7B LUMBIA // PUBLISHED BY TrtE MINING RECORD, LIMITED LIABILITY, VICTOR I A AND VAN COUVER , B.C. : 10 Cents. bfl BELTING CA C/i Users of this article would do well to examine our stock in this line. We carry a larger assortment than any other dealer in the Province. The Electric Brand of Rubber Belting we stock is not excelled by any other make. It is used by all the large mills in the Province. We carry it in stock up to 22 inches, and Leather Belting up to 16 inches in width. 2 S McLennan, McFeely & Co, fD . g ft 3 7) r* SL *t fa O 3 LIMITED, VANCOUVER, B.C. DAWSON CITY, N.W.T. r E* o n E. ? on* The Bank of British North America. Established in 1S36. Incorporated by Royal Charter in 1840. PAID-UP CAPITAL, RESERVE FUND, - 1, OOO,OOO Stg. 3OO,OOO " London Office, 3 Clement's Lane, Lombard St., E.C J. H. BROIHE. JOHN JAMES CARTER. COURT OF DIRECTORS : GASPARD FARRAR. RICHARD II. GLYNN. H. J. B. KENDALL. HENRY R. FARRAR. KD. ARTHUR HOARE. J. J. KINGSFORD. Secretary, A. (i. \\'ALLIS. KKKD'K IA'BBOCK. 90"? OKO f). WHATMAN. Head Office in Canada, St. James Street, Montreal. H. STIKKMAN, General Manager. IN London, '>nt. Bran* ford. Hamilton. Toronto. Kingston. Midland. Ottawa. Montreal, Que. Quebec. Halifax, tf.S. CANADA: Winnipeg, .Va* Brandon. Ashcroft, B.C. Atlin. Bennett. J. ELMSLY, Inspector. Green woo I. Victoria. Vancouver. Rossland. Kaslo. Trail, Sub-Agency. BRANCHES Sydney. St. John, X.ll. Frederic-ton. Yukon District DawsonCity. Drafts on Dawson City, Klondike, can now be obtained at any of the Bank's Branches. AGENTS IN THE UNITED STATES.-NEW YORK, ,'2 Wall St., W. Lawson and J. C. Welch, Agents ; SAN FRANCISCO, 120 Sansome Street, H. M. J. McMichael and J. R. Ambrose, Agents. LONDON BANKERS. The Bank <.f England and Messrs. Glyn &Co. FOREIGN AGENTS. Liverpool Bank of Liverpool. Australia Union Bank of Australia. New Zealand Union Bank of Australia. Bank of New Zealand Colonial Bank of New Zealand. India, China and Japan Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London and China ; Agra Bank, Limited. West Indies Colonial Bank. Paris Messrs. Marcuard, Krauss & Co. Lyons Credit Lyonnais. Issue Circular Notes for Travellers, available In all parts of the world. * ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ LuJ& O-K ADVERTISEMENTS. - I fl HEILER BROS. Established 1862. VIGTORIfl, B.C. WHOLESALE airad RETAIL. f & H kinds for Parlor. Bedroom, Dining Room, Office, etc., in Golden Oak, Antique, Ma hogany or Cherry. Morris Easy Chairs -Many styles. Reed and Rattan Furniture, Chairs, etc. Brass and Enamelled Bedsteads now the most popular we issue a special circular of the.-e send for it. Some of our Specialties. Crossley & Sons Carpets, Rugs, Squares, etc., in Ax- minster, Wilton, Brussels, Velvet, Tapestry, etc. M. Nairn ft Go's Scotch Linoleums and Oilcloths, all widths and prices, Inlaid, Printed and Plain. Haviland & Co. Finest French China world famous. Dinner Sets, cups and saucers, odd pieces new this season. Lib bey's Rich Cut Glass Tableware, most brilliant made. Liberty A Co. Art Fabrics, Serges, Cretonnes, Silks, Muslin, etc. Joseph Rodgers & Sons Renowned Table Cutlery a full line. Bradley & Hubbard (The B. & H.) Reception, Ban quet, Piano, Library and Hall Lamps. Me rid en Britannia Co." 1847 Roger Bros." Silver Plate that wears equal in design and finish to ster ling silver. Palms and Grasses For decorative purposes, ever lasting, preserved in their natural state. Water Filters The "Pasteur" germ proof. Doulton's Manganous Carbon. Whitney and other makes New ADJUSTABLE Go- Carts, Baby Carriages, etc. Japanese Cotton Warp Mattings Handsome patterns and great variety. Window Shades In popular colors All sizes made to order, mounted only on Hartshorn Reliable Spring Rollers. Blankets White and Grey. Complete line from best mills only. English Down Comforters, Satin and Marcella Bed Covers, Sheets, etc. Pillow Shams, Bureau Scarfs, Toilet Covers, Tidies, etc. Table Linens, Napkins, Glass Cloth, Towels and Crash. Mirrors, Mantels and Overmantles in stock and made to order. Agate and Enameled Ironware of Domestic and For eign makers. Pictures, Picture Frames, Mouldings, etc. Gold Medal Camp Furniture Steel reinforced, lightest and strongest. Wallpapers from leading manufacturers in Canada and the United States. We are headquarters for everything we handle and carryjthe largest stock in the Province. Samples sent free to any address. D +ole furnished complete. Counters, DarS and note IS back bar, everything in Oak, Walnut or Cherry. Glassware. Crockery, etc., to please all. Traders taking goods into the Yukon or elsewhere, will find our goods the most profitable to handle. Anyway give us a call or send for Catalogue. Bobbinet Ruffled Curtains. The Swell Drapery from ?2.75 to $t>.50 per pair. Nottingham, Swiss and French Lace Curtains and Nets in Arabian , Reriaissance,Cluny 's Irish points.Tambours, Brussels, &<;.. Curtains, Table Covers Piece goods in Chenille, Silk, and Mercerized Cotton, Tapestry, Negus, Derby, etc Gobelin Art Draperies in Denims, Sateens, Muslins.'etc. Draperies made to order. Send for Illustrated '^Catalogue Free. II ADVERTISEMENTS. The Patented Locked=Coil Cables and Webber Compression Grips are features of the patented Bleichert Tramway of Virginia & Pittsburg Coal and Coke Co., Fairmont, W, Va. Bleichert Wire Rope Tramway and other systems of aerial transportation. MSee those wires how they interlock ? Note the smooth service aiso. No displacement of wires in any event. Gives much greater service than other cables, and adds correspondingly to the life of the roll ing stock. MANUFACTURED BY The Trenton Iron Co., TRENTON, N.J. Engineers and Contractors, and Sole licensees in North America for the Bleichert System. Also. WIRE ROPE EQUIPMENTS FOR CABLE HOIST-CONVEY ORS, Surface and Underground Haulage, etc. No lugs'orlknots of any kind required on New York Office the traction rope -giving longer service, ~ COOPER. HEWITT A CO., .7 Burling Slip. ftipi a Grand Mission ( HE records show that THE MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COM PANY of New York is not only holding its place as the leading and largest Life Insurance Company of the United [States and worthily fulfilling its high and grand mission as a benefactor of mankind ; but, also, that it is keeping pace with the increased de mands of the insuring public and with the rapid development of the material resources of this country, the phenomenal growth of its population, its wealth, its commerce and its industries ; and sup plying to the business communities of all countries, where it has established agencies, the best forms of life, endowment and invest ment insurance, at the lowest cost, and the most profitable results at the maturity of its policy contracts, with the largest guaranteed values in case of lapse or surrender for the immediate years of insurance. SHERWOOD GILLESPIE, Stanley Henderson, Manager for Mainland, VANCOUVER. General Agent, SEATTLE, Wash. J. B. Ferguson, Special Agent, VANCOUVER. * * * * * * * * * * * * $r * * * * * * * * * * VIII ADVERTISEMENTS. * Rivetted Steel Pipe The 4 * rv-i /V /% / I /TuVVl & Ore Cars Have CAST STEEL WHEELS Which make them run easier and wear better than any other Car made. If you are in the mark. et for Machinery, Iron or Steel work of any kind write us, we shall be pleased to quote you prices. *.", SP eci.,ty. ARMSTRONG & MORRISON, 'Phone z5o. P.O. Box 51. VANCOUVER, B.C. Gordon H. Hardie. Nicholas Thompson. Late Chief Engineer 88. " Topic." Hardie & Thompson Marine and General Consulting Mech. Engineers Telegrams " Qardie." Telephone 767. Inns of Court Building, VANCOUVER, B.C. Plans, Specifications, Estimates. Working Drawings. Surveys and Reports. Also contracts taken for supply, Erection, Supervision, or Repairs and Alterations to Steamboats and all classes of Machinery. Propellers Designed. 6 Engines Indicated and 6 Adjusted. O OO-OO<> Patentees and Designers of the Hardie=Thompson Water Tube Boiler, New High Speed Reversing Engines, and Special Machinery in light sections for Mines. Sole Agents in ^B.C. a.nd N. W. Territories for the United Jtexible Metallic Tubing Co Ltd., London, E. C, ADVERTISEMENTS. IX ja ros Best Goods at Rock Bottom Prices. Correspondence Solicited, T etc. Our stock is complete and heavy, comprised of Groceries, Flour, Feed, Tin and Enamelware, Glass ware. Crockery, Brooms and Brushes, Patent Family Medicines, School Supplies, Fresh and Salt Meats, etc. Being in a position to buy in larger quantities we give special attention to Miners' Supplies. Cor - Kin e' s Road and Douglas St. VICTORIA R C cor. Discovery and Douglas St. v V ' v^l\IAA, L>.\-,. NONE BETTER. FLOR DE CUBANA. the Capital GOLD'S OWN. HAVANA MAIL. HENRY CLAY. HAVANA AND HIGH GRADE CIGARS. All orders by mail or otherwise will receive prompt attention, igars THOS. F. GOLD, Proprietor. 35 Johnson St., VICTORIA, B.C. ^x%*-*%^%^%^v^-.%^-v%*^**v-v^^v%v%%%<.%*^* %.%.*.*.? THE HICKMAN-TYE HARDWARE Co., LTD. Mining and Milling Supplies A Specialty. *** ** Late T. H. Tye & Co. 32 and 34 Yates ISt. VICTORIA B.C. IMPORTERS OF Iron, Steel Pipe and Hardware. Agents for F. C. Atkins & Go's Celebrated Saws. Mann & Go's Red Warrior Axes. Rubber and leather Belting, &c. ADVERTISEMENTS. ^ o o< J. FIERCT as Co., WHOLESALE DRY QOOES. 5HIRT flND CLOTHINQ nflNUMCTURERS. 2 1 -29 TflTES 5T. VICTORI/1, B. Q. Specialties in Miners' Clothing. Manufacturers of the celebrated IRONCLAD Overalls. .JLSLSULSLSLJUUUU^ V-j MINES. MINING SHARES. A. W. MORE & e., miming aed ICI11 I ^ fl Government Street. %*^ Special attention given to the handling of Mining Shares in all British Columbia Mines. f o VieTRlfl, B. ADVERTISEMENTS. XI HENRY CROFT, Associate Member Institute Civil Engineers, ] Member Federated Institute Mining Engineers, c i H Member Institute Mechanical Engineers, Member S. Staffordshire and E. Worcestershire I Inst. of M. E. Consulting Engineer, REPORTS MADE ON MINES. Estimates Given on Mining Machinery, Telegraphic Address! " CROFMINE." Codes Used : Moreing and Neal, A. B, C. 4th Edition, Bedford McNeill. VICTORIA, B.C. ?A.A.Boak&Co.f 515 Hastings Street., west, VANCOUVER B.C. Insurance, Financial and Real Estate Agents. ^~ f .'&$i < ^~" Representing the following reliable compahies: The Caledonian Insurance Company of Edinburgh, Fire. The Manchester Insurance Company of Manches ter, Fire, The Standard Life Assurance Company of Edin burgh, The London and Guarantee and Accident Co. of London, Eng. The Canada Accident Assurance Co, of Montreal. The Lloyds Plate Glass Insurance Co. of JNew York. The Provincial Building and Loan Association .'of Toronto. The Identification and Protective Company Canada. -i J. M. Mackinnon Mines, Real Estate. C.C. Bennett ONLY FIRST-CLASS PROPERTIES HANDLED. For authentic information call or address : J. M. MACKINNON, Mackinnon Building, Granville St. VANCOUVER, B. C. Cable address : " Cortez," Vancouver. Codes : Brownhall's ; Moreing & Neal. Mines and Mining. My list includes some of the best 1 devel oped and undeveloped Gold, Silver. Copper and Hydraulic properties in British Columbia. Will be pleased to furnish reports, plans and full particulars on application. Correspondence solicited. Cable Address "VANBEN" Vancouver, B.C. XII ADVERTISEMENTS. The Yorkshire Guarantee and Securities Corp., Limited. Huddersfield, Eng., Vancouver and Chilliwack, B. C. Manager in British Columbia, R. KERR HOULGATE, Vancouver, B.C. Nominal Capital, $2,500,000,00, Subscribed Capital, $1,362,450,00, This well-known English Corporation hat been established in B. C. a number of years doing a Mortgage and Guarantee Business. Bank of Montreal. Established 1817. Incorporated by Act of Parliament. Capital, (all paid up), Reserved Fund, Undivided Profits, - $12,000,000.00 6,000,000 00 - 1,102,792,72 HEAD OFFICE, MONTREAL. Board of Directors : RT. HON. LORD STUATIICOXA AND MOUNT ROYAL, G.C.M.G., President. HON. G. A. DRVMMOND, 'ice-President. A. T. PATERSON, Es., SIR WILLIAM C. MACDONALD, R. B. ANGUS, Ksu., A. F. GAULT, W. w. OGILVIE, ESQ E. S. CLOUSTOM, General Manager. A. M.UNIDER, Ctief Inspector and Superintendent of Branches. W. 8. CLOVSTON, - - Inspector of Branch Returns F. W. TAYLOR, - Assistant Inspector. IAMES AIRD, Secretary. BRANCHES IN CANADA: MONTREAL, - - H. V. MEREDITH. Manager. PROVINCE OF ONTARIO. Deseronto. Lindsay. Sarnia. Almonte. Belleville. Brant ford. Brockville. Chatham. Cornwall. Ft.William London. Stratford. Goderich. Ottawa. St. Mary's. Guelph. Perth Toronto Hamilton. Peterboro. " Yg.St.B-. Kingston. Picton. Wallaceburg. PROVINCE OF QUEBEC. Montreal, Montreal West End Br.. Montreal Seigneurs St. Br., Montreal Point St. Charles, Quebec. LOWER PROVINCES. Chatham, N. B Moncton, N.B. Amhen-t, N.S Fredericton, N.B. St. John, N. B. Halifax, N.S. PROVINCE OF MANITOBA AND NORTH-WEST TERRITORIES. Winnipeg, Man., Calgary, Alta. Lethbridge, Alta. Regina, Assa. PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Greenwood. New Denver. Rossland. Nelson. N. Westminster. Vancouver. Vernon. Victoria. IN NEWFOUNDLAND: St John's, Newfoundland, Bank of Montreal. IN GREAT BRITAIN: London, Bank of Montreal, 22 Abchurch Lane, E. C., Alexander Lang, Manager. IN THE UNITED STATES: New York, R. Y. Hebden and 3. M. Greata, Agents, 59 Wall Street. Chicago, Bank of Montreal, W. Munro, Manager. Bankers in Great Britain : London The Bank of England ; The Union Bank of London ; The London and Westminster Bank ; The National. Provincial Bank of England. Liverpool The Bank of Liverpool, Ltd. Scotland The British Linen Company Bank and branches. Bankers in the United States: New York -The National City Bank; The Bank of New York, N.B. A. Boston The Merchants' National Bank ; J. B. Moors & Co. Buffalo- The Marine Bank Buffalo. San Franci>-co The First National Bank ; The Bank of British Columbia ; The Anslo-Californi- an Bank. Portland, Or. The Bank of B. C. ADVERTISEMENTS. XIII -Established 1858- High-class BisCUitS and Confectionery. 26 awards, including 6 gold, 5 silver and 1 bronze medal Purity of Materials and Excellency of Man ufacture. Write to us for prices before [sending your money east. R. SMITH & CO., Victoria, B.C. Vancouver, B.C. Merchants Bank of Halifax. Incorporated 1869. CAPITAL, $2,000,000 oo. REST, $1,600,000.00. HEAD OFFICE, HALIFAX, N. S. Branches in the Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. Also at St. John's, Newfoundland ; Republic, Wash.; Havana, Cuba, and New York. A GENERAL BANKING BUSINESS TRANSACTED. DRAFTS AND LETTERS OF CREDIT ISSUED. MONEY TRANSFERRED TO ANY PART OF THE WORLD. GOLD DUST ASSAYED AND PURCHASED. Branches in British Columbia : ATLIN. GRAND FORKS, BENNETT. NANAIMO. NELSON. ROSSLAND. VANCOUVER. VANCOUVER East. VICTORIA. YMIR. Special facilities for transacting business in the Northern Gold Fields. LONDON AGENTS. The Bank of Scotland, Bishopsgate Street, through whom money can be transferred to any of our branches. W. M, BOTSFORD, Manager, Vancouver Branch. XIV ADVERTISEMENTS. Canadian Pacific Railway and Soo Line. Offer Special Advantages TO THE Transcontinental Traveller Being the Best, Safest and Only Continuous Route from Ocean to Ocean. Through Tickets From Vancouver, Victoria and all points in British Columbia, Portland, Ore., Tacoma, Seattle, New Whatcom, San Francisco, etc. TO Halifax, St. John, N. B., Quebec, Montreal Ottawa, Prescott, Brockville, Toronto, Ham ilton, London, Ont., St. Paul, Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, Boston, and Principal Points in Canada and the United States. Transcontinental Sleeping and Tourist Cars, and Free Colonist Cars Daily. Royal Mail Steamship Line to Japan and China. EMPRESS OF INDIA. EMPRESS OF JAPAN. EMPRESS OF CHINA. Sailing every four weeks in winter between Vancouver and Victoria, B. C., and Yokohama, Kobe and Nagasaki, Japan ; Shanghai and Hong Kong, China. SHORTEST ROUTE ACROSS THE NORTH PACIFIC. and with the superior speed of Empress steamers, the trip is made a week to ten days sooner than by any other route. Canadian=Australian Royal Mail Steamship Line. WARRIMOO. MIOWERA, AORANGI. Sailing every four weeks between Vancouver and Victoria, and Australia, Hawaiian Islands and New Zealand. Passengers booked from London or Liverpool, New York, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, or apy city of Canada and United States. For full particulars as to rates, time and C.P.R. publications, apply to any C.P.R. agent or to C . McPHERSON, E. J. COYLE, Gen. Pass. Agent, Winnipeg. Asst. Gen. Pass. Agent. Vancouver,lB.C. ADVERTISEMENTS. xv VANCOUVER- VICTORIA. Ill h- (0 DC LJL " We Cover B. Sole Agents for HONDI PURE CEYLON ..TEA... Grocers. Provision Dealers, fruit merchants. ^SPECIALTIES All Imported and Domestic^ Fruits in Season. Hams, Bacon, Butter,' Eggs, Cheese, Lard, etc. CD o 7s NELSON. REVELSTOKE. V / TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESSES. Turner Victoria! Beeton London. Turbeet Vancouver and Nelson. U vl/ ESTABLISHED 1863. Turner, Beeton & Co VICTORIA :and LONDON. IMPORTERS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS OF Dry Goods- Miners' Supplies AND THE FINF.ST BRANDS OF GHampaone, Fort, Stierru, Claret and otter Wines, Liquors and Cigars. Sole agents for Rpbt. Brown & Co., Ltd., Glasgow, celebrated Four Crown Scotch, the finest Whiskey on the market. Sole agents for Corby & Co's Belleville Canadian Whiskey. Agents Cariboo Gold Fields Co., Ltd., London and Batkerville. Agents Inverness, Balmoral, Fisherman & London Salmon Canneries. ^^&&e&zsz&-^ XVI ADVERTISEMENTS. rmnr b - o o E. Q. PRIOR & CO., Limited Liability. DEALERS "" ners and HARDWARE Tools, Iron, Wagons, Carriages, 1859. T Farm Implements a Opeciatty. and Machinery. JESSOP'S, nORTON'S and CRESCENT DRILL STEEL. Headquarters : 123 Govern men t St., Branches : Vancouver and Kam loops VICTORIA, B. C. cJ JLOJULOJULOJLOJL^^ Q. E. Macdonald & Co., Sole agents for Mainland of B. C. fo; The Wellington and Union Colliery Go's offer for sale the following grades of Coal, Wholesale and Retail. Wellington Lump- Recognised from Cape Nome to San Diego as the best Domestic Coal on the Pacific Coast and commands $i per ton more than any class of Coal on the San Francisco market. tJomox Lump The best steam fuel on the American contin ent as proven by C. P. R. tests. Used exclu sively on China and Australian steamers and partially by the British and American navies. Comox Coke- Equal, if not superior to the best English ar ticle and used in general throughout Cali fornia and Mexico, also supply Egg Coke for base burners and furnaces. Wellington and Alexandria Washed Screenings The only thoroughly washed screenings in the Wet. Parties using wood for steam pur poses will find it to their advantage to sub stitute this grade of Coal for same. E. All our Coal is loaded into box cars at the pit's mouth and can be delivered at any point :. P. Ry. without break in bulk. Our well-known facilities in this respect enable us to make NOTE. on the C, . . cheap deliveries. Main Office and Bunkers: Branch Office:' South End of Abbott St. Tel. 200, 612 Hastings St. Telephone 210. Address all communications to P. O. Box 204. ADVERTISEMENTS. XVII Henderson Bros. LCCK Wliolesale DFUflfliSlS,... Heating Engineers and Contractors. VICTORIA and VANCOUVER, B.C. VANCOUVER, B.C. * Quality /fever lowered. We are under constant embarrassment in telling you about the goodness of "Fit -Reform" Clothing. We don't want to brag and yet it is hard to state the facts to you sober-minded business men so that they wont seem extrava gant. Every year it is the policy of the makers of " Fit-Reform" Clothing to raise their standard. Suits and Overcoats (made to order or readv to wear) were never so thorough ly good as this season's. Write for Samples and self-measurement forms. THOSE WHO REQUIRE M PRESCRIPTIONS m OF THE Best Quality Drugs PROPRIETARY MEDICINES, Suits and Overcoats - $12, $15, $18, tlf " $20, $22, $25, JL * PERFUMES AND TOILET ARTICLES OF EVERY DESCRIPTION, Should call on Trousers. $3, $4, $5, $6 . - - - , , , ALLEN & CO., * t|r Fit -Reform Wardrobe, ^ " ^U VICTORIA, B.C. * tft HALL & CO, Sp| Dispensing Chemists, I Cor. Yates and Douglas Sts, VICTORIA, B. C * _ I XVIII ADVERTISEMENTS. Head Office. 49-57 The Albany, Liverpool, Eng. The Vancouver Agency, Ltd. D. M. Stewart Wholesale Dry Goods Merchants, Shipping, Insurance and Commission Agents, Representing JOHN S. BROWN & SONS, BELFAST, AND THE YORK STREET FLAX SPINNING CO'Y, LTD., BELFAST, FOR Table and Household Linens NOTE. We have the following rough goods on hand, viz : Calcutta Ore Sacks. Cotton Waste. Fire Bricks. Fire Clay. Portland Cement. Smithy Coal. Liverpool Dairy Salt. Write for lowest prices to The Vancouver Agency, Ltd, 605 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C. THE BEST.... Is none too good for rue. I patron ize the PIONEER STEAM IK LAUNDRY TRY THEM. They guarantee satisfaction. Phone 346. D. M. STEWART, Prop. 910-914 Richards St. VANCOUVER, B.C. BRANCH OFFICES at Ashcroft, Chilli- wack, Eburne, Steveston, Nanaimo, New Westminster, Terra Nova, Central Park and Wellington. Manitoba Produce I Butter, Eggs and Cheese and Corn Go., Ltd. * a specialty. 40 Cordova St., VANCOUVER, B. C. Head Office: Winnipeg, Man. W. K. BUCK, Gen. Manager 0eo..rorey'$ 3ewelery Establishment. Diamond Watches, Sterling Silver and Presentation Goods, etc. 102 Cordova Street, Uancower, B.C. Interior View of Store. fhmaoit Ufcro/y TABLE OF CONTENTS. "The Native Born" The Alaskan Question The Prehistoric Races of B. C. PAGE FRONTISPIECE By Sir C. H. Tapper i By C. Hill-Tout, F.A.G.S. 6 The Rubaiyat of Free Miner's Certificate No. 65534A By /. H M'G. 24 The Assassination of Deaf Sam's Plum-Pudding - By David Falconer 25 Mac the Immaculate By Arthur Scaife 32 Fooled - - - The Unconventionally of Miss Churchill-Fane Captured Single-Handed British Columbia Before Confederation The Indians of British Columbia - By Clh'c Phillipps-Wolley 42 - By H. Mortimer Lamb 45 By F. G. Farron 53 By E. 0. S. Scholcficld 57 By /. W. MacKay 71 The Last Indian Battle Victoria : Its Natural Advantages The Introduction of Capital in New Countries By G. Sheldon-Williams 84 By C. H. Gibbons 90 D. B. Bogle 97 Illustrated London News, Graphic, Queer), Review of Reviews, Strand, BlacK and White, Harper's, Munsey's, Scribrjer's. pranK Leslie's and all leading British and American Periodicals, For Christmas Pictorial, Amusing, Scientific, Theological' or on any subject write to Uictoria, B. . % Mathematical Instruments, Artists' Materials and the largest stock of Stationery in the Province. O5^s^N^socx:> u << XX ADVERTISEMENTS. <*! * FINEST STOCK OF Satisfaction Guaranteed In any and every kind of ^ Electrical Construction. Victoria and Vancouver, B, C. 9^9^9$?9^9^|f9^9^t^ CHOICE PROPERTIES FOR SALE, y*emberton d Son, % * * * IReal Estate ant) financial agents. CHEMAiNUS DISTRICT. ICO acres, 60 acres cleared, good house barns and stabling, stream running through the property. VICTORIA DISTRICT. 70 acres about three miles from the City of Vict9ria, charmingly situated with a lake at one end of the property. A considerable amount of this under cultivation. LAKE DISTRICT. 85 acres, about six miles from Victoria, about 30 acres under cultivation with house and out-buildings. LAKE DISTRICT. 75 acres. This is a very rich piece of bottomland, and is situate about ten miles from Victoria. SHAWNIGAN DISTRICT. 211 acres close to the E. & N. Railway. This property fronts on the sea, and is a charming piece of property as a residential site, combined with farming. SOMENOS DISTRICT. On the E. * N. Railway, and overlooking Somenos lake. This property consists of 140 acres and could be made a very pretty property. SALT SPRING ISLAND. 160 acres of land, several acres of this are cleared and could be made into a good property for growing fruit. LADNER'S LANDING, Fraser River. Several pieces of Delta land for sale in this vicinity varying in size from five to one hundred acres. ^if This land is Delta land of the richest possible quality, thoroughly under- + drained and dyked and all under cultivation. ^f FINDLAY CRE K. Upper Columbia Lake, containing over 600 acres _,_ all open prairie and meadow land, which could be made the nucleus of a ^Jf* good cattle ranch. _j|- * * ^t|*T^^^*f**f*^*!b^T^*f*^ ' Last toast, and of obligation, A health to the native born." Kipling. THE ALASKAN QUESTION. By SIR CHARLES HIBBERT TUPPER, K.C.M.G., Q.C., M.P. VER since our neighbours went into business on their own account they have been pushing their " line " fences over upon our land. Boundary lines have cost England and her good friend, the United States, a lot of trouble and expense. They have caused a deal of heart burning to British colonists in America. And yet at the start of the American Republic we find England and the United States solemnly agreeing by Article II. of the Treaty of 1783 as fol lows: 'And that all disputes which might arise in future on the subject of boundaries of the said United States may be prevented it is hereby agreed and declared that the following are and shall be their boundaries." The record of a hundred years, is, however, filled with disputes and fresh treaties on the subject of boundaries. In 1794 an arrangement "to regulate the boundary . . . according to justice and mutual convenience, and in con formity to the intent of the said Treaty" had to be entered into. While provision was made in this treaty for the determination of the St. Croix River by three commissioners, the year 1842 had come before the place of the source of the River St. Croix could be agreed upon. In 1814 another treaty provided for the appointment of two commissioners to settle the disputed question of the Passamaquoddy Islands "in conformity with the true intent of the said Treaty of Peace of 1783," and it was stipulated that if the commissioners could not agree the matter should be referred to a friendly sovereign or state for deci sion It was necessary for the treaty to make thi same provision to ascertain the north-eastern boundary. So in the case of the Iroquois, St. Lawrence and Lake Superior. So from Lake Superior to the Lake of the Woods. In 1818 the fishery boundary on the Atlantic was dealt with by treaty. This has been a burning question ever since. Provision had again to be made for ; the northern boundary of the United ' States to the Stony Mountains, and a special agreement was reached in this year as to any "country that may be claimed by either party on the north west coast of America westward to the Stony Mountains." In 1827 differences regarding the north-eastern boundary were referred to the King of the Netherlands, but his award satisfied neither country. In 1842 this boundary was settled by treaty and commissioners were ap pointed to mark the line between the St. Croix and the St. Lawrence Rivers. In 1846 a treaty provided for the boundary line west of the Rockies. This led to the dispute respecting the channel between Vancouver's Island and the Mainland. In 1871 the ques tion was referred by treaty to the Em peror of Germany, who in 1872 decided that the "Chanaf de Haro" formed the channel intended by the treaty in the words "the channel which separates the continent from Vancouver's Island." Undue generosity and intense friendliness marks the conduct of Great Britain throughout. Time and again colonists have in vain deplored the spirit so constantly displayed by Great Britain to make ex traordinary concessions on this contin ent in order to placate or secure the good-will of the United States. What has been the result? Encouraged by past successes the United States pushed her unreasonable and preposterous claims until the Behring Sea contention, reached the extreme limit. Notwithstanding these extraordinary- pretensions Great Britain submitted her own clear rights on the high seas to in ternational arbitrament Now the century ends with a refusal on the part of the United States to sub mit to an international tribunal the question, in the usual way and on usual 1 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. conditions, of a boundary line which it was attempted to describe in 1825. What is it about, and how do the na tions stand upon it? In 1825 Great Britain and Russia un dertook by treaty to divide a part of the North American continent between them. The portion of the Anglo- Russian Treaty referring to the boundary read as follows : "Article III. The line of demarca tion between the possessions of the high contracting parties, upon the coast of the continent, and the islands of Am erica to the northwest shall be drawn in the manner following: Commencing from the southernmost point of the island called the Prince of Wales Is land, which point lies in the parallel of 50 degrees, 40 minutes north latitude, and between the I3ist and the I33rd degree of west longitude (Meridian of Greenwich) the said line shall ascend to the north along the channel called Port land Channel as far as the 'point of the continent where it strikes 56th degree of north latitude; from this last men tioned point, the line of demarcation shall follow the summit of the mountains situated parallel to the coast as far as the point of intersection of the 141 st de gree of west longitude of the said meri dian; and finally from the said point of intersection, the said meridian line of the 141 st degree, in its prolongation as far as the Frozen Ocean, shall form the limit between the Russian and British possessions on the continent of America on the north west. "Article IV. With reference to the line of demarcation laid down in the precedine article it is understood: "ist. That the island called Prince of Wales Island shall belong wholly to Russia. "2nd. That whenever the summit of the mountains which extend in a direc tion parallel to the coast from the 56th degree of north latitude to the point of intersection of the 141 st degree of west longitude shall prove to be at the dis tance of more than ten marine leagues from the ocean, the limit between the British possessions and the line of coast which is to belong to Russia, as above mentioned, shall be formed by a line parallel to the winding's of i'ne coast and which shall never exceed the distance of ten marine leagues there from." We claim that the waters in the in dentations on the Mainland are not ocean waters, and that the line at "the windings of the coast" should be an im aginary line across the mouths of these territorial waters. We claim that the coast whose windings should be fol lowed is that of the close string of is lands bordering on the ocean and ac tually separating the ocean from the Mainland. In other words, Dyea, Skagway and Pyramid Harbour belong to us. The United States bought the Rus sian rights in 1867, before any delimi tation of the boundary was attempted. Thje greed for igold is perhaps at the bottom of all ^attempts between Great Britain and United States to interpret and apply the terms of that Treaty since: "Gold begets in brethren hate; Gold in families debate; Gold does friendships separate; Gold does civic wars create." Apart from this there is possibly a much more serious lion in the path, for it must not be overlooked that Charhs Summer, in Congress in 1867, when in troducing the proposition to purchase Alaska, suggested as a reason for get ting it cheap that Russia desired to "es tablish forever the power of the United States and give to England a maritime rival destined to humble her pride," and he did not hesitate to say that "such a record may be made hereafter with re gard to the present cession." He even went so far as to add that Sir George Simpson having stated that without the strip of the coast the interior would be useless to England was a provocation on the part of the United States to buy. f For years the Province of British /Columbia and Canada have pressed for ^delimitation of the Treaty boundary. We got as far as joint survey, which was agreed upon in 1892, "with a view to the ascertainment of the facts and data necessary to the permanent de limitation of the said boundary in ac cordance with the spirit and intent of the existing treaties in regard to it." THE ALASKAN QUESTION. This survey, completed in 1895, does not attempt a delimitation. The United States have stubbornly contended that the line prescribed by the Anglo-Russian Convention cannot be delimitated, and while attempting to hold far more territory than this con vention gives them they talk about a Boundary Treaty for the future, insist ing always upon a limit of the ten mar ine leagues being given them, to be measured from the coast and heads of inlets, such as the Lynn Canal and Portland Canal. Much discussion has revolved around the words (the Treaty was in the French langauge) '^La crete des mon- tagnes situees parallelement a la cote" in Article III. The main water-shed to which the United States would apply these words, : 'the summit of the mountains situated parallel to the coast," is beyond the "ten-leagues distance" referred to in Article IV. Great Britain contends that these words refer to the mountains nearest to the ocean, and then only when not ex ceeding ten marine leagues from the coast. Touching the boundary between Prince of Wales Island and the head of. Portland Canal, the United States claim that Portland Inlet is a part of the Portland Channel, and Great Britain, denying this, insists that the passage along the coast through Pearse channel to the ocean is part oT Portland Canal. The survey of the commissioners un der the Convention of 1892 terminated near the peak of Mount St. Elias. From this the line of demarcation turns north and follows the 141 st meridian for some 650 miles to the Arctic Ocean. It is along this boundary that the dis coveries of extensive and valuable placer gold mines have been found; and it is to this field the United States _are permitted to hold trie present ports o? ""mgre?s >l "3rTd egress, Dyea and Skagway, both in British territory. A glance at two maps, one showing the British claim, the other that of the United States, will indicate how far apart the interpreters of the treaty are. The monstrous claims made by the United States to the sovereignty of half of Behring Sea and to the ownership of the fur-seals which roam over the Paci fic Ocean, prevent surprise being enter tained at their attitude in this case. It was hoped, however, that the friend ship so much on paper and which be came so acute when war was on with Spain, would enable the commissioners who met at Quebec and Washington in 1898, to reach common ground and a Boundary Treaty. When our Prime Minister returned, however, to Canada he read a formal paper touching the work of the Com mission, and had to confess that after all the professions of brotherly love be tween the Anglo-Saxon nations "the Commissioners acting in the utmost friendship and cordiality have been un able to agree upon a satisfactory settl - ment." It appeared, moreover, that not only was our neighbour unwilling to agree to a fair Boundary Treaty, but "The British Commissioners desired that the whole question should be referred on terms similar to those provided in the reference of the Venezuelan boundary line, and which, by providing an um pire, would ensure certainty and finality. "The United States Commissioners, on the other hand, thought the local conditions in Alaska so different that some modification of the Venezuelan boundary reference should be intro duced. They thought the reference should be made to six eminent jurists, three chosen by each of the high con tracting parties, without providing for an umpire, they believing that finality would be secured by a majority vote of the jurists so chosen. They did not see any present prospect of agreeing to a European umpire to be selected in the manner proposed by the British Com missioners, while the British Commis sioners were unwilling to agree to the selection of an American umpire in the manner suggested by the United States Commissioners. The United States Commissioners further contended that special stipulations should be made in any reference to arbitration that the ex isting settlements on the tide waters of the coast should in any event continue to belong to the United States. To this THE B. C. MINING RECORD. contention the British Commissioners refused to agree." Canada, however, stands firm and united. The leader of the Opposition in the Canadian Parliament during the last session, when referring to the un fortunate conclusion to this part of the international negotiations, came to the support of the position of the British representatives and said: "My principal object, in rising to-day, is that at this critical moment in these most important negotiations, it should be understood that my right hon. friend does not represent the Govern ment of Canada and the Liberal party of Canada, but that he represents Can ada in regard to this question. (Some hon. members Hear, hear.) (Sir Charles Tupper) "And that on whatever side of the House we may sit, we are only too ready to do anything and everything in our power to strengthen the Government which he leads, in tak ing such a course as will preserve and secure the rights of Canada against what I consider the most unfair and un- ju_s_tifiab_le course of the United States on this most important question." The discussion became interesting, Sir Charles Tupper saying : "I am sat isfied that we ran fmr| 1^0 parallel in any countr in the _ as the United Stais_Jia,ve taken, name ly, that in the~^3imitalloj3jofj;h boun dary Bunder ajreaty, no regard shall be had to what that treaty means, but that if it be found to hold a meaning that would deprive them of the places that they have already taken possession of without right, and that belong to Can ada, these places shall not belong to Canada but to the United States }f America. There was no possible course left for the British Commissioners, un der such circumstances, but to absolute ly repudiate recognizing any such posi tion or any such terms. I was glad to learn some short time ago, from my right hon. friend that the commission did not adjourn to meet oh the 2nd August, except under the perfect under standing that these questions must be, by diplomatic means, removed to a just settlement that will be recognized by England and Canada, and I am glad to know I am able to include Canada. It is now shown that Great Britain has not been willing, notwithstanding all these efforts on the part of the United States, to overrule the just claims of Canada; and so far as I am able to learn, so far as my right hon. friend has been good enough to keep me, as a .Privy Coun cillor, informed of the position of the Government, I have no hesitation in saying that I have assured my right hon. friend that the course his Govern ment were pursuing had my entire sup port, and that I believed they were tak ing the only course they could in justice to Canadian interests." The Prime Minister speaking after wards said : "Under such circumstances there are ' only three methods of settling the dif ficulty on fair and honourable terms; one is by a compromise, by giving and taking, Canada surrendering a little of her pretensions and the United States surrendering a little of her pretensions, but I have no hope, up to this moment, or very little hope, that we can settle the question by any compromise at all. If we have no hope that we can settle the dispute by compromise, there are only two other ways in which we can settle it. One would be b^ .arbitration, and the other would .be by war. J am sure that no one would think of war, and everybody would agree that though sometimes our patience would be sorely tried, though sometimes we might be lieve that our opponents were taking undue liberties with us, and undue ad vantage over us, still, everybody will agree that we must exhaust all peaceful means of reaching a settlement by ar bitration. In the negotiations at Wash ington, we have not been able to come to terms of arbitration. Both parties are agreed that there should be arbitra tion, but who should be the arbitrators, and what would be the questions sub mitted for reference, are questions upon which we could not come to an under standing. The matter has been referred by the Commissioners to their respec tive Governments, and as we have seen from the reports in the press from day to day, the matter has been engaging the attention of Lord Salisburv and the THE ALASKAN QUESTION. Foreign Office, and Mr. Choate, the American Ambassador at London;'" and referring to Sir Charles Tupper, he finally said: "As I have said, I appre ciate very fully the spirit in which my hon. friend has offered his remarks. In whatever he said in regard to our nego tiations I fully concur. I maintain the position that he has expressed to-day, that we cannot give up the rights of Canada; we have to maintain them as they are; but the rights of Canada are limited by the rights of the United States in this matter." ''Then none was for a party, Then all were for the State." May we not hope, even under these circumstances, backed by England's might and our own good cause, to join hands eventually with our southern neighbour and continue Macaulay's lines, till we repeat together "Then lands were fairly' portioned." NOTES OF THE PREHISTORIC RACES OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND THEIR MONUMENTS. By CHARLES HILL-TOUT, F.A.G.S., etc., etc., Western Member of the Ethnological Committee appointed by the British Association for the Survey of Canada. HE past has a great fascination for some minds I mean the past of mankind; and, by- the-way, how immeasurably remote has that past become in these latter days of the iQth century. It seems but yesterday that one was taught that this past went back only a few, a very few, thousand years ; that the very first of our kind came into being with all the rest of created things, and the old globe itself, less than 6,000 years ago. Men of the highest intellectual attainments taught and believed this no longer than twenty- five years ago. It seems incredible now with our later and wider knowledge that men could so long have closed their eyes, as well as their minds, to the evidences of antiquity about them; yet such wa know to be the case. To-day, the dullest school-boy can tell you that the globe is demonstratably millions of years old, and that man's history stretches back into the far, dim days of tens of thousands, and perhaps hundreds of thousands, of years ago. For we know to-day, as certainly as we know that the sun rose yesterday, that man was not only in existence thousands of years before the date we used to believe the world and all upon it first came into being, but actually in habited, populous and wealthy cities, and possessed a civilization and culture, in some points superior even to our own, at least, two or three millenniums before that time. And of the younger sciences of this wonderful century of discoveries. to which we are indebted for this wider knowledge, there is none that has a greater claim upon our gratitude than archaeology, or the science of ancient things. Archaeology associates itself in many minds exclusively with Egypt and Assyria. The interesting discoveries that have been made there of late years have brought these Old World centres before the public eye to the partial ex clusion of other places scarcely Je^s in teresting or important; and it* may be a surprise to some to know that some of the most interesting, as well as the most perplexing of ancient human remains, are found, not in the Old World at all. but in the New on this very continent of ours. In Central America, in the midst of the dense, tropical vegetation, far in the trackless forests, covered with climbing plants and half-buried beneath the accumulated mould of unnumbered centuries' formation, there lie the re mains of wonderful cities, spacious or nate temples and stupendous pyramids, that vie in their solemn, silent grandeur and mystery with the ancient ruins of the Nile or the Euphrates. Who built or who inhabited them is one of the un solved mysteries of the past. But it is not only in Central America that inter esting evidences of man's past are to be found. They lie scattered up and down the whole continent, though perhaps they are not all so imposing or myster ious as those of Central America. Mexi co, Peru, all the great river valleys, and even this far northwestern Province of PREHISTORIC RACES OF B. C. 7 ours, all possess highly interesting monuments of man's forgotten past. And, confining our attention more par ticularly to this section of the continent, it may interest the readers of the MIN ING RECORD if we consider briefly some oi the salient features of the archaeology of this Province, which is not without a special interest of its own. It is barely a century ago that the first white men set foot in this Province. Our occupation of it dates back, as it were, from yesterday; yet human pos session of it goes back we know for t it least two millenniums before our advent here, and how far beyond it is impos sible at this point to say. Who and what the earliest inhabitants were; what kind of monuments of the past they have left behind them; to what other peoples they were related, whether to the present tribes or to others who have long since passed away, are questions, it is thought, would interest the readers of this special edition of the MINING RE CORD. Such questions can necessarily be but briefly treated in an article of this kind. To write all that could be written upon them \vould fill volumes; for the learned societies of Europe and America have of late years spent much money and time in carrying on explorations and investigations in this region, and their agents have now brought together a large body of interesting facts, some of which are here for the first time brought before the general reader's notice. The study of man's past has revealed nothing more clearly to us than the fact of his world-wide dispersion. From every part of the globe, no matter where one goes, comes evidence of man's pres ence, either now, or in the past. Had we no other proof of this great antiquity we should be warranted in assuming it from this fact alone. When this con tinent was first discovered populous tribes occupied the whole of its broad surface from end to end, from bleak and desolate Patagonia to the frozen shores of the Arctic Ocean, and from its east ern confines to its farthest western limits. Some of them, such as the peo ples of ancient Mexico and Pent were living in a comparatively high state of civilization and culture, far higher in^ deed than that which has up to the pre sent succeeded it under ^panish. in- fluence. Others maintained a miserable existence in the face of adverse natural surroundings, as among the degraded Patagonians in the far south; or the presence of human foes, more hostile than nature at her cruellest, as among those wretched, solitary individuals whom the early pioneers met in their journeys across the Rockies, and who looked upon the possession of the putri- fying entrails of game and other camp refuse as the highest joy of their mis erable existence; while between these two extremes every degree of savagery and barbarism might be found. Indeed, one of the most interesting features of the New World is the presence within it of conditions of life which have long since passed away and been forgotten in the Old. While archaeological in vestigations reveal to us broken, frag mentary histories of dead and by-gone races in Europe, and our historic im aginations endeavour to recall their lives and conditions and circumstances, by a study of their relics, here in Ameri ca we see before our very eyes human beings living- in the simplicity, the squalor and the savagery of primitive man; or attaining to that degree of pas toral culture we believe the primitive Aryan tribes had risen to before their final separation into their present great historical divisions. We can study the conditions through which early man anji our own ancestors passed in the forgot ten days of long ago; and, observing them as they actually exist under primi tive conditions, correct the misconcep tion and errors that our imaginations are prone to lead us into. We read in our national histories of the ancient Britons and others living in mud and wicker huts, clothing themselves in the untanned skins of wild beasts, or stain ing their naked bodies with the juices of plants and herbs; living upon fi?h or venison and such roots and wild fruits as nature deigned to bestow upon them in her bounty; but how few of us realize what life under these conditions means. To rightly understand the condition of most of the peoples of Europe when the Roman Legions were over-running 1 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. and subduing it we should study the conditions of the native races of this continent, as they are and as they were when we first came into contact with them. But enough of general observa tion, we will now deal more particularly with what we may gather of primitive man from his records and monuments as we find them in this Province. These, generally speaking, are of two kinds, tumuli and kjoekken-moeddinger, or kitchen-middens, as thev are more fam- Plate I. Bone Implements from Midden. iliarly called. Both are found scattered up and down the whole Province, gen erally along the shores of gulfs and bays, or on the banks of streams and rivers. Archaeologically speaking the tumuli ?>are intrinsically the more interesting of 'fthe two, though as a rule they are singu larly poor in relics of their builders. The middens of Europe and of the Atlantic seaboard and the mounds of the great central and eastern valleys have long since become classic, but the middens and tumuli of British Columbia were- practically unknown to the archaeologi cal world a few years ago until the publi cation by the Royal Society of a mono graph of the writer's upon them; yet our tumuli have many interesting and distinctive features of their own, and the midden, from which the relics figured in the accompanying illustrations were taken, exceeds in mass and area the largest middens of classic Denmark, and abounds in interesting ethnological data. This particular midden, now known as the "Great Eraser Midden," is Plate II. Stone Implements from Midden. upwards of 1,400 feet in length and 300 feet in breadth, and covers to an aver age depth of about 5 feet, and to a maxi mum depth of over 15 feet, an area of over 4^ acres in extent. It is composed of the remains of marine shells, mostly of the clam and mussel kind, intermin gled with ashes and other earthy matter. It is situated on the right bank of the north arm of the Fraser, a few miles up from its present mouth, and opposite the alluvial islands called Sea and Lulu Island. The existence of so extensive a midden, composed so largely of the PREHISTORIC RACES OF B. C. remains of shell fish that belong to salt water, at such an unusual distance from the nearest clam and mussel -bear ing beds of to-day, was for a time a puzzle to me, when my attention was first drawn to it. I could perceive no satisfactory reason why these midden- makers should nave chosen this parti cular site for their camping- ground in stead of one five or six miles farther down the bank, and nearer to the pre sent source of supply 01- this staple of their larders. And upon discovery a little later of other middens still higher up the river by fifteen or sixteen miles the puzzle became proportionately greater. I found it difficult to believe that the enormous mass of shell-fish, whose remains enter so largely into the composition of these great piles, had been laboriously brought up against the stream in canoes or "packed" on the backs of the patient "klootchmans." It was too contrary to the genius of the people to suppose this. Making a brief survey of the district, a little later, the fact was disclosed that the mouth of the river \vas formerly some twenty miles higher up than it is at present, and, that the salt waters of the Gulf of Georgia had in by-gone days laved the base of the declivity on which the City of New \Yestminster now stands; and had passed on from thence and met the fresh waters of the Eraser in the neighbourhood of the little bayside vil lage of Port Hammond. And, further, that the large islands now inhabited bv ranchers, which bar in mid-stream the onrush of the annual freshet?, must once have had no existence at all; and even after their formation had begun must have existed for a very considerable period as tidal flats such as may be seen to-day stretching beyond the whole delta for a distance of five or six miles. That these islands were once tidal-flats is cer tain, from the fact that the water from the wells dug on them by the ranchers, is so brackish that the water of the mud dy Fraser is preferred to it. And, fur ther, that when in this condition they afforded shelter to shell-fish similar to those whose remains are found in the middens near by, is clearly evidenced by the fact that beds of similar shells are frequently met with, in situ, as I have been credibly informed, when digging for water in the interior parts of the islands. But as this discovery seemed to point to a rather remote past for the formation of these middens, I was re luctant to admit this obvious inference, until I had ascertained that the enor mous stumps of cedar and fir which 1 found projecting from the midden several of which have diameters of from 6 to 8 feet, and indicate by their an nular rings from five to seven cen turies' growth had their roots actually in the midden mass itseh; and had ob viously grown there since the midden had been formed. Ascertaining this by personal excavation and realizing that three-quarters of a millennium had passed away since the middens had been abandoned, I could no longer resist the inference that they had been formed when the islands opposite and below them were tidal, shell-bearing flats. The question now naturally arises, when and for what reasons was this an cient camping ground abandoned? Was it at a period shortly before the appear ance upon them of those forest giants, who^e size and approximate age I have just mentioned, or was it at a much ear lier date; and was it abandoned because the particular community dwelling there had been exterminated by their enemies, or was it because the clams and mussels gave out in consequence of a sudden or a gradual rise in the level of the neigh bouring flats? In seeking an answer to these queries the cause of the abandon ment of so ancient a camping ground may possibly be found in this last rea son. The explanation seems plausible, but the former cause suggested is more likely the truer one. The abandonment many centuries ago of so many other middens, elsewhere along our bays and inlets, where no such cause as this can be assigned where clams and mussels still exist in great quantities, and have so existed from time immemorial, as the extensive, tree-covered midden-piles now testify seems to call for a more comprehensive and lers local explana tion. This view is further supported by the anatomical evidence which thesv.- middens supply. In their lower hori zons skulls have been found of a type whollv unlike the crania to be found 10 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. among the Cowichan tribes to-day. They are too decidedly dolichocephalic, or "long-headed," to be classified among any o? the typical crania of this district, and suggest affinity rather with the Eskimo or Eastern tribes, than with any in this region north of California. Other striking features of these midden crania, which differentiate them further from the Lower Fraser type, are the extreme narrowness of the forehead and the lofty sweep of the cranial vault. These crania undoubtedly lend support to the hypo thesis that the middens of this region, at any rate, were formed by a pre-Sa- lishan people and not by the present Salish tribes of this region. In consid ering the time when the abandonment pendent, extraneous evidence of the en ormous tree-stumps now found in the midden, whose size, condition and other characteristics all warrant one in say- ing that many of them are from 500 to 700 years old. The age of the inlands, then, cannot be less than the age of the midden trees, though it may not be very considerably greater. Exactly how much older they are it seems impossible from the evidence at hand at present to say with any degree of certainty. There is nothing in their formation, as far as I have been able to ascertain, for which it is necessary to assign a greater length of time than a thousand years. They are wholly alluvial and only just above the level of the freshets and high tides and Plate III. Bone and Stone Implements. took place, the physical changes which have clearly taken place in the estuary since the shells which enter so largely into the composition of the middens, were gathered from the tidal flats that have since become tree-clad and cul tivable islands, afford us some clue to work upon in the case of the midden under consideration. If we can arrive at an estimate of the age of the islands we shall get some idea of the period of abandonment; for there is little doubt, I think, that these Fraser middens were wholly formed before those physical changes which transformed the shell- bearing flat into an island took place. In seeking to form this estimate we are assisted in some measure bv the inde- were often, before they were dyked dur ing the annual floods, extensively inun dated. And although they are m their higher parts now thickly covered with timber I have not been able to find or hear of a tree more than a few feet in diameter or of more than three or four centuries' growth at most. If, then, I am correct in estimating the period which has elapsed since the flats ceased to support shell-fish and took on the form of islands at a thousand years, something like this period has in all probability elapsed since this camping ground was abandoned by ;ts owners on account of the extinction of their chief food supply at this point, and pos sibly a very much longer period if from PREHISTORIC RACES OF B. C. the more likely cause suggested. But placing the abandonment at the lat est possible date consistent with the presence and condition of the tree stumps, when to this period has been added the time taken to form the mid den itself we find ourselves in the pos session, in this extensive pile of refuse, of a monument of the past second to none in the country in antiquity. That the accumulation of such a heap of hu man refuse as this midden presents, to make no mention of others' aim )st as large, occupied a very considerable period of time there can be no doubt. It possesses many features in common with the Danish kjoekken-moeddinger, now so famous, which led such eminent investi gators as Worsaae, Steenstrup, Lubbock and others to regard the period of form ation of those well-known piles as ex tending, in the words of the learned au thor of the "Origin of the Aryans," over "many centuries at least, more prob ably several millenniums." We are not unjustified, therefore, in claiming a very considerable period of time for the ac cumulation of these similar and much larger heaps of B.C. Viewing it, there fore, from the most conservative stand point, it may be reasonably conceded that the lower parts of this midden could hardly have been laid down later than the beginning of our own era. That particular midden-pile was slowly formed through the centuries, and was not the rapid accumulations of a large body of people, is more than probable from the fact that there are on its sur face, at some distance from each other, four or five crowns or eminences due as 1 have personally ascertained, not to any local elevation of the sub-soil, but wholly to an increase in the midden mass itself which, from what we know of the mode of formation of more recent accumulations of the kind, we may rea sonably infer were old family centres. From these features, as well as from many other minor ones, such as the paucity of relics, in compar^ou with other camping grounds where large communities are known to have once dwelt, such as at Hammond, it may be fairly concluded that this midden was the camp-site of a few families only ; and when it is remembered what an enor mous mass of stuff there is in it, we are bound on any reasonable hypothesis to allow a very considerable time for its accumulation. And from the fact that the midden is found to overlie the clean, coarse gravel of. the drift which shows no trace of vegetable matter; while all around the midden, outside of its own material, and all along the bank, rich, loamy, vegetable mould is found over lying the drift-gravel to a depth of nearly a foot it is certain to my mind that there was an aboriginal settlement on this bank before the appearance of post glacial vegetation in this district. The glacial period of this part of North America was much later than elsewhere, though exactly how long ago it was since the glaciers retreated from our glens and valleys is yet a matter of dis pute among geologists. That it was comparatively recent, is pretty certain, from the fact that accurate observation by a well-known scientist disclosed the fact only recently that one of our largest glaciers up the Coast has retreated over thirty miles during the last hundred years. That the valleys of the Coast Range were under ice-caps long after the ice had retreated from the northern half of Vancouver Island is certain from the presence of later forms of vegetation there, as for example, the oak. It is well known that the oak succeeds the fir only after a long interval of time, when the soil has become fit by the de- ' cay of vegetable matter for its growth. The oak, so characteristic of the scenery around Victoria, for instance, is wholly unknown on the Mainland, and even on the Island only reaches as far north as Comox, or thereabouts. This is not strange. The southern end of the Island was under the immediate influence of the warm breezes of the Japan current, which made its presence felt there before it did on the Mainland, and long after the Island had become habitable our Mainland valleys were still wrapped in their ice-shrouds. Many of the higher ones are still sleeping under the ice, while others have not long emerged. The townsite of Vancouver and its neighbourhood was wholly covered by a huge ice-sheet in former days as those who have had to excavate, or make gar dens know to their cost. In the higher 12 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. parts, the glacial clays and gravels still remain as they were laid down by the melting of the great Capilano glacier, which has left its trail behind it in the numerous and troublesome boulders that everywhere, but especially in the west end, in the line of the moraines, encum ber the ground. Vegetation has been too recent in this locality for nature to have made sufficient mould to cover them up, and the forest which now covers to some extent the glacial gravels of South Vancouver had not, I believe, made its appearance when the old mid den-makers on the old bank of the Fra- ser first made their camp there. Every feature of the midden bears unmistak- five centuries old, from the position in which they were found, but yet it would puzzle anybody to pick them out from others of the same kind from which the fish were taken only a few years ago. There are numerous other signs besides this that speak of extreme age. It rarely happens that a skull is taken out whole; it generally falls to pieces in handling, and but from the fact that certain parts of the midden have been transformed into a kind of dry concrete we should not have succeeded in taking any out whole. Then again, not a particle of wood has been found in the midden so far, unless it be the rotting rootlets of the trees that penetrate the mass to a Explanation of lettering in Plate IV. : ' a Central pile over body. /"Quicksand. ' < ''*.> ^-Dark gritty sand, f Quicksand, n Outer squire of boulders. d Charcoal. i-Quicksand. e Coarse brown sand. able testimony of extreme age, every thing taken from it, except, of course, the stones, being found in the last stage of decay; an instance of which is the condition of the shell remains. Gener ally speaking, the shells when taken out whole, which happens rarely, all crumble to pieces at the touch, even when they bear no marks of fire on them; and that the clam shell, at any rate, is exceeding ly durable is clear from the fact that trees of many centuries' growth are found along Burrard Inlet and else where growing over shell-heaps and gripping with their roots whole clam shells, as perfect and firm as the day they were thrown out. I have shells in my possession that cannot be less than depth of several feet. Axe and toma hawk-heads, which were undoubtedly once fastened into wooden hafts or handles, are quite common; but where they are found there is never any trace of their wooden hafts to be seen. These and sundry ether unmistakable evi dences all speak clearly of the great an tiquity of the accumulation. I do not wish to exaggerate this; I desire only to discuss the plain facts of the case for the readers of the MINING RECORD as they appear to me; and it is not unlikely that more extensive investigations will 'make it necessary to extend rather than cur tail the age here claimed. ^ In the accompanying illustrations are figured a few samples of the relics thus PREHISTORIC RACES OF B. C. 13 far taken from this midden. They are as will be seen, simple in make and de sign, and such as are found among primitive people elsewhere. No pottery of any kind has been found in these middens; indeed, the ceramic art appears to have been wholly unknown to the ab origines of B.C. The mortars or bowls and pestles seen in the illustrations were not as is often supposed for corn-grind ing purposes. They do not appear to have possessed such; no grain of any kind being known, as far as the writer has been able to discover, among the West Coast Indians north of the Col umbia. vSome of their tools and uten sils, such as the pestle, or more properly, stone-hammer, and the sword-like in Plate V Plan of Mounds of Fifth Series. 36x36 feet. strument in the illustrations, are beau tifully made and polished. It appears to have been customary to fashion their bowls after the likeness of some animal. The fish-head pattern is one of the com monest. The bear pattern was also a favourite style. Occasionally they were made to represent a human head. There was one taken from the old camping grounds at Port Hammond which had a human face carved on one of its sides, the top of the head rising several inches above the rim of the recepticie. Large numbers of barbed bone spear-points are found. The stone edges, axes, knives and chisels are generally of jade, of which material I shall have some thing to say later, and some have been found with edges as sharp and keen as those of a steel axe. Bone needles, with the eye sometimes in the centre, at other times in the end, are quite com mon. A favourite weapon among these midden people seems to nave been one formed from the young horn of the --Ik. These horns in their first growth are round and pointed, and at this stage were selected by the warriors for their "skull-crackers." The horn was ap parently inserted in the end of a rod or otherwise secured to a haft. They are aptly termed skull-crackers, for three adult skulls have already been taken from this midden with circular perfora- Plate VI. Copper Instruments from Mounds. tions in their crowns, clearly made by these instruments, and as clean cut as if the piece had been taken out with a mechanic's punch. It may now be interesting to pass from the middens and consider for a little while the tumuli, or burying grounds of this region. We cannot consider them all; we will, therefore, select a group of some of the more interesting ones. A typical cluster of these was found on the right bank of the Fraser at Hatzic and examined by the writer a few years ago. These sepulchres with their ancient mode of burial belong, like the middens, to a comparatively distant past. The Indians now dwelling in the neighbour hood know nothing of them and dis- 14 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. claim all knowledge of the people who built them; and what is more, are quite unconcerned at their being opened or disturbed. This indifference, in the face of the zealous vigilance they exercise over their own old burial ground or depositories of the dead, is the more striking. The difficulty of procuring anatomical material from any of the bur ial grounds of the modern tribes is a well-known fact; and this unusual indif ference displayed towards these mounds by the Indians of the district is strong evidence of itself that they belong to some antecedent and forgotten people. Indeed, an aged Indian of the place in formed the writer that the traditions of his people tell of their being there from the earliest times, that no one knew who made them, and that no Indian would approach them on any account. In dian traditions, one knows, are not very reliable data, but in this instance they support the evidence of the mo mds themselves and may rest upon a basis of truth. Whether they are pre-Salishan or not. they were undoubtedly con structed many centuries ago, as we shall presently show. These tumuli are interesting apart from the question of their antiquity, from the fact that they present to us, either a development from simple con ceptions and ideas concerning the dead to more advanced and complex ones; or else they mark in a most interesting manner the different degrees of honour their builders were wont to pay to their dead; for they show a markedly gradu ated transition from interment of a body beneath a smiple pile of clay, to the con struction of comparatively elaborate tombs, composed of a great number of boulders arranged in precise and geo metrical order, and covered with altern ate layers of sand and clay of different kinds. The simplest and first of this cluster or series, and, as I am led to be lieve the oldest, was formed by placing the dead body on the ground somewhat below the level of its surface and then heaping over it the soil of the immediate neighbourhood, for there are shallow ditches around the base of these mounds which show that the soil of which they are formed was taken from the spot. In all these mounds throughout ihe whole series, whether simple or otherwise, tt should be stated, one corpse only was ever interred. About this there is no doubt; and this fact of separate, indi vidual interment is the more striking in the more elaborate tombs which must have occupied the relatives of the dead many weeks in their construction. Many of these simpler and less conspicuous mounds have doubtless been levelled by the ranchers of that neighbourhood without attracting attention; as the bones of the body in these are always found wholly decomposed, with the single exception, at times, of a bit of the lower jaw, and their matter has been so closely integrated with the soil that the fact that a body once lay there is only to be discovered by the presence of a darker shade or streak in it. Absolutely nothing but the teeth or their remains, or as stated before, tiny fragments of the lower jaw, which crumble away in the hand has been found in these clay mounds; not a vestige of tools, weapons or belongings of any kind. And it may here be stated that it is one of the singu larities of these sepulchres, and a very significant fact, that not a single relic of stone, not so much as a single flake of any kind has been taken from the whole series, though the greatest care was used in seeking for them. In this, as in other respects, the interments in these mounds present, as we shall pres ently see, a marked contrast to those of the Salish tribes about Lytton, in which stone and bone relics are round in con siderable numbers. These clay or earth mounds are of varying dimensions, some of them, evidently children's graves, be ing only a few feet high and a yard or two in diameter, but like the more ela borate ones are always circular in form and sometimes have a diameter of from 20 to 25 feet. Next in the series is a class of mounds, formed in part like the last, but differing from them in having a pile of boulders heaped up over and about the spot where the body original ly lay. The plan of interment in this class of mounds seems to have been to place the body in the centre of the spot chosen for the grave, and then to sur round and heap over it a large pile of boulders, and over these again to heap up earth to a height of from 6 to 12 feet. PREHISTORIC RACES OF 13. C. 15 The next class differs from these only in having a stratum of charcoal extend ing over the whole area of the mounds between the boulders and the outer cov ering of clay, evidently the remains of a large fire. Whether these fires were kindled for sacrificial or for some sim pler ceremonial purpose it is impossible now from the evidence to say. The slaughter and cremation of slaves on the death of their owners or chief is not wholly unknown among the present tribes of B.C., but whether we see in stances of this practice among these old mound-builders, or whether the firos were lighted in the belief that they com forted the shades of the departed on iheir journey to the nether world we may never know. The evidence of fires and the presence of charred bones is a corn- not sparing of its employment. The rancher on whose farm these tumuli are found took out from one side of one of these between 20 and 30 barrowfuls for building purposes, and when I opened it up later there was still a great quan tity left in it. This mound is one of the most interesting of the group, inasmuch as it incidentally presents us with some independent, positive evidence of their antiquity. On one side of its crown the stump of a large cedar tree is seen pro jecting, the whole in the last stages of decay. To anyone who knows any thing of the enduring nature of the cedar of British Columbia the evidence which this cedar stump offers will be very con vincing. A cedar tree will lie on the ground for 1,000 years, it is estimated by timber men and others, and yet its wood W A Specimens of Arrow Heads, etc., from Prehistoric Burial Grounds, Lytton, B.C. Two-thirds Natural Size. paratively common feature of the mounds on Vancouver island, but no charred bones have ever been found in these Hatzic mounds. The next class of mounds differed again from the last in having a large quantity of coarse, dark sand in their central parts. It would seem that in constructing the particular graves, after piling up the boulders over the body the builders had covered them with a deep layer of quicksand which in that district underlies the clay top- soil and over this again had strewn a layer of this coarse, dark sand. Where they procured this latter sand from is not known. There is none like it in the neighbourhood at present. It is much coarser and darker in colour than that now found in the Fraser near by. But wherever they brought it from they were Specimens of Arrow Heads from Middens of B.C. Two-thirds Natural Size. will be firm and good and fit to make up into door and window-sashes. There is now, not two hundred yards from this mound, a living fir tree growing as traddle over a prostrate cedar log, the age of which from its dimensions can not be much less than five centuries, and yet the wood of the cedar under it is still solid and firm enough for the car penter's use. It is almost impos sible to say how long the cedar of this region will endure, and if a claim of 1,000 years be made for tne growth and the complete decay of this tree whose roots have crumbled and mouldered away among the bones hidden beneath them for many a long year, most British Columbians who know anything of the durability of our cedar will think that a very moderate claim indeed; and it is 16 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. not at all unlikely that twice that period has elapsed since the mound was con structed. Even while I am writing this the mail has just brought me a copy of Science, in which it is stated that some Egyptian boats made of cedar and as signed to a period of 4,500 years ago, have recently been found buried near the banks of the Nile. Here is t an inter esting and independent proof of the powei of this wood to withstand the ravages of time. My estimate compared with the age of these boats is a matter of the day before yesterday. This abnormality is probably without a par allel throughout this region of con torted crania. It does not appear, more over, to conform to any of the three types of deformation known to have been practised in former times by the present race of Indians on this Coast. And what is most curious and signfi- cant about it is that it is the skull of a woman. Women, therefore, had as much honour paid to them by these mound-builders as men, which is cer tainly not the case among the present tribes. This fact alone would seem to Specimens of Midden Utensils. mound is also interesting from the fact that it is the only one that has yielded any anatomical material of importance. Whether from the large quantity of sand in it, which may have acted as a drain, or from the fact that this large tree stood over it for many centuries, or from the combination of circumstances, the human remains in this mound have been better preserved, in part, than in the others. The long bones among others, as well as the skull, were taken out almost entire, though, unfortunately, all but the skull soon crumbled away. This, happily. I was able, in part, to preserve. It is a strange ly deformed skull, and in its excessive indicate a difference of race from the present tribes. The next class differs in several es sential features from those already des cribed. The chief characteristic tieen here is an outer, rectangular boundary of boulders, set side by tide in the form of a square, having each of its sides fac ing towards one of the cardinal points of the compass like the pyramids of Mexico. This square was apparently laid off before the body was interred, which was placed in the centre and cov ered as before with a pile of boulders similar to those forming the square. Over these again, and between them ?nd the outer square, a layer of quicksand PREHISTORIC RACES OF B. C. 17 was placed; then followed a thin ]ayer of dark, gritty sand, similar to that found in the other mound; over this again came more quicksand, followed by a layer of coarse brown sand over the whole extent of the mound, extending to and beyond the outer boulders; and on the top of this the sepulchral fire was kindled. Over the ashes of this fire, which extended over the whole mound, more quicksand was heaped, followed by the capping of clay. A section illustra tive of this mound may be .-.een in plate skull and bones were found, and the rec tangular object (i), a pair of which was recovered, and which was probably an earring, was taken from a mound of the fifth class. The ring figured on this (4; was taken from a mound of the second class, enclosed in a fold of hide, the whole wrapped up in a wad of cedar bark. These five copper objects, a frag ment of a blanket woven from the hair of some animal, presumably from the colour and texture, the mountain-sheep, and a small quantity of human hair of Wooden grave-posts from neighbourhood of Lytton, B.C. IV. The base or floor of this mound must have been sunk several feet below the level of the general surface of the land. The mound when opened stood about six feet above the surround ing soil, but its height from top to bot tom at the centre was nearly eleven feet, and must have been considerably higher when first constructed. The copper bracelet figured on plate VI. was taken from this mound. The copper awl, or spindle shown in the same plate III. was taken from the mound in which the two colours, black and brown, form the entire collection of relics taken from these mounds. The next and conclud ing class of the group shows a consid erable advance upon the preceding ones. The plan here, as seen in plate V., is much more elaborate and complex. In stead of the outer square as in the others formed by a single line of bould ers, we have three squares, one within the other, in the innermost of which, be neath the pile of boulders, lay the body; and the outer one is composed in this 18 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. instance of two parallel rows of bould ers, capped and united by a third. The superficial mass of this mound, and an other alongside, and apparently like it, had been too much disturbed before my attention was drawn to them to allow N'tlahapamuq, Warrior's shirt of the old days, after drawing by Chief Mischelle, of Lytton. Con structed from trebled Elk-hide. Pattern of ancient dress of a chief's wife or daughter, after drawing by Chief Mischelle, of Lytton, B.C. Material soft doe-skin. me to speak with any certainty of any thing- beyond their ground plan; but judging from the sandy condition of the soil on them, I should be inclined to say that they resembled those of the fourth class in their upper parts. It is inter esting to note in this connection that a number of mounds have recently been opened up on the St. John's River, Florida, the chief characteristic of which seems to be the employment of different kinds of sand in distinct layers in their construction. To give an idea of the labour involved in the construction of one of these mounds it may be stated that it took a man, with the help of a wheel-barrow Drawing of stone figure found in the Indian burial- grounds at Kamloops, B.C. Said by the old Indians to have been used in former days in Puberty cere monies. On the back of the sitting figure, which is supposed to represent a woman giving birth to a child, Is a lizard-like animal in relief. In the fore head of the lower figure is a deep hole, which, ac cording to my informant, held the sacred water with which the Shaman sprinkled the girl on her return from retirement in the woods. The material is a kind of granite. Figure now in the Provincial Museum. and other suitable tools, eight days to remove a few yards off the soil only from the underlying boulders of the mound whose ground plan is given in plate V. What time it must have taken the native builders to erect one of the more elaborate sepulchres with their in ferior tools can easily be imagined. To PREHISTORIC RACES OF B. C. 19 bring and place the boulders alone must have taken a long time, and many days must have been consumed in bringing such large quantities of sand in their simple receptacles and in digging the clay which caps the structure through out its whole area, even now, after all these years of erosion, to a depth of several feet. Some of the mounds on Vancouver Island arc pyramidal in form. Whether any of these Eraser ones were of that form originally cannot now be determined. Exteriorly they present the appearance of truncated cones rather than four-sided pyramids, but this may easily be due to time and ele ments. The boulders, it may be stated, found in these mounds, weighed from 25 Ibs. up to 200 Ibs each, and must have been brought from some of the moun tain stream beds, no stone of any kind, not even a pebble, being found any where, in the neighbourhood of the ranch. Other groups of tumuli, dif fering in some points from these of Hat- zic and resembling them in others, are found in many other parts of the Pro vince, particularly on Vancouver Island. There is a particularly interesting Main land group near Boundary Bay. One feature in which these differ from those described, and in which they resemble many of the cairns on Vancouver Island, is the existence in them of a cist, or stone coffin, in the centre of the mound, formed by slabs of rock, in which the body was placed. Rarely are the human remains in any of these tumuli recov ered entire, at best a few of the harder bones only remain. We gather from this fact, as well as from many other features of them, that these tumuli are very old and contain the remains of men and women who, whether they are allied 10 the present tribes or not, were very prob ably contemporaries of the tumuli- builders of Europe. Historic data in forms us that these tumuli-builders of the Old World could not have lived later than 2,000 or 3,000 years ago; and as all the conditions of these structures, and the remains found in them, closely resemble those of B.C., where much the same climatical conditions are found as obtain in England, there is great like lihood that in many instances those of this region are as old as those of Eng land. As already stated, the bones in our tumuli are rarely recovered and so little anatomical material of this kind has thus far been collected that no con clusive results can be reached as to their relationship to the present tribes of the Province. What little has been done in this way is too meagre to have much weight. There is, however, one strik ing fact which seems to suggest that these old mound-builders and the mod ern tribes are not related and that is that none of the tribes now found in B.C. bury, or have buried, as far as we can learn, in this way, and there are no more conservative peoples in the world when it comes to customs of this kind than the uncultivated races. The mode of sepulture followed by all the tribes in habiting the districts wherein these tumuli are found has been from time im memorial, either tree-burial or slab- tomb burial, mainly the former. The dead body was doubled up till the knees touched the chin and thus securely bound and placed in a box or otherwise wrapped in a blanket, according to the locality, and afterwards suspended from the branches of a fir tree. There was no commoner sight a few years ago than these suspended boxes or bundles. Now, under missionary influence, the dead of the natives are invariably interred after the manner of our own dead. In other instances the remains, treated as be fore, would be placed in a little shed or hut built of cedar slabs, sometimes di rectly on the ground, and sometimes raised a few feet above it, or else, in some instances among the Coast tribes, a small island some little distance from the camping-ground, would be chosen and set apart for the reception of the dead. In no instance that has come to the writer's knowledge did they ever bury the body under the ground in this region. In the interior, among the Shuswaps and Thompsons, it was otherwise, the numerous sand-hills of that locality suggesting and offering to these tribes an easy way of disposing of their dead. From this fact, then, that the present Coast tribes never buried their dead in the ground we have strong reason for thinking that they and the old mound or tumuli-builders are not of the same race, or, if so, have been 20 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. much modified by contact with other alien races. I said that the Shushwaps and Thomp sons of the interior took advantage of the numerous sand hills in the vicinity of their camp-sites to dispose of their dead, and a few remarks on these burial places may now be interesting. Of all the fields in the Province in which I have worked there are none so rich in relics as those of this region. Dur ing the last twenty years, or so, many hundreds of the most interesting speci mens have been taken from these cen tres. Up to the present there is no evi- these were mostly of stone or bone and the sands of that region being generally dry, they have in numerous instances been preserved in as good a condition as when placed in the graves generations ago. It would take a good-sized volume to figure and describe the relics alone that have been recovered from the old prehistoric camp sites around Lytton. Beautifully-formed arrow-heads of jas per, agate, chalcedony, crystal, and a kind of obsidian, of all known shapes and sizes, from the tiny barbed point of less than half an inch in length up to points of 2 or 3 inches long; jade celts, Specimens of Haida workmanship in coppar, ivory and bone. dence that the older prehistoric graves of this region contain the remains of a race differing from the present tribe; the later burials were apparently carried out on the same plan as the earliest that have been discovered. This briefly, consisted in doubling up the body and wrapping it in a blanket made, some times from the fibrous matter of the sage-bush plant, sometimes from the wool of mountain sheep or goats, then laying it in a hole in the sand and plac ing about the head a greater or less num ber of specimens of household and other utensils, weapons, tools and charms. As axes and knives, polished like burnished metal, figurettes, quaintly carved bone charms, pestle-hammers of a dozen dif ferent patterns, polished steatite pipes in animal forms, straight tubular pipes re sembling huge cigar-holders incised with mystic lines, carved and decorated bone utensils and ornaments, stone clubs of various forms, exquisite leaf-shaped javelin points, two-edged stone swords, and a host of other objects in stone and bone, such as needles, hair-pins, awls for basket-making, horn and wooden spoons, grind-stones, skin-scrapers, per forated discs, "ceremonials," and last, PREHISTORIC RACES OF B. C. 21 but not least, blocks of cut and partially cut jade are amongst the relics recover ed here. These last are extremely in teresting, for until the writer's discovery of them at Lytton, together with similar uncut boulders of the same material taken from the adjacent Fraser bed, the presence of jade tools and weapons among our tribes had given rise to many surmisings as to their place of origin. The only locality on this part of the con tinent where jade was known to exist up to this time in its native beds was in Alaska, but the large proportion of jade utensils among the natives of this region seemed, in the opinion of many, to sug gest that the material must be found nearer than Alaska. My fortunate dis covery of blocks of this material in the bed of the Fraser makes this quite cer tain. We know now that the Fraser is the source of this stone. It is found in the form of smooth, water-worn bould ers between Lillooet and the junction of the Fraser with the Thompson. It was from these boulders that the old-time natives cut, with infinite pains and no small skill, the choicest of their stone tools and weapons. When it is stated that typical jade is several degrees hard er than good steel, it will easily be un derstood that the ancients had no easy task to perform when they set them selves to cut out an adze, an axe, or a chisel from one of these boulders. For a long time the method of cutting these tools by the ancients was a puzzle to archaeologists, but after a time some celts were discovered, which had shal low grooves on one or both of their faces. From this it was clear that the pieces forming their tools had been ground bodily out of the block. The question then arose, how was the cutting or grinding done? It was the present writer's good fortune to be able to throw some light on this question also, by the discovery of specimens in various stages of cutting recovered from the old camp sites about Lytton. Briefly, the cutting was performed in two ways, by grinding with narrow, bevelled grit-stones, and by cutting with a rock crystal of some kind, commonly an agate. The former methods made the grooved adzes or axes, the latter the clean-cut ones. The cutting was done on both sides of the stone, and when the cuts or grooves approached each other the piece was broken off by a sharp blow, the jagged edge being ground down smooth by rubbing on a block of sandstone. Water was used in both instances to keep the cut clean. This is clear, both from the evidence of the stones themselves as well as from the assertions of the older Indians. You will still hear it frequently stated that these cuts or grooves were effected by means of a bow and sand. The absurd ity of the statement is readily seen when an attempt of the kind has been made. Imagine a wabbling bow-string cutting out a groove in the rounded surface of a slippery, polished boulder, off which the sand, the effective cutting material, would roll quicker than it could be poured upon it, water notwithstanding. We cannot wander round the Pro vince much further, but no description of the archaeology of B.C. could be at tempted without saying a few words about the Gihangs or totem-poles of the Haida and Tsimsean, but especially of the former. Two capital specimens of these may be seen in the Provincial Museum. These structures are like wise monuments of the past, though later in time, than the tumuli and mid dens we have already considered. They are a kind of "Family Tree," a sculp tured, genealogical record of the blood relations of their owners. No two of them are, therefore, exactly alike. Some of these poles are from 50 to 60 feet high a few even higher. They are formed from the trunks of enormous cedar trees and are covered from top to bottom with grotesque sculptures of various marine and land animals. They stand in the forefront of the old houses, and in their base is constructed the door-way or en trance to the building. This is usually a huge hole cut out of the solid block and represents the gaping mouth of some huge monster. The sculptures are con ventionalized beyond all recognition of the creatures intended by most white people, but are as readily perceived by a native as are the different letters of our alphabet by us. No two artists make the same animals alike, and yet there is always something characteristic in them which reveals to the Indian the ani- 22 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. mals portrayed. These creatures repre sent the different totemic relations of the individual, to the perpetuation of whose memory the pole is erected, and convey to the native mind very much the same information that a. printed family pedi gree does to us. Besides these Gihangs some of which are many generations old, and all of which are now fast disap pearing either by acts of vandalism, or by being carried away bodily to fill some niche in the large museums of the East, or even, in a few instances, those of Europe the Haidas are justly re nowned for their general artistic skill. of course), and carved in the most spirited and finished style; suggesting rather the sceptre of an Oriental poten tate than a mere fish-club. The Haidas were also skilled in the art. of tatooing, Some of the figuring upon the bodies of the older men are extremely quaint and artistic, a few examples of which are here reproduced. It is impossible in the limits of this short article to do more than touch upon a few of the more striking points of our subject, but it would not be possible to close our account before adding a few words upon the tribal divisions of our Mythological Creature. frog. Bear. Devil-fish. Specimens of Haida Tattooing. Thunder-bird. Some specimens of this may be seen in the accompanying illustrations, the beauty and richness of design of which will readily be seen and appreciated. The artistic Chinese and Japanese are hardly more skilful in carving than are the Queen Charlotte Islanders, not only in wood, but also in stone and ivory and bone. Their commonest tools and uten sils were formerly highly decorated with carving and sculpture. As an instance of this it may be mentioned that their baton-like fish clubs, employed for knocking a troublesome fish on the head when landed in their canoes, were frequently formed from ivory (marine, natives and their ethnic relations. It will probably be scarcely believed by some that the native races of this con tinent, North and South, number not less than 160 distinct linguistic stocks or families. This does not take into ac count the hundreds of dialects spoken by the different divisions of the family. In B.C. alone we have six different stocks, and some of these, like the Sa- lish, have from 50 to 100 dialects, some of which differ from each other as wide ly as does English from Gerrrian. This great number of linguistic families be comes the more striking and significant when we remember that in the whole of PREHISTORIC RACES OF B. C. 23 Europe there are found at most but four distinct families ; and it is one of the most perplexing problems of American lin guistics to account satisfactorily for this great number of independent languages. The ethnic names by which our six Col umbian stocks are known are the Haida- Tlingit in the North, Tsimseans on and about the Skeena, Kwakiutl-Nootka on the northern half of Vancouver Island and adjacent parts of the Mainland, Sa- lish, which comprises the tribes on Van couver and other islands south of Co- mox, those of the Coast as far south as the Columbia and the tribes on and about the Fraser, up to and inclusive of the Thompsons and Shushwaps, Koote- nays, of the Kootenay Lakes and dis trict, and the wide-spreading Dene, or Athabascans, who, strangely enough, are related to the fierce and blood-thirsty Apaches of New Mexico, etc. To the casual observer, all the members of these different stocks present much the same appearance, and they do undoubtedly share many traits in common, but yet, there are well-drawn lines which mark off the members of one stock from those of another quite as widely as the lines of difference mark off the several races of Europe from one another; and their diversified languages clearly show them to have had different origins. What these origins were is a problem which has exercised the mind of scholars since our discovery of this continent, and the theories which have been put forward from time to time would fill a good many volumes. Some of these are bizarre and irrational in the extreme, and some are as amusing as they are naive. I cannot forbear quoting one of these, it is so thoroughly original and whimsical. It is that propounded by the learned Dr. Cotton Mather. He believed that the aborigines of this continent had been lured here by the arch-fiend Satan, who saw in the spread of Christianitv the loss of his own hold upon mankind. He therefore seduced the ancestors of our natives to these shores, where they would be shut off and lost to the rest of the world and would be entirely beyond power of the gospel, and he would have them always for his very own. Since the learned Doctor's day some little ad vance has been made on more scientific lines than these towards the solution of this perplexing problem, but a discus sion of this subject would take us be yond the scope of our article "*St>f_ Year after year has come and gone again. As buckets passing on an endless chain Laden with rock, or poor or rich the vein. Some smoothly bore me gold in goodly sums, And others ! iron rust to clog the drams. Now creaking slowly, 1900 comes. And that same year to me may represent The final clean-up well, I am content. Fate cannot rob me of the wealth that's spent. There's wealth and wealth, I've sampled and I know, Some things I valued not, long years ago Paid from the grass roots though they assayed low. And others, running thousands to the ton Pinched out before assessment work was done. Lord, what a many mines I've seen begun. ****** That's life as I have seen it, here and there, In mining camps and cities, everywhere, That I could find the samples to compare. I'nf old, you're young, a specimen or so I'll give you, that may guide yon as you go, Seeking you know not what, but what I know Be a Free Miner, but maintain the pact That gives you license, common sense and tact. Say, " set your stakes according to the Act." " Jump not and be not jumped" the Golden Rule For all Free Miners is but be no fool, Keep one eye out for fractions, and keep cool. Don't go by books entirely if it fall That you have struck pay ore with ne'er a wall, Dig deep and take your profits, great or small. I'm old and garrulous to make amends, I'll tell you this, choose not your mine or friends Thro' experts, if you seek for dividends. Nor choose by outward show a mine or wife Deep hidden in the veins of rock and life, Lies gold or barren quartz, sweet peace or strife. J. H. M. G. THE ASSASSINATION OF DEAF SAM'S PLUM PUDDING. By DAVID FALCONER. Illustrated by T. Bamford. N the 4th of Dec., A. D. 1868, Samuel Johnson Rob inson, of Bar ker ville, dis trict of Cariboo British Colum bia, in the Pionee r G r o- cery Emporium of that historic town, opened his mouth and ate three i -Ib. tins of "Little Neck" clams. Upon retiring for the night the psychic proper- fluence that lifted him to a dizzy height dreams of gloomy disaster that bore him down and buried him, flat, broke and shivering, in gloomy crypts, far beneath the grass-roots, and . teem ing with uncouth reptiles. Suddenly appearing on the surface again the hom ing instinct of the clams asserted itself, and he started across country, three thousand miles, on a visit to the far eastern home of himself and the clams, on the coast of Maine, in the United States of America; arriving just in time for an old-fashioned Christmas dinner of the year 1842. "Hello, Sam, ain't you got, the stuff for that thar pudden bought yet?" ties of the clams developed to a remark- On returning- to Barkerville at dav- able degree. He "saw visions, and break the following morning, Sam was dreamed dreams" dreams of joy and af- only able to recount to his partner a 26 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. very vague and confused outline of the trip. He knew he had met the whole family, and a number of neighbours. All were hearty and prosperous. But, most miraculous of all, he had met him self a tow-headed sturdy boy of the usual village type, squirmingly bashful when looked at, and unable to articulate when spoken to. Out of the confused hurly-burly, however, one picture remained, clear and distinct. It was the snap-shot view of the Christmas dinner party which he had taken immediately on entering the room. He could close his eyes at any time and see the homely gathering his father, at the head of the table, carving a huge fat turkey, with more good will than epicurean nicety; his mother, smilingly, helping to cranberry sauce Mr. Ezekiel Grant, a neighbour, who flattered himself he knew his rights, and delighted to rehearse the arguments of counsel in the celebrated cause of Grant against Barker, a suit arising out of a boundary dispute, and ending three years later in the foreclosure of a mort gage on "all of that certain piece or parcel of land belonging to the said Ezekiel Grant, and known as Sunn^- dale Farm" a sad result, obliging the hitherto prosperous Mr. Grant to be come a free boarder at the table of his son-in-law, but in no wise lessening his faith in the righteousness of his cause, nor his ability to present its most diffi cult phases before a patient, if uncom prehending audience, at the local store. Sam could, also, see in his mental picture the old prints and pictures on the walls, seasonably decorated with evergreens; the china dogs on the chimney-piece one of them with a chip off his nose, for which his (Sam's) per son had been blistered with a cow- strap; the family Bible, on a little table by itself, carefully dusted always, but opened only on Sundays, when, in the presence of his parents, he and his brother Tom were permitted to turn over its leaves and look at the pictures. How well he remembered those pic tures Elijah, in a bright red shawl and blue worsted petticoat, ascending the pale saffron mountain, while two polar bears waited patiently beside the trail in full view of the children they were there to devour. On one occasion he had asked his mother why the children did not run away, instead of walking right into the mouths of the bears, but she explained that God had made them blind so that they could not see the animals. Still seeking infor mation he wanted to know how two bears could hold seventv-six children, but his father spoke up sharp ly, with a hint of the cow-strap, so he was, thereafter, obliged to form his own conclusions, which he did, figuring out, from the weight of the grindstone in the wood-shed, that the tables of stone carried down out of the mountain by Moses must have weighed twelve tons. The effect of the dream was to fix in Sam's mind a firm resolution to have a first-class Christmas dinner in his own cabin, and he set about preparing' for it without regard to cost, for at that time Barkerville was a wealthy camp, and Deaf Sam's claim one of the best on Williams Creek. After arranging for a large turkey, two geese and a quantity of sausages the two last-named items being pur chased on general principles Sarn came face to face with the most formid able obstacle in his way. How was he to make a plum-pudding? His partner, a good judge of placer ground, a hard worker and trusty friend, tool: little stock in the proposed celebration. He had been for thirtv vears a wanderer and a dweller in the bush. He had for gotten all about his old home, and ex perienced not that festive thrill which seems to permeate the air, exerting its influence upon good and bad alike as the joyful season approaches, impelling the devotional to church and the unre- generate to theatres or "scenes of revelry and din." He was a man ut terly destitute of sentiment or imagiaa- tion, and with an extremely narrow ca pacity for what is popularly considered enjoyment. A good "clean up" at the end of the day, a large portion of bacon and beans, a pannikin of stout coffee, and a three-hours smoke, not too much interrupted by conversation, before turning in, filled up the half-pint meas ure of his desires. Therefore Sam had to go outside for advice, and, in a short time it became known all over the dis trict that Deaf Sam Robinson was going to make a plum-pudding for Christ- DEAF SAM'S PLUM PUDDING. 27 mas; furthermore, that he was having difficulty about it. In the doorway of the Bonanza Gro cery Emporium, wherein a few weeks before he had joyfully renewed his ac quaintance with "Little Neck" clams, Sam stood staring at the landscape with that blank expression of counten ance usually succeeding the lengthened and fruitless efforts of a slow mind. The tonnage capacity of an abnormal over coat had been taxed to accommodate a formidable quantity of parcels, various as to size and the nature of their contents. main street, and dismounted, with easy adroitness, at the emporium. "Hello, Sam, ain't you got the stuff for that thar puddin' bought yet?" "I don't know; I ain't sure, it seems to me it wants some sage or sweet majoram, or somethin' of that kind; but how the blazes do I know what it wants? I've had the opinion of the whole town on it, an' bin settin' up enough drinks to wash a claim. Solomon says: 'In rnultitood of counsel there's babblins an' contentions an' redness of eyes,' and dog-goned if he ain't about "A figure had appeared in the doorway a tall, sinister looking individual.' The purchase of these parcels had oc cupied the entire forenoon and was not completed without sundry journeyings to and from the "Buzzard's Roost," an establishment combining the advant ages of hotel, restaurant and saloon, whereat "coffee like your mother made" clamoured feebly for a popular recog nition bestowed freely without the ask ing, on beverages less healthful if more exhilirating-. Presently a muffled figure, mounted on a shaggy cayuse, came rapidly up the right, -for one blamed idiot says one thing, an' another contradicts him an' says somethin' else, and then there's a fight, an' we've bin argyin' an' fightin* an' chewin' the rag all day. Now what do you say, Jim? Let's hear what you think about it. Can't you recollect the ingreegints of a plum-puddin'?" "Well, I dunno; I've eat my share o' many's the one back home, an' they was corkers, but what they was made of blamed if I'll ever tell you. I know there was raisins, an' allspice, an' 28 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. cider no, not cider, that was in the mince meat; an' citron, an' ginger, an' cloves, an' cinnamon " "Them's easy I got 'em all yester day." "Well, let's see; there was prunes, an' orange peel, an' beef suet, an' vanillar hev you got the vanillar?" "Sent down the road for it last week.'' "Well, it seems to me you've got pretty near the whole works. Why don't you go ahead an' put her to gether?" "There's just where the trouble comes in. How do I know whether its a pound o' cinnamon to a quart o' flour an' a pint o' brandy, or if its only two quarts o' flour to three pound of suet an' a pound of allspice. Then, here's another thing, should she be riz with yeast or bakin' powder? Besides, how about eggs? Whose hens is layin' in ten feet of snow an' the mercury pretty near freein'?" "I kin put you onto some eggs." "Where who's got 'em?" "Sam Wong. Been keepin' hens warm in his wash-house all winter with hot bricks, an' feedin' 'em on raw beef an' pepper corns to make 'em lay. but you kin bet your perishin' soul he won't sell 'em for no two bits a dozen. Judge Begbie offered him a dollar a piece for all he had, but he stood bold for two and a half." "Well, I won't be stuck if I pay two an' a half, but I can't pack the whole wash'ouse up the creek to my cabin; how can I get 'em home without freez- inT "Dead easy stow 'em inside your shirt." "So I ken. Well' let's go over an' see Joe." In the dining-room of the Buzzard's Roost some thirty or forty miners, teamsters and gamblers were seated at the mid-day meal. The mean devices of the European Plan, now so generally in vogue, would not have been tolerated for a moment at that time and place. One long table, extending from end to end of the room, easily accommodated the guests. At its head sat the landlord, Joe Clarke, carving an immense roast of beef, while along its length, on large platters, were vegetables, pies, heaps of juicy steak, chunks of corned beef and other substantial, which were sliced and distributed by those happening to sit nearest them. The conversation was boisterous, and the wit of the company directed by common consent against the landlord, who, usually, held his own or a little more. "They say Joe's goin' to set up free wine all day Christmas, boys Mumm's Extry Dry," remarked a popular team ster to the company at large. "You'll be extry dry afore you taste any of it, Shorty," replied the landlord. The crowd laughed and Shorty wilted under the laugh, for he was known to be perennially dry. With such light pleasantry the meal passed off, and Sam, with the assistance of a neighbour, was getting into his coat when the fat, red-faced cook came bustling in from the kitchen and de manded to know whether anyone had seen "Teaf Sam." "I'm Deaf Sam, cook; what do you want with me?" "I hear you vos make some blum- buddings, undt you know not how she vos made. Yes?" "Why, who told you I didn't know how to make a plum-puddin'?" "I hear dem shpeak on all sides dot Teaf Sam blows in two hundred tollar, undt efen den he may not dot budding make. It is very true." "Well, what have you got to say about it?" "I say noddings at all, any more, if dot vos some lies dey tell me. Ef you can make dot budding, all right, make dot budding. Ef not lies ef it is very true dot you cannot comprehend dot budding, come mit me in mein kitchen, I soon show you how dot budding you shall make." And the cook with quiet dignity awaited a reply. Several of those in the room who had been assisting Sam with advice gathered around. "Well, Sam, do you know if it's any colder in winter than it is in summer? because if you do you know more'n I do. To think of the whole crowd wor- ryin' an' argyin' an' fightin' over vour blamed puddin' instead o' comin' here to Julius an' gettin' directions for the whole business in five minutes." "I thought of Julius long ago, but, DEAF SAM'S PLUM PUDDING. 29 bein' a Dutchman, 1 never supposed he could make a plum-puddinY' "Well, don't let us git into an argv- ment, come alon? an' git the specifica tion." And so it was that after an infinite amount of worry and expense Sam got straightened out and fully directed how to produce a successful English plum- pudding. stantial rather than an elegant repast. The table did not glitter with silver and cut-glass, nor were the guests in even ing dress. But it was "a bang up din ner," as one gentleman remarked, and it would hardly have been safe for a stranger to come along and express any other opinion. "Well, Sam, what do you say; will we dish her up? Hello, who in blazes 'I'll fix you, Sam Robiason, same as I fixed Jim Ross.' The Christmas dinner of Samuel Johnson Robinson would, at six o'clock, be served. The invited guests to the number of twelve had arrived, in twos and threes, and with pipes in their mouths were assisting their host to get the table laid and put the finishing touches to the cookery. It was a sub- is this?" A figure had appeared in the door way a tall, sinister-looking individual, in whom the company immediately re cognized a stranger who had arrived a few days before and put up at "Buz zard's Roost." What followed is best told in the Ian- h-0 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. guage of Jim Bennet, one of the guests. "The feller never said a word but hauled out a number forty-four navy re- ' volver, an' let drive at the things 'that was cookin' on the stove. There wasn't no dum-dum bullets in them days, so when the feller let drive at the bean pot h^ only just made a clean hole through it. Then he looked hard at the crowd, but no one let on they seen him; we just kept on smokin' away an' sayin' nothin'. The next three shots fetched the coffee-pot, the sarspan o' pertaters an' a -big plate o' slap-jacks that was keepin' warm on the back o' the stove. The broken plate flew in all directions, an' a stray piece cut Sam under the left eye. The coffee, of course, run out on the stove an' cracked one o' the lids, an' you must remember stoves was worth money at Williams Creek in them days. But Old Sam never winced just sat smokin' his pipe, with a small red streak colorin' his whisker. Then the feller took another look at the crowd. "Quiet people around here," he says. "Jest the same in the other cabins I called at Quakers' meetin's every where. Do I see a murshom pipe in that old gent's mouth? Why, what sinful ex travagance these hard' times." Bang went the big navy revolver, aqfin an' Deaf Sam's pipe, that no money could ha' bought from him, flew in pieces all over the cabin, except part of the mouth-piece he held in his teeth, an' went on pullin' at same as if he was enjoyin' his smoke first rate. Then the strange feller turned to the stove agin' an' the powder can with the plum-pncl- din' in it give a little jump an' a hitch to one side as the bullet went slap through it an stove in the side o' the tea kettle. "Whether it was that the old man V*p' track o' the shootin' an' knew the strange feller's gun was empty, an' judged there was time to jump" him afore he pulled the other, or he was clean desperate at havin' his plum- puddin' spiled after all the trouble he took. I don't know; but the very minute the strange feller fired his last shot, a can o' French soup "de Bull Yong," fetched him on the bridge o' the nose an' knocked him as cold as a wedge. Then all hands was on top of him afore he could draw breath, an' we had more raw-hide an' rope around him than would hold a bear. " 'Xow, boys,' says Sam, 'this feller has spiled our dinner; what will we do with him?' " 'Shoot him.' " 'Sit him on the stove an' roast him.' " 'Take him out an' string him up.' " 'There's no doubt in my mind he desarves all we can do to him an' more besides, but we're in a British country, though I'm an American citizen myself, and we've got to obey British law an' conduct ourselves like law-abidin' citi zens.' 'What's your name, stranger?' " 'None o' yer d d business.' " ''Ain't you the mizable cur that killed Jim Ross in Sacramento in '59 got him foul an' stabbed him when he didn't heA' no weepon to defend him self? You'd chuck bananner skins in front of a blind man an' kick him after he was down.' " 'I'll fix you, Sam Robinson, same's I fixed Jim Ross, an' don't you forget it.' " 'No you won't, because I won't let you. Well, boys, it's no use chewin' the rag, I'm agoin' to take upon myself the dooties an' responsibilities of a police man an' a magistrate both, so you can range yourselves in them cheers an' I'll open court. Jest hist the prisoner UP on that table where we kin all see him. I'll be judge and prosecutin' attornev rolled into one, an' we won't have no attorney for the defence, because we're all unanimous an' there ain't no occa sion for no defence.' " 'Prisoner at the bar, you are charged with the offence of spilin' a good Christ mas dinner, more particularlv a certain plum-puddin' \vhich cost two hundred an' fifty dollars, besides a lot of \vorrv an' anxiety o' mind in puttin' the same together an' cookin' the same. What do you say, guilty or not guilty? Of course you don't sav 'not guilty,' be cause we seen you do it.' " 'Gentlemen of the jury, pay atten tion to the sentence o' the court.' " 'I judge the prisoner guilty of wil fully, treacherously, cowardly an' mali ciously assassiratin' p. food Christmas plum-puddin'. an' more particularlv a plum-puddin'. bought, put together and cooked by the said plaintiff (that's me). DEAF SAM'S PLUM PUDDING. 31 and I hereby sentence the said prisoner to the follerin' sentence, in like manner iollerin'; that is to say, that he shall eat the said puddin' as it now lies in that powder can, stranded, sunk or burnt, and that he shall eat the puddin', the whole puddin', an' nothin' but the pud- din', savin' only the can, as hereinafter provided.' " 'Jim Bennet, I appoint you sheriff, with power to add to your number, and hereby order you to proceed at once and carry out the sentence of the court, usin' all proper despatch, for the pud- din' is grettin' cold.' "Well, we put one of his own guns to his head an' started to feed him with hot puddin', an' you bet it was hot. First he shut his teeth, but the hot pud- din' made him open his mouth to roar, so we got the handle of a sheath knife in an' he couldn't shut it again. You bet Sam made him take his medicine, an' when he couldn't hold another spoonful we lugged him down to the skookum house an' gave him in charge." "What did he git? Ten solid years. He might have got off with five, but he started to sass the court and you've heard of Matthew Baillie Begbie?" "They say when Judge Begbie heerd of the trial at Sam's cabin he said the man ought to be liberated an' Sam put in his place, but he laughed fit to bust just the .same. I really believe he en joyed the story as much as anybody." "Did any more 'bad men' ever visit Barkerville?" "Not that I ever heard of." MAC THE IMMACULATE. A Relic of the Rockies. By ARTHUR SCAIFE. Illustrated by T. Bamford. HEY all loathed the sight of him in the London office. Except the directors, who appraised him at his weight in gold. His fellow clerks thought and did not scruple to say that he was "as mean as - ," but we all know how exaggerated, not to say on occasion how irreverent, are the similes indulged in by bank clerks. Angus Donald Macpherson was his name, but they called him "Mac the Immaculate." He never drank, he never swore, he never smoked, he never spent more than two-pence on his lunch, all of which was greatly to his credit, though it did not serve as is ought to have done to enhance the affection in which he was held by his colleagues. Now the bank had been unfortunate in its management "out west," particularly at Aber- crombie, British Columbia. Though the town was still young, not having as yet celebrated its fifth birthday, it was al ready an important mining centre. The bank's profits ought consequently to have been large, but the bank managers there had been three of them one after the other had taken to drink. As a result the profits had taken to flight and the agency didn't even pay expenses. "We must have a teetotaller," said the directors. Not one of them was a total abstainer himself; but that didn't matter. So they sent for "Mac the Immacu late" and offered him the post passing over several names which stood before his on the list. He accepted at once; his chance had come and he took it. He had neither kith nor kin (save a brother who had gone abroad when he was a boy and of whom he had never since heard) and left the same night for Liverpool. "Always ready and prompt," said the directors. "Just like his infernal luck," said the clerks; "hope he'll get tomahawked by a bloomin' injun." When Brigstock, his predecessor, had gone out the year before the whole staff assembled at the station to see him off and he had started on his way west midst a mighty chorus of "He's a Jolly Good Fellow." No one went to see Mac off. And now, to the infinite sorrow of the clerks in the London office, Brigstock was a broken reed and Angus Donald Macpherson reigned in his stead at Abercrombie to their even more infinite disgust. On arrival at Abercrombie, Macpherson instantly reduced the bank staff by half. He sized up the situation at a glance. He and one other could in local parlance "run the whole shooting match." They could and they did, but the "one other" did not have a good time. At the end of the first six months figures began to show on the right side of the ledger, at the end of the first year the branch stood at the head of the agencies as a dividend-payer. The directors were delighted; they voted the manager a bonus and an in- MAC THE IMMACULATE. 33 crease of salary, but never a word of congratulation did he get from his late colleagues, not even a post-card. As for the "one other," he was in formed by his manager that he might consider himself very fortunate that his services were not dispensed with. In Abercrombie, Macpherson was no better loved than he had been in Lon don, though opinions about him were far more forcibly expressed. The Queen's English loses nothing in power by transportation over seas and strong language is quite a feature "out west." When the hat went round for the widow and children the day after Brig- stock died in hospital, Macpherson re fused to subscribe anything on the bank's account though the dead man had seen seven years' servcie. He gave a dollar bill on his own ac count; no one else had given less than five. What they said about him that night round the hotel bars and at the club an institution recently established but not specially select would fill a volume, but it is none the better fitted for pub lication on that account. Some of the members vowed ven geance and swore unholy oaths that they would even up on him yet. Macpherson did not care. He had a "cinch" on the whole town, for every one owed the bank, thanks to Brig- stock's management. If he was not loved, at least he was feared, and that was more than enough for him. He only hugged himself the closer in his little room over the bank premises as he warmed some porridge left from breakfast on his stove. Then he buried himself in the bank's books till three in the morning. Truly a model bank manager. One Sunday morning as he walked home from the Presbyterian Church, at which place of worship he had consti tuted about a fifth of the total congrega tion, he saw an old man, evidently a miner from his appearance, riding down the main street on a "cayuse." The mud in places was almost up to the pony's girths, for the spring thaw had set in and the question of street pavement had not yet monopolized municipal attention in Abercrombie. There was only one street about 12 feet wide. The formation of the town did not allow of greater width, lying as it did in the hollow of the hills which towered almost perpendicularly thous ands of feet high, on either side. You might have built a house of fifty stones in Abercrombie, giving each storey a separate entrance on the ground floor. As the town could not extend at the sides without running up the face of the mountain it extended at both ends and lay like a long thin snake twisting its length for the best part of a mile round the curves of the valley. Owing to the height of the hills Aber crombie got very little sunshine even in summer. In winter it got none at all. Down the main street came the old miner on his "cayuse." When he reached the bank door he drew rein and looked round enquiringly. No one but Macpherson was in sight, for Abercrombie slept the sleep of the just on Sunday mornings. "Say," said the miner, "could you tell me where I'd likely find Mr. Macpher son' of the bank?" As he spoke he threw his leg over the saddle and lighted on the wood side walk three feet above the level of the street. "My name is Macpherson," said the manager. "Do you want to see me? I'll come round," and he crossed over the only crossing fifty yards lower down, joining the old man on the other side at the door of the bank. The old man tied his "cayuse" to an iron ring in the sidewalk. "So you say you are Mr. Macpherson; I've heard tell on you." He looked the nanager up and down and then laid a land impressively on his arm. A thin wiry little old man with a scrubby iron- ^frey beard and a piercing pair of eyes. "Alight your front name be Angus, Angus Donald, now?" "Not only it might be. but it is," said Macpherson, somewhat amused at his questioner's earnestness. "Could you prove that now?" "Well, I don't suppose I should have much difficulty in proving it if I wanted 34 THE MINING RECORD. to. Everybody knows me here and what I am." "Everybody ain't anybodv," said the old man sententiously. "What I mean to say is, could you prove you was An gus Donald Macpherson to my satisfac tion before one them lawyer chaps. I've got to tell Angus Donald Macpherson something what might be to his advan tage to hear, but I don't to tell it to the wrong cha p , not much. If he proves his- sel f to be hisself, well an d good for him. If he don't, so much the better for me. F a ir and square, mate, fair and square; that's what I am, but there ain't no flies on me and dont you for g e t it." Macphe r - son was greatly in ter e s t e d . Eviden t ly the old man h a d s ome- thing of im portance to tell him. "Come inside," he said, open - ing the bank door with his latch kev. talk in the street, Mr. not tell me your name?" "No you don't," said the old man. "I'm not agoing in, and you're not agoing to get the grip on what I've got to say till you prove yourself to be your self before one of them lawyer chaps. Is there one of them handy?" ' ' Will you vouch for my identity ? " 'We can't You did Lawyer Dickson's office was next to the bank. Dickson himself was haviner a Sunday shave at the window. "Mr. Dickson," said Macpherson, tap ping on the pane. "Here's an incredu lous old gentleman who says he has something of importance to tell me but won't divulge what it is till I've proved that I'm myself. Will you vouch for my identity?" " Is 'this a law yer chap?" ask- theold man. " "Oh, yes Im a law yer chap, " laughed Dickson, through his soap lather. ' F e e for consul tation five dollars. ' "Don't you fret abo u t the fee, " said the old man, "that's all rig h t en ough, my buck ; fa i r and square is my game every time. What I want to know is whether this gentleman is what he says he is, Angus Don- a Id Mac pherson, manager of th i s here bank?" "He's Angus Donald Macpherson all right," said Dickson, "I can bear wit ness to that." "He's got to swear it himself," per sisted the old man, "afore you get a red cent let alone five dollars out of me. If you're a lawyer chap you've got the Book handy. If he swears it on the MAC THE IMMACULATE. Book I'll believe him." Dickson, highly amused at the turn thing's were taking and not in the least averse to making- Macpherson appear ridiculous in the eVes of the "sidewalk" committee which by this time had as sembled on the other side of the street, produced a small greasy Testament. ''Now, Mac," he said, handing him the book, "swear away, I'm waiting for my five dollars.'' And Macpherson raising his hand, kissed the Book and swore, to the best of his knowledge and belief, so help him God, that he w r as himself and no other. "That's all right," said the old man, when the ceremony was over. "Here's your five dollars, mister," offering Dick- son a villainously dirty "V" through the window. "No, hang it ail," said the lawyer, drawing back, "I was only chaffing; I can't take a fee for a thing like - The old man cut him short. "Then you ain't no lawyer chap," he said promptly. "I never knew one on 'em refuse a dollar bill yet, let alone a "V." All of this 'ere business will have to be done over- again," turning to Mac- pherson, "where shall we go now?" But the manager was beginning to think he'd had enough of it. Sounds of unseemly mirth came from the sidewalk committee on the other side of the street and something told him that in half an hour it would be all over the town that he. "Mac the Immaculate," had stooped to swear to his own identity in the pub lic highway at the request of an un known miner. This is precisely what happened and mighty were the chucklings that ensued. "Come, Dickson, nonsense, don't be absurd." he said testily. "Take the five dollars and stop this fooling. I want to hear what the old fellow wants of me." "Wants of you; wants of you!" screamed the old miner, raising his voice so as to be distinclly heard by the side walk committee on the other side of the street. "He don't want nothing of you. What he's got to say is all to the advantage of Mr. Angus Donald Mac pherson. If that gentleman likes to hear it, well and good for him. If he don't so much the better for me. Fair and square is my game." A roar of laughter came from the sidewalk committee. The manager looked round angrily. "Take the money quick, Dickson," he said. Dickson hesitated. He owed the bank five hundred on a note of hand and scented the possibility of renewal. Finally he took the money. "That settles it," said the old miner with a sigh of relief. "And now, sir, we'll talk business fair and square, man to man, at your bank if you please." Macpherson led the way into his pri vate room, shutting the door behind him. "Lock it," said his visitor. "This 'ere's private between you and me; I don't want no one coming in till you and me's through. And now, lookee here, Mr. Angus Donald Macpherson, afore we go any further I wants you to under stand this. I ain't got anything to gain in this 'ere deal. You have, not me. See?" Macpherson nodded. "Now, first and foremost, what might be your father's name?" "Donald James." "And your mother's?" "Jessie." "Correct." "How many sisters have you got?" "I never had any sisters." "Correct. How many brothers?" "Only one." "Correct. What was his name?" "Alexander. He was called Alick for short." "Correct. Where is he now?" "I don't know." "Correct. When did you last hear of him?" "Not since he left home, when I was a mere boy. He \vas fifteen years older than I." "Correct." To the manager's infinite astonish ment the old man seized him warmly by the hand and nearly shook it off. "He's him," he cried" excitedly. "This here's Alick's brother, sure enough. Air. Macpherson, sir, you're a gentle man of eddication and a bank manager. Your brother Alick, the best hearted '"hap as ever tasted whiskey, he was: but me and him was pals for well nigh twenty years for all that. He's dead 36 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. now don't take on." (Macpherson managed to control his grief.) "He's dead is Alick and gone where glory waits 'un, and what's more he's left all what he had to leave to you, sir. He was always fair and square, was Alick; he knew what's what. You're his heir and I'm his executor." "How much did he leave," asked Macpherson, who had visions at this juncture. "I dunno. It's in a nugget. He hai a third. She ain't been assayed yet. We was a party of three, me and Jake and Alick. Jake's a half-breed." "You haven't told me your own name yet," said Macpherson. "I'm coming to that, Eli Jevons is my name 'Ole Eli/ the boys call me. Here's my card," and Mr. Jevons pulled out an exceedingly well-worn miner's certificate. "Well, me and Alick and Jake went prospecting last fall up Cas- siar way, and a pretty rough time we had of it. We didn't come across any thing much worth staking till well on towards spring, and then one day all of a sudden we had a find." The old man lowered his voice almost to a whisper. "We come across - "Well," asked Macpherson, and bank manager though he was, he could not altogether disguise his excitement. "Ole Eli" looked cautiously round; then he leant over the table and spoke in an impressively hoarse whisper. "We found a nugget, a monster nug get." He lowered his voice still further: "Not a word, man, not a word; one- third on her's yours; one's mine and one's Jake's fair and square. You've got Alick's share. That's what he said, and that's what's got to be. He caved in, poor chap, less nor a week after wards; got a chill I 'spect, strong 'un though he was. It was mortal tough up there, and he panned out sudden on the Friday night. No, as I remember, it was on Saturday. 'Ole Eli,' says he, 'you've been a good pal to me this many a year,' and so I had, Mr. Macpherson, so I had. though I says it. 'Ole Eli,' says he. 'I've only got one relation in the world, as I know on, my brother lit tle Anfus Donald. I can see him now.' he says, drawing o' hisself up. 'a pretty little critter with long fair hair afalling all over his shoulders and a pink frock. the day I come away. The old man's dead and the old woman likewise, and there's only little Angus left, leastways, if he ain't dead, too. I ain't heard noth ing on him all these years, 'cept as he went into a bank, but,' says he. 'Ole Eli, I tell you as I can see him now. Angus, he's my heir and he's got to have half my share of the nugget, if you can find him. I know you're fair and square, Ole Eli,' says he, 'and you'll get on his trail if he's 'bove ground. If you can't, why you must keep my share for yourself.' 'Alick,' says I, I'll do it or my name ain't 'Ole Eli.' >: The old man buried his face in his hands. After a moment or two he con tinued. "Then he calls out, 'Ole Levi,' says he, 'give us a drink,' and I give him one. It was pretty nigh the last horn we had left, and I kinder felt it was sort o' wasted, him being that far gone. But he swallered her down all right; he never went back on his liquor, did Alick, and I took a horn myself, 'cos he never liked drinking alone, and then- well, that was the last horn we ever had together." The old man was badly broken up, The manager gave no sign of emotion. "When we was sure he was a goner, me and Jake planted him up there, and a mighty tough job we had of it, I can tell you, a-digging of his grave; it's all rock mostly where we was. Then we set off to find you, and lor' bless you, I didn't have no more idee where you was than you did where I was. You might have knocked me down with a feather when we struck your trail in Slokane the very day we got there. On and off Alick had told me all he knowed about his family and you mustn't take it crossways if I kinder put you through your paces same as I did just now afore I showed you my hand. When a man's a executor he's got to be pretty spry. I wasn't going to part with Alick's share to the wrong man, not if I knowed it, you bet your life." "Certainly, certainly, Mr. Jevons," said Macpherson. "You are quite right and I fully appreciate your caution. But tell me," and he in turn lowered his voice, "where is the nugget?" "We'll come to that directly," said "Ole Eli." "Meantime, vou needn't MAC THE IMMACULATE. .37 bother about the mistering business. 'Ole Eli's' good enough for me; that's what they've called me for well nigh forty years and I ain't agoing to put on any frills just because I've struck it lucky at last. We brought her down, hid in our traps to Slokane, Jake being in par ticular charge of her. He's spryer than me is Jake and a bit handier with his gun. I'm not so quick as I was, though I've done some shooting in my tim^. When we got to Slokane we thought we'd have her assayed there. We heard - quite by chance, first pop, that you was running the bank up here, and dern me if that derned fool Jake didn't go and get full. There was a bit of a shindy over a game of draw and some shooting. Course Jake has to let his gun off, and, well, he was wanted in consequence by the parlice. So we skinned out across the border and made tracks for here, reckoning on seeing you till things sort er quieted down a bit. Jake's got her cached all right." "Where?" put in Macpherson. "In a shack what belongs to a injun, a pal of his, up the crik, nigh on six miles from here." "Is the Indian in with you?" asked Macpherson, nervously, "Not much, what do you take us for? He's a derned fool. Would n't know a nugget if he saw one. But he's all right; he's a pal of Jake's and there ain't no flies on Jake any more than there is on me." "What do you propose to do now?" "What I say to Jake is this. 'You lie cached up here and I'll go down to Abercrombie and see Mr. Macpherson and ask him to come along o' me up here so as we three can talk things over like and decide what's best to be done. Jake, he couldn't well come; he's a bit skeered' over this shooting business, for we did n't rightly hear if the man he plugged got through or not, and they're getting plaguey particular now-a-days; Oh. don't you get skeered of Jake," for the manager's jaw had dropped several degrees during the above recital. "Jake's all right; mild as milk till he gets the liquor in him, then he sours quick; guess it's his injin blood. But, lor' bless you, you can lead him with a pack thread when he's sober leastways, I can. You leave him to me. You see." added "Ole Eli" impressively, "Jake's being wanted just now makes a differ ence. He feels like giving these parts a pretty wide berth for a while. I don't say but what we could come to a fairly comfortable settlement with him over his share on a cash basis." "Could he be bought out for five thousand?" "I think so," said the old man. "I think so; there, or thereabouts. Mind you, I don't say but what Jake'll take some handling. He knows a good thing when he sees it; he's cut all his eye-teeth has Jake, but I think it's to be done, on a cash basis you understand." "I understand," said Macpherson, "and now when can we start?" "Right away," said "Ole Eli," getting up; "soon as ever you like. I've got a "cayuse" outside; he belongs to the in jin. I guess you can get a pony right enough." It was arranged that they should meet an hour later at Thomson's Landing outside the town. ***** "It's a bit of a climb up here, ain't it," said "Ole Eli," as they clambered up the mountain trail steep as the side of a house "but we're nearly there. See that smoke yonder, that's the shack." The ponies were hill bred and used to it. Macpherson wasn't, and when, two hours from the start, they reached the cabin a rough log shanty at the mouth of an abandoned mining tunnel every bone in his body ached as if he had been stretched on the rack. An Indian stood at the door as they drew up their steaming ponies on the tiny clearing in front of the hut. Jake himself was inside lying on his bunk smoking. He sprang up a tall un gainly figure with strongly marked In dian features and a distinctly evil eye as they entered and put his hand be hind him. "Friends, all," said "Ole Eli." "This 'ere is Alick's brother, manager of the bank. He's all right; he's come to have a look at her. Trot her out, Jake." Jake scowled, but said not a word. A. nervous man might have felt uncomfort able, for the surroundings were anything but reassuring, but Macpherson knew not the meaning" of fear. Cowardice was not one of his failings. 38 THE MINING RECORD. The Indian had tied up the horses get a huge chunk of almost pure gold and was now squatting on his haunches was well within the mark. He cal- with his hands spread out over the glowing embers on the hearth. Macpherson looked at him and then at "Ole Eli." "Tell him to git. Jake," said the latter. culated it was worth fully twenty-five per cent, more than the old man's esti mate, and that if Jake's share could be bought for anything like five thousand dollars it would be excellent business. Jake growled out an order and the Indian went outside. The half- breed then produced a canvas bag from under the filthy blankets on his bunk. Out came various arti cles of cloth ing , each dirtier than the other, and last of all a bundle wrapped round in a pair of dil- api da t e d bl u e jean overalls. Macphe r - son trembled with excite ment as Jake unrolled it. There on the bunk lay the mon ster nugget, begga ring "Ole Eli's" d e s cription and the manager ' s wildest ex pectations. "Ole Eli" seized it with both hands and gave it to Macpherson, who, un prepared for its great weight, nearly let it fall. "There she is," said the old man. "Is she a dandy or is she not? Did I say too much about her?" Macpherson could hardly believe his eyes. His experience told him that the value "Ole Eli" had put upon the nug- Then again, where this one came from there were certainly others. He must buy out Jake and come to an arrange ment wi t h the old man. His brain fairly reeled at the pros pect. He turned the nugget rou n d a n d round on the floor; it was too heavy to handle com- for ta bly . Every look con fi r m e d his opin ion as to its value. Jake and "Ole Eli" excha n g e d glances over his head. At last he tur n e d to the half- breed. "Well," he said slow ly, -'I un- stand from y o ur part- 'Its a bit of a climb up here, ain't it?" said "Ole Eli. ner that you are willing A third I believe?" to sell your share. Jake nodded. "How much do you want for it?" Jake held up ten fingers. "Come outside, sir," said the old man; "bring her with you if you like." Jake made a movement as they reached the door. "Hold on thar," said the old man, "didn't I tell you that this was Alick's MAC THE IMMACULATE. 39 brother?" and Jake sank back on the bunk. "See here now," said the old man when they were outside the hut, ''you mustn't mind Jake. He's a bit skeered of strangers always and don't never talk much. I'll manage him. I told you she was worth fifteen; so she is and a derned sight more. You can see she is for yourself. She'll run into twenty- five; that's what she'll do, and," he spoke in A whisper, "there's lots more with five thousand in dollar bills and plumped 'em right down in front of Jake, he'd take 'em. I tell you, I knows it, and what's more I'd get him to sign a paper making over his share in them claims to you and me." The manager had five thousand dol lars in notes in his breast pocket. He had borrowed them from the bank safe on the off chance of a deal of precisely this nature. But "Ole Eli" did not know this. An Indian stood at the door' where she come from. You and me '11 go into partnership over them claims what I've staked out when we've settled with Jake, and I tell you what it is, we '11 have a pretty tidy lay-out between us." "But how much will he take; every thing depends upon that?" said Mac-' pherson anxiously. "See here, now," said "Ole Eli." "If you was to come up here to-morrow "Go and offer him three," he said. " 'Taint not a particle of use ; I know what I'm talking about. Five thou' he '11 take and four thou' he won't, let alone three." "I'll give him four thousand, cash," he said, and he tapped his breast pocket significantly. "What; you've brought the dosh?" The manager nodded. 40 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. "Well, if that don't beat cockfight- ing," said the old man admiringly, and he went into the hut. The manager promptly turned his ab sence to account. He took a small phial from his pocket and poured a few drops of liquid upon the nugget. The result appeared to afford him great satisfaction, for he smiled com placently as "Ole Eli" re-appeared. "Jest what I told you," he said. "Five thou' or nothing. I told him you had brought four with you on the chance of a deal, but he sticks to the extra thou' and says you can come up again to morrow with it, when he 11 sign any paper you like. You can talk to him yourself if you like, but I know you can't move him." The manager thought of his moun tain climb and that settled it. "Wrap it up carefully and tie it on to my saddle," he said. "You are willing to trust me, 1 suppose, as regards your share?" "Alick's brother's good enough for me," said "Ole Eli," and they went in to Jake. The half-breed lay in the same posi tion on his bunk, his hands behind his head, his pipe in his mouth, staring up at the ceiling, the embodiment of stolid indifference. Taking a sheet of note paper from his pocket and a stylographic pen Macpher- son hurriedly wrote a dozen lines. "Sign this," he said, "and I'll pay you five thousand dollars." Jake said nothing, but looked at Eli. "Read it," said the latter. Macpherson read it. "That's all right," said he, "sign away, Jake." Jake signed it "Jake Freeman." in a fairlv clerkly hand for a half-breed. He held out his right hand for the dollar bills, retaining the paper with his left. Macpherson produced a good-sized roll of notes from his breast pocket. "There are five thousand there," he said. "You had better count them." Jake looked at Eli. "Count," he said. It was the first word he had spoken. Eli slowly and deliberately counted the bills. "Correct," he said. Jake handed over the paper to Mac pherson and put the roll of dollar bills in his pants pocket. "We'll go now," said the manager, and they mounted their ponies. "She" was securely tied in a sack to the manager's saddle bow and he never took his eyes off her till late that night, for they were far longer going down than they had been coming up. "She" was under lock and key in the bank safe. "What time will we have her assayed to-morrow?" asked "Ole Eli," as they parted at the bank door. "We can't do anything to-morrow," said the manager, "Cameron's the only assayer in town whom I would care to trust in a matter of this kind, and he's down in Spokane. He won't be back till Tuesday." "Oh, he won't be back till Toosday, won't he?" said "Ole Eli." "No; you had better come in some time in the afternoon to hear the result. You can then execute a deed which I will have ready for your signature. Keep your own counsel, mind." "Very good, sir," said "Ole Eli" re spectfully. "Good-night." "So-long." * * * * * Macpherson slept not a wink that night. Several times he went down stairs and re-examined the nugget, which seemed to grow in size and value each time he looked at it. He had weighed it on the bank scales and at the lowest computation could not make it worth less than twenty-five thousand dollars. His purchase therefore of Jake's third interest for five thousand was a truly magnificent stroke. Then he had a half interest in the old man's claims and goodness only knew what they might prove to be worth. He spent about four millions in im agination. Next day the "one other" had a worse time than usual. He had never known the manager so exacting and irritable. Cameron, the assayer, on his return at noon on the Tuesday found a note from Macpherson asking him to bring his testing apparatus down to the bank at five o'clock as he was wanted on business of importance. The bank closed it four. At half- MAC THE IMMACULATE. 41 past the "one other" was told to his overwhelming astonishment that he could go. Nothing loath, away he went and the club was very shortly af terwards in receipt of information that "something- was in the wind." The manager and the assayer had the bank premises to themselves. When the latter saw the nugget he opened his eyes. "Great Scott!" he said, "Mac, where did you get this?" "Never you mind," answered the man ager, "I want an assay at once; so just get down to business." Cameron examined it carefully through his glass. "Have you made any advance yet?" he asked carelessly. "No," replied Macpherson, "but I've been asked to." He watched the assayer's every move ment as a cat watches a mouse. Finally Cameron took a small tool from his bag and bored deep holes in the nugget in different places. The boring he submitted to test. "Hum," he said after a minute or two, " 'all is not gold that glitters ;' I wouldn't make any advance against this if I w r ere you. It's about the best fake I've seen. A brass nugget cast from a mould, electroplated with a coating of gold, perhaps the thirty-second of an inch thick." The manager fell prone on the floor in a fit. * * * * * Of "Ole Eli" and of Jake the half- breed not a trace was ever found, and the name of the manager of the bank at Abercrombie is no longer "Mac the Immaculate." By Clive Phillips-Wolley. Night m the pines, in the black bull-pines On the height of the bleak divide, Where the year-long gloom of the sullen North And the snows of the last Fall bide. Tracks in the snow of the wandering bear; The hoot of a questing owl ; Sobbing of winds that have lost their way, From the lake a grey wolf's howl. Flakes that hiss in my dying fire. Thoughts that burn in my brain; "Have I bartered mv life for the World's desire To get me a bond slave's chain?" . I see the fires of a thousand camps, From the Rand to the Arctic Slope, Strung over the world like a line of lamps On an endless road of Hope. I hear the song of a thousand creeks Washing coarse gold from the hill, The day-long beat of the pack train's feet, The monotonous ring of the drill. * * * *'* * # * * FOOLED. 43 The mist rolled off from the red-brown fern, As I rose with the dew in my hair, Sodden and stiff with a long- day's toil, I crept half-dead to my lair. My body stained with the rust-red drip Which dropped from my master's hold, My soul dyed red with a deeper stain The stain of that devil Gold! My loins grew bent, my hands grew crooked, My eyes grew blear and dim, Away from the light of the blessed day In the holes where I followed Him. Toiling for millions I could not use, While the life I might use went by; What wonder the Devil laughs loud to-night As he watches his bond slave die. "Ho! Ho!"-- Is that only the questing owl? Or is it the thing I sought? The Thing that promised "the world fenced in," That promising all, gives nought? The Thing that blinks in the river sand, That glares from the night-black shaft? Was it the call of a hunting owl, Or was it a devil laughed? There were brave days too, when my birch canoe Shot downward by streams unknown. Where the alders budded, a rose grey fringe, And the great fish flashed and shone; When I climbed from the hot lush cedar woods To the snows of the mountain goat Nature was with me in many moods I had only eyes for "float." I heard no sigh in the stately trees. No voice from the God above; I asked no pleasure, I sought no ease; I laughed at the dear word "love." That was for fools in the world below, The world I would have and hold, With all that it knew, or I cared to know, When I'd won me the key to it Gold! Hog-like I rooted where wild flowers cling, I drilled the earth to her core, I found her sweet as a maid in spring, I left her a brazen whore. Lurid and loud the smelter rose Where the giant Douglas grew, From the murky gloom where the deer's-foot grows Till it towered and dreamed in the blue. 44 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. Then the men swarmed in, and the wild things went, And the voices of birds grew still, And the ring of the builder's tool was blent With the miner's blasts in the hill. Men felled God's forests, His rocks they scarred, The silence of God they broke; His beauty they changed to a builder's yard, His sun they veiled with their smoke. From the Heart of the Place came a roaring sound Of engines men build and weld; A throb and a beat, and a liquid heat, And the scream of a power hard-held; The upward leap of ravenous flames, The ceaseless whir of the wheels; The livid hues of the molten rock That writhes like a thing that feels. 'Twas red, warm-red, gold-red all day; It was red, blood-red all night. No pale priest's prayer could fright men there, No God's sword reach to smite. Let me crawl back to the world I know, Where the brute men strove and bled; Give me fires of hell for your fields of snow It is silence and night I dread. Thy skies, Lord Christ, are cruel clear, Thy snows too saintly white; I cannot bide on the mountain side I dare not die in the night; The Great Assayer will rack my soul From crucible to cupel; I have learned the value of gold on Earth "Ho! Ho! You shall learn it in Hell!" THE UNCONVENTIONALITY OF MISS CHURCHILL-FANE. By H. MORTIMER-LAMB. Illustrated by Savannah. FIRST met Bob Moggridge at a naval ball in Vancouver two years ago. We were introduced; but it was that sort of introduc tion which, as a rule, has its be- ginning in a cas- end on the very next occasion of meeting in that stereotyped and irritating stare of the " who-the-deuce-are-you " order Moggridge, however, appeared to be built after a different pattern from that of the common or garden type of being one is accustomed to meet now-a-days in polite society. He had a nice way with him, and stranger still, unaffected manners; and even when he learned that I was only a poor devil of a down-at-the-heel jour nalist, he did not manifest any desire, so far as I could judge, to drop my ac quaintance. So Moggridge and I came to be regarded as pals, and other men, even the ultra-superior bank-clerks, who had previously ignored me as an "outsider," were graciously pleased thereafter to afford me some notice. Thus I was raised in the social scale. But while my new prestige, which I cer tainly owed to Moggridge, did not, per haps, afford me any very extraordinary gratification, there were other reasons why I should value his friendship. There came a time when Providence, destiny, or whatever else you like to call it, gave me the opportunity to testify in this regard; and at the same time I was privileged to do one of the sweetest girls I have ever met a service. How this happened is now to be related. Last spring- the Adelaides, who, as everyone knows, are great swells in Vic toria society and. I may add inadver tently, distant connections of my own, though naturally they would hardly vomnteer you the information received a letter from their cousin, Mrs. Churchill- Fane, of Park Lane, London, W., in timating that her daughter Gwendoline had evinced a sudden and quite extra ordinary desire from which she was not to be moved even by the expostula tions of Mr. Churchill-Fane himself to visit British Columbia. Why this whim she could not imagine, for the season was still at it height; but would the Adelaides receive the dear child? Of course, the Adelaides were charmed, and in due time Miss Gwendoline ar rived, accompanied by her maid. As a mark of very special favour, and perhaps, too, on the strength of the said distant relationship between the Ade laides and myself, I was invited to the humbler- function of an afternoon tea, whereat Miss Churchill-Fane was to re ceive her first introduction to Victoria's most exclusive set, as represented by the smart friends of the Adelaides. It was all very nice but very slow, and I was just sinking into the last stages of boredom when I was aroused by the touch of a light hand on my coat sleeve. The owner of the hand was a remark ably pretty little person, with very dark eyes and brown hair, and a neat figure well set-off in an equally neat dress. "You are Mr. Elliott." She stated it as a fact. "Oh, yes; I knew you at once," she went on, "Bob, that is, Mr. Moggridge, sent me a photograph somebody took of you when you both made the as cent of Mount Crown at Vancouver. Don't you remember?" I assented dubiously. The photo graph in question, if I recollected aright, had libelled me atrociously. "I suppose you knew Moggridge at home?" I queried, for want of something better to say. "Oh, yes; we are engaged," she ans wered. This was news to me. "Indeed?" I ventured to remark. 46 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. Miss Fane did not appear greatly im pressed with the brilliancy of my con versational abilities. She looked at me and hesitated. "What became of him after he left Vancouver? do you know?" Here, at least, I was sure of my ground. ''Oh, yes; I can tell you that much." I answered. " Moggridge threw up his practice to join the first gold-rush to the new Atlin dis trict. Up in the North, you know," I added vaguely Then we were interrupted, for our hostess hurried Miss Fane off to the piano, and I seized the opportunity to slip away. One gets accustomed to surprising things in a newspaper office, but I con fess I was not a little startled the follow ing morning to receive a message through the speaking-tube, connecting my room with the front office, to the ef fect that a lady desired to see me on particular business. I hurried down at once, and was directed to our library. Miss Fane arose as I entered. She was noticeably nervous. "I know you will think me a very extraordinary girl, Mr. Elliott,'"' she premised. I demurred as in duty bound. "Of course I must expect that; but please listen to me patiently. I don't want advice, mind; but I must have your help, and you won't refuse me that, will you?'' Who could resist such an appeal? Not I, at any rate. I promised unreservedly. ''Three years ago," she began, as 'if relating a story, "Bob and I became engaged to be married. He had just taken his degree and no one could have had better prospects, because, as you may have heard, his father, Mr. James Moggridge, was at that time considered a millionaire, and Bob really went in for medicine more as an occupation than for any other reason. Well, one day soon after my engagement was an nounced, Mr. James Moggridge's part ner on the Stock Exchange, a man named Bolton, suddenly disappeared, and when the firm's affairs were gone into, it was discovered that this partner had been secretly speculating for months past. Foreseeing that detection was inevitable and that he had hope lessly involved the firm, he converted all the securities on which he could lav- hands into ready money and decamped. Tne blow nearly killed Mr. Moggridge. instead of being a rich man, as he had loudly believed, he found himself, after meeting all the firm's obligations, a very poor one; but what he felt more than anything else was the stigma that he im agined had been cast on the honourable and old-established name of Moggridge & Co., by the rascality of Mr. Bolton. Bob came to me as soon as he heard what had happened. Poor fellow, he was most awfully cut up. He said a penniless doctor without a practice had no business to be engaged to a girl with 5,000 a year of her own, and he begged me to release him from his engagement. I told him he must never talk such non sense again, and that I wasn't going to give him up just because his father's partner happened to have acted dishon estly. And then we argued it all out, over and over again, and when Bob finally said he would go to Canada, I made him promise to write to me, but he was very sulky about it. I- told my father that Bob had wanted to break off our engagement, and all he said was: 'Just what I expected of the young fel low, my dear. Very right and proper. Distinctly honourable of him. I am glad he showed such nice feeling and saved us from taking the initiative.' So of course, I saw it was no use to say anything more. Bob answered my let ters for a long time, until last Christ mas, and he told me all about you. Mr. Elliott, and what a 'good sort' you were; and after I had talked with you yester day I felt sure I could trust you." "But," I interrupted, a sudden light dawning upon me, "you surely did not leave England purposely to meet Mog gridge again, did you?" She clapped her hands like a pleased child and laugned. "Yes; wasn't it a splendid idea. And those stupid old Adelaides gave me just the excuse I wanted. It was an inspiration," and she smiled guilelessly. I tried to be severe. "It was hardly " 1 began. She did not let me pro ceed. "I will not be lectured, sir," she broke in, "and I am not in need of advice just at present. I was twenty-one last birth day, and you promised to help me, re member." MISS CHURCHILL-FANE. 47 I certainly had committed myself and therefore must needs regard myself henceforward as an accomplice before the fact with no hope even of turning Queen's evidence. "You promised to help me," this in teresting young person continued, "and this is what you must do. Yesterday "la my hand lay a dainty purse you told me that Bob was in Atlin - "But "Do not interrupt me, please. Bob is in Atlin, and I am going to him and you must come with me." I stared at the ceiling. All power of speech forsook me. "Let me see, the 'Tees' leaves for Skagway on the 2/th. I read that at any rate in the Colonist this morning. To-day is the iQth, so you have just one week to prepare. Please get me a cabin in the centre of the steamer, and buy the ticket for Miss Julia Smith; don't forget, and thank you so much." Yes, it certainly was the dusty office library in which I was standing, and I was certainly awake and sober, for there in my hand lay a dainty purse, con taining, I found, a sufficient sum to de fray the expenses of Miss Fane's pro posed journey. I wandered out of the library in a verv perturbed state of mind and was as cending the stairs to my own particular quarters, when 1 heard the editor call me. "Can you spare me a minute, El liott," he said. "Of course, sir," I replied, as I entered his sanctum. "Look here, old char-," he said kind ly, "it's time you had a bit of a change, you're looking seedy. I am think ing of sending a man up to make a special report of the new Atlin placers, and the job will suit you to a T. Todd can easilv take your place while you're away. Here's your pass." "Well, I'm d ." I began. "Fh?" he queried. "Nothing, sir, that is er I am deucedly obliged to you. You're aw fully good to give me the chance." 48 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. "Oh, humbug; get things shipshape before you start on the 2/th, and good luck to you." Here manifestly was the hand of fate, ruthlessly pushing me on to connive at a most outrageous crime against conven tional custom. I murmured Kismet; went down to the C. P. N. office, and there I bought a ticket to Skagway and return in the name of "Miss Julia Smith." * * ***** "Yes, Miss, it is considerable rough naow, but thar's nothin' the matter with Atlin; it's all right, and we'll have a fine city here before long." So this was Atlin City, and we were domiciled in the best hotel the place af forded, one owned by the British America Corporation, and which, not withstanding its cost in the neighbour hood of twenty thousand dollars was yet nothing more than a huge ungainly structure, built of rough, unplaned sheeting, covered on the inside by more man answering to the name of Mog- gridge a doctor?" I enquired. "Guess I do," he answered; "he owns number seven below Discovery, and I heard tell he'd made a good striko. You're mast liable to find him at Bill Croker's saloon; I see him thar this mornin'." I enquired the direction of Bill Crok er's saloon. Miss Fane looked troubled. I glanced across at her and injudiciously tele graphed: "Shall we go." She nodded. Bill Croker's saloon did not appear to be the sort of place to which one would, as a matter of choice, invite a lady. As, however, it was the middle of the afternoon, and also owing to the fact that a stampede had taken place that day to a new creek, it was strangely quiet in the vicinity, and there were no loafers about. Still I induced Miss Fane to remain outside while I went in to enquire for Mog- gridge. I opened the door arid tried to " So this was Atlin City." or less gaudy wall-paper. We had ar rived that afternoon after a somewhat toilsome journey over the White Pass. though the hardships encountered there were more than compensated for by the enchanting and exhilarating sail down the lakes. We were both very tired. Miss Fane, nevertheless gave me my cue, and after helping myself to mustard we were discussing pork and beans at seventy-five cents per capita I cleared my throat and obediently ad dressed our fellow-diner, whose re marks I have above quoted. "Do you happen to know a gentle- shut it again quickly; but I w^as not quick enough. Miss Fane had caught a glimpse of the sight that had met my eyes, and with a set and curiously pale face she pushed past me and stood in the shadow of the door. Then I realized fully for the first time the almost crim inal folly of which I had been guilty in actually assisting this rash girl to carry out her mad-cap scheme. The room was badly ventilated by one small, dirty window, but there was light enough to take in all that was going on. At a greasy table sat two men and a woman a brazen-faced and gaudily- MISS CHURCHILL-FANE. 49 Iressed creature. The men were play ing- cards at least, one of them was, the other was too hopelessly drunk to know what he was doing. He was lean ing heavily against the woman by his side, while she deliberately instruct ed the man across the table how to play his cards. It was after all rather a waste of time, for it would have been just as easy for the precious pair to have quietly relieved their luckless and in ebriated victim of his nuggets and but for the first time in my life I re gretted that I had not been born a woman. Our rooms at the hotel ad joined, and the intervening board par titions were thin; thus through the dark hours of that very ghastly night I was compelled to listen with, God knows how much pity and sympathy, to that pitiful and heart-breaking sobbing by which a woman is mercifully enabled to obtain relief for sorrows which a man must perforce bear in silence. 1 Pitiful and heart-breaking sobbing." notes, without going through the form of playing for them. But then possibly it occurred to them that the bar-keeper, who was looking on, might in that case have required a share of the booty. The drunken man was Moggridge, but fortunately he was so hopelessly drunk that he did not recognize us. Somehow or other I managed to get Miss Fane out of the dive. She uttered no word, and I dared not look at hei ; It was a lovely morning, and I felt decidedly better after my swim in the lake. At the hotel I met Moggridge. His eyes were bloodshot, his cheeks disgustingly puffy, and his whole ap- peaVance was dishevelled and anything but agreeable to look upon. I greeted him not, I fear, altogether effusively, for last night's scene was yet fresh in my mind: but he walked moodily past me, either ignorant of my presence, or THE B. C. MINING RECORD. appearing to be so. In the breakfast- room was Miss Fane. She was very pale, but otherwise no traces of the pa^t night were visible. She talked with un natural vivacity on every conceiveable subject, only succeeding, however, in making us both more uncomfortable. It was a difficult position. Once I sug gested a returri to Victoria, but she adroitly changed the subject by asking permission to accompany me on a round of visits I purposed making to the various creekswith the object of obtain ing mater ial for my series of special art icles. Un der the cir cumstances she could not be bet- t e r e m- ployed, so I consent ed at once. Three days passed by. Miss Fane seem ed actually t o regain some tone and colour, and I be- ga n to hope that she would recover in time from her disap pointment, and pres ently re turn with me to Victoria. I even went so far as to invent several plausible tales for her to relate to the Adelaides to ac count for her sudden disappearance. Still I felt a good bit worried. The Victoria police are not exactly idiots, and no doubt by this time they had made the discovery that Miss Julia Smith and Miss Churchill-Fane were He walked moodily past." one and the same young lady; that, worse still, I had purchased the'ticket to Skagway; ergo, they would conclude that we had deliberately eloped to a sort of American Gretna Green. Alas, for my future prospects, for the Ade laides had influence with my proprietor! However, I had brought the whole busi ness on myself, and I was not going to funk the consequences. Yet I made one more attempt to induce Miss Fane to take the next boat back to Victoria. I knew of a miner's wife who, for a con sideration , would act chaperone for the oc casion. I put the matter del- i c a t e 1 y . But Miss Fane beg ged me to understand that she managed her own af fairs ; that while she fully a p - preciat e d the evident kin d ness of my mo tives, she had no present in tention of returning to Victoria. I subsided. Mean- while, we had seen nothing of Mog- gridge but we had heard a good deal of him. These accounts were not, on the whole, discreditable. He was a hard worker ; had slanged the Govern ment on the score of the Alien Bill and the maladministration of the district more effectively than any other speaker at the public meetings convened for this MISS CHURCHILL-FANE. 51 purpose; and last, but not least, he was reproached with not being addicted to the practice of the "Jamboree" (at least, so our informant deposed), the only oc casion upon which he had been known to go on a regular "spree 5 was just after he made the big strike on Number Seven below Discovery, and then he did the thing handsomely, and was drunk for the matter of several days. When Miss Fane heard this latterstate- ment her eyes soft ened. Then once again the hand of destiny appeared. News was brought to town of the sickness of Jack Tay lor, who owned Number Four, o 11 Spruce. It was either scurvy or typhoid, no one could definitely say which, but Mog- gridge had stopped working his claim and was doctor ing and nurs- ingthe sick man. One day I mis- sed Miss Fane at the hotel. I was not greatly surprised there at; and in the evening I rode out to the patient. There were two cabins on Number Four, and in one I found Mog- gridge lying on the floor, gaunt, un shaven, and half undressed, in a dead sleep. Miss Fane had seen me ride past. She came to the door of the other cabin, looking almost cheerful. "I made Dr. Moggridge go and lie down," she remarked, obviously to pre vent me questioning her. ''Do you know he has never relaxed his watch night or day for nearly a week." At the far side of the room was the shadow of a man, moaning fretfully, and stretched on a rough raw-hide pallet. "How is he? "I ask ed. " Who, Dr. Mog gridge?" "I meant your pat ient," I re plied. "The doctor i s very anx ious, in deed," she said grave ly. "It is a very bad attack of typhoid and pneu monia, and it is diffi cult to get wine and the right sort of food for a sick man here, you know." I sugges ted that I might as sist in the nursing. ' ' N o , thank you, she said, "some of the miners came up to help, but the doc tor sent them all away. He told them that in a case of this kind, untrained as sistance is worse than useless." "But you have had no ex ." She stopped me with a glance. "I am not a rough, stupid man," she remarked conclusively. "'Her head on Moggridge's shoulder." 52 THE B. c. MINING RECORD. I made a point of visiting the little hospital regularly every evening after that, and of bringing with me from the town what articles were needful, or rather obtainable. Just as I was preparing to make this customary journey on the third evening, the Government Agent came up to me. ''I have been asked by the authorities," he said, "to at once institute enquiries regarding the young lady who arrived here with you. Her real name is Churchill-Fane, is it not?" He was a decent chap, and I thought it wise to take him into my confidence, up to a certain extent. "Well," he remarked, as I mounted my horse, "that's all very fine and large. Of course, I must make my report soon; but if, as you say, things are shaping right, I will find it difficult to procure the information during the next two days. But it's a deuced unconventional prank." "Make it a week," I suggested. "What do you mean, sir," he laughed, "trying to tamper with the morals of a Government official?" When I arrived at the hut, Miss Fane was applying cold-water bandages to the sick man's head and Moggridge was apparently feeling his pulse. The Doc tor motioned me back as I entered. I waited, and presently I heard him say: "Poor chap; it's all over. You had bet ter go away now, dear," and then came a sound of hysterical weeping. I rode down the creek for a bit before I went back to see if I could help Moggridge. I hoped that I had given Miss Fane sufficient time to recover herself, and to leave the cabin, but she was still there when I returned, with her head on Mog- gridge's shoulder, sobbing as if her heart would break, but and strangely incongruous it seemed in that room of death there was also a proud and happy smile on her face. "Little woman," Moggridge was say ing (they were both, naturally enough, unnerved, remember); "darling, for heaven's sake don't cry like that; we did our best and "But it isn't that, Bob; it isn't that!" Then I fled, silently and swiftly, re gretting that I had already overheard more than was intended for my ears. ******* We stood on the quarter-deck of the "Tees," watching the grand and ever- changing panorama of coast scenery, Dr. and Mrs. Moggridge and I. "Well, but what will the Adelaides say to you, madame?" queried Mog gridge. "Oh, bother the Adelaides," replied his wife. But she didn't for long, because when she arrived in Victoria, Victoria society was, very properly, scandalized. CAPTURED SINGLE HANDED. By F. G. FAKROX. Illustrated by T. Bamford. LD Geordie Cavanagh was drunk, very drunk, and the village loafers were having their usual time "joshing" him. Geordie had a small pre-emption not far from "3X" ranche and managed to pick out a living and a little over through it, for he had no hired assist ance on the farm; and his daughter, a pretty little thing, ministered to his do mestic wants, while the bovs around the ranchers had left, but others having re ceived their mail, were discussing the papers and wondering if the grasshop pers would leave a blade of grass in the valley. A large number of passengers had ar rived that day and Geordie had conse quently enjoyed himself. Every arrival meant a drink, every departure two or three, so, as I have said, Geordie Cava nagh was drunk, and as was customary with him when in that condition, verv 1 He managed to pick out a living." big ranches branded his few cattle at the round-ups. The stage passed through Quilchena from Spence's Bridge every Friday, and Geordie came for his mail every other trip. This was the other trip. Quilchena consisted of an hotel, a store, a town-hall, a few corrals and stables and a blacksmith shop. The stage had passed through some hours before. Most of the talkative. Some time in the dim past he had been a special policeman on election day and the party employing him had won. Since then Geordie thoroughly be lieved himself a heaven-sent politician, and every time he got tipsy he would ex plain how by his influence the victory was achieved. Geordie's name, put there by some body else, was on every petition that 54 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. went through that part of the country. He had often begged the members by petition to introduce a free trade meas ure, and as frequently prayed the Gov ernor-General to veto it should it go through. For "Sabbath Observance" he was an "old stand-by," on temperance and prohibition petitions, for closing country saloons on Sundays and for closing them always, "George Cava- nagh" might have been ' stereotyped, while as "For doing away with the brand in marking cattle" his was the only name obtained in the valley. His mail. too. was a large one. When things were slow in Ouilchena, as they usually were, it was the customary thing on the part of the more facetiously inclined resi- ing from the back room into the bar wakened him fully. He had his own, and during a discussion over the game, lowned his neighbour's drink; then bid ding them all good-bye staggered over to the store, where he had left his mail. Now, Geordie was an old man. Though it was only fifty yards across the road it was a long fifty for Geordie, but per severing he got there, and lurching into the store looked about for his mail. The proprietor and postmaster was out, so Geordie walked over to the counter where the mail was lying and grabbed the largest bunch. Carefully closing one eye, he tried hard to make out the ad dresses. He saw, or thought he saw, "George Cavanagh, Esq., Ouilchena, "The stage passed through every Friday." dents to answer in Geordie's name patent- medicine advertisements for the cure of afflicted humanity bald-headed men, fat people who wished to get thin, thin ones who wished to get fat, and the like. Hence his mail was always large. He had samples of nearly every cure-all on earth, and his house was filled with self- measurement blanks. He had luncheon at the hotel and was sitting outside in a very befuddled con dition. There was a card game going on inside and Geordie, of course was "in on the drinks," whence the necessity of keeping at least partly awake. Some- bodv had just got stuck, and the noise of the moving chairs and the crowd fil- B.C" He was sure about the "Esq.," and sure about the "Quilchena," and as he said to himself, he was the only "Esq." in Quilchena, the letters must be for him. Out of the store he went, around the corner and up the road homeward bound. His ranche was only a couple of miles away; half of the distance lay through some brush over an old Hud son's Bay trail. The wind was blowing down the valley half a gale, and dead against Geordie. He was taking a zig zag course, and from a distance, with his white coat distended he looked like a fishing boat beating to windward. Though the sun was low, and most of the road in the shelter of the mountains, CAPTURED SINGLE HANDED. 55 the dry alkaline ground was hot and dusty. The sun was sinking lower and lower, the shadows crept across the fields, beyond the ripples of the lake grew bright and dark again, and the mountains on the far side shone in the last rays of the setting sun. Geordie trudged up the road, mutter ing to himself as he went. His "load" was a bigger one than usual and was getting heavy. He wished, with all his heart, he was safely at home. As he turned off the road and 'up the trail he was tired and sleepy. Used to going to bed at sundown he could hardly keep his eyes open, while his standing powers were sadly weakened before leaving the hotel. The trail was crossed by a small creek about a half mile from the road, and to cross it without getting wet was a feat for an old man at any time, and to-day Geor die was hand icapped. He sat down and looked at the small narrow log across the water, and wondered how on earth he was going to walk it. Oh, i f somebody would o n 1 y lift .the lower end of the hill Up and spill - Geordie slept." the creek out, or if the val ley were but turned around so that he might be on the other side, or or if his thoughts grew more and more mud dled, the rippling of the creek fainter and fainter, the bottle he carried from the hotel slipped from his hand, and leaning back against a stump, Geordie slept. ena as the stage came over the hill, just where the trail branches off to Douglas Lake, the horses shied. The driver, old Murphy, knew what was up in a minute, and almost before he was hailed pulled up. Sure enough, there was the high wayman. A short, cut-off shot gun, pointed, so it seemed to the startled pas sengers, at each one of them. "Out with the stuff, Murph," came from under the flour-sack mask. "Dump it quick so you can make Morton's on time.'' "They didn't ship to-day," said Mur phy. "No stuff here. Only mail." He thought it best to say nothing about the other stage. "I guess I'll see for myself." And making the passengers get out the des perado "lined them up," and pointing his gun at one young f e 1- 1 o w's h e a d, made him search the other passen gers. Jewel lery was re turned, but all i The stage had been held up again by the same old lone-handed rustler. This day luckilv for the company, they had despatched two stages, one with the mail and passengers, the other with the sup plies and wages for the Stump Lake mines. About two miles from Quilch- money was quickly trans ferred to the highwayman's pockets. "Now Mur phy, out with the mine money and re gistered m?il." "No mine money here I tell you," growled Murphy. "Look for yourself." "No," said the highwayman, who seemed quite at his ease and well ac quainted with his business, "I'll send my agent," and he made the young man climb into the stage and throw out the mail. The registered mail he knew at a glance, for he grabbed it at once and let the other sacks lie on the ground. "Now gee up, and gents, don't look back." Murphy gee'd up, and the gents didn't look back. ***** Upon the arrival of the stage at Kam- loops the story of this latest robbery 56 THE B. G. MINING RECORD. created a profound sensation. Though very little money had been taken, the appalling frequency of these robberies rendered extraordinary measures neces sary. The large rewards already offered for the bandit's capture were doubled. Posses were organized and started to scour the country, almost before the horses had been taken out of the stage. Now, there were two young English men in the town at the time, just out from home, good-natured, strapping young fellows, but woefully green as to the ways of the country. They had been working up-country, but coming to town with their wages, and receiving a small remittance, had promptly proceed ed to enjoy themselves as far as the lim ited capacity of the town permitted. But here was a chance of a more exciting ex perience. Why not capture the rob ber and earn the reward? The concep tion was a grand one, and they speedily proceeded to carry it into effect. They came upon Geordie just as he was awakening from his slumbers, and he rose up with two rifles levelled at his head. Geordie wondered was it a bad dream, but before he could make up hi.> mind, he was bound and thrown over a horse, with his ankles tied to the cinch. The young fellows were jubilant. There was the robber with the stolen mail in his possession addressed to the most prominent rancher in the valley. His captors promptly gathered up the letters as evidence, finding also just off the trail the registered bag, cut open. The evi dence was complete; they had the rob ber and theirs would be the reward. Hooray! and they took a drink out of Geordie's bottle. The Kamloops posse had reache;! Quilchena and were coming back up the road with several of the cowboys of that place, Ned, the hotel-keeper, at their head, when the Englishmen with their captive caught sight of them. "For Heaven's sake. Sheldon." ex claimed one. "take this fellow awav and hide him. or these men^will claim the re ward. Wait till I go and explain to the sheriff that we made the capture." The explanation evidently took some time, and meanwhile Geordie resumed his slumbers. This was Sheldon's op portunity to satisfy his curiosity as to what was going forward. So tying the horse on which the unfortunate, though unconscious prisoner peacefully reposed, securely to a tree, he made his way cau tiously to the road. Sheldon, however, had hardly got out of sight, before a man sprang out of the bush. It was the gen uine highwayman! The man ran to wards Sheldon's horse, and intent upon escape, began hastily to cut loose Geor die's bonds. Poor Geordie, being thus rudely aroused, and for the second time, gave a wild whoop and lurching sudden ly forward, fell heavily on the top of his rescuer. The posse hearing the yell, rushed up, to find the two men on the ground locked in each other's arms. "Where's your robber?" asked Ned, the hotel man. "There," pointing to Geordie, who oc cupied the uppermost position in the pic- . turesque and recumbent group of com bined rascality and alcoholism. "Quick, get him; he's trying to escape." Geordie was raised with more energy and less respect than should be properly accorded to the venerable grey hairs of the father of a promising family. But, so fast was the grip of the inebriated one upon his prostrate foe that the latter was lifted, too, and, being "up-ended" in the process, there gushed from his greasy pockets a torrent of Her Britannic Ma jesty's registered mail: mingled with which was a mask of dirty sacking. Tn the limp hand (for Geordie was no feath er-weight and the man was half-stunned) was a murderous-looking "bowie" knife. "Bandit, you chuckle-headed tender- feet," Ned bawled, "this here's old Geor die Cavanagh, who never robbed anyone but himself and family. But, by the holy poker, he's caught our man, this cove down here. Geordie's caught him, and, by thunder, Geordie gets the reward." And Geordie got it. BRITISH COLUMBIA BEFORE CONFEDERATION. Some Odds and Ends of Early History (1776 to 1864). By E. O. S. SCHOLEFIELD, Provincial Librarian. HILE the annals of British Columbia are generally free from those exciting 1 stories of stirring incidents that usually live in the traditions of nations, yet the history of our Province will be found by no means devoid of interest, and is often fascinating. Little or noth ing is known of this portion of the coast of western North America previous to the year 1776, when that great circum navigator. Captain Cook, visited and explored its shores. At that time the country was divided among savage tribes of Indians, who from time immemorial had held undisputed sway over the land. The ascendancy of the Indians, however, has long since waned and they are now fast disappearing from our midst. DISCOVERY AND EARLY HISTORY OF THE PACIFIC. Much romantic interest attaches to the history of the discovery of the Pacific Ocean in the i6th century. Spain was then in the very zenith of her fame as a mighty maritime nation. But the lustre of her glory was about to be dimmed and later totally eclipsed by England's rising naval power, which in after years was destined to astonish and awe the world. The Spaniards were undoubtedly the pioneers of discovery on the Pacific Coast and their explorations were the re sult of endeavours to reach India by a western route. Vague accounts, too, of the wealth of China and Japan had come to the ears of these hardy adventurers, and they determined to monopolize the commerce in the gold, silks, spices and precious stones that rumour had it were produced in fabulous quantities by these countries. Stories of Spanish successes on the Pacific Coast reached the shores of Eng land and incited the sturdy seamen >f that nation to visit these waters and take a hand in the game there being played. Expeditions under well-known com manders were fitted out and despatched to the Pacific, more it must be confessed in the hope of reaping a rich re ward by pillaging Spanish settle ments than with any peaceful intention of exploration and discovery. These grim old privateers harried the Spanish Main, striking terror into the hearts of their enemies. Their names have been handed down in many a legend of blood and fire. But the narrative of their ad ventures is too well known to be repeated here even though space permitted. The Pacific Ocean was discovered by Vasco Numez de Balboa in the year 1513. From that date the work of exploration and discovery was continued at intervals. In 1532 the Spaniards fitted out an ex pedition under the command of Grizalva and Becerra, which succeeded in sighting the peninsula of Lower California. In T 535 the famous Cortez took possession of this peninsula in the name of His Catholic Majesty. A little -later Spanish settlements were established on the coasts of Mexico and from one of these an expedition was despatched in 1542 to explore the coast to the north. It is claimed that this expedition reached the vicinity of the 43rd parallel and discov ered Cape Blanco, named by Captain Vancouver at a later date, Cape Orford. In virtue of a Papal bull, conferring on Ferdinand and Isabella "all the new world to the westward of a meridian drawn a hundred leagues west of the Azores," Spain claimed possession of the territory thus explored. The remaining portion was assigned to Portugal by Pope Alexander VI. But when Eng land renounced allegiance to the Roman See she ignored the validity of any title thus conferred "by donation by the Bishop of Rome." and'maintained the rip-ht of British subjects to settle in any country not in the actual occupation of another Christian nation. This policy having been officiallv de- 58 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. clared by Queen Elizabeth, Sir Francis Drake, with the sanction of the authori ties, started on his historic voyage to the Pacific with the object of harassing the Spanish fleet, which had hitherto held undisturbed control over the western coast of America. In 1577 this heroic buccaneer, who was the first Englishman to navigate the Straits of Magellan, sail ed from Plymouth on his adventurous quest. Drake, after hardships and losses likely that this daring Englishman, whose romantic adventures will always live in the annals of British seamanship, paid very much attention to objects of less practical concern. His sole aim was to return safely with his plunder. With this end in view, rather than run the gauntlet of the Spaniards to the south, whom he well knew were burning to re venge the indignities suffered at his hands, Drake decided to return by way of the northwest passage, in the exist- Hudson's Bay Company's Steamer Beaver. The Beaver arrived at Astoria on April 4th, 1836. which would have broken the spirit of a man less brave and determined, reached the Pacific and sailing north discovered California, which he named New Albion. His voyage, however, was not prim arily one of discovery, but made rather with the object of plundering the richly laden galleons of Spain returning with spoils gathered from the ancient cities of South America, whose inhabitants were treated with such refined cruelty by their Iberian conquerors. It is, therefore, un- ence of which he, in common with the mariners of his age, had a firm belief Eventually he was forced to abandon his attempt and return by way of the Phil- lipines and the Cape of Good Hope, thus completing the first voyage round the world. The precise parallel of latitude reached by Drake on his northward voyage has been the subject of much discussion, more particularly in connection with the Oregon boundary. The chaplain of the B. C. BEFORE CONFEDERATION. 59 expedition specifies that "the height of forty-eight degrees" was attained. It is impossible, however, to ascertain at this late date the exact spot arrived at by Drake; but it is altogether probable that to him belongs the distinction of having been the first to lay claim to the land be tween the 43rd and 48th parallels of north latitude. While reviewing the early history of the Pacific Coast, it would be improper, even in such a cursory resume as the present, to pass without notice the story of the first reputed navigation of the channel separating the Mainland of Brit- Queen Charlotte Sound. De Fuca im agined as he emerged into these waters that he had passed from the Paci fic to the Atlantic and accordingly claimed to be regarded as the discoverer of the celebrated northwest passage, the search for which has only terminated in recent years. Interesting as the account of this voyage must always be it is never theless somewhat mythical; although, in justice to Juan de Fuca, it is but fair to state that in the light of modern research the story of his voyage has met with acceptance among those who have stud ied the earlv historv of these waters. Wreck of the Beaver, Brockton Point. ish Columbia from the Island of Van couver. It has been asserted that this voyage was accomplished by a Greek named Apostolos Valerianos, better known now as Juan de Fuca. In an ex citing narrative published in 1625 by one Michael Lock it is set forth that this Greek, having been commissioned by the Spanish Governor of Mexico to explore these northern waters, entered the strait which bears his name, sailed through the Gulf of Georgia, and, having navigated safely the intricate passage to the north of the latter, at last reached Cook, in his third great voyage, hav ing, of course ; heard of the voyage of Juan de Fuca, determined once and for all to dispose of any doubt in regard to the existence of the sheet of water claim ed to have been navigated by the old Greek pilot. He therefore examined the coast with much care as far north as the 48th parallel. Finding no opening cor responding to De Fuca's description, he gave up the search and declared the story of this reputed discovery to have been altogether fictitious. Cook then continued his voyage up the coast, 60 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. ing on his way north the entrance to the very strait in the existence of which he had averred his entire disbelief. During the i8th century the British and Spanish prosecuted with more or less vigour the work of exploration along the west coast and many expeditions were despatched with a view to obtaining information concerning those wild, un known waters. In 1774 Juan Perez set sail from Monterey on one of these ex ploratory surveys. Heading north he passed without notice the entrance to the Strait of Fuca and on the i8th of July sighted the Queen Charlotte Islands. On his homeward journey, it is alleged believing that the latter was the one in vogue among the natives. As previously mentioned, in the story of Captain Cook's great undertaking, which was given to the world in 1782, we have the first authentic description of an important part of the coast of British Columbia. Although Juan Perez had preceded Cook, yet little is known re garding the results attained by him owing to the fact that the records of his discoveries were never made public by the Spanish Government. Beyond the knowledge that Perez discovered the Queen Charlotte Islands and anchored in the vicinity of Nootka Sound, Government House, Victoria, destroyed by fire in May, 1899. by Spanish and American writers, he discovered Nootka Sound, and anchored in a bay named by him Port San Lorenzo, in honour of the Saint on whose day it was discovered. Some years later Captain Cook visited this spot, which he named King George Sound, after the king who had done so much to encourage among his subjects the exploration of far distant and little known lands. Cook, however, subse quently changed the name to Nootka, which latter place was destined at a later period to play an important part in the history of this coast, we have little information respecting his expedi tion. In succeeding years Captains Portlock and Dixon, Lieut. Meares, and many other traders and navigators, all more or less well known, visited and explored our coasts, many of whom have bequeathed to posterity interesting and valuable ac counts of their adventures. B. C. BEFORE CONFEDERATION. 61 In the year 1788 Meares erected at Nootka a small building, which he forti fied against the Indians. He then pro ceeded to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, leaving a portion of his crew to con struct a small vessel to be used for trad ing purposes. This little sloop, christ ened the "Northwest- America." was the first vessel ever constructed in the coun try north of California. It may be inter esting to add that it was built by the aid of Chinese carpenters, being, in all prob ability, the first instance of Mongolian employment in our Province. From this time on, Nootka derived some import ance from becoming the rendezvous of Spaniards determined to put a stop to all encroachments. Martinez was or dered to proceed to Nootka and in the name of Spain take possession of the Sound. Trouble arose between Mar tinez and Colnett and Hudson, who had been sent thither by Meares under the British flag. Finally, their ships, the Princess Royal, the Argonaut, and the Northwest-America, were seized and their cargoes placed on board the Span ish ships of war. Colnett was arrested and suffered many indignities at the hands of his captors, and, later, was sent to Mexico, where he was at last liberated by order of the Viceroy. The piratical Old Post Office and Custom House, Victoria, thirty years ago. the traders, who had already begun to frequent these waters for the purpose of procuring the valuable fur of the sea otter and other animals, in which a large and lucrative trade was soon established. The Spanish authorities, who claimed the sole right to navigate the Pacific on the northwest coast of America, becom ing aware of the visits of the various traders, sent an expedition in 1788 in command of Fstinez Martinez and Goiv- zales Haro to obtain information regard ing the reputed depredations of these ad venturers. In the following vear the action of the Spanish commander, as soon as it became generally known, evoked the greatest indignation amongst the British people. In an inconceivably short space of time a large fleet was as sembled and for some months the whole civilized world was in suspense and an xiety as to the issue. Eventually, how ever. Captain Vancouver was despatched in charge of the ship Discovery and the brig Chatham to determine with the Spanish Commissioner what indemnity should be made to the British subjects who had suffered on account of the un- 62 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. toward action of the emissary of the Spanish Government. It was in connec tion with this difficulty that Meares pre sented to the House of Commons his somewhat celebrated "Memorial on the Nootka Affair." The Spaniards eventu ally relinquished their extravagant claims, war was averted, and British su premacy was finally and firmly estab lished. In addition to the official business up on which he had been despatched, Van couver was directed to explore the coast of the Pacific from the 35th to the 6oth parallel of north latitude, and to keep a look out for the northwest passage. He was particularly ordered to examine into the open waters of Queen Charlotte Sound. Ariving at Nootka, Vancouver and the Spanish Commander, Quadra, compared together the notes and charts of their voyages through the Strait of Fuca; and it was agreed between them that the great island which that arm of the sea separated from the American continent should bear the names of both. And thus it appeared on maps and charts for many years as the Island of Quadra and Vancouver, although the former name has now been dropped, and it is known to the world simply as Van couver Island. Vancouver departed on his homeward voyage in 1/94. During the years lie The old jail, Bastion Square, Victoria, since pulled down. with great care the Strait of Juan de Fuca. After a futile search for the mouth of the Columbia River, which was subsequently discovered by Captain Gray, after whose vessel this magnificent river was named, Vancouver proceeded to survey the Strait of Fuca. On the 22nd of June. 1792, as he was returning from Jervis Inlet he met the Sutil and Mexicana, two Spanish men-of-war, in command of Galiano and Valdes. Van couver received a most courteous recep tion and information was exchanged in the most friendly manner. Then separ ating, Vancouver threaded his way through the islands of the Gulf of Geor gia and Johnstone Strait, sailing at last spent in the northwest American waters he was indefatigable in prosecuting the surveys, for which his name has since be come justly famous. The explorations which he carried to such a successful is sue have not been excelled by any other navigator. They were faithfully and thoroughly performed. The charts and plans drawn under his direction will al ways stand a lasting monument to the patience and industry displayed by this great navigator, often under very ad verse circumstances. Vancouver died in May, 1798, completely worn out with his labours, before his report was quite fin ished. It is impossible in the space allotted B. C. BEFORE CONFEDERATION. 63 to this article to discuss at any length, or even mention all those "forgotten worth ies" who gave their time, and too often their lives, in exploring this coast. In many instances their only monuments are the names which they have left scat tered up and down the shores of the Pacific. There is much to be ad mired in the characters of these rug ged old sea dogs who braved the dangers of the unknown deep in their frail ves sels, with scanty accommodation, and faulty instruments, in the vague endea vour to satisfy the restless, adventurous prosperous communities along the coast of Northwest America. THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY AND COLONIAL DAYS. The history of the Great Northwest from Hudson's Bay to the Pacific is in- dissolubly linked to that of the powerful corporation, which for so many years guided the destinies of this great wilder ness. On the i6th of May, 1669, Charles II. conferred a royal charter on the "The Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading into the Hudson's Government House, New Westminster, in 1860. spirit working within them. The spirit of the age in which they lived imbued them with a love of travel and adventure, which resulted in discoveries of vast im portance to all mankind. The search for the northwest passage, the desire for new and rich do minions by the rulers of the Old World ; covetousness for the trade in the rich furs so greatly prized by all civilized nations; the thirst for gold; these were the potent causes that led to the explor ation of these northern waters and re sulted in the establishment of free and Bay." This immense concern received many rights and privileges, the vast im port of which was scarcely thought of when the grant was made. By the terms of the charter, provisions were made for the election of a governor, of a deputy governor, and a committee of seven members, who were to have the direction of all voyages, sales, and other business of the company for the elec tion of new members and for holding at particular periods a general court of the company. The first company and their successors were made lords pro- 64 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. prietors of the territories which had been granted them, holding the lands "in fr^e and common socage, and not in capite, or by knight's service;" and they were em powered to make laws and regulations for the government of their possessions, which may "be reasonable, and not con trary or repugnant, but as near as may be agreeable, to the laws, statutes, and customs," of England. The whole trade, fishery, navigation, minerals, etc., of the countries under their control was grante 1 to the company exclusively, all others of the King's subjects being forbidden to Majesty's plantations or colonies, in America, called Rupert's land." Thus it will be seen that the Hudson's Bay Company possessed by its charter almost sovereign powers over the portion of America drained by rivers flowing into Hudson's Bay. This great company gradually extended its sway until trading posts and forts were estab lished on the shores of the Pacific itself. With the advent of the Hudson's Bay Company the history of British Colum bia really commences. The early history of Canada on the Pacific is, in fact, but Government Street, Victoria, in the Sixties. "visit, haunt, frequent, trade, traffic, or adventure," therein, under heavy penal ties, and the company was, moreover, empowered "to send ships, and to build fortifications, for the defence of its pos sessions," as well as to make war or peace with all nations or people, not Christian, inhabitating those territories, which are declared to be thenceforth "reckoned and reputed as one of His the story of the occupation of this west ern land by that company. As earlv as 1842 Chief Factor James Douglas (afterwards Sir James), had re commended the Indian village of Camo- sun (now Victoria) as a very proper site for a trading station and fort. The sit uation, to privileges of exclusive trade with the In dians granted to the Hudson's Bay Com pany some twenty years previously, and an Act to provide for the government of British Columbia was passed by the House of Commons. In the same year Sir James Douglas was appointed Gov ernor of the new colony thus created. He was duly sworn in by Chief Justice Beg- bic (afterwards Sir Matthew Baillie) at Fort Langley. Sir James now divided his time between the two colonies, build ing roads and bridges and attending to other matters of importance. In spite of his increasing years he was almost as active as ever, making tours through the country and reporting thereon to the Colonial Secretary. Lord Lytton, who al ways exhibited the liveliest interest in the welfare of the two colonies on the Pacific. In 1863 Sir James Douglas's commis sion as Governor of Vancouver Island lapsed. In that year he received the honour of knighthood in just recognition of the great services which he had so faithfully rendered. Mr. Arthur Ken- ney was appointed Governor of Vancou ver Island in his place. In 1864, Mr. Frederick Seymour was appointed to succeed Sir James is Governor of the Colony of British Col umbia. In the same year the latter re tired from public life, and many were the manifestations of regret and found expression on the severance of his con nection with official affairs. Thus we take leave of the strongest personality in the history of our Province, to whom we are indebted for the peaceful establishment of constitutional government in this dis tant part of the empire. Sir James died in 1867, full of years and honour. It might be said in conclusion that U has been altogether impossible to more than refer in most general terms to a few interesting points connected with the earlier history of British Columbia. Many well-known names and many im portant events have been left unmen- tioned, not for lack of appreciation on the .part of the writer, but simply because it is impossible to cover the whole ground in an article of this description. THE INDIANS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. A BRIEF REVIEW OF THEIR PROBABLE ORIGIN, HISTORY AND CUSTOMS. (By J. W. MACKAY.) // E find that in several important particulars these Indians differ widely from the race so often described by authors and travellers as the typical North American Indian. The changes consequent on the opening of the country for settle ment have largely modified their circumstances and habits, -but in their pristine condition they mostly lived in large communities on and near the sea coast, depending mainly on the products of their fisheries for their sustenance. Their abodes were substantially built of wooden dwellings, and they were industrious, active and keen traders. Although they had frequent forays and occasional wars, they seldom entered on these from motives of bravado and rarely took scalps; but for mercenary purposes they took all the captives possible, whom they sold as slaves, and many of them by such means amassed considerable wealth in kind. When they made a successful foray for revenge they decapitated their victims and brought the heads home as trophies. Sometimes, however, they were 'unsuccessful, in which event some of the attacking party would be brought home without their heads, as happened 'n the case of the Sooke chief, in 1848, who led a strong armed party to attack Tsu-hay-lam, a Ouamichan chief. The attacking party numbered about 150 armed men, comprised of contingents from the Sooke, Songhees, Clalam and Skatchet bands. Tsu-hay-lam was at the time living at his stronghold on a rocky point which juts into Cowichan Bay with a garrison of six men besides himself. The- attacking party landed at night and surrounded his premises. The Sooke chief and a young Songhees. brave, both armed and carrying material for setting Tsu-hay-lam's pali sades on fire, had nearly succeeded in igniting the material, when one of the main party displaced a stone on the hillside at the back of Tsu-hay-lam's en closure, and the stone rolling down made noise enough to disturb the garrison, one of whom ven tured to reconnoitre the enemy through a loop-hole. He was just in time to see the Sooke chief blow the smouldering embers of sil-tsip, or friction stick, into flames and shot the incendiary instanter, mortallv wounding him. Tsu-hay-lam Dromotlv sortied p.nd cut the dyine man's head off. He then hailed his now alarmed and fleeing assailants and intimated to them that they were at liberty to take away with them what was left of the slain warrior. It has been mentioned that some of the Indians in former days amassed considerable wealth by trading and by selling into slavery the captives taken in their forays on their neighbours. In those times the In dians were largely communists within the circle of each band, and but for a habit, which I shall ,1 72 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. A fypiral^atriarch of the tribes. THE INDIANS OF B. C. 73 describe, any person holding more than the ordinary quantity of property was liable to be forced to divide with his neighbours, or he might be killed and his property would then be appropriated by his slayers. But under a long-established habit the wealthy Indian periodically divided his surplus wealth. He would collect large quantities of food, invite his friends and acquaintances from other bands, give a great feast and thereat distribute his goods and chattels to his assembled guests. At these assemblies Comiakans, from Cowichan, and Sush- waps, from Kamloops. During fhe feast a disturbance took place with two bands who had a long-standing feud be tween them, which now culminated and ended in a fight. In the melee the Cowichans and Sushwaps decamped: but an excited young Sushwap got into a Comiakan canoe and was some dis tance off shore, sweeping down the swift Fraser before the mistake was dis covered. The Comiakans, expecting the chief, suggested throwing the stranger A Group of Vancouver Island Indians, in the sixties. there was much ceremony, feasting and speech-making; much importance being attached to such functions, and the In dians looked forward to attending them with great eagerness, sometimes travel ling several hundred miles to reach the objective point. About the beginning of this century the chief at Lytton gave a feast of this kind, to which Indians from all parts of the Province, speaking dialects of the so-called Salish language, were invited. Among them were overboard, but the chief proposed mak ing a slave of him. His daughter ob jected, however, and her father sarcas tically remarked that perhaps she would like the Sushwap stranger to be her hus band. She acquiesced to the proposal and the matter was thus arranged to the satisfaction of all concerned. The eldest son of the happy couple was chief of the Comiakan band until he died a few years ago. The property divided at these meetings had to be variously ac- 74 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. counted for. Articles distributed to the indigent, old, and afflicted were given gratis; articles distributed to the com monalty were expected to be recouped by service when hereafter required to the value of the property given, with in terest added; articles given to persons A group of Victoria Indians. of consequence were to be repaid by property of equal value, plus interest, which would be reckoned according to the length of time occupied by the re cipient in reimbursing the donor. It will thus appear that this distribution of property was of great importance to Indians of all classes, as it not only affected them socially, tending to en- Making Oolachan Grease, Naas River. large their ideas by the opportunities afforded for the interchange of informa tion, but was really the foundation of their fiscal system and had a primary influence in directing their intertribal policy. The several dialects spoken by the Indians of this Province would appear to be derived from three distinct lan guages, to which writers on the sub ject, from want of more appropriate terms, have given the somewhat arbi trary names of the Salish Kuak-yohl and Tinneh languages. Added to these is the Haidah, a fourth and distinct language, of which only one dialect ex ists. All the Indians speaking dialects of these languages hold traditions to the effect that they pushed their way from the north southward, the Tinneh In dians, whose congeners are still to be found in the Yukon and Mackenzie val leys, being the last migration. Their legends point to their having partly destroyed and partly intermarried with tribes who had occupied the country be- Thompson River Indians. fore them, and whose very names are now nearly wholly forgotten. The con sequence of these intermarriages is shewn in the wonderful modifications which their original languages have sustained, changes being observed in the words used by bands who are near neighbours. A remarkable instance of the comparatively short period in which an Indian language may be lost is ex hibited in the case of the Similkameen band of Indians. About one hundred and twenty years ago a party of Chil- cotins, mostly young men with their wives but no children, left their country on the war-path against the Sushwaps of the Bonapare (Tluhtans). On their arrival at Tluhtans thev found no In- THE INDIANS OF B. C. 75 dians. The salmon season had been earlier than usual and the Sushwaps had left for their fishing grounds on the Fraser at the foot of Pavilion Mountain. Finding no Indians the Chilotins, who were strangers to the locality, imagined that they had not gone far enough. They consequently extended their excursion down the Thompson and encamped op posite the mouth of the Nicola, near the present site of Spence's Bridge on the Thompson River. In the meantime the Sushwaps hearing of the raid sent scouts on their trail, followed by the main body of their armed men, dow y n the Thompson to the encampment of the raiders. The N-hla Kapm-uhs, of Lytton, who are friends of the Sushwaps, came up the Thompson to their assistance at the same time. The Chilcotins were then between two armed forces of ene mies with inaccessible mountains be hind them and the swift Thompson in front. Their enemies delayed the final attack until night; but as soon as it was dark the Chilcotins tied their bow strings to the top knots of their hair and swam the river, landing on the other side thereof before their enemies were aware of their movements. They now strung their bows and prepared for battle, but their opponents would not attack them at such disadavantage. Under cover of the night they moved up the river and then crossed over. This delay gave the Chilcotins the oppor tunity of moving away from them, and they retreated southward, keeping ap a running fight for several days, unril they reached the Allison fork of the Similkameen, where, in a defile, they ambushed their pursuers and defeated them with great slaughter. There were no inhabitants in the Upper Similka meen Valley at that time and they held their own there through the winter. In the spring they made common cause with the Okanagans (Ukanakane) against the two tribes above men tioned. After a successful raid, the Sushwaps were driven from the Okana- gan (Ukanakane) valley, which they had occupied as far south as the Mis sion. Then at Mission on the Okana- gan Lake the Chilcotins and Ukana- kanes made a treaty, offensive and de fensive. They exchanged wives, and in three generations the Chilcotin dialect was lost to the now named Simil-a-ka- muh, who speak the U-ka-na-kane dia lect, there being only two or three of the old men of the second generation from the raiders who know a few words of the Chilcotin dialect. The Haidah band is unique amongst the B.C. Indians as regards their lan guage, as there does not appear to be any affinity between it and the dialects of the other tribes. Some of their words are said to be of the same sound and signification with words in some Japanese dialects, and there may be foundation for the contention. Since this Coast has been frequented by white traders, three junks, manned by- Japanese crews, have been wrecked be- fween~Victoria and the mouth of Col umbia River. The last wreck of this kind occurred in 1858, when the "Carib bean," an English vessel from San Francisco, consigned to the Hudson's Bay Company at Victoria, and laden with provisions, picked up the Japanese crew of a water-logged junk off the coast near Gray's Harbour. The crew, seven in number, were, at Esquimalt Harbour, made to stand in line with the Haidah crew of a canoe on the quarter-deck of the "Caribbean/' and as they were all costumed alike, there did not appear to be any physical difference between the members of the two races under examination. The Haidahs may be the des cendants of Japanese shipwrecked sailors and women of the so-called Tlinkeet race inhabiting Alaska. The Haidahs are found on the Queen Char- loHe""group of Islands in B.C. and -it Prince of Wales Island in Alaska. The Haidah and their neighbours, the Tsimpsians, who are of Tinneh origin, made neat and highly character istic carvings in wood, ivory and stone. Silver and gold bracelets and bangles were also engraved by them for their own uses and for sale to curiosity hunters. Their to tem - (Indian Tua-tame) poles are cur ious as representing their family pedi gree for several generations, the con necting links of history being given or ally by the historian of the sept con cerned, who is usuallv an elderlv uncle 76 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. or other near relative to the head of the house. A few words in explanation of the application of the so-called to-tems may not here be out of place. Much un necessary obscurity has been thrown on the meaning of Indian leg-ends which have been rendered into the cultivated tongues, owing to the translations hav ing been made literally, giving no con sideration to the construction and idioms of the Indian language. Vocabularies of Indian words may readily be obtained, states that a crow married a woman (whose name is probably not given) and had progeny who became distinguished for certain attributes, he means that some chief or other Indian, the crest of whose family or sept represented a crow, mamed so and so, and so on. As to intermarriages of Indians with bears, wolves, foxes and other impossible and unnatural marital connections, an ap preciation of this fact would render in telligible and interesting many transla tions of these legends, which otherwise \ Totems at Skidegate. although the spelling and pronunciation of such is usually very defective, but it takes years of study and practice to en able the stranger to apply Indian words idiomatically and to give their true meaning when used in sentences, and no narratives can be more untrustworthy than are Indian legends which have been rendered literally into writ ten languages by indifferent translators. When an Indian narrator, following the words of a legend as repeated to him, appear nonsensical and unnatural. The construction of all the Indian dialects in this Province differs totally from that of any of the modern cultivated lan guages. Literal translations are there fore impracticable in the way of conveying the sense intended. The translator to be successful must thoroughly understand the idioir. of the dialect he is treating, then he may by paraphrasing the subject matter from the Indian into the culti- THE INDIANS OF B. C. 77 vated language succeed in conveying to the mind of the reader or hearer the sub stance thereof. The important personage known as the Indian Doctor or Medicine Man was certainly not a doctor in the proper sense of the term, unless by straining the application of the title he might be called a Doctor of Duplicity, as he cer tainly was the incarnation of deception. He neither used nor applied medicines, and therefore could not properly be called a medicine man. His method of least $30. The young men before paying the fee applied to Chief John Silheetsa, for advice. After silently consider ing the subject for a few minutes he told the young men that he was of opinion that there were already liars enough in the band for all practical purposes and advised them to turn their attention to some subject that in the advancing cir cumstances of the band would probably prove of more lasting benefit to them, it being, moreover, very unlikely that the Indians would much longer sub- Manhousett Indians, at Refuge Cove, Vancouver Island. (From a photograph taken in the sixties.) curing consisted in uttering protracted howls and making violent gesticulations and contortions of his body over his prostrate patient. There are compara tively few of his faculty now in exist ence. A few years ago E-cha-hau, the Indian doctor of the Spahamin band offered to teach two of his nephews the secrets of his profession, provided they each paid him $100, he also wanted from each of them a retaining fee of one good saddle horse, to be worth it mit to being deceived by such false pre tenses as are exhibited by the Indian doctor. The Indians know of herbs found in the country which have valu able medicinal effects, and it would ap-. pear important that these remedies bo enquired into and their properties, if valuable, scientifically demonstrated. Many of the Coast Indians are good workers in wood. Their canoes are capacious and well modelled, and as hand-power craft they attain great 78 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. speed in proportion to their carrying capacity. The B.C. Indians all believed in a Supreme Being, the Creator of the Uni verse, Invisible, Omniscient and Omni present, but mostly quiescent, i.e., at rest, and only in times of incomprehen sible danger was this great being con sidered by them. Every locality had its good or bad spirit. These were the con stant objects of the Indian's fears or favours as the case might be. Some twenty-three or twenty-four years ago the writer when half way through the Stikine Canyon and at the most dan gerous part, in a canoe with a crew of Stikine Indians, was delayed about fif teen minutes, holding on to the rocky Indian Johnnie, Queen Charlotte Island. walls of the gorge, on account of a sud den darkness caused, on a cloudy day, by a total eclipse of the sun. During that interval the Indian crew bowed their heads and prayed continually. The phenomenon was beyond their comprehension, and they appealed to the Great and Good Father of All for help. On another occasion, with a crew of Cape Fox Indians, the writer on the way from Wrangel to Port Simpson, had taken the inside channel between Wrangel Island and the Mainland, and when opening out the long reach which leads to Cape Spencer the sea appeared smooth, the weather being calm, with a contrary tide. The steersman of the crew was a "Wind Maker," and was asked to invoke the Spirit of the local ity for a fair wind. He remained silent for a few minutes and then steered for a half-tide rock which was just awash, there being a gentle swell on. When nearing the rock he uttered some words of incantation and then the crew each threw an offering thereon some tobacco, bread, an old hat, and other articles. The "Wind Maker" next struck the rock three times with his paddle, uttering the while some strange words. The crew splashed the water with their paddles in the direction in which they wanted the wind to blow, and immediately a gentle zephyr rip pled the water. The wind steadily in- Indian Mary, Massett, B C. creased and in ten minutes the crew ceased paddling and sat in the bottom of the canoe for ballast. The wind blew steadily until Cape Spencer was reached, the distance being from fifteen to twenty miles. On inquiry it transpired that the "Wind Maker" did not under stand the meaning of the \vords he used, they were to him empty sounds of mighty import. The Indians possessed woolly dogs, who were periodically sheared, their wool being spun by distaff and woven b\ hand into blankets. The mountain goat wool was used for the same purpose. The inner bark of the yellow cedar was also made into a soft, warm blanket, THE INDIANS OF B. C. 79 which was sometimes fringed with fur by way of ornament. But little cloth ing was worn in warm weather, the men frequently going naked. They made waterproof hats and waterproof vessels of the roots of the black spruce, and also a black dye of roasted iron pyrites boiled with alder bark. Yellow and red dyes were obtained from native plants. The Indians used to paint pictures of faces, canoes and figures on the outer walls of their dwellings with red ochre. They painted their faces also with ver- of native nettle, a plant commonly known as tne 'firewged. and from the fibre of the ina^r bark of the red and yellow cedars. The long flexible stem of the common kelp was also used for fishing lines : ~the~mner bark of the wil low was used for strapping stones for sinkers in deep-sea hsning. Some wil lows yielded a stronger and much more pliable fibre than others, the present site of Victoria, particularly that portion which lies between Wharf and Douglas Street and in the neighbourhood of the 4 Indian Types. million, copper oxide, copper carbonate, molybdenum sulphide, and with fine ly pulverized iron glance and hydrated iron oxide. These colours were also applied as pigments to their ornaments and dwellings. They boiled waiter by means of heated stones plunged into water held in the water-tight buckets above mentioned. They produced fire by the friction of one piece of wood on another. They made twine for fishing lines and nets from the fibre of a species junction of Cook Street and Belcher Street, yielded a wjllow with very strong fibre, hence the Indian name for the city of Victoria is Ku-sing-ay-las, meaning the place of the strong fibre. The Tamanawas dance their great winter function was a hideous exhibi tion with no redeeming feature to re commend it, excepting in the case of some of the more advanced Indians, who, by clever juggler) and sleight of hand, deceived even the more knowing 80 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. ones amongst the Indians, and certainly made it appear to the new-comers from abroad that the evil one was either pre sent or was very closely connected with the exhibition. The ceremonies involved an attempt at initiation into some my stery named Tamana-was amongst the Songhees and Cowichan speak ing bands, but beyond deceiving themselves and deceiving others the ini tiated learned nothing, saw nothing and heard nothing more extraordinary cotic properties, and was smoked and otherwise used as tobacco, its name be ing that now applied to imported to bacco. It is not certain when potatoes were introduced amongst them, but as they have a native name for the vege table it is probable that they may have obtained the plant from the south be fore the white man made his appear ance. The kamas and other roots, bulbous and tuberous, were also exten sively used by them as food. They Chilarin (old man) and Tol Ramault (old woman) of Somenos Indian Village both over 100 years of age. than their own howling. They experi enced a feeling of ecstasy for a short time, more or less intense, according to the condition of their nervous system; this being induced partly by their wish to be so affected and partly by hypnotic influences produced by the howling, drumming and other proceedings to which they were exposed from day to day during the progress of the function. In some parts of the Province the In dians cultivated a plant which had nar- trapped deer and bear and caught them in pits, and hunted the seal, killing them with bow and ar row and spear; they harpooned the whale and netted ducks and geese, thus their time was fully occupied in hunting, fishing, fighting and trading. As they did not wear much clothing they spent little time and means on the fashions, though the painting of their faces and bodies was sometimes an elaborate operation, but was only done THE INDIANS OF B. C. 81 in times of leisure, after a return fro.. 1 , a foray and when the larder had been well replenished. The probable origin of -the Haidah race has already been given. The Kuakyohl, Salish and Tinneh races probably^ came from the contin ent of~^\sia by way of the north ern portion of Behnng Sea, crossing from Asia to St. Lawrence Island, and thence to the nearest point on the coast of this continent, thence they probably ascended the Yukon and tributary val leys and extended southwards and eastward, following the streams to and from the several water sheds. The River. The Salish border the Tinnehs in the north, on the south they extend far into the United States territories, and in British Columbia from the Rocky Mountains to the shores of the Gulf of Georgia. Three bands of Salish are found on Dean's Canal, and at North and South Bentick Arm they appear to have pushed the Kuakyohl races west ward to the outer sea coast on the Paci fic Ocean. In this part of the Province these three bands of Salish are separ ated from their congeners to the south by the Tinnehs of Chilcotin and kin dred bands. The Kuakyohl bands oc cupy the country beginning a little Indian Passion Play, St. Mary's Mission. Tinnehs were the last migration, their affiliated bands to this day covering the northern portion of the continent south of the Innuits (Eskimo) on the coast of the Arctic Ocean and extend ing from Chesterfield Inlet on the east to nearly the mouth of the Yukon in the west. Of these the Chilcotin and kin dred bands reach the Fraser River as far south as the mouth of the Chilcotin north of Milbank Sound and extending southward immediately on the sea coast to Campbell River on the east side of Vancouver Island to Port San Juan, on the south after following the whole we^t coast of that island; on the Mainland they reach to the neighbourhood of Bute Inlet. There are evidences that other races oc cupied British Columbia prior to the 82 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. advent of the tribes or races under con sideration, some of these older bands being mound-builders; but so far noth ing tangible regarding their history has been developed. Much active inter-tribal intercourse existed amongst the B.C. Indians before the white man discov ered the country. Pee-la-ku-mu-la-uh. a Spokane chief who guided the two Canadian hunters, Finnan McDonald and Pierre Lagace from Hell's Gate in Masoula to Colvile, about the bepin- ning of this century, was known from Masoula, in Montana, to Lillooet, in B.C. He was slain at the latter place by an Indian from Anderson Lake. Marine shells are found in old Indian graves as far into the interior as Kam- loops. The native intercourse between the tribes on the east coast of Asia and those about the mouth of the Yukon by way of St. Lawrence Island still con tinues, parkies (leather shirts) made of the skin of the tame reindeer being found amongst the Indians of the Yu kon Valley to this day. The changes in habits and ideas de veloped amongst the Indians conse quent on the influx of civilized people are truly remarkable. Previous to that period the B.C. Indian on the Coast wore little clothing, went bare-footed, lived in dirty, smoky, ill-lighted, ill- ventilated dwellings, and any Indian outside of his band might be his enemy and might at any time kill him or sell him into slavery. He was imposed upon by the so-called medicine men, who in their turn were liable to prompt execu tion if an influential patient died whilst under their treatment. He was haunted by a constant dread of evil spirits and was frequently afflicted by epidemics, under which diseases hundreds died. Now he and his family are well clothed and well fed. Many of our Indians to day are well-to-do' farmers. Schools are established for the education of their children. They have learned to culti vate the soil with great success where the land is fertile; they own cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and poultry. Their wives dress in imported fabrics made into garments by themselves on sewing machines. Many of them live in frame built houses, well warmed, well lighted and well ventilated. They travel on the public roads in spring waggons, and in many respects exist under better condi tions than do the poorer people in older civilized countries. Their circumstances have in every respect been vastly im proved under the beneficent system or ganized for their care and advantage by the Government, and in some districts their numbers are steadily increasing. The interior Indians, who in early days lived or more correctly, starved during the winter in filthy underground dwellings, wearing the scantiest cloth ing, and often having little else besides frozen cactus and inferior species of fish for their sustenance, are now owners of large herds of horses and cattle, culti vate extensive fields and live in the style of the prosperous and civilized white man. The Indians did not quietly acquiesce in the appropriation of their unoccupied lands by the Government and at first showed ill-will on the -slightest provo cation. Such as lived near the Hud son's Bay Company's trading posts had by frequent intercourse with the traders learned to regard the whites as their superiors in every way and their best friends, but in the outlying districts con siderable friction at times prevailed be tween them and the incoming settlers. In the winter of 1852-3 two young In dians, a Cowichan and a Nanaimo, wantonly shot and killed a Scotch shep herd, Peter Brown, at Lake Hill. They were captured with the assistance of a detachment of marines and blue jackets from H.M.S. Thetis and were hanged on the south point of Protection Island opposite to the present town of Nanai mo. Much difficulty was experienced in arresting the young Nanaimo Indian, but he was hounded out of the Nanaimo village by constant raids being made thereon by his pursuers and took to the woods. A few inches of snow had fal len and his footprints being traced to where he had descended to Chase River to allay his thirst at the stream, his trail was followed to a heap of driftwood which crossed the bed of the little river. Here the scout Basil Bot- tineau, who was on the Indian's track, found himself at fault, and as it was af ter sunset and getting dark would have abandoned the search had not the Indian, who was in hiding under the driftwood, snapped his revolver at him. THE INDIANS OF B. C. 83 The cap and gunpowder in the charge were damp and neither exploded. The scout followed the direction of the sound, but in the gloaming could not distinguish the object of his search. In the meantime, the latter tried a second shot, when the cap only exploded, the flash thereof indicating his hiding place. The Indian was disicovered, knocked down and handcuffed in an instant, and the next morning he and the young Co- wichan Squeis, who had been arrested at Cowichan by the party on their w-ay up to Nanainio, were tried for murder on the quarter-deck of the steamer Beaver, found guilty and executed, these events happening between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on a frosty day in January, 1853. In 1856 a white settler in the Cowich an Valley was shot by the Somenos chief. An armed party from H.M.S. "Monarch" and "Trincomalee" was sent in the latter vessel, towed by the steamer "Otter," to investigate the mat ter. The party numbered about 500 blue jackets and marines, fully equipped with small arms and two 12-pounder brass field pieces. The force landed at the mouth of the Cowichan River, near the Comiakan village, on a Sunday afternoon 'and encamped there. During the night a friendly scout passed the sentries and reaching the tent occupied by the Governor's staff communicated to Governor Douglas some important information, which determined his course of action. The next day the forces moved to the plain beyond Quamichan. After passing through the Quamichan village about one thousand Indians came forward to meet them ac cording to their mode of warfare, naked and painted, armed with smooth-bore guns, bows and arrows and spears, and taking advantage of each tree for cover as they advanced firing their guns. For tunately their aim was high, and the whooping and veiling did no execu tion. The naval forces were ranged ^in several detachments over the plain with artillery in position ready for service. As soon as the Somenos chief was recog nised a detachment of marines were so manoeuvered as to surround him with his body-guard of several other Indians. The chief's gun had been discharged and he had no time to reload, but he cut a sergeant of marines badly with his dagger knife and wounded two of the officers before he was finally captured. As soon as it was known that he was taken his followers disappeared like magic and the day was won. The scene whilst it lasted was ex tremely picturesque. The chief was caught a little before noon, when the forces were piped to dinner. At i p.m. his trial began. He was convicted at 2 p.m. and sen tenced to be hanged. The execu tion took place at 3 p.m., the was hanged to the bough of an oak tree in his war-paint and feathers, and met his death with stoical indifference. He was an active, well-proportioned, mus cular young man and had only lately assumed the duties and responsibilities of chief of his band. When a boy he had been betrothed, according to Indian cus tom, to a Comiakan girl. When he succeeded his father as chief he claimed his promised bride, w r ho was now a young woman. She, though not fair, was false, and had listened to the wiles of the white settler. The chief then acted according to his lights and .-e- venged himself on his rival, but in do ing so he outraged the law of the white man and lost his life in consequence. In 1858, during the rush to the Fraser gold diggings, many encounters occur red between the miners and Indians and a number of lives were lost on both sides. In time, however, matters quiet ed down, the laws were extended through the settlements, the Indians soon learned to appreciate the advant ages of law and order, and excepting when occasionally under the influence of intoxicants they are remarkably well behaved. The following list shows the approxi mate number of the different races in this Province : Tiaidah 625 Tinneh 7-OOO Salish io,735 Kuakyohl 5- 2 3i Total 23,691 THE LAST INDIAN BATTLE. A TRUE STORY BY G. SHELDON-WILLIAMS. ILLUSTRATED BY T. BAMFORD. (All rights reserved.) ND it happened last January. To be correct, the bed-plates of the awe-in spiring trage dy were laid the 3 i s t of D e ce mber, 1898. The first flurry of snow was be- ginn in g to fall; a precur sor of the big storm which ushered in January of this year of grace, 1899. The dashing of the night-tide on the rock and shingle beach mingled with the howling of the wind to form a most soul-harrow ing and depressing dirge for the dying year. In the little frame building at the head of the bay, a building which com bined the qualities of saloon, hotel and store, the sense of depression did not, however, seem to be strongly in evi dence. True, the store was closed, but the saloon half of the building shed through its windows a cheery light on the dreary scene outside. In the warm, well-lighted bar sat some half dozen men. On the rough deal bar-counter lay a miscellaneous assortment of fire arms and cartridge-boxes; also several tumblers, and several bottles with labels of more or less startling hues pasted on their fat sides. A half-empty box of cigars completed the arrangement. The gentlemanly inhabitants of this Palace of Ease were engaged in the sin ful and seductive game known as "Black Jack." It is a game which a slight ac quaintance with will cause you to lose half your monthly salary; but if you know it thoroughly, or think you do, you stand a good chance of losing your entire salary, your job, and sometimes your liberty as well. I do not recom mend it for Sunday Schools, but for healthy adults, taken in moderate doses, it is not very harmful. A partially wrecked clock behind the bar chimed half-past eleven. The Trader, who was about to deal, laid down his cards. "Getting on for time, boys, I guess," he observed. "We can go on with the game next year, eh? Let's all have a drink now. Say, Pete, how are the fire arms fixed. Is there lots of cartridges all right?" "You bet," answered the personage addressed, a lean, sunburnt individual with a tow-coloured moustache. "An' three sticks of powder tied together an' ready fixed as well. We won't do a thing to-night." "Well, you'd best be careful with that dynamite," remarked the Trader, indif ferently. "I'm not fit to go to Heaven in a chariot of fire, not yet, and I'm too poor a man to be able to afford to have my place blown to the other place, where it's no good sueing the Devil for dam ages. You're too reckless, Pete." The other man laughed. He was fore man contractor-inspector of that prom ising copper-gold proposition, the "Sab bath Joy," some miles down the Coast. It was owned by four poor Jews and one rich Englishman, and salaries were not paid the employees with that regularity they should have been. The Trader got up and went to the door. The view outside was distinctly dismal. Far down at the entrance of the bay, a few lights still twinkled in the Indian rancherie, visible for a moment, then swept out by fresh gusts of driving snow. The small house of Jamie Mc- Pherson, half-way down the bay, was not visible either from the store or the rancherie, as it lay at the end of a small cove. Jamie held the responsible posi tion of postmaster. He was a strict Presbyterian, who would not drink, and had vigorous opinions of his own re- THE LAST INDIAN BATTLE. 85 garding the vexed question of prohibi tion. "That moder-ren ceety of the plain, that Sodom and Gomorrah, Veectoria," he would observe, "shall yet repent in sackcloth and ashes her r-re- jection of proheebeetion last fall." Jamie had a mouth-organ and a collie dog, and he and the dog and the mouth-or gan used to handle the ancient hymns of the Scottish Covenanters in such a fashion that neither man, beast or devil durst approach Her Majesty's Post-Of- fice while Jamie was at his devotions. Withal, he was a good fellow, and did principles on New Year's Eve. But it will be rather a lonesome New Year for the old man, I'm thinking, and he not a year from the East." "Jamie McPherson don't drink, Jim," said a small, sandy-haired man, who had just emptied a pretty stiff horn of rye whiskey with an air of satisfaction that plainly showed his superiority to Jamie in that line, at all events. "He'd want to fast and pray; and just look at that feed in there!" Jim, the Trader, glanced with a com placent air at the vista of the room be- The Sinful and Seductive Game. not meddle with the affairs of his few neighbours; even when, as sometimes happened, they slightly transgressed the law. The Trader stepped back inside and closed the door. "I wish old McPherson could have come to-night," he said. "I asked him, but he refused. Said it was against his yond the bar, where stood a table heaped with cold wild goose, deer meat, bear meat, dried salmon, cold grouse, and all that could tempt hungry men. "Well, Doc," he observed, "you're about right there, 1 guess. And it is a pretty good spread, too, though I say it as shouldn't, seeing I got it up myself. Still, I feel kinder sorry for the old man, 86 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. and it his first new year here and all." The "Doc" only grinned. He had been in the district several years, and was a well-known character. His qualifica tion for the medical profession consisted of an unfailing belief in Perry Davis' Painkiller and Epsom Salts as remedies for all known ailments our frail flesh is heir to, and the possession of a set of lancets, which he used unsparingly on man and beast, with perfect impartiality. He had done fairly well at first, but a prolonged carouse on the proceeds of a successful operation led to a slight ob scurity in the "Doc's" mind as to the re lative merits of quinine and strychnine. The drugs are much alike in appearance, and, in the full belief that he was pre scribing the former, he prescribed the latter. The results were disastrous and cannot be printed; but they still say in that district that the unfortunate victim of "Doc's" mistake was so acted upon by the strychnine that his heels beat the tune of "God Save the Queen" on the back of his head. Be that as it may, the "Doc's reputation as a healer of human ills was thenceforward at a discount in his locality. "Well, "boys," said the Trader, "I guess it's close on another year. Get the guns ready. Fill up the magazines of the Winchesters, and you chaps with the shot-guns just mind where you're pointing them when you're re-loading. Pete, you get down along the beach with your blamed dynamite, and set the fuse for five minutes. Wait a sec., boys, we'll uncork this demi-john and give the old year a 'deoch an doruis,' as the Scot- ties call it." The dram was disposed of, the reck less Pete dispatched on his dangerous mission, and the motley crowd lined up on the little piazza, outside the bar-room door. "All set, boys?" asked the Trader, who bore in each hand one of those lengthy four-barrelled pistols which are the pecu liar invention of Messrs. Charles Lan caster & Son, of London, England. "All set, Jim," came the reply, and at the same moment, the decrepit clock in the bar struck the knell of the departing year. "Fire, boys. Happy New Year, and God save the Queen!" and the driving snow was reddened by burning powder and the cruel winter wind driven aside by a fiercer hell-blast than its own. The reckless Pete's three sticks of powder exploded on the beach with great effect, and their roar was followed by the whip- like spang of Winchesters, the tubercu lous cough of superannuated Snider rities, the bang of lo-bore Greeners and the Lancaster pistols, and the crack-cr- rack of Colt's revolvers. Interspersed were the howls and yells of the cele brants. The biting snow melted on the fire-hot barrels, and trickled down in streams on to powder-blackened hands that gripped stock and lever, but the joyous exiles kept things up with laugh and yell and gun-shot till the last shell was fired and the New Year nearly half an hour old. "Best New Year's salute in this God forsaken place since the Lord made it," opined the "Doc," closing the lever of his empty rifle. "Come on, boys, now for supper," said the Trader, and the piazza, and beach were left once more to the howl ing storm. ******* That snowstorm was a good one. So was the celebration inside a good one. It was not till 9 a.m. on the morning of the 2nd of January that a figure loomed up on. the little piazza, and surveyed the waste of snow, water and pine-trees. It was the Trader. His voice was hoarse with singing "Auld Lang Syne," and every other national and patriotic song he could recall from his varied experi ences by aid of a retentive memory. He surveyed the scene with only one eye, I must admit. That eye was of a fiery red, but the other was closed and of a funereal black. This was the result of a brief but animated discussion among his guests as to the respective merits of Irish and Scotch whiskey. After a prolonged inspection of the wintry scene, the Trader re-entered the bar, helped himself generously from a bottle, and remarked to his still somno lent guests: "Boys, guess I'll row over and see how old Jamie McPherson is. I feel pretty tough, and I guess a pull across will do me good. Any of you fellows like to come?" From the floor arose a dishevelled fig- THE LAST INDIAN BATTLE. 87 ure. It was Pete, the reckless. A fly ing bit of shingle when he exploded the dynamite had scarified his forehead, and the blood from the honourable wound had trickled down his face and mingled with his tow-coloured moustache. "I'm with you, Jim," he remarked, laconically, and made for the bottle out of which his host had just quenched his thirst. The remainder of the guests gave no sign of acquiescence or refusal. To quote the Wizard of the North: " Deep-slumbering on the hostel floor Oppressed with toil and ale, they snore." And they did snore, too. ishmcnt. The house had an odd unac customed look. In front of it was prop ped upon a sugar barrel a lengthy sap ling, roughly trimmed of its branches. From said sapling, half-way up, floated a large red bandana handkerchief, a pit eous appeal for aid from the chance passer-by. "What in blazes can be up?" said Pete. "I hope the old man ain't frozen to death." " What in blazes can be up. The Trader and Pete waded through the snow on the beach to a make-shift boathouse some twenty yards away. Dragging therefrom a small double- ender and launching her, they proceeded to pull down the bay towards the domi cile of the devout descendant of the Covenanters. The wind had dropped, and they were soon in sight of the little cove, at the head of which stood the building which was at once McPherson's home and Her Britannic Majesty's Post-OrBce. Arrived at this point, however, the two rested on their oars in utter aston- Frozen, nothing," quoth the trad er. "Can't you see the smoke coming f r o m the chimney the reek frae the lum, he'd call it. But some thing must be wrong. Come on." A few strokes ran the boat up to the little beach, and the two men jumped out. "What in old Sam Hill has Jamie been doing with his windows?" said the Trader. "Looks as if he had all the driftwood in the bay piled behind 'em." They advanced to the door, and Pete dealt it a thunderous kick. An outburst of indignation from the collie dog inside was the first result, then spoke a quav ering voice: "In the name of the Lor-rd, w r ha gaes there? Speak, or I fire." And before the astounded couple could reply, the roar of Jamie's sole wea- 88 THE B. C. MINING EECORD. pon of offense, an antiquated muzzle- loading shot-gun, was heard inside the house. A round, home-made bullet splintered the frail wood-work of the door, and passed between the heads of the two visitors. This was past a joke. "You old Scotch fool," roared the Trader, "is this the way you welcome your friends on a New Year's call?" An exclamation was heard inside, then the sound oi 1 many barricades and ob structions being removed. Finally, the door flew open, and the descendant of the Convenanters stood upon the thres hold. The sweat of mental anguish was on his wrinkled forehead, and from his eyes the big tears hopped down his cheeks, over his grey moustache, and lost themselves in the wintry stubble of a three-w^eks beard. He made a plunge forward and grasp ed the hands of his mystified and some what indignant visitors. "Eh, my dear laddies," he gasped, "the Lord be praised ye are presairved. I had no thocht to see ye again in the flesh. But you, mon, Jim," pointing a denunciatory finger at the Trader, "mon, I hae winked at muckle, and maybe the speeritual agony o' the last twa nichts an' a day is my punishment, but this sel- lin' o' liquor to them Indian deevils must be stoppit richt here. Ye mind? It's Jamie McPherson tells ye." "What the blazes are you talking about, anyway?" demanded the Trader, whose conscience was not quite clear on the subject of selling liquid damnation to the guileless and unwashed siwash. "I've heard of no trouble among the In dians. What the devil are you giving us?" ".Mon, Jim," said the Scot, "did you no hear the soond o' the awfu' fecht on New Year's Eve? Did ye no hear the guns and the screaming and yelling? Eh, but auld Jamie McPherson heard it, and he barricaded the hoose, an' called in the bit collie dog, and commended his soul to the care o' the Almichty, an' waited in sore treebulation o' the flesh (whilk is weak, ye ken) till this blessed mor-rn, an' But what dae ye see to laugh at, ye graceless sinners?" For Jamie's two visitors had collapsed in a heap in the snow, and peal after peal of uproarious merriment echoed round the bay, and was returned ten fold by the everlasting hills. ' "Jamie McPherson," gasped the Trad er, "you'll be the death of me yet. This is twice you've near killed me and Pete in ten minutes. Man alive, the firing and yelling was at my place, not at the rancherie. We were just saluting the New Year. And you thought it was an Indian uprising? Oh, Lord, oh, Lord!" and Jim again rolled on the snow. Well, it took some time to get the rights of the matter into Jamie's head, after which he proceeded to dismantle his fortifications. He then besought Jim and Pete to mention no word to the other boys. "The laddies micht laugh at me," he observed. The laddies did. Either Pete or the Trader must have blabbed, and that is how the tale came to my ears. VICTORIA -ITS NATURAL ADVANTAGES By C. H. GIBBONS, City Editor of the Daily Colonist. IFTY years ago, before im migration to the shores of the Pacific was attracted by the discovery of gold in California. Fort Victoria had an existence. The gold- seekers were preceded by fur-dealers, and the first house in what is now the queenly capital of British Columbia was that of. one of the adven turous traders of the Hudson's Bay Company. As years rolled on, the im portance of the post at the southern ex tremity of Vancouver Island became more defined and recognized. Popula tion increased; the Hudson's Bay Com pany, with its storekeepers, trappers and traders, forming one important class, while another, drawn from the ships of the Royal Navy, which paid frequent visits to the shores of the Island, more gradually became a noticeable feature of its society. Then came the news of gold discover ies in various parts of the country tribu tary to the struggling settlement Leech River, only about ten or twelve miles from Victoria being one of the earliest of the placer mining camps of the Pacific Coast and then the influx of the army of the Argonauts. From California, where they had tasted the sweet and the bitter of the search for gold, these treasure-seekers with pick and shovel poured into Victoria, equip ped themselves, and passed on in hun dreds and in thousands to Leech River, the mighty Fraser, golden Cariboo, or more distant Cassiar. The history of Victoria's life during "the sixties" is the history of many places in the wonderful West which gold-finds -have made fam ous in a day. It was then, too, that her pioneer business men laid the sure foundation of their knowledge and ex perience in the selection and packing of the necessities of a miner's life, an experience that enables them to this day to compete at an advantage in the equip ment of miners destined for the North ern treasure lands. The mad search for riches in "the sixties" made the village a city -and one, while the excitement was at its height, of considerable population and constantly changing character. After the fever came the re-action, which even more tried the young and struggling city. Its citizens knew its worth, how ever, and Victoria passed the crisis safely, and commenced the persistent, substantial growth which has led to its recognition to-day as the wealthiest city, for its size on the American con tinent. Located at the southern end of Van couver Island, the situation of Victoria is remarkable alike for its beauty and its adaptability to the purposes of com merce. The city rises gradually from the Straits of Juan de Fuca and from the land-locked harbour in which its ex tensive shipping, not forgetting the seal ing fleet, which is the greatest in the world, lies in safety. An elaborate scheme of harbour im provement, to the perfection of which Mr. Thomas C. Sorby has devoted the best years of a busy professional life, is now on the eve of inauguration and will make the harbour and shipping facilities unsurpassed the continent over. By the expenditure of hundreds of thous ands of dollars, private enterprise has already constructed at the entrance of the harbour proper, docks capable of accommodating and sheltering in the roughest gale that blows the largest steamships and sailing vessels to be found on the waters of the Pacific docks, the equal of which cannot be found elsewhere on the Coast, not even in San Francisco. A few miles out from the city, a magnificently equipped quarantine station safeguards the health of this province, and, in fact, all Canada. At the outer dock, for the construc tion of which Mr. R. P. Rithet deserves the lasting gratitude of Victorians, abun dant water and excellent wharfage are afforded for shipping of any draught. The shore line of Victoria harbour, which is entirely protected by the natur- 90 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. al conformation of the land, is about seven miles in length, good anchorage being found in many places, while well- appointed wharves extend for a mile or more in almost unbroken succession. Here it is that dozens of steamers, in cluding the fine fleet of the Canadian Pacific ^Navigation Company, and sail ing craft are to be found at all seasons of the year receiving or discharging freight. The majority of the wharves are lighted by electricity, and all are anything in steel or iron from a poker to a steamship may be turned out. Victoria's business streets are wide and handsome. The policy of the people has been not to concentrate the business life of the city upon any one street. hence, Government, Fort, Yates, Doug las, Broad, and Johnson Streets are all busy thoroughfares, while a vast amount of substantial business is trans- acted daily with very little show on Wharf street, the mart of the whole- victoria City, B. C., Looking North. provided with the most approved ap pliances for the quick dispatch of busi ness. Along the waterfront, too, are found many of the manufacturers that are doing their part towards advancing Victoria's commercial importance the Brackman & Ker mills, the Chemical works, the Weiler Bros, furniture fac tory, the paint factory, the Pendray soap works, and the Albion Iron Works, foundries and machine-shops, in which salers. Government Street being the first avenue, still retains its primary importance; while for substantial struc tures of brick, stone and plate glass, Douglas Street is rapidly attaining prominence. All of the business streets boast buildings of imposing design, but the city differs materially from any in the neighbouring States, in that it is far from being built to meet prospective rather than existing demands. Four VICTORIA ITS NATURAL ADVANTAGES. 91 and five story blocks are uncommon, but every foot of accommodation pro vided is utilized. In this particular point will be seen an illustration of the conservative policy that has made the city's credit what it is; the boom policy so common to the cities of the West is thoroughly lacking here; the business atmosphere is differ ent; credits are maintained, and Eastern merchants express a preference for Vic toria orders over any others in the West. of the war in the Transvaal an even better bargain might have been made, while it is worthy of note and signifi cant of the character of Victoria busi ness men, that the purchasers were a home financial organization the Brit ish Columbia Land and Investment Agency. From the heights upon which many of the wealthiest residents have built their homes, the scene presented is Government Street, Victoria, B C. So high indeed is the credit of the city, which naturally takes its colour from the credit of the individual citizens, that when a consolidation of various out standing municipal loans was brought about only a few weeks ago, the Council was able to place the new debentures, amounting to $210,000, with a life ->f only twenty years, bearing 4 per cent, interest, at i per cent, above par. Had it not been for the disturbing influences truly a majestic one. The well ordered, picturesque city in the foreground; be yond, the shimmering harbour and straits, reflecting the deep blue of the sky; across this grand body of water, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, is seen the glittering, snow-capped, uneven line of peaks of the Olympic range, extend ing over the westerly part of the State of 'Washington; to their East, on the other side of Puget Sound, the forest- THE B. c. MINING RECORD. covered foot-hills, and then the moun tains themselves of the Cascade range towering into sight, and presided over by the great snow sentinels, Mount Baker, Mount Hood, the Sisters, and Mount Rainier, the pride of Washington. Further to the North loom up the white saw-tooth peaks of the great ranges of British Columbia the Eraser and the SelHrks while between them and the point of vision extend the Straits of clamations of the visitor is, "Why, how many handsome homes you have." And so there are. Probably no other avenue in Canada possesses more costly and magnificent yet home-like mansions than does Belcher Street; and besides Belcher Street there are the Gorge Road, Rockland Avenue, Oak Bay Avenue, Cadboro' Bay Road, Esquimalt Road, and hall a dozen others of similar attractiveness. Each resident of Vic- - Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B. C. Georgia, dotted with innumerable islands. Such continuous scenic splendour can be viewed at no other place in the Northwest; every variety of scenery is familiar to Victorians from the calm and pleasing pastoral to the stern im posing and majestic panorama of moun tain or of sea. ***** One of the first and most natural ex- toria aims to own his own home, the percentage of householders who are the owners of their premises being greater here than in any other city of the Do minion. Each residence is set like a jewel in its own well-appointed and well-cared- for grounds, and the taste of the owners is apparent in the beauty of their home surroundings as well as in the architec ture of the houses themselves. In park* VICTORIA ITS NATURAL ADVANTAGES. 93 and drives, too, the same love of beauty is apparent. Beacon Hill Park has few rivals on the continent. It comprises two or three hundred acres, well-wooded in part, and intersected with carriage- drives, lined by royal old oaks, over whose heads centuries have passed. Two or three miniature lakes, bordered by green lawns and pebbly beaches, are the home of a choice collection of waterfowl; while in the deer park and ten to the excellent music furnished by the local bands. The establishment of a second park in the city's western suburb is now under consideration; while a strong syn dicate, represented locally by Mr. Henry Croft, has secured an option that will probably be taken up within a very few days, for the transformation of what arc known as the James Bay tide flats, a tract of thirteen acres or thereabouts in Scene in Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, B. C. the bear-pit are to be found specimens of many of the animals and birds native to the Province. The sides of Beacon Hill pro per afford a recreation ground for the city, unsurpassed for cricket, baseball, lacrosse and kindred sports, which are in progress almost every afternoon nine months out of the year. In the summer time thousands meet under the spreading trees and lis- the very heart of the city, into a most complete and handsomely equipped general recreation park. Its attrac tions will include a magnificent theatre; a cinder track for cycle and foot racing; a large green for lacrosse and kindred sports, and provided with the finest grand stand and club house ac commodation; bowling alleys, bath houses, horticultural gardens, etc. This park will extend from the new Post 94 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. Office to the Parliament Buildings, a substantial steel and stone causeway, replacing the present bridge between the points mentioned. The Gorge, formed by the outgoing and incoming tides, on Victoria Arm. which runs inland from the sea for four or live miles is another attractive natural park, which is popular with Victorians. Here it is that the regattas take place each 24th of May, for Victoria is an fortifications and the barracks of the Royal Artillery; here are the marine railways, provided by private enterprise for the accommodation of merchant shipping; and here, in Esquimalt proper, the naval yard and dry dock, the latter built of huge blocks of stone and capable of accommodating the largest ships jf war that visit the Pacific Ocean. Oak Bay is still another popular sea side suburb connected by the busy elec- " The Gorge," Victoria, B. C. eminently loyal city and its celebrations of the Queen 's Birthday are famous far and wide. Beautiful drives extend from the city in all directions to Goldstream, to various points on the sea coast, and to Esquimalt, three miles away, and also connected by electric railway. Here is the most perfect harbour on the Coast, in which the warships of Britain are constantly to be found. Here, too, and in the near vicinity, are the Esquimalt trie road. This is rapidly becoming the summer resort of many wealthy citizens, its charming surroundings, attractive beach and facilities for every form of seaside enjoyment bringing it into con stantly growing favour. There is a thoroughly first-class tourist hotel here also, which commands the patronage of the best classes of visitors from all parts of America. The city possesses an extensive sys- VICTORIA ITS NATURAL ADVANTAGES. 95 teni of water works, operated by the corporation, and which, with the well- equipped and admirably disciplined fire department reduce the fire risk to a minimum. The water supply is drawn from a succession of spring-fed lakes, and passing- over the filter-beds is dis tributed through steel mains to steel mains, purity being thus assured. Im provements to the system have been constantly in progress in years past and it may now be classed in consequence as approaching very closely to perfec tion. The receipts under waterworks' account form one of the principal items in the civic revenue. Sewerage is upon the separate sys tem, the general scheme being as re commended by the eminent engineer, Mr. Rudolph Hering, of New York, the sewage of the city being carried far out to sea by the tide. The paving of the principal city streets is also under way, Fort Street being at the present time the model business thoroughfare of the Province, and a sample of what all will be at a very early date probably within the next twelve months. In the matter of electric railways the city is again specialty favoured, the sys tem of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company, under the efficient local management of Mr. A. T. Coward, giving quick and cheap communication between all parts of the city, as well as to the suburbs of Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Victoria West, Spring Ridge, Oakland, Beacon Hill, etc. A loop is also projected to accom modate the residents of the Gorge Road, and enable holiday-makers and picnickers to reach The Gorge at a merely nominal cost, and expeditiously. The system has been in operation since 1890, and was the third electrical road established west of the Mississippi the second in the Dominion of Canada. The tramway company also supplies light to private consumers, while the streets are illuminated by means of an independent system owned and operated directly by the corporation. An excellent telephonic service is pro vided for the city and suburban towns; while a long-distance line to the cities of Nanaimo, Vancouver and New West minster is .promised for 1900. The C. P. R. and the G. N. W. telegraph com panies the former operating in con junction with the Postal Telegraph Company's system and the latter with the Western Union maintain tele graphic connection with all the world. By steamboats of elegance and speed, the city has daily connection with the Canadian Pacific Railway at Vancou ver; the Northern Pacific and Great Northern at Seattle and Tacoma; and the Union Pacific and Southern sys tems at Portland; \vhile a regular ser vice is also maintained with San Fran cisco and other Coast points to the south, direct steamers between Vic toria and San Francisco, sailing every five days. Alaska and the Northern way ports, the keys to the Klondike, At- lin and Cassiar gold fields, are served by another first-class fleet of steamers, many of which are owned locally; the rapidly growing trade of the West Coast of Vancouver Island demands the service of another fleet ; still others (and among them the handsomest steamers afloat), are required for the maintenance of regular connection with China and Japan, Hawaii and Australia, and Cape Nome, Victoria enjoying the proud position of first port of call and last of departure for practically all trans-Paci fic lines, as well as all Northern lines. Two railway systems at present en ter the city; the Esquimalt and Nanaimo road connecting Victoria with the cen tres of the coal mining districts, the promising gold-copper mines of Mount Sicker, and the outlet cf the Alberni road; while the Victoria and Sidney road traverses the rich agricultural dis'- trict cf the Saanich peninsula having its terminus at Sidney, from which point a railway ferry connection with some point on the Mainland is looked for in the near future. A number of projects are at the pre sent time receiving attention, having for their object the securing of direct con nection with the trans-continental sys tems to the North and South, either by railway ferries, transferring cars over the Straits, which narrow to but nine miles in width at one point; or by exten sion to the Northern end of rail and ferry to the south and all rail to the 96 THE B. C. MINING RECORD. North to connect with the trans-contin ental lines. Meanwhile the steamer service in con nection with the various through-roads practically makes Victoria one of the termini of these lines, and places her upon the same footing- and with the same trans-continental freight and pas senger rates as are now enjoyed by cities having rails laid to their doors al ready. The Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway will be continued very shortly to the Northern end of the island, open ing up a large area of agricultural, min eral, and timber land; and enabling the gold-seekers to and from the far North to reduce their journey by days. With this north-of-the-island connec tion, Victoria merchants will unques tionably command practically all of the Northern outfitting and supply trade, their past experience in the selection of stocks and in the packing of goods giv ing them so appreciable advantage in the race for this trade that the Sound cities are no longer m the running. The experienced miner well knows that Vic toria is the best outfitting city and the inexperienced miner wisely prefers to defer to the better judgment of his veteran brother. Of course the duty that has to be paid on American goods going into the Klon dike or other Northern Canadian gold districts gives the Canadian cities a great advantage and constitutes another nail in the cofnn of the Puget Sound out fitting trade. The climate of Victoria compares very favourably with that of California, and has been more generally contrasted with the south of England. It is temperate at all seasons, the summer heat bein^ softened by breezes from mountain or sea; it is never oppressive and the hot test days of the summer are invariably followed by cool and delightful even ings. In the matter of public buildings, as well as residential structures, Victoria leads the Pacific Northwest, for the new Parliament block is beyond doubt the most magnificent architectural pile in all the West. Besides, there may be men tioned the new Post Office, Custom House, the Provincial Jail, and Refor matory, the Law Courts, the City Hall, the Drill Hall, Jubilee Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital, St. Ann's Convent, and many others, all of which reflect in a manner the solidity that is character istic of the city. The number of churches has, within the last few years, been increased by the erection of several whose superiors in tasteful architecture cannot be found on the Coast. Prominent among these may be named St. Andrew's (R.C.) Cathe dra), the Metropolitan Methodist and St. Andrew's Presbyterian churches, while the erection is also contemplated of a magnificent structure to crown Church Hill, replacing the present Anglican Cathedral there. The city schools, too, are substantial, thoroughly modern, and well-arranged buildings, in which every detail of a liberal education is provided for. In conclusion, Victoria offers peculiar advantages to the capitalist, the com mercial man, the manufacturer, the emi grant of moderate private means, who has a family to bring up and educate, and last but not least, the tourist, to whom the fine scenery, the magnificent opportunities for sport in the near neighbourhood, including excellent trout fishing and both small and big game shooting, lend to Vancouver Island extraordinary attractions. On the west coast of the Island are situated the mining camps of San Juan, Al- berni. Clayoquot, Bear River and Quat- sino, where many exceedingly promising copper-gold prospects, largely owned by Victorians, are being developed; and on the East Coast the Mount Sicker mines give eyerv indication of great things in the future. Thus at a not very distant date Victoria should become the supply point and centre of a very important mining field. THE INTRODUCTION OF CAPITAL INTO NEW COUNTRIES. (By D. B. BOGLE.) O subject is more canvassed and very few are less under stood. The confusion of ideas on all subjects eco nomical is one of the cur ious phenomena of our otherwise highly organized commercial system, and is reflected in the want of denned meaning attach ing in most people's minds to such com mon words as "capital," "wealth," "value" and many others. Yet there is no subject so important to a young country like British Columbia as the principles governing the introduc tion of capital. There is one set of ex tremists who maintain a very remark able position. They fall back on the axiom that all capital is originally de rived from labour, which is perfectly true, but they conclude that therefore all capital should be maintained and ap plied to production, solely in the inter ests of labour as they understand it; and there is a continual pressure ap- applied to the social fabric through the Government to force a condition of af fairs agreeable to> this theory. Two vital considerations are altogether over looked, one general in its bearing, the other peculiar to a young country. The first is that if all the product of industry, or a very large proportion of it, is di verted to the labourers, who at the same time will not take the responsibility of making those accumulations necessary, not merely to increase, but to maintain the amount of capital in a country, but spend it all in unproductive consumption, that country must return to barbarism with accelerated strides and realize in the actual squalor of savagery the social dreams of many estimable but illogical minds. The other consideration is that in a country like British Columbia, which imports most of the articles of primitive wealth, through whose ac cumulation capital is originally formed, and is dependent for increase of popula tion and progress upon industries in which capital is tied up without return for considerable periods, unless outside capital is offered inducements as goo m^ 0> 1 o i ^ 2- o' Douglas 'St., Vernon Block. (7Q Established 1885. Paisley Steam Dye Klerks, JAMES ALLISON, HE only fully equipped Dye Works in the City. All kinds of Fancy Dyeing and Cleaning. Ladies' and Gents' Cloth ing Cleaned, Dyed and Repaired. Mackin toshes Cleaned and Dyed. HATS A SPECIALTY. French and Dry Cleaning are our Specialties. All work guaranteed. j Yates St., VICTORIA, B. C. The Excelsior Tel 254. BiscuitCo. Manufacturers of all kinds of PLAIN AND FANCY BISCUITS AND CAKES. VICTORIA, B.C. W. JONES, AUCTIONEER jt jfc jt APPRAISER jk jt jk jk ESTATE AGENT, Etc. 73 and 73^ Yates Street, The City Auction Mart. VICTORIA, B.C. Auction Sales of every description conducted at our spacious rooms, or at Vendor's own premises, highest prices obtained, satisfaction guaranteed before disposing of your goods. You will find it greatly to your interest to consult us. 3. i 3 3 3 3 Highest of References from past and present clients. Houses, etc., to rent and for sale in all parts. List your properties with us, good clients always waiting. All business entrusted with us receives strict and personal attention. MONEY TO LOAN IN LARGE OR SMALL AMOUNTS. j OPEN EVENINGS. ADVERTISEMENTS. XXXIII Late Jamieson's. T THE VICTORIA BOOK AND STATIONERY 61 Government Street, VICTORIA, B. C. COM P/\ A/ V, Carry one of the largest stocks in Canada of General and Office Stationery, also splendid line Leather Goods for Presentation purposes. Agents for Smith's Typewriter. Webster's Multikopy Carbon. Webster's Star Ribbons. Little's Cobweb Carbon. Stephens & Sandford's Inks. Whiting's Fine Note Paper. Special attention paid to mail orders. SANITARY ENGINEER AND PRACTICAL PLUMBER. GAS and HOT WATER FITTER. DEALER IN ... Crockery. Glassware, Graniteware and House Furnishing Goods. ALL KINDS OF SHIPPING & 88i Douglas St., SHIP WORK A SPECIALTY. VICTORIA, B.C. icm Telephone 172. A The B. C. Cold Storage and Ice Works. White Labour Only. 152 YATES STREET. Produce and Commission Merchants. DEALERS IN Flour,. Feed, Hay, Grain, Batter, Eggs and Poultry, Hams, Bacon, eic. 3 and 5 Store St., VICTORIA, B.C. Bonded and ordinary warehouse cold storage. Ice manufacturers from distilled water. Hydrox re-distilled water for Table use. Advances on Warehouse receipts. Cable Address: "HYDROX" Victoria P. 0. Box 329. Tel. 44. 26 and 28 Store Street, VICTORIA, B.C. Tel. 113. P. O. Box 93. Gtiarles ttaoh Manufacturer of and Dealer in Furniture, Upholstery, Mattresses, Window Blinds, Carpets, Crockery and Glassware, Warehouse and Store : yonrmn/pr R A 5* to 59 Cordova St., VanCOUVer, D, U. XXXIV ADVERTISEMENTS. LEWIS HALL, Or. Dental Surgery, Corner Yates and Douglas Streets, VICTORIA, B.C. i/ictoria ItJest CITY PRICES HITT'53 - Prescription Drug Store. EXCELLENCY. ACCURACY. PROMPTNESS. Attendance Day or Night. Jnvalid and icJc Room Requisites. A Thorough Delight for Breakfast. CROWN BRAND COFFEE. Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills. STEMLER & EARLE, Props., VICTORIA, B.C. BLYTH, Scientific Optician, 67 Fort St., Victoria, B. C. Every form of defective eye- sight accurately diagnosed and corrected. Exa.mina.iion arid Consultation Free. 15 years practical experience. O. Jeweler, Watchmaker lewclery Repairing and a Specialty. Watch Repairs Carefully Attended to. Eyesight Tested with Latest Appliances Free of Charge. ADVERTISEMENTS. XXXV JAPANESE FANCY GOODS.** 90 Douglas Street. Main Branch: 152 Government St. A. WANIBE & CO E. F. GEIGER, Sanitary Plumbing, Gas an F d it |Ji Water Cor. Pandora and Douglas Sts. p. 0.60x122. VICTORIA R Telephone 226. V 1^ I Wl\l/A, D. L PlTHER LEISER. Direct importers of the leading brands of Wines and Liquors. Large stock always on hand. Agents in British Columbia for the celebrated G. H. Mumm's Extra Dry, Lemps St. Louis Beer and other leading brands of Wines and Liquors. Kilmarnock Scotch, the finest on earth. Havana Cigars. FITHER & LEISER, Tares 5r., JOHN PAWSON, FRED. S. WHITESIDE, Pres. Sec. HENRY REIFEL, Manager. Brewing m * Etv. MANUFACTURERS OF Lager and Steam Beer Porter and Ice. Drawer 45. NANAIMO, B.C. XXXVI ADVERTISEMENTS. Incorporated by Special Act of Parliament, 1883. Contractors to H. Ikf. Army. Victoria Transfer Co., Ltd., 19, 21 and 23 Broughton Street, foot of Broad. This Company has the largest and finest stock of Horses, carriages, Bugsies and Phaetons in the Province. Two, four and six-hor^e om nibuses furnished for parties on short notice. Baggage trnnsferred to all parts or stored. Furniture and freight moved, etc. Telephone 129. BRITISH COLUMBIA POTTERY CO., Ltd. Manufacturers of All kinds of Sanitary Fittings, Agricultural Drain Tile.Flow- \lr\f.nr4 O-U n~. ~.*t C. . t>:~. . er Pots, Fire Roofing Tile, Terra Cotta, Chimney Pipe and Flue ltriTied bait-blazed beWCr Pipes. Lining, Chimney Tops, Fire Brick, Fire Clay. All kindsof Fire Clay Goods, Assayers' Furnaces, etc., made to order. Repressed Bricks. Ornamental Garden Border Tiles, Vases, etc. Cement, Plaster of Paris, Lime, and all kinds of Ornamental Plaster Work. VICTORIA, B.C. J. LEMON. B. GONNASON. A. GONNASON Capital Planing Orchard St., Rock Bay, VICTORIA, B.C. ; Manufacturers of Doors, Sash, Blinds, Window and Door Frames. Mouldings, Brackets, Balusters, Mantels, Stair Railings, Newel Posts, etc. Native Sons o{ B c . k" A T^ *.rt i r. 4 rt ^- * ^ y /- JUST OUT- (From Klondike with) (Big and Little.) We also manufacture * PLANTA DE SANTIAGO." Office and Factory : J03 Johnson Street, VICTORIA, B.C. Ragstad & Oldershaw, Yates St., Victoria, B.C. and Diamond Setters, All Work Guaranteed to give Perfect Satisfaction. David Lindsay, Importer and Dealer in '-made Clothing, Hats and Caps, Gents' Furnishings and Staple Goods. Cor. Johnson and Store Streets, i i i i VICTORIA, B.C. CLOTHING MADE TO ORDER. S|&&&sfi^^ Erskine, Wall & Co., The Leading Grocers of British Columbia, New Building being erected for them. Full line ot Staple and Fancy Groceries. Letter Orders for specialties always receive prompt attention. A. 5TEW/1RT. nOMUHEMTflL QRflNITE * HflRBLE WORKS Stone-yard: VlCT^DI/f R f COT. Yates and Blanchard SU. ff IV. I VxlvlH. D. V.. P. 0. Box 520. ADVERTISEMENTS. XXXIX Trading jfjj Stamps. 4 Golden Rule Cash Grocery Store. 165 Douglas Street, presf) and complete stocK always or) harjd. pull line of Teas. Coffees. Spices, Dried fruits, Raislos, Nuts, etc. fill Kir) * 5 of Xmas Goods of the very best quality and Lowest Cash Prices. Give us a trial. Horoe-made PicK'es a specialty. REMEMBER we give Trading Stamps or 5 per cent, off for cash at 165 Douglas St. The Supply Stores Hillside Avenue anc * First Street. VICTORIA, B.C. Deaville, Sons & Co,, GROCERS and PROVISION MERCHANTS. Canned Fruits, Canned Meats, Flour, Corn Feed, Potatoes, Teas, Coffees, Spices, etc. We are importers of Hritish-madc Goods. Washing, Mangling: and Sewing Machines, Iron and Brass Bedsteads, Carpet Sweepers, Brass Fenders, Fire Sets, etc. Above goods will be found exceptional both in style and price. WRITE FOR PRICES AND LIST of the Manufactures of The OKELL & MORRIS Fruit Preserving and Confectionery Our goods are the f -*),, most popular in thewO V miniug districts. Miners want the best and they get it, if it is labelled Okell & Morris. Our Pre serves, Marmalade, Pickles, Sauces, Ketchups, Vinegars, have been awarded more first prizes than all the other man ufacturers in West'n Canada. If you are a miner ask for the Okell & Morris brands. If you are a merchant sell them and treble your business. tf * Victoria Chemical MT jp. 4? ^ 4? Company, ^P* Limited. W VICTORIA, B. C. Manufacturers of Okell & Morris. Sulphuric Acid, Nitric Acid, Muriatic Acid. Chemical Manures, Quotations on Application. <$? <$? 4? * XL. ADVERTISEMENTS. Bank of British Columbia. Incorporated by Royal Charter, 1862. CAPITAL, (with power to increase) RESERVE, 600,000 $2,920,000 100,000 486,666 Head Office, 6O Lombard St., London, England. BRANCHES: IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. Victoria, Vancouver, New Westminster, Nanaimo, Kamloops, Nelson, Sandon, Rossland. IN THE UNITED STATES. San Francisco and Portland. AGENTS AND CORRESPONDENTS. IN CANADA. Canadian Bank of Commerce, Merchants' Bank of Canada, The Mol- sons Bank, Imperial Bank of Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia and Union Bank of Canada. IN UNITED STATES. Canadian Bank of Commerce (Agency), New York ; Bank of Nova Scotia, Chicago. IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, Bank of Austral asia. IN HONOLULU. Bishop & Co. YUKON AND ATLIN GOLD FIELDS. Drafts, Letters of Credit, etc., issued direct on Dawson City, Atlin City and Skagway. SAVINGS BANK DEPARTMENT. Deposits received from $i and upwards, and interest allowed thereon. Gold dust purchased and every description of bank business transacted. GEORGE GILLESPIE, Manager. The Union Steamship Co. of British Columbia, Ld. The well-known and first-class steamer GUT OH Sails every 10 days from VANCOUVER to SKAGUAY DIRECT, Without stop, connecting atSkaguay with trains and river boats to ATLIN and DAWSON, Carrying passengers with SPEED, SAFETY, COMFORT, Freight, Machinery, Cattle, carried in steam-cargo boats at through rates. Regular weekly passenger line to all British Columbia Coast Mining Camps, For rates, fares and sailing dates apply at Company's Wharf, - - - VANCOUVER, B. C. ADVERTISEMENTS. XLI SPENCER'S VICTORIA'S BIG STORE Fronts on Two Streets. Ground Floor, 80x240 feet SOME OF THE STOCKS SHOWN : CARPETS AND FLOOR CLOTHS. English Axministers - - $1 50 English Body Brussels 85 to $i 25 English Tapestries - 35 to 85 Scotch Linoleums - - - - - - - - 65 to I 25 Oilcloths - - 25 to 50 STAPLE DRY GOODS. Table Linens and Napkins, best Irish and Scotch make. Sheetings and Cottons, best Canadian and English qualities. Blankets and Quilts. DRESS GOODS AND SILK. GLOVES The finest stock in Western Canada. All the most fashionable materials shown. Samples sent on request. French made for women. English made for men. Wear guaranteed. HOSIERY. Best English makes stocked. HEN'S OUTFITTING LADIES' OUTFITTING. Very large stocks of fashionable goods shown; prices as low as consistent with good qualities. BOOTS AND SHOES. Laird. Schober & Co.'s Ladies' Shoes. Strong & Garfield's Men's Shoes. We consider these makers the best in the world. OTHER DEPARTHENTS. Ladies' Jackets and Costumes, Men's Furnishings, Art Goods, Laces, Embroideries, Handkerchiefs are the most complete and fash ionable in the West. Toys by the thousands at Xmas time. Can satisfactorily fill all or ders whether for single articles or school treat. D. SPENCER^ Government and Broad Sts. XLII ADVERTISEMENTS. Cable Address: "GOLD PROP." Mining Code used: Bedford-McNeill's. Motto: Risk Minimum, Proft Maximum." The British Pacific Gold Property Company, Ltd. Lty. Incorporated March 1897. CAPITALIZATION, $5,000,000. Divided into 5,000,000 shares at $1.00 each issued fully paid and non-assessable. Provision made for the issuance of the second block of Treasury Stock at 10 cents per share. Head Office, Williams' Building, \ /I/^T/^PI A 28 Broad Street, V \^ I WI\IA, OFFICERS: PRESIDENT: ALEX. J. MCLKLLAN, ESQ., President of the Kimberley Mining Company and Vice-President of the San Jauquin Mining Company; VICE-PRESIDENT: R. T. WILLIAMS, Esq., Alderman, Publisher of William's Directory of the Province. ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE: HON. T. R. MclNNEs, Victoria, B. C. I FRANK HALL, ESQ., M. D., Victoria, B. C. \\. II. B. AIKINS, M. D., Toronto, Ont. CHAS. HAYWARD, ESQ., Alderman, Victoria, B. C. B. M. BRITTON.ESQ., Q. C., M. P., Kingston, Ont. LAWRENCE GOOD ACRE, ESQ., Victoria, B. C. A. T. WATT, ESQ., M. I)., Victoria, B. <;. JAMES MUIRHEAD, ESQ., Victoria, B. C. CONSULTING MINING ENGINEER : W. M. BREWER, ESQ., M.N.E.I.M.E..M.A.I.M.E. ASSAYER AND METALLURGIST: W. F. BEST., ESQ., (Heidelberg & Leipsic),68 Broad Street, Victoria, B. C. CONSULTING CIVIL ENGINEER: H. P. BELL, ESQ., C. E., M. I. C.E. SOLICITORS: FOR BRITISH COLL-MBI A -.MESSRS. TUPPER, PETERS e required. It is the only water power in the locality capable of utilization without extensive outlay and practically available by this company only. It will prove a valuable source of revenue in supplying power to other companies. The best natural townsite for the entire district is contained in the Tacoma Claim. The natural shipping facilities are all that could be desired. The shaft on the Seattle is 600 feet, (aneroid) above the level of Bear River bottom. The course is thence by easy graie alrng Bear River valley about 2 miles to deep salt water Wharf site, 26 acres, comprising the whole of the deep water frontage at the head of Bedwell Sound. Buildings: 1. Dining Room and Kitchen. 2. Sleeping House. 3. Assay Office 4. Blacksmith Shop. 5. Stable. 6. Warehouse at Wharf. 7. Floating Dock. Development work done, 34 feet of shaft sunk 198 feet of drifts, besides several open cuts. Estimated tons of ore on dump -JOO. No finer specimens of copper sulphide ore cn be found in the world. Assays Average samples taken from the dump, yielded 13.92 per cent, and 15.65 per cent, copper besides gold and silver. Selected samples from dump 32-62 per cent, copper [verified by Provincial Mineralogist] assay for gold only of a portion of the ledge matter on the dump. $25.50 per ton. No finer specimens of copper sulphide ore in the world. Ore from this property has recently obtained a Medal and Diploma of Honor at Earls Court Exhibition, London UNEQUALLED OFFER. Respecting new issue of 2M),000 shares of Treasury Stock at ten cents per share. The Company has by a liberal capitalization provided against exhaustion of its capital resources and has at the same time enhanced the value of the stock offered to the public by making such stock preferential to the extent of the price paid for it. The Company's offer is to return the amount paid for Treasury stock to subscribers therefor in dividends in full before any dividends are declared in res-pect of any other portion of its stock. Persons preferring to do so, may purchase shares within the next three months upon the instalment plan, that, is to say, by paying one cent per sha'e per month until the full amount is paid. Suitable forms supplied on application. Proceeds from sale of stock to be devoted to further development work. For specimens of ora, photographic cuts and assays prospectus, engineers reports, and quarterly statements and annual financial statement and other Information respecting t^e Company's properties and the Company itself, apply at the Company's office, No. 28 Br-ad Street, Victoria, B. C . Brokers wanted to handle the Company's stock in markets where it has not yet been introduced. Address all communications and applications for shares to the Secretary-Treasurer of The B. P. Gold Property Co., Ltd. Lty., Box 112, Victoria, B. C. ^j^HN^J^^^H?^^ The New Vancouver Coal Mining Land Co. Limited. Formerly the Vancouver Coal Co. eoau coat! The Largest Producers on the Pacific Coast* NANAIMO COAL. Used principnlly for Gas and Domestic purposes. SOUTHFIELD COAL. Steam Fuel. Protection Island Coal and New Wellington Coal. House and Steam Coal, are mined by this Company exclusively. THE NANAIMO COAL gives a large percentage of gas, a high illuminating power, unequalled by any other bituminous coal in the world, and a superior quality of coke. THE SOUTHFIELD COAL is now used by all the f ding steamship lines on the Pacific. THE NEW WELLINGTON COAL, which was intro duced in 1890, has already become a favourite fuel for domestic purposes. It is a clean, hard coal, makes a bright and cheerful fire, and its lasting qualities make it the most economical fuel in the market: THE PROTECTION ISLAND COAL is similar to the New Wellington Coal. This coal is raised from the submarine workings under the Gulf of Georgia and is shipped from wharves both at Protection Island and Nanaimo. The several mines of the Company are connected with their wharves at Nanaimo, Departure Bay and Protection Island, where ships of the largest tonnage are loaded at all stages of the tide. Special despatch given to mail and ocean steamers. SAMUEL M. ROBINS, Superintendent. NANAIMO, B. C. 4r?F*3?S5"$^$^ WHAH REET, VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, RKUURSTEAMERS LEAVEVICJORIA AS FOLLOWS: DAILY FOR VANCOUVER. CONNECTING WITH THE tm ' _ __ , , ***+* ^.^^^ ._ . u/3 All *** YUKON TERRITORY "*^* CARRY HER MAJESTY'S MAILS.