the eye " the next day afterwards for stealing his blanket. He seemed to glory in his crime, and was, on the whole, as brutalised a specimen of humanity and the digger, Cali- fornia and the world had ever presented to my individual inspection. However, his dollars were as good as any one else's, and that is the * In California, so called from an execution which took place there at the instance of Judge Lynch j hence Lynch law. OR, BRITISH COLUiMBIA. 237 a hard, ituckian, ink into ded two hair was the dry gave me jss. He ne knife, portunity • supper, irn about ,* which irst day, "in the wards for glory in )rutalised Ter, Cali- d to my dollars lat is the which took ence Lynch A- ■t grand criterion in a new gold country. We were all more or less leathery-looking, but this wretch was, to quote popular phraseology, regu- larly tanned and dried, and such, that if it came to a matter of casting lots at sea, and he turned out to be the victim, the unfortunate crew- would have something very like a mummy to carve. Then there were four long, slop-built, semi-civilized-looking Western States men, with heavy rifles nearly as long as themselves. High shouldered, narrow-chested, sleek-haired gentiles, with hunger seemingly personified in each other's countenances, with a paucity of pule wiry beard and moustache, they moved awk- wardly about, the rifle always in the way, and bore evidence of their being better adapted to the felling of trees, and the building of log cabins, than even gold digging. ^ These men had respectively journeyed over- land from Missouri to California, and, more- over, had done the same thing from that again through Oregon, since the Frazer River fever set in ; and were clever enough to " shirk the license " on the way. They were ex- actly the men for such laborious and hazardous 238 THE NEW EL DORADO ; undertakings, having always dwelt on, or beyond, the borders of civilisation in their own country ; never having seen half-a-dozen houses together till after they came to California, and being trained to rough it in every sense of the terra. Tliey were each provided with an axe, with which they promised to do severe execution in chopping down trees, and building up log huts on the next day, so that we looked forward to a village at once. For the rest, our party was composed of an English " old chaw," as he once humorously called himself; a Jack tar, and consequently a Jack of all trades, let loose among the moun- tains. He gave us his history ; miners are very free and candid in that respect, as indeed in every thing else, for there is less humbug both about them and their profession than is the case with any other class extant. This history was a long, round-about affair, the most prominent parts of which appeared to be his running away to sea from his grand- mother at Bristol ; his subsequent loves and disasters, both by sea and land. On the latter he was thrown off various horses on five dis- OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 239 bevond, jountry ; together d being he term, xe, with jution in log huts rward to ed of an morously sequently . le moun- iners are as indeed humbug I than is ut affair, leared to s grand- oves and the latter five dis- •I tinct occasions during his perilous career, all of which took place in California, the country in which he first made acquaintance with horse- flesh, and that, after clearing out of, or rather deserting, his ship, which was subsequently turned into a boarding-house, in whicli capacity she gained more money than she could have made in voyaging. After this he had expe- rienced a succession of " good strikes " at va- rious diggings, which, however, w^ere just as often followed by what he termed "' a jolly spree," and so the money went. He had travelled bv steamer from California, as indeed all of us had done, the party of Missouri men excepted. Then we had three Frenchmen, partners ; as also two Germans ; after which the balance was made up of thorough bred, long, straight, black- haired Yankees ; a surgeon, a lawyer, a con- juror, and a photographic artist ; all, of course, divested of their tools, and shorn of " practice," being amongst their wide-awake number. The reader may perhaps feel interested in learning the fate of my opossum skin rug and vermilion shirts ; know then, ihat, failing to be. 1 1^- S i; 1 240 THE NEW EL DORADO; Stow them on the native rulers of the soil, the former still constituted my bed, and the latter my pillow, for they were faithfully replaced by the Indians after they had fully satisfied their curiosity. I attributed this to their amiability, and not to any dread of punishment they might have entertained, as their numbers were alto- gether overpowering, and I judged truly ; al- though I should have considered them quite justified in appropriating them as rightful spoil had they chosen to have done so ; for I am egotist enough to believe that I had sufficient magnanimity of mind and character to know and to feel that I stood up in the, till now, almost primeval territory of aboriginal dominion an usurper. ; ,! was, together with the motley crew by whici. 1 was surrounded, but too painfully emblematic, m my own mind, of the coming misery and eventual, yea, rapid extermination of the race of the Red Man — the valiant children of the riant wilderness. The natives had quitted the neighbourhood of our encampment before dusk, and we were thus left alone to beguile the flying hours of night as best we could. Our fire well fed with OR, BulTISH COLUMBIA. 241 the soil, the id the latter ^ replaced by jatisfied their sir amiability, it they might rs were alte- red truly ; al- i them quite rightful spoil 50 ; for I am had sufficient ir to know and ill now, almost dominion an le motley crew ; too painfully af the coming extermination valiant children neighbourhood {, and we were flying hours of ■e well fed with faggots burn gaily, and e\'ery crackle wus a sound of welcome companionship. There is nothing like a good log fire for making a man feel at home in the woods. Although the day had been agreeably hot, we felt the warmth which our " log burner " emitted very comforting, and knowing its effect in scaring off grizzly and other bears, we sunk into the unconscious embrace of slumber with our boots, our revolvers — and with me, my vermilion shirts — luider our heads, in the happy confidence of safetv. And this was two hundred and eighty miles up the shelving banks of the Frazcr River, and adjoining a camp of reported warlike Indians. As for the latter, I woulc? thus as readily tvust myself into their powe as I would to humanity of the white skin ; it h only when the sf;,vage become;^ norally vitiated by his intercourse with civilisuuon that his un- sophisticated honesty and generosity become obscured or perverted ; and when he is driven relentlessly to the brink of death by iuice of vice and starvation engendered by his asso- ciation with the white man. It is a preposterous thing for ignorant con- 242 THE NEW EL DORADO ; ventional old women, and donnesticated men to match, who have never wandered beyond the regions of lamp posts, rant about savages, and pray for the conversion of the heathen, and look down upon them as degraded beings, lost in the darkness of sin and iniquity ; when the fac*: is, that thev themselves are the sinful and ini- quitous, compared with which the rover of the woods is very often a personification of mrg- nanimity and virtue, while he is never degraded till he has succumbed to the blasting, withering power of a perv^erted and vicious civilisation, when his valiant courage and sovereign heroism forsakes him, and very soon he is no more. Ashes to ashes. How much more noble was he than those vassals of civilisation by whom he was overrun, who would cringe into servility, and lick the dust of a petty despotism equally contemptible with themselves. Give me a free, wild, boundless solitude, rises to my lips as I write, for I enjoy about as supreme a contempt for anything like ser- 3d men to eyond the vages, and I, and look gs, lost in en the fac'. i\ and Ini" ver of the n of mrg- 3r degraded r, withering civilisation, gn heroism s no more. than those A'as overrun, md lick the contemptible OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 243 vih'ty and social snobbism as any man that ever sniffed the desert air, or ever tasted the sweets of triumphant liberty remote from the haunts of civilized man. ilitude, I enjoy about ling like ser- M 2 fi 1 244 THE NEW EL DORADO; CHAPTER XXI. A COLD CHOP AND A HOT STEAK. We were up and moving soon after day-break ; several went off prospecting up river, and for a mile or two inland, if the term may be used to denote an opposite direction to the river. The five-hundred dollar Kentuckian went "hard at it " on a small " bar " of the river, about five hundred yards higher up than where stood the tree under whose shelter he had been de- lighted with happy dreams, full of delicious prospects, and, to judge by his own vulgar account, perfectly heavenly and inspiring. The Western men set to work cutting down pine OK, nUITISU COLUMniA. 21:) STEAK. 'r day-break ; iver, and for may be used to the river. In went "hard river, about where stood had been de- of delicious own vulgar spiring. The Ing down pine trees, and for the first time in that primitive region the sound of th.; axe was heard resounding through the forest, and the work of aboriginal destruction had commenced. I compared it with the foundation stone laying of some new building in the old v;orld, with the difference of an augmented feeling of its being a great event, and instead of its being a mere solitary edifice, here was, perhaps, the foundation of a mighty city destined to flourish into a rapid existence, and live when those of Europe and to-day have crumbled into a second Pompeii, an Herculaneum, or a Bagdad. So much for my feelings on the subject of what one of the Yankees called " a cold chop " — an old joke — saying, that he should much prefer " a hot steak," or stake, it does not matter which, in accordance with which he gashed away with his bowie knife at some of the bear's flesh which we had purchased from the Indians, and throwing it gridiron fashion across a burning faggot, soon had it iu convulsions, blubbering out an amount of beai'^s grease sufficient to have anointed the heads of the whole party. However, no one uses Ma- cassar, nor yet any substitute therefore at the Ml 1 1 i s ft If ( Hi 1 • ■ 1.;: ■ 946 THK NEW EL DORADO ; mines, so that it did not in its effect cause thom to conjure up the same visions of pomatum pots and barbers' shops as possibly might have been. We breakfasted promiscuously bet vcen six and seven o'clock, by which time the Indians were flocking down to us like so many geese to their pond. I enjoyed a refreshing bath in the river before taking that meal, the best part of which was the tea; a beverage which I felt almost as necessary to my existence as the Lascar does to opium. We also made some damper after the Australian mode, which was pronounced " fust rate. " After breakfast the work of trimming the logs and washing the gold proceeded briskly till noon, when we assembled to dinner, which, instead of raw materials, consisted of a savoury dish of stewed squirrels, a " pan " half full of transmogrified deer's and bear's flesh, converted into a harricot with the assistance of wild vegetables, and some yam-like cereal called potatoes, grown and supplied by the Indians ; all this had been dished up and ma- noeuvred by one of the Frenchmen, who, as it turned out, had been a ranch, or restaurant keeper near Downieville,in Califoi'nia. We appointed him forthwith to be inspector and purveyor-general of OR, niUTISII COLUMBIA. 247 cause them iiatum pots have been. )etvccn six ndians were ese to their in the river of which was ; as necessary s to opium, le Australian fust rate. " ling the logs ikly till noon, |h, instead of iish of stewed )grified deor's •icot with the ,me yam-like Ipplied by the I up and ma- i, who, as it lurant keeper Lppointed him L' or- general of our commissariat, and entrusted him with all the duties and responsibilities of the cuisine, at a salary to be made up amongst us of ten dollars a-day, which, strange to say, he agreed to. So much for French enterprize — the fact is, that Frenchmen love the comfortable, and conse- quently make bad pioneers — they are better adapted for following in the wake of explorers than of constituting such themselves, and more often, like this hero, prefer cooking for them to sharing the risk, and more arduous undertakings which the English and Americans plunge after and rejoice in. I can compare them only, in the wilderness, to so many cats in a storm — they are never happy till they get within doors. To-day I left my shirt and opossum rug tied up for safety from aboriginal touch in a deer skin, and in immediate proximity to the legs of our French cook, who sacre'd the Red men freely, and with all the gesticulations of his country tried to convince them that tiiey were in his way, but in vain ; the climax was only reached when they demolished a squirrel fricassee which he had been preparing, when, afraid to use his revolver against them, he sat down and wept desparingly. The IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) &c // /. >* ZA llll 1.0 I.I 11.25 21 111 <^ Itt 122 tiS. 12.0 u 1^ Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. I4SS0 (716) 873-4S03 ,\ qv •SL^ ^\ ^t^t:-. rti 248 THE NLW EL DC R ADO; , Indians grinned and enjoyed this amazingly well, aiid just as much as I did myself, for I laughed at him to his face for the space of forty-five seconds without stopping, by the end of which time he looked as foolish as he felt savage How- ever, in addition to what I have before mentionedi he gave us bear ^-la-mode, a newly prepared fri- cassee of the same animal, and a sort of grill of ditto, with grasshopper sauce, so that it was nearly all bear together, the prairie greens and yam po- tatoes excepted, as also a pudding stuffed with wild raspberries, and half-a-dozen other wild things which we did not at all expect, but which turned out very well, taking into consideration the Nebu- chadnezzar-like quality of the fruit of which it was composed. 1 believe that if we had been " dead broke," as the term is, for provisions, that this saM cook would have dished us up a very palatable pottage of landscape herbage, and made soup out of the few knife handles we were pos- sessed of, or, better still, out of my persecuted opossum-skin rug. However, I am glad to say that we were not driven to any such extremities, so that his utmost skill in making something out of nothing was not called into requisition. OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 24y pos- fcuted to say lities, .'thing Isition. Ho was an active, but pale, long-faced, emaciated- looking man, of slight frame, with a scanty supply of nearly black hair and a very weak moustache, covering, but not concealing his thin, restless lips, which denoted every passing sensation, and moved as expressively as the small black eyes which peered on either side of his sharp and well-defined nose. He spoke with great rapidity of utterance, and made it his study to anticipate L'very want of those about him during meal times. He was, moreover, nimble and highly excitable ; in politics, of course, democratic, and on some points entertained such original views, that if he had branched out and suggested the conversion of a Red Indian into a new species of fricassee, or the giving us a feast of squaw a-la-mode, or devilled, I should have considered it quite in keeping with his character, and have laughed accordingly. After dinner,\vhich occupied about ten minutes, digging, or rather gold seeking, was actively re- sumed by all, the Missouri men and our French cook excepted, who merely interspersed their other avocations of log-hut building and bear- roasting with an occasional scrape for nuggets. M 3 ^.i ^^ H '1 i i T*'.''**. 250 THE NEW EL DORADO ; All were ardent and impetuous in their eager pur- suit of gold, save this our denominated " parley- voo," who displayed no excitement whatever, but went about his work calmly, dnd as cool as what is commonly called a cucumber ; even the western men worked with almost superhuman energy ; they throw their whole strength int9 the work of the house-building, in which the newly-cut timber of the forest, and a few nails which they had brought overland, were the only materials em- ployed, and endeavoured by their unceasing toil to dispatch the " business "as quickly as possible. The yield on this day was equally satisfactory with that of the previous day, but the novelty had died away, so that the men talked less about it, and " realized " their hundreds of dollars without making particular mention of the sum. There was plenty for us all, and tens of thou- sands beside, so that we had each equally good chances of making a " pile," and moreover a rather bulky one too. We slept, as usual, in the open air, and recommenced mining one by one, very early ; the five-hundred dollar man whom I have already sketched being up and rousing the whole camp at three o'clock, just after day- OR, BRITISH COLUMisIA. 251 break. I wished him to unmentionable places for breaking my slumber at such an unseason- able hour ; but as under cover of the forest, he was in nobody's bedroom in particular, he had the privilege of making as much noise as he chose to trouble himself with. By noon our log house was built, which afforded sleeping room for us all on the ground floor that night. The yield of gold still kept up, with no proba- bility, as far as we could see, of its ever diminish- ing. The Indians still continued friendly, but we saw less of them than at first ; they, however, furnished us with plenty of wild comestibles, which our so-called " parleyvoo " made it his chief study to transmogrify into various unrecog- nisable substances for the gratification of our universal appetites. We had plenty of salmon, and a few small fish, so that we were not compelled to confine ourselves to squirrels and bears'-flesh unless our epicurean tastes — query — had induced us to prefer as food the wild animals of the wilderness to the more sober salmon' , '• That once did dart and dive, But now were split and dried." I ,' * I ^ 1 J i ( i 252 THE NEW EL DORADO; I was now becoming rather impatient of this mode of life, and moreover felt a " desperate inclination " to breathe the air of more populous districts. Here there was just a sufficient amount of civilization to spoil the charm of aboriginalism, and no more. Besides, I had seen enough of the upper country to satisfy me as to its richness, and now felt a bnging to observe life elsewhere. Accordingly, to be brif^f, I sold my shai'e in the canoe, and set out alone, with two painted Indians, in a canoe belonging to their tribe, on the second day following the completion of the log-hut. I wished to reach Victoria as quickly as possible, to see what was to be done ; and being myself of a highly specu- lative turn of mind, was as much disposed to " invest" a few thousand dollars of the " dust" found, which, indeed, I felt it agreeably op- pressive to carry, in anything "likely" — land, for instance — as I was to keep it under my own personal surveillance. We shot down the river like an arrow, passing by the rugged and the picturesque, and the respective bars of Canoe, La Fontaine, and Foster, and bivouacing for the night on the right bank of the river, where we H' OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 253 made a portuge, reached the " Forks," distant about one hundred and sixty miles from th<; river's mouth, and six miles below Mormon Bar, an hour before noon on the second day out. The mouth of the Thompson bears every sign of having been formed by volcanic agency, and traces of such abound all over the country. The cactus, also, grows plentifully, a sure sign that the winters are not severe. Here the canoe and I parted, the Indians, according to our figura^ tive understanding, being disinclined to descend further ; 1, however, succeeded in buying one for a hundred and twenty dollars from a party of Frenchmen at the Thompson River junction, in which I proceeded with another Indian down the river as far as Fort Yale, (which was then undergoing repairs) making a portage along the Cascade Mountains on the way, the river here running very narrow and rocky. There I had a bed made up for me of all manner of strange things, in a square tent-store kept by an Illinois % man, measuring six feet three inches, from the crown of his Panama hat to the under soles of his pegged boots, which were stamped with a pair of flaming red eagles " Eagles again !" I ejaculated to myself, t 1 1 ^ H m \ I 254 THE NEW EL DORADO; i * they outflap the stars.** These boots are made by steam at large manufactories through- out the States, all of which are stamped with an impression of the national eagle, and an ace filled up with stars and stripes, hence their number; the peculiar distinctive mark being merely to please the Yankee taste. The yield here was very high, averaging a hundred, and in some cases two hundred dollars to the man per day, but rockers were required. Tents were numerous, ant loen houses and stores were going up every vdy. The " dry diggings" being worked on a creek parallel with Hunter's Bar, a few miles further down on this side Fort Hope, were turning out very rich. I set out the next morning on my journey down river as far as Fort Hope, passing hundreds of boats and canoes on the way. This is a splendid site for a town, being at the head of steam navigation ; and a land trail stretches direct from it to Thompson's River and the Forks, so avoid- ing the canon two miles above Fort Yale as well as the other dangers of the upper river naviga- tion. Here I sold my canoe for a little more than half the amount 1 had given for it, wliich was OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 255 nevertheless profitable enough in its way, seeing that it had carried me down from the Forks, which was all that 1 had bought it for. Here human life was more dense, and habitations more abundant than at Fort Yale. I paid twenty dollars, passage money, and left on the same day that I had arrived there, by the steamer. Twelve miles below the fort we passed the steamer Sea-bird grounded on a bar. She had been there a couple of days, and consequently all her passengers had been landed. She looked very forsaken, and her captain^ who " showed up," as we passed, looked just as extremely disgusted. He was calculating, no doubt, upon the awful loss of her services. When 1 left Victoria she was reported to be still in the same place, but as her stern was in deep water she was expected to be got oflf on the next day. We had very few passengers on board, so that things were a little better than I had found them during the up-trip by the Surprise. We stopped at Fort Langley, and took in two or three pa^^sengers, and passing by two or three heavily timbered islets, on the next day, at noon, rounded the straits of Juan De Fuca, and Am- -I I 256 THE NEW EL DORADO; came to an anchor in the placid and bay like harbour of Esquimault, surrounded by a pano- rama of rocks and pine trees. " 'Squimalt at last, I guess," exclaimed an Oregon man. " Yes," said I. We all took boat together for Victoria. " Let's liquor," he ejaculated, as he made a plunge into the first store we came to. We were bound in politeness to agree, and we did '* liquor" — a batch of thirty or so — our Oregon friend standing treat all round. And so ran the custom of the country, while all around was bustle and excitement. OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 257 .''1 '■»■ ' : \] CHAPTER XXII. BACK TO THE ISLAND. On reachliig Victoria, which is situated on beautiful level ground, on a narrow arm of the Sound, stretching about two miles inland, and gradually sloping towards the water, which at once saves all grading, and affords a splendid natural drainage, I found the now augmented multitude in a wilder state of excitement than on my first arrival there, in the early part of the month. The first sign of the rapid progress going forward on the island that met my eye, was a large store and wharf, both made of logs, at the landing-place of Esquimault, which latter ought decidedly to be included in the town of Victoria j as from the depth and extent of the bar at the mouth of the latter hai- ii !■. ■« It ; hi 2j8 THE NIlW I L D )UAI)0 ; hour, as well as its general inferiority in point of si/0 and shape to that of Es(|uimauU, u heauti- fully fornned natural granite hasin, very mueli resemhHng Acapuleo harhour save in its superior size, and distant about three miles on water and two on land, it can never be ranked the port proper of the Vaneouver metropolis. The harbour, — Esquiinault — which, picturesquely rock-bound, is from six to eight fathoms deep to the shore, and about a mile in lengtii by the same in breadth, was crowded with gracefully peaked canoes and boats of all shapes and sizes, scudding from the various vessels in shore, and vice versa. Some of the canoes were guided by girls, sometimes one, sometimes two, and occasionally a family of four or five would be seen hovering about. They were all more or less striped with vermilion clay — the women having a line drawn down the centre of the head where the hair parted, and from which it fell gracefully over the shoulders. They were all sufficiently clothed ; the men who are tall, broad-shouldered, and full-chested, wearing a mushroom-shaped hat of twisted cedar bark, and a deep girdle ; the women a short petticoat made of strips of cedar bark, bordered OU, imiTIMI COM MHIA. 2.") 3 with seawird : in addition to wliirh tlu-v had sashes of cotton or woollen material hartereci to them hy the Hudson's Bay Company, as also various hracelets, whih; in some cases hoth men and women were clothed a la Anylais, in which, howev(T, they, with their tawny, coppery complexion, looked an; thing hut pictur(;s(jue. There were also Italian fishermen from San Fran- cisco acting as hoatmen here. Niggers, Chinese, and Sandwich Islanders, 1 found had hecn added to the population of Europeans and Yankees. There was a government, that is to say, a Company's land sale going on at the office at Victoria Fort, on the day of my arrival; the scramhle for lots was of course tremendous, one hundred dollars being the fixed price per lot, but lucky indeed were the purchasers, for they were subsequently, in most cases, passed from hand to hand at an advanced price of thousands of dollars. Judge of the case of a man that I saw in a liquor store at Victoria : *' Ye — es, sir," said he, " six thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars I calculate to be the profit of that ar fifty-dollar lot." This he had invested in when he first arrived from San Francisco, two months pnvi- lii wm wmm 2G0 THE NEW EL DOilADO ; ously, when the fixed price of hind was a hun- dred per cent, lower than at present, and which lot he had sold on this very day for seven thou- sand dollars. This sort of speculation just hit iny taste, so I hurried off to the land office, but found it so difficult of approach, owing to the eager crowd of intending purchasers, that the sale was over before I reached it. I liad never been in such a crowd since the year 'fifty-five, when I waited my turn for letters in front of the San Francisco post-office after the arrival of the United States mail. However, I resolved to renew the attack on the morning following, when I succeeded in purchasing three lots al- ready located, and that at the standard price of one hundred dollars, and of the standard dimen- sions of sixty feet by a hundred and twenty. My money was taken by a sandy-haired Scotch- man, who handed me a voucher in return, with a barren and cautious composure, which struck me as cont asting remarkably with the excited, cla- morous crowd who were contending for the first purchase of " City allotments." " You may depend upon it he's had porridge for break- face," rsmarked an Englishman who had been r«ii^« OR, BRITISH (OLUMPIA. 261 m struggling next behind mc, and with whom I made a sort of crushing acquaintance, which resulted in the exchange of sundry " drinks." " T guess he has," was all the reply I made ; for while amongst the Yankees, I sometimes adopt their phraseology, and can guess and calculate as readily as the smartest of them. I thought myself very lucky in having been able to enter thus cheaply into a landed proprietorship, which promised to be about the best paying thing even in a gold country. I resolved to renew the attack on the Lmd office on the morning following, and in fact to continue buying as far as my purse and pushing powers would allow me. In the meantime I revelled away in riotous disorder, together with a floating population of about fifty, in a wo';den boarding house, built for the present proprietor during the early part of the month, and which promised to yield him quite as big a " pile" as any made on this side of Fort Hope ; the charge being five dollars a-day, and the supply of provi- sion, as well as its quality being anything but satisfactory to either palate or appeti'.e. How- ever, matters will improve, as the Americans say, m m 26-2 THE Ni:W EL DORADO ; I and therefore it is to be hoped that by this time either the said proprietor has be^n improved out of the house, or that he has improved his table in the house, for it was anything hut good for the money when I was there. Here 1 met a late companion of the unfortunate fellow who was shot by an Indian during the affray near Fort Hope, when a native chief was killed. He gave me a narrative of the whole affair, and spoke with much feeling of the deceased man, as well as his own narrow escape, as he termed it, from a similar fate. However, I did not fail to tell him it was all and deservedly brought upon them by the ruthless conduct of their barbarous coun- tryman, who fired the first shot, and in the most rash and uncalled-for manner, hurried death upon the unsophisticated chieftain. " We left Fort Langley," said he, " on the 2nd of June, and took two Indians in our canoe to pilot us up. We got along as well as any, until the fourth day out from Fort Langley. We were then within four miles of Fort Hope. There was a canoe ahead of us, about thirty or forty yards, with which we had kept c mpany for several days. This ^ I :( 1 i I 2«^*. _THE NEW EL DORADO J sonage, who came up with a buoyant swagger, and was greeted with applause as he went. He was evidently being lionised a little, so I began to wonder what it was all about. This man was introduced to me as *' Mr. Reuben Davis," and I did not fail to shake the hard, rusty hand of the said Mr. Reuben Davis, in recognition of such introduction. " This, sir," spoke the introducer, whose eloquence waxed high, " is the gentleman who, in conjunction with his partner, saved the lives of twentv-three of his fellow men and women, who had been precipitated, together with eleven others, who, I regret to say, were drowned, into the water, in consequence of the capsizing of the sloop Alcatraz, while rounding McCauley's Point on her way with passengers," — very redundant, thought I, — " from the steamship Panama, in Esqui.nault Harbour ; and, gentle- men, who on being offered a bag of dollars by them in gratitude, refused to receive it." (Cheers.) " This is the gentleman, gentlemen ; he's a true-born Yankee, and, I guess, as tran- scendant a hero as ever swilled a cocktail. We'll liquor:" laughter, and a perfect enthusiasm of OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 269 applause, during which everybody invited him to drink. Here, again, we were regaled with juleps, brandy pawnees, and '~eck-twisters, mixed by a real live Yankee, got up between a pair of shiny collars, and set off with a flaming crimson silk sash, quite in Jieeping, however, with a retailer of flashes of lightning and thunderbolts. The accident alluded to had taken place two days previous to my return, and was supposed to have been caused by the carelessness of the helmsman jibbing the sail, and not taking the precaution of hauling the sheet up in doing so. There was a heavy sea running at the time, so that the bodies of three only of the drowned were recovered; these had been brought to Victoria, and after some inquisitorial examina- tion, were buried. On the morning following I repaired to the fort at an early hour, that is, between three and four o'clock, and took up my place, post-office fashion, to await the opening of the land-office at ten. The excitement which swayed the multitude was even more frantic than on the previous day. Lots in private hands were resold several times i I !i TllE J^FW^^F T. JK2P ,\ no ! I li at ( nnrmoiis advances iimongst tlic crowd lore the office opened. I succeeded in buying three additional lots, making six in all, sucli being the nunnber limited to each individual ; but these were unspecified, — in fact, not yet surveyed or denoted, and were just as likely to turn up at Esquimault as at any part of Victoria. How- ever, I had purchased, as per voucher, those lots of 60 by 120, lying somewhere, and with this vague knowledge I was satisfied, and concluded that I had already made twenty thousand dol- lars by my speculation and inv(!stment. The town of Victoria is very picturesquely situated on high sloping ground. Its harbour, although perplexingly crooked in the eyes of navigators, and high barred, is nevertheless very prettily located, and forms a beautiful granite basin like that of Esquimault. There is a bridge, erected by the Hudson's Bay Company at a cost of one thousand pounds, which spans the harbour from the town site on the Victoria side to the opposite or north side, and leading to the trunk road to the interior, which passes l)y the Company's extensive farm, (the Esquimault,) the settlement at Herbert Head, OR, BRITISH COLOMBIA. Ss/l at Mctclioson, and at Suokc, all thriving agri- CliitUiai iiiStnctS. At the present time Victoriii consisted of ahout one hunch'ed and fifty houses and stores, one-tliird of which had been recently erec .d. Ahnost every house or shanty in the town proptr was a restaurant or coflFec stand, fitted up in the most primitive manner. They were all, however, " doing a good business," in spite of a scarcity of ev(;rything necessary for the comfort and well being of man. Mutton chops and th' bread formed the only palatable food ; as for cutlery and crockery there was a scantier proportionate allowance per dozen men than the Frenchmen brought with them, including our cook, be- yond the " Forks," and that we had at our joint disposal there, far beyond the pale of civilised society, although that indeed was sorry enough. However, things were improving every day. Besides these, there were numerous tents scat- tered about the outskirts, some choking up ravines with their number ; others spread out on the broad open plain that surrounds the town, and further otf their fleecy summits were to be seen along the shores of the bay, while thropgh :ti H \l' 272 THE NEW EL DORADO ; the woods, still fuitlior from the dust and clamour of the streets, here and there an iso- lated specimen tenanted by some individual enamoured of " a lodge in the wilderness " was to be seen. These temporary habitations varied considerably in size and construction. In fixing them a ground space was cleared and cleaned ; two uprights were then fixed in the ground, their tops being joined by a ridge pole, over which the regular canvas covering, or a sui)stitute of blankets was hung, and the tent was then made, leaving the interior t^ be fitted up according to the taste and resources of the occupant. Outside was arranged a simple fire-place. From some of these after nightfall the sound of music, vocal and instrumental, broke forth in cheering reso- nance ; while by the fires, and at the doors of others, groups of men, pipe in mouth, were collected, each discussing the chances of the golden future, or recalling memories of the golden past. Order was the ruling feature of these communities, and of riot and unseemly noise there was an utter but agreeable absence. Such are the suburbs of Victoria in 1858. Who or what will be their occupants in 1859 imagi- i OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 273 \ nation may picture, but how trutlifully time can alonf5 tell. There was also a small wooden pali- saded encampment of Indians standing aloot' not far from the town. The Company have two chief stations on the island, besides Victoria, viz. : at Nanaimo, where they have been working, in an imper- fect manner, however, extensive coal-mines, which there extend over two thousand acres, the surface seams being from one to three feet thick ; the other station is Fort Rupert, situate.! at the extreme north end of the island. It was here rumoured, and I have since heard it verified, that the Company had made an offer of their entire property, stations, and stock, situated in the territory of the United States, of course, to the Government of that country, through Lord Napier, our ambassador at Wash- ington, for the sum of six hundred thousand dollars, which was correctly considered to be very cheap. Property lots in central parts of the town were readily sold at from two thousand to seven thousand dollars, although originally sold for fifty dollars, and that but a few weeks before. t 274 THE NEW EL DORADO ; L*i i ■% All the land bordering on the harbour of Esqui- mault, and from thence to Victoria, was selling at the same extravagantly high prices. Rents for wooden buildings were higher than they were for brick ones at San Francisco. In spite, however, of the difficulty of getting carpenters and such like to work, wooden houses were to be seen rising up everywhere and every day, and the sound of the hammer might have been heard amid the clamour of the busy and excited multitude — the din of daily life on all sides — the wages of the Vt^orkmen ranging from ten to fifteen dollars a day. There is an abundance of various kinds of fish, including salmon, in the bay, and both large and small I have seen caught from the bridge. There are numerous pleasant — I may say delightful — walks in the neighbourhood of the town site. I strolled out as far as the Sound Shore, distant about six miles. It is a curious beach, covered over with millions of tons of pebbles, varying in size from that of an vgg to that of a small bean. These pebbles are used lai'gely in Victoria for the streets and in road-making, as also garden walks, and wherever there is much traffic. i OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 275 The more I experioncod of the climate and the country, the more I liked them. The tem- perature was equable and deliciously warm, and day by day there came a gentle breeze, which, wafted from Mount Olympus and the coast range that loomed far away through the circumambient space, was at once balmy and refreshing. Within two minutes' walk of Fort Victoria, miles of fields, rich in clover, are pre- sented to the eye, bordered or intersected by bushes of the blackberry and wild rose. Straw- berry plants also flourish there, and I had the pleasure of gathering a little of the unlimited quantity of the fruit which ripened there in uncultivated luxuriance. These berries, as also oranges, are sold by the Indians about the streets. Groves of oak, aspen, and pine-trees grew up, stretching far as the eye could reach, and forming regions of delicious shade, through which it was delightful to walk. However, the tens of thousands of keen gold-hunting Cali- fornians, flocking over the island, were already making a visible impression upon its timbered coast, alike with the forests and the adjacent mainland. ■It1 I m 't- II i 276 TIIK NF.W EL noUAlX) , M'brsc rM|M(lly-|:!;r()\ving (owns, some of whuh tliilod lluir ('xistcMUM' hv morhs, vvvw wow vhnn ll\<' (1osip,n!\(ion of cities. Thorisc and |)r(»^rrsH of California froui tlir ovouiful y(^ar of forty- ninr, wUvS without a pari\ll*>l in \\\o world's history ; l>ut 1 folt that I saw going on aro\nKl mr what is dost inod to rclipsc rvrn the glorious national raroor o( that richly-cndowod land. llnndrrds of hrick and stonr huildings wcro hring pr(»j(Ttod, and all this in spit(M)f a popular tVeling of \n\«Trtainty as to which place would turn out the city oi' the gold regions, upon which .suhjoct a piu'fc( t hahol of confusion j)rc vailed. Each favoin-ito selected locality was announced as certain to be the San Francisco of Puget Sound ; so that a now comer, w ide awake though he might he, would soon have been bewildered had he believed half of what was tt)ld him, Whatcom and Schomo were pnmnnently put . torward for public favour equally with Victoria, and each had numberless advocates who w^ould undertake to prove to anybody and everybody, that his or their favourite was The Place. An ordinary mortal would suppt)se that these three would have afforded a sutHciently ample OH, p.nirisn r'n,|iviin^ 277 fuild for the MponnlnfnrR. I^nt nf). A pnrty l»iul just sot o\\ in fnuitK; luistfi to Vn'\nt Rfibcrts, on Sciniumoo liny, for \hv pwrpono of luyirii/ out nnollicr city. Thus innrcliJinis scckirif^ a " loca- tio!i " for business, utui otlx^rs scckinjr an invests inrnt, had, and still h.ivr, a wide and frrtilf^ firlrl to chooRo from — to siiy n(»thin(.r of thfi wcakt'.r rivals, Soattio and Stciliicoorn, which thii.k " aw- ful strong" of th(misrlvrs. Victoria controls th(! trader of the, main river, hut not entirely, as a largM -ruunher of canoes and boats were, bcinr^ fitted out at lieinngham Jiay, and took their way up Trazor River from that pf>int. The; main hopes of Sehom(!and Wlntcom w(T(; based upon their trail to 'rhom|)son Kivf^r, which report said had just been completed! beyond the Lakf;. Ho ennfident were those concerned as to its success that a larg(! f(!rry boat was being })uilt for the purpose of plying across it, a distance of two miles. After reaching the summit of the trail, the remaining road to be traversed before reaching Thompson River is through an open country. Those who had tri(;d the trail spoke favourably of it, and some had gone to California to procure m S ' 278 THE NEW EL DORADO; f !■! mules to pack on it. If their expectations arc realized, and the trail is practicable, they will in- evitably, to a great extent, monopolise the trade of Thompson River, so that there appeared to be good chances for each of these places becoming flourishing townships ; as there is no doubt but that there are thousands of square miles of British Columbian .territory, not to speak of trea- sures beyond the boundary line, incalculably rich in as yet undiscovered gold. Already ^' dry diggings " were announced* miles aw\'iy from the rivers, in various places, while along the ravines and gulches of the coun- try, wherever found, quartz specimens of asto- nishing richness, evident signs of large beds, were as frequently met with as nuggets. The field open to gold mining enterprise will be limitless, so that all the world — at least ill who come — may dig and feast, and at length abandon the gold field heavily laden with its spoils. Then, again, there is the group of Queen Charlotte's Islands, also indisputably rich in gold as well as copper and other minerals, and, like all gold countries, just as bountifully er*- OR, BRITISH COLUMUIA. 279 rth its ten in kii- dowcd with the gifts of Ceres and of Flora, as they arc beautiful to look upon, and as their clime is balmy. These islands, of which there are three, lying close together, although popularly confounded as one, possess an area but little less than Vancouver, and are furnished with excellent harbours ; of these, Port Estrada on the north coast, and Croft's Sound, a lit Je to the westward of it ; Skitekis and Cummashawon on the north, and Port Sturges farther south ; Magee's Sound, on the wei^t or Pacific coast, and Port Ingram on the north-west coast, are the principal. How- ever, the light of British Columbia must needs be dimmed before these islands can be seen to shine. Still the rush of civilisation to these hi- therto but scarce or thinly-trodden lands will develope resources hitherto unknown — will ex- tend the empire of British domination, and the spread of the Anglo-Saxon tongue, over regions where the Indian is still a mighty family — over territories hitherto unfrequented and scarce known to civihsation and the world, but where a motley yet a mighty throng now contend and yearn for gold. It is the giant infancy of a na- i V 1 V- 280 THE NEW EL DORADO ; li \ tion which has risen in a day, over which the British banner proudly floats, the symbol of strength and safety, of progress and enlighten- ment borne on the flying wings of time, and which nation will one day, — and that not far removed — glitter in the wealth and splendour meet for the sovereign cities of the North Pacific. The extensive gold fields which in all probability will be found within the neighbouring American territory, will, in their influence, both tend to swell their triumph and enhance their greatness by augmented wealth. OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 281 CHAPTER XXII. PRODIGIOUS DOINGS. I REALLY felt it quite worth the passage-money from New York, to see the rampant excitement, and to watch the eager speculation going on amongst the disordered community assembled together at Victoria. There were individuals who but two weeks previously had been plod- ding their way in San Francisco, tolerably weU satisfied with the profits of a small and legitimate business, who now looked upon themselves, and were looked upon by others, as millionaires. They would tell you that they owned a thousand or twelve hundred lots in the town of Esqui- mault — or Squimalt as it was pronounced-— I 282 THE NEW EL DOilADO ; I ■ i which cost thoin l)ut live dollars an acre but ',\ few days since — and which they now sold at as many thousands ])ei* acre ; and had any doubt been cxj)rcsse(l as to their being able to " realize" as much for the remainder, they would favour you with a smile of pity at your ignorance and want of foresight. This sort of thing was highly amusing, and afforded me considerable entertainment. When I awoke on the fourth morning after my return, I found an ex habitue of St. James's, who slept in the same room with me, very busily occupied at the table in drawing the plan of a house which he proposed to erect forthwith on one of the lots in whose ownership he rejoiced. I asked him how much his lots had advanced since he bought. " Two hundred and fifty thousand," was the prompt reply, meaning so many dollars — fifty thousand pounds. I thought him luckier than I had been, and began to regret " most awfully" my absence up river during the best buying times. However, I had six lots, three of v;hich were first class, — that is, well situated and worth any of and the other three, yet to amount ot money be surveyed, might turn out equally well. I OR, bRITISIl COLUMBIA. 283 did not liopt! for much beyond, as l:n\(l in private hands was held at too hi<^h a price to speculate in. The time for gettin^^ it cheap, as I have already mentioned, had gone l)y, the half- dozen lots, at a hundred dollars each, allowed per man by the Company excepted. The real estate panic was, however, higher than it had ever been, and promised to become still more mad and despiM-ate with each succeeding week. The individu;il who occupied the next bed to me was " raising a brick windmill on the hill," and considered himself to be, taking into cionsi- deration that and other " specs," the richest man in Victoria, and worth about a million and a half of dolliu's. I observed that the coloured peoj)le, /. e. " niggers," collected here, many of whom were " real estate " owners, conducted them- selves in a maimer rather belli(X)se than other- wise, which of course excited derision ; and one of their number I heard attempted to take his seat with white people at a boarding- house table in town, but was expelled in a manner as prompt and merciless as the style of doing the thing was ludicrous. The newly ap- J 284 THE NEW EL DORADO ; V;- pointed police of the place were n(.'grots, and consequently heartily despised by the Americans. Some enterprising individual opened a butcher's shop in a canvas house on the open space in front of the fort, and, as a reasonable consequence, several others followed his ex- ample, — some, even, building houses, and the whole space was very soon staked off into claims. One morning, however, a notice made its appearance on the gate-post of the Fort, warning, or rather calling upon these appro- priators of the land to quit it by noon on the day following, by which time most of the tene- ments had disappeared, having been removed to the outskirts. I heard but little inquiry made as to the richness of the " mines," as everybody took it for granted that they were the richest ever heard of; and that being a settled fact, they were too much whirled in the maze of their own exciting speculations to dwell long at a time on the subject of the diggings. But dig- gers from California, who intended to become diggers on the Frazer, arrived in half frantic haste to ascend that river, and were only the OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 285 heir it a |dig- )me Intic the more madly impelled by the almost bewildering reports of their prodigious yields and extent, which came from every quarter. The news of the dry diggings, discovered up a small stream near Hunter's Bar, seven miles below Fort Yale, as also of the Thompson and its tribu- taries, having been " prospected" for a distance of a hundred miles from its mouth, and found to be highly auriferous, seemed to fill them, even these veterans of California, with the wildest hopes of anticipated gain, and on they rushed, pell mell, and eager after gold, by the first vessel that had room for them. It is not, however, as the reader is aware, alone on Frazer River that gold exists, but throughout the entire Cascade Mountains — a fact demonstrated by actual discovery. Captain McClelland, in 1853, while surveying the mili- tary road from Fort Walla Walla, on tlie Co- lumbia River, to Fort Steilacoom, on Puget Sound, through the Nachess Pass, found gold in considerable quantities, his men making two dollars a day, sometimes, with a pan. Still later, gold was found in the vicinity of Mount St. Helens, south of the Nachess Pass, by a 286 THE NEW EL DORADO; small prospecting party from Oregon, but, from somo cause or other, notliing resulted from the discovery. As early as 1850, information was received from Indians that there was plenty of gold on the Catlapoodle Riv(T, which reaches the Columbia River some fifteen or twenty miles below Fort Vancouver. In 1853, the story was heard from the same Indians, that there were three white men then on the river making " hiyu" (much gold). About the same time, there was a man who occasionally "dropped in" at Fort Vancouver for a mule load of provisions, mysteriously arriving and departing in the night time, and so effectually concealing his trail that it was impossible to follow him. He might have beer a trapper, engaged in his pursuit ; but he alwfiys had gold- dust with which to pay for his supplies. There was also at the town of Seattle, on Puget Sound, well up twards Bellingham Bay, an old dissi- pated mountaineer, who used to talk confi- dentially to his immediate acquaintances of a place near by, where he could get gold by the pound. Nobody paid any attention to his yarns ; but that man used to make occasional hunting OU, RIUTISII COLUMBIA. 287 to Ad- 'here )und, Idissi- lonfi- of a the lams ; Inting excursions with his scjiiiiw — and he always re- turned with gold enough to pay for a " big drunk" — a spree that would last for months. So much for the country and the man. In many respects British Columhia is not unlike Northern Cahfornia ; and but little more than a year since, auriferous deposits found in pretty large quantities made the resemblance still more marked, and created thi; wildest excite- ment among all the a(lv(>nturers on the western slope of the mountains from San Diego to the mouth of the Columbia. The richest placers seemed to lie in the table land between the Frazer and Columbia Rivers. For nearly two centuries, as the reader is aware, the navigation of these rivers, together with their tributaries, and the bays, straits, or sounds into which they flow, has been monopolised by the Hudson's Bay Company ; in addition to this, the com- pany holds, under a tripartite tenure, all the territory extending from the northern American frontier to the Arctic Sea. Firstly, they hold under license from the Crown the island of Vancouver ; secondly, the magnificent territory extending from the Pacific to the Rocky Moun- i^;^: 288 THE NEW EL DORADO ; tains, now called British Columbia ; and thirdly, under their original Charles the Second's char- ter, the vast territories extending from the Rocky Mountains to Hudson's Bay. The Crown, of course, will resume occupation of the land held under license expiring in May '59, but the charter is a rather more difficult matter. Mr. Roebuck, as one of the deputation to the premier on the subject, represented that such a policy should be pursued as would develop the British possessions, and make a continuous line of populated and improved country from the Atlantic to the Pacitic as a counterpoise to the rapidly -increasing preponderance of the United States on the American continent. While, he said, the Americans had increased from thir- teen to thirty-six independent states, and from a population of three millions to one of thirty millions, the English had achieved nothing on that continent ; and while the border states, Minnesota and Iowa, were filling up to the frontier, the British had, on the other side, nothing but a little colony on the Red River. This primitive state of things he with justice attributed to the monopoly of the Hudson's Bay Company. He m OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 289 proposed that they should be dismissed at once. If it was decided that they had a legal right to remiiin, they should be paid for relinquishing their right ; if not, they should be dispossessed with- out compensation. Certain it is that the Hudson's Bay Company have exercised an anti-civilizing influence in the countries over which they presided. They have also manifested, with regard to the enlighten- ment of the Indians, an apathy rarely to be met with in this age of the world. I do not blame them for this, as the result has l)een good. Still it cannot be attributed to philanthropy on their part, although unconsciously, in thus leaving the aborigines to themselves, they were treating them as well as was compatible with their own presence amongst them. I ascertained at Vic- toria that no school, or means of instruction and civilization, had ever been devised on the island, and that even the chaplain of the island cannot speak the native language. The result, how- ever, is, that a Roman Catholic bishopric has been there established, and that three or four priests are actively engaged in puzzling these primitive people into what they call a conversion o tl li i ■ ! I 290 THE NLW EL DOUADO; J to their fjiith. There Jire two schoohnasters on the island, whose salaries are paid out of the fund arising from the sale of land ; but what, and who, and where these gentU^men taught, 1 was unable to aseertain during my short stay. Still, at the present time, the Hudson's Bay Company have proved themselves, although ex- pensive, very useful agents in the establishment both of the colonies of Vancouver and British Columbia. They have, however, since the date of their charter, reaped a harvest quite sufficient to amply repay ihem for any service they may have done the crown ; and if, as appears to be the case, according to law and license, the vast proceeds of the present land sales at Victoria .are to entirely accrue to them, they will certainly be rewarded beyond complaint at having to sur- render those colonies, on the expiration of their license in the month of May next. On the 21st of the month, the day of the boat accident, the first number of the Victoria Gazette had been issued, the first newspaper printed on the island. It is a Government organ, and temporarily edited by the proprietor of the San Francisco News Letter, who has been ap. OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 201 pointed printer, " by authority," to tlic Imperial Government of her Majesty Queen Vietoria iu Vaneouver's Island, and who had already put proelamations into type for the edification of the Yankees, with the orthodox " God save the Queen I" like a flourish of trumpets at the end. In an edition of this paper, the first regular one, published on the 25th, a return of the number of miners' licenses issued up to that date was given, viz. 1.000 at Victoria, and 300 at Fort Langley ; a remarkably small number, when compared with the number of immigrants. The issue of the Gazette woke up many of the old Vancouver fo::ies, some of whom had not seen a printing press in operation for years, and others had never witnessed its performances even on the Lmited scale of the journal in question. They could not be expected, however, to take in all the features of the new system in a day ; consequently, all the government announcements and many private business notions of the at- taches thereof were still only given to the public in the shape of written placards on the Fort's doors. The trade of Victoria, if such it could be o 2 m^fm^'>' ifHfimmi^^ 292 THE NEW EL DORADO ; called, was in a very curious condition, as per- plexing as it was unsettled and disordered. Sometimes trie Company's prices were slightly above those of the few traders in the place, but more often f;ii below them. When, for instance, flour was selling at thirty-five and forty dollars per barrel, large loaves of bread were furnished at the Company's bakery at twenty-five cents each. I may observe that, although trade with the interior of British Columbia was prohibited by them, that no restriction upon such existed on the island. The company, however, being out of supplies at the Frazer River Forts, and nearly out of flour here, it was expected that they would be compelled to throw open the trade very shortly, by sheer force of a pending famine and consequent clamour amongst the miners. Two hundred pounds' weight only was now allowed to be taken by each man going up river, and this in- cluded everything, so that miners were precluded from taking a supply of more than two months* provision with them. In purchasing from the company the buyers formed in a line, as at the land sale, only presenting a more composed as- pect, in front of one of the whitewashed buildings OR, BriTiSH COLUMBIA. 293 of the Fort, which I have described in an earlier portion of the work ; while in an office at the upper end of it, an order was written by one of the clerks, with a slow and serious certainty, authorizing the st^re-keeper to deliver the re- quired amount of pork or beans, sugar or ten, as the case might be. On receiving this, the favoured recipient rushed off to another build- ing of the Fort, of the same size and shape as the other, having a door and two windows on the ground floor, and there took up his place in the line, as at the first building. At length the door would be reached. The party would then present his order to a ruminating-look- ing individual, opening it to the extent of five inches, after which he would quietly shut it again. After time had elapsed sufficient to discharge a schooner, the desired articles would be as quietly handed out through one of the windows appointed for that purpose, and so the methodical door opening would be repeated till four o'clock, when the company's stores and offices were closed, to be opened at ten a.m. on the ensuing morning. It was now the 27th of the month, and ■■• a til '!l 294 THE NEW EL DORADO ; 1 M '■'1 June was in her pride, for more delicious weather I had never experienced in any cou'^try. The San Francisco steamer Repuhlic had just arrived, and the town was thronged with an additional thir- teen hundred Californians. Most of them walked across from Esquimault in preference to waiting for hoats to bring them round. I had a sight of them on the ro'id, and a curious and exciting sight it was. The entire length of the road was lined with them. They were all "packed," that is, they all carried more or less baggage across their bhovdders, and were all equipped with the universal revolver, many of them carrying a brace of such, as well as a bowie-knife. One of the many curious sights visible in town after the arrival was the spectacle of the Danish con- sul at San Francisco marching wearily up one of the streets — Johnson Street — under the bur- then of his blankCvS, and followed by a batch of Chinese ; Imt as to whether their efforts were to be devoted to the washing of gold or of shirts, I could not ascertain. I also recognised the arrival of som'3 notorious San Francisco "sharps," whose coming was by no means grateful to the well-disposed. Bellingham Bay had hitherto OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 295 been the point of destination for those gentry, and, but for the uncharitableness of the wish, I might have desired that it should have remained so. I am afraid some of them will be almost a " poser " for the worthy governor. By the way, I heard a good story told of him and a noted steamboat man of San Francisco, who recently paid this region a visit. The latter had been purchasing coal for his vessel of the Company for eight dollars a ton,and was about proceeding to Nanaimo to obtain a supply. Just before his departure, Governor Douglas placed a letter in his hands requesting him to see as a particular favour that it be delivered to the superintendent of the coal depot immediately on the arrival of the steamer. The steamboat man courteously agreed, and promptly delivered the document. The contents turned out to be an order to increase the price of coal to eleven dol- lars a ton, and as it was delivered before the steamer coaled, the Governor had the steamboat man " in the door." Rather a sharp trick that ! This was the first occasion of the entire " car- go" of San Francisco passengers landing here, and seemed to act as fuel to the burning fire m ,( 296 Till-: NEW EL DORADO ; of popular excitement. Moreover, the steamer Surprize hud also just arrived from Fort Hope, brinoing reports of the most dazzling description. The river was rapidly falling, and the yield was, as a natural consequence, increasing, and was expected to be prodigious ; the present average in some places being fifty dollars to the man per day, and in others double that amount. There was a Vancouver Indian, a passenger by her, who had brought twenty-seven pounds* weight of " dust" and nuggets, slung round his body in bags and belts, the produce of his own digging, and there were several Americans and Frenchmen also by her with even larger amounts in their possession. The Surprize was to leave again for Fort Hope on the day following — people lived us much in a day here as they do in a month elsewhere — and would take about four hundred passengers, the balance of the num- ber by the Republ'c having cither to wait for the steamer following, or to take boats and canoes^ that is, as many as could get them. There was a popular impression afloat, that it was unsafe for miners to leav^e this port in their own boats, (some of which were punty> OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 1>')7 do lum- the loes. that It in inty» awkward-looking things of their own building, and about as good imitations of coffins as of any- thing else), for the diggings, owing to the risk of their being attacked by the Indians at points where they might require to stop on the way, but I rather think that the report originally ema- nated from the steamboat owners, who had per- haps looked forward to a paucity of traffic ; men were even reported to have been murdered at these points ; but I must say that, in spite of my endeavours to refute or establish the veracity of such, I was still left in doubt. I heard now for the first time that the Surprize was boarded off Point Roberts, near Fort Hunter, on her last uptrip, by an armed boat's crew from the Satellite stationed there, 16 vessel, however, being now at Esquimault ; when each passenger was com- pelled to show or to purchase a license, on pain of being put ashore. This brought-to the recusants, of whom there were many on board, with something like a jerk ; those who had not the money accepted the loan of such, for the miners will never see a man " dead broke" without offering him assistance; the others paid and went ahead, with five dollars o 3 n I r 1 H ' ^ 1 I I -. I 298 THE NEW EL DORADO; less in their respective pockets than on first con- fronting the " Man-o*war's-men." The Republic was unexpectedly announced to leave the next morning for Bellingham Bay, just opposite the southern extremity of the island, on American territory, from thence to proceed to San francisco, without returning as usual to Victoria. At the latter place there were no gambling houses ; but on the American territory at Bellingham Bay, Whatcom, and Sehome,gam- blers and monte tables were in full play, and as publicly as at San Francisco during the glorious days of *forty-nine, and until their nefarious traffic was forbidden. Now the real estate panic was at a high pitch, and I was just as impatient to get to Europe as the majority of the people were to get to the dig- gings, for [ had a certain defined speculative object in view, which I was anxious to realize. I therefore resolved ** instanter " to put my three first lots into market and sell, and sell them I did within three hours ; one, a cornci allotment, for five thousand eight hundred dollars, the other two, adjoining, to another party, a speculator* for eight thousand dollars, who put them into OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 299 the market at seven thousand dollars a lot im- mediately afterwards. The other three not being } et located, I could not have sold save at a great disadvantage. I therefore decided, and no doubt Wisely, to hold them over till after my return from Europe, en route for which I now intended proceeding by the Republic. Accordingly, between eight and nine o'clock on the lollowing morning, I took boat for the steamer lying at Esquimault, with a single valise, and my opossum skin rug ; the former I had left at a liquor store on my first amval, where it had remained till my return from the mines ; it was now heavy with gold dust and " big chunks " of ditto, in making room for which I had to " fling away " a pair of boots and sundry other things appertaining to my travelling wardrobe. Ten minutes after I had boarded her, the Re- public was off with half-a-dozen cabin passengers only, and these composed of San Francisco merchants and miners returning for supplies. The scenery around was highly picturesque. Far away in the distance, and within the Wash- ington territory, loomed loftily the giant forms of Mount Baker and Mount Rainer ; while i 300 THE NEW EL DORADO; nearer, the beautiful cluster of the San Juan islands diversified the straits which rippled in the glare of the noon-day sun, beneath the bold and declivious shores of both Vancouver and the main land. On reaching Bellingham Bay, the steamer dropped anchor opposite Sdhome, with What- com lying a mile and a half to the right. They both wore a miserable, God-forsaken look. As a particular favour, I procured a place in the purser's boat, and went ashore, landing beneath the frown of an almost perpendicular hill, which rising from the water, reaches to a considerable altitude, being nearly as high as the well-known Telegraph Hill, San Francisco. A jutting wharf had been recently built, at the extre- mity of which, there is a water depth of fifteen feet at low tide. There were a dozen or twenty wooden shanties only, on the site of the proposed city, and I must say that the prospects of the place appeared to be anything but bright. In fact, to use the phraseology of the land speculators, this place had " gone in " alike with Whatcom and several other " sound " ports, which had been puffed by Bogus (i.e. OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 801 ting :tre- of or the ects rht. land like |(i.e. sham) News into a momentary blaze, and then died out. I went up on a waggon as far as Whatcom, which 1 found to present a much more animated appearance than at a bird's eye view 1 had been led to suppose ; the entire population, however, wore an idle, drunken, and dissolute aspect, and were as noisy and expectant of good things as any set of eagle -topped boot wearers I had ever seen. They all appeari^ ' to be waiting for some- thing ; it was for the city to grow up, and with it to swell their fortunes. I arr. afraid, however, that they have since become wearied of the re- sult. Whatcom lies under a bluff fifty feet in height. From this bluff there stretches a sand-flat for the distance of about two miles before reaching deep water. This flat is dry at low water, and on it they propose to build a city. There will be an immense amount of piling to do, and it will take years to improve the place. The town consisted of about a hun- dred houses, chiefly wooden, and mostly occu- pied as stores, restaurantSj and gambling houses. There is a lake and river adjoining ; the river perpetually pouring a sheet of clear, soft water, I '] m 302 THE NEW EL DORADO ; ii; into the bay, within the limits of the town. This water is said lo be cool and fresh during the whole year. Millions of speckled and moun- tain trout dart to and fro in the waters of both lake and river, some of them weighing eight, but in general from one to four pounds. The river or stream, which is the outlet of the lake, is about five miles in length ; the lake being twelve miles long by a width of a mile and a half. From the latter to the bay, there is a fall of about a hundred and fifty feet, one hundred feet of which consists of perpendicular cascades, and the other fifty of rapids. Forty-two feet of this fall is within one-fourth of a mile of the town ; and within half a mile from the latter, sufficient fall can be obtained to water the whole district. The scenery surrounding the lake is highly picturesque and varied. To the north- ward is seen a mountain rising abruptly from the water, something like the hill at Sehome, and presenting a series of indentations and irre- gularities which contrast pleasantly with the gentle sloping country to the westward, leading towards the bay, and the diversified hills and valleys which extend east and south, far as the eye can -•4 OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 303 carry, here and there sprinkled with cedar, fir, and pine trees, which in giant form stand with extended arms the seeming guardians of the wilderness, and but to enhance its beauty. There was a saw-mill, with two saws in operation, near the town, driven by the " fall " current of the river, which will furnish water power sufficient to drive any amount of ma- chinery which may be planted along its course. " Yes, sir," spoke a Yankee, addressing me between two stray shots of "juice" — I speak regardfully — and evidently in one of his most transcendant moments of cocktail and julep in- spiration. " The time is not remote when the hum of machinery and the buzz of active business life will resound along the river's length, and awake the startled echoes which now slum- ber in the solitudes of Whatcom lake." " You speak like a book, Mr. ," ob- served some one standing by. The orator did not deign to reply ; he had achieved a success, and placing his back against the bar-room wall, near which he stood, turned over his quid with a solemn look of majesty. He felt that he had i 1 '! f ' I ! fi i^^ It I- « 304 THE NEW EL DORADO; uttered an oracle, and that was enough for him ; — he had triumphed over language and imagi- nation ; and it was not until after he had un- bound himself in a prodigious jet of — the reader knows what — that he consented to " liquor." I could write a volume about this one man, but I must return to Sehome and the steamer. I ascertained here that the report which 1 had heard at Victoria, as to the trail to the Thompson River being completed, was false — a little more of the bogus news. But it is no less likely that it will be made practicable in the course of time, although perhaps not to be much used. I returned with some fellow passengers and the purser, by waggon again to Sehome, within two hours of my having landed there, and soon after getting aboard again, the steamer drew anchor and was off. From Bellingham Bay we took up half-a- dozen more cabin and two steerage passen- gers; there were fourteen in all. After this, we went ahead as fast as we could, hugging the broken, rugged, and pine-clad shores, past the eighteen beautiful headlands from Cape Flattery to Point Reyes, towards the Golden Gate of San Francisco Bay, reaching the wharf at that OR, BUITISH COLUMBIA. 305 city at seven o'clock on the evening of the 3rd of July. The city of people were of course half-mad for news ; and when they heard the news, were still more mad that no steamer was leaving that night that would take them to the El Dorado. Extras were at once issued from the newspaper offices, and the whole place was in even a greater fer- ment than when I had left it, more than a month before — all was bustle, tumult, and disorder, even greater and more frantic than that which charac- terised Victoria. There was some slight mur- mur expressed when the amount of treasure brought by the steamer was found to be so small, twenty-five thousand dollars only, but this was easily accounted for. In the first place the miners had mostly carried with them from San Francisco supplies of provisions and other neces- saries sufficient to last from three to six months. Consequently they would have no immediate occasion to barter their dust for supplies — and should they require to make small purchases, would naturally prefer using the coin which they took with them. In the next place the busi- ness of the country being exclusively in the hands i 1 l! '^ ■ ' 306 THE NEW EL DORADO; of the Hudson's Bay Company, all the gold dust that was sold was purchased by that rich monopoly, giving in exchange therefore goods, which if bought in the San Francisco market, were paid for not by gold dust, but by bills drawn on London. These bills are more convenient to the San Francisco merchants than gold-dust, and in thfi meantime the company quietly store up the metal at Fort Victoria, shipping it from time to time to England. Witness the arrival in London, since my return, of the Princess Royal, on the ninth of June, with an unspecified amount of the company's gold from Victoria. Thus it was that the newly-dug gold had been kept out of circulation. In this respect the British Columbian mines differ from those of California, where everybody was unprovided with " stock," and where everything bought was paid for in dust. Still, as the New El Dorado, in spite of thus having, to use a scriptural simile, its candle hid Hinder a bushel, has blazed out so vividly upon the world, it augurs well of its surpassing richness and permanent wealth, for gold, like merit, will, sooner or later, make itself -^4 OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 307 known, and both are sufficiently rich in their own resources to emerge from aiid shine forth as luminaries through any depth of cloud that may for a time be heaped upon and obscure them, for worth is but seldom left unappreciated. The one is base, and " of the earth — earthy ;" the other is divine ; fur gold is a bauble, but the spirit of intellect is sublime, and looketh down upon Mammon and the children of Mammon with an eye of pity — soaring beyond. Never- theless, as the respective possessors of intellect are living creatures, eating, drinking, and sleeping, they have to invoke the aid of their butchers and their grocers in the provision of sustenance ; and as these said butchers and grocers have a due regard for money — witness Jones's landlady — why, then it becomes a matter of great convenience, — Experience whispers absolute necessity — to have a little of the other worth besides and beyond the intellectuiil. Con- sequently it is the happiest thing in the world, next to love, when there is no mistake about it, — and matrimony, when it is merely the seal of such, — for a needy man suddenly to feel his pockets full of money, and to know that there i r 308 Till!: NEW EL DORADO; is plenty more coming. How he can liiugh and enjoy himself, to be ourc. All this hns been said to show that the two worths, gold and genius, go much better together than alone, and that it is much better and healthier for them to shine in unison, than it is for the man of genius to scorn gold, and the man of gold to mock at the evils of disdainful genius. I am becoming discursive ; the chink of gold brings me back again to San Francisco. The next day being the anniversary of the disunion of the United States from England, — Independence Day, as it is familiarly called, — there was much talking, feasting, and rejoicing. Speeches were as plentiful as straw- berries, but still all these things were subordi- nate to, and swallowed up by, the gold excite- ment. In the midst of everything, everybody was dealing in Frazer River, either for goods or passage ; and so the Yankees delighted themselves. On the next day I embarked on board the steamer, Golden Gate, for Panama, after renewing acquaintance with which dila- pidated city I was jolted across the isthmus by railway, and took steamer from Colon, or As- li i — 4 OR, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 309 I and been and ;, and em to genius mock if gold of the and, — ■ called, and straw - bordi- excite- rybody goods |lighted ed on lanama, dila- us by or As- pinwall, as the Americans call it, to the island of St. Thomas ; after undergoing a tranship- ment at which place, and escaping the yellow fever — let this not be confounded with the other yellow fever — I was again " O'er ocean onward borne," towards Southampton, at which port, to quote commercial phraseology, I duly arrived in the month of August. I may here make allusion to the subject of communication with our El Dorado. The Ca- nadians, it is gratifying to observe, are already alive to the necessity of direct communication with the new gold regions. They have a re- gular line of steamships from Toronto to Fort William on the north-west coast of Lake Superior, and a bill has been introduced in the Canadian legislature for the construction of a route from Fort William to the settlement at Red River. This route will be nearly all by water, ard will avoid the round-about way by St. Paul, thus saving eight hundred miles of distance. Again ; to another route. England has but one secure havbour accessible at all '1 » lOi , ' t' ^ 310 THE NEW EL DORADO; seasons of the year, on the Atlantic seaboard of British North America, and that is Halifax in Nova Scotia. But its natural resources and advantages cannot be too highly estimated. It is situated nearer to the British Isles by 400 miles than any other port on the continent, and, whereas our Canadian harbours are blocked up by ice during half the year, it is always open, and moreover is the finest along the entire coast. From Halifiix to Quebec, through British terri- tory, the distance is about 600 miles. There is a railway, now making, over 1 70 miles of the extent. From the latter place there is a direct line of railway, stretching over five hundred miles of Canadian territory to the shores of Lake Huron. A short ship canal there con- nects Lake Huron with Lake Superior, and from the railway terminus on the former lake to the head of Lake Superior it is 500 miles distance. From that on, via the Red River Settlement and the valley of the Saskatchewan, which is navig- able for a considerable length, to the head waters of the Columbia River, in our new colony, is about 1,200 miles further, and thence to the mouth of the Frazer an additional 300 miles, OR, liUlTlSH CJLUM13IV. 311 -•4 If )oard ilifax i and lated. ^ 400 , and, 3d up open, coast. terri- hcre is of the . direct undred )res of con- dfrom to the stance. jnt and navig- waters ony, is to the miles. making in all, from Halifax to the heart of our El Dorado, a little more than 3,100 miles, and allowing 2,466 miles, the distance from Liver- pool to Halifax, makes the entire journey about 5,600 miles. This, as the reader may judge from the foregoing facts, appears to be a very desirable line of route, being shorter even than that by way of Panama ; but whether, till the construction of an overland railway across the Rocky Mountains, it will take precedence of the route from Canada direct, depends upon which offers the earliest and best facilities for the con- veyance of passengers. As for the regular mails, it is likely that they will be sent by way of Panama, vid the West India steamers, for some time to come, although a large number of the letters will no doubt be specially directed by their respective writers to be sent by the other routes, so that every steamer leaving for North America will be hkely to take British Columbia and Van- couver letters, as well as the vessels sailing direct to those places. As the reader is aware, Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton announced that an offer had been made by Messrs. Cunard to convey the mails, toge- I i .i 312 THE NEW EL DORADO ; ther with goods and passengers, from Liverpool, through to Vancouver Island, within the space of thirty-five days ; most probably this was meant to be via New York. Now the only great line of ocean way unoccupied by British mail steamers is that between New York and As- pinwall and Panama and San Francisco. This route the Americans considered as peculiarly their own, there being no British s(^ttlements along its entire length. The discoveries of gold in British Columbia, however, and the conse- quent rush that is taking place in that direction, have entirely altered the aspect of the case in our fiwour. It is not, therefore, likely that English mails will be conveyed to British Columbia in American bottoms. Mail packets must be put on between Panama and Vancouver, and as a matter of course other British packets may run between New York and Aspinwall to meet those packets. Glancing at another line of route, from Southampton to Aspinwall, the distance is 4,400 miles. As everybody knows, it is only a forty-mile railway ride from the latter to Panama, across the isthmus. From thence to Frazer River is 3,800 miles, so that OK, 15R1TISI1 COLUMIJIA. 313 tlit; eiitiru tlistanco from Southampton to British Cohiiiihiii is but a little more thau 8,2()() miles. Now tlie (listanee of Panama from New York is 2,300 miles, so that the latter city is 6,100 miles from the new eulony. If the steamers of the West Iiuha Company were to proceed direct to Aspinwall instead of to St. Thomas', and thence hy inter-colonial steamer, the voyaj^e would be peifurmed in sixteen in- stead of twenty -two days, as at present. The whole of the mails along the south-western coast of America, as a consequence, would be accelerated. British steamers might run from Panama to Vancouver i,i conjunction with them, calling at Acapulco, Mazanilla, and San Fianeisco on the way. The speculation would certainly be remuncratii'e. Two hundred thou- sand passengers, and forty millions of pounds sterling in gold dust, were conveyed by the American mail steamers between California and Panama in nine years. This will give the un- initiated an idea of the enormous traffic between these places, and which is now undergoing con- siderable augmentation. The great trunk mail packet line between i p li ■ :]14 THK Ni.w i:l dokmk) ; iMiglaud and Aspinwall has Ixromc one of great :ii»(l iiuTcasiiig imporlaiirc, and mo means should he neglected to injprove it. Nut only is it our only inidiuni of eoinnuinication from England with (he silver-mining districts of ('hili and IVtu, hut now with the great gold regions of Hritish Coliuuhia. Jn all prohahility it will very soon carry the monster Australian mails; thus, with the litic of J^ritish steamers already traversing three thousand miles of coast as far down as Valparaiso, it will have three immense feeders. This one to the left, the other to Vancouver to the right, and the third straight ahead, will »'xtend nearly eight thousand miles to Tahiti, New Zealand, and the ports of Australia. iSuhmarine cahles will ensure to us instanta- ni'ous communication with the cities at the Anti- podes, and, for that matter, with the other great places of the earth, as readily as now exists h(^tween England and New England, thus com- paratively annihilating the effect of distance. How elevating and suhlime is this victory of man over the obstacles of Nature! We live in an age of revolution ; the things of our in- m OH, HIUTiSII COI.l.MHIA. 315 inta- .nti- ;rcat Ixists ;om- ince. 'y of live in- raiicy arc; Imimjjj; superseded by tho superior inventions, discoveries, and iinprovetnents of our manhood ; and en; the niglitfall of age shall liavc clouded our maturity, tin; giant Progn-ss will have; entered upon a new and surpassinj^ era of enlightenment and civilization ! Truly man is but of the dust ; but how great are his concej)tions and achievements ! how rr assive his handiwork ! and how bold and courageous his undertakings ! In his hands lieth the destiny of the world ! The greater the march of discovery and im- ])rovement, the higluT shall we ascend in the scale of civilization and n^finement. Superior tastes will supersede our present ones ; and the squalid barbarism, vice, and infamy which now lurk, revolting in their sin and hidcousness, in the hearts of our cities, will be swept away by the purer morals, better organization, and higher intelligence and refinement of the masses. Then, also, will self-respect scorn hypocrisy, <'»nd our social institutions and conventional barriers becon.emore suited to our mutual welfare. The time is not far off for all this ; the trumpet-call p 2 ' I 316 THE NEW EL DORADO. has been already heard, and the march is just begun. Let us on ! Having thus spoken, my task is ended ; and British Columbia shines out upon the world — another gem in the British crown — a land of gold, and still more dazzling promise. ust md of A P P E N D I X. No. I. AN ACT TO PHOVIDR FOU THK GOVKUNMKNT OF BUJlISH coLUMBTA. 2d August, 1858. WfiiaiKAS (livers of hor ]\rajcsty'8 subjects und others have, by the licence andcousent of her Majesty, resorted to and settled on certain wild and unoccupied territoriis on the north-west coast of I^-orth America, conimonlv known by the designation of liew Caledonia, and from u.id ater the passing of this Act to bo named British Columbia, and tlio islands adjacent, for mining and other purposes; and it is desirable to make some temporary provision for the civil government of such territories until permanent settlements shall bo thereupon csta- Wished, and the number of colonists increased: be it therelore enacted by the Queen's most excellent Araiestv by and with the advice and consent of the Lords spiri- tual and temporal, and Commons, in this present parlia- ment assembled and by the authority of the same, as lollows: Botmdartn of British Columbia. I. British Columbia shall, for the purposes of this act be held to comprise all such territories within the domi- nions of her Maj( sty as are bounded to the south by the frontier of the United States of America, to the east by ' , :, I-,' f .11 s AlMM'NntX thi» \\\w\ olinin of (lip ir^fl^y MnMiiliMtio, In llic fimlli liy SnupHon's \{\\vv oiul llic I'inlny luiunli of \\w I'nii'o l\*n«i. !»H(1 lo Iln> wtmI l>y 111"' l'iuM(li> Oci'iin, imdI hIihII iti«>lu(l<* Q\»iM'n (M\inloll('*H ImIimuI, mmiI nil olli»>r iMlimtJM H»liii»'iM\l io tho siiid (ctiiloiit'B, I'M'i'pl, iiH lu'irin iiiliT //. Miij^'sfy f^i/ 0) or ptovhfi' for I he mnkifU] of 1.n>rx for th(< f/orrr>imi'uf ofhn- Mii/tw/i/'s sxhjfi'fs bo l\v \\ov IVoM) linir l«> lime tniiijc. willt llin M<|\i(M> ori\(M- privy couiu'il. to tniil<<\ ortl:iin Mini cslnliliMli. uutl vt^nhjotM toH\i(l\ ooiuliliouH oi- rcHirit'liniiM iih |o lirr shall sooiw in(M'() to iUilliori}',(> nml (Mupowcr hiu'Ii olllcrr n« sl\r in;»v iVom linu" to lii\io Mppoinl. im (Imciiior of loutish rolinnl'i;». to loalu^ piovision lor tlio iiilmiiiiMlrn". lion ol\jii'»ti»M* tl\«''-(Mii. ;»nil firMiorally toiM;ik(\ onliiin, iitiil rst.ibUsh all aiii- 1U(M\(, of htv Majosty'a Piihjoots mul olhor« lhor(>iti ; )tro- vui> il that !»\1 pvioh onhMs in oouiuil, ami nil I.iwm ninl oihI n.inot^s BO fo ho \\\:\do an ul'oroHaid, shall h(>l,iiil hi-l'oro |>,>th Hoiisos ol l*i\rliaiuont as sooti as ootivtMiiiMilly may hottiVov tho making ami onaohnonl thoicof rospoolivoly. Hrosai(l. to I'onstituto or to authovizo and ompowi^r suoh olHctM' lo oonslilnic a logis- latmv to niaUo laws lor tht» p(^ao(\ ordcM', and good go- Ycrumout of Hritisii (.\>lmtihia, suoh logislalnro looonsint of tho (rovornor and a(\>nnoil, orConnoil and Assotnhly, to bo oonrpos(»d of snoh an»l so many porsttns, and to ho appointod or olootod in s>ioh manmr ami in for snoh pe- riods, and sithjoo\ to snoh n^gnlations, as to horMajosly uiay sccni cxpodicut. MMMNUIX :\ 1 9 IMtl ore liiy y. .ly, I) 1)1! |H>- 'st V CnliWi provhinnit iif H) (.'. M. r. I.'WI, iinil I nntl 2 i). I, r. (Wl, f>.«r ri'ijnrih IhUhfi Cahimhin rrponlnl. IV. Ami wlicrpiiR (III Ad. wiifi iniflsc*! in flio ('(»rfy-lliir(l yi'iir (tl' Kiii^ di'ni^c lli<> Tliiid, inlilultd " Afi A( I, loi «>xl( iHliti>i llic Jill iM(li( find (iC llic CoiiiIm hC .fimlici' in Hi' |ir((viiM'('H uC I.Mvvcr imkI I'lipcr riiiKi'l/i l.o llif Irinl mifl |MiiiiMliiiH'iil, tiC iicrHdiiH Ktiilly ol' (liiiMH mimI i<\\i\[I'''- ^villlill t'ciliiin pmlM mI' Noilli AiiMiicn (idjoinliij^ lo Mim Hiiiil |tinviii('('H :" (iimI wIm'II'iim liy im A< I. |mimhm| in flir Rfi iiimI ytiir nl' Kinn (iciirnc llip Iwnulli, inlilnl' d " An All (or iT^iildlin^i llm iMirlriMic, nnd ("iliddi'diiny (i Tm- iniiiiil iiiid ('ivil .lilt iKdiciinn williin ccilnin ptiit^ of Nnilli Ann rii'ii." il wuh cniHlrd, llml IV'.m imd ii(l< r flic piiRRiii^; ol IIimI, Ad. Ilic (yoii! lii ol'.lndiciiliirc (lifii (XHlinj,^ ni' wliit li iiii^Iil, lie llicrnil'lrr nsf/iMiulK d in llm jirnvin" nf ll|i|irr (Iiitnidii Hlidiild linvi- llm Hiinm rivil inriHdirli'ui, ]iowrr, mid finlti'it ily, vvilliin llin Indiim b rril.fni''R nnd dllirr |)iiiIm of Anif'iicii iml, williin \\\<' limits o( lillici "f llm piuvinrrfl nl' l/nwi-r nr (Ippcr (!iiniid(i, or* (»{' (iny (ivil gnvnininciil, oC Ili(> United Kl.irl.»H, »h Mm Bidd cnurfH Imd or wrtc iiivcMli'd willi williin Ilic liniitH of tlif prdd pro vincf'H oC l,o\v<'i' or I'ppcr (!iinndii, nHpcilivdy, find ftiot, cvriy (Mniliiivl, (igiccmcnl,, dcM, liid»ilily, nnfj d( nmnd nnidc, ('nl.crcd inlo, in(Miri<'»l, or iiri'^iiifir williin llm ^iiid liiiliiiii trriiloricH ;iiid oilier |»(iiI.mo(' Ani'Ticji, urid cvi ly Nvronjf; iiiid injiiiy lo llic perKon or to llic jirop* ; ly (on.- milled or done williin llie Hiime, Hlionid lieimd Ke rj*.* rriMl in lie (if llie Hiiimi niiliiri", mid lie eogni/fihle (inrl |;e fried in llie Hiime inminei , nnd Hiihj' d. to I lie KmiM" e,orm('fpn n* ' «> iti nil refpeciH, kh iC llie Hiiim* Imd heen irmde^ r nlen d iiil.o, ine.iirred, iiriHeii, com mi Med, or done, williin f,he sinted justices of the poaro fis aforesaid to sit and hold eonrts of record for the triiil of criminal offences and misdemeanours, and also of civil causes, and it should be lawful f-r his Jilajesly to order, direct, and authorize th-^ appointment of ])roper officers to act in aid of such courts and justices witliiu the jurisdictirn assigned to such courts and justices in any such commission, provided that such courts should not try any offender upon an}" charge or indict tneut fur any felon)' made the subject of capital pnnishment, or for any offon'^"; or passing sentence aflecting the life of any offender, or adjudge or cause an}- offender to suffer capital punishment or transportation, or take cnguizance of or ti'y any civil action or suit in which the cause of such suit ( of Upper Candida. From and after the proclamaf ion of this Act in British Columbia the said Act of the forty third year of King George the Third, and the said recited provisions of the said Act of the second year of ^King George the Fourth, and the provisions contained in such Act for giving force, authority, and effect witliin the Indian territories and other parts; of America to the process and Acts of the said courts of Upper Canada, shall cea^e to have force in and to be ap[ilicable to British Columbia. APPENDIX. 321 uld ich lurt lish ing the Itli, Ice, nd he iu Appeals from judgments in Civil Suits to the Privy Council. V. Provided always, that all judgments given in any civil suit in British Columbia shall be subject to appeal to hov Majesty in council, in the manuer and subject to the regulations iu and subject to which appeals are now brought from the civil courts of Canada, and to such further or other regulations as her Majesty, with the advice of her Privy Council, shall froin time to time appoint. Vancouver s Island, as at present established, not to be in- cluded in British Columbia, VI. No part of the colony of Vancouver's Island, as at present established, shall be comprised within British Columbia for tlie purpose of this Act ; but it shall be lawful for her Majesty, her heirs and successors, on re- ceiving at any time during the continuance of this Act a joint address from the two houses of legislature of Van- couver's Island, praying for the incorporation of that island with British Columbia, by order to be made as aforesaid, with the advice of her privy council, to annt^x the said island to British Columbia, subject to such con- ditions and regulations as to her Mnjesty shall seem expedient ; and thereupon and from tlie date of the publication of such order in the said island, or such other date as may be fixed in such order, the provisions of this Act shall be held to apply to Vancouver's Island. Governor. VII. In the construction of this Act the term " Go- vernor," shall mean the person for the time being law- fully administering the government of British Co- lumbia. Act to continue in force until Dec. ^\, 1862. Expiration of Act not to affect boundaries, 8fc. VIII. This Act shall continue in force until the thirty-first day of December, one thousand eight hun- dred and sixty-two, and thenceforth to the end of tlie then next Session of Parliament ; Provided always, that the expiration of this Act shall not affect the bcuudariey > t I I M i ^^ 322 APPENDIX. Jiereby defined, or tho riglit of appeal hereby given, or any act done or right or title acquired under or by virtue of this Act, nor shall the expiration of this Act revivo tho Acts or parts of Acts hereby repealed. No. II. LETTER FROM GOV. STEVENS, CONGllESSIONAL PRLEOATE FROAI WASHINGTON, TO MU. CASS— rUOTEST AGAINST TUE TAX ON MINEU8 JJI8T0UY OP THE AFFAIR TUK FORM OF LICENSE — EXTORTIONS OF THE HUDSOn's BAY COMPANY — the legal aspect of tue questions involved. Washington City, July 21, 1858. Hon. Lewis Cass, Secretary of State : Sir, — I had the honour to inform you by my commu- nication of May 18 and Juno 29, of the extensive immi- gration of American citizens into the British possessions of New Caledonia, in consequence of the discoveries of "gold placers" on Frazer and Thompson Hi vers, and of the obstructions which had been placed upon this immi- gration by Governor Douglas, acting as chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, and as Governor of Van- couver's Island and its dependencies, and assuming authority over the region in which the new "placers" have been found. The object of the present communication is to exhibit to tho government of the United States the enormity and absolute illegality of the impositions placed upon the citizens of the United States by the British autho- rities assuming to exercise jurisdiction over the whole territory in which the late gold discoveries have been made, and to ask the interposition of the government in behalf of our citizens seeking to enter that territory. On the 28th of December, 1857, his Exceilcncy James Douglas, styling himself Governor of Vancouver's Island and its dependencies, is'^ued a proclamation declaring that all mines of gold in its natural place of deposit within the districts of Fraze^' lliver and of Thompson M APPENDIX. 323 jcrs" hibit Imity lupou litho- ,'holc I been Int in James Island |aring pposit ipson River, belong to the crown of Great Britain, and that no person will be permitted to dig, search for, or remove gold on or from any lancJs, public or private (witliin said district), without first taking out and paying for a license in the form annexed. The form of license annexed is as follows : The bearer having paid to me the sum of twenty^one shillings on account of the territorial revenue, I hereby license him to dig, search for, and remove gold on and from any such crown land within the of as 1 shall assign to him for that purpose during the montli of , 185—. This license must be produced whenever demanded by me or any other person acting under the authority of the government. A. L., Commissioner. On the 8th of May, 1858, Governor Douglas issued the following proclamation : PliOCLAMATION. By his Excellency James Douglas, Governor and Com- mander-in-Cliief of the colony of Vancouver's Island and its dependencies, and Vice Admiral of the same, &c. &c. Whereas it is commonly reported that certain boats and other vessels have entered Frazer River for trade ; and whereas, there is reason to apprehend that other persons are preparing and fitting out boats and vessels for the same purpose. Now, therefore, I have issued this my proclamation, warning all persons that such acts are contrary to law, and infringements upon the rights of the Hudson's Bay Company, who are legally entitled to trade with the Indians in the British possessions on the north-west coast of America; to the exclusion of all other persons, whether British or foreign. And also that after fourteen days from the date of this, my proclamation, all ships, boats, and vessels, to- gether with the goods laden on board found in Frazer River, or in any of the bays, rivers, or creeks of the said British possessions on the north-west coast of America, 324 APPENDIX. not having a license from Ibe Hudson's \h\y Cotnpiiiiy, and a Buil'orutice from lite proiicr olliccr of Uk^ CuHtoiiis at Victoria, shall bo liable It) forfeitun", and will be seized and condemned aecordinj,- to law. (jiven under my ^ nd a' ' ■leiil at (Jovernment Ifouse, Vicloria, Ibis eij;bl' 'n • .' ^liiy, in llie y<'iir of our Lord one thousand ei,.,!* ' ; i 'vd and lifty-eij;ht, and in the twenty-tiist, of her "■i.'i s v<'i<;n. JAMKS '. TKJLAS, (Jovenior. By his oxc(dlency'a command, J{i( iiAun (lOHiKuiii;, Sccn.'tary. God save (be liueen. A co|>y of the suftei'aiu'(> rcderred io in the Governor's proclamation follows : OKXF.IUL flUFFFllAXCR. Pour VicTo (lA, Vimcouver's Island, These arc to certify, to till whom it doth coiumtii, tluit the sutlerance for the jtrescnt voya<»;e is granted on tbc condition annexed to , master of tbe , burtbeji , niountt^d with guns, navigated uitli men, to proccHu] on a voyngc to l\)rt Liin;',ley with pas- sengers, their liigg!ig(% provisions, and mining tools. The above mentioned register being deposited in the Custom House at Victoria, hiitb here entered and clearod his said according to law. KOniv. FINLAYSON. Pro Hudson's Bay CompaTiy. CONDITIONS OF SUFFFUANCR. 1. That ihe owner of the boat does bind himscdf to rcce"'^e no other goods but such goods as belong to the Hudson's Bay Company. 2. That the said owner also binds himself not to con- vey or import gunpowder, timmunition, or utensils of war except from the United Kingdom. 3. That he also binds himself to receive no passengers, except the said passengers do produce a gold mining APPKNDIX. 3-2:") liedTiao imd prrmit IVnni llic ^ovoriiinfiif, ui Viincouvcr's IhIiukI. 4. That ihii Huid owiiorulHO biiulH liiiiiHclf not to trade with Tndiaim.* isflf to to the to con- jof war jiiiiiing TJi(> fiTRt cotiHidcriilion prfsciitcd is tho oi]'vc\ of th(!H(' l)ro('hiinatioiiM, jiroviih'd thfy slioiild he siilnDillcd (o, upon th(! cntcrpiisc! of the citi/ciiH of tho United StaloH. It is cstiniatdd by tho nioHt ititcllig* tit ^onthiin; n <•' th(> Paiilic coast that not ]vhh than forty thousand pcr- HonH will enter lh(! "gold plaficrs" of Now Cakdor . within the jircscnt year. iVcaily all thoH(! poiHons »- ili ]w eitizi-ns of lliu United StatcH. Th(! tax of t\vorify-oir> shillingH (f(ayfiv(MlollarH)por month upon these; forty tiiou- sand persons will amount iti one. year t,o two niillionr 'ir hundred th(Misaiid (h)UarH. 'l'h(( eonsiimi)tionof provim n!,, (dothing, &{',. of these; miin cannot be; (^stinnited at less than thirty dollars per nioiilh, at tho fair cost of the Hnp))lies. If the Hudson's Way Com[)any should have the exclusive rif^lit of furnishing sup[)lies, they will re- c(dve from these miners the sum of fouite-en millions four hundred thousand dollars. ]{nt it is shown by evi- dence taken before the Lritish rarliament, that this company has be(;n in the habit of charging for supplies furnished to persons outside the comi)any a pr(/tit of from two IiuiuIkmI to three hundred per cent. These sup[)lies cannot b(; drawn from the present resources of the Hudson's Hay Comi)any, but must be obtained froiri tho state of California and the territories of Oregon and Washington. Ho that in fa(^t these statis are; comj)e!led to make the Hudson's Buy Company their factor for the * The BufFerance costs twelve dollars for a ducked vessel, and six dollars for an open boat. All vessels of every nationality must take out this pernnit and pay these fees. No exceptions of any kind are made in favour of British bottoms. The liritisii man-of-war, Satellite, is stationed to enforce the conditions of the sutFerance, the instructions to her commander, Captain Prevost, beinpr " to stop all vessels or boats of any description from enter- ing (Frazer's River) without a permit." 11 i ! ro(luco, and allow tlicm jill the profit from tho Biile of goods to their own eitizona. This simple statomcnt is sufHcieut to sliow that a state of things exists in tho nowly-discovored gohl re- gions which cannot be submitted to by American citi- zens, unless imposed by positive and imperative law. I have no hesitation in declaring this opinion, that these proclamations have been made without any legal or binding authority wliich sliould bo respected by tho citizens or government of tho United States. Tho two important questions presented arc, tho autho- rity of the Ooveruor of Vancouver's Island to impose a tax of twenty-one shillings per month upon every person searching for gold on Frazer or Thompson Kivers, and tho right to compol all persons in those territories to purchase their supplies from tlio Hudson's l{ay Com- pany. The first question which I propose to consider is tho right to impose the tax, and demand a license. It is well known that tlie riglit of the British crown to all these mines which are i)roperly royal, namely, those of gold and silver, was anciently clain\ed as one of its prerogatives. This had its origin, as Elackstone says, "from the king's prerogative of coinage, in order to supply him with materials." The reason for this pre- rogative mentioned byBlackstono is sufficient to show that it can no longer exist. The materials for coinage have not for centuries, and probably never will be furnished by the working of mines by the crown. The foundation for the prerogative no longer exists, " censante ratione cessat lex." This prerogative has been obsolete from non use. It has never been exercised in tho United Kingdom. It has not been called in force in Ireland, although considerable " placer washings" have been ■worked there of late years. It has never been applied on this continent. The late discoveries in Siberia, California, and Aus- tralia, have shown that the most extensive deposits of gold are not in mines proper, but are diffused through, the soil. Mines proper, in which it was anciently sup- posed gold was to be found, being entered by simple APPENDIX. 327 us- of igh t. ' flhiifts, iin»l (k'VolopcMl by jiditH aiul IcvcIh bcncatli llio ground, cuuld bo worUcul witbout (H8turl)iii}^ tbe Huper- iiciul soil. Tbo enjoyment of tbe uncient preroj^iitive of tbe crown in tbo " gobl pbieera" wouM bo totally in- consistent witb private rigbts in tbe Hoil, und IVoui cou- Bideration of public policy eunnot be exercised in sucli " j)lacer8." Tbo crown undoubtedly possesses tlu; rigbt to proliibit or regulate by law tlu^ digging for gold in its poHHessioiiH, just as it niigbt proliibit or regulate by law tbe cutting of timber or using tbe soil ; but in llu; absence of i)ositive law probibitiiig sucb occupation and use, it is b('licv{;d to be tbe natural rigbt of every man wbo enters u totally unoccupied country, to cut timber and wood, to consume tbo fruits of tbo eartb, and gatber all tiu; products of tbo soil, wliicb luivo not before been appropriated. It is believed tbat, wbile tbe jurisdiction simjdy of tbe British crown over tiic territory of I'razer and Tbomi)sou Jtivers is not questioned, tbe crown bas made no u[)[)ropriation of tbat territory by law, and bus exercised no acts re- stricting tbe natural rights of man in a wild and unoc- cupied country. Until tiu; passage of sueb positive- laws by proper autbority, evciry man possesses tlu; rigbt to dig gold in tbat country, just as much as be bas tbe rigbt to cut timber or appropriate the fruits of tbe earlli. It is further believed that the acts of (jovernor Doug- las, before referred to, in no res{)ect constitute a legal and authorized ])robibition to enter tlie gold-bearing country of New Caledonia, and that bis demand of pay- ment of money for a license to dig gold is a bigii-baudcd usurpation of power. Vancouver's Island belongs to a class of colonies called Provincial Establishments, As lilackstone says : — " Their constitution depend upon the respective com- missions issued by the crown to tbe governors, and the instructions which usually accompany those commissions, under the autliority of Avhich provincial assendjlies are constituted with the power of making local ordinances, not repugnant to the crown of England." I have been unable to obtain a copy of the commissiou of Governor W p2 328 APPENDIX. Douglas, or tlio insjruolions to the first govrrnor. It is clour that ho coiiUl oxorciso no ptnvor which wus not conforrod upon him by his coininission and instructions. IJut it is luirdly contioivahio that his coniuiission and in- structions sliould antliorizo him to rogiilato or liconso tho digging of gold in Now Oiilodonia, a region far dis- tant from his own territory, and ospcciully when tho existence of gold in that country was not even suspected. It is not pretended that any law regulating tho gold- digging of New Caledonia had ever been ])!isse(l by tho (ienoral Assembly of th(3 colony. Indeed, that assembly had a mere nominal existence, so tJuit the power to issue these proclamations was not derived from them. Go. vernor Douglas, it seems, had formerly claimed, under his commission, tlie power, with tlm advice of his council only, to pass sucli laws as he considered recjuired by tho exigency of the time. I have before me a copy of a despatch from tl>c Right Honourable H. Laboucbere, Secretary of State of the impc^rial governm(!nt, to Gover- nor Douglas, in ^vhich tho Secretary says: — "It has been doubted by authorities conversant in the princii)le3 of colonial law, whether the crown can legally convey authority to make laws, in a settlement founded by Englishmen, even for a temporary and special purpose, to any legislature not elected wholly or in part by the settlers themselves. If this be the ca.so, the clause in ji your commission, on which you relied, would appear to bo unwarranted and invalid." Granting the authority of Governor Douglas over Vancouver's Island proper, there are strong reasons for believing that his authority does not extend to the re- gions where the " gold placers" are situated. As I stated to you in a former communication, he has always declined to exorcise authority over Indians on the main land in British territory in his capacity of governor, while he has consented to treat with them as chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company. A further reason for believing that his authority does not extend to the main land is the fact that the committee appointed by Parlia- ment to consider the state of the British possessions in APPKNDIX. 329 (1. tlie in to ■or or rc- I lys lin lor, ;tor for ain la- in Nortli America wliidi nn iiiidcr the iidniiiiistriitittii of llio JIiKlson's liny Company, ri!<'oninit'ii(lt'cl tlml nicaiirt rIiouM ho jirovidcd (or tlio ullimntc ixloiision <»t' tlic colony of Vanconvcr's Island ovr uiiy port ion of tlm iidjoiiiiti;^ coiiniry to tlio west of \\\v Jl'icky MoiiiitniiiH on wliicii pcrnnincnt scttlenicnt niuy Im? loiiiid pi'a(!ti- cuhlo. Assntniii<»' tiiat the goV(>rn')iJ in liis position ns f^cni ral agent of the erown had the ri^ht to prohibit trespass upon tho propertj' of the crown, it cannot for u moment 1)0 preten(h'rnoi''s license. The most aggravating circumstance connected with this extortion is the fact, that the name and authoiity of the crown are invoked, not for its benefit, but to fill the coffers of the Hudson's Bay Conifiany. The form of license above quoted declares tliat the license-fee- is paid on account of territorial revenue. Governor Douglas is not only the tei iLorial governor of Vancouver's Island, but th(; chief factor of the Tludson's l^av Coni])anv. In 1848, Vancouver's Island was granted to the Hud- son's Bay Company, and tliat company assumed tho expenses of the possession of tho island, and appropiated all the revenues of the island. The territorial revenue enters into the treasury of tho company. The tax im- posed upon our mines goes not to the crown, as is pre- - 1 f m I 1 'J I It i !• 330 APPENDIX. tf^ndeil, but to tho companj', who have not tho shadow of a claim to the territory where the gold is situated. The next question which I propose to consider is the more important one, of the right of tlie British autlio- rities to compel our miners and citizens entering the gold regions in New Caledonia, to purchase their suf)- plies solely of the Hudson's Bay Company, and to pro- hibit the passage of vessels except upon certain onerous conditions. The riglit to enter a foreign territory for lawful pur- poses is claimed by all civilized nations. As .Cluiucellor Kent says : — '* Every nation is bound to grant a passage for lawful purposes over their lands, rivers, and seas, to the people of other states, whenever it can be permitted without inconvenience, and burthensome conditions ought not to be annexed to the transit of persons and property." He also says : — " As tho end of the law of nations is the happiness and perfection of the general society of mankind, it enjoins upon every nation the punctual observance of benevolence and good will as well as justice towards its neighbours. This is equally the policy and duty of nations. They ought to cultivate a free intercourse for commercial purposes in order to supply each other's wants and promote each other's pros- perity. The variety of climates and productions on the surface of the globe, and the facility of communication by means of rivers, lakes, and oceans, invite to a liberal commerce as agreeable to the law of nature, and ex- tremely conducive to national amity, industry, and hap- piness." I need not point out to you how utterly in- consistent with these principles are the vexatious restrictions imposed by the proclamations above re- ferred to. The right of trade with and entry into a foreign coun- try, is called by lawyers one of imperfect obligation, and is subject to the discretion of tho government which tolerates it. But it exists until forbidden or restrained by positive and binding law. I maintain that no positive law exists of binding authority which forbids the free entry of persons and ^ f J shadow- ted. [• is tilt' antho- iig the ir 8U[)- to pro- julTous ['ul pur- [lucellor passage seus, to 'nnittcd nditions uiis ami e haw of geueral tiou th(^ [1 as well ally the vate u 3rder to 8 pros- on the nication liberal and ex- ud hap- terly in- exatious )Ove rc- ;n coun- liun, aud it which istrained binding ,ons uud APIT.NDIX. o-> 1 goods into the British possessions on the noith west coast. Very vague and inaccurate notions jiopularly prcv;n'l with respect to the rights of the Hudson's Bay Company on the norlh-west coast. The company itself has given currency to tlie opinion that it possesses by charter ait- solute territorial rights over the whole British possessions on the north-west coast. Nothing can be ilaiber from the fact. In 1670, a royal charter was granted by Charles II., for incorporating the Hudson's Bay Comi)any. The grant to the company was of " the wlude trade and coin - nierce of all those seas, straits, bays, rivers, lakes, creeks, and sounds, in whatsoever latitude they shall be, that lie within the entranc(! of tlu^ straits, commonly called Hudson's Straits, together with all tlu! hinds and terri- tories upon the countries, coasts, and confines of the seas, bays, lakes, rivers, cr(;eks, and sounds aforesaid, that are not already actually possessed by or granted to any of our subjects, or possessed by the subjects of any other Christian priuc(! or state, with the fishing of all sorts of fish, whales, sturgeons, and all other royal fishes in the seas, bays, inlets, and rivers within the premises; and the fish therein taken, together with the royalty of the sea upon the coasts within the limits aforesaid, and all mines royal, as well discovered and not discoveied, of gold, silver, gems, and precious stones, to be found or discovered within the territories, limits, and places afore- said;" and the charter declares that " the said lands bo from henceforth reckoned as one of our plantations or colonies in America, called liupert's Land." By reference to the best maps it will be seen that " Rupert's Land" extends on the M'cst only to the eastern base of the llocky Mountains. It includes none of the !Nortli-west Pacific possessions. The validity, even, of this charter has been seriously questioned. Eminent lawyers have asserted that the sovereign in the exercise of the prerogatives of the crown may grant a charter, but that it bus alwaj s been held that no sovereign can grant to any of liis subjects 33 i APPENDIX. ■ U % exclusive riglits niul ])rivilogos without the consent of raiiiunicnt; and this chiirtcr havin.i? been so granted, tlie powrrs and {)rivileg('s sought to l)C exorcised un(h'r it are ilk-gal. This was evidently the opinion of the Hudson's Bay Company themselves as early as 1690, viz. twenty years aft.er the date of th'S charter. At that period they peti- tioned for an act to bt; pass^'d for tlio confirmation of those rights and ])rivileges wliich had been sought to bo gi'anted to t.hem by ciiarter. The act of the first of William and ilary did legalize and confirm them, but only for the period of seven ye;u's, and no longer. Tliat act of Parliament has never been renewed since itex[)ired in 1(597 ; conseqnentl}' the charier is left where it ori- ginally stood, and wholly unaffected by any conformity act of Parli anient. The very foundation for the charter is a grant of terri- tory presumed to have been made in the year 1670. It has been maintained that as Charles the Second could not grant away what the crown of England did not possess, much less could he grant away the possessions of another power, th(! very words of the charter excluding from the operation of the grant those identical territories which the Hudson's Bay Company now claim. For at the; date of the charter, theses territories wore then actually in possession of the crown of France, and held and occupied by the Comptuiy of I^ew France, r.nder a charter granted b}' Louis tlie Thirteenth of France, bwu'ing date 1626. These fai'ts are presented not as bearing directly upon the questions I have in vicnv, otherwise than as show- ing a characteristic ft-ature of the company in its illegal and unwarranted assumption of privilege and power. A controversy having arisen between the Xorth-xvest Company and tlie Hudson's Bay Com[)any, and the difJi- cullies iuiving been adjusted, the former company was mtTged in the latter, and on the 30th day of May, 1838, the crown issued a grant or license to the Hudson's Bay Company of the exclusive trade with the Indians in cer- tain jjai'ts of I^orth America for the term of twenty-one yeais ; the terms of the grant being as follows : — " We nsont of grunleii, oil's Bay ity years hey peti- lation of ght to bo - first of ,heiu, but er. That it expired ore it ori- onforniity it of terri- 1670. It . could not pt possess, of another from tlie ies Avhicli th(! dale tnally in occupied er granted 1026. ■ctly upon as sliow- its illegal lower, ortb-west 1 the ditH- npany was lay, 1838, bison's Bay ans in cer- ',veuty-one APPENDIX. SV3 do grant and give our license under the hand and seal of one of our principal Secretaries of State, to tlie said Governor and Company, llu; ITiulson's liny Company, and their successors, lor the exclusive privilege of tradii pj with the Indians in all such parts to the northward ai d Avestward of the lands and territories belonging to the Uni- ted States of America as shall not form part of any of our provinces in Xortb xVmerica, or of any lands or territo- ries belonging to the said United States of America, or to any European government. State or Tower, but subject nevertheless as hereinafter mentioned; and wc do by these presents give, grant, and secure to the said Go- vernor and company and their successors, the sole and exclusive privilege for the full period of twenty-one years from the date of this our grant of trading with the Indians in all such parts of North America as afore- said. On the 5th day of February, 1857, a select committee was appointed by the British Parliament " to consider tiie state of those British possessions in Xorth America which are under the administration of the Hudson's Bay Company, or over which they have a license to trade." This committee having tahon voluminous evidence, reported on the 31st of July, 1857. In their report they carefully waive all considerations as to the validity of the charter, or the right to the monopoly of trade, and confine themselves to the declaration of an o])inion as to the expediency of allowing the Hudson's Bay Com- pany the privileges of exclusive trade which they now possess. The question as to the rights of the Hudson's Bay Company, before the British Parliament, resolved itsell, as I have said, into one purely of expediency. That is a question with which the American government has no concern. But when the pretended rights of the Hud- son's Bay Company are set up against American citi- zens, the government of the United States has solely to consider the validity and legality of these pretended rights. p 3 ^i tl 334 APPENDIX. i M i ^ft Upon examination it -will be seen that the only colour of right of llio Iltidson's Bay Company in the Pacific British possessions is tliat of exclusive trade with the Indians. It is evident that the possibility of this coun- try being opened to colonization or the enterprize of civilized settlers was never contemplated bj'' the British government. The report of the committee of Parliament declares this. They say, '* that as to those extensive regions, whether in Jlnpert'sLand or in the Indian terri- tory, for the present, at least, there can be no prospect of permanent settlement to any extent by the European race for the purpose of colonization. The granting of the license had regard to such a supposed state of things. Tiiore is nothing in the letter or spirit of the license for exclusive trade Avith the Indians which justifies the ex- clusion of goods for the supply of European or American miners and settlers. It may, however, be urged that the free admission of goods may indirectly interfere with the monopoly of the Hudson's Bay Company. It becomes, therefore, an important question to deter- mine whether, by the laws of the British realm, such u monopoly as has been granted to the Hudson's Bay Com- pany can legally exist. This question, it seems to roe, ha.-, l- .on absolutely de- termined by the famous staUitcs of laouc; ulies passed in the 21st of James Eirst. The provisions of tliis statute are mainly as lollow : — Be it declared and enacted by authoritj- of this present Parliament, That all monopolies and all commissions, grants, licenses, charters, and letters patent heretofore made and granted or hereafter to be made and granted to any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate what- soever, or fur tiie sole buying, selling, making, working, or using of anything within tiiis realm, (>])artinont of State that this is a ([uestioii of no trilling iui[)ortanco to the Pacific States and Territories of the Utiited States. One quarter part of the labouring element of the State of California and the Territories of Oregon and Washington will bo diverted to these new regiuns. The product of gold in ('alifornia and tlie agricultural produce of Or;'gon and Washingtoii Tcrritoiiiis will be materially diniinislicd. If the present restrictions are allowed, the- gold of the new regions, aiter paying enormous ])r()fits to the British, monopolists, will ]iass through their hands to England without benelilting our own country or people, Tlu; countries of California, Oregon, and AVashington, although furnishing all the supplies for the new gold region, will Le impoverished by the abstraction of their own labourers, while the prolits from the sale of supplies produced in these American territories will be absorbed by forc:ign monopolists. The government of ihe United States mnst determii]C whether it is consistent with its own self-respect and its duty to its citiiiens, that this wtate of things should continue. In behalf of th«! citizens of AVashington Territory, whom I immediately represent, and further in behalf ot the citizens of our whole Pacific coast, I would request that the governn.ent of the United States should inter- pose with the Dritish authorities for tlie removal of the restrictioui^ :>buv'^ referred to. And I further request that this gr veruiiie'ti demand the repayment of all sums collected by the Gj\\.ruor of Vancouver's Island for licenses to dig g''M, and that it make reclamation for the value of all vesseis and cargoes coniiscated in conse- quence of the proclamations of Governor Douglas, before referred to. In ei^.jclusion, i' would say that 1 have no hesitation in expref-sMig my opinion upon the legal questions involved in t' ,o paper, as I have been aided in their investigation APPENDIX. 337 I as thoy , but uut Stiitc that he Pacilic at- quarter CuUiorni^ )n will uO jf gold in )i\'<^()n. uud iminish.ed. .•old of the its to the !• hands to ' or people f rashiugtou, ! new {i'ohi ion of thiir ! of supplit>3 be absorbed it determine respect and liugs s houUl Territory, lin behalf ot jidd re(iuest hould inter- II oval of the her I'eo^uest of all sums Island for laraation for kl in couse- liglas, before lesitatioii in Ins involved livcstigatiou by the professional advice of my friend, John L. Hayes, Esq., counsellor at law of this city, to whom I am happy to express my obligation. I have tlie honour to be, Very respectfullv, &o. ISAAC J: STEVENS, Delegate to Congress from Washington Territory. THEATT MADE BKTWKEN THE UNITED STATES AND OREAT BKITAIN IV KKGAltn TO LIMITS AVESTAVAKD OF TIIK UOCKY MOUNTAINS, JUNE 15, 184G. Art. 1. From the point on the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, where the boundary laid down in existing treaties and conventions between the United States and Great Britain terminates tlie line of boundary between the territories of the ruited States and those of her Bri- tannic Majesty stiull be continued westward along the said forty-ninth parallel of north latitude to the middle of the channel which separates the continent from Van- couver's Island, and thence southerly through tlie middle of the said channel, and of Fuca's Straits, to the Pacific ocean : Provided, however, that the navigation of the whole of the said ehannel and straits, south of the forty- ninth parallel of north latitude, remain free and open to both parties. Art. 2. From the point at which the forty-ninth pa- rallel of north latitude shall be found to intersect the great northern branch of the Columbia river, the naviga- tion of the said branch shall be free and open to the Hudson's Bay Company, and to all British subjects trad- ing with the same, to the point where the said branch meets the main stream of the Columbia, and thence down the said main stream to the ocean, with free access into and through the said river or rivers, it being understood that all the usual portages along the line thus described shall, in like manner, be free and open. In navigating the said river or rivers, British subjects, with their goods and produce, shall be treated on the same footing as citizens of the United States ; it being, however, always i| 338 APPENDIX. ■; !i ^'r i I understood that nothing in this article shall be coriStrued as preventing, or intended to prevent, the government of the United States from making any regulations respect- ing the navigation of the suid river or rivers not incon- sistent with the present treaty. Art. 3. In the future appropriation of the territory south of the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, aspro- ^•■'edinthe first article of this treaty, the possessory rijihts of the Hudson's Bay Coinpunj, and of all British subjects who may be already in tbe occupation of hind or other property lawfully acquired within the said tcrritorj', shall be respected. Art. 4. The farms, lands, and other property of every description belonging to tiie i'uget's Sound Agricultural Company, on the north side of the Columbia liiver, shall be confirmed to the said company. In case, however, the situation of those farms aiul lands should be considered by the United States to be of public and political impor- tance, and the United States government should signify a desire to obtain possession of the whole or of any part thereof, the property so required shall be transferred to the said government, at a proper valuation, to be settled upon between the parties. No. III. DESPATrn FROM WASHINGTON, The '* New York Times" has the following despatch from Washington : — The Government is perfectly satisfied that the steps taken by Great Britain will prevent any collision or misunderstanding bet'veen the miners and the Govern- ment authorities at the newly-discovered gold-diggings in New Caledonia. It is an interesting fact, never 3'et made public, that the Hudson's Bay Company have for some time been anxious to sell to the United States all their rights and interests under the treaty of 1845. APPI'NDIX 339 OKBtrued ernment I respcct- ot incon- territory ,e, as pro- )08sessory .11 British of land or territory, y of every rricultural iver, shall however, considered ical inipor- ald sigiiiJ'y f any part Insferred to be settled |g despatch the steps joUision or le Govern- Id-diggings 1 never yet : have for States all of 1845. Under the provisions of this treaty this eompany own and hold a number of forts, posts, and t.ading-hoiisea situated in the territory of the United States ; also hirge stocks of horses, sheep, and cattle. Lord Napier, the British Minister, was authorized by the company to sell tliem to the United States for the sum of six huudi'cd thousand dollars. Several meetings were lield at tlie State Department on the subject, but without a sale being effected. According to tiie testimony of General Lane and Governor Stevens, the sum named was very low for the property proposed to be transferred. The stock alone, they stnted, would bring at auction one-ludf the price named. The Secretary of State was favour- able to the purchase, \n\u he much doubted th(; disposi- tion of Congress to make the necessary appropriation. As things now stand, in order to avoid a complication of our matters with the Hudson's Bay Company, the Secretary of State may close the contract, pro\ided the otfer is still open, and provided, further, Congress wil make the appropriation to meet the payment. It is essential to the peace and good understanding of the two Governments that this interest of the Hudson's Bay Company on our side of the line be extinguished. The popular impression, however, that this company is un- friendly in its feelings towards our peo[)lo is entirely erroneous. In 1855, when the people of Oregon were engaged in a oloody Indian war, and could not obtain supplies from any other quarter, this company furnished them with provisions and ammunition at a low price and on time. They have always endeavoured to keep down Indian disturbances, and have frequently furnished important information to the Government authorities. Another Washington correspondent writes : — At the instance of Governor Stevens, of Washington Territory, our country, through Mr. Dallas, called the attention of the Britisli Government to the apprehended diflSculties with the Governor of Vancouver's Island in arresting the passage of our citizens into the gold re- gions. The British Secretary of State for Foreign Q 2 i ,iT 340 APPENDIX. Affairs, Lord Malmesbury, promptly responded, and I am permitted to lay his lordsliip's reply before the readers of the *' Times :" — '« Foreign Office, June 17, 1858. *' The undersigned, her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, has the honour to acknow- ledge the receipt of the note which Mr. Dallas, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America, addressed to him on the 13th inst., calling the attention of her Majesty's Government to the obstructions which it is apprehended may be offered by the Governor of Vancouver's Island to the passage of citizens of the United States to tlie districts of British Oregon, where gold is reported to have been found, " The undersigned begs leave to assure Mr. Dallas that the subject of his note shall receive immediate attention, and that her Majesty's Government are, on their part, disposed, as far as they can properly do so, to deal liberally with any citizens of the United States who may desire to proceed to that quarter of the British possessions. But her Majesty's Government must neces- sarily ascertain, in the first place, how far the charter of the Hudson's Bay Company bears i>non the question, and then generally from the law officei? of the crown ■whether any legal considerations require attention on the part of her Majesty's Gover.iment in connection with this question. " The undersigned has the honour to renew to Mr. Dallas the assurances of his highest consideration. " Malmesbury. " G. M. Dallas, Esq., &c." i APPENDIX. 341 No. IV. COPIES OR EXTKACTS OF COUIt KSPONDKNCE RET, ATI VK TO THE DI8C0VEUY OF GOI.T) IN TUE KUAZEK's lUVKU DISTRICT, IN HRITIsn NORTU AMKRICA. No. 1. Copy of a Despatch from Governor Douglas to the Riijht Hon. Henry Labouchere, M.P. (No. 10.) Sir, Victoria, Vancouver's Island, April 16, 1856. (Received June 30, 185(5.) (Answered, No. 14, August 4, 1866.) I hasten to communicate for the information of her Majesty's Government a discovery of much import- ance, made known to me by Mr. Angus McDonald, clerk in charge of Fort Colville, one of the Hudson's Bay Company's trading posts on the Upper Caledonian District. That gentleman reports, in a letter dated on the 1st of March last, that gold had been found in considerable quantities within the British territory, on the Upper Columbia, and that he is moreover of opinion that valuable deposits of gold will be found in many other parts of that country ; ho also states that the daily earn- ings of persons then employed in digging gold were ranging from 11. to 8^ for each man. Such is the sub- stance of his report on that subject, and I have requested him to continue his communications in respect to any further discoveries made. I do not know if her Majesty's Government will con- sider it expedient to raise a revenue in that quarter, by tpxing all persons engaged in gold digging, but I may remark, that it will be impossible to levy such a tax without the aid of a military force, and the expense in that case would probably exceed the income derived from the mines. I will not fail to keep you well informed in respect M ^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) K^ i4^A^ ^ ^ */y « ^ 1.0 I.I |2£ |25 2.2 lU ■ 40 2.0 11.25 iH 1.4 PhotDgraphic Sciences Corporation ^.^' 23 WEST MAIN STRHT WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SM (71«) 872-4503 '^ f i i 1 1 ( 1 • 1 t - 1 1 '1 i ' \ \ i 1 1 ^ i; : : i 342 APPENDIX. to the extent and value of the gold discoveries made ; and circumstances will probablj'^ be the best indication of the course which it may be expedient to take, that is, in respect to imposing a tax, or leaving the field free and open to any persons who may choose to dig for gold. Several interesting experiments in gold-washing have been lately made in this colony, with a degree of success that will no doubt lead to further attempts for the dis- covery of the precious metal. The quantity of gold found is sufficient to prove the existence of the metal, and the parties engaged in the enterprise entertain san- guine hopes of discovering rich and productive beds. I have &c. (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS, The Right Hon. Hen. Governor. Labouchere, &c. &c. ^ No. 2. Copy of a Despatch from the Right Hon. Henry Labouchere to Governor Douglas. (No. 14.) Sir, Downing Street, August 4, 1856. i have to acknowledge the receipt of your De- spatch, No. 10, of the 16th A\m\ last, reporting the discovery of gold within the British territory on the Upper Columbia River district. In the absence of all effective machinery of Govern- ment, I conceive that it would be quite abortive to attempt to raise a revenue from licences to dig for gold in that region. Indeed, as her Majesty's Government do not at present look for a revenue from this distant quarter of the British dominions, so neither are they prepared to incur any expense on account of it. I must, therefore, leave it to your discretion to determine the best means of preserving order in the event of any con- sirterable increase of population flocking into this new gold district ; and I shall rely on your furnishing me APPENDIX. 343 imde ; jation lat is, dfree ig for 5 have uccess le dis- f gold metal, n san- >d3. ..AS, vernor. )0uchere 856. ur Be- ing the on the Govern - tive to for gold rnment distant re they I must, line the ny con- lis new ing me "with full and regular accounts of any event of interest or importance which may occur in consequence of this discovery. I have, &c. (Signei) H. LABOUCHEKE. To Governor Douglas, &c. &c. No. 3. C&py of a Despatch from Governor Douqlm to the Rujht Hon. Henry Lahoiichere, M.P. (No. 28.") Victoria, Vancouver's Island, Oct. 19, 1856. (Received January 14, 1857.) ^Answered, No. 6, January 24, 1867.) Sib, 1. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch, No. 14, of the 4th of August, commu. nicating the arrival of my Despatch, No. 10, of tlie 16th April last, in which was reported the discovery of gold within the British territory in the Upper Columbia River district. 2. I have, since the date of that letter, received several other communications from my correspondent in that part of the country, who, however, scarcely makes any allusion to the subject of the gold discovery ; but I have heard through other almost equally reliable sources of information, that the number of persons engaged in gold digging is yet extremely limited, in consequence of the threatening attitude of the native tribes, who being hos- tile to the Americans, have uniformly opposed the en™ trance of American citizens into their country. 3. The people from American Oregon are therefore excluded from the gold district, except such as, resorting to the artifice of denying their country, succeed in pass- ing for British subjects. The persons at present engaged in the search of gold nve chiefly of British origin and retired servants of the Hudoon's Bay Company, who, being well acquainted with the natives, and connected by old acquaintanceship and the ties of friendship, are r 344 APPENDIX. ill' . i .'< I more disposed to aid und assist each other in their com- mon pursuits thuu to commit injuries against persons or property. 4. They appear to pursue their toilsome occupation in peace, and without molestation from the natives, and there is no reason to suppose that any criminal act has lately taken place in that part of the country. « # « * * « 5. It is reported that gold is found in considerable quantities, and that several persons have accumulated large sums by their labour and traffic, but I cannot vouch for the accuracy of those reports ; though, on the other hand, there is no reason to discredit them, as about 220 ounces of gold-dust have been brought to Vancouver's Island direct from the Upper Columbia, a proof that the country is at least auriferous. From the successful result of experiments made in washing gold from the sands of the tributary streams of Eraser's River, there is reason to suppose that the gold region is extensive, and I entertain sanguine hopes that future researches will develop stores of wealth, perhaps equal to the gold fields of California. The geological formations observed in the " Sierra Nevada" of Cali- fornia being similar in character to the structure of the corresponding range of mountains in this latitude, i: is not unreasonable to suppose that the resemblance will be found to include auriferous deposits. 6. I shall not fail to furnish you with full and regular accounts of every event of interest connected with the gold district, which may from time to time occur. I Y\ ft vf* cfep (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS, Governor. The Right Hon. H. Labouehere, &c. No. 4. Copy of a Despatch from the Right Hon. Henry Labouehere to Governor Douglas. (No. 5.) Sir, Downing Street, January 24, 1857. I have to acknowledge your despatch (No. 28) of h APPENDIX. 345 '.'^ f srnor. tchere >7. 58) of the 29th October, 1856, relative to the discovery of gold in the Upper Columbia lUver district. T H&V6 &c (Signed) H.'lABOUCHERE. Governor Douglas, &c. No. 5. Copy of a Despatch from Governor Douglas to the Right Hon. Henry Labouchere, M.P. (No. 21.) Victoria, Vancouver's Island, July 15, 1857. (Received, September 18, 1857.) Sir, 1. I have the honour of communicating for your information the substance of advices which I have lately received from the interior of the continent, north of the 49th parallel of latitude, corroborating the former ac- counts from that quarter respecting the auriferous cha- racter of certain districts of the country on the right bank of" the Columbia River, and of the extensive table land which divides it from Frazer's Iliver. 2. There is, however, as yet a degree of uncertainty respecting the productiveness of those gold fields, for reports vary so much on that point, some parties repre- senting the deposits as exceedingly rich, while others are of opinion that they will not repay the labour and outlay of working, that I feel it would be premature for me to give a decided opinion on the subject. 3. It is, however, certain that gold has been found in many places by washing the soil of the river beds and also of the mountain sides ; but on the other hand, the quantities hitherto collected are inconsiderable, and do not lend much support to the opinion entertained of the richness of those deposits ; so that the q lestipn as to their ultimate value remains thus undetermined, and will probably not be decided until more extensive researches are made. 4. A new element of difficulty in exploring the guld country has been interposed through the opposition of 3 ' )l P 346 APPENDIX. the niitive Indiun tvibts of Tliompson's River, who hare lately tuken the high-hauded, though probubly not un- wise course, of expelling all the yurties of gold diggers, composedchiefly of persons from the American territories, who had forced an entrance into their country. Ther have also openly expressed a determination to resist all attempts at working gold in any of the streams flowing into Thompson's lliver, both from a desire to mon(»po- lizo the precious metal for their own benefit, and from a well-founded impression that the shoals of salmon which annually ascend tliose rivers and furnish the principal food of the inhabitants, will be driven off, and prevented from making their annual migrations from the sea. 5. The officers in command of the Hudson's Buy Com- pany's posts in that quarter, have received orders care- fully to respect the feelings of the natives in that matter, and not to employ any of the company's servants in washing out gold, without their full approbation and consent. There is, therefore, nothing to apprehend on the part of the Hudson's Bay Company's servants, but there is much reason to fear that serious affrays may take place between the natives and the motley adven- turers who will be attracted by the reputed wealth of the country, from the TJuited States' possessions in Oregon, and may probably attempt to overpower the opposition of the natives by force of arms, and thus endanger the peace of the country. 6. I beg to submit, if in that case it may not become a question whether the natives are not entitled to the protection of her Majesty's Government, and if an officer invested with the requisite authority should not, without delay, be appointed for that purpose. I have, &c. (Signed) JAMES DOUGLAS, Governor. The Bight Hon. H. Labouchere. &c. APPENDIX. 347 ■5T ill 3Come to the jfficer Ithoiit lor. No. 6. ' Extract of a Despatch from Governor Douglas to the Right Hon. Henry Labouchere, M.P., dated Victoria, Vancou- ver's Island, December 29, 1857. (Received March 2, 1858.) (No. 35.) Since I had the honour of addressing you on the 15th of July last, concerning the gold fields in the inte- rior of the country north of the 49th parallel of latitude, which, for the sake of brevity, I will hereafter speak of as the " Couteau mines " (so named after the tribe of Indians who inhabit the country), I have received further intelligence from my correspoudenls in that quarter. It appears from their reports that the auriferous cha- racter of the country is becoming daily more extensively developed, through the exertions of the native Indian tribes, who, having tasted the sweets of gold finding, are devoting much of their time and attention to that pursuit. They are, however, at present almost destitute of tools for moving the soil, and of washing implements for sepa- rating the gold from the eartliy matrix, and have there- fore to pick it out with knives, or to use their fingers for that purpose ; a circumstance which in some measure accounts for the small products of gold up to the present time, the export being only about 300 ounces since the 6th of last October. The same circumstance will also serve to reconcile the opinion now generally entertained of the richness of the gold deposits by the few experienced miners whc have seen the Couteau country, with the present paucity of production. The reputed wealth of the Couteau mines is causing much excitement among the population of the United States territories of Washington and Oregon, and I have no doubt that a great number of people from those territories will be attracted thither with the return of the fine weather in spring. «««" 348 APPENDIX. I Tn that case, flifficulties between the natives anany, and the only authority commissioned by her Majesty within reach, will plead my excuse. Moreover, should her Majesty's Government not deem it advisable to eii- APPENDIX. 349 that rhich |f this Ibut 1 In this leau- |;vany, ajesty Should to eii- force the riglits of the Crown, a« set forth in tho pr cla- mation, it may bu allowed to fall to the ground, and to become a mere dead letter. If you think it expedient that I should visit the Cou- teau Mines in the course of the coming spring or summer, for the purpose of enquiring into th(> state of the coun- try, and authorize me to do so, if 1 cuu for a time conve- niently leave this colony, I fnoly place my services at the disposal of her Majesty's governmeut. Enclosure 1 in No. 6. Proclamation by his Excellency James Douglas, Governor of Vancouver^i Island and its Dependencies, Sfc. Whereas by law ..11 mines of gold, and all gold in its natural place of deposit, within the diBtricts of Frazer's Kiver and of Thompson's River, commonly known as the " Qud&tlan," " Couteau," and " Shuswap " conntries, whether on the lands of the Queen or of any of her Majesty's subjects belong to the crown. And whereas information has been received by the government that gold exists upon and in the soil of the said districts, and that certain persons have com- menced, or are about to commence, searching and dig- ging for the same for their own use, without leave or other authority from her Majesty. Now, I, James Douglas, the Governor aforesaid, on behalf of her Majesty, do hereby publicly notify and declare that all persons who shall take from any lands within the said districts any gold, metal, or ore contain- ing gold, or who shall dig for and disturb the soil in search of gold, metal, or ore, without having been duly anthorized in that behalf by her Majesty's Colonial government, will be prosecuted, both criminally and civilly, as the law allows. And 1 further notify and declare that such regulations as may be found expedient will be prepared and pub- lished, setting forth the terms on which licenses will be issuod for this purpose on the payment of a reasonable fee. ^i r 350 APPKNDIX. I (Jivcn uiulcr my lumd niul noiil at (Jovirnmciit Ofllco, Victoria, thiH 28lh day of Dconnbor, in tlio year of our Lord one thonnand v'\n\\{ hundrfMl and Hlly-Buvun, and in tho twenty-firHt year of hur Miij«'nty'H nM^n. (Signed) .lAMKS liol'CJLAS, (Jovernor. Hy hin Mxcellcncy's command, (Signed) Kirn Aim (Iom.kdok, Heorctary. Ood save tin* Queen. Eucl»)»ur(» 2 in No. (». Government House, Victoria, December 29, ISfiT. With nderenee to the prochimation issued on the 28th of December, dccliiriuj; tbe ri};blsoftlie crown in reHpect to goM found in its natural state of deposit within the ilistricts of I'Vazer's River and of Thompson's lliver, com- monly known as the UuUAtlan, Couteati, and Hhuswnp countries, his l-iXeelliMiey the (lovernor, has been pleased to establish tlu» following provisional regulations, under which licences nmy be obtained to dig, search for, and remove the same. Ist. From and after the lirst day of February next, no person will be permitted to dig, search for, or remove gold, on or from any lands, public or private, without first taking out and paying for a license in the form annexed. 2nd. For tho present, and pending further proof of tbe extent and productiveness of the gold deposits, tho licence fee has been fixed at lOs. per month, to be paid in advance ; but it is to be understood that the rate is subjejt to future adjustment, os circumstances may render expedient. 3rd. The licences can be obtained ^t Victoria, Van- couver's Ishuid, until a Commissioner is appointed by his Excellency the Governor to carry those regulations into effect, and who will be authorized to receive the fee payable thereon. 4th. Rules adjusting the extent and position of land, to be covered by each licence, and for the prevention APPKNDIX. 351 Ofllco, of our uml in pornor. tary. I, 1867. r»o 28 th rospcct Lhiu the or, com- ^huRWftp pU'ttscd », undor tor, and ry iiDXt, remove without c form I proof of |ait.8, tho to be Itho rftte ^('8 may la, Van- [nted by ulationt the fee |f land, Ivention of oonfiininn, and tlir intirlrn'iuT of ono licciiro with uuothur, will bo rcKulutcd by tho Huid OonimiHHiotKT. (Hignrd) .lAMKS I)OU(M.AS, (iovornor. liy bin Hxrcllciicy'n command, (Higuid) iliciuui) (JoM.KUUK, Sucrutury. No. 7. Copy of a Drxpatch from the (iovernor of Vancouver s hi anil to the Uijlit Hon. II. Lahonc/icre, M.l*. (No. 1 ) . ^ Victoriii, Vuncouvcr'n iMliirifl, .raniiiiry, 22, lH.58. (Keccivcd Muroli 15, \HbH.) SiH, 1. With reference to thl(l in tho districtH of Fnizcr'H River imd'rhompson'H River, triiiiHinilted with my drsputch No. 35, of the 29th of December la»t, 1 have now tho honour to eommuniciito for your information, that we have sinco tlnit date raised tho licence fee from ten HhilliiigH to twenty-o.ie shillingH a month, payable in advan(M!, which in the present charge for gold licences. 2. We were induced to make that change through a desire lo place a larger amount of revenue at the disposal of (jfovernment to meet the expense of giving protection to life and property in those countries, and at the same time from a well-founded conviction that persons really bent on visiting the gold district will as readily pay the incieased as the lower rute of charge. I have, &(!. (Signed) JAMES DOUOLAS, Governor. To the Right Hon. Henry Labouchere, &c. No. 8. Copy of a Despatch from Governor Douglas to the Right Hon. JI. Labouchere, M.P. ■ (No. 15.) Victoria, Vancouver's Island, April 6th, 1858. 1. Since I bad last the honour of addressing you Sib, 352 APPENDIX. in my Despatch No. 36, of the 29th of Duconiber lust, in reference to the discovery of gold in the Couteau, or Thompson's River District, we huve hud much commu- nication with persons who have since visited that part of the country. 2. The search for gold and " prospecting" of the country, Imd, up to the lust dates from the interior, been carried on almost exclusively by the native Indian popu- lution, who have discovered the productive beds, and put out almost ull the gold, about eight hundred ounces, which has been hitherto exported from the country, and who are moreover extremely jealous of the whites, and strongly opposed to their digging the soil for gold. 3. The few white men \n lio pussed the winter at the diggings, chiefly retired servants of the Hudson's Bay Company, though well acquainted with Indian character, were obstructed by the natives in all their attempts to search for gold. They were on all occasions narrowly watched, and in every instauce when they did succeed in removingthe surface and excavating to the depth of the au- riferous stratum, they were quietly hustled and crowded by the natives, who having by thut means obtained pos- session of the spot, then proceeded to reap the fruits of their labours. 4. Such conduct was unwarrantable and exceedingly trying to the temper of spirited men, but the savages were far too numerous for resistance, and they had to submit to their dictation. It is, however, worthy of remark, and a circumstance highly honourable to the character of those savages, that they have on ull occa- sions scrupulously respected the persons and property of their white visitors, at the same time that they have ex- pressed a determination to reserve the gold for their own benefit. 5. Such being the purpose of the natives, affrays and collisions with the whites will surely follow the accession of numbers, which the latter are now receiving by the influx of adventurers from Vancouver's Island and the United States territories in Oregon ; and there is no doubt in my mind that sooner or later the intervention APPENOIX. 353 ust, in lau, or >iumu- part of of the •, been , popu- 8, and }uneeB, >y, and ;8, and • ut the tt's Buy aracter, mpts to lirrowly jceed in ■ the RU- irowded led po8- Tuits of edingly savages had to rthy of to the 11 ocea- erty of ave ex- leir own lays and ^cession by the jind the re is no rention of her Mitjrsty's govlieve that the district will bo fouiid productive of gold. He perfectly de- scribed tho older slate formations thrown up ami pierced by quartz, granite, and porphyry bods, and the vast accumulations of gravel and shingle extending from the roots of tho mountains to the banks of Frazor's River, and its affluents ; which are all characteristics of the gold districts of California and other countries. « No. 10. Extract of a Despatch from Governor Doucflas to the Right Hon. Hcnn/ Labonchcre, dated Victoria, Van- conver's Island, May 8, 1858. (No. 19.) Since I had the honour of addressing you on tho 6th of April last, on tho subject of the " Couteau " gold mines, they have become more than ever a source of attraction to the people of Washington and Oregon ter- ritories, and it is evident from the accounts published in tho latest San Francisco papers, that intense excite- ment prevails among the inhabitants of that stirring city on the same subject. The "Couteau" country is there represented and supjiosed to be in point of mineral wealth a second •'California or Australia, and those impressions are sus- tained by the false and exaggerated statements of steamboat owners and other interested parties, who I li APPKNOIX. 357 ouiitry i\nglcy, in gold 11 g9 aro !8 ubovc aro said t iroper- any de- ite yield feat\irc8 ;^U(>Rtion, 3 district cctly de- d pierced the vast from the r'8 llivor, ,ic8 of the las to the ^ ou on the 'cau " gold source of Iregon ter- published 86 excite- it stirring iented and a second IB are sus- tementB of irties, wlio benefit by tho cnrront of cmignition which is i\()\v net- ting strongly towards tins ((iiartor. Boats, canoes, and every speeies of small craft, i;ro continnally on\ployod in pouring tlM'ir ('iirgoes of human beings into I'razer's llivor, aiul it is supposed thnt not h'88 than one thousund whites aro already at work atid lulventurers who accompanied them many have been swept into eternity. The others, nothing daunted by the spectacle of ruin, and buoyed up by the liopc! of amassing wealth, still keep pressing onwards towards the coveted goal of their most ardent wishes. On the 25th of last montli the American steamer " Commodore " arrived in this port, direct from Sun Francisco, with 450 passengers on board, the chief i)art of whom are gold miners for tlu; " Couteau" country. Nearly 400 of those men were landed at this place;, and have since left in boats und canoes for Frazer's Itiver. 1 ascertained through intpiiries on the subject that those men are all well piovided witli mining tools, and l,hat there was no dearth of ca[)ital or intelligence among them. Aboiit sixty British subjects, with an e(|ual number of native-born Americans, the rest being chiefly (}ermans, with a smaller proportion of Krenchmen and Italians, composed this body of adventurers. They are represented as being, with some exceptions, a specimen of the worst of the population of San Fran- cisco ; the very dregs, in fact, of sociiity. Their conduct while hero wouM have led me to form a very diffiTent conclusion ; as our little town, thougli crowded to excuas with this sudd(!n influx of peoph', and though there was a temporary scarcity of food, and d(;arth of house ac- commodation, the police few in number, and many tempt- ations to excess^ in the way of drink, yet quiet and order i^ I 1 1 '■■,\\ r Mkifti'' 'M)\^ APPRNniX, ! provuilt'd. nud \\\o\v \vn« not n BJti^lo oi>n\n\iJ(Ml foi rinl- ing, ^hMinkittnofs, or other oircn'M's, tlining their slny hi>r<». Tho mrrohnnts ninl oth«'r hiisinrss olnsncs of VicltMin nro rrjoicing in tho !itl\«MH ol' pm hugo n hody oT juMtpU' in th(' colony. in\t\v»MMi Sun l^'inncinco nnd tho jfohl n\inoH. oonvcvling the h«ttor, iis it wrro, into ii t'codor Mnd (h'p(M\(h'nt'v ot this ooh>nv. Viotoviii wonlil Ihnw hcoojno iv dopAl nnd ocntro of trjulo lor tho gohl di'»lriols. iiinl tho tnitnnd oofisoipimco wonld ho Mn iinniodiiilo inoronso in tho woidlh lunl i»opn- hit ion of tho O(dony. 'l\> (^tl'oot thill ohjoot it will ho roipiisili* to (aoilidito hy cvory possihlo tnoiinn tho tr.inspoii ot piis-otijic'V^ jnnl goods* toth(> tiirlhoHt niivigiddc' ]>oint on l'"iii?;or'R llivor; :>nd tho ohvion« n;(';ii\s ol' tioooniplishin^ lh;it oiid is to (Muploy light slounuM'R iti plyitiii hot woon, iitid^'on- nooting this ])ovl yVi( loriii) with tho I'mIIh oC I'Vii/oi-'h Kivor. distiint \'A0 niilos iVoni tho di'^olniigo ol' tlwit rivor, into th<^ (inir of (hvngia : thoso ImUm hoing gonornlly holi»>V(Hl to ho at tho oonin\(MU'(Mnont of tho roninnoralivo gold diggings, ;ind from tlnMu^o tho oiitiors would roiidily :»k<> thoir wny on foot or aftor tlu^ snninior IVos- Is hy tho riv(M' into tho interior of tho oonnlry. liy th.it nn\'»ns nlso tln^ wholo tr.-nh* of tho gold rcgionB would puss through Fraz(>rs Hivor and ho rotiiinod within, tho Ih'itish loiritory. forming a Viduahh* outlet for British nnnrnfaotunnl goods, and at otu'o oroating u luorativo trade hotwoou tho mother country and Van- couver's 1 si ami. Taking a view of the Ruhject, simply in its rolatiojis to trade ami comnu'rce, apart from considerations cd' natituial policy, such perhaps would he (he course nu»st lik(dy U) pnunote the int«'r(>sts of this colony ; but. on the contrary, if the coiintry he thrown op(>n to indis. criminate iu\migration, tho interests of the empire nuiy sulVer from the in! reduction of a foreign population, m whos(> sympalhii's inay he decidedly unti-lhitiBh. Tak ing that viowof the (picstion, it iiBSumcs an alarm ■1 ► •f» MMMilNniX. :\:>d i for viol - \\v\x Btny ' Viov'r Uivrv ; Ihut ''!>'* ''^ >r lUnt rivm \iW iVrs Is Itv »u« gold v(>K;i' I iutv\»io «>\>ti<'i' ov< IVV » tl nil V un- it n V 'lutioMB .f iohV, but. on lis. (l»vivV\t)im I'OUVSl' u Ml to n»< rmpiro nuiy h pv)\)\iUili*>n, jriUHU. lues an alunu- ing (iPppcl. nml Bngm'Pl« n dnnM im (•> tlio |inliiy <>(' |H'i- ntiHing llip rr nl' Inrrijinrin iiiln I|m« lliiliHli Irnilory lor rrHJilcinc willimif in Die llrsl pldcp niinir. injj llictn In liilu' llic milli <>( nllt jiiimmt, imhI nlliciwi'jp 1«» pivo BUi'h Rccniily I'nr lli»>ir cMtKliicl its llip gMvciiimnil <»f llu» connlry miiy dmn it pioiicr ami imm cPRiiry In ic- |UM(> II I II n'lr IimihIb. TIm' Mpiniitn wliicli 1 )iiiv»> Innnrtl (tii Ilic hhI'Jim'I IimkIm inr In (liMiK (liiil, in llii' tvciil nC lln> (n clirch I) M< roniHc nl iniinimtiliHM. cvin liy rliiHMijj I'lii/ci p 1'^ llivrr. IIS llic tliilicit wniilil llirti iMlce II |iimq(i^i' inl'» till fJoM iliflliirl liv wiiv nl' llii> ( 'fijiiiiiltiii Kivcr, iitnl IIm' viilniil)ln liiiili II in rniiiiliv in IIimI time Ik> (I iivin lVnn« lis nnliMiil iniir^c inin h rorrigfi ('IkiimicI, find rn- lirrly InsI In lliis cniinliy. On Ilic rniiiiiny, slmiild iho ili^trin^s prnvn tn lin im- riMniini'iiilivn, n (picHlinn wliirli iis yi>|, n iiddncnd in its Invniir, — mid llm pnjnl, will tin dfiiiM, be tb'cidcil liclnin llm clnsn nl' tim prcBrnI, yriir, — I iil«l niniply rccnintnuKl tlnil, ii sninll niiviil nr niililnry Inn »- Blmnld Ih' pliUM'd nl llii^ diMpnsid nf lliin govcinnmni, tn cniililr \\H In niiiinliiin Mm ptucp, ond tn cninrconlxdiciioM tn tlu> liiWH. The ByRlrni nl' grunting liccnRps fnr digging gold Inm not yet conio into nprriition. l'orlm|)s n siniplcr inctlind orrnising n rcvpniin w»)nl«l 1)0 to inipnso II oiiHtninH* duty nn iin|i«»rlH, U^ bo loviod nn nil mip]dioH Itrniigbt into tlio country, wluitbor by Fnizcrs or tbo ('(diindiiii liivor. Tlio «'X])nrt of gold I'roin llm (U)nntry is Htill incon- Bidorublo, nntoxoooding OOO niniooH Binc,«« T luRt nddrisRod you. Tlio principul diggings uro reported to bo ut pro- I r KMlita MMMlMllhMkM 360 APPENDIX. Ront, and will pvohnbly contimu', floodod for sovornl iuon11»8 to oomo, so \\\\\\ mil(>»8 other digginp^s apart from the rivorlxulH aro n al»out tho niiddlo of August noxt. In tho nu'ant.imo tho ill-])r«>vid(Ml advent uhth who have gon(> Ihitlur will oonsunu» tluMr stock of provisions, and probably liavo to roliro from tho c«>iintry until a nioro favourable' season. 1 sh.ill be most happy to receive your instructions on tho subjects in this letter. No. 1 1 . COPT OF A TKTTFU FROM TUK OOVFUNOH OK TUR UfPSON S HAY COMPANY l() SKC«RrAUY SI K K. nri,WKU LYnON. i ' Sir, Hudson's Jlay House, Juno 24, 185? I have the lionour to acknowledge the receipt of the Earl of Carnarvon's h'tter of tho '22nd instant, elat- ing your desire to be furnisluMl with extracts of the let- ters lately received by the Hudson's liay Company from (lovcrnor Douglas, on tho subject of the gold Holds on Frazer's River, and 1 beg, in accordance thorowHth, to transmit the accompanying copy of a letter from CJovor- nor Douglas, dated Victoria, Ai»ril 27th, and extracts of his letters of tho 19th and 30th of tho sumo month. I have, &c. (Signed) JOHN SHEPHERD, Governor. Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, Bart , Colonial Office. iipi ArPFNOlX. 3G1 rt tVoni M wiU , \\\\\c\\ st noxt. bo hiivo a luoro for llio iiifonnn(ii»n of []\i> CJovornor iind ('onmiiUco tluit llio ulcimi vnHurl " (!on»- niodoro " iMiivcd in tliis j>ort on llio 'iolli iiiBlnnf, direct, iVojn Sftti Fnincisco, with ^^O jiiiHRri'^rrs, rliidly j^old uiincrs, wlio Imvc conio Inro vtilli tlii^ intention of work- ing llie gold niituH of (lie interior. Al)on( too of llios(» men were landed on llio sntnc (]t\y, ond, with tlio exception of ii lew who hit jesleDhiy l(»r Friizcr'H Kiver, nre now engnged in pnichnHing ohmmb and nndiing inrnngenientH for (!ontinning their journey by Kra7;(>r'H lliver into tlu* ('onlean cotintry. They all appear to ho well ))rovide(l with mining tool and then; BeeniR to h)> no want oi' capital and in- telligence among them. Ahont sixty of (he nuniher i'M IhIhikI ilwrlf \h qiiito iitHi^niticiiiit fonipnrril todmt in Wiihliiti^tnii iin*l Oirgon trnitoii«H, iintl in ('iili('< ruin, «iny intt'iTHtrd piirlirH. Till' nmill liiiM \)vvu lliiii hi'vtimI liimdnd priHonK iVoni Ann ri«iin tniiloiy l»ar«> iilri'mly llocUnl to tin' nrwly frpi>rt«'il uniilrronr* ngionH, iinr<<\VN of l)n< HliipH in Pngct Sound havo doHrrlcd, and liiivc ^oiu> to tlic di^^ingn ; \ iun hiippy to nay that as yot I htiv<' not lost a Hin^ll> man from llu' " Satrllito" Hint'*' llu' inlonnation wan rct'rivrd, luid 1 liav*' I'vcry n'ason to hiip«< lliid I nniy not ho un- fortunate in this rospcit, although, douhtlcHH, Hoon thu tumpUitiuns to desert will bo of no ordinary uhutuctor. No. 13, I rOPT OF A PFsrATCll FROM SKCHF.TAHY SIK K. nUIAVKR lYlTON TO OOVKUNOIl DO 10 LAS. (No. 2.) SiK, Downing Street, July 1, 1858, T hnro to ncknowlodgo your Doflpntch No, 19, of the Sih idtinio, in contintnit ion of former deapatchos, in- forming; tho St'cretnry of State from time to time of tho progress of the gold discoveries on Fnizer's River, and tho LK'usures whieh you had taken in eonse(pience. I am anxious not to let tlio opportunity of the present mail pass without informing you that her ^Iitjesty's govern- ment havo under theireonsideration the pressing necessity for taking some steps to establish public order and go- vernment in that localitj-, and that I hope very soon to be able to comr.innicate to you the result. In the iiieantimo her Majesty's government approve of tho course whieh you have adopted iu asserting both APPENDIX. 367 )8. 19, of (o8, in- lof tho lor, an«l I un\ it nmW bovorn- In (I go- Iboou to ipprovo ig both Uio (lominioii of 11)11 ('rown over IIiIm region, and tliu rinhl ol llu> (!n»\vn ovrr flin prrcitum im'tiilH. Tlwy tliiiik, liowi'Vir, thill, you acinrl jiKliciouNly iti wuiliii^ for riii'liirr iiiHtriK'tiotiH linCon^ yon rti(i('uvi)iirc(l torotiiprl 1)i(t liikiii)^ out, of linmHoii you that, wliilo h(ir Majimty'M govrniiiK'nt urn dctcTininrd on prrHcrvitiK tliu ri^htn, Itotli of (((tvtrnnutnt and of ooninirrcc, wliicli Indon^ to tliiH (;ountry, and wliiln tli(>y havo it in contrinplatiou to furniHli yuu with nuch a forc.o aH tlwy may Ihj uhh; to dntarh for your dHHiHtuni^n and Hiipport in thinit thum- wdveH, in common with tho HuhjectH of hable but \(id by a see. . a com- Ivacter of [c8 of the le forma- in others [northern I the inlet I was par- king been seen by the Indians in that vicinity. Those people are called Nanuimo, and speak nearly the same language, but have not the reputation of being either so numerous or warlike as the Cowichin tribe. We entered into im- mediate communication, and found them very friendly, and disposed to give every information we desired in regard to all matters concerning their own affairs and the country which they inhabit. They live chiefly by fishing, and also grow large quantities of potatoes in fields, which they have brought into cultivation near their villages. These are built chiefly on a river, named Nanaimo, which falls into the inlet, and is navigable for canoes to the distance of forty miles from the sea coast. Food is cheap and abundant, and we were plentifully supplied with fresh salmon and excellent potatoes during the stay there, 7. The reports concerning the existence of coal in that place were, I rejoice to say, not unfounded ; as the Indians pointed out three beds cropping out in different parts of the inlet ; and they also reported that several other beds occurred on the coast and in the interior of the country, which we did not see. One of these beds measured 57f inches in depth of clean coal; and it was impossible to repress a feeling of exultation in beholding Bo huge a mass of mineral wealth so singularly brought to light by the hand of nature, as if for the purpose of inviting human enterprise at a time when coal is a great desideratum in the Pacific, and the discovery can hardly fail to be of signal advantage to the colony. The two other seams which we examined were about three- fourths of a mile distant from the former, and measured respectively 3 inches and 20 inches in depth, and are valuable chiefly as indicating the direction of the beds. There is every reason to believe, from the appearance of the country and its geological phenomena, that Vancou- ver's Island, about Wentuhuysen Inlet, is one vast coal field ; and if that conjecture be correct, the progress of the colony will be rapid and prosperous, notwithstanding the many adverse circumstances which have hitherto retarded the development of its resources. 372 APPENDIX. 8. That consideration induces me to offtT a few re- marks on the navigation of the coast between Victoria and "Wentuhuysen Inlet. The shortest and most direct rout;, between those points is through the Canal de Arro, a part of the const of wliich little is known, and judging from the maps in my possession, has never been correctly surveyed. Merchant vessels are there- fore deterred from taking that route, and follow the circuitous channel explored by V^ancouver in the year 1795, which greatly prolongs the voyage, making the difference of nearly a week in point of time on a short run of one hundred and forty miles. It is therefore of the very greatest importance to the trade of this colony that the Canal de Arro should be explored, and a correct survey prepared as soon as possible, showing the sound- ings, shoals, and anchorages where ships may bring-to in calms, or during the continuance of adverse winds ; and I beg most earnestly to recommend that measure to your consideration, especially as her Majesty's Govern- ment would thereby render an essential service not only to this colony but to the general interests of trade and navigation. 9. Our excursion did not extend beyond the Inlet of "Wentuhuysen, from whence we commenced our return to Victoria, after distributing small presents to the chiefs of the various tribes, with which they appeared highly satisfied. 10. In the course of that journey we observed traces of iron-stone on several parts of the coast, and we also procured a rich specimen of copper ore, found in a dis- tant part of Vancouver Island, which will be hereafter examined. The Hudson's Bay Company's schooner Cad- borough lately visited the coal district in Wentuhuysen Inlet, and pucceeded in procuring, with the assistance of Indians, about fifty tons of coal in one day. The harbour is safe and accessible to vessels of any class, and the coal is within two cables' length of the anchorage, 80 that every circumstance connected with this valuable discover}^ is suggestive of success. 11. The Hudson's Buy Company have also sent a 3W re- ictoria direct nal de n, and iiever there- > »w the le year ing the a short jfore of colony correct I sound- Dring-to winds ; asure to Govern- not only ade and Inlet of return ie chiefs highly traces I'e ai30 in a dis- jreafter ler Cad- Lhuysen distance The liss, and lorage, laluable sent a APPENDIX. 373 small body of miners to examine the coal-beds and to commence operations there. 12. Her Majesty's ship Thetis arrived at Esqui- mault on the 22nd instant, direct from Queen Char- lotte's Islands, and I believe Captain Kupai has orders from the commander-in-chief to remain on the coast till the month of January next, chiefly with the view of guarding the ports of Queen Charlotte's Island. The gold diggings in that quarter have not been productive this season, which has not, however, altered the general opinion entertained as to its wealth in the precious metal, the adventurers ascribing their late want of suc- cess simply to the circumstance of the t-us beds not having been discovered. Fine specimens of lead and copper-ore have also been procured on Queen Charlotte's Island, which, in a commercial view, gives it v.n addi- tional value* * The discovery of gold in this part of her Britannic Majesty's dominions was made by Captain Rooney, who commanded the schooner Susan Sturge, belonging to a San Francisco firm, by whom he was instructed to go up to Queen Charlotte's Islands, and ex- plore, and see what business could be done with those islands, that would be advantageous to the trade of San Francisco ; and in the early part of the year 1852, he sailed for these northern islands, and on arrival made several discoveries; one of which was, that instead of there being, as laid down on the charts, one large island, a group of three islands existed. He also discovered and named Victoria Island, Elliott Isles, Wantly Isle, and laid down various other places. Having entertained friendly intercourse with the natives, whom he found anxious to trade with him, he returned to San Francisco in the latter part of May, and besides bringing a variety of matters and things relating to the commerce that might be opened with these islands, he had on board two sons of native chiefs, who came with him as a guarantee of good faith to parties wishing to trade with them. A specimen of the gold-bearing quartz from Una Point, Mitchell Harbour, in the middle island of the Queen Charlotte's group was also brought, which, from an assay made in London, yielded 6317 dwts. 4 grs. of gold to the ton of quartz. Some pieces of gold, varying in size from a grain of wheat to a pigeon's egg, fell out of the rock, after blasting. Traces of silver have aho been found in the rock. It is a singular circumstance that Captain liooney had his schooner taken and plundered by the natives of these very islands ou the 20th of September, 1852. 1 ; 374 APPENDIX. ' i ii 11 ]i No. VI. copt of the oniginal charteh for incorporatino the Hudson's bay company, granted by hi8 majesty kino j' charles the second, in the twenty-second year of his reign, a.d. 1670. Charles the Second, by the Grace of God King of Eng- land, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defenderof the Faith, &c. To all to whom these presents shall come greeting : Whereas our dear and entirely beloved cousin Prince Ru- pert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria and Cumberland, etc. ; Christopher Duke of Albemarle, "William Earl of Craven, Henry Lord Arlington, Anthony Lord Ashley, Sir John Robinson, and Sir Robert Vyner, Knights and Baronets; Sir Peter Colleton, Baronet; Sir Edward Hungerford, Knight of the Bath ; Sir Paul Neele, Knight; Sir John Griffith, and Sir Philip Car- teret, Knights ; James Hayes, John Kirke, Francis Mil- lington, William Prettyman, John Fenn, Esqrs. ; and John Portman, Citizen and Goldsmith of London ; have at their own great cost and charges undertaken an ex- pedition for Hudson's Buy, in the north-west part of America, for the discovery of a new passage into the South Sea, and to the finding some trt.de for furs, mine- rals, and other considerable commodities, and by such their undertaking, have already made such discoveries as do encourage them to proceed further in pursuance of their said design, by means whereof there may probably arise very great advantage to us and our kingdom : And whereas the said undertakers for their further en- couragement in the said design have humbly besought us to incorporate them and grant unto them and their successors the sole trade and commerce of all those seas, straits, bays, rivers, lakes, creeks, and sounds in whatso- ever latitude they shall be that lie within the entrance of the straits commonly called Hudson's Straits, together with all the lands, countries, and territories upon the coasts and confines of the soas, straits, bays, rivers, creeks, fi APPENDIX. 375 RATDTO THE 4 J EST Y KlNa )ND YEAE OF :ing of Eng- of the Faith, ne greeting : I Prince Ru- Bavaria and Albemarle, ;on, Anthony ibert Vyner, m, Baronet; ih; Sir Paul • Philip Car- Francis Mil- Esqrs. ; and ondon; have aken an ex- -west part of age into the r furs, mine- and by such i discoveries pursuance of nay probably iir kingdom: ir further en- ibly besought em and their ill those seas, ds in whatso- he entrance of aits, together ies npon the ivers, creeks, and sounds aforesaid, which are not now actually pos- sessed by any of our subjects or by the subjects of any other Christian prince or State: Now know ye that wo, being desirous to promote all endeavours tending to the public good of our people, and to encourage the said un- dertaking, have, of our especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, given, granted, ratified, and confirmed, and by these presents for us, our heirs, and successors, do give, grant, ratify, and confirm unto our said cousin. Prince Rupert (liere the names are repeated;., that they and such others as shall be admitted into the said Society as is hereafter expressed, shall be one body corporate and politic in deed and in name, by the name of " The Governor and Con^pany of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay," and thereby the name of " The Governor and Company of Adventurers of Eng- land trading into Hudson's Bay," our body corporate and politic, in deed and in name really and fully for ever for us, our heirs and successors, we do make, ordain, constitute, establish, confirm, and declare by these pre- sents, and that by the same name of Governor and Com- pany of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay, they shall have perpetual succession, and that they and thtir successors, by the name of the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Buy, be and at all times hereafter shall be personable and capable in law to have, purchase, re- ceive, possess, enjoy, and retain lands, rents, privileges, liberties, jurisdictions, franchises, and hereditaments of what kind, nature, or quality soever they be to them and their successors ; and also to give, grant, demise, alien, assign, and dispose lands, tenements, and heredi- taments, and to do and execute all and singular other things by the same name that to them shall or may ap- pertain to do ; and that they and their successors by the name of " The Governor and Company of Adventurers oi England trading into Hudson's Bay," may plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered, defend and be de- fended in whatsoever courts and places, before what- soever judges and justices and other persons and oficers mmt 376 APPENDIX. in all and singular actions, pleas, suits, quarrels, causes, and demands whatsoever, of whatsoever kind, nature, or sort, in sucli manner and form as any other our liege people of this our realm of England, being persons able and capable in law, may or can have, purchase, receive, possess, enjoy, retain, give, grant, demise, alien, assign, dispose, plead, defend and be defended, do permit and exe- cute ; and that the said Governor and Company of Adven- turers of England trading into Hudson's Bay and their successors may have a common seal to serve for all the causes and businesses of them and their successors, and that it shall and may be lawful to the said Governor and Company and their successors, the same seal from lime to time at their will and pleasure to break, change, make anew or alter as to them shall seem expedient. And further, we will and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, we do ordain that there shall be from henceforth one of the same company to be elected and appoini^ed in such form as hereafter in these pre- sents is expressed, which shall be called the Governor of the Company ; and that the said Governor and Com- pany shall or may elect seven of their number in such form as hereafter in these presents is expressed, which shall be called the Committee of the said Company, which committee of seven or any three of them, together ■with the Governor or Deputy Governor of the said Com- pany for the time being, shall have the direction of the voyages of and for the said Company, and the provision of the shipping and merchandizes thereunto belonging, and also the sale of all merchandizes, goods, and other things returned in all or any the voyages or ships for the said Company, and the managing and handling of all other business, aiFairs, and things belonging to the said Company : And we will, ordain, and grant by these presents for us our heirs and successors, unto the said Governor and Company and their successors, shall from henceforth for ever be ruled, ordered, and governed ac- cording to such manner and form as is hereafter in these presents expressed, and not otherwise; and that they shall have, ht)ld, retain, and enjoy the grants, libertiei, APPliNDIX. 377 relfl, causes, I, nature, or jr our liege persons able use, receive, lien, assign, mit and exe- ay of Adven- ay and their e for all the ccessors, and id Governor ae seal from •eak, change, m expedient. 3 for us, our lere shall be to be elected in these pre- ;he Governor or and Com- iber in such ■essed, which |id Company, raem, together ihe said Com- iCtion of the [the provision io belonging, s, and other or ships for handling of inging to the rant by these into the said Is, shall from governed ac- fter in these d that they ints, liberties. •pvivilogos, jurisdictions, jind inimnnitios only licreaf'tcr in tlu'se presents granted and expi<>sse(l, and no otlier ; And for the better execution of our will and grant in tliis behalf, we liave assigned, nominated, (ronstilut(!d, and nmde, and by these presents for us, our h-irs a«id successors, wc do assign, nominate, constitute, and mako our said cousin Prince; Rupert to bo the first and present Governor of tho said Comf)any, and to continue in the said office from the date of these presents until the 10th November the next following, if the said Prince llupert shall so long live, and so until a new Governor be chosen by the said Company in form hereafter expressed : And further, we will and grant by these presents, for us, or" heirs and successors, unto the said Governor and Com- pany and their successors, that it shall and may be law- ful to and for the said Governor and Company for the time being or the greater part of them presetit at any public assembly commonly called the Court General, to be holden for the said Company, the Govern')r of tho said Company being always one, from time to time, to elect, nominate, and appoint one of the said Company to be Deputy to the said Governor, which Deputy shall take a corporal oath before the Governor and three or more of the Committee of the said Company for the time being, well, truly, and faithfully to execute his said office of De- puty to the Governor of the said Company, and after his oath so taken shall and may from time to time in the ab- sence of the said Governor exercise and execute the oflSce of Governor of the said Company in such sort as the said Governor ought to do : and further, we will and grant by these presents for us, our heirs, and successors, unto the said Governor and Company of the Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay and their successors, that they, or the greater part of them, whereof the Go- vernor for the time being or his Deputy to be one from time to time and at all times hereaftci shall and may have authority and power, yearly and every year, be- tween the first and last day of November, to assemble and meet together in some convenient place to be ap- pointed from time to time by the Governor, or in hi» ii ti i! 1 378 APPENDIX. abrtoiico by iho depuiy of tlio siiul Governor for tiio tiniG boing, and that tliry being ho aHsenibled, it HbiiU und may be lawful to and for tbo said (ilovcrnor or deputy of tho said Governor and the said Company for iho time being, or tbo greater part of tbem wliich tlien sluiU happen to be prescnit, wber(U)f tbe Governor of the said Company or liis Deputy for the time being to bo one, to oh.'Ct and nominate one of the said Company which slmll bo Governor of the said Company for one whole year then next following, which person being so electt^d and nomi- nated to be Governor cf the said Company as is afore- said before he be admitted to tlie execution of the said office, shall take a corporal oath before tbe last Go- vernor being his predecessor or his Deputy, und any three or more of the Committee of the said Company for the time being, that he shall from time to time well and truly execute the office of Governor of the said Com- pany for the time being, that ho shall from time to time well and truly execute thr office of Governor of the said Company in all things cmcerning the same; and that immediately after the same oath so taken, he shall and may execute and use the said office of Governor of the said Company for one whole year from thence next fol- lowing : And in like sort we will and grant that as well every one of the above-named to be of the said Company or fellowship as all others hereafter to be admitted are free of the said Company, shall take a corporal oath be- fore the Governor of the said Company or his Deputy for tlie time being, to such effect as by the said Governor and Company or the greater part of them in any public court to be held for the said Company, shall be in reason- able or legal manner set down and devised, before they shall be allowed or admitted to trade or traffic as free- men of the said Company : And further, we will and grant by these j)r(^sent8 for us, our heirs and successors, unto the said Governor and Company and their suc- cessors, that the said Governor or Deputy Governor and the rest of the said Company and their successors for the time being or the greater part of them, whereof the Governor or Deputy Governor from time to time to be I APPENDIX. 379 one pliiill nnd mny from tlmo to tiino nnrl nt nil tinirs horoartcr luivc ])()\v«r uiul iiiilliority, yearly and <'V(iy year between the tirst and last day of November, to nsaomblc! and n\eet tof^elher in somo convenient place, nnd tbat tliey bein<; so iissembled, it sball and may bo lawful to and for tlie said (Jovernor or his Deputy and the Company lor tb(! time b(;in}», or tho greater ])Jirt of them, which then shall hiippen to bo ])re8ent, whereof the Governor of tin; said Company or his Deputy, to elect and nf)minato seven of the said Company, which bIiuH be a Committe(! of the said Company for one? whole year from then next ensuinjj;, which persons beinp; so elected and nominated before they be admitted to the execution of their office shall take a corporal oath before the Governor or his Deputy, and any three or more of tho said Committee, beinj? their last jjredecesaors, that they and every of thera shall well and faithfully perform their said office of Committ(!e in all things concerning the same, and that immediately after tho said oath so taken, they shall an« nl I'".ii>.',Iiim(I, tiinliii^; iiilo llinhiMrH Hny, niiiy In* <«in'minintt| loniidcr- l.'ikr Mini rdi'iliiilly In |i|(tM(<«>i||i< (||i< miiil ili'MJ^li, nl' iilll' rspiM idl fjiiirc, ('I'll (ill Know Inl^c, tind mcn' innlinn, wo li.iv»< k;iv»'ii, ^|•|lnl^•ll, mid ronlhiurd, iiikI liy lln kc \}\v- H'MiIm lur iH, uiir liciiH, mikI hiici cnhmih, do give, urmil, mid ooiiliiin nnlo llic Mnid (lovrnioiH mid ('oiinniiiy, iitid 1ln'ir Hin'ci'HsorM, tluwolc tifiiN' mid ntiimirn'«< ni'iill IIimhh Hf'us, stiiiils, Iminm, livnn, ImIuh, citcKh. mid HitiiiidH, in \vliii(s,)..v(y sli.dl he. tli.il lie williiii llio t'lilrmicf .»r ||ii< sir.iiN, coniiiiiiiily culled lliidMun'H Slniiln, t(»fi:flli('r Willi nil the Imids mid IcniloricH iipnti ilio rnim(ri(>M, cojistM, mid r.mlincM of tlic mcus, IxiyH, Inkrw, nvrrn, i'lcrkH, :in*l homiiiIh tironsjiid, lli:il me not nliciidy H(>(n:illy poNscHHcd hy, or ^rmilcd to, miy oC (nir HiiltjectH, or p.»HN(>sst>d Ity the sniij. els (d liny other CliriHlimi hint'o or Stale, with Hi,, lislnii}; (d' nil sortH of IImIi, wIiuIch, i«liir;>(«nns, mid till oilier ri»viil IisIioh in the hciis, ImvB. inlet! mid rivers williin the preniiHOH, mid tlio H«h tlierein taken, to^ilnr witli tlio royally ortli(< nea upon tile roasts williin tli(> liinits iil'nresaid, mid all niincH Joyal. as widl diseovered as not discovered, (d' K"'«l. f*il- ver, gems, and pn>eioiis slones, to l»«» found or «liHeovt>ro(l 'liin tlie terrilori es. limits,' mid plaeew nforesaid ; and that, the said land he Iroiii heiieid'orth re»d(oned and ro- ])nt(^l as (Mie of «)iir idaidalions or eidonies in Anu>rieu, oalled • Hiiperfs Land.' And. Iiirtlier, we do, hy tlieso pr<>sent8, for ns, onr heirs, mid siKMU^ssors, make, create. Mild eonstiliite the said (Jovi^rnor and Companj' for Mio lime heing and tlit>ir siieeessors the true and idisojuto lords and piiijirielurs of the same territory, limits, and places aforesaid, and id' all olhi'r the pHMiiises, siivinH; always tlu> t'aitli, allegiance, atid sov(>riMgn dominion duo U) us, our h(-iis. and suec(>ssors, for tlu^ same to liuvc, liold, possess, and enjoy the said t(>rritory, limits, mimI places, and all jind singular other tlio ])r<'niiseH herchy granted, as afon^said. with their iind cv(>ry of their rights, mcmbors. jurisdictions, pr.>rogatives, royalties, and iip- purteuauccws whatsoever to llutu, tho said Uovernor uud M'i'l.NDlX. 1'. I • 1^ I , ilii' mil Oi'^ culUli, "I '""' ,> iu< «l iili n»«»^" III) hoiiixIh. i" 10 \\\\\\\\\ <'>'^ nlm.n'HSlniitH, lien U1>'>H ''»" ,,»< not, iiln'utly IniMtiiin I'lirn'o tn\(l tlt«' tUh nf llu' H(«ll »H>on (1, ol' goUl, nil- l or (liHt'uv»>rotl nlon^suiil ; u»'l I'Uotuul iintl ro- ioH in Ainoriru, vo ilo, i>y <*>*"»" . miiUo, rn'utc, Muniuiy tor tho (> und iil)«oluto ry, liiuils, imd roiuist-H, Hiiviii}; 11 (loininiou duo Hiinu) to huvo, ry, limits, tuul |rtMiuw*'« licrcby of thrir rip;ht.8, allies, iiiul up- (Jovcrnor und ('Mln|»iiiiy. mill llu'r Hiicfi kmmjr I'ur i v< r In |h< Imlili h i,\' lin, iMir Im ilH, imkI Miirn-r^HoiN, ii^* nl ntll liiiilini' fil' I'liml, OriTliwirli, ill ulll riiiiiil V ol Kitil, ill III I' mill loiiiliinii KIM rii^i', iitiil liol III viifiih', or liy K ihhIiIh m I vin> ; yi Niiiil (iovi'tiMir mill ( ••iM|imiy, mid tlicir hiio ri'HHoi'H, lioni tinir to tinir to hm-k inlilc I licniscj vch lor or nliout. liny the iinit'cix, ciiiimi m, nllniiH, or Iuimiim'hhch of tlir siiid l.riidi" in nny |>l;irc or iduciH lor tlic hiiiiic ('orivc- iiiont, witliin onr doininioiiM or cImiw Ik ir, mid tlnic l,o Iiold court, tor tlic Miiid Conipiiny mid llio iiUmrH llicicol ; and tliiil iiImo it. hIiiiII und nuiy Im' IhwIiiI to mid lor t.ltcin niid the ^renter purl, ol' tlioiii, In ui); ho iiMSi-miilcd, and tliid hIimII tlicn and tlnri^ lie pn hmiI, in any niadi plico or placcH, wlien'of tin.' (iovcrnor, <.r lim hcpniy lor the tiino bcin(>;, to l>c one, to niiike, oiilmn, and coiiHtiliitc Rticli and HO many rciHonahlo Iiivvh, conHlitiitioiiH, ordrrn, and ordiiiaiiccH iih to tliem, or tlo' ^i< atrr j»arl, oC t.licm, liein^ tlicn and tlici (• |iri Hcnl , hIiiiII Mccin iimm nnary and convt'iiiciit lor the >^<)od };ovcinnieiit, ol' the naid (!onipmiy, d of all ifovcrnorM and colonicn, IdiIh and plnntationH, am facttorM, imiHterH, marincrH, mid other oiliccrH employed, or to ho cinploycial grace, ccTtain knowledge, and mere motion, have granted, ano|' n(> d,*. |(\ tlir-^c pri'srt\tfl, fiivc (nid gvuut nnlo the Piiitl (iovcdhh jitnl ('ompmiy. Ami, Cm- ihor, \V(» liivvt' romli'sccnilrd iin proponta di> f>V!in( nnto the sniil (invcrnor nnd ('oin|tMiiy nnd tlw'iv pn('«'o«««ovp. lh:i( ui', onv lioiip, niul pun'cpqoip, \\\\\ uot firnnt lihrvly, li<<'iiPo. oj- piMvci- to imy pciPim or povpons \vl\ntPorv«'i-, cMniiMtv to tin* tcnour ol' tlu'Po owY Icltc^vp piitrnt. to (i;i(ii'. Irnflii'. or inlinltit, uiilo or upon i\ny the t(>vvi(orit^P. liniitp, or plnciR iilorc pppt-iflod, oontnoy to \\\o tvno tui'iinins; of tlirP(» prpp«'ntp, without Iho oouM'nt oC tlio m\\\ Uovirnor ami Compimy, or tlio iu«>pt pint of i\wm. [Sofrfi* fntimporfnnf mofier aoh'hj felafinp fo Ihr Com- pany's tmnor hyf hiirs imn/irJ. ] And fnrlhov. onv will nnd plonpun* is, nm\ by tlicpo pivpontp for np, otiv lu'ivp nnd p\hm'oppovp^ wo do gniiit unto thopiiid (lovovnov nnd Conipnny nnd tlwir pnoiM-npors tliiit it ph;»ll nnd niny ho htw Inl in nil olootiotm nnd l»yo- InwB to W nn\d»> by tho (bnovnl (^Mlrt of tho Advontiivovs of tho Pidd ('on>ptiny thnt oV(>vy povpon plnvll hnvo n nuni- bor of votop ncoovdinfi to l\ip Btock, tbni ip to pny for prory lunidvt^l ponnds bybini Ptibpcvihod or hronglit into tbo pri^Pcnt pIoi'U. ot\o \o\^\ ninl thnt nny of tbopo tluit hnvo R\i\>p«Mibod Iopp Ihnn on(> bnndvcd ponnds niny join tlioir n^ppootivo P\unp to nndu^ np ono hnndrod pounds, «nd hrtvo on(^ vote jointly for tho pnin(», nnd not, otlior- \ unid Cotn- pnuy of ,\dvontnr(^rp of Mnjjlntnl tvnding itdo Hudpois's nny thnt nil Inndp, iplnndp. tovviloriop, plnntntions, ffU'tp, fortitiontioup. fnctovios. ov ooloniop, whoro tho paid (\)m- pany'p fnoton<>p nnd tvndo nro or phnll bo within nny tho ports or plnoop n<\U(» limited phall bo innuodiatoly and ln>m honooforth \n\tl(^r tho powor and conunand of tho Mid Govornor nnd (Nnnpnny, thoir HnocosRorR and asRiguB, Rwonring tho faith nnd nlloginnoo duo to ho pcrfornunl to U8, oiir heirs aud Bvicocssors afoiuBuid ; aud that tho AnM=NnK. a.a pt\\»l <"'*'- , nu<\ <^>«^ Au»V *'*'»- „iny, ov the fo Ihe Com- wy\ ^y <^^^''^: t \,lvoi\lnvovs i« ti> p"y '"'''" ,,f Ou>po Unit LulB mny .v\^" Vlrod V"*"***''' Ivo ao Vov M«, l\vo m\^\ <'^»"^* Into UuaBOt'.'« k\nl)>!llly fltnll linvc HIimIv, TiiII jMUVi't u\\i\ iiiilli'iiil y 1m (i|i|initil imi*) rMlMMi'tli (l-.n mniq Hliil nil nllit'i n(||i'('i'« In t>MVf'»ji llicin, iMMJ llmi IIm- Ho. vcnttir iMiil liin fnimi-jj oT llic fu'VcimI iimi ifflpi i live [iJMci'q AvIlCVc lllc Htliij < 'llltlpMIIV hIimI! IimVI- plfMllllll'liq, (n||q, fnclmicn, cnldilitH ni' |i|fM't'fl nl' ilildc. wifllill iifiy till' cndtilrirs, IiiihIh, tir Icn ilniiiH licifliy liMiiilcd, vv\\ lifivn j»n\v<'i- lit jnilyi' nil ju'ifliitiM liclniigiiig lo llip Riii'M Jnvci iior nnti ('oii\piiny, nrllnil, sIkiII livp iiiiilfc Mifiii, Iti nil <'(ifmffl wliclhtT civil nr ciiiiiiiiiil, iHMvirdinj^ 1m llir> hnvR ol' lliis ki»lf>(lMm, iiiid In cxcciili' JMflif'p MrcMiiJidfrlv ; fiiid in <'(i«n niiy (Mitiic or inifdcmcmiMi- pIimII lie j'Miinnillcd in nny mF tlicPiiid (^timpiiny H pliiiiinlifinfl, I'miIm. I'liclMriffl, «»r pliMcs (»!' lrinl(» within llir liniitn nl'MirRiiiil, wlicrn jtidicfilurc onnnol lie cxt'cnlcd I'm- wiinl mI" m ^MViMimr nnd (vmhh i| tltiMf, llirn in Rncli vt\^(' il, sltidl nnd tnny he Inwjnl (nr llic (!lii('l" l''n('lMr oj' llmi pljicc iind liii rniiritil ♦'» Iimiiw tiiil. llin piM'ly liif>f'lli(>i' with IIh- oH'cncc l<» bii"Ii mIIkt jtlnnlnliMn, litclniy nr (nil, wln-ic llioi(> Ftludl lio n (in. vcniur iind ('nnnfil, wlifi*' j'lHticc nifiy Im> PKciMtlcd, or iniM lliifl l is, find l»y MicKf picflfulM I'or ns, Miir lifira (ind PiKM'ppRMrp, \vn do f^ivf iind f»r(inl. n?if,M llm siiid Om- vi'iMior mid ('Minpuny mid llioii' himmcshmih, IVrp liln jl,y and licfMHM' in ciihi' tlicy (iMiiccivn il, nrcrRHdry lo Rffid fillici' wliipR nC wiir, iiumi or (iniiniinilion inlo nny tlirir IjliinliilioiiR, ImiIr, ('(KilMrit'R, or plonfR ol" Irndo urorcRfiifJ, for llic Rrcniily mid dtdciicc ol' llio Riirrir, nnd to cliMoHf' «'.tMnnuind<'iH mid (»IH(!orR ovvr lliorn, mid to give llumi power mid nnlliorily liy i-omniiRRionR, iiiidrr tlicir cf»rri- niMn 8('(il, or oIImmwIrc, Id cmhIjihk,' or tnnl ■ jifjicc or Wfir with miy piinco or pcopin wIihIrocvct, ilial, mo Ti'>f, ChriRliiiiiR, in any [ilaiu^R wIumj? llic Riiid (Jonipdny sliall )iiivo miy pImilaiioUR, I'orts, nr lactorinR, or ndjacmf, lliort'to MR kIimII hn tnowt f'Mr tlio adviinl.figf and Ifcnrfit of ilin paid (JoviMiior and Company find of llifiir fradf ; and alrto to right and nMjoinpcnRc thi'niRcl vrs upon Mic j/oodg cBtutt'H, ur prupio of tho;o parts by wliurn thoBaid(if>vonjor . I 386 APPENDIX. and Compfiny shnll sustain any injury, loss, or flnmngo, or upon any other pooplc whtitsoevcr, that shall anyway, contrary to the intent of these presents intcrni])t, wrong, or injure them in their said trade, within the said phicea, territories, and limits, granted hy this charter : And tliat it shall and may bo lawful to and for the said (jtovernor and Company and their successors from time to time and at all times from henceforth to erect and build such cas- tles, fortificationn, forts, garrisons, colonies, or planta- tions, towns or villages in any parts or places williin the limits and bounds granted before in these presents unto the said Governor and Company, as they in their discre- tion shall think fit and requisite and for the supi)ly of such as shall be needful and convenient to keep and be in the same, to send out of this kingdom, to the said castles, towns, or villages, all kinds of clothing, provision of victuals, ammunition, and implements necessary for such purpose, paying the duties and customs for the samo as also to transport and carry over such number of men being willing thereunto or not prohibited, as they shall think lit, and also to govern them in such h^gal and rea- sonuble manner as the said Governor and Company shall think best, and to inflict punishment for misdemeanors or impose such fines upon them for breach of their orders, as in these presents are formerly expressed : And further our will and pleasure is, and by these presents for ns our heirs and successors, we do grant unto the said Governor and Company, and to their successors full power and lawful authority to seize upon the persons of all such English or any othei our subjects Avhich shall sail into Hudson's Bay or inhabit in any of the countries, islands, or territories hereby granted to the said Governor and Company without their leave and licence in that behalf first had and obtained, or that shall contemn or disobey their orders, and send thera to England; and thnt all and every person or Y.ersona being our subjects, anyv/ays employed by the said Governor and Company within any the parts, places, or limits aforesaid shall be liable unto and suffer such punishment for any offences by them committed in the parts aforesaid as the President and APPENDIX. 387 (Inmnge, ,t., \vroTig, Ami thut Governor , time imd . Buch cns- or pliinitii- wilhiu the -BBiita unto leir (iiscre-^ I RU1)\>W «>t' oop iind l>e to the w\(\ Tj provision >cossary tor [bv the'siimo ibor of men .s thoy ahnll ;ral and rea- ''npany shall cmcanors or their orclcrB, And further ,s for us our lid Governor power and of all such nil sail into rics, islands, lovcrnor and , that behalf in or (Usobey and thnt all ^t8, any v/ ays y within any p liable unto Lg by them 'resident and Council for the said Governor and Company there shall tliink fit and the nurit of the oflenco shall require us aforesaid ; and in ease any person or i)ersons being con- victed and sentenced by the Pr sidcut and Council of the said (Governor and (Jonipany in the countries, lands, or liuiits aforesaid, their factors or a gen ta tl lere for any offence by them done sliall appeal from the same, and then and iu such case; it shall and may bo lawful to and fortho8;.id Tresident and Council, factors or agents, to seize upon him or them and to carry him or them home prisoners into Engl.ind, to the said Governor and Com- pany, there to receive such condign punishment as his caus(! shall recpiire and the law of this nation allow of ; and for the V>etter discovery of abuses and injuries to bo done unto the said Governor and Company or their suc- cessors, by any servant by tliem to be employed in the said voyages ami ])Ianlations, it shall and may be lawful to and for the siiid Governor and Company, and their respective president, chief, agent, or governor iu the parts aforesaid to examine upon oath all factors, masters, ])urK('rs, supercargoes, commanders of castles, forts, for- tifications, plantations, or colonies, or other |)er8ons, touching or concerning any matter or thing in wliich by land or usage an oath may be administered, so as the said oath and tlu; nuitter therein contained be not rejiUgnant but agreeable to the laws of this realm ; And we do liercby straightly charge and commandall and singular our admirals, vice-admirals, justices, mayors, shijrifis, constables, bailiffs and all and singular other our ollicers, ministers, liegemen, and ^ibjects whatsoever to be aiding, favouring, helping, and assisting the said Governor and Company and to their successors, and to their dei)uties and ever)'' of them in executing and en- joying the premises as well on land a^ uii sea ''rom time to time, when any of you shall thereunto be re- quired ; any statute, act, ordinance, ])roviso, proclamation or restraint heretofore had, made, set forth, ordained, or provided, or any otlior matter, cause, or thing whatsoever to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding. In wit- 388 APPENDIX. ne8=i whereof we have cauFcd these car letters to be made patent. "WitnosB ourself at "Westrninstcr, the second diiy of May, in the two and twentieth year of our reign. By writ of I'rivy Seal, naoTT. No. VII. EXTBACT FHOM TRK CROWN GRANT CHARTER OF 1838, CON- FERRING THE PRIVILEGE OF EXCLUSIVE TRADE AVITH TUB INDIANS UPON THE SURRENDER OF A FORMER GRANT TO THE Hudson's bay compant by kinq qeorok iv. in 1821. "Now know ye, that in consideration of the surrender mode to us of the suid recited Grant, and being desirous of '.ncouraging tlie said trade, and of preventing as mucli as possible a recurrence of the evils mentioned or re- ferred to in the said recited Grant, we do liereby grant and give our license under the liand and seal of one of our principal secretaries of state to the said Governor and Company and tlieir successors for the exclusive pri- vilege of trading with the Indians in all such parts of North America to the northward and to the westward of the lands and territories belonging to the United States of America as shall not form any part of our provinces in North America, or of any lands or territories belong- ing to the said United States of America or to any European Government, state, or power : And we do by these presents give, grant, and secure to the said Go- vernor and Company and thc^ir successors the sole and exclusive privilege for the full period of twenty one years from the date of this our Grant, of trading with the Indians in all such parts of North America as aforesaid." By virtue of this and the former license granted by George IV., the terms of the original charter were os- tensibl}', although not technically, revoked, and .he APPENDIX. 389 3(- mado I d;iy of lOTT. trade of tho Hudson's Bay Company very properly con- fined sok'ly to and with tho Indians. Under what authority, therefore, tho Company now claim and enforce an absolute monopoly and oxclusivo power and privilege of trading with the imported white population, and im- posing other restrictions, to the exclusion of evi^ry other trufhclcor, is not apparent, and, indeed, seems as hard to define as their proclamations issued at Victoria have been iujurious and perhaps unjustifiable. 838, con- WITH TUB . OWANT TO LOE IV. IN 3 surrender ng de8iro\i9 ug us TOUcH ,iied or rc- preby grant J of one of d Governor :clu8ive pri- ,ch parts of jsvrestward of Inited J^tivtes tv provinces ,rie8 belong- or to any d we do by je said Go- Ithe sole and twenty one trading witli America as granted by [•ter were os- jd, and -liy No. VIII. COPY OF THE TREATY BETWEEN HRU MAJESTY QUEEN VIC- TORIA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMKBICA FOR TUJi SETTLEMENT OF THE OttRaON BOUNDAEY. SIGNED AT WASHINGTON JUNE THE IStH, 1846. UAIIFICATIONS EXCHANGED AT LONDON, JULY 17tH, 1846. FBEBENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF PAALIAUBNX BY COMMAND OF MEK MAJESTY, 1846. Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the United States of America, deeming it to be desirable for the future wel- fare of both countries, that the state of doubt and uncer- tainty which has hitherto prevailed respecting the sovereignty and government of the territory on the north-west coast of America lying westward of the Rocky or Stony Mountains, should be finally terminated by an amicable compromise of the , rights mutually as- serted by the two parties over the said territory, have respectively named plenipotentiaries to treat and agree concerning the terms of such settlement, that is to say : Her Miijesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland has, on her part, appointed the Right Honourable Richard Pakenham, a member of Her Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council and Her Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipo- tentiary to the United States ; and the President of the 390 APPENDIX. "United States of America has, on his part, furnislied Avitli full powers James IJuchaMiin, Sccretarj' of Slate of tlio United States, wlio, after having communicated to oaeli other their respective full powers found in good and duo form, have agreed upon and concluded tho fol- lowing articles : Article I. From tho point on the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, where the boundary laid down in existing treaties and conventions between Great Jhitain and tho United States terminates, the lino of boundary between the territories of her Britannic Majesty and those of tho United States, that shall bo continu<'d westward along tho BJii'l forty-ninth parallel of north latitude to the middle of Ihe clmunel which sejmrates the continent from Van- couver's Island, and thence southerly through liic mid- dle of the said channel and of Fuca's Straits to the Pacific Ocean : provided, however, that the navigation of the whole of the said channel and straits south of tho forty-ninth parallel of north latitude remain free and opeii to both parties. Article II. From the point at which the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude shall be found to intersect tho great northern branch of the Columbia River, the navigation of the said branch shall be free and open to the Hud- son's Eay Company and to all British subjects trading with the same to the point where the said branch meets thvi main stream of the Columbia, and thence down the said main stream to the ocean, with free access into and through the saiu river or rivers, it being understood that all the usual portages along the line thus described shall in like manner be free and open. In navigating the said river or rivers, British subjects with their goods and produce shall bo treated on the same footing as citizens of the United States, it being, however, always understood that nothing in this Article Ehttll be construed as preventing or intended to prevent APPKNDIX. :m) I fiirniBhod r siiito of licatcd to I in good ;d tho tbl- of north I existing n and tho ■y between loae of tho d ulong tho the middle from Vun- h ilic mid- aits to the navigation outh of tho n free and parallel of tho great navigation ;o the Hud- :cts trading pnch meets e down the 3SS into and jrstood that icribed shall ish subjects ,ted on the 138, it being, this Article to prevent the fiovcrnnicnt of \\w rnit('(l States from malting iniy n-giiliitions rcHpeetiiig the iiavigalioii o'i the Huid river or riviTH not incoiisisteiit with he present treaty. Ahticlk II T. Tu the future approprintiou of flie territory south of the forty-ninth Danillel of north latitude us provided in the First Article of this Treaty, tln! possessing rights of the IFudson's Hay Company and of all Ihitisb suhjeets who may he already in tho octeupation i if land or othe't' ])rop('rty lawfully ac(j[uired within tho said territory, ahull be respected. AiiTrcLR IV. Tho farms, lands, and other property of every doscrip- tion hclonging to tho Puget's Sound Agricultural Com- pany on tho north side; of tlio Columbia lliver, shall h'j confirmed to the said Compun\ . In ease, however, the sitnutioii of those farms ai).' lands should be consi- dered by tlu! United States t) be of public and political importance, and the United States Government should signify a desire to obtain poSi^ossion of the whole or of any part thereof, the property so re(iuircd shall bo trans- ferred to the said Government at a proper valuation to bo agreed upon between the parties. Auticlb V. The present treaty shall be ratified by her Britannic Majesty aud by the President of the United States, by and Willi tho advice and consent of the senate thereof ; and the ratifications shall bo exchanged at London at the expiration of six months from the date hereof, or sooner, if possible. In w' tness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have sigued the same, and have affixed thereto the seals of their arms. Done at Washington the fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty- six. RICITAIID PAKENHAM (l.s.) JAMES BUCHANAN (l.s.) B.V .^ ' f| i '^H ' ''1* li 1 1 1 1 -t-^^fi 1 l&Bn : 1 ^n I K ^'U i m 'Wt i i ■Ht^ai i n 392 APPKNDIX. No. IX. FKEE TBADE WITH VANCOtTVRR ISLAND AND TPON FIlAZFll laVEU. Tlio mnttcr of opening Vancouver Island and IVazer llivcr t'.» free trade and unrestricted navigation, is already uttmcti g tlie attention of the people there, who evi- dently luUy appreciate tlio importance of tlie queiition, as afl'ecling the future prospects of that country. By the following correspondence, it will bo seen chat the eiti/cns of Victoria are already stirring themselves in the premises. The bill spoken of in the first pt'^ion foUowiiiii;. was presented to the House of llcpresenia- tivcB of Vancouver Island, but not finding, as yet, any support, tell to the ground. To the ajjpeal made to Governor Douglas His Excellency gave a verbal reply, wliicli being afterwards taken down and presented to him (as appended below), he approved it by affixing his iLitials. "What the Governor says about the future policy of the Government is highly important. Here is the correapondenee referred to;— 6th June, 1858. To thi Honouralle the House of Representatives of Van- ccuvor Island, now convened : — We, your petitioners, having understood that a bill for the purpose of levying duties on goods imported into the Colony of Vancouver Island will be shortly laid be- Ibre you, do hereby pray your honourable House to give particular attention to our united wishes against the pissage of such a measure. We beg to represent to your honourable House that such a course at any time, and more especially at the present, would be highly injurious to the welfare of this Colony, and retard the well-known prosperity resulting from commercial freedom. APPKNDIX. 393 FRAZF.B [ IVazer a.reudy •ho cvi- [ueition, een that Bmsclves , pt'Hion presenia- yet, any made to al reply, jented to affixing le future Here ia 1858. of Van- at a bill )rted into laid be- le to give ainst the ouse that ly at the re of this resulting It must bo apiiaront to your lionoun bio House, that one grout reuHon why this Colony has boon so retarded in its udvuncernent is thu nocd of a more numerous popu- lation. The rocent discoveries of gold on the adjacent continent inducing such a large immigration, the im- portance of which cannot be over-cetimatud, will vastly tond to devolopo the unexampled resources of this line country, hithorto lying dormant ; and no one measure is more necessary to carry out this object than unrestricted commerce. We urgently recommend that, if the prescni revenue derived from the sale of public lands is insufficient to defray the expenses of the government of the Colony, that a direct tax be imposed, which we consider to be the most equalizing and just method of raising a revenue. C. A. Bag LEY, President, J. A. R. Horner, J. H. Doano, James Thome, Gecrge Johnston, James M. lleid — Committee. To Wis Excellency t Jamea Douglas, Governor and Com- mander in Chief of the Colony of Vancouver Island and its Dependencies^ and Vice- Admiral of the same, ^c. ^c. SiE — At a public meeting, held on the 5th instant, the following resolution was unanimously adopted, viz. : " That a Committee be appointed to draw up an ad- dress to his Excellency, James Douglas, Governor of Vancouver Island, and Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, for the purpose of obtaining free trade with the mining population on Frazer lliver, and also that steamers and oilier vessels be allowed to run be- tw en Victoria and the head of navigation on Frazer River and its tributaries." We, the undersigned, having been named to carry out the above resolution, beg respectfully to solicit your Excellency's earnest attention to the following important points : — First — It is notorious that the stock of provisions in the mining districts is utterly inadequate for the supply even of the present population, many individuals having 394 APPENDIX. r been compt'llcd to abandon their labours and return to this and other ports, to obtain the common necessaries of life. Many settlers on this island arc most anxious to carry supjilios to their countrymen at the mines, but are prevented by the obstnclcs interposed by the Hud- son's Bay Company, who have already seized goods to a considerable amount, on their way up the river. Wo cannot, therefore, consider, without serious apprehen- sion, the state of confusion and distress which must en- sue, when the vast numbers now swelling the tide of immigration shall have settled on these shores, should the present restrictions imposed upon trade by the Hud- son's Bay Company continue in force. Second — We beg to draw your Excellency's attention to the great inconvenience that is suffered by all classes, and by the mining population in particular, from the want of a reliable steam communication between this port and the mining districts, a want which has already caused the loss of many valuable lives. Such a state of things is deplorable in this age, and the more to be re- gretted when wo consider that the means are at hand and freely offered of supplying that want, but are re- jected by the exclusive policy of the Hudson's Bay Com- pany. It was with great satisfaction that the public learned that on the 5th instant, your Excellency had given per- mission to the American steamers Surprise and Sea Bird to carry passengers from this port up Frazer Biver, but it heard with deep regret that this permission was granted for one trip only. Thirdly — We would especially point out for your Ex- cellency's most serious consideration, how highly injuri- ous is that state of things to the interests and progress of this important colony. Many British subjects have re- cently come here, anxious to make this their home, and have invested in property to a considerable amount, and numbers of their countrymen are only waiting their ad- vices to follow, but they find their ardour dampened and their operations checked by the monopolizing policy of the Hudson's Bay Company ; in the meantime, thousanvis APPENDIX. 395 •cturn to ccssuries nnxioua incB, but iho Hud- oods to a rer. Wo ipprehnn- luust en- le tide of 28, should the Hud- i attention all classes, , from the n this port as already 1 a state of •e to be re- •e at hand »ut are re- Buy Com- [lic learned given per- id Sea Bird Biver, but 'as granted kr your Ex- thly injuri- [ progress of Its have re- 1 home, and ^mount, and pg their ad- mpened and ig policy of B, thousands of emigrants from Culifornin are passing by this beautiful island to scttlo u[>on Amcriciin soil, bccaiisc they suo no fair ticld ott'crod to their enterpriso under the British We foci ijsaurcd that your Excellency will at once per- ceive that in bringing the objects of this mcmoriul so prominently before you, wo aro actuated solely by an earnest desire to advance the interests of this colony by providing for the welfare of settlers and holding out in- ducements to early emigration, convinced that this is duly to be obtained by the speedy adoption of the liberal measures embodied in the resolution wo have sub- mitted. Requesting that your Excellency will favour us with an early reply. Wo huve the honour to subscribe ourselves, Your Excellency's most obedient servants, Jamks Yatks, J. W. Naolr, Jas, 11. HoMRK, C. A. Bayley, J. H. DOANK, Edw. Oueene. His Excellenc\/s Reply to the Address. On the important question of allowing free trade with the mining population on Frazer River, his Excellency states that it is quite beyond his authority to do so — that he is simply the executive of the Hudson's Bay Company, whose privileges he is bound to protect, and can only act upon special instructions from home ; but he has already written explaining the anomalous state of things existing hero, and expects that, in the course of two or three months, instructions will be received autho- rising such changes as the exigencies of the case may demand. It is very probable, he states, that the govern- ment will shortly take the territory into their own hands, and compensate the Hudson's Bay Company for any sacrifices they may make. 396 APPENDIX. As regards the free navigation of Frazer River and its tributaries, he replies that it is not the Hudson's Bay Company who are accountable for the existing prohibi- tion, but the Customs-law of Great Britain, according to which this river must be closed for the present to foreign vessels ; that certain conditions had been offered to the Pacific Mail Company, and subsequently to the owner of the Surprise steamer — one of which conditions was to run under the British flag — and if declined by these, arrangements will be made as early as possible for other steamers. His oxcellency further declared that the progress of this country occupied his careful attention, and whatever might be done, the growing interests of the colony would be carefully protected. He would also forward the address to England with his own despatches by the next steamer. No. X. EiaHTS OP THE HTJDSOn's BAT COMPANY — OPENING UP FBAZEB EIVER TO FREE TBADE. Report of a " Meeting of Conference," held at the Gccrnment House, Victoria, on 10th June, at which Governor Douglas, Councillors John Work and Roderick Finlayson, and five members, viz. : T. J. Skinner, J. Yates, J. D. Pemberton, Speaker Helmcken, and J. W. McKuy, of the Colonial House of Assembly, were pre- sent. The Governor, on this occasion, gave some im- portant information as to the supposed rights of the Hudson's Bay Company, and the probability of the Fra- zer River country being soon opened to free trade. His Excellency commenced the Conference by stating that any information in his possession would be cordially given to those present, but that a portion of it must be considered confidential, and not to be made public. I APPENOIX. 397 rnd its 'a Bay rohibi- iing to foreign to the ivner of was to y these, or other grass of irhatever ly -would rard the the next JP FBAZEB lid at the at -which Roderick kinner, J. ind J. W. fere pre- Isome im- its of the [f theFra- lade. [by stating le cordially must be dUc. 1. With regard to the rights of the Hudson* a Bay Company. These rights were granted to them by licence. The Speaker (Helmckon) suggested that this h'crnce referred to trade with Indians only, and not with white men. His Excellency replied that at the time of the grant- ing of the licence there were no white men resident in the territory; and added, tliut he had received advices from the Home Government which left no doubt that the Hudson's Bay Company did possess the exclusive right of navigation and trade. 2. Whether the Executive had assumed any authority over Frazer River. His Excellency replied that he had not assumed any such authority ; but as the representative of the Crown, had taken measures to preserve law and order, and had made regulations enforcing the navigation laws of Great Britain. He had allowed persons to go up the river, and had granted them licences to mine ; had appointed custom-house officers and justices of the peace, and had called upon H.M.S. "Satellite" to assist in preventing any violation of the navigation laws. The Speaker desired to know whether, having taken, or undertaken the government of Frazer River, this act in itself did not abrogate the right of the Hudson's Bay Company to exclusive navigation. His Excellency replied tliat it was entirely out of his power to abrogate any of the riglits or privileges of the Hudson's Bay Company. In fact, so far as he had gone, he had received the sanction of the officers of that body in this region. Moreover, that the British government regarded treaties as sacred and binding in all cases. 3. Touching the point hy whose authority the " sniffer- ances*^ to Frazer River navigation are granted : His Excellency stated that they were granted by virtue of the power vested in him as representative of the Crown, as well as by consent of the agents of the Hudson's Bay Company. The exclusive right of the 398 APPF.NDIX. Companj' io trado nnd nnvigation, tipooRflai'ily cxcliulos the transport aiion of any property save thoirs, except by their porniission. The Spoiikor snggcsfod that tlie minora liaving been allowed to go up the riviM', and tlie Government liaving in a greater or less d(>gree assumed control of the stream, it would follow that tlu>8e people had a right to bo sup- plied with provisions, exclusive of the Compnn)''8 mo- nopoly, and therefore that liritiah vessels, duly cleared here, had a right to proceed up tho river for that pur pose. Ills Excellency repli(vl that he must repeat that ho liad no authority to diminish or interfere with the Com- pany's rights and privileges. The Speaker suggested that tho Hudson's Ray Com- pany haci not the nu^suis of supplying the largo number of people that would be at the mines within a short time, and that it appean-d probable that starvation, or calami- ties equally 8(>rious, would ensue. It would therefore be necessary and pro])er to allow vessels to cany pro- visions. His Excellency replied, that tho matter had given riso to serious deliberation and attention. Already permission, had^^beeu granted to two American steanuirs to carry pas- sengers and provision un(l(>r certain restrictions. Neces- sity had compelled this action, aiul had also forced him to act more or less illegally, but not unjustly. Should an emergency arise, permits would of course be granted to other vessels for like purposes, and every possible means be adopted for the prevention of suffering in the mitiing region. The Speaker suggested that merchants in England, in view of the restrictions i)ut upon trade, would not bo likely to send out supplies and emigrants ; thus inflict- ing a double injury, first on our country, next on our colony. It was also to be feared that merchants would presume from the fact of the Company's being tho only large purchaser, Ihat they would be more or less at the latter' 8 mercy, wiio would buy only at a price fixed by themselves ; that is to say, the ships would have no APPI'NniX 399 cxclndoa jxccpt by ing been it baving stream, be Biip- ny's mo- ly cleared tbat pur ,t tbat bo tbc Corn- Bay Corn- go number jbort time, » or calumi- 1 tbereforo I cany pro- given riso )ermi88ion carry pas- ns. Neccs- ibrced bim Should be granted ry possible ing in the •England, in nld not be bu8 inflict- cxt on our ants would g tbo only less at tbe ce fixed by .d bavo no oiber nifirlcot than tbo Conipniiy, to wliidi tbey might take their supjilies. Ilis I'iXrclU'iu'.y replied, Hint far from having flie ('ffect feared by tlie Speaker, the Cornixmy'H ]trivihg(>a woiiM produce a result exaclly th(^ coTitniry. lie thoiiglit th(; present condition of tra(hi offered gventcu' inducements to IJritisli merelwints than an open trfiflle wouhl do. Totudi- ing the price of artieh's, thiit (h'pended entirely on HU|>ply and demand. Ife Nvas ()nilo sure, and tlio HouKe must also know, that ihe Hudson's ]U\y C()ni])any Avere u[)- right nnd honourable, and not likely to stoop to unfair dealing. 4. Touching the fnfure govcmmcnl of F rater River. His Excellency said, that as this was a matter at pre- sent under negotiation, ho could not mako any facts known, save in conference ; and, that the llonse might know tbe general outline of his policy, lie would read extracts from his last desputches to the Homo Govern- ment. The Sjjeaker wished to inquire whether tbo Hudson's Bay Comi)any, having tlu; exclusive right to trade, couhl transfer any part of their right to others ; that is to say, whether they could grant sulferances to any other parties to trade. The Governor suggested, that in issuing sufferances, tbo Company did not transfer their rights ; in fact, that the regulations and stipulations did not interfero w'th them. The House must recollect tbat it was the con- joint act of the Governor as Executive, and tbe Governor as j)art of the Hudson's Buy Compimy. His Excelhincy added, that be bus been nctuated by two motives : 1st. To do full justice to the liudsou'slJay Company. 2d. To promote by every legitimate menus the welfan; and prosperity of the colony. He was always willing to im- part information to the House, and was pleased that this Conference bad be(>n asked. The Sjjcaker replied, tliat the Conference was asked, Ist, for the sake of information • it being the misfortuno of the House of Assembly not lo possess any government members ; that is to say, any one to supply information jP^ ' ItOsr-^i!^ 400 APPENDIX. upon the acts and intentions of the Governor and Coun- cil. 2d, that the information furnished verbally would save his Excellency an immense amount of trouble in writing, which this House, aware of the pressing de- mands upon his time, were desirous of obviating. They did not wiE>h to add unnecessarily to the cares of office, but had a duty to perform in endeavouring to promote the interest and welfare of their constituents and the colony. Therefore, they had taken this means of ob- taining the desired information. In the name of the House, he begged to thank his Excellency for the courtesy shown, and was pleased to find that the expla- nations resulted in showing that little difference of opi- nion existed between the House and the Governor. The deputation then withdrew. \] it No. XI. MISCELLANEOUS. Legislation for Debtors in Vancottver Island. — Judge Cameron, the judge- advocate of the supreme court of civil jurisdiction of the colony, has furnished the following information : Debts due by persons who are living here can be col- lected by process of law in the supreme court of civil juris- diction, when sued upon in the usual manner, and the Statute of Limitations runs against debts which have been outlawed by the statute in the country where the contract was made. Persons who owed debts in New York and then went to California, although the New York debts could not be collected in California, be- cause of the Statute of Limitations, yet those debts can now be collected unless the statute of New York has run against the debt, and the statute can only run against it when a person is within the jurisdiction of that state. Judgments obtained in foreign states can be sued upon APPENDIX. 401 id Coun- y would auble in ising de- ;. They of office, promote and the 18 of ob- 10 of the for the he explft- se of opi- Lor. Island. — supreme furnished an be col- Iciviljuris- and the [hich have rhere the ;8 in New the New :ornia, be- debts can Irk has run against it ;hat state, [sued upon , here and enforced, if properly exemplified, and also notes, debts, and other contracts made abroad. I'here is no court of bankruptcy on the island, and if there were it would only apply to debts accrued within tlie jurisdiction of the court. The old common law rules of pleadinj,s. are not in full force, but I am informed that tlie court has established "'Gftnin rules for the procedure therein, with a view to simplify the complicated forms, inasmuch as no counsel existed in the colony, and the judge said it would soon be published for the information of perrons, in book form. LiCENCKS FOB Liquor-selling at Victobia, — A licence for retailing beer alone costs 50/. For retailing all kinds of liquors the charge is 120/. For dealing wholesale in liquors, 100/. Fountain's Diggings— (Frazer River, at 51deg. 30min. north). Five rockers worked by half breed Canadians. Jttne 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1 38 dols 60 dols 42 dols 40 dols. 50 dols. 2.... 40 51 38 29 51 3.. ..41 29 51 52 4....'i8 55 18 33 56 5..... 32 60 54 54 58 6. , .. 64 62 39 58 55 7.. ..52 58 48 52 64 Total 295 389 268 327 381 Ave. 42.14 55.50 38.70 46.72 54.40 Copy of the latest issue of Miners^ License. June 1858. No. — The bearer, NOT TKANSyEKABLE. 135— -, having paid to me the sum of Twenty-One Shillings, on account of the Territo- rial Revenue, I hereby License him to dig, search for, and remove gold on and from any such Crown Lands, within the Couteau and Frazer River districts, as shall be assigned to him for that purpose by any one duly au- thorised in that behalf. 402 APPENDIX. This liornao to bo in force for tlircn months, ending — and no longer. Received — • U(!ceive(l • Received • Regnlatious to he observed hij the Persons dif/i/iiuj for Gobi, r. otherwise employed in the Gold Fields : 1. This License ia to bo carried on the person, to bo produced whenever demanded by any Commissioner, Peace Onicer, or other duly authorized person. 2. It is especially to be observ(>d that this License is not transferable, and that the holder of a transfcrrefl License is liable to the penalty for misdemeanor. 3. No mining will be permitted where it would bo (lestriiciivo of any lino of road which it is necessary to maintain, and which shall be determined by any Com- missioner, nor witliin such distance around any store as it may be necessary to r.^serve for access to it. 4. It is enjoined that all persons on the Gobi Fields maintain a due and proper obser'^anco of Sundays. ,5. The extent of claim allowed to each Licensed Miner, is 12 feet square, or 144 square feet. 6. To a party consisting of two miners 12 feet by 24, or 288 souare feet. 7. To a party consisting of three raiuera, 18 feet by 24, or 432 square feet. 8. To a party consisting of four miners, 24 feet by 24, or 576 square feet, beyond which no greater area will bs allowed in one claim. Copy of Resolutions adopted by a party of miners at Fort Yale Bar, showing that an attempt is being made to manage matters in California style, despite the regu- lations of the ffovernment. MFNERa' RESOLUTIONS. Resolved, That this place shall be \nown by the nam« APPENDIX. 403 a, ending Fields : rson, to bo imissioner, I. I TAcenso is transferred nor. t would bo necessary to ly any Com- d any store j;o it. Gold Fields idays. eh Licensed feet by 24, 8 feet by 24, of Fort Yule Bar, with boundaries as follows : Com- nj(>ncing at the head of the island below Fort Yale, and extending up the river to a certain big rock at the mouth of tlie first cailoii above Fort Yale, and from the centre of the river to high-water mark on its west side. Resolved, That all mining claims within the boundnries of this bar shall consist of twenty-live feet front, e::ten(l- ing backward from the channel of the river to high- water mark. Resolved, That no person shall be allowed to hold more than one mining claim within the boundaries of til is bar, at any time. Resolved, That the owner of every mining claim shnll work upon, or cause to be worked upon his claim, one good and ample day's labour, within the period of fivo days, or forfeit his right to said claim ; provided said claim be in a workable condition, and the owner is not prevented by sickness or public business. Resolved, That a Recorder shall be elected by the miners, whose duty it shall be to record all claims and keep such record open to the inspection of the public. Said Re- corder shall receive a fee of fifty cents for each claim recorded by him. Resolved, That all mining claims shall bo considered workable after five days from the passage of these reso- lutions. I feet by 24, area will be No. XL of miners at 8 being made Lte the regu- 1 by the nara« THK WAT THKUK. From England to British Colombia and Vancouver there are four existing routes. 1. By the Isthmus of Panama, vid the West India Steamers and the Island of Saint Thomas. 2. By the Isthmus of Panama, via New York. 404 APPENDIX. 3. Through Canada, or the United States, across the Rocky Mountains. 4. By sailing vessel round Cape Horn. The first route is, geographically, the most preferable, being the shortest, and consequently the most direct of any of the others. The journey to A spin wall (Colon) under present arrangements, which, however, are capable of great improvement, occupies twenty- two days, in- clusive of the day of sailing and arrival, the steamers leaving Southampton on the 2nd and 17th of each month, and the fares, first-class, ranging from 38/. 10*. to 66/. ; and second-class from 20/. to 25/. The fares to New York, as every one knows, range from 26/. (the Cunard line having recently reduced their scale) to 7/. 10s. From New York, American mail steamers run in conjunction, also fortnightly, between New York and Aspinwall, and P<"-ama and San Francisco, at through fares from 150 dollars up, the entire journey from New York to California occupying about twenty- eight days. As is detailed in the body of the work, trains run daily across the Isthmus of Panama, a distance of but little more than forty miles, and from that port to San Francisco the fares, by the steamers mentioned, to those not having through tickets, range from 10 j dollars up. Steamers run from San Francisco several times a week, as also numerous sailing vessels, to the mouth of Frazer River, touching at "Victoria on the way for licenses, the fares ranging from 18 to 60 dollars. From thence to Fort Hope steamers ply frequently, the fare being uniformly 20 dollars a-head. By the third route, pissengers may take a through- ticket in London, at the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada ofiice by steamer to Quebec, and thence by railway to St. Paul, Minnesota, near the head of Lake Superior, the fares ranging from 13/. to 27/., and the time occupied in the performance of the journey being about sixteen days. Tlie route beyond, across the Rocky Mountains, will be found fully detailed in Chapter YIII., p. 66, APPENDIX. 405 !8, across referable, direct of I (Colon) •e capable days, in- steamera L of each 38^. 10*. Of the fourth route round Cape Hem tl.o roador can himself judge. While he contemplates the mi ryof being eooped up and-pitched about on board a floating wi rnn?\ \' "^M^f' ^' "^"^^ '^^'^ ''"^'^^^^^^^ that he will not be troub ed with transhipn.ent of any kind Va™r"'T^^^^^ in Englani and his anlal ^t Vancouver. Ihe fares range from 72/. to 251. mge from leir scale) steamers ^ew York icisco, at i journey b twenty- THE END. rams run ce of but rt to San , to those oUars up. J a week, of Frazer snses, the •equently, through- of Canada yaj to St. erior, the occupied it sixteen [ountains, p. 66. EERATlT^r, :Puge 23, line 12, for • informatiuu," nad "reformation.' J. Billing, Printer aud Stereotyper, Guildi'ord, Surrey. NEW WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR. At all the Libraries. In 2 vols., 2l8. HOWARD PLUNKETT; on, ADllirT IX LIFE. A netv and cheaper lAhritry I'JUtion^ in 2 Vols., price 10a., is now ready. '• A tale 80 full of incident, developing so much of character, can hiirdly fail to be interesting; but that interest is greatly enhanced when, as in the present case, the narrative is well sustained, and the portraits of the various personages arc drawn with vigour, and with no iaconsidfrable ability.'' — Ohservtr, '* The autliorof this work has evidently seen much of life, and, more- over, posacsstis the al)ility to fjive vivid rtflections of wlmt In- has seen. There is, consequently, much to admire in the course of tiie siory ; and wiiether in the old world or the new, at home or at the antipodes, lie l.eeps alive the reader's attention, and affords pleasant entertainment. Considerable talent is displaytd in tiie production of tlie varied scenes, and the nanners of society are hit oil' effectively therein." — Xcws of the World. "It is a bold, clever book. There is a vigour and exuberance throughout, and in some of the scenes a graphic power and reality. The author has talent and vigour, and the power of writing an amus- ing story." — AtJtohCitm. *' It possesses the merit of boldness, vigour, and ease of style. The style is of a free and dashing order, and there is a large amount of very clever writing in the novel. That tliere is some vivid pictorial matter is evident cniiu- tember of the present year, and the concluding chapter gives us the opinions of Ca])tain Singer, tlie father of Angelina, on the Indian 1 lutiny." — SatiircUoj Jietivir, WIllTTAKER & CO., Tublishers, Ave Maria Lane. " YARRA YARRA: OR, THE WANDERING ABORIGINE. A Tale of Wauwaurrong, in Thirteen Books. Fifth and cheap Edi- tion ; Price 28 , illustrated boards. " It is a book that will be read — yes, and relished — by many. Its very wildness has a charm for such of our feelimis as are unsophisti- cated, and the boldness wiih which it breaks through all conventional restraint is refreshing in these days of civilization worship It is misty, but gleams of brilliint liuht traverse tlie haze, and s;rains of Nature's sweetest music blend with the confusion. Mr. Cornwallis is a bold and h.uest writer, and his work displays some very hi^h inia- NF.w wouks by the same autiiou. ginativc qualities, with vnst nnd varied experience of men nnd couu- itiw:'—lllHstr(thil XeuH of the World, V,i\y 15, lHf)8. *• This poetical iiiirnitivc is hold, picturesque, nnd full of ardent feelings. What the author had to do he has done well. Yarra Ynrra has been already noticed in our columns. It has arrived at the lionour of a fifth edition, which spoakd considerably in favour of the poem." — Dispatch. " We have already spoken well of Mr. Cornwnllis's Yarra Yarra, or the Wandering Aborigine, and aro glad to find by this new edition, that the public agree wiih us." — Litcniry Gazdte. " A fifth edition aticsts the popularity of Mr. Cornwallis' Yarra Yarra." — C'iril Servirc Gazclte. " This clever poem, which on its first appearance' attracted some attention, has reached its fifth edition, a circumstance which goes far to confirm the verdict passed by the public upon its merit. It Joses none of its interest by rcperusal. The verse, for the most part, is smooth and fli)wii)L', and the interest of the subject retains its original freshness." — IFir/cli/ Times. " Th(( plan and execution of this vohune, which has already gone throuuh live editions, are entitled to the highest commendation. The subject, Australia, in itself bo interesting, and so fittid for poetical expansicm and illustration, is treated with no less judgment than taste, and the author fully succeeds in awakening and soothing the most delicate feelings of our nature. The story of his love for Quilla Quah, is very naturally introduced, and her melancholy fate patheti- cally described; man's natural adection for the land of his birth oc- cupies a few intere.^ing pages. The fondness with which we recur to pleasures long past, and to friends separated by death, the requiem to the fallen brave, are touched upon with uncommon felicity. The author's address to Nature, * Oft have I stood and viewed fair Phwbus rise,' is animated and poetical ; and, in a strain equallv flowing, sweet, and affecting, Mr. Comwallis soliloquises over the waters of the Arno. The observations on Australia will be read with great satisfnctiun, as they prove that the writer's prose is as animated, just, nnd instructive, as his poetry is spirited and characteristically appropriate." — Sporting Mayaziue, June, 1858. WARD AND LOCK, PUBLISHERS, 158, FLEET STREET. In Fancy Boards, price Is. 6d. THE CEOSSTICES; OE, A MEDLEY IN THE GITTENS' FAMILY. With a half view of the Wedlocks; the whole constituting a moving panorama of everything tremendous iu English life, and a great deal besides. Sketched by . C. H. CLARKE, PUBLISHER, 23a. PATERNOSTER ROW. lien nnd coun- full of nrdent Yiirrft YarrH at the honour ■ thepoom."— arra Yarra, or la new edition, iwallis' Yarra ittracted some which goes far lerit. It Joses 5 most part, is tins its original s already gone sndation. Tho L'd for poetical judgment than 1 soothing the love for Quilla \y fate putheti- )f his birth oc- which we recur th, the requiem felicity. The 'ed fair Phwbua • flowing, sweet, era of the Ariio. : satiBfaction, as and InBtructive, iate." — Sporting ST STREET. r S; FAMILY. ituting a moving and a great deal i.4-".»-' 3STER ROW.