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BltlTISH AND IMTK1) STATES BOUNDARY LINK— YAHK H1TER. 
 
 SPIECE. 
 
FOUR YEARS 
 
 BRITISH COLUMBIA 
 
 VANCOUVER ISLAND. 
 
 AN A \l OP THEIR FORESTS, RIVERS, COASTS, I> FIELDS, 
 
 AM) RESOURCES FOR COLONISATION. 
 
 i;y commandeb r. o. mayne, i;.x.. f.rg.s 
 
 i& 
 
 WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 LON DON: 
 
 JOHN MUBJiAY, ALBEMABLE 8TBEET. 
 1862. 
 
 a .a a, 
 
 The right <<> Translation it reserved 
 

 LONDON : rKIN'TED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STLEET, 
 AND CHARING CROSS. 
 
i 
 
 ui 
 
 a4» 
 
 TO 
 
 CAPTAIN GEORGE H. RICHARDS, R.N., 
 
 OF H.M. SURVEYING SHIP ' HECATE,' 
 
 UNDER WHOM I HAD THE HAPPINESS TO SERVE DUPING 
 
 THE TIME I WAS IN THE COLONIES I HAVE 
 
 ATTEMPTED TO DESCRIBE, 
 
 THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED, BY HIS SINCERE FRIEND, 
 
 THE AUTHOR 
 
P E E F A C E. 
 
 So little is yet known about British Columbia and Vancouver 
 Island that the Author hopes his experience of four years, 
 spent in the survey and exploration of both these Colonies, 
 may be found of interest. 
 
 To Dr. Wood, K.K, of H.M.S. < Hecate,' to the several 
 travellers from whom information has been obtained and 
 whose names occur in the book, as well as to the others — 
 too many to enumerate — who have assisted him in various 
 ways, the Author begs to return his thanks. 
 
 To Mr. E. P. Bedwell, E.N., Dr. Lyall, and Dr. Lindley, 
 for the sketches which enliven the text, his thanks are also 
 gratefully tendered ; and last, but by no means least, to Mr. 
 William J. Stewart — without whose aid these pages would 
 probably never have seen the light — he gives his most 
 cordial thanks. 
 
 For any errors which may occur in the latter part of 
 the book the author claims the reader's indulgence, as the 
 revision of it has been carried on in great haste amid the 
 bustle of fitting out a ship for foreign service. 
 
 H.M& ' Eclipse, 1 October, 1862. 
 
s 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 PACiE 
 
 Appointment to H.M.S. ' Plumper ' — Historical Sketch of the British 
 Possessions m North- West America 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Leave England — Arrive at Sandwich Islands — Stay at Honolulu — 
 King Kame-hame-ha and Prince Lot — The Straits of Juan de Fuca — 
 Description of — Arrival at Esquimalt — Description of, and of Victoria 14 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Semiahmoo Bay — Gulf of Georgia — Visit Nanaimo — Coal — The Haro 
 Archipelago — Discovery of Gold — (.'mix (punt Excitement — Growth 
 of Victoria — Arrival of 1 1. M.S. ' Ilavannah ' — Threatened disturbance 
 at Victoria — Arrival of Golone] Moody — Abatement of the Gold Fever 32 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Humour of disturbance at Yale — 'Plumper' proceeds to Langley — Oanoe 
 
 journey to Fort Hop* Foil Yale and Hill's Bar — Termination of the 
 
 difficulty with the Minora — Miners generally -—-Expresses and Expn 
 Men — New Westminster — Beturrj to Victoria — Difficulties arising 
 from the h inn juration of Indians from the North 58 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Description of the River Fraser and the Country beyond — The Bush of 
 British Columbia — American River Steamers — The Harrison-Lilloett 
 
 Koute to Lytton — Account of Indian Guides, &c. — Gamp Life — The 
 Canons on the Upper Fraser 70 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Journey continued — Kamloops — Lite of the Hudson Bay employes — 
 Indian Chief, St. Paul — Pavilion — The Harrison-Lilloett Route . . Ill 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 American occupation of San Juan Island — Arrival of the Flagship, H.M.S. 
 ' Gauges ' — Inlets of the Coast of British Columbia — Autumn Survey 
 between Nanaimo and Victoria — The ' Plumper ' leaves for San Francisco 
 — Our stay there .. .. 139 
 
x CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTEE VIII. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Johnstone Strait — The North-East of Vancouver Island — Fort Kupert 
 and Queen Charlotte Sound ! 164 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Jervis Inlet — Overland to Port Pernberton — Ship goes to observe Eclipse 
 — To Nanaimo with ' Alert ' and ' Termagant ' — ' Termagant ' runs 
 ashore — ' Alert ' accompanies ' Plumper ' to Fort Kupert — Kescue of 
 Female Slave — Ship goes round West Coast of Island, and I go down 
 inside in boat and up Squawmisht Elver in canoe — Arrival of H.M.S. 
 'Hecate' .. .. . .. .. .. 190 
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 
 Turn over to the ' Hecate ' — Preparations for Summer's Work — Trip to 
 West Coast to look for the ' Forward ' — Visit Nootka Sound — Survey 
 of Barclay and Clayaquot Sounds, and Kemarks on West Coast of the 
 Island — Promotion — Ship runs ashore 221 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Indians — The Coast Tribes — Classification — Manners and Customs — 
 Notes from Mr. Duncan's Journal — Inland Tribes — Number — Infor- 
 mation concerning them 242 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Keligious and Educational condition of the Colonies 305 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Koutes to British Columbia — Agricultural Eesources of British Columbia 
 and Vancouver Island — Natural History — Land System — Koads, 
 Climate, &c 353 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Mineral wealth of British Columbia, Summary of — ■ Conclusion . . . . 426 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Explorations in Jervis Inlet and Desolation Sound, British Columbia. 
 
 By Me. William Downie 447 
 
 List of Trees, Shrubs, Grasses, <fcc, found in Vancouver Island. By Dk. 
 
 Forbes 455 
 
 Land Proclamations relating to British Columbia 456 
 
 Land Proclamations relating to Vancouver Island 461 
 
 Index 465 
 
( xi ) 
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 1. British and United States Boundary Line — Yahk 
 
 River Frontispiece 
 
 2. Indian Family Migrating Title Vignette 
 
 3. Lady" of Sandwich Islands on Horseback .. .. to face 18 
 
 4. Outside View or Victoria 29 
 
 5. Cairn, etc., on the Boundary Line, at East Kootenay . . 32 
 
 6. Nanaimo, from the Anchorage — Fort and Coal Works . . 35 
 
 7. Vancouver Island Survey Detached Service — Griffin 
 
 Bay — St. Juan Island 37 
 
 8. West Orcas Sound, from Ship Peak 39 
 
 9. A Street in Victoria 45 
 
 10. Mount Baker from the Fraser River 87 
 
 11. Church at New Westminster 89 
 
 12. Block-House F»rt of Hudson Bay Company 117 
 
 13. Sketch Map of Haro Archipelago, showing the three 
 
 Channels 139 
 
 14. U.S. Dockyard, Mare Island, San Francisco 159 
 
 15. Head of Jervis Inlet 191 
 
 16. Head of Isoris Arm, Nootka Sound 234 
 
 17. Indian Woman and Child, the latter with head bound up 242 
 
 18. Indian Burial-Ground 271 
 
 19. Indian Girl, showing Conical form of Skull 277 
 
 20. Map of British Columbia and Vancouver Island. By John 
 
 Arrowsmith at the end. 
 
FOUR YEARS 
 
 IX 
 
 BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTEK I. 
 
 Appointment to H. M.S. ' Plumper' — Historical Sketch of the British 
 PoBseariona b North-West America. 
 
 In February, 1857, I received my appointment as Lieutenant 
 to H.M.S. ' Plumper,' then at Portsmouth, fitting out for 
 service at Vancouver Island. 
 
 This distant possession, and the adjacent mainland of 
 British North America, were then little known and still less 
 heeded. What little was known of them, from the chance 
 visits of explorers, and their more recent occupation by the 
 Hudson Bay Company for the purposes of then- great fur- 
 trade, may be very briefly stated. 
 
 The Spaniards were the first Europeans who set eyes 
 upon the coasts of the Pacific. During the earlier half of 
 the sixteenth century they busied themselves at intervals in 
 exploring it. At that time Spain and Portugal were the two 
 great maritime powers of Europe, and there had been 
 concluded between them a treaty, which the Pope was 
 expected to confirm ; by which, while the latter nation was 
 to enjoy all rights of discovery and possession eastward of a 
 meridian line passing 370 leagues west of the Cape Verd 
 
2 DRAKE'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. Chap. I. 
 
 Islands, to Spain were to pertain all seas and lands west of 
 that line. 
 
 There was another maritime power in Europe, however, 
 which, although of little importance then, was destined one 
 day to eclipse theirs totally. The rising navy of England 
 was little disposed to consider itself bound by an arrangement 
 that closed so many seas and shores against it. Nor was the 
 English people, flushed with its recent repudiation of the 
 Papal power, inclined to submit without a struggle to the 
 partition of the unknown world by the Court of Eome. 
 Elizabeth did not understand, it was explained to the 
 Spanish ambassador, " why her subjects should be debarred 
 from traffic in the Indies. As she did not acknowledge the 
 Spaniards to have any title by donation of the Bishop of 
 Home, so she knew no right they had to any places other 
 than those they were in actual possession of. As to their 
 having touched here and there upon a coast, and given 
 names to a few rivers and capes, these were such insigni- 
 ficant acts as could in no way entitle them to a proprietary 
 farther than in the parts where they settled and continued to 
 inhabit/' 
 
 The adventurous mariners of that time were ready enough 
 to act in the spirit of Elizabeth's protest, and entered upon 
 the career of discovery in the West energetically. It must 
 be confessed that they sometimes went beyond it, and the 
 Gulf of Mexico — and later the southern shores of the Pacific 
 — were haunted by free-traders and freebooters, who, carrying 
 their defiance of Papal authority and Spanish prohibitions 
 to an extent somewhat unjustifiable, plundered the Spanish 
 settlements of the coast, and took and sacked their trading 
 vessels. For a time it seems that their dread of the passage 
 of the Straits of Magellan kept them from the Pacific ; but 
 at length the reports which reached England of the wealth 
 that lay there mastered their fears, and Drake in his first 
 voyage round the world came there in 1578. A year later, 
 
Chap. 1. SEARCH FOR THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 3 
 
 when he started to return, gorged with the spoil of the coast, 
 being anxious to avoid the passage of the Straits of Magellan, 
 where he might he intercepted by the Spaniards, he sailed 
 west and north-west, thinking to reach home by that way. 
 He is supposed to have got as far north as the 42nd — by some 
 it is asserted the 48th — parallel of latitude, when, meeting 
 adverse winds, and the wintry, foggy weather telling seriously 
 upon his crew enervated by their stay in the sunny south, he 
 was forced to return. 
 
 In his wake came, among others, Cavendish, to the same 
 shores, upon the same errand. In the year 1587, he captured 
 a galleon near Cape St. Lucas, the southern extremity of 
 California. Setting fire to the vessel he landed the Spanish 
 crew upon the friendless, desolate shore, where they were like 
 to perish of exposure and starvation. Fortunately, however, 
 a storm blew their deserted vessel ashore in their immediate- 
 vicinity ; and repairing it as well as they could, they set sail 
 and in time reached Europe. Among them there happened to 
 be a Greek sailor, named properly Apostolos Valerianos, but 
 more commonly known by the designation used by his fellows 
 — Juan deFuca, of whom we shall have to say more hereafter. 
 
 About this time that search began, which our own dayfl 
 have seen concluded, for a northern passage of communication 
 between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The English and 
 the Dutch had already prosecuted it eagerly, and vague 
 reports were rife in the maritime world of its having been at 
 one time or other really made. 
 
 Among them the following narrative was current. It 
 will be found related at full length in an historical and 
 geographical collection called 'The Pilgrim,' published by 
 Samuel Purchas, in 1625, under the title of * A Note made 
 by Michael Lock the elder, touching the Strait of Sea com- 
 monly called Fretum Arrianum, in the South Sea, through 
 the North-west Passage of Meta Incognita. ' The following 
 is a summary of Mr. Lock's narrative. 
 
 b2 
 
4 MR. LOCK'S NARRATIVE. Chap. I. 
 
 That being at Venice in the year 1596 , upon business con- 
 nected with the Levant trade in which he (Mr. Lock) was 
 concerned, he came across an old man, aged 60, called Juan 
 de Fuca, but named properly Apostolos Valerianos, a Greek 
 mariner, an ancient pilot of ships. The account which he 
 gave of himself was that he had come from Spain to Florence, 
 whence, finding one John Douglas, an Englishman, a famous 
 mariner, ready coming to Venice, he had accompanied him 
 thither. This John Douglas, to whom the Greek seems 
 to have been communicative, being acquainted with Mr. 
 Lock, gave him knowledge of the old pilot, and brought 
 them together that his brother Englishman might in his turn 
 listen to his passenger's yarns ; and so we are informed that, 
 in many long talks and conferences, the following story came 
 out. 
 
 Apostolos Valerianos, by his then name of Juan de Fuca, 
 professed to have been in the West Indies of Spain for forty 
 years, and had sailed to and fro many places in the service of 
 that power. He happened to be in the Spanish ship which, 
 in returning from the Philippine Islands, was taken off Cape 
 California by Captain Cavendish ; upon the occasion of that 
 capture, losing 60,000 ducats of his own goods. 
 
 Subsequently to this event he had been in the service of 
 the Viceroy of Mexico, and on one occasion had been sent 
 with a small caravel and a pinnace up the shores of Cali- 
 fornia, now called North America. He reached the latitude 
 of 47° ; and there finding that the land trended north and 
 north-east, with a broad inlet of sea between the 47th and 
 48th parallels, he entered the same, sailing therein more 
 than twenty days, — still finding land, trending sometimes 
 north-west, and north-east, and north, and also east and south- 
 eastward, with much broader sea, islands, &c. So he sailed 
 until he came to the North Sea, finding it wide enough 
 everywhere, and then, being unarmed, and the native people 
 being savage, he returned, and was not rewarded for his 
 
Chap, I. MR. LOCK'S NARRATIVE. 5 
 
 services. Having thus a grievance with Spain, he was willing- 
 to serve England, by whom he hoped to be recompensed 
 for his loss by Captain Cavendish, who by this time was 
 dead. And if His Majesty would but give him a ship of 40 
 tons' burden, he undertook on his part to perform the North- 
 West passage in thirty days. 
 
 Upon this Mr. Lock wrote to Lord Treasurer Cecil, Sir 
 Walter Ealeigh, and Master Kichard Hakluyt, the famous 
 cosmographer, and prayed them to disburse him 100?., to 
 bring the pilot to England, his purse not stretching so wide. 
 To his request came an answer, that the action was well liked 
 and greatly desired by his correspondents in England, but no 
 money ; and the Greek pilot sailed for Cephalonia, his native 
 place. Mr. Lock, it further appears, at a later period corre- 
 sponded with him there, and he wrote in reply, stating that 
 he was ready to come with twenty companions and fulfil his 
 promise, but that money was indispensable, for he had been 
 utterly undone in the ship ' Santa Anna/ taken by Captain 
 Cavendish. No money, however, was forthcoming until much 
 later, when Apostolos Valerianos, being then an old man, at 
 the point of death, could not take advantage of it. 
 
 This story of the old Greek pilot's was long current in 
 England, and, although it was considered legendary by some, 
 it generally met with credit. There were not many, however, 
 who had the courage or the fortune to test its accuracy. As 
 late as the year 1709, — although we know that long before that 
 time the shores of the Atlantic as high as the 74th parallel 
 of latitude, had, in the search for the long-desired North- 
 West Passage, been explored and taken possession of by the 
 Hudson Bay Company, — little, if anything, of the Pacific 
 above the 43rd parallel north was known. About that time, 
 however, the Spaniards sailing north came upon the mouth of 
 the Columbia River, while the Russians began to push down 
 from their far-away settlements at Kamschatka. But it was 
 not until the year 1776 that the British Government, having 
 
6 . CAPTAIN COOK — VANCOUVER. Chap. I. 
 
 thirty years before offered a reward of 20,000Z. to whoever 
 should make the passage between the Atlantic and Pacific 
 from either sea, commissioned Captain James Cook to examine 
 the shores of the latter ocean. His instructions were to sail 
 for the 45th degree of latitude north. Having reached it he 
 was to make his way northward to the 65th, searching in his 
 course for rivers or inlets pointing towards Hudson or Baffin 
 Bays; taking possession, by the way, of the new lands he 
 might discover, in the name of his master, King George. 
 
 In March of the year 1778, Cook sighted the coast at 44°, 
 sailing thence up to 48°, where he named the projecting 
 point of the shore Cape Flattery. Southward of Cape Flattery, 
 Cook examined the coast with minute care, having it in his 
 mind to decide for ever upon the truth or falsity of the 
 story of Juan de Fuca's discovery, which had so long been 
 current. The old pilot, in his account, had put it between 
 the 47th and 48th parallels of latitude. Examining this 
 extent of the shore carefully, and with no success, Cook 
 authoritatively pronounced the Greek's story a fiction, and 
 sailed on past the wide strait that now bears Fuca's name, 
 stopping at Friendly Cove and Nootka Sound, which he took 
 to be part of the main shore. It was not, indeed, until ten 
 years later that Captain Berkeley, an English seaman in 
 charge of a merchant-vessel, found that a passage of some 
 sort existed, immediately north of Cape Flattery. He did not 
 explore it, but a year later an English naval officer on half- 
 pay, Captain Meares, coming upon it, named it the Strait of 
 Juan de Fuca, and sailed up it in a boat some thirty leagues, 
 until, attacked by the natives on the northern shore, he was 
 forced to return. 
 
 A few years later there were matters of difference between 
 the Governments of Spain and Great Britain relative to the 
 north-west coast of America and the navigation of the Pacific ; 
 and in the year 1792, Captain Vancouver, an officer in the 
 English navy — and not, as has been often erroneously sup- 
 
Chap. I. DISCOVERY OF VANCOUVER ISLAND. 7 
 
 posed, a Dutchman— was despatched to Nootka, to settle, 
 with the Spanish Commission, named for the like purpose, 
 what lands, buildings, and vessels seized there by Spain 
 should be restored to England, and the amount of indemni- 
 fication that should be paid her. 
 
 In addition to the official business upon which he was de- 
 spatched, Vancouver was directed to explore the coast of the 
 Pacific, from the 35th to the 60th parallels of north latitude, 
 and to look out for any water passage, which it was still 
 thought might be found connecting the two oceans ; parti- 
 cularly the Strait of Juan de Fuca, reported as recently re- 
 discovered. On Vancouver's reaching Nootka, he found the 
 Spanish Commissioner had not arrived, and proceeded to 
 survey the Strait of Fuca, Admiralty Inlet, and thence north- 
 ward. On the 22nd June, 17 ( J2, as he was returning to his 
 ship from Jervis Inlet, he met the ■ Sutil ' and ' Mexicans,' 
 two men-of-war, commanded by Signors D. Galiano and C. 
 Valdes, and forming part of the Spanish exploring expedition. 
 These' officers exchanged information in the most friendly way. 
 Then separating, Vancouver, after long and difficult naviga- 
 tion, forced his way between the islands of the Gulf of Georgia 
 and through the strait named by him Johnstone, coming at 
 length into the Pacific, at Queen Charlotte Sound, 100 miles 
 north of Nootka. The island thus discovered it was decided 
 should bear both their names, and will be found designated in 
 all but quite recent maps, Q.uadra and Vancouver Island 
 
 Let us now inquire what was known of these regions from 
 the eastern side of the great American continent. The first 
 to reach them, crossing the Rocky Mountains from Canada — 
 the first at least who left the impress of his name there — was 
 Mr. Simon Fraser, an employe of the North-West Company, 
 an association formed in Canada to rival the Hudson Bay 
 fur-trade. Mr. Fraser, penetrating the range of mountains 
 from Fort Chipewyan, in 1806, formed a trading establish- 
 ment upon a lake bearing his name, situate on the 54th 
 
8 PEESIDENT MONKOE'S CLAIM. Chap. I. 
 
 parallel of latitude. Later, rival American fur companies 
 were formed, and in 1810 the most important of them, the 
 Pacific Fur Company, having at its head Mr. Astor, a German 
 merchant of New York, founded the well-known, unsuccessful 
 settlement bearing his name at the entrance of the Columbia 
 Eiver. 
 
 Before this time, the shores of the Pacific, the theatre of 
 these comparatively unimportant events, attracted little if 
 any attention from the Governments, who were yet prepared 
 to lay claim to their exclusive possession, whenever their 
 occupation should appear valuable. About this period, how- 
 ever, the attention of the American Congress was directed 
 to the districts through which the Columbia flowed ; and the 
 subject being referred to a Committee of the Senate, a report 
 was made by it, that all the territory in question, from the 
 41st to the 53rd, if not to the 60th degree, belonged to the 
 United States. Their claim to its possession was grounded 
 upon the purchase of Louisiana from France in the year 180^, I 
 and the acquisition of what titles of discovery and occupation 
 might be possessed by Spain, by the Florida Treaty of 1818 ; 
 together with the rights conferred by the settlement of 
 American citizens there. No active steps, however, to 
 enforce these pretensions were taken until 1823, when Pre- 
 sident Monroe, in his Address to Congress, asserted that the 
 American continent was henceforth not to be considered as 
 subject for colonisation by any European Powers. 
 
 There were but two Powers with any pretensions to oppose 
 the claim of the United States to the exclusive possession of 
 the shore of the Pacific, viz., Russia and Great Britain. The 
 former had for many years been settled in some force at 
 Sitka and the neighbourhood. Both by Great Britain and 
 the States of America, the right of Russia to the districts 
 which she had in some measure colonised was readily con- 
 ceded. In 1824 a convention was entered into between that 
 Power and America, by which Russia bound herself not to 
 
Chap. I. THE BOUNDARY QUESTION. 9 
 
 encroach south of a line drawn at 54° 40', and in the follow- 
 ing year Great Britain entered into a similar treaty ; both 
 nations thus confirming the claims of Kussia, but careful in 
 no way to compromise their own, to the country south of the 
 line of boundary thus laid down. 
 
 It can serve no purpose to rake up the yet live embers of 
 the irritating and difficult boundary dispute between this 
 country and the United States, relative to the possession of 
 that portion of the shore of the Pacific which has 'since 
 proved so valuable. It is sufficient to say, that by conven- 
 tions renewed at intervals, the territories and waters claimed 
 by either Power west of the Eocky Mountains were declared 
 to be free and open to the vessels, citizens, and subjects of 
 both ; until, urged by their growing importance, and the 
 impatience of settlers east of the Eocky Mountains to colonise 
 them, the boundary question assumed the importance of a 
 great political crisis, more than once threatening to result in 
 war. Happily this was averted, and in 1844, by a treaty, the 
 details of which were settled at AYashington by Mr. Richard 
 Pakenham on behalf of the British Government, the line of 
 boundary from the Rocky Mountains to the sea was declared 
 to be the 49th parallel of north latitude. The course which 
 the line should take upon reaching the sea — fertile as it has 
 been and may still be in difficulties and misunderstandings — 
 was thus declared to continue to " the centre of the Gulf of 
 Georgia, and thence southward, through the channel which 
 separates the continent from Vancouver Island, to the Straits 
 of Juan de Fuca." It was subsequently found that there 
 were three separate channels existing between the island and 
 the mainshore, and contention arose as to the construction of 
 the treaty in respect to them. 
 
 In the year 1850 the American Government appointed a 
 commission to settle this disputed line of boundary after it 
 reached the sea-coast, as well as to determine the course which 
 the parallel of 49° took across the continent. 
 
10 SURVEY OF DISPUTED WATERS. Chap. I. 
 
 The English Government in their turn appointed Commis- 
 sioners for the like purpose. Captain Prevost was the first 
 selected, and in the autumn of 1856 was ordered to commis- 
 sion H.M.S. ' Satellite ' and proceed to Vancouver Island. It 
 was then discovered that no accurate chart of the channels in 
 dispute between the island and the mainshore existed ; that 
 the position and extent of the group of islands among them 
 were very imperfectly known ; while the relative value of the 
 channels themselves could only be arrived at from such 
 meagre information as the masters of two or three Hudson 
 Bay Company's trading vessels were able to give. It was 
 therefore determined that a surveying vessel should also be 
 despatched — in the first place to make a complete survey of 
 the disputed waters, and afterwards to continue it along the 
 coasts of Vancouver Island and the mainland of the British 
 territory. For this purpose Captain George Henry Kichards 
 was selected, and commissioned H.M.S. ' Plumper.' 
 
 The ' Plumper ' is what is called in the navy an auxiliary 
 steam-sloop, barque rigged, of 60-horse power, and armed 
 with two long 32-pounders and ten short ones, of a pattern 
 which has now nearly gone out of date. She had been paid 
 off from a long cruise on the West Coast of Africa the day 
 before Captain Eichards commissioned her, and it was not 
 to be wondered at that when she came to be " overhauled " 
 in the dock she was found very rotten in some parts. It was 
 discovered also that she would be very inefficient for the sur- 
 veying work unless a chart-room were built on deck, and 
 accordingly this had to be done. Owing to these causes her 
 preparation for sea was greatly prolonged, and we were not 
 ready for a start till the middle of March. 
 
 Captain Eichards was well known both as a surveyor and 
 an Arctic explorer, he having been the Commander of Sir E. 
 Belcher's ship the ' Assistance,' in the search for the remains 
 of the Franklin expedition, and having while there made one of 
 the longest and most harassing sledge-journeys upon record. 
 
Chap. I. THE ' PLUMPER ' COMMISSIONED. 11 
 
 He had previously assisted in the surveys of the Falkland 
 Islands, New Zealand, Australia, &c. Besides the command 
 of this survey, Captain Richards received an appointment as 
 Second Commissioner for the settlement of the boundary, in 
 conjunction with Captain Prevost. Of the other officers, Mr. 
 Bull, the master, was the principal surveyor, and with him 
 were Messrs. Pender and Bedwell, then second masters, now 
 masters. These three, with the captain, made the whole of 
 the surveying staff at starting. Of course in five years several 
 changes have taken place. On Mr. Bull's death Mr. Pender 
 became the senior assistant-surveyor, and other junior officers 
 have learnt the work and have been added to the strength 
 of the survey. The surgeon, at that time Dr. Forbes, under- 
 took the Natural History and Botanical departments ; but he 
 was likewise changed. He was invalided when the ship 
 arrived at Valparaiso, and relieved by Dr. Lyall. Subse- 
 quently when the Laud Boundary Commission, under Colonel 
 Hawkins, arrived at Vancouver Island, Dr. Lyall was detached 
 from the ship to them, and his place taken on board by Dr. 
 Wood. 
 
 The repairs which were found necessary before the 
 ' Plumper' could start for so long a voyage, kept us in 
 Portsmouth Harbour till the 11th of March, on which day we 
 made our trial trip on the measured mile in Stokes Bay. 
 The average speed obtained was six knots (nautical miles of 
 2000 yards each) per hour, which, although as much as we 
 expected from the horse-power of the vessel, we afterwards 
 found by no means adequate to the rushing currents in the 
 inner waters between Vancouver Island and British Columbia. 
 
 Recurring to my description of our destination, I may 
 remark that the manner in which the northern shores of the 
 Pacific are parcelled out is simply thus. From the Mexican 
 boundary, as far north as the 49th degree of latitude, the 
 Americans hold possession ; a few colonists at long intervals 
 being thinly scattered over the states of Oregon and Wash- 
 
12 HUDSON BAY COMPANY. ♦ Chap. I, 
 
 ington. Vancouver Island had in the year 1843 first been 
 occupied by the Hudson Bay Company, a party of whose 
 employes, landing at Victoria, had settled there, building a 
 fort and laying the foundation of what became an important 
 trading station. In 1849 a grant of the island to the same 
 Company was made by the Home Government, upon condition 
 that within five years steps should be taken by the lessees for 
 its perfect colonisation. What steps were taken, however, 
 proved unsuccessful ; and at this time, beyond a somewhat 
 prosperous station and farm at Victoria, a fort at Eupert, in 
 the north of the island, and a small settlement at Nanaiino, 
 no use of Vancouver Island was made by the English. Of 
 the mainland, secured to Great Britain by the boundary 
 treaty of 1844, and known then as New Caledonia, the same 
 Company also held possession under a similar grant. It was 
 used by them exclusively for the purposes of their fur-trade, 
 a few forts at distant intervals sheltering them from the 
 Indians and serving as trading stations. 
 
 North of the British possessions the Russians were busy, 
 too, in the pursuit of furs, which they exported to China and 
 their own country. The mainland of their possessions was 
 utterly valueless for any other purpose, the islands only being 
 available for agriculture. They, too, possessed their forts 
 and factories, but in greater number and strength than the 
 English, having taken further trouble to colonise the country. 
 The aboriginal inhabitants pay formal allegiance to the 
 Bussian- American Trading Company, in the service of which 
 they are bound to enter, if required ; while from the more 
 distant tribes tribute of furs is enforced. Moreover the 
 Company possess twenty-eight establishments south of Beh- 
 ring Straits ; and on Baranof Island, at Sitka, or New 
 Archangel, the capital of Russian- America, a fortified town 
 will be found, with arsenals, shipyard, foundry, hospital, a 
 church, splendidly adorned shops, schools, library, museum, 
 and laboratory. 
 
Chap. I. RUSSIAN SETTLEMENTS. 13 
 
 Such, briefly, was the condition of the neglected and 
 unknown land for which the ' Plumper ' was bound. This 
 much was known of it : and that its area, exclusive of Van- 
 couver Island, itself half the size of Ireland, was about three 
 times as large as Great Britain, with a coast-line of 500 miles, 
 made up of lake and mountain, forest, marsh, and prairie. 
 
14 PASSAGE OUT. Chap. II. 
 
 CHAPTEE II. 
 
 Leave England — Arrive at Sandwich Islands — Stay at Honolulu — King 
 Kanie-hame-ha and Prince Lot — The Straits of Juan de Fuca — Descrip- 
 tion of — Arrival at Esquimalt — Description of, and of Victoria. 
 
 On the 12th of March we left Portsmouth ' for Plymouth, 
 getting away from England finally on the 26th of the same 
 month. During our passage out we met with several acci- 
 dents, which had the effect of delaying our arrival at our 
 destination for a considerable while, but which would be of 
 little if any interest to the reader. I may say shortly, then, 
 that after springing a leak in the Bay of Biscay, which com- 
 pelled us to run in to Lisbon, and breaking the screw-shaft a 
 few days later, which left us for some time without the aid of 
 steam, we reached Kio Janeiro on the 25th of May. We were 
 detained here until the necessary repairs could be effected, 
 leaving it on the 9th of July. After meeting with nothing 
 more remarkable than a heavy gale off the River Plate, we 
 entered the Straits of Magellan on the 29th of July, and were 
 detained there by stress of weather for three weeks. On the 
 19th of August, however, we passed out, and picking up a fair 
 wind, reached Valparaiso on the 28th of the same month. 
 Starting thence on the 8th of September, we arrived, after a 
 pleasant passage, at Honolulu, Sandwich Islands, on the 16th 
 of October. 
 
 Although our stay at Honolulu was short, opportunity was 
 given us to see a great deal of the place and neighbourhood. 
 Of late 3^ears, from being a mere Indian village, it has become 
 an important harbour for the ships engaged in whale-fishing 
 in the North Pacific. This is conducted principally by vessels 
 of the United States ; and the white population of Honolulu, 
 
Chap. II. KING KAME-HAME-HA. 15 
 
 therefore, is almost exclusively American. It is no secret, I 
 believe, that great efforts have been made by these settlers 
 and their Government for the annexation of the Sandwich 
 Islands. In this they have been baffled by their own unpopu- 
 larity, and the strenuous counter-exertions of the advisers of 
 King Kame-hame-ha II., who have been hitherto selected 
 from the few English and Scotch residents in his dominions. 
 Kame-hame-ha, indeed, is essentially English in his habits, 
 dress, the fashion of his residence, and in his system of govern- 
 ment, which is enlightened and progressive. He has for his 
 chief adviser a very worthy old Scotch gentleman, by name 
 Wylie ; and his queen is the daughter of an Irish settler in 
 his dominions, and a very pleasant, sensible woman. 
 
 Personally this monarch with the unpronounceable name 
 is a well-educated, gentlemanly man, who speaks English 
 and French fluently, and who has travelled a good deal both 
 in Europe and America. It is said that, when travelling in 
 the States, he was not allowed at some place to join the 
 table d'hote, on account of his having black blood in his veins, 
 although he is really little, if at all, darker than a sunburnt 
 Englishman. Considering the many temptations incidental to 
 his position, and that his royal father was, I believe, almost a 
 savage, Kame-hame-ha II. may, in extenuation of his evil 
 habits, offer pleas which have before now excused the much 
 more glaring excesses of enlightened European monarchs 
 and gentlemen. Unfortunately, King Kame-hame-ha is not 
 without many social faults ; but though addicted, as there is 
 no doubt he is, to the pleasures of the table and conviviality 
 generally, I believe him to be anything but the drunkard 
 and debauchee that I have heard him called by some of his 
 guests and critics. 
 
 Something — much, I think — should be conceded to the 
 influences of his childhood, and the difficulties of his maturer 
 years. Son of a father who, although wild and uncultivated 
 as any North American Indian, had seen enough of the ad- 
 
16 KING KAME-HAME-HA. Chap. I L 
 
 vantages of education to desire them for his son, he was put 
 under competent masters, and afterwards sent to travel ; thus 
 European habits, tastes, and manners were engrafted upon 
 his semi-wild nature. Of course these placed a barrier for 
 ever between him and his native subjects. He could no 
 longer associate with them, and he naturally joined the only 
 society that was in the least suited to him — viz., that of the 
 American residents. Among these he had offered him the 
 choice of the American missionaries or merchants. The 
 former, though most exemplary and useful men, who have done 
 a great deal of good among the natives and the crews of the 
 whaling ships, led lives far too austere and ascetic to please 
 the young monarch. The others, however ineligible asso- 
 ciates for a young man with strong passions, had at least the 
 merit of being pleasant companions. It is therefore, perhaps, 
 little to be wondered at that he should have preferred their 
 society. 
 
 The King may frequently be met at the houses of his 
 «t foreign subjects, at their balls, dinners, and supper parties ; 
 and although always treated with a certain amount of defer- 
 ence, and placed in the seat of honour, it sounds strange to 
 hear a man say across the table, " King, a glass of wine with 
 you !" or, "Do you feel like brandy-and-water this morning, 
 King ? " I believe in his heart, Kame-hame-ha is thoroughly 
 sick of his present life ; but the task of reformation is no 
 easy one, and he has no one to help him in it. He has lately 
 expressed a great desire that England should assist him 
 socially and morally, as she has done politically. He has 
 long desired the establishment of the Church of England in 
 his dominions. So anxious is he for this, that he has post- 
 poned the christening of his child in the hope of being able 
 to have that ceremony performed by an English bishop. He 
 endeavoured to enlist the sympathies and obtain the services 
 of the Bishop of British Columbia for this purpose; and 
 failing that, Queen Emma actually at one time contemplated 
 
Chap. II. A "HULA-HULA." 17 
 
 making the voyage to England with her child, with the 
 double object of having him baptised by episcopal hands, 
 and of inducing our gracious Queen to become his sponsor.* 
 
 During our stay at Honolulu, the King's brother, Prince 
 Lot, acceded to our request to show us a native dance, or 
 Hula-hula, such as we had read of in the voyages of the old 
 explorers. It was common enough in the days of Cook and 
 Vancouver, but has gone out of fashion since quadrilles and 
 champagne have been introduced at Honolulu. Probably 
 the missionaries have had much to do with its abolition, and 
 indeed no objection they may entertain to it can be con- 
 sidered unreasonable. 
 
 A Hula is a festive entertainment which I find it some- 
 what difficult to describe. The one we saw was held near a 
 village some ten or twelve miles from Honolulu, to which we 
 all rode on the horses which are so good and plentiful in this 
 island. Some 200 or 300 natives were present. Almost all 
 the dancers were women dressed in a costume somewhat 
 similar to that of our European ballet-girl. The music was « 
 played by some half-dozen men seated on their haunches at T 
 the far end of the room behind the dancers, who sang a wild 
 chant, accompanied by perpetual rapping on small drums*. 
 Some of the dancers carried large shields made of feathers 
 bound up with very bright-coloured cloth — a gourd, fixed on 
 to the centre at the back, forming the handle. The gourds 
 were filled with pebbles, and were rattled with extraordinary 
 vehemence as the dancers became excited. The contortions 
 into which they put themselves are quite beyond my powers 
 of description. There was, however, a certain wild grace in all 
 their movements, and they kept admirable time with each 
 other and to the music. The chants have a peculiar signifi- 
 
 * Since writing the above,' the King's wishes have been acceded to. The 
 newly-appointed Bishop of Honolulu has recently left England for his diocese, 
 and he carries with him the assent of her Majesty to be sponsor to King 
 Kame-hame-ha's heir. 
 
 C 
 
18 SANDWICH ISLAND HORSES. Ceap. II. 
 
 cance to the islanders, and many of their traditions are, 
 I believe, bound up in them. Dinner was provided before 
 the dancing commenced, which latter was kept up with 
 wonderful spirit all through the night. We were entertained 
 exclusively on native dishes, spread on the ground in native 
 fashion : knives and forks, &c, with ale and wine, forming 
 the only foreign portion of the arrangements. 
 
 Among the dishes was chowdar — a preparation of fish 
 stewed with suet-pudding, well known in America — and 
 several things cooked in a manner peculiar, I believe, to the 
 Pacific Islands, by being wrapped up in palm-leaves and 
 baked between two hot stones. This is called " loo-ou." Dog 
 used to be a common article of diet in the Sandwich Islands, 
 but of late years it has gone out of fashion. But for a very 
 natural repugnance, that it might be difficult to master, these 
 dogs would be by no means disagreeable ; for, as with frogs 
 in France, they are devoted early in life to culinary purposes, 
 and are fattened as pigs might be, and not allowed — as pigs 
 often are — to eat flesh. 
 
 The Sandwich Islands horses are very good, and wonder- 
 fully cheap. Many have been exported to Vancouver Island 
 with great success. The women are bold equestrians : the 
 use of the side-saddle is entirely unknown to them, and they 
 ride en cavalier on the Spanish saddle, which is made by the 
 natives everywhere in the Pacific. They ride most pluckily, 
 and by no means ungracefully, wearing a roll of bright 
 yellow or red cloth, sufficiently long to reach below the feet ; 
 this is fastened at the waist, and wrapped loosely round the 
 lower limbs, so as to form a sort of loose trowsers. 
 
 Before leaving Honolulu, I may mention the Sailors' 
 Borne, to which the residents liberally subscribe, from 
 the king downwards. There is accommodation in it for 
 nearly eighty men, and in the season when the whalers 
 crowd into the harbour they manage to accommodate many 
 more. The sailors are charged five dollars a week, and the 
 

 1.AHV OF SANDWICH Islands ON HoKSEBACK. 
 
 Page in. 
 
Chap. II. STRAITS OF FUCA. 19 
 
 officers — for whom a separate table is kept — eight dollars, for 
 their board and lodging. 
 
 23nZ October, 1857. — Sailed from Honolulu this day, and 
 on the 9th of November entered the Strait of Juan de Fuca, 
 which divides Vancouver Island from the mainland of the 
 American continent. In making the Strait of Fuca, should 
 the weather be clear enough for the navigator to see the 
 Flattery Kocks, he will at once know his position. These 
 rocks, which lie twelve miles south of Cape Flattery and 
 extend some three miles off shore, have a considerable 
 elevation, and are sufficiently peculiar in their aspect to be 
 readily identified. In fair weather the entrance to the 
 Strait is plainly visible from them ; and as they are passed, 
 the lighthouse upon Tatoosh, off Cape Flattery, opens in 
 view. 
 
 All high northern latitudes are peculiarly liable to sudden 
 changes of weather, and in entering the Strait of Fuca all 
 the knowledge and experience of which the navigator is 
 master will often be called into requisition. The currents at 
 the entrance of the Strait are not very strong, varying from 
 one to four knots ; but their set is uncertain, although when 
 once fairly in the Strait the flood-stream will be found to 
 run in, and the ebb out. Captain Trivett, of the Hudson 
 Bay Company's service, who has made many voyages to 
 Victoria, recommends * that the south coast of Vancouver 
 Island should be avoided in light winds, as, should it fall 
 calm, the ship would be at the mercy of a heavy swell that 
 almost always sets in on the shore, and renders it at times 
 difficult to get off the coast. My subsequent experience, 
 however, would incline me, on the contrary, to hug the 
 island-coast, as, although the swell sets on to the island, the 
 current appears almost invariably to set to the southward. 
 This southerly set nearly caused the loss of H.M.S. * Hecate,' 
 
 * 'Mercantile Journal ' for 18(51, p. 190. 
 
 c2 
 
20 STRAITS OF FUCA. Chap. II. 
 
 in 1861, when, during a fog, she was drifted on to the rocks 
 inside Tatoosh Island, when we thought we were still well 
 north of it. Captain Stamp, an old seaman who, living at 
 Barclay Sound, is in the habit frequently of taking small 
 schooners to and from Victoria, also told me that he almost 
 always experienced a southerly set at the entrance of the 
 Straits. 
 
 Off the shore of Vancouver Island a large bank, some 
 fifteen miles in breadth, extends the whole length of the 
 island. It is, therefore, advisable, as Captain Trivett in 
 another place remarks, to be to the northward rather than 
 the southward in making the Strait. The edge of this bank 
 has been very accurately defined by the soundings of H.M.S. 
 1 Hecate,' which have since been published ; and as the depth 
 of water changes suddenly from 100 or 200 fathoms to no 
 more than 40 or 50, the soundings will serve as a capital 
 guide for the approach. 
 
 The breadth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, at its entrance 
 between Cape Flattery, its southern point upon American 
 territory, and Bonilla Point in Vancouver Island, is thirteen 
 miles. It narrows soon, however, to eleven miles, carrying 
 this breadth in an east and north-east direction some fifty 
 miles to the Kace Islands. The coasts are remarkably free 
 from danger, and may, as a rule, be approached closely. 
 Upon either side there are several convenient anchorages, 
 which I shall shortly describe, and which may be taken 
 advantage of by vessels inward or outward bound. They are 
 well lighted, too, by both the countries interested in their 
 navigation ; although, in this respect, the United States may 
 be said to carry off the palm. They have a small staff of 
 officers whose duty it is to attend to the lighthouses on the 
 coast ; and until the recent home exigencies of the United 
 States, a steamer, the ' Shubrick,' was especially detailed for 
 this service. 
 
 To return, however, to a description of the Strait of Juan 
 
Chap. II. STEAITS OF FUCA. 21 
 
 de Fuca. Upon the northern side, from the shore of the 
 island, densely- wooded hills rise gradually to a considerable 
 height ; while on the southern, or American shore, the rugged 
 outline of the Olympian range of snow-clad mountains, vary- 
 ing in elevation from, four to seven thousand feet, and in 
 breaks of which peeps of beautiful country may be seen, 
 extend for many miles. As the Strait is ascended the tides 
 and currents, which at its junction with the Pacific are of 
 comparatively little strength, become embarrassing, and 
 often dangerous, to the navigator. In the neighbourhood 
 of the Kace Islands, where the Strait takes an east-north-east 
 direction and meets the first rush of the waters of the Gulf of 
 Georgia, which have been pent-up and harassed by the 
 labyrinth of islands choking its southern entrance, the tidal 
 irregularities become so great and perplexing as to baffle all 
 attempts at framing laws calculated to guide the mariner. 
 Fortunately, the course of the winds can be ascertained with 
 greater accuracy. At all seasons they blow up or down 
 the Strait of Fuca. During the summer the prevailing 
 breezes from north-west or south-west take a westerly direc- 
 tion within the Strait; while the south-east gales of winter 
 blow fairly out. The mariner, however, running out of the 
 Strait with a south-east gale, must be prepared for a shift to 
 the southward immediately he opens Cape Flattery. This 
 generally occurs, and it is of the first importance to be ready 
 for it ; as, of course, the southerly wind catching a ship un- 
 prepared drives her on to the dead lee-shore of the island, 
 off which it is no easy job to work. Upon her last voyage 
 home the Hudson Bay Company's bark 'Princess Royal,' 
 under the command of the Captain Trivett I have before 
 alluded to, was placed in great jeopardy for a whole night 
 from this cause. 
 
 At the Race Islands the Strait may be said to terminate, as 
 it there opens out into a large expanse of water, which forms 
 a playground for the tides and currents, hitherto pent up 
 
22 ANCHORAGES. Chap. II. 
 
 among- the islands in the comparatively narrow limits of the 
 Gulf, of Georgia, to frolic in. Between Port San Juan, which 
 is the first anchorage on the north side of the Strait just 
 inside the entrance, and the Eace Islands two good anchorages 
 occur. Sooke. Inlet, the more westward of these, lies some 
 nine miles from the Kace Islands, and forms a splendid basin 
 a mile and a half square, and perfectly land-locked. The 
 entrance, however, is so narrow and tortuous, as to make 
 Sooke Harbour of little practical value. Some farms have, 
 however, been established there, and what land there is in its 
 neighbourhood available for cultivation has been found to be 
 good and fertile. 
 
 Becher Bay lies between Sooke and the Kace Islands, some 
 four miles from the latter. The depth of water at its 
 entrance varies from twenty to fifty fathoms, with a rocky 
 and irregular bottom ; and it cannot be recommended as an 
 anchorage, being too open to winds from the south and west. 
 
 On the south side of the Strait is Neah Bay, four miles 
 east-north-east from Tatoosh Island, offering a safe and 
 convenient anchorage to vessels meeting south-west or 
 south-east gales at the entrance of the Strait. Indeed, it is 
 very fairly sheltered from all but north-west winds, and if 
 threatened by them a vessel will generally be able to run out 
 of the bay inside the adjacent island of Wyadda, which is 
 protected on the north-east side. It was in Neah Bay, how- 
 ever, that the Hudson Bay Company's brig ' Una ' was lost in 
 1857. She had come down from Queen Charlotte Island, 
 whither she had been sent to examine into some reported gold 
 discoveries, and was lying here when a heavy north-west wind 
 set in. Most of the crew were on shore at the Indian village, 
 and the ' Una ' was anchored in deep water. The anchor 
 could not be weighed, and before they could get sail on ready 
 for cutting the cable, she had drifted so much that, when they 
 tried to run through between the island and the main, they 
 grounded on the point. The brig was totally lost, but the 
 
Chap. II. INDIAN FISHERMEN. 23 
 
 crew were saved and treated kindly by the Indians, who 
 muster here in large numbers, owing to the quantity of cod, 
 halibut, and other fish, upon the bank which I have before 
 referred to as running out from the shore of the island. 
 This fishery will no doubt, at some future time, prove 
 a source of considerable profit to the colony. It was for 
 some time doubted by the Governor and others, whether 
 the true cod was to be caught upon this bank ; but some 
 years later, when we were here with the ' Hecate,' we settled 
 this in the affirmative beyond a doubt. The halibut runs 
 here to an enormous size ; it is a large flat fish, and I have 
 seen specimens caught that were six or seven feet long, by 
 three or four feet wide and six or eight inches thick. Fish of 
 this size are very coarse ; but a small halibut is good eating. 
 The Indians catch them with the hook, their lines being 
 made usually of the fibres of the cypress-tree, or of the long 
 kelp which abounds in these waters. They now very gene- 
 rally use hooks purchased of the Hudson Bay Company, 
 but the native implement made of wood backed with bone 
 may still be seen. The canoes of these fishermen may 
 always be met with off the entrance of the Strait, tossing 
 about in the chopping sea, with a coil of some fifty or 
 sixty fathoms of line wound round their bows. Their 
 method of killing large fish is particularly ingenious ; they 
 carry in their canoes a number of bags of seal-skin made 
 air-tight, to each of which is attached a small harpoon 
 barbed with iron, fishbone, or shell. A short line connects the 
 harpoon with the bag, and the handle being withdrawn after 
 the fish is struck he is allowed to play it out. He is often 
 strong enough to carry one or more of the seal-skin bags 
 under the water, but in time he comes to the surface, and is 
 harpooned again and again, until worn out he is towed 
 to the shore. 
 
 Between Neah Bay and Admiralty Inlet, there are several 
 anchorages more or less to be recommended. The rugged 
 
24 ESQUJMALT. Chap. II. 
 
 coast is quite unfit, however, for settlement ; although behind 
 the rocks that line the shore lies much rich and fertile land, 
 which, however, can only be reached from Admiralty Inlet 
 and Puget Sound. 
 
 Eight miles north of the Race Islands is the harbour of 
 Esquimalt,* and three miles northward of that lies Victoria, 
 the capital of Vancouver Island, and the present seat of 
 government for both that colony and British Columbia. As 
 a harbour, Esquimalt is by far the best in the southern part 
 of the island or mainland. It offers a safe anchorage for 
 ships of any size, and although the entrance is perhaps some- 
 what narrow for a large vessel to beat in or out of with a 
 dead foul wind, it may usually be entered easily and freely. 
 It is moreover admirably adapted to become a maritime 
 stronghold, and might be made almost impregnable. Its 
 average depth.is from five to seven fathoms, and in Constance 
 Cove, on the right-hand side as the harbour is entered, there 
 is room for as large a number of ships as we are ever likely 
 to have in these waters to take refuge in if necessary. As 
 yet the want of fresh water in the summer time is felt as an 
 inconvenience ; but there are several large lakes a little up 
 the country, at a level considerably above that of the harbour, 
 and from them, when the resources of the colony are de- 
 veloped, water can easily be brought down to the ships. 
 
 Each new admiral that is appointed to the North Pacific 
 station appears to be more and more impressed with the 
 evident value and importance of Esquimalt as a naval 
 station. It is to be regretted, indeed, that more land in the 
 neighbourhood of the harbour has not been reserved by the 
 Government, and that steps were not long ago taken to 
 develop its resources. Had, for instance, a floating dock 
 been built here in 1858, it would by this time have more 
 
 * The second syllable of Esquimalt is pronounced long. Its Indian name 
 is Isch-oy-malt, and it was so written in the early letters of the Governor 
 to the Hudson Bay Company. 
 
Chap. II. ESQUIMALT. 25 
 
 than paid for its construction ; and we should not be depen- 
 dent, as we are now, upon the American dock at Mare 
 Island, San Francisco, for the repair of our ships of Avar. 
 During the four years of my service on this station, such a 
 dock would have been used on five occasions by Her Majesty's 
 ships, and at least a dozen times by merchant-vessels, who, 
 as it was, were put to great inconvenience and even danger. 
 For instance, when H.M.S. ' Hecate ' ran ashore in the 
 autumn of 1861, we were a fortnight at Esquimalt patching 
 her up, before we ventured to take her to San Francisco, 
 whither after all we had to be convoyed by another man-of- 
 war. This occurred too, as it may be remembered, at a time 
 when war with the United States seemed imminent. Had 
 it broken out, the ' Hecate ' must have been trapped, and 
 the services of a powerful steamer would have been lost to 
 the country. 
 
 Esquimalt has seen, and is still likely to see, many start- 
 ling changes. I found it altered very much from the time 
 when as a midshipman, I first made its acquaintance in 184 ( J. 
 Iu that year, when we spent some weeks in Esquimalt 
 Harbour on board H.M.S. ' Inconstant,' there was not a house 
 to be seen on its shores ; we used to fire shot and shell as we 
 liked about the harbour, and might send parties ashore and 
 cut as much wood as we needed without the least chance of 
 interruption. Now, as we entered, I was surprised to catch 
 sight of a row of respectable, well-kept buildings on the south- 
 east point of the harbour's mouth, with pleasant gardens in front 
 of them, from which a party of the crew of the ' Satellite,' 
 who had been expecting- us for some time, received us with 
 a round of hearty cheers. This was, we found, a Naval 
 Hospital erected in 1854, when we were at war with Eussia, 
 to receive the wounded from Petropaulovski, and since that 
 time continued in use. Opposite the hospital, our attention 
 was directed to a very comfortable and, standing where it 
 did, a rather imposing residence, which was the house of 
 
26 VICTORIA. Chap. II. 
 
 Mr. Cameron, Chief Justice of Vancouver Island, and in 
 which I have since spent many a pleasant hour. At the 
 head of Constance Cove, at the east end of the harbour, 
 might be seen through the trees the buildings of Constance 
 farm, in the occupation of the Puget Sound Company ; and 
 as we held on beyond the hospital, we came in view of the 
 site of the present town of Esquimalt, whose growth is of a 
 more recent date than that of which I am now writing. 
 
 Nor were other signs of the already growing importance of 
 Esquimalt wanting. It must be remembered that as yet 
 gold, although known by some to exist both upon the island 
 and mainland, had attracted no notice ; but the colony was 
 growing slowly yet surely without its stimulating aid. 
 Further up the harbour stood another building, named Thetis 
 Cottage, and at the north entrance of Constance Cove the 
 new bailiff of the Puget Sound Company was building a 
 house. So, everywhere ashore, there were changes and im- 
 provement visible. Nine years back, we had to scramble 
 from the ship's boat on to the most convenient rock : now 
 Jones's landing-place received us ; and in the stead of forcing 
 a path over the rocks and through the bush to the Victoria 
 Inlet, whence, if a native should happen to be lounging 
 about in the Indian village of the Songhies, and should see 
 us or hear our shouts and bring a canoe over, we might hope 
 to reach Victoria, a broad carriage-road, not of the best, 
 perhaps, and a serviceable bridge, were found connecting 
 Esquimalt Harbour with Victoria. 
 
 Victoria, too, was altering for the better, though slowly. 
 The Hudson Bay Company's fort was still the most imposing 
 building in the town, and its officers the chief people there ; 
 but it had grown into a more important station of the great 
 Fur Company than of yore, and Mr. Finlayson, whom we 
 had left chief in command nine years before, we now found 
 Mr. Douglas's lieutenant. 
 
 As the capital of the island, Victoria undoubtedly owes its 
 
Chap. II. VICTORIA. 27 
 
 pre-eminence to Mr. Douglas, the present governor. As far 
 back as 1843, when it was considered desirable by the Com 
 pany to establish a station in the island, Victoria had been 
 selected by him for that purpose ; and later, when the Oregon 
 boundary question was settled, and the mouth of the Kiver 
 Columbia, on which Fort Vancouver, the principal station of 
 the Company in Western America, stood, fell into the hands 
 of the United States, it was to Victoria that their head-quarters 
 were transferred by Mr. Douglas, who was then, and had been 
 for some time, their chief agent in the countries west of the 
 Eocky Mountains. Mr. Douglas was guided in his selection 
 of Victoria simply by its possessing qualities which met the 
 requirements of the Company he represented. No one ever 
 dreamt then of the mineral wealth of the valleys that sloped 
 from the Eocky Mountains to the sea; or that in a few 
 years cities (I should say, perhaps, their promise) would 
 spring up upon shores almost unknown to the civilised world. 
 But, long before the present rush of immigrants to these 
 regions, Victoria, as a port, had been virtually superseded by 
 the adjacent harbour of Esquimalt. The entrance to Victoria 
 is narrow, shoal, and intricate ; and with certain winds a 
 heavy sea sets on the coast, which renders the anchorage 
 outside unsafe, while vessels of burden cannot run inside for 
 shelter unless at or near high water. Vessels drawing 14 
 or 15 feet may, under ordinary circumstances, enter at high 
 water, and ships drawing 17 feet have done so, although only 
 at the top of spring-tides. But it is necessary always to take 
 a pilot, and the channel is so confined and tortuous that a 
 long ship has considerable difficulty in getting in. With 
 every care, a large proportion of vessels entering the port run 
 aground. No doubt steps might be taken to improve the 
 harbour of Victoria, but it is highly problematical whether it 
 can ever be made a safe and convenient port of entry for 
 vessels even of moderate tonnage at all times of the tide and 
 weather. Under the most favourable circumstances, accidents 
 
28 VICTORIA. Chap. II. 
 
 happen constantly. Last year, and again this spring, the 
 * Princess Eoyal,' a vessel of but 600 tons' burden, which goes 
 from London to Vancouver Island every year, in the service 
 of the Hudson Bay Company, grounded in entering Victoria, 
 although she was commanded by a very able man, thoroughly 
 acquainted with the place, and was towed at the time by a 
 steamer which plied in and out of the harbour two or three 
 times at least every week. ISTor when she was brought into 
 the harbour was there sufficient depth of water to allow her 
 to get alongside the wharf, and her cargo had to be discharged 
 into lighters. Under these circumstances, therefore, although 
 Victoria is, no doubt, quite well adapted for the vessels 
 trading up the Fraser River, and the many small craft that 
 will be required among the islands and ports of the coast, 
 ships of larger tonnage must always prefer Esquimalt. I 
 cannot imagine any sensible master of an ocean ship endea- 
 vouring to wriggle his vessel into Victoria with the larger 
 and safer harbour of Esquimalt handy. 
 
 Very possibly, could the future have been foreseen, Victoria 
 would not have been selected as the chief commercial port of 
 Vancouver Island. . But the selection has been made, the 
 town is built or building, the commerce already attracted. 
 The fact must be regarded as accomplished beyond the possi- 
 bility of change ; and the only thing that can now be done is 
 to connect it with the harbour of Esquimalt, towards which 
 task the natural formation of the country lends itself ad- 
 mirably. 
 
 In the way of this, however, stand several obstacles, and 
 chief among them, perhaps, is the jealousy of the landholders 
 of Victoria, who, believing that the elevation of Esquimalt 
 into the harbour of the colony would lower the value of their 
 property, have- persistently opposed such a project. JSTor 
 have the landholders of Esquimalt been altogether free from 
 blame. Irritated by the opposition of Victoria, and convinced 
 that in the end their demands must be conceded, they have 
 
•'■% 
 
 $?■-. 
 
 1 
 IS 
 
 ■i 
 
 i 
 
 
 7 « 
 
 *■/■', 
 
 
Chap. II. VICTORIA. 29 
 
 placed a value upon their land which is quite exorbitant. 
 Many of the merchants of Victoria would, I believe, long- 
 ago have been glad to transfer their wharves to Esquimalt, 
 could they have obtained the necessary land at anything like 
 a fair price. 
 
 Some efforts had, however, been made to connect the two 
 places. As I have before said, in 1849 the country between 
 them was impassable, and the only communication possible 
 was by creeping round by the shore and crossing the head 
 of the inlet in a canoe ; but now we found a broad road 
 carried from Victoria to the Naval Hospital, passing through 
 what has since become the site of Esquimalt town, with 
 branch ways to several important points of the harbour. 
 At that time this road fulfilled its purpose moderately well ; 
 but later, when the rush to British Columbia commenced, it 
 broke down miserably, and it was, in the autumn of 1861, 
 when I left, a disgrace to the colony. In the winter it was 
 practically almost useless, and the waggons had to take to the 
 grass by the side, with what result may easily be imagined ; 
 and when the mails were expected, the express-men and 
 waggon-drivers had to go over the ground the day before and 
 patch it up sufficiently to enable them to get to Victoria at all. 
 
 Very few words need be given to the description of Victoria. 
 Beaching it by the road just mentioned, the traveller, passes 
 the Hospital, supported by voluntary contributions, and first 
 established by the Rev. E. Cridge, who was the Hudson Bay 
 Company's chaplain at Victoria for some years, and did 
 much good in many unobtrusive ways before the arrival of 
 the present bishop. Beyond, situated upon a point of land 
 that juts out between the first and second bridges, has since 
 been built a foundry, about which, in the winter season, may 
 generally be seen miners busy building flat-bottomed boats, 
 raising the gunwales of old canoes, and in other ways making 
 preparations for crossing the Gulf of Georgia and ascending 
 the Fraser River early in the spring. Further on, across tl^e 
 
30 INDIAN VILLAGE. Chap. II. 
 
 first bridge, the road ascends a little bill, on the summit of 
 which lies the Indian village of tbe Sorighies, once tbe sole 
 inhabitants of this place. The close contiguity of these 
 Indians to Victoria is seriously inconvenient, and various 
 plans for removing them to a distance have been discussed 
 both in and out of tbe colonial legislature. In consequence 
 of their intercourse with tbe whites — chiefly, of course, for 
 evil — this tribe has become the most degraded in tbe whole 
 island, having lost what few virtues the savage in his 
 natural state possesses, and contracted the worst vices of the 
 settlers. It is scarcely possible to walk along tbe road by 
 which their village lies without stumbling upon half-a-dozen 
 or more, lying dead-drunk upon tbe ground ; and it is no 
 uncommon thing at night to bear a ball whizz past your head, 
 fired, not at tbe traveller, but from a but on one side of tbe 
 road to one on tbe other in some drunken squabble. Alto- 
 gether, what with tbe drunkenness and tbe gambling — for 
 Indians are great gamblers, and numbers may be seen squatted 
 on their haunches by the roadside playing for whatever they 
 have earned or stolen — this village of tbe Songhies presents 
 one of tbe most squalid pictures of dirt and misery it is 
 possible to conceive. To tbe right of these, and stretching 
 far along the northern side of the harbour, are tbe tents of 
 the tribes who come down several hundred miles from the 
 northernmost part of our West American possessions to barter 
 furs, buy whisky, and see the white men. 
 
 The Company's fort, long the chief feature of the place, is 
 situated on the north-east side of the harbour. Upon my first 
 visit to Yictoria in 1849, a small dairy at tbe bead of James 
 Bay was tbe only building standing outside the fort pickets, 
 which are now demolished. But shortly after, upon Mr. 
 Douglas's arrival, he built himself a house on the south side of 
 James Bay ; and Mr. Work, another chief factor of the Com- 
 pany, arriving a little later, erected another in Rock Bay, 
 above the bridge. These formed the nucleus of a little group 
 
Chap. II. SOCIETY IN VICTOEIA. 31 
 
 of buildings, which rose about and between them so slowly 
 that even in 1857 there was but one small wharf on the 
 harbour's edge. Still, the least experienced eye could see 
 the capabilities of the site of Victoria for a town, and that 
 it was capable, should the occasion ever arise, of springing 
 into importance as Melbourne or San Francisco had done* 
 As it was, the place was very pleasant, and society — 
 as it is generally in a young colony — frank and agreeable. 
 No ceremony was known in those pleasant times. All the 
 half-dozen houses that made up the town were open to us. 
 In fine weather, riding-parties of the gentlemen and ladies of 
 the place were formed, and we returned generally to a high 
 tea, or tea-dinner, at Mr. Douglas's or. Mr. Work's, winding 
 up the pleasant evening with dance and song. We thought 
 nothing then of starting off to Victoria in sea-boots, carrying 
 others in our pockets, just to enjoy a pleasant evening by a 
 good log-fire. And we cared as little for the weary tramp 
 homeward to Esquimalt in the dark, although it happened 
 sometimes that men lost their way, and had to sleep in the 
 bush all night. 
 
32 GULF OF GEOBGIA. Chap. Ill 
 
 CHAPTEE III. 
 
 Semiabmoo Bay — Gulf of Georgia — "Visit Nanaimo — Coal — The Haro 
 Archipelago — Discovery of Gold — Consequent Excitement — Growth of 
 Victoria — Arrival of H.M.S. 'Havannah' — Threatened disturbance at 
 Victoria — Arrival of Colonel Moody — Abatement of the Gold Fever. 
 
 The first duty which devolved upon Captain Eichards on the 
 ' Plumper' reaching these waters was the determination of 
 the exact spot where the parallel of 49° north latitude 
 met the sea. This was known approximately, but it was 
 necessary now to determine it accurately as a starting-point 
 for the Commission which was to carry the line across the 
 continent, and also for the purposes of the Naval Commission 
 to whirh Captain Eichards belonged, and whose business it 
 was to determine . the channel by which it was intended, by 
 the Treaty of 1844, that the boundary-line should pass to 
 the Strait of Fuca. 
 
 Accordingly, after a short stay in Esquimalt Harbour, 
 Captain Eichards decided to accomplish this part of his 
 mission at once. The Commissioners of the United States 
 had already made their observations, and, having encamped 
 upon a spot of the mainland near the computed line of 
 parallel, awaited the ' Plumper's ' coming to confirm them. 
 So on the 18th of November we steamed up the Haro Strait 
 and across the Gulf of Georgia, to Semiahmoo Bay. 
 
 It would be unjust to the scenery of these channels 
 to describe it as we then saw it in the depth of winter. 
 Although the weather was open, and there was hardly any 
 snow upon the ground, both the shores of Vancouver and 
 the numerous other islands that we passed wore that dull, 
 sombre hue common to northern countries at such a season. 
 
CA1KN, ETC., (>N THE BOUNDARY link, at i:v , t 
 
 KOOTENAY. 
 
 P;i?e 32. 
 
 *.i.3ioi.eci 
 
Chap. II r. SEMIAHMOO BAY. 33 
 
 At all times, indeed, the scenery of these islands, with that of 
 the shores of the mainland, is little attractive, covered as they 
 are with pine-trees to the water's edge, through which knobs of 
 trap show in places, but in winter it is peculiarly uninviting. 
 
 Semiahmoo or Boundary Bay, is an extensive sheet of 
 water, some eight miles wide, flowing inland towards the. 
 Fraser River, from the south bank of which it is only divided 
 by a flat and narrow delta three miles across. 
 
 As the parallel of 49° north latitude meets the sea in this 
 bay, it will be well to give a slight description of it. It lies 
 between Birch Bay, one of Vancouver's anchorages, on the 
 east, and Point Roberts on the west, the tip of which latter 
 point falls south of 49°. The distance between the east and 
 west points is 8 miles, and the length of the bay northerly 
 is 7 miles, though at low water it dries off from the head for 
 3 miles. 
 
 There is anchorage in 7 to 15 fathoms nearly all over the 
 bay, though the western and southern parts of it are exposed 
 to southerly winds, which send in a considerable sea. In 
 the eastern part there is good anchorage, except with a south- 
 west gale. 
 
 The south bluff terminates at its east end in a long, low 
 spit, more than a mile long, covered with grass, drift- 
 timber, and a few pines. This spit was afterwards, for a 
 short time in the summer of 1858, the site of " Semiahmoo 
 City," and it forms a small but snug nook called Drayton 
 Harbour, which affords shelter from the south-west gales 
 when the outer anchorage is not safe. 
 
 Here we stayed until the 16th December, making the 
 necessary observations, when, on Captain Richards proceed- 
 ing to mark the spot where he considered the parallel met 
 the sea, it was found to differ only eight feet from that fixed 
 upon by the American Commissioners. Whilst here, of 
 course, we were thrown a good deal in the way of the officers 
 of the American Boundary Commission. Their party consisted 
 
 D 
 
34 EXPENSE OF SETTLING THE BOUNDARY. Chap. III. 
 
 of Mr. Campbell, the Commissioner ; Lieutenant Parke, of the 
 United States' Topographical Engineers, astronomer; two or 
 three assistant astronomers, a doctor, naturalist, botanist, and 
 a captain and subaltern in command of the military escort, 
 which consisted of about 70 men. They had been here nearly 
 a year, and were able to form some idea of the work that lay 
 before them. Some of the party were veterans at the work, 
 having been engaged upon the Mexican Boundary Commission. 
 Their instruments were admirably packed for travelling, and 
 of very superior make and workmanship. Until recently, 
 the Americans were obliged to come to our English manufac- 
 turers for their scientific instruments ; and I think it was 
 with some natural gratification on their part that our attention 
 was drawn to the fact that these were made by Mr. Worde- 
 man, an American, at Washington, who began life as a repairer 
 of Troughton's instruments. 
 
 Their estimate of the probable expense of settling this 
 boundary question rather surprised us, and showed us at 
 once that the cost of a clearing on this side of the continent 
 could not be calculated by the expense of a similar under- 
 taking east of the Eocky Mountains. Colonel Estcourt, 
 whose opinion was asked, and formed upon his experience of 
 cutting a line thirty feet wide from Lake Superior to the 
 Lake of Woods, had estimated the whole expense of con- 
 tinuing it on this side to the sea at 32,000/. ; but Mr. Camp- 
 bell, the American Commissioner, told us that he had asked 
 for an annual appropriation of 45,000/. for three years. Al- 
 though he did not get this, it was much nearer the requisite 
 sum than the other, and the issue proved the correctness of 
 his judgment. 
 
 Our work over at Semiahmoo, it was decided to return 
 to Esquimalt until the weather should be fine enough to 
 enable us to commence our surveying work. Before making 
 that harbour, however, we visited Nanaimo, a settlement 
 75 miles north of Victoria, for the purpose of coaling. 
 
.■:!,:: 
 
 : 
 
 1 'V. 
 
Chap. 111. NANAIMO — COAL. 35 
 
 Nanairno is the only spot in the island where the coal is 
 worked, although it appears in several other places. The 
 harbour is good, and there is no difficulty in making it. 
 A small island lies off the entrance, which is admirably 
 adapted for a lighthouse when the harbour becomes of more 
 importance. The town, such as it is, stands upon a singular 
 promontory, which seems to have been severed from the 
 mainland by some violent volcanic eruption which twisted the 
 strata of which it is composed most curiously. Along the 
 shore are the colliery buildings, and about a dozen remarkably 
 sooty houses, inhabited by the miners and the few Hudson 
 Bay Company's officers here. There is a resident doctor 
 in the place, who inhabits one of these houses, and to the 
 left of them stands the Company's old bastion, on which are 
 mounted the four or five honeycombed 12-pounders, with 
 which the great Fur Company have been wont to awe the 
 neighbouring Indians into becoming respect and submission. 
 
 The coal obtained at Nanairno, although it burns rapidly, 
 and is excessively dirty, answers sufficiently well for steam- 
 ing purposes, and is not likely to be soon exhausted. It 
 has been found at several other places besides this pro- 
 montory of Nanairno. On Newcastle Island which, with 
 Protection Island, form the shelter of the harbour, coal has 
 been worked to a considerable extent, and found good. It 
 has also been discovered cropping out on the Chase lliver, a 
 lew miles up the country, and further inland at a spot known 
 as Pemberton's Camp. As yet the resources of Nanairno 
 and its neighbourhood have not been fairly developed. The 
 appliances for delivering the coal, for instance, were so faulty 
 that a ship had to lie there often for three or four weeks 
 before she could take in a load. There can be no doubt that 
 with a more liberal outlay of capital, under judicious and 
 enterprising management, Nanairno might drive a very 
 flourishing trade at home and with California, where coal 
 might be delivered at 12 to 15 dollars a ton, which would 
 
 d 2 
 
36 MARINE MERRY-MAKING. CnAr. III. 
 
 be almost as desirable as the Welsh eoal, which is seldom 
 below 20, and sometimes fetches as much as 30 dollars a ton. 
 For domestic consumption, and for use in the factories, 1 
 believe the coal of Nanaimo to be almost equal to that 
 brought at such an immense expense and labour from the 
 Welsh mines. Indeed, when I happened to be at San Fran- 
 cisco, I was informed by one of the leading iron-manufac- 
 turers there, that they preferred mixing Nanaimo with Welsh 
 coal when they were able to obtain it.* 
 
 One decided drawback to Nanaimo as a harbour is the exist- 
 ence there of»a species of augur-worm {Teredo navalis). It is 
 remarkable that, although this insect infests Nanaimo to such 
 an extent that a new pier, built there shortly before our first 
 visit, has since given way to its ravages, we never found it 
 elsewhere on the coasts of the island or mainland. Of course 
 there are many inlets and harbours still so little known that 
 no positive opinion on the subject can be entertained, but 
 Esquimalt and Victoria, among many others, are certainly 
 free from it. 
 
 January 1st, 1858. — A novel feature in marine merry- 
 making was introduced by the ' Satellite's ' crew, who invited 
 our men to a dinner on board their ship. I do not imagine 
 that such an entertainment was ever witnessed before. It 
 was capitally managed, and the crews of both ships behaved 
 remarkably well. The upper deck of the ' Satellite ' was 
 covered in with flags, under which tables were laid down the 
 whole length of the port side, at which about sixty of our 
 men dined with the ' Satellite's.' Of course we all went to 
 look on. The sergeant of the ' Satellite's ' marines took the 
 chair, proposing the toasts with introductory speeches that 
 none of us need have been ashamed of. 
 
 February 10. — After spending six weeks in Esquimalt 
 
 * Since writing the above, I have been informed that by the company which 
 has lately purchased these mines a new wharf has been built and increased 
 facilities for shipping coal provided. 
 
VANCOUVER'S ISLAND SURVEY DETACHED SERVICE — GRUFFTN BAY— ST. JUAN ISLE. 
 
 Page 37. 
 
Chap. III. THE 'SHARK' IN DANGER. 37 
 
 Harbour, we sailed this day to Port Townsend for the mails, 
 Victoria at that time being too insignificant a place for the 
 American mail-steamers running between San Francisco and 
 the Sound to put in at. Indeed, just then the letters of the 
 ' Satellite ' and ' Plumper ' formed nearly the whole contents 
 of the English mail-bags. Upon our way a party was dropped 
 at San Juan Island to commence surveying operations. Here 
 we — for I formed one of them — remained until the 27th, when 
 we returned to Esquimalt. The weather we experienced 
 convinced us that the middle or end of March was quite 
 early enough to commence work with any hope of success. 
 Out of the seventeen days we spent there six only could be 
 called fine, and at the best the cold was so severe and the 
 fogs so frequent as to render boat-work extremely dangerous, 
 particularly in channels so full of tide-rips and over-falls. 
 Upon one occasion, during our stay, the * Shark ' — as the 
 ' Plumper's ' pinnace after being raised and half-decked had 
 been christened — was a subject of great anxiety to us. In 
 crossing from San Juan to Esquimalt she missed her port, 
 and having drifted during the night past the Eace Bocks — it 
 might just as well have been upon them — picked herself up in 
 Sooke Inlet, twenty miles below Esquimalt. Upon another 
 occasion, the ' Shark ' was caught in a storm of wind and 
 snow, of the violence, of which the accompanying sketch may 
 enable the reader to form some idea. She is there depicted 
 dragging her anchor and drifting on shore, the men on board 
 of her signalling to us -for assistance that we were utterly 
 unable to give them. I may mention in connection with this 
 sketch that the hill on which we were standing watching the 
 ' Shark's ' danger was that upon which the Americans after- 
 wards, upon taking possession of the island, planted their 
 battery, and near which, although the battery has disap- 
 peared, their camp now stands. 
 
 The few weeks of mid-winter which we had spent in 
 Esquimalt had been of necessity somewhat idle. How- 
 
WEST OUCAS SOUND, FROM SHIP TEAK. 
 
 Tiigc 39. 
 
Chap. III. HAIIO ARCHIPELAGO, 39 
 
 The Canal de Haro had, it is true, been marked on the maps 
 by the Spaniards, but it was only when the Hudson Bay 
 Company established their head-quarters at Victoria that 
 this passage became used, and even then their vessels gene- 
 rally went up the Eosario Strait, which, being more familiar 
 with, they preferred. 
 
 Of the rights and wrongs of this question, which is as 
 unsettled now as it was then, my official position in the sur- 
 vey prevents my entering into a discussion, and obliges me 
 to refrain from anything like a detailed account of the " San 
 Juan difficulty," which, in the year following that of which 
 I am now writing, caused so much excitement both in the 
 colony and in England. 
 
 To return to the islands : the distance between the two 
 above-named channels is about twenty miles, and their length 
 the same, thus making a space of four hundred square 
 miles full of islands, varying in size from ten or twelve miles 
 long to a mere heap of trap with two or three pines on them. 
 The group consists of the three important islands of San 
 Juan, Ureas, and Lopez, and about thirty smaller ones. Of 
 these Orcas, the most northern, is the largest, and contains 
 the finest harbours. It is mountainous, and in most parts 
 thickly wooded, although in the valleys there is much land 
 available for farming. On the east side of the island Mount 
 Constitution rises nearly five thousand feet, and is a very 
 conspicuous object from all parts of the Gulf of Georgia. 
 Deer abound more in Orcas than in any other of the islands. 
 During our stay of about a fortnight in East Orcas Sound, 
 upwards of thirty were shot. 
 
 San Juan, the best known by name, and in size the second 
 of these islands, is eleven miles long, by an average of three 
 miles wide. There is more land available for agriculture here 
 than on any other of the group ; and of this the Hudson Bay 
 Company took advantage some years ago, and established 
 a sheep-farm upon it. This farm has ever since its establish- 
 
•AO MYSTERIOUS MURDER. Chap. III. 
 
 liient been in charge of Mr. Griffin, a gentleman whose 
 kindness and hospitality render him every one's friend. It 
 is situated on a beautiful prairie at the south-east end of the 
 island, winch, rising 140 feet above the water, looks most 
 attractive to the emigrant passing onward towards the Fraser. 
 I have never seen wild flowers elsewhere grow with the 
 beauty and luxuriance they possess here. Perhaps I cannot 
 illustrate the attractions of San Juan better, than by saying 
 that it was the spot selected by his Excellency the Governor's 
 daughter aod niece in which to spend then honeymoon. 
 
 At one time I believe the Company had as many as 3000 
 sheep on the island, distributed at various stations, all under 
 Mr. Griffin's charge. His house, which is very pleasantly 
 situated, looks out on the Strait of Fuca, and commands a 
 magnificent view up Admiralty Inlet. Directly in front of it 
 lies a bank, which is a very favourite fishing-station of the 
 Indians, where they catch a large number of salmon and 
 halibut. This spot was, in 1859, the scene of a double 
 murder, which excited no little speculation that will never 
 be satisfied in this world. 
 
 Mr. Griffin told the story thus. He was sitting in his bal- 
 cony one summer afternoon, watching a vessel working her 
 way up the Strait, when he saw two boats, each containing 
 one man, pull past in the direction of Victoria. He was 
 rather surprised at seeing them thus single-handed, but at that 
 time, when the gold-fever was ragicg fiercely, every sort of 
 boat was employed to cross the Strait, and he concluded 
 that they were two Americans, making their way from Bell- 
 ingham Bay to Victoria. They had hardly rounded the point, 
 just beyond the farm, and passed out of his sight, when a 
 small canoe with a single Indian shot past in the same 
 direction. There was nothing in all this to attract particular 
 notice, and Mr. Griffin was surprised when, an Lour or so 
 later, two boats, which Jie at once recognised as those that 
 had so lately passed, drifted into view, floating back, to 
 
Chap. IIL SAN JUAN. 41 
 
 all appearance, empty. A canoe was at once sent out to them, 
 when one was found empty, and in the other lay the body of 
 a white man, shot, but not pillaged, — even the provisions that 
 were in his boat being untouched. Who shall say who his 
 murderer was ? Had his white companion shot him, landed, 
 and pushed off his boat ? — for, except in the boat in which the 
 murdered man lay, not a drop of blood could be seen. Or 
 had the Indian killed him, and had his companion, on seeing 
 the fatal shot fired, leapt overboard, and been drowned ? If 
 so, it was in revenge, for nothjng was taken from the boats ; 
 perhaps in performance of that duty which is still considered 
 " sacred " — if one may use the word — among the Indians — of 
 taking a life for a life. 
 
 Lopez Island is lower and more swampy than the others. 
 It forms the south-east end of the group, and is nine miles 
 long by three wide. The other islets are, as I have said, 
 mere masses of rock covered with pines, and too insignificant 
 to claim especial notice. 
 
 Thus of the whole group San Juan is the only island worth 
 anything for purposes of colonisation, while it only contains a 
 few thousand acres of good land. To allege, therefore, that 
 an island of such paltry extent is of any real value in this 
 respect, either to a country possessing the adjacent island of 
 Vancouver and territory of British Columbia, — or still more 
 to one possessing the hundreds of miles of fertile prairie con- 
 tained in Washington Territory, Oregon, and California, — is 
 manifestly absurd. A study of the chart — which we were then 
 preparing — however, will show quite clearly why the country 
 that holds Vancouver Island and British Columbia must also 
 hold San Juan Island, or give up the right of way to her own 
 possessions. It will be seen at once that the party that holds 
 this island commands the Canal de Haro. The narrowest part 
 of the channel from shore to shore is five miles. This distance 
 from San Juan can certainly be kept by steamers, but they 
 must be thoroughly acquainted with the navigation to do so, 
 
42 SAX JUAN. Chap. Ill 
 
 as they inust pass inside several reefs, and west of Sydney 
 Island. To go up the centre of the channel — as big ships 
 should do — San Juan must be passed at two miles' distance ; 
 as must Henry and Stuart Islands also, both of which wo aid 
 belong to the nation holding the east side of the Canal de 
 Haro. 
 
 San Juan can be of no use to any country but Great Britain, 
 except for offensive purposes; and, on the other hand, it 
 cannot be of any use to her but for defensive purposes, as its 
 eastern shore in no way controls or affects the Eosario Strait, 
 from the western side of which it is eight miles distant at the 
 nearest point, with Lopez Island between. 
 
 The same argument might be used against our holding 
 possession of the islands which form the western side of the 
 Rosario Strait, but here Nature befriends us ; for during our 
 survey we found there was a middle channel passing eastward 
 of San Juan and a small island north of it, called ;c Waldron 
 Island," which channel, though not so. wide as either of the 
 others, is quite safe for steam navigation. A boundary-line, 
 therefore, passing down the middle channel would give to the 
 nations on either side a road to their dominions perfectly 
 free of interruption, and well out of shot of each other, for 
 some years to come at least ; and this certainly appears the 
 simplest and best solution of the difficulty. 
 
 I will not weary the reader by describing all the lesser 
 channels, inlets, and harbours which were discovered and 
 surveyed, and of which the accompanying map is too small 
 to give an adequate idea. Any one who feels an interest in 
 such matters should obtain the large charts now published, 
 which show the extraordinary shape of the outline of this 
 coast and its islands: deep channels and inlets, with more 
 shallow bays and harbours running in every possible direction, 
 sometimes between huge crags, and elsewhere through or into 
 low level land ; the whole forming islands, promontories, and 
 peninsulas of most grotesque shape, and bearing more plainly 
 
Chap. III. THE GOLD-FEVER. 43 
 
 than I have seen in any other country the evidence of vol- 
 canic action. Two features, and two only, are constant every- 
 where — the everlasting pine-trees and the igneous rocks. 
 
 We remained among these islands till the 1 6th of May, 
 when we returned to Esquimalt, to find that during our 
 absence that most infectious of all maladies — a gold-fever — 
 had broken out, and had seized every man, woman, and child 
 there and in Victoria. The existence of gold on the main- 
 land of British Columbia, had been proved incontestably ; 
 and everyone whom a few weeks ago we had left engaged 
 steadily in pursuits from which they were reaping a slow 
 sure profit, seemed to have gone gold-mad. 
 
 The story of the discovery of the precious metal in British 
 Columbia should have taken no one by surprise ; the only 
 wonder was that years before, its existence in quantities large 
 enough to attract gold-seekers had not been discovered. Its 
 existence had been known, indeed, to a few people for many 
 years, but it was only quite recently that attention had been 
 called to the subject, and that Mr. Douglas, who had a very 
 accurate prescience of what was likely to happen, had drawn 
 the attention of the Home Government to this fact. Common 
 report says, however, that the Hudson Bay Company had 
 been in the habit of getting it from the Indians for years ; 
 and if this be so, Mr. Douglas's prescience was not very 
 remarkable. 
 
 Mr. Anderson, a chief factor in the service of the Hudson 
 1 Jay Company, and a well-known explorer, had some time since 
 been despatched to the mainland, with instructions to examine 
 into its resources generally. His expedition proved of value, re- 
 sulting as it did in the discovery of the Harrison-Lilloett route, 
 by which, as I shall have occasion to show, the worst obstacles 
 of the ascent of the Fraser Biver have been overcome ; but he 
 threw little, if any, light upon the main object of his search. 
 The Company's brig ' Una ' had also been despatched to Queen 
 
44 EAP1D RISE OF VICTORIA. Chap. Ill, 
 
 Charlotte Island, and succeeded in blasting gold in quartz, 
 at a place called Gold Harbour. But owing in part to the 
 fierceness of the natives, " and still more, perhaps, to the 
 mechanical difficulties attending the working of the blasts, 
 the Company shortly gave up this as an unprofitable specu- 
 lation. 
 
 Now, however, time had brought to notice what the little 
 search made had failed to find, and the excitement of Vic- 
 toria was indescribable. To any one who had known San 
 Francisco or- Melbourne under similar circumstances, the 
 condition of Victoria was not surprising ; but to those hitherto 
 unacquainted wdth the earliest febrile symptoms attending 
 the discovery of gold, the change in its aspect and prospects 
 might well seem magical. The value of land was raised 
 immensely, and the impulse given to its sale was, of course, 
 very great, although the fluctuations in its price, as contra- 
 dictory reports came down from the mines, made dealing with 
 it a somewhat hazardous speculation. All the available 
 Government lands had been snapped up by far-seeing specu- 
 lators when the first drops of the golden shower descended. 
 Lots in Victoria and Esquimalt, that a few months ago had 
 gone begging at their upset price of II. an acre, sold now for 
 100?. an acre, and soon for more. Merchants' stores were 
 rising in every diregtion. On the shore of the harbour, 
 wharves were being planted; and, as if there were some- 
 thing magnetic in the demand that at once attracted a 
 supply, sailing-ships, laden with every description of articles 
 which a migratory population could, and in many cases 
 could not, want, flowed into the harbour. Victoria appeared 
 to have leapt at once, from the site of a promising settle- 
 ment into a full-grown town. Its future had not, pre- 
 vious to this, looked by any means bright; and we had 
 been in the habit of regarding the map of the town of 
 Victoria, kept in the land-office, as an amusing effort of 
 

 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
Chap. m. INFLUX OF STRANGERS. 45 
 
 the surveyor's imagination. But now the promise seemed 
 likely of fulfilment. Here was actually a street, and there 
 were not wanting indications the most palpable that in a 
 short time there would be two, even three erected. Several 
 of the old settlers had already made enough by the sudden 
 rise in the value of their lands to be tl unking how they 
 might spend the rest of their lives easily, even luxuriously. 
 Expectation was written in every face, which before had 
 been placid, even stolid; for with occasional visits from 
 Her Majesty's ships of war, the great event of Victoria had 
 been the advent of the 'Princess Royal' once a year, with 
 the latest fashions of the Old World and fresh supplies, 
 human and material, for the Honourable Company's service. 
 Now, with vessels arriving and leaving constantly, with 
 thousands pouring into the port, and " sensation " news 
 from the Fraser daily, a new mind seemed to have taken 
 possession of Victoria; and whether the 'Princess Royal' 
 arrived or foundered on her way, was one and the same thing 
 to the excited people, who had hitherto looked upon her 
 coming as the one event of the otherwise uneventful year. 
 
 That road. too. from ESsquimalt to Victoria, about which 
 so much has since been said in and out of the Colonial 
 Assembly, was changed, with the rest, almost beyond recog- 
 nition. Only a lew months before, we used to flounder 
 through the mud without meeting a single soul ; now it was 
 covered with pedestrians toiling along, with the step and air of 
 men whose minds are occupied with thoughts of business ; 
 crowded with well-laden carts and vans, with Wells Fargo's, 
 or Freeman's " Expresses," and with strangers of every tongue 
 and country, in every variety of attire. Day after day on they 
 came to Victoria, on their way to the Fraser ; the greater part 
 of them with no property but the bundle they carried, and with 
 "dollars, dollars, dollars!" stamped on every face. Miners, 
 indeed are always ready for change. However good the pro- 
 spects of to-day may be, the idea of better will tempt them to 
 
46 GEEAT EXCITEMENT. Chap. III. 
 
 exchange them without a moment's hesitation. The merest 
 whisper of a new find is enough to unsettle a whole 
 neighbourhood, and send hundreds into the wilds " pro- 
 specting." It frequently occurs at San Francisco that 
 individuals who happen to possess land speculate for a 
 rise by setting afloat some cleverly-planned rumour that a 
 great find has been made in their locality. The greedy 
 miners and speculators, whose experience has taught 
 them to discredit no account however wild, hasten to buy 
 the land in question at fabulous prices. I remember when 
 I happened to be in San Francisco in 1860 that a place in 
 the Washoe country was reported to have been found full 
 of silver, — a rumour which was confirmed by some very 
 rich specimens of that metal which were exhibited as 
 having been found there. Upon the strength of this, Washoe 
 land was being bought by feet, and even inches, and nothing 
 else was talked about at the dinner-tables or in the streets of 
 San Francisco from morning until night. 
 
 The excitement in Victoria reached its climax, I think, in 
 July. On the 27th of the previous month, the 'Bepublic' 
 steamed into Esquimalt harbour from San Francisco with 
 800 passengers; on the 1st of July, the 'Sierra Nevada' 
 landed 1900 more; on the 8th of the same month, the 
 ' Orizaba ' and the ' Cortez ' together brought 2800 ; and 
 they all reported that thousands waited to follow. The 
 sufferings of the passengers upon this voyage, short as it is, 
 must have been great, for the steamers carried at least 
 double their complement of passengers. Of course Victoria 
 could not shelter this incursion of immigrants, although 
 great efforts were made, and soon a large town of tents 
 sprung up along the harbour side. "Wherever time and 
 material were handy for building, a wooden house was 
 erected, and in this respect Victoria had greatly the advan- 
 tage of San Francisco under similar circumstances, from the 
 ease and comparative cheapness with which building timber 
 
Chap. III. MOVEABLE BUILDINGS. 47 
 
 and planks could be obtained from the American saw-mills 
 in Puget Sound. Of course these buildings were run up 
 without much regard to the previous architectural arrange- 
 ment of the town. But this was of little consequence. 
 Wooden houses in a new settlement in America are always 
 built with an eye to their removal, if necessary, the side 
 supports being morticed into the flooring; so that, should 
 the surveyor run a new, or determine to carry out the 
 design of an old, street through them, their owners make 
 no demur, but mounting them on wheels transport them 
 to their proper position. It is by no means unusual 
 to see a family residence moved from one street to 
 another, a distance, perhaps, of a quarter of a mile, in this 
 way. It happens not unirequeiitly that a lot which was 
 bought by the settler upon his arrival, and upon which he 
 has Built himself a house, becomes in COOTSe of time the 
 
 Bond or Regent Street of the place. Some speculator then 
 offers him a handsome juice, not for his little house, which 
 would be useless to him, but for its site, on which he intends 
 building some handsome store. The bargain struck, the 
 house IS forthwith mounted upon rollers, and wheel* d into 
 some back street, whence perhaps in time it may be called 
 upon to move again; and this plan was carried out in 
 Victoria. 
 
 In the mean time the gold-seekers had, as they arrived in 
 Victoria, provided themselves with such necessaries as they 
 required for their adventure; and, by every means of con- 
 veyance at their disposal — by steamer, sailing-vessel, canoe, 
 and boat — were making their way across the Strait of 
 Georgia to the mouth of the Fraser River. For this passage 
 steamers had already been brought up from the Sacramento 
 River at great expense and trouble. Too frail to bear an 
 ocean passage, it was necessary to construct an enormous 
 skew or lighter for each steamer. The lighter was decked 
 over and fitted with pumps, like a caisson. It was then sunk 
 
48 AMERICAN 'CUTENESS. Chap. III. 
 
 under the steamer in shoal water, built up at the bow and 
 stern, so as to completely cover her hull, and pumped 
 out, a mast being stepped through the deck and bottom of 
 the steamer on to the lighter's kelson. The whole was then 
 taken in tow by an ocean steamship, some sort of sail being- 
 fitted to the mast above-mentioned, so that, if she should 
 break adrift from the consort, or it should be found necessary 
 from stress of weather to cast her off, the two or three men 
 who made the voyage in her should not be left altogether at 
 the mercy of the waves. 
 
 A good story, illustrative of that American " cuteness" about 
 which so much has been heard, was told me by one of them- 
 selves, relative to a steamer that had been bought to ply 
 upon the Fraser. She had been purchased of an American 
 company, which had secured the monopoly of the Sacramento 
 Eiver steam-navigation, by the process of buying up all the 
 vessels started to oppose them. These they sold occasionally 
 for use on other rivers, with the one stipulation that they 
 should never be brought back to the Sacramento. The 
 Fraser Kiver season being over, the stipulation stood very 
 „ much in the way of the Yankee owners of one of these boats, 
 who were prevented from making the only profitable use of 
 it that was then open to them. A way, however, to keep 
 the letter, if not the spirit, of the bond they had entered into, 
 was found. They exchanged their steamer for another that 
 was then plying on the Fraser, and, putting her on the 
 lighter that had brought the other up, took her to San 
 Francisco, where the monopolising company had to buy her 
 off at the owners' own price. 
 
 The most glowing accounts of the successes of the miners 
 reached Victoria, and, stripped of the exaggeration natural 
 to the subject, enough remained to prove that the mineral 
 resources of the country had not been over-estimated by 
 those who were most likely to be acquainted with them. 
 The miners had, during the first few months after their 
 
Chap. III. PERILS OF EARLY IMMIGRANTS. 49 
 
 arrival at the mouth of the Fraser, pushed far up it, finding 
 gold still more and more abundant. I shall have in due 
 time, and of my own experience, to speak of this route 
 through a wild and rocky country to the valleys indenting 
 the minor ranges that rib the country west of the Rocky 
 Mountains, although, travelling with the aid of men and 
 means that the miners first in the field could not command, 
 my difficulties were not to be compared to the dangers of life 
 and limb that beset them. The voyage alone across the gulf 
 from Victoria to the mouth of the Eraser was fraught with 
 peri] to many who, too impatient or too poor to wait until 
 they could take passage in the ordinary steamer or sailing- 
 vessel, fitted ap a crazy boat or old canoe, and committed 
 themselves to the mercy of one of the swiftest and most 
 capricious channels in the world. Several, no doubt, of whom 
 no record was taken or left lost their lives in this adventure; 
 more, perhaps, in the perils of the Fraser, or from exposure, 
 want, and hard living at the mines. But these were few in 
 comparison to the hundreds lost in trying to cross the con- 
 tinent to California in L849, whose bones are now bleaching 
 in the Sierra Nevada. 
 
 Those who were then disposed to blame Governor Douglas 
 for many of the calamities that occurred, could scarcely have 
 reflected upon, or made due allowance for, the difficulties of 
 his position. Roads to the interior there were none, if I 
 except that most dangerous path from Fort Hope across 
 Manson Mountain, in which the Hudson Bay Company's 
 brigade, experienced as they were, yearly lost a num- 
 ber of horses. The " freshets " had commenced ; as the 
 snow melted, the river rose so that its navigation above Yale 
 was impossible, as several found to the cost of their lives. 
 Added to this, the only vessels upon the river were two 
 belonging to the Company, the ' Otter ' and ' Beaver,' whose 
 draught of water prevented their going above Langley, 
 whence the journey to Yale had to be made in boats and 
 
 E 
 
50 THE HARRISON-LILLOETT TEAIL. Chap. III. 
 
 rafts extemporised on the spot, or in canoes navigated by- 
 Indians. Half despising, and more than half fearing these 
 Indian auxiliaries, as the miners do, they frequently treated 
 them with a degree of cowardly cruelty that in many cases cost 
 them dear. The only way to travel safely with Indians is to 
 trust them, or affect to do so, implicitly, and, above all, to 
 show no fear. I have frequently travelled alone with them, 
 and slept alone among them, and had the greatest care taken 
 of my life and property, whereas when travelling in a party 
 nothing is safe from their thievish hands. 
 
 It must be remembered also that as yet the colony had no 
 revenue to work with. Except the small amount realised by 
 the sale of lands, the sole source of revenue then existing 
 was the licence of five dollars from every miner ascending 
 the Fraser. However, despite these difficulties, the Governor 
 determined to make an effort to open up a route to the 
 upper country, by which the miners might journey with 
 comparative safety, and supplies be conveyed to them ; and a 
 body of about 600 men was organised to cut a way from lake 
 to lake along the route explored and recommended by Mr. 
 Anderson, and since known as the Harrison-Lilloett trail. 
 The difficulties of this work can scarcely be estimated by any- 
 one who has not seen British Columbian bush. Some idea 
 may be formed of it, if I state that I have travelled for days 
 in this country where we scarcely advanced at the rate of one 
 mile an hour. 
 
 By;the middle of the summer, however, the Fraser had 
 been taken possession of unmistakeably. The banks between 
 Forts Hope and Yale were being worked productively, and 
 some of the miners had forced their way as far up as Lilloett, 
 or Cayoush as it was first called, about 220 miles from the 
 mouth of the river. A few had settled at the forks of the 
 Thompson and Fraser Kivers, 160 miles from the mouth of 
 the latter, and their group of huts had been dignified with 
 the name of the then Colonial Secretary — " Lytton." 
 
Chap. III. ARRIVAL OF THE 'HAYANNAH.' 51 
 
 When the rush to the river began, it was resolved, as I 
 have said, that a gold licence of five dollars should be charged 
 to every man ascending the river. Of course considerable 
 difficulty was found in enforcing this tax, and numbers evaded 
 it. Even now, I believe, the cost of its collection is so great 
 in the out-of-the-way places, that the Colonial Exchequer is 
 little, if at all, benefited by its imposition. Captain Provost 
 irafl at this time requested by the Governor to undertake the 
 enforcement of this tax, by placing the ' Satellite ' at the 
 river's mouth, and stopping all miners who refused payment. 
 This was done, and she remained there until the middle of 
 the summer, when a small schooner named the ■ Recovery/ 
 formerly belonging to the Hudson Bay Company, was bought, 
 armed, and stationed in the Eraser River for this purpose. 
 
 \2th July. — H.M.S. Mfavannair arrived this day at 
 
 Esquimalt, bringing from Panama a commission under 
 
 Major (now Colonel) Hawkins, U.K.. who had been appointed 
 
 to determine and mark the ll'tli parallel iii conjunction with 
 the United States Commission, of which I have before spoken, 
 from the coast at Semiahmoo Wax to the Rooky Mountains. 
 
 It was then thought probable also that this commission would 
 cross the Rocky Mountains and carry on their observations to 
 
 the west side of the Lake of the Woods, to the east of which 
 it had already been completed by the late General Estcourt. 
 This was not carried out, however, and the party have now 
 returned from the westward, having gone as far as the summit 
 of the Rocky Mountains. 
 
 This party was composed much as the American Com- 
 mission with which it had to work in concert was, and con- 
 sisted of Captain Haig, R./Y., astronomer, and two officers of 
 Engineers, Lieutenants Dahrer and Wilson, with a naturalist, 
 geologist, and botanist ; the latter office being undertaken, 
 as I have before said, by Dr. Lyall of the ' Plumper.' 
 
 Upon his arrival, Major Hawkins was naturally anxious to 
 commence work, and accordingly the ; Plumper ' took him to 
 
 e2 
 
52 EXPECTED DISTURBANCE. Chap. III. 
 
 Seiniahmoo Bay for a few days, that he might see the nature 
 of the task that lay before him and meet the American 
 Commission. We found that the spirit of emulation had 
 seized upon Semiahmoo and Point Koberts. Since our last 
 visit the greater part of the spits and all the level land 
 at the extreme of Point Boberts had been "Pre-empted," 
 half-a-dozen wooden huts had been built on each, and called 
 respectively Semiahmoo and Boberts " City." My English 
 readers who know only the " cities " of the Old World should 
 be informed that, in such a rapidly progressing country as 
 America, any spot whereon a liquor-store and a post-office, 
 with two or three huts about them, are built, is imme- 
 diately named a " city." All over the country these " Bogus " 
 cities, as the more staid Americans call them, are to be found. 
 Many, of course, to use their own phrase, " cave in," and tins 
 was the fate of Boberts and Semiahmoo Cities, for in less than 
 six months they were deserted. 
 
 A few days after our return from Semiahmoo, on the 29th 
 July, the quiet tenor of our life in Esquimalt Harbour was 
 disturbed by a messenger from the Governor, with a requisition 
 that an armed force should be at once despatched to Victoria 
 to quell an imminent disturbance in that city of wood and 
 canvas. Steam was with all haste got up, and embarking 
 the engineers of the Boundary party, we started for Victoria. 
 Things had for some time been critical there, and it had been 
 thought more than once that it would be necessary for the 
 Governor to make an exhibition of force at least, that should 
 effectually tame the more unruly of the strange, heterogeneous 
 population that had placed themselves under his rule. The 
 new-found mineral wealth of British Columbia had attracted 
 from California some of the most reckless rascals that gold 
 has ever given birth to. Strolling about the canvas streets 
 of Victoria might be seen men whose names were in the 
 black book of the Vigilance Committee of San Francisco, and 
 whose necks would not, if they ventured them in that city. 
 
Chap. III. EXPECTED DISTURBANCE. 53 
 
 bave been worth an hour's purchase. Aware of this, and 
 that the police force had only just been established, and 
 consisted of some dozen untrained men, while it was well 
 known that no naval or military auxiliaries were nearer 
 at hand than Esquimalt, it may easily be conceived that 
 we were not much surprised to receive the (Governor's 
 lire, and while we steamed round to Victoria thought 
 it advisable to prepare ourselves lor what might pos- 
 siUv be a grave encounter with the lawless spirits of 
 California. Many a subsequent laugh have the recollections 
 of that night's work excited. Upon the quarter-deck, small- 
 arm companies were having ammunition served out to them ; 
 forward, the ship's blacksmith was casting bullets by the 
 
 -eon-; while OUT doctor was spreading out his cold, shining 
 
 instruments upon the ward-room table, and making arrange- 
 ments for the most painful surgical operations with that grave, 
 business Bang-froid, which i> no doubt caused by a benevo- 
 lent desire to show the fighting men what is in the opposite 
 scale to honour and glory. 
 
 Directly the ship anchored outside the harbour, we were 
 landed and marched into the Fori square, where we were 
 left under arms, while Captain Richards waited upon the 
 Governor. Whatever disturbance there had been had now 
 evidently ceased, and his Excellency was found going or gone 
 to bed. However, upon being informed of our arrival, he 
 turned out, thanked and dismissed the troops, and our 
 evening, begun so fiercely, wound up with a supper in the 
 fort. The fact proved to be that the police, in endeavouring 
 to arrest a drunken rioter, had been prevented by some of his 
 companions, by whose aid he had been got on board a 
 schooner lying in the harbour. Under the escort of one of 
 our boats, the police now felt themselves strong enough to 
 effect his capture ; and the schooner in question being boarded, 
 a harmless, sleepy, drunken miner was dragged out of the 
 hold and lugged ashore, where on the morrow, no doubt, 
 
54 GOVERNOR DOUGLAS. Chap. III. 
 
 he was soundly rated and fined. And so ended the first 
 and only difficulty which has ever threatened the peace 
 of Victoria from its white population. 
 
 Few men could perhaps have been selected better adapted 
 for dealing with the strange, heterogeneous population of 
 Victoria than Mr. Douglas. Many stories are rife in Victo- 
 ria of his coolness and readiness, when without these valuable 
 qualities dangerous consequences might have ensued. I 
 remember one, which, however, loses much of its point to 
 those who are not familiar with the man, and his slow, de- 
 liberate action and utterance. Many years ago, when white 
 men were fewer in these regions, and Indians less cowed than 
 they have now become, Mr. Douglas was in command of one 
 of the Company's trading stations. His subordinate officer 
 was alarmed upon one occasion by the Indians, who had for 
 some time past showed symptoms of insubordination, becoming 
 more violent than usual, and forcing their way in large, unruly 
 numbers into the Fort square. Rushing to Mr. Douo-las in 
 an excited tone and manner, he reported that the Indians 
 were in possession of the Fort, and desired to know whether 
 he should turn the men out and man the bastion, &c. He was 
 not a little surprised to hear his senior say in his measured, 
 deliberate fashion of utterance, " Give them a little bread 
 
 and treacle, Mr. ; give them a little bread and treacle." 
 
 And indeed the specific completely soothed the excited 
 multitude, which probably no force they could command 
 would have done. Another annecdote of the same kind 
 occurred while we were out there. A blustering Yankee 
 went to the Governor apparently with the notion of bullying 
 him, and began by asking permission for a number of citizens 
 of the United States to settle on some particular spots of 
 land. They would be required, he was informed, to take the 
 oaths of allegiance. 
 
 " Well," said he, " but suppose we came there and squatted ?" 
 
 " You would be turned off." 
 
 
Chap. III. GOLD-FEVER ABATES. 55 
 
 " But- if several hundred came prepared to resist, what 
 would you do ?" 
 
 " We should cut them to mince-meat, Mr. ; we 
 
 should cut them to mince-meat." 
 
 From this time until the 8th October, we were engaged at 
 intervals among the islands of the Haro Archipelago surveying. 
 On that day ended our outdoor work for 1858. 
 
 21th November. — Work over for tin- year, we proceeded to 
 Nanaimo, where the 'Plumper' was beached in Commercial 
 Creek, for the purpose of repairing the mischief she had done 
 herself by running ashore. And a very moist, unpleasant 
 business it was. 
 
 The low water was at night between the hours of D p.m. 
 and 1 A.M. ; it froze all the while, and the mud on which 
 the ship lay was so soft that half the working time was taken 
 up in keeping the trench, which had to ho dug under her, 
 open, so that the injured false keel and forefoot could be got 
 at. At last, however, the carpenters got their work done, 
 and on the 9th December we returned to Esquimalt for the 
 winter. 
 
 On Christmas-day the packet arrived, bringing Colonel 
 Moody, B.E., the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works; 
 Mrs. Moody ; Captain Cosset, ELE., Treasurer of British 
 Columbia, and his wife ; and the liev. B. Crickener, now 
 chaplain at Yale. The arrival of any officials from Eng- 
 land was welcomed as a sort of connecting link with home, 
 and a practical acknowledgment of the colony's existence. 
 
 By this time the gold-fever had subsided, and something 
 very like a reaction had set in. Many declared that British 
 Columbia w r as a bubble that would soon burst, if, indeed, 
 it had not burst already. Victoria now was full of miners, 
 who had come down the Fraser, and were as eager to 
 get back to San Francisco as they had been to leave it in 
 the spring. And although they all spoke well of the bars, 
 brought much gold with them, and talked confidently of 
 
56 DIFFICULTY OF TRANSPORT. Chap. III. 
 
 returning directly the winter was over, Victoria was uneasy 
 at their departure, and would not believe in their return. 
 The exodus, indeed, was startling, but not without a cause. 
 To winter at the mines was scarcely suited to the tastes of men 
 the majority of whom, accustomed to the climate of California, 
 where snow is never seen, were ill adapted to endure the 
 severity of a British Columbian winter. Such of the miners, 
 principally Canadians and Englishmen, who passed the 
 winter season up the river, suffered severely. The weather, 
 which, with the ordinary comforts of civilization, might be 
 easily borne, told heavily upon men poorly clad and housed, 
 and obliged, from the exorbitant price of provisions, to live 
 hardly. Indeed, more than once no little fear was felt lest, 
 from the difficulty of getting supplies up the country to them, 
 the inland population might be starved outright. At that 
 time, and subsequently, a great number of the Indians who, 
 in the hunt for gold had neglected to store fish and roots, and 
 otherwise to prepare for the winter's coming, did die of sheer 
 starvation. 
 
 The task of transporting provisions to the bars high up 
 the river was, indeed, great. The Harrison-Lilloett trail 
 had, it is true, been cut, but as yet it was impassable for 
 mule-trains, so that the only way of transporting things from 
 lake to lake was by Indian packing. The snow, too, had 
 blocked up many of the trails, the navigation of the Fraser 
 itself was impeded by ice, so that it cannot be wondered at 
 that such of the miners as had the hardihood to pass the 
 winter near their claims were paying as much as 6s. a lb. for 
 flour, and 3s. for bacon. 
 
 The old miners of California and Australia, men whose 
 lives had made them impatient of hardship, except in the 
 immediate pursuit of their darling object, and whose rapid 
 gains provoked and permitted the utmost licence and extrava- 
 gance, were little likely to remain up-country, with the 
 comforts and vices of Victoria and San Francisco within their 
 
 i 
 
Chap. III. APPKOACH OF WINTER. 57 
 
 reach. But the people of Victoria did not then understand 
 this ; and when they saw their friends and customers of the 
 summer depart southward, and heard accounts of the gold- 
 bars being comparatively deserted, it required more faith 
 than they possessed to enable them to believe that the tide 
 of immigration would ever reflow, and that it was better for 
 the country that these dubious Californians should leave and 
 be replaced by a more steady and plodding population. 
 
58 RUMOUR OF DISTURBANCE AT YALE. Chap. IV. 
 
 CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 Rumour of disturbance at Yale — 'Plumper' proceeds to Langley — Canoe 
 journey to Fort Hope — Fort Yale and Hill's Bar — Termination of the 
 difficulty with the Miners — Miners generally — Expresses and Express 
 Men — New Westminster — Return to Victoria — Difficulties arising from 
 the immigration of Indians from the North. 
 
 January 10th, 1859. — The rumour of another outbreak, not 
 at Victoria, but at Yale, up the Fraser River, arrived to 
 disturb, not altogether unpleasantly, the monotony of our 
 winter life in Esquimalt Harbour. Intelligence had been sent 
 down the river to Victoria that some miners had made a dis- 
 turbance at Yale, and that Colonel Moody had, immediately 
 upon being informed of it, started from Langley for the 
 scene of action with the Engineers stationed there, which, 
 numbering 25 men, had just arrived in the colony. The 
 Governor considered it desirable at once to strengthen his 
 hands. Fort Yale, ninety miles up the Fraser, was one of 
 the stations to which some of those miners who were anxious 
 to remain near their claims on the upper bars, so as to com- 
 mence work directly the season opened, — or to whom, for 
 sundry delicate private reasons, the delights of San Francisco 
 were not obtainable, — flocked to pass the winter. The climate 
 at Yale was milder than that of the Upper Fraser, which in- 
 duced a great number of the men having claims north of it to 
 come down and pass some months there, while others working 
 on the bars near Yale were wont to spend their Sundays and 
 holidays in the town. Among them, pre-eminent for certain 
 social qualities which had rendered him generally obnoxious 
 to the laws of whatever country he had favoured with his 
 presence, was a certain Edward M'Gowan. This individual 
 had spent some time in California, where he had become 
 
Chap. IV. A WORTHY FROM SAN FRANCISCO. 59 
 
 very notorious, and had been honoured with the especial 
 enmity of the " Vigilance Committee " of San Francisco. Nor 
 without good cause. He had, I believe, had the misfortune 
 to kill several of his comrades in those little personal en- 
 counters which one sees reported so frequently in the 
 American newspapers under the head of " shooting " or 
 "cutting affairs." The act for which the Vigilance Com- 
 mittee of San Francisco doomed him to the gallows was 
 killing a man in cold blood in the streets of that city who 
 knew too much of his antecedents. M'Gowan of course denied 
 this, and always asserted that he had shot his foe in self- 
 defence: but there is little doubt that the view which the 
 Vigilance Committee took of the matter was the correct one. 
 As an instance of the working of universal suffrage, it may 
 be mentioned that this man at one time filled the office of a 
 judge in California; and quite recently, when, after .-hooting 
 at a man at Hill's Bar, whom, luckily, lie missed, he escaped 
 across the frontier into American territory, lie has been 
 elected to the House of Representatives of one of the border 
 States that lie easl of the Rocky Mountains, '['his worthy 
 has given his adventures to the world in the shape of an auto- 
 biography, published some five years since, and written with 
 considerable spirit. The story told in it of his hairbreadth 
 escape from the clutches of the Vigilance Committee is 
 extremely exciting. Its agents pursued him with such 
 rancour that, after with the greatest difficulty he had escaped 
 to a steamer starting for Victoria, he was recognized, fired at, 
 and a bullet sent through the lappel of his coat. 
 
 That such a man as this was known to be at HilPs Bar, 
 some two miles below Yale, where he had a very rich claim, 
 and to have with him, and under his influence, a strong party 
 of followers bold and lawless as himself, might well give the 
 authorities serious concern. Upon the news, therefore, being 
 sent down of M'Gowan' s having created a disturbance, the 
 Governor requested Capt. Prevost to send a party to aid the 
 
60 < PLUMPEE ' AT LANGLEY. Chap. IV. 
 
 Colonel. The * Plumper ' was the only vessel ayailable for 
 this service, and accordingly we embarked a party of marines 
 and blue-jackets, under Lieutenant Gooch, from the ' Satellite,' 
 and started at once for the scene of action. 
 
 Upon arriving at Langley we found that Colonel Moody had 
 taken the ' Enterprise,' the only steamer then on the river 
 capable of going further up it than Langley, and had pushed on 
 to Yale with twenty-five of the Engineers under the command 
 of Captain Grant, E.E. As the field-piece we had brought with 
 us must have been parted with had the men been sent on, there 
 being no other way of despatching them except in canoes, it 
 was considered advisable to keep them on board the ' Plumper ' 
 at Langley, and that a messenger should at once follow and 
 overtake Colonel Moody. This service devolved upon me, and 
 I received orders to proceed up the river with despatches 
 from Captain Eichards informing the Colonel of the presence 
 of the force at Langley, and to bring back his instructions. 
 
 Mr. Yale, the Hudson Bay Compay's officer at Fort Lang- 
 ley, undertook to provide a canoe and crew for the journey, 
 and my own preparations were soon made — a blanket, frock 
 and trowsers, a couple of rugs, two or three pipes, plenty of 
 tobacco, tea, coffee, some meat and bread, a frying-pan and 
 saucepan, completing my outfit. At this time canoe-travel- 
 ling was quite new to me, and, familiar as it has since become, 
 I quite well remember the curious sensations with which this 
 my first journey of the kind was commenced. It was mid- 
 winter, the snow lay several inches thick upon the ground ; 
 the latest reports from up the river spoke of much ice about 
 and below Fort Hope, so that I was by no means sorry to 
 avail myself of the offer of Mr. Lewis, of the Hudson Bay 
 Company, who had accompanied the ' Plumper ' to Langley 
 as pilot, to be my companion. Mr. Yale had selected a good 
 canoe and nine stout paddlers, four half-breeds and five In- 
 dians, and when I landed from the ship a few minutes before 
 eleven they were waiting on the beach, dressed in their 
 
Chap. IV. CANOE JOURNEY. 61 
 
 best blankets, with large streamers of bright red, blue, and 
 yellow ribbons, in which they delight so much, flying 
 from their caps. Mr. Yale had previously harangued them, 
 and presented them with these streamers by way of impress- 
 ing them with the importance of the service in which they 
 were engaged. Seating ourselves in the canoe as comfort- 
 ably as we could, away we started, the frail bark flying over 
 the smooth water, and the crew singing at the top of their 
 wild, shrill voices, their parti-coloured decorations streaming 
 in the bitter winter wind. 
 
 The North American Indians, and. indeed, the Canadians 
 as well, paddle much more steadily when they sing. They 
 keep splendid time, and, by way of accompaniment, bring 
 the handle of their paddles sharply against the gunwale of 
 the canoe. In singing their custom is — and the greatest 
 stickler for etiquette among us will find himself outdone 
 by the Indian's respect lor whatever habit or fashion may 
 have dictated — for the steersman to sing, the crew taking 
 
 up the churns. Although I have frequently tried to induce 
 one of the others t<> -start a song, with the view of testing 
 the strength of their social habit in this respect, I have 
 never succeeded unless supported in my request by the 
 steersman. This post of honour is usually conferred upon 
 the senior of the party, unless the owner of the canoe happens 
 to form one of the crew, when he takes the seat by virtue of 
 his interest in it. Next in position and importance to the 
 steersman are the pair of paddlers who sit immediately behind 
 the passengers ; then come the two forward hands, who have 
 a great deal to do with the management of the canoe in 
 keeping it clear of blocks of floating ice, or the snags which 
 often appear suddenly under its bows, and preventing the 
 current from spinning it round and swamping it, which, but 
 for the keen look-out they keep and their dexterity in the 
 use of the paddles, would often happen in such swift and 
 treaeherous currents, as those of North American rivers. 
 
62 CANOE JOURNEY. Chap. IV. 
 
 We paddled along quickly until five o'clock, when we 
 stopped for supper, and, landing, made tea. This meal 
 over, we started again and held on steadily all night. If the 
 journey by day was strange and somewhat exciting, how 
 much more so did it become when night set in ! Wet, cold, 
 and tired, we rolled ourselves up in the rugs, and in time 
 fell into a broken sleep, lulled by the monotonous rap of the 
 paddles upon the gunwale of the canoe, the rippling sound of 
 the water against its sides, the song of the men now rising 
 loud and shrill, now sinking into a low, drowsy hum. Ever 
 and anon roused by a louder shout from the paddlers in 
 the bow, we started up to find the canoe sweeping by some 
 boat moored to the shore, or a miner's watch-fire, from which 
 an indistinct figure would rise, gaze at us wonderingly as we 
 passed howling by, and sometimes shout to us loudly in 
 reply. We might well startle such of the miners as saw 
 or heard us. Whenever we passed a fire, or a boat drawn up 
 ashore, or moored to the trees by the beach, in which miners 
 might be sleeping, the Indians would commence singing at 
 the top of their voices ; and we often saw sleepers start up, in 
 wonder no doubt, who could be travelling on the river at 
 night at such a season, — and in some fear perhaps, for several 
 murders had lately been committed, which were attributed 
 rightly or wrongly to Indian agency. And, indeed, as we 
 swept by a watch-fire near enough for its glare to light up 
 the dark figures straining at their hard work, and their wild, 
 swarthy faces, with the long, bright ribbons streaming behind 
 them, — we might well give a shock to some wearied sleeper 
 roused abruptly from dreams of home, or some rich claim 
 which was to make his fortune, by the wild Indian boat-chant. 
 
 Most of our journey lay close along the shore, where, of 
 course, the current was less rapid and advantage could be 
 taken of the numerous eddies that set in near the banks. Our 
 chief man was quite well acquainted with the river's navigation, 
 having been for years in the Hudson Bay Company's employ. 
 
Chap. IV. CANOE JOURNEY. 63 
 
 When we came to a rapid, or it was necessary to cross the 
 river from one bank to the other, by one consent the singing 
 would cease, the paddlers' breath be husbanded to better 
 purpose, and every muscle strained to force the canoe over 
 the present difficulty. At such times when any greater 
 exertion was necessary, or a more formidable obstacle than 
 usual seemed on the point of being mastered, the Indians 
 would give a loud prolonged shout terminating in a shriller 
 key, and dash their paddles into the boiling water with still 
 fiercer vehemence. There can bo few stranger sensations 
 than that which we felt many times that night, when after 
 paddling so steadily alongshore that we had fallen fast asleep, 
 rere awoke suddenly by a heavy lurch of the canoe, and 
 found the water rushing in over the gunwale, and the boat 
 almost swamped by the fierce exertions of the paddlers, and 
 tearing broadside down rather than across the rapid river, 
 until with a shout it was run ashore on the opposite bank, and 
 the excited rowers rested a few minutes to regain their breath 
 before again paddling up the quieter water by the shore. 
 
 Next morning, about four o'clock, we landed for a short 
 spell of rest, and, clearing away the snow, lit a fire and lay 
 round it for a couple of hours. At the end of that time we 
 picked ourselves up, still' with cold, and breakfasted, and by 
 half-past seven were under weigh again and paddling up the 
 river, the Indians, to all appearance, as lively and unwearied 
 as if they had slept the whole night through. I cannot say 
 the same for their passengers. It was very cold, a sensation 
 which we both tried in vain to get rid of by taking an occa- 
 sional turn at the paddles ; and the few snatches of short, dis- 
 turbed sleep we had managed to obtain had left us very much 
 fatigued. The novelty of the situation, too, in my case had 
 worn away, and I confess that the second night of my journey 
 was one of unmitigated discomfort and weariness. Upon 
 the second morning we rested a little longer by our watchfire, 
 Myhu-pu-pu, the head man of the party, assuring us that we 
 
64 NARROW ESCAPE. Chap. IV. 
 
 had plenty of time to reach Hope before nightfall. But 
 Myhu-pu-pu was wrong : night fell while we were still some 
 miles below the fort. About three in the afternoon we had 
 boarded the ' Enterprise ' and learnt that she had been three 
 days in the ice, had only got out of it indeed the previous 
 morning, and that Colonel Moody had not, therefore, been 
 able to reach Hope until that day. We had reason to con- 
 gratulate ourselves upon our good fortune, as we had only 
 met some floating ice arid been nowhere in very serious danger 
 from it, although once or twice we had narrowly escaped being 
 swamped by floating blocks. But as we proceeded we found 
 the river more and more swollen, the ice thicker and in greater 
 quantities, and despite all the efforts of the crew, darkness 
 set in while we were yet some miles short of our destination. 
 On we pushed, however, and I had fallen asleep, when I was 
 suddenly awakened by a sharp crack almost under my head. 
 The canoe had struck a rock in crossing a rapid in the 
 river, at a spot now known as Cornish Bar, but then called 
 Murderer's Bar, from a murder that had taken place there, 
 and she was stove in unmistakeably. 
 
 Thanks to the courage and skill of the elder of the crew, 
 we were extricated from our perilous predicament. Leaping 
 on to the rock, against which the full force of the current was 
 driving the canoe, they lifted her off without a moment's hesi- 
 tation, and the other rowers shooting her ashore, we all jumped 
 out and ran her up upon the snow. Of course everything 
 was wet, ourselves included ; but we were too grateful for our 
 narrow escape to heed this trifling inconvenience. Mean- 
 while the men, whose courage and readiness had preserved 
 us, were still upon the rock, the current sweeping by up to 
 their knees and threatening to carry them away. The canoe 
 being hastily repaired and veered down to them by a 
 rope, they too were brought safely ashore. Then arose the 
 question, how were we to be got to Fort Hope that night ? 
 It was a serious one, not admitting of a very easy solution. 
 
Chap. IT. FORT HOPE. 65 
 
 To get the canoe afloat again was soon found impossible, as 
 she was split fore and aft, and it was ultimately determined 
 to leave two of the Indians in charge of it while the rest of us 
 tried to make the trail, which was known to pass near this 
 spot to the Fort. I have since that night walked that trail, 
 when it was as pretty and pleasant a summer evening's stroll 
 as any one would wish to enjoy ; but on this occasion, with two 
 or three feet of snow upon it, and three or four feet more 
 ready to receive us on either side if a false step was made, 
 that three-mile walk to Hope was very hard work while it 
 lasted. It was worse for my companion (Mr. Lewis), for in 
 crossing a river by a fallen tree, which served as a bridge, 
 his foot gave way and he slipped in, drenching his frozen 
 clothes and limbs afresh. Fortunately, however, it was not 
 very deep, and he was fished out, and we reached the Fort 
 without further accident. 
 
 Siuce the time of which I am now writing the old Hudson 
 Bay Fort has been pulled down, and a more commodious one 
 erected in its stead. Then the officer in charge of it had only 
 one ehamber to serve for both sitting and bed room ; and late 
 at night into this and the presence of Colonel Moody, Captain 
 Grant, Mr. Begbie, and the Hudson Bay Company's officers, 
 gathered round the fire, we made our way, looking, I dare 
 say, pitiable objects enough. With the ready kindness which 
 I never failed to meet with from the Company's officers in 
 British Columbia, Mr. Ogilvy soon equipped both of us in 
 suits of dry clothes, and seated us before a hot supper. 
 
 In a subsequent chapter I shall have occasion to speak more 
 fully of " bars ;" but as the word will occur frequently in this 
 book, I may here say that all those places where gold is found 
 and worked on a river's bank are called by that name. This 
 term has become the recognised one, and is not mere miner's 
 slang; all proclamations referring to gold-extracting, &c, 
 being addressed to the " mining bars " of such and such a 
 district. 
 
66 < MINING-BARS.' Chap. IV. 
 
 Bars are formed simply by a deposit of heaps of detritus at 
 various bends of a river flowing through accumulations of 
 irrupted rock, and between mountains whose sides have been 
 broken down by former great convulsions. The rushing 
 river tears away mass after mass of this rock and gravel, and, 
 carrying on a natural combination of the "sluicing" and 
 " crushing " processes, deposits the gold, with its ever-accom- 
 panying black metallic sand and a certain quantity of common 
 earth, at intervals along its banks, carrying most of the 
 lighter sand, &c, out to its mouth, there to form sandbanks 
 and flats. It will be easily understood, therefore, that these 
 bars are formed at every place where there is or has been 
 anything to catch the drift as it comes down. But what is 
 somewhat curious is the very different value of the deposit 
 at various bars, or even parts of the same bar, some being 
 very rich, others very poor, even where they are close toge- 
 ther ; and this happens not in the vertical section, which 
 would be to some extent intelligible, but at an equal distance 
 under the surface. One part of a bar may " give out," while 
 another part will be worth working 20 feet deeper. 
 
 Thus all bars are formed in the same way, even although 
 the rivers which deposited some of them have long since 
 ceased to flow, or been diverted into other channels, causing 
 what are termed " dry diggings," of which I shall speak here- 
 after. Yery rich bars are often covered with sand, mud, &c, 
 for, in some instances, several hundred feet. In California 
 some of the richest diggings now worked are the beds of old 
 rivers, quite dry, often running in very different directions to 
 those of the present streams, and occurring from 100 to 300 
 feet below what is now the surface of the earth. 
 
 The Commissioner was, when I reported myself, rather 
 surprised at the promptitude with which his requisition for 
 troops had been met by the Governor, and perhaps a little 
 embarrassed. His impression now was that the reports 
 which had reached him at Yale and hurried him hither had 
 
Chap. IV. YALE — RIVER-SCENERY. 67 
 
 been greatly exaggerated, and from the accounts which had 
 since reached him he had the best reason to believe that the 
 feeling of the mining population at Yale and elsewhere had 
 been grossly misrepresented. However, he said that he had 
 decided on proceeding next day to Yale with Mr. Begbie 
 only, leaving Captain Grant and his party of Engineers at 
 Hope ; and he desired me to accompany him, so that if, upon 
 his arrival at Yale, the presence of troops should be found 
 necessary, I might return to Hope with orders to that effect ; 
 and it was also determined that Mr. Lewis should take the 
 canoe back to Langley as soon as it was repaired, and tell 
 Captain Richards of my arrival and detention. 
 
 Next morning, therefore, we started, and reached Yale at 
 three. The town was perfectly quiet, and the Colonel was 
 received upon his entrance with the most vociferous cheering 
 and every sign of respect and loyalty. Upon the way up we 
 Stopped at several of the bars, and made inquiries which 
 satisfied us that the miners were doing very well, although 
 they complained that the snow had for some days past kept 
 them from working. The river-scenery between these two 
 ports was beautiful, even at this season of the year. The 
 distance is only fifteen miles, but the strengtli of the current 
 is so great that in the winter five or six hours are consumed 
 in the journey, and in the summer — when the stream is 
 swollen by the melting snow — double that time is often taken. 
 The only streams of any size that feed the Fraser for this 
 distance are the Swal-lach-Coom, which flows into it some 
 five miles below Yale, and the Que-que-alla, which runs into 
 it two miles above Hope. The Que-que-alla is a considerable 
 stream, dividing into two branches further in, and contains 
 numbers of trout. The mountains on either side are from 
 tliree to four thousand feet high, and are composed almost 
 entifely of plutonic rocks, and at their base is found the 
 " drift" in which the gold is contained. 
 
 As I have already said, Fort Yale presented the most peace- 
 
 f2 
 
68 HILL'S BAR. Chap. IV. 
 
 ful aspect imaginable. The day after our arrival happening 
 to be Sunday, Colonel Moody performed service in the court- 
 house. It was the first time this had ever happened in 
 Yale, and the thirty or forty miners who attended formed a 
 most orderly and attentive congregation. After church, the 
 difficulty which had brought us here was investigated, and 
 the magistrate at Hill's Bar, the principal bar on this part 
 of the river, lying a mile below Yale, was suspended from 
 his functions. A very few words will suffice to explain 
 it. At Hill's Bar there was a resident magistrate, who was 
 One of the miners, though superior to most of them in posi- 
 tion and acquirements; and at Yale two others — one who 
 was shortly afterwards proved guilty of some rascality and 
 discharged ; the^other, an honest man enough, but altogether 
 unfit, from temperament and social position, for the discharge 
 of his duties. These three dignitaries were not upon the 
 best terms with one another, and two of them claimed a 
 certain case and prisoner as belonging each to his own dis- 
 trict, and disputed the right of adjudicating upon them to 
 such a degree that, one having possession of the culprit's 
 body, and refusing to give it up to his colleague, the other 
 went to the length of swearing in special constables to his 
 aid, and removing the prisoner by force of arms to his 
 jurisdiction at Hill's Bar. Among these special constables, 
 and very possibly among the instigators of the squabble, 
 Mr. Edward McGowan figured conspicuously ; and it was the 
 outraged magistrate's report, that this worthy had been 
 prison-breaking in his district, that gave it to the autho- 
 rities at Langley and Victoria so serious an aspect. How- 
 ever, upon investigating the matter, he was found to have 
 acted, if with indiscreet zeal, yet not illegally, and no charge 
 was preferred against him on that account. But the same 
 afternoon, while Colonel Moody, representing the majesty of 
 the law, was still at Yale, Mr. McGowan outraged it unmis- 
 takably by committing an unprovoked assault. This, coupled 
 
Chap. IV. PRECAUTIONS AGAINST A RIOT. 69 
 
 with sundry other suspicious circumstances, caused Colonel 
 Moody to think that McGowan's friends and admirers would, 
 if provoked, break into serious insubordination ; and he at 
 once instructed me to drop down the river to Hope and 
 Langley, and order up the Engineers, Marines, and blue- 
 jackets left at those places. 
 
 The utmost precaution was taken about my journey. Mr. 
 Allard, the Hudson Bay Company's officer at Yale, was 
 instructed to have a small canoe launched unseen by the 
 miners, who, it was thought, might endeavour to stop me, 
 as they no doubt easily could have done. The darkness was 
 waited for, and, the canoe being launched and dropped about 
 half a mile down the river, Mr. Allard came to the house 
 for me, and led me to it along the river's bank. As we 
 dropped down the stream I was afraid even to light a pipe 
 lest we should be stopped at Hill's Bar. Absurd as all this 
 now seems — especially as 1 heard on my return that the 
 miners knew perfectly well of my starting — it was not with- 
 out its use at the time. The promptitude with which Captain 
 Grant appeared on the spot with the Engineers at daylight 
 next morning astonished the miners a good deal, and it need 
 not be assumed that, because they apologised and paid their 
 fines, they would have done so equally had coercion not been 
 threatened. 
 
 Reaching Hope at half-past eight that night, I very much 
 astonished Captain Grant by telling him that he was to start 
 for Yale at once, and, landing his men below Hill's Bar on the 
 opposite side of the river, to march thence into Yale. Having 
 given these instructions, I embarked in the canoe again, and 
 about midnight — spinning down the Fraser being a very 
 different matter to struggling up against its current — reached 
 the ' Enterprise/ which was to convey me to Langley, and 
 bring the men there up. Here a slight delay took place, 
 as the steamer could not be got ready to start until day- 
 break; but away we went the instant dawn broke, and 
 
70 THE DIFFICULTY ARRANGED. Chap. IV. 
 
 reached Langley in the afternoon of the following day, where, 
 the * Enterprise ' having wooded, every one was got aboard, 
 and we were struggling up against the current by six p.m., 
 reaching Smess River by nine or ten that night, and Cornish 
 Bar by 8*30 the following night. 
 
 There the ' Enterprise's ' further progress was effectually 
 barred, and, taking a canoe again, I made my way to Hope, 
 where I found that further instructions had come from the 
 Colonel to the effect that the blue-jackets were to remain 
 there, and only the Marines to go on to Yale. So things 
 were looking less martial, and I was not surprised, on pushing 
 forward to Yale next morning, to find that the short cam- 
 paign was at an end, and the peace, which had hardly been 
 disturbed, restored. Mr. McGowan, after enjoying the sensa- 
 tion he had caused, paid the Commissioner a formal visit, 
 and, after making a very gentlemanlike apology for the hasty 
 blow which had disturbed the peace of British Columbia, 
 and entering into an elaborate and, I believe, successful 
 defence of his previous conduct in the squabble of the rival 
 judges, committed himself frankly into the hands of justice. 
 What could be done with such a frank, entertaining rascal ? 
 Justice herself could not press hardly for her dues in such a 
 case. He was fined for the assault, exonerated from all pre- 
 vious misdemeanours, and next day, upon Hill's Bar being 
 visited by Mr. Begbie (the Chief Justice) and myself, he con- 
 ducted us over the diggings, washed some " dirt " to show us 
 the process, and invited us to a collation in his hut, where 
 we drank champagne with some twelve or fifteen of his Cali- 
 fornian mining friends. And, whatever opinion the Vigilance 
 Committee of San Francisco might entertain of these gentle- 
 men, I, speaking as I found them, can only say that, all 
 things considered, I have rarely lunched with a better-spoken, 
 pleasanter party. The word " miner " to many unacquainted 
 with the gold-fields conveys an impression similar, perhaps, 
 to that of " navvy." But among them may often be found 
 
Chap. IV. 'EXPRESSES' AND 'EXPRESS MEN.' 71 
 
 men who, by birth and education, are well qualified to bold 
 their own in the most civilised community of Europe. Here, 
 for instance, I was entertained in the hut of a man who — by 
 virtue of his rascality, no doubt — had been selected to fill 
 the office of judge among his fellows in California ; while 
 one of my neighbours had taken his degree at an American 
 University, and may since, for aught I know, have edited a 
 Greek play and been made a bishop. I remember afterwards 
 travelling with two men, who, meeting casually, recognised 
 one another as old schoolfellows and class-men. Neither was 
 in the least surprised at the other's condition, although one 
 was a well-to-do surgeon with a very remunerative practice, 
 and the other was an " express " man, penniless, and carrying 
 letters some 130 or 140 miles for a subsistence. 
 
 As I have several times mentioned "expresses" and "ex- 
 press-men," I may here explain that ail over California and 
 Jhitish Columbia letters or parcels are carried with perfect 
 safety, and, all things considered, very cheaply, by means of 
 them. ■ The organisation of some of these companies is most 
 elaborate. The principal one there is Wells Fargo's, which 
 has agencies all over the world. Their office at Victoria is one 
 of the finest buildings there ; and their house in San Fran- 
 cisco is as large as our General Post-office. I have never 
 known a letter sent by them miscarry. The charge for send- 
 ing anywhere in California is only 10 cents (5c?.), and so great 
 is my faith in them that I would trust anything, in even that 
 most insecure country, in an envelope bearing the stamp of 
 Wells Fargo and Co.'s Express. There are several minor 
 expresses in different parts of the country — Ballou's Fraser 
 Eiver Express, Jeffray's Express, Freeman's Express — all of 
 which appear to flourish ; and so great is the trust reposed 
 in them, and the speed with which they travel, that the 
 miners, as yet, prefer sending their dust by them to the 
 Government escort. 
 
 A few days later we dropped down the river to Hope? 
 
72 NEW WESTMINSTER. Chap. IV. 
 
 where the blue-jackets were paraded, and our one field-piece 
 fired the first salute ever heard at Fort Hope in honour of 
 the Colonel. The men were then got safely on board the 
 * Plumper ' again, which proceeded to examine the river 
 and its north bank a few miles below Langley, and report 
 whether it would do for the site of the capital of British 
 Columbia — it having been decided that Derby, or New 
 Langley, the spot first selected, was not desirable. The site 
 of New Westminster — or Queenborough, as it was first called 
 — is, so far as its geographical position is concerned, very 
 good indeed, as it is also in a strategical point of view; 
 but the bush there was very thick, while at Derby there was 
 a large space of clear ground. The work of clearing the 
 bush has been the great drawback to the progress of New 
 Westminster. Dr. Campbell and I went to examine a part 
 a little north of where the town stands, and so thick was the 
 bush that it took us two hours to force our way in rather 
 less than a mile and a-half, Where we penetrated it was 
 composed of very thick willow and alder, intertwined so 
 closely that every step of the way had to be broken through, 
 while the ground was cumbered with fallen timber of a larger 
 growth. During this scramble I stumbled upon a large bear, 
 which seemed to be as much surprised to see me as I was at 
 sight of him, and I dare say equally discomposed. At any 
 rate, he showed no disposition to cultivate my acquaintance ; 
 and, as I was some way ahead of my companion and had 
 only one barrel of my gun loaded with small shot, I was not 
 sorry to find that our ways seemed to lie in opposite direc- 
 tions. 
 
 The site hit upon by Colonel Moody was a little below 
 this thick bush, where the ground was somewhat clearer. 
 Eegarded both in a military and commercial light, it was 
 infinitely preferable to the spot which had previously been 
 fixed upon for this purpose higher up and on the opposite 
 side of the river. New Westminster has manv natural 
 
Chap. IT. RETURN TO VICTORIA. I'd 
 
 advantages in which Derby is wanting, not the least being 
 sufficient depth of water to allow the largest class of vessels 
 capable of passing the sand-heads at the Fraser mouth to 
 moor alongside of its wharves. I shall have occasion at a 
 future time to speak at greater length of this and the other 
 settlements upon the Fraser River. 
 
 Our time for some weeks after this was employed • in 
 cruising among the islands, creeks, and inlets, upon sur- 
 veying work, which, however valuable to the future settlers 
 and navigators of British Columbia, is but little likely to 
 interest the general reader. 
 
 March, 1851). — Upon our return to Victoria a difficulty 
 which had been felt for some time, arising from the growing 
 immigration of Northern Indians, who came down from 
 Queen Charlotte Island, Fort Simpson, and the inlets north 
 of Vancouver Island, to see and trade with the white men, 
 had reached such a pitch that it was necessary for the 
 Government to take some steps in the matter. Numbers of 
 these, with their families, came down Johnstone Strait in large 
 canoes, carrying furs and skins which they expected to sell 
 for fabulous prices. They were scarcely pleasant visitors — 
 not likely to be welcomed by a young community with a 
 newly-formed and small police, as, although quiet enough 
 when sober, they got drunk as often as they had a chance, 
 and then became quite unmanageable. 
 
 These Indians of the northern coast tribes of British 
 Columbia and Vancouver Island are much finer and fiercer 
 men than the Songhies, the tribe living at and in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Victoria, or indeed than any of the southern 
 tribes. They are constantly at war with one another, and 
 were as likely as not to bring their feuds south with them, 
 and could be as little trusted to keep from blows, if they 
 met in Victoria, as the rival Highland clans in old times 
 when they came into collision in the streets of Edinburgh. 
 They all travelled armed ; for in their journey to Victoria 
 
74 IMMIGKATION OF INDIANS. Chap. IV. 
 
 they had to pass the neighbourhood of several hostile tribes, 
 by whom they were certain to be attacked if caught un- 
 prepared. One tribe especially, living at Cape Mudge, the 
 south point of Yaldez Island, and known as the U-cle-ta, 
 are the Ishmaelites of the country, whose hands are literally 
 against every man, and every man's against them. There 
 was a great fight between these and the men of a northern 
 tribe coming south in 1858, in which a good many were 
 killed on either side ; and they are always on the look- 
 out for any one passing by their neighbourhood, and of course 
 suffer in their turn whenever they are caught at a disadvan- 
 tage. Upon one occasion, when I was camped for the Sunday 
 in a pleasant little cove, just southward of Point Chatham, in 
 Johnstone's Strait, it happened that a party of some hundred 
 Haida Indians from Queen Charlotte Island came past on 
 their way to Victoria. n seeing our boats, they came 
 alongside, as Indians always do, and began, after their fashion, 
 chattering and exhibiting their furs and specimens of the 
 gold they had collected in Queen Charlotte Island. In the 
 middle of our talk the canoes which had been keeping watch 
 outside in the strait while the rest were with us raised an alarm. 
 Two small canoes of another tribe, that had been near us all 
 the morning fishing, just then hove in sight again, and imme- 
 diately our companions pulled out and examined the muskets 
 that lay under cover ready to their grasp. Although we 
 were not in sufficient force to interfere between them, I have 
 no doubt whatever that the poor fellows in the canoes, who 
 had slept at our camp the night previously, would have been 
 murdered or taken into slavery but for our presence. 
 
 Efforts have been made to put down this cruel system of 
 predatory warfare, and occasionally a grand peace-making 
 of the hostile tribes is held, at which eternal friendship is 
 vowed. But it is not long before some fresh depredation is 
 committed, or some solitary Indian is caught by a party of 
 another tribe, and the temptation to murder or take him 
 
Chap. IV. THEIR CHARACTER AND HABITS. 75 
 
 prisoner being too strong to be resisted, war breaks out again. 
 The U-cle-ta are great offenders in this way. In the summer 
 of 18G0 a lesson was administered to them, which, it is to be 
 hoped, may do them some good. A party of them had at- 
 tacked and robbed some Chinamen, and escaped to their 
 village at Cape Mudge, which, being stockaded for protection 
 against the other tribes, they no doubt thought would be 
 equally efficacious against white men. II. M. gunboat ' For- 
 ward ' was sent there to demand restitution ; and, on approach- 
 ing the village, she was fired upon from the stockade with 
 loud shouts of defiance. The gunboat first fired a shell or 
 two over; but, Indian-like, they mistook this leniency for 
 inability to hit them, and coming out in front of the stockade 
 fired several volleys at her, which fortunately, however, 
 fell harmless against her rifle-plates. {She then opened fire 
 upon their canoes on the beach, and lastly upon the stockade ; 
 and it was not till several men were killed that they came to 
 terms, and restored the stolen property. 
 
 One of the most fertile sources of quarrel among all the 
 tribes on this coast with whom I am at all acquainted 
 arises from the intrigues of the Indians with the squaws of 
 neighbouring tribes. Indeed the breach of the Seventh Com- 
 mandment is as fashionable in this out-of-the-way part of 
 the world as it has been at times among European com- 
 munities. A code of reprisals and compensation has been 
 adopted among them which certainly has the merit of sim- 
 plicity. The aggrieved husband whose wife has been misled 
 troubles his head very little about her ; and when she comes 
 back to him, wdiich she does very soon, shows no inclination 
 to visit her offence at all hardly upon her. But although he 
 receives her again, he to a certain extent discards her, and, 
 if he can afford it, adds another wife to his establishment. 
 Should number two go astray, as is very probable, he takes a 
 third wife ; but he keeps the sinners, penitent or not, With 
 him still, and they all live together to all appearance con- 
 
76 THEIR CHARACTER AND HABITS. Chap. IV. 
 
 tentedly enough. Meanwhile he is busy making reprisals 
 upon his enemy ; and the result, when they happen to be 
 chiefs, is probably a war between two tribes, in which the 
 members of both join with the greatest interest and zeal. 
 
 It is in such social habits that the missionaries find their 
 greatest difficulties when working for the reformation of these 
 people, more particularly as the white trader generally con- 
 firms by his practice all that the red man is warned against. 
 If nothing else pleads for the introduction of Englishwomen 
 into British Columbia, this fact surely does. In reference 
 to the Indian disregard of marital obligations, I remember a 
 noted Chief, named St. Paul, in the interior of the country 
 — of whom I shall have more to say hereafter — telling me 
 that the Eoman Catholic priests had often remonstrated with 
 him upon his life ; and, among other social reformations that 
 seemed to them desirable, had urged him to go through the 
 marriage ceremony with his present wife. " To what avail ? " 
 argued St. Paul. "So long as she remains true to me, I 
 will hold to her; but if she fails me — married or not — I 
 shall discard her for another." 
 
 I have said that it was partly curiosity to see the white 
 man, and still more the hope of making larger sums for 
 their furs than the Hudson Bay Company's agents would 
 give them, that led the Indians to make the journey to 
 Victoria. In the latter hope they were often disappointed ; 
 but it must not, therefore, be inferred that the Indians are 
 bad traders. On the contrary, they are some of the best 
 hands at a bargain or deal I have ever met with ; the squaws, 
 as may be usual with their sex, having the most to say upon 
 the matter, and being the harder to persuade. In buying of 
 Indians, if the squaw be present, it is always advisable to win 
 her favour. The man never concludes a bargain without 
 consulting her ; and I have frequently seen her put a veto 
 upon some commercial arrangement that I had imagined 
 settled, simply because she happened to be annoyed, and was 
 
Chap. IV. PLANS FOR CHECKING THEIR IMMIGRATION. 77 
 
 sulky at something that had transpired while the bargain was 
 being made. So, when the matter is aettled, the shirts, 
 blankets, or other articles taken in exchange are always 
 passed to the woman for her inspection and approval ; and 
 she claims the right of declaring the deal at an end, even at 
 the eleventh moment, if she disapproves of their make or ma- 
 terial. It is, therefore, always advisable to win her to your 
 side, if possible, when buying anything ; and this can gene- 
 rally be done by a judicious present of beads, or perhaps a 
 pair of gorgeous earrings. 
 
 The presence of these people in large and increasing 
 numbers was felt as a serious inconvenience, and possible 
 danger to Victoria. Several plans for checking their immi- 
 gration were proposed, and at last it was determined — not, 
 I think, with the judgment that ordinarily characterised the 
 dealing of the Government with the Indians — to send them 
 back to their own country. The impolicy of such a measure 
 soon became apparent, to say nothing of the impossibility of 
 carrying it into effect. No one who knew anything of the 
 Indian character would believe that sending a few hundreds 
 back would have the effect of deterring others from attempt- 
 ing the voyage down. Besides which, how could it be 
 expected that men whom we had driven away or kept back 
 forcibly from our towns would permit whites to " prospect" for 
 gold or settle in their country ? An endeavour was, however, 
 made to carry out this resolution ; and upon their making 
 the excuse -that they were afraid of encountering the hostile 
 Indians of Nanaimo and other places on their return, H.M.S. 
 ' Tribune ' was called upon to convoy them as far north as 
 Cape Mudge. But, even while on their way, they met many 
 others coming down ; and it was evident that nothing but 
 violent measures of repression, backed by a strong military 
 and naval force, were likely to stem the tide of savage life 
 that was setting southward. So at last it was considered 
 useless to try ; and Mr. Duncan, the missionary, having for- 
 
78 INDIANS DISARMED. Chap. IV. 
 
 tunately arrived from the North, his advice was sought upon 
 the subject, and jt was decided to take measures to settle 
 them upon their arrival in camps of their own, near Victoria, 
 and to take away their muskets from them while they re- 
 mained there. This latter measure was of the first import- 
 ance, as for a long time past it had become positively unsafe 
 to take the Esquimalt road after dark at night from the 
 number of drunken Indians lying about, who were wont to 
 discharge their muskets upon the slightest provocation ; and 
 as they occupied huts on either side of the road, they often 
 fired across from one to the other, to the great inconvenience, 
 to say no more, of the passer by. 
 
 The ordinance with respect to disarming the Indians was 
 not so well carried out as it might have been. The Indians 
 complained, and with some reason, that they rarely if ever 
 received their own guns back again. It was not to be ex- 
 pected, of course, that the police of Victoria should return to 
 each man his own musket ; but care might have been taken 
 to keep the weapons of each party distinct, so that they could 
 select their own. 
 
 The presence and influence of Mr. Duncan, of whom I 
 shall have to speak at length hereafter, were, however, of 
 much value in keeping these Northern Indians in order ; a 
 school was built for them, which was well attended, and they 
 passed the summer quietly enough. 
 
Chap. V. RUNNING SURVEY OF THE FRASER RIVER. 79 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Description of the River Fraser and the Country beyond — The Bush of 
 British Columbia — American River Steamers — The Harrison-Lilloett 
 
 Route to Lytton — Account of Indian Guides, &c. — Damp Life — The 
 
 Canons on the Upper Fraser. 
 
 March 31st, 1859.— From this time until the 7th of April, 
 the 'Plumper' was busy surveying the Harbour of Victoria. 
 On the 10th we sailed for Nanaimo, and then across the 
 Straits to Fraser River, where we met the ' Satellite,' and 
 embarked from her the Marines who had come over in the 
 * Tribune,' and twenty Engineers, whom we had orders to land 
 at New Westminster, which place had since our last visit 
 become the head-quarters of what military force was stationed 
 in British Columbia. 
 
 Shortly before leaving Esquimalt upon this mission, the 
 Governor had requested Captain Richards to send one of the 
 Officers of the ■ Plumper ' up the Fraser River, to make a 
 running survey of those parts of it then occupied by miners, 
 and to report upon it generally ; and I was ordered to un- 
 dertake this task, Dr. Campbell, assistant-surgeon of the 
 ship, accompanying me. The programme which was sketched 
 out for me by his Excellency was, to ascend the Fraser as far 
 as Cayoosh (now Lilloett), returning thence by the Harrison 
 and Lilloett trail. Discretion, however, was given me to 
 modify this route, if it should appear to be desirable. 
 
 From Victoria to the entrance of the Fraser, the distance 
 by water is ninety miles. At present I will only speak of 
 the western passage by the Canal de Haro, as it is generally 
 if not always used. Starting from Victoria, a ship rounds 
 
80 WESTERN PASSAGE FROM VICTORIA. Chap. Y. 
 
 Discovery Island, the smaller river-steamers passing inside, 
 and then turning up the Canal or Strait of Haro. This island 
 was called by Vancouver after his ship ; indeed, almost all 
 these places were named before our arrival there. It is very 
 easy to distinguish between the parts named by Vancouver 
 or by the Spanish explorers G-aliano and Valdes. Thus, 
 although the eastern channel through the islands was called 
 Canal del nostra Senora de Kosario, the presence of the 
 English at the same time is obvious, from the fact that we 
 find spots in it bearing such names as Cypress Island, Straw- 
 berry Bay, &c. So the earliest passage of the Spanish ships 
 up the Strait of Haro is evident from the islands and bays 
 bearing names such as San Juan, Cordova, and Saturna. 
 Again, we need not ask the nationality of the voyager who 
 named Admiralty Inlet; and we know that Puget Sound, 
 now in American territory, owes its appellation to one of 
 Vancouver's officers of that name. 
 
 Should the day be clear, the traveller rounding Discovery 
 Island obtains a magnificent view of the mainland, with the 
 snow-capped peaks of Mounts Baker and Rainier towering in 
 the distance. Under such favourable circumstances, the view 
 of Vancouver Island is exceedingly attractive, the otherwise 
 barren shore being pleasantly diversified with the houses 
 and buildings of the few farmers who have settled here, 
 and brought the land into cultivation. Upon the Island 
 of San Juan also, which is passed in crossing to the 
 Fraser, may be seen the buildings of the Hudson Bay farm 
 rising in the midst of the green prairie that forms the south- 
 east end of that island. Leaving San Juan, the steamer's 
 course passes through a pretty little group of islands which 
 lie on the west of the strait, up Plumper Sound, through 
 Active Passage, a narrow passage between Galiano and 
 Mayne Islands, by taking which a considerable saving of 
 time and distance is effected, and so out into the Gulf of 
 Georgia opposite Point Roberts. 
 
Chap. V. ROBERTS " CITY." 81 
 
 When the first rush to the diggings commenced, Point 
 Roberts, upon or near which there was no house nor any 
 symptom of one being built, was at once fixed upon as the site 
 of an important " city ; " and half-a-dozen buildings sprang up 
 on the flat in front of the bluff, where, while the stream of boats 
 and canoes was pouring up the river, they drove a brisk and 
 flourishing trade in whisky especially. But when the rush 
 subsided, and steamers took the place of the boats and canoes 
 in which the earliest miners had made their hazardous passage 
 from Victoria, Roberts found its occupation gone, and nothing 
 but the remains of two or three log-huts marks the site of 
 the departed city. 
 
 In crossing the Gulf of Georgia, there may frequently be 
 seen, as the Fraser is neared, the line of the fresh and salt 
 waters very clearly defined. And this, indeed, is almost the 
 only sign that a river is being approached. From Point 
 Roberts to Burrard Inlet, a distance of 28 miles, the coast is 
 low and swampy, the trees appealing to form so thick and 
 unbroken a line, when looked at from the Gulf of Georgia, 
 that Vancouver, carefully as he examined this coast for all 
 inland waters, penetrating every inlet under the impression 
 that some day he should hit upon the one that should con- 
 duct him into Hudson Bay, sailed past the mouth of the 
 Fraser without the least suspicion of having passed a river 
 at all. 
 
 The sand-bank at the entrance of the Fraser is called the 
 Sturgeon Bank, from the number of those fish caught by the 
 Indians upon it. It extends from Point Grey, the southern 
 entrance to Burrard Inlet, to Point Roberts, but does not 
 join the latter, leaving thus a small space available for 
 anchorage on its west side. This bank, and the entrance to 
 the Fraser river generally, have been most unfairly com- 
 pared to the Columbia. But there is really no point of 
 resemblance between them. The Columbia is one of 
 the most dangerous bar-rivers in the world, and one upon 
 
 G 
 
82 ENTRANCE TO FRASER RIVER. Chap. V. 
 
 which vessels are constantly lost. The captains of the 
 mail-packets consider the passage of this bar the only real 
 danger in the yoyage from San Francisco; they always 
 batten down everything on going in or out, and are accus- 
 tomed to wait three or four days, and sometimes even longer, 
 for fine weather before they will come out of the river. Nor 
 is this at all surprising when it is considered that it has the 
 whole drift of the Pacific upon it ; while, upon the other hand, 
 the Fraser is perfectly sheltered from the sea by Vancouver 
 Island. Indeed it is not uncommon to hear a settler of 
 British Columbia, between which and Vancouver Island 
 much rivalry exists, make the assertion that the sole use 
 evidently intended by Nature for that island was to form a 
 breakwater for the Fraser Eiver and the other inlets of the 
 mainland. This is in fact so true, that although there is no 
 little risk of a vessel grounding in going in or out of the 
 river, there is little, if any, further risk ; and if she touches 
 at low, or at anything but high water, as the ' Plumper ' did 
 several times, the greatest hardship is a few hours' delay 
 until the rising tide floats her off. Vessels ground constantly, 
 sometimes from bad pilotage, and very often from the buoys 
 having shifted with the sands, but they rarely if ever receive 
 any damage ; while, on the Columbia, if a sailing vessel 
 grounds she is almost certain to be lost ; and even a steamer 
 touching is liable to be caught by the heavy sea and pooped, 
 and very likely to be lost. 
 
 A petition has been presented to the Governor by those 
 interested in the navigation of the Fraser, to cause a buoy 
 and light-vessel to be placed at the sand-head. When this 
 is done, there will be no difficulty in entering the river ; but 
 at present the most careful and experienced master of a ship 
 is liable to be deceived by the buoys which get drifted from 
 their places, either by the sands shifting or by the large trees 
 which are constantly being borne down the river. The bad 
 character which, owing to these causes, has attached to the 
 
Chap. V. SOURCE OF THE FRASER. 83 
 
 entrance of the Fraser has been most detrimental to the in- 
 terests of British Columbia. The underwriters affix as high a 
 rate of insurance upon ships clearing for New Westminster as 
 they do upon those bound up the Columbia. Having assisted 
 in making the surveys of this coast, I hare no hesitation 
 whatever in saying that I would as soon take a vessel over 
 the Fraser Bar to New Westminster, as I would into Victoria, 
 as far as risk of loss is concerned. 
 
 Before describing those parts of the Fraser which I visited 
 in detail, it will be well, perhaps, to give a genera] idea of 
 this river and the country adjacent. 
 
 The Fraser River rises in the Rocky Mountains, a little to 
 the northward of the Athabasca Pass, and in a straight line 
 less than 300 miles from its meeting with the waters of the 
 Pacific in the Gulf of Georgia. From its source it takes a 
 north-westerly direction for about 1U0 miles, when it is turned 
 southward by a spur of the Rocky Mountains, which runs 
 east and west nearly to Stuart Lake, where it turns northward 
 and assumes the name of the Teak Mountains On the other 
 side of this spur rises the Peace River, which from this point 
 runs northward 130 or 140 miles till it meets the Finlay 
 River, and thence flows eastward through the Rocky ^foun- 
 tains. I hare called the reader's attention particularly to 
 the Peace River, as it is towards it that the gold is now 
 leading the miners, and in it and its tributaries that many 
 expect the richest diggings will be found. This mountain- 
 spur, as I have said, turns the Fraser sharply round to the 
 south, and it then forces its way in torrents and rapids through 
 the several great parallel valleys that intersect this region in 
 a direction a little east of south for 300 miles, till it reaches 
 Hope, from whence it runs nearly east and west for about 
 80 miles to its mouth. 
 
 About 45 miles below the upper turn of the river is Fort 
 St. George. I said about 45 miles, for in this country the 
 positions are as yet very roughly ascertained, and I take this 
 
 g2 
 
84 THE FRASER AND NEIGHBOURING COUNTRY. Chap. V. 
 
 opportunity of saying that all the distances I mention on the 
 river are only approximate. 
 
 Fort St. George, a Hudson Bay post, is situated on^the 
 west bank of the Fraser Eiver at its junction with the Stuart 
 Kiver, which latter flows in a like direction from Stuart 
 Lake, which is the southern post of a chain of three or 
 four lakes which stretch northward 100 miles to the head- 
 waters of the Bear Eiver, at the foot of the Peak Moun- 
 tains. At the head of the upper of these lakes stands Fort 
 Connolly. 
 
 Lying north-west from the head of Stuart Lake, and 
 divided from it by a narrow ridge, is Babine Lake, on which 
 there is another Hudson Bay Company's post, and from which 
 rises the Simpson or Babine Kiver which thence flows westerly, 
 running into the sea just above Fort Simpson, and as nearly 
 as possible on our northern boundary on the coast. Forty 
 miles up the Stuart Eiver it is met by a stream coming 
 from Fraser Lake, which is a small lake thirty miles south - 
 ward of Stuart Lake, and on which is situated Fraser 
 Fort. The stream between the Fraser Lake and Stuart 
 Eiver, which I believe has no English name, receives on 
 its course the waters of the Natchuten Lakes and some 
 others. I shall have again to speak of all these lakes and 
 posts, and will now, therefore, pass on without further noticing 
 them. 
 
 Five-and-forty miles below St. George is the West-road 
 Eiver, of no particular note at this time ; but better known to 
 geographers than the other streams, from the fact of Sir 
 Alexander McKenzie having in the end of the last century 
 gone by it to the coast. 
 
 Another distance of 45 miles brings us to Fort Alexandria, 
 the head-quarters of the district for the Hudson Bay Com- 
 pany, and better known than the other posts to the miners as 
 being the nearest one to the Quesnelle and Cariboo diggings. 
 What is now called the Cariboo country, so named from a 
 
Chap. V. THE FRASER AND NEIGHBOURING COUNTRY. 85 
 
 species of deer found there in large numbers,* lies between 
 the parallels of Alexandria and Fort St. George, and east of 
 the Eraser Kiver. 
 
 Cariboo Lake is 30 miles north-east of Alexandria, and 
 from that point up to near Fort St. George, in the north, 
 stretch the Cariboo diggings, with their various local names 
 of Williams Creek, Antler Creek, Canon Creek, &c 
 
 Nearly in the same latitude as Alexandria, and 30 miles 
 east of it, are the Quesnelle Lakes, where gold was found and 
 worked in considerable quantities in L859. There are two of 
 these lakes, one running southward, the other east for some 
 distance, and then north-east until it nearly meets the head- 
 water- of Canoe River. The first of these lakes is estimated 
 by those who have traversed them at 70 miles in length, the 
 latter at 100. 
 
 Thirty miles below Alexandria, on the east side of the 
 Fraser, is a stream running in a south-westerly direction 
 from several lakes, el' which the principal arc Williams Lake, 
 Lac la JIache. Borse Lake, Lac Tranquille, &c. Twenty 
 miles below this again, and consequently 50 from Alex- 
 andria, is the Chilcot in River, which runs in a north-east-by- 
 east direction to the lake of the same name, at the south end 
 of which stand the remains of an abandoned Hudson Bay 
 ( 'cm | tany's- fort. 
 
 Sixty miles below the mouth of the Chilcotin we come to the 
 Pavilion, situated on the opposite or east bank of the river. 
 
 From this point downwards I am enabled to describe 
 the river from personal experience. At Hope, it assumes 
 the character of a navigable stream, steamers of light draught 
 reaching this point, and even Yale, 15 miles further up. 
 
 In June, July, and August, the melting of the snow causes 
 the river to rise so rapidly and makes the current so strong 
 that it requires a very powerful steamer to stem it. It is 
 
 * The name of this animal is properly Cerfbceuf, but the country is now 
 always called and written Cariboo. 
 
8b THE FRASER AND NEIGHBOURING COUNTRY. Chap. V. 
 
 during these months that numbers of large trees are brought 
 down from its flooded banks, offering a serious obstruction to 
 navigation, many of them ultimately fixing themselves in the 
 stream and becoming " snags." Between Hope and Langley 
 — the latter 30 miles from the river's mouth — there is always 
 a current ranging from four to seven knots ; but at Langley 
 the river becomes a broad, deep, and placid stream, and 
 except during the three summer months (June, July, and 
 August) the influence of the flood-stream is felt there. The 
 current is not more than three knots and the depth of water 
 ten fathoms, so that vessels of any draught may conveniently 
 anchor. 
 
 Vessels of from eighteen to twenty feet draught may enter 
 the Fraser and proceed as high as Langley, or even a few 
 miles above it, provided they have steam-power. 
 
 The river is at its lowest stage during the months of 
 January, February, and March. In April the snow com- 
 mences to melt and the river to rise, which it does perhaps 
 two feet in this month at Langley, the flood-stream at New 
 Westminster being still strong enough to swing a ship. 
 
 In May the waters rise rapidly, and continue to do so till 
 the end of June, when they have reached their highest point. 
 They remain so until the middle of August, with perhaps 
 slight fluctuations. During these six weeks, the banks being 
 overflowed, the meadows at the entrance, and the extensive 
 plains on the banks of the Pitt Kiver above Langley, are 
 covered for several miles, and ihe strength of the stream 
 becomes four to seven knots, and in some places even more. 
 
 The ordinary rise of the river at Langley is 14 feet; 
 but when we were there Mr. Yale, who had been in charge 
 of the post for 30 years without intermission, said he had 
 known it rise 25 feet. Higher up the river, of course, 
 the rise is much greater. In 1859, when I was at Pavilion, 
 the river rose 18 feet in one night. 
 
 After the middle of August the water begins to subside, 
 
;,gll 
 
 
 :li* : :i|ll. 
 
 -*y» 
 
 • ',■»■■ 
 
 ^f:;. 
 
 i;tl'v 
 
 
 
Chap. V. SITE OF NEW WESTMINSTER. 87 
 
 and in September the stream is not inconveniently strong, 
 September, October, and November are the most favourable 
 months for the navigation of the river, as the water is then 
 high enough to enable the steamers to reach Hope, and 
 the current not very strong. Sometimes the steamers get to 
 Hope as late as December, between which month and April 
 the navigation of the river to Hope is almost closed on account 
 of the snow and ice and the shallowness of the stream; 
 but the lightest draught vessels occasionally get up, though 
 with considerable difficulty. 
 
 At Westminster the freshets raise the level of the river 
 about six feet, but, as the hanks arc high, no inconvenience 
 is felt. The strength of the stream there is rarely five knots, 
 and in winter from two to three. 
 
 The rise and fall due to tidal causes is from eight to ten 
 feet, at the springs, between the Sandheads and Point Garry, 
 the entrance of the river proper. At New Westminster it is 
 six feet, and at Langley scarcely perceptible. The Sandheads 
 are five miles south-south-west of Point ( -any ; the south one 
 uncovers, the north does not. 
 
 The banks of the Eraser, for some 70 miles from its 
 mouth, are, as I have before said, in places Low, and liable to 
 being flooded in the spring and summer. They are, how- 
 ever, very fertile, and a great deal of fine hay grows 
 naturally here, and is sent to Victoria for forage. At 
 New Westminster, the present capital of British Columbia, 
 the bank of the river rises and forms an admirable posi- 
 tion for the future town. Mary Hill, upon which it is 
 proposed some day to plant the citadel which shall defend 
 New Westminster, rises some three or four hundred feet; 
 and the camp, which lies at the distance of a mile east 
 from the town itself, stands upon rising land fifty to a 
 hundred feet above the river. As regards its position, 
 therefore, there is no fault to be found with New West- 
 minster ; but the forest is so dense, and the trees of which 
 
88 DIFFICULTY OF CLEAEING BUSH. Chap. V. 
 
 it is composed so large, that its growth is likely for some 
 years to be very slow. Indeed, had it not been for Colonel 
 Moody's determination to make a beginning, and for the 
 labours of the Engineers in clearing the site of their camp, 
 New Westminster would have made little, if any perceptible 
 progress. As it is, if, as seems most probable, the tide of 
 colonization continues to flow northward, and a route to the 
 mines should be discovered up and from the head of one of 
 the numerous inlets north of the Fraser, New Westminster 
 may never repay the labour that has already been spent 
 upon it, Of the severity of that labour, no one unacquainted 
 with the difficulty of clearing bush as it exists in British 
 Columbia can form any accurate conception. Felling the 
 trees forms but a small part of it. When they are down, 
 they are, of course, with the scanty resources at the settlers' 
 command, too large to be removed, and they have to be sawn 
 and cut up into blocks handy for removal or burning. That 
 done, the hardest work yet remains. In forests such as these 
 the roots of the giant trees have been spreading underground 
 for ages, forming a close and perfect network some eight or 
 ten feet beneath the surface. To dig this mass of interlaced 
 roots up would defy the strength and- patience of ordinary 
 men ; and it is only the wonderful dexterity of the Canadian 
 — and, indeed, of the American generally — in handling his 
 axe, that enables him to enter upon, far less accomplish, so 
 difficult a task. Their dexterity is indeed remarkable. I 
 have seen three men — one of whom, by the way, had lost 
 his right arm — fell a tree four feet in diameter in three- 
 quarters of an hour. This may at first sight appear no very 
 formidable feat ; but, after a few days' trial, the difficulties of 
 such an undertaking will begin to loom upon the amateur 
 backwoodsman. I remember, upon one occasion, that an 
 officer of Marines quartered at Westminster, who thought 
 himself, and who really was, no contemptible axeman, under- 
 dertook for a wager to fell a certain tree, some three feet in 
 

CHURCH AT NEW "WESTMINSTER. 
 
Chap. V. NEW WESTMINSTER. 89 
 
 diameter, in a week. He made certain of winning, and com- 
 menced work in the most sanguine spirits. But the end of 
 three days found liis hands blistered painfully, and the tree 
 upright and almost uninjured as before. At the expiration 
 of the stipulated time another week was given him, and still 
 the monarch of the wood held his head erect. The story 
 goes — this was, of course, after the bet was lost — that he was 
 found one night turning 'out some of his men to take a sly 
 chop at the tree after dark. 
 
 Despite all these drawbacks, however, New Westminster 
 has an unmistakeably thriving aspect. A church has been 
 built, together with a treasury and a court-house. Its 
 streets boast also of two or three very fair restaurants, some 
 good wharves and stores, and several private houses. In the 
 camp, the Engineers, who for some time lived under canvas, 
 are all housed ; and commanding a very beautiful view up 
 the river stands a very comfortable house, the residence o 1 " 
 their commanding-officer, Colonel Moody. The view of the 
 Fraser from the cam}) is very pleasing. On the left, over Pitt 
 Lake, rise the beautiful peaks known as the Golden Ears ; 
 to the right of these, the valley of the Fraser can be traced 
 almost as far as Fort Hope ; while in the foreground, looking 
 over the buildings of the rising town, level land stretches 
 away into American territory beyond the boundary-line, as 
 far almost as Admiralty Inlet and Puget Sound. 
 
 Three miles below the town of Westminster, a fork of the 
 Fraser, unnavigable except for canoes and boats of light 
 draught, diverges from the main channel and meets the sea 
 some 6 or 7 miles above the main entrance of the river; 
 and about the same distance above the town the Pitt Kiver 
 flows into the Fraser. This river runs from a lake of the 
 same name. Its banks are low, and a considerable quantity 
 of good land well adapted for agricultural purposes lies 
 on either side. Above, some 15 miles from Westminster, 
 
90 AMERICAN RIVER-STEAMERS. Chap. V. 
 
 Langley is reached. Here the steamers from Victoria are 
 stopped by the shallowness of the river, and their cargoes, 
 human and material, transferred to the stern-wheel steamers, 
 boats, and canoes which from this point do battle with the 
 swift, uncertain stream. 
 
 Stern-wheel steamers are peculiarly American. They are 
 propelled by a large wheel protruding beyond the stern, the 
 rudders — for there are generally two or three — being placed 
 between it and the vessel's stern. They are admirably adapted 
 to pass between snags and close to bluffs, where a side-wheel 
 would be knocked away, and are affixed to flat-bottomed 
 vessels drawing no more than eighteen to twenty-four inches 
 of water. 
 
 American steamboat travelling has frequently been de- 
 scribed, and its peculiar characteristics and perils are doubtless 
 familiar to most of my readers. There is something very ex- 
 citing about it, certainly ; struggling up the river against the 
 stream, the greatest risk comes from the overcharged boilers 
 giving way; but tearing down the current at some twelve 
 or fourteen knots an hour, bumping over shoals, striking 
 against snags, and shooting rapids, is far more animated 
 work. Snags, which form the most dangerous impediment to 
 the navigation of rivers like the Fraser, are, as may be known 
 to most of my readers, large trees which, having been carried 
 down the steam to a shallow spot, become firmly embedded 
 there. As a rule, they float down the river heavy end first, 
 so that when they stick the upper part of the trunk opposes 
 the stream and is worn by it to a sharp point, in many cases 
 sufficiently below the surface to be hidden from the steers- 
 man's eye. 
 
 Going up against the current, therefore, at a comparatively 
 slow pace, the steamer can afford to disregard the snags ; for 
 if she strikes on one, it is easy to shut off the steam and drift 
 back from it. But spinning down the current, it is a very 
 
Chap. V. AMERICAN RIVER-STEAMERS. 91 
 
 serious matter for one of these large unwieldy boats to be- 
 come transfixed upon a well-rooted, obstinate snag. In some 
 spots of the Fraser an awkward snag may equally im- 
 pede the navigation of a steamer up or clown the stream. 
 One, known as the Umatilla Snag, from a steamer of 
 that name having first struck upon it, lies in a very narrow 
 and rapid bend of the river, at which, from the swiftness 
 of the current, the steamer is very liable to be caught and 
 drifted back upon it, after, as she imagined, having safely 
 passed it. Upon one occasion, when I was going up the 
 river in the 'Enterprise,' no less than three times after we 
 had struggled past the snag the strong current caught and 
 swung us broadside across the stream ; and it was only by 
 running the vessel's bow into the muddy bank without a 
 moment's hesitation, and holding her there by the nose, as 
 it were, until she recovered breath to make another effort, 
 that we escaped impalement. There was something very 
 exciting in this struggle between the forces of steam and 
 water. Each time, as we hung by the bank, the engineer 
 might be heard below freshening his fires, and getting up 
 as much steam as the boilers could, or might not, bear for 
 the next effort. The wheel-house in these vessels is 
 situated forward, so that there is almost direct communica- 
 tion between it and the engine-room. By the helm stands 
 the captain. " Ho ! Frank," he hails down the tube, " how 
 much steam have you ? " " So many pounds," is Frank's 
 reply. " Guess you must give her ten pounds more, or we 
 shan't get past that infernal snag." And then more stoking 
 is heard below, and the unpleasant feeling comes over the 
 listener that the boilers lie just beneath his feet, and that, if 
 anything should happen to them, there can be no doubt about 
 his fate. But, presently, Frank's voice sounds again. " All 
 ready, Cap'en : can't give her any more ! " The skipper 
 loses no time ; " Stand by, then ! " is his response. Then, 
 to the men forward, who have made a rope fast to some 
 
92 AMERICAN RIVER-STEAMERS. Chap. V. 
 
 stump on the bank to keep the boat from dropping off, 
 " Let go ! " and she falls off for a second or two ; her bow 
 cants out a little : " ting ! ting ! ting ! " goes the engine-room 
 bell, the signal for full speed ahead; every timber of the 
 lightly-built vessel trembles. We watch the trees on the 
 bank eagerly to see if she moves ahead. Presently she drops 
 a little, but her head is still kept up ; then the stream 
 catches her on one bow. " Stand by with the trip-pole ! " is 
 heard, and, as she swings round, " Trip ! " is shouted from 
 the wheel-house. Into the swift shallow water the heavy 
 pole plunges, and perhaps she is brought up by it and run 
 into the bank again ; or, as probably, if the bottom should be 
 hard and rocky, or the water deeper than was thought, away 
 she flies down the river until she is brought up against the 
 bank or across the snag. 
 
 The perseverance of the Yankee skipper in overcoming 
 these difficulties is certainly remarkable. Upon one occasion, 
 after making four unsuccessful efforts to steam past this 
 " Umatilla Snag," all the men had to be landed and track her 
 past the dangerous spot. So further up it was found necessary 
 to resort to the same tedious process, and the united strength of 
 crew and passengers with difficulty got her over a few hundred 
 yards in the space of two hours, " Frank " below in his engine- 
 room cramming on all the steam he could to help us. Nor 
 is the composure with which the captain meets and remedies 
 an accident less remarkable. A supply of tarred blankets is 
 always kept handy for service, and if a hole is stove in the 
 steamer's bottom, the captain coolly runs her ashore on the 
 nearest convenient shoal, jams as many blankets into the 
 crevice as seem necessary, nails down a few boards over them, 
 and continues his journey composedly. He is often reduced 
 to very serious straits, no doubt, and is not at all particular 
 in the use of means to master a difficulty. I was assured 
 by a passenger in the ' Enterprise ' to Hope in 1859, that 
 he saw the contents of a cask of bacon turned on to the 
 
Chap. V. THE HARRISON-LILLOETT ROUTE. 93 
 
 fires when additional steam to pass a troublesome rapid 
 was necessary. 
 
 A little above Langley the Smess River discharges its con- 
 tents into the Fraser, and five or six miles onward it is fed 
 by another stream of similar dimensions, called the Chilway- 
 hook, on the southern bank of which are the remains of 
 an old fishing-station of the Hudson Bay Company, now 
 unused. Both these rivers flow from lakes bearing their 
 names, and are in the summer-time, when swollen by the 
 snow-freshets from the mountains, deep enough for good-sized 
 boats to navigate them, but in the winter are almost impas- 
 sable even for canoes. Three miles above Chilwayhook River 
 Fargo Bar is reached. This, the spot on the Fraser where 
 gold was first washed, has long since been deserted for the 
 richer diggings higher up the river. All along this part of 
 the Fraser the banks are low, and sandbanks occur constantly. 
 In the winter the channel is confined to one single swift 
 stream, but in the summer-time, when the waters are out, the 
 navigator may well be bewildered by the numerous channels 
 which sweep over and between the banks and islands. 
 
 At a distance of 65 miles from the mouth of the Fraser 
 the Harrison River is reached, up which runs the Harrison- 
 Lilloett route, which has now become the principal road to 
 the inland settlements. I have spoken of the difficulties 
 which lay in the way of making this route practicable. A 
 glance at the map will show that it consisted of a chain of 
 lakes, some a considerable distance apart, between which 
 a way had to be cut. The existence of this route had 
 been known to the officers of the Hudson Bay Company for 
 years ; but no effort had been made to render it available 
 until 1858, when the rush of gold-seekers to the upper 
 country made the opening of some way such an absolute 
 necessity that the work was at once commenced. The scheme, 
 which was by the time of my visit nearly accomplished, was 
 to go by steamer up the Harrison River and Lake, a distance 
 
94 THE HARRISON-LILLOETT ROUTE. Chap. V. 
 
 of about 45 miles, to Port Douglas, and from that place to 
 cut a road to Port Lilloett, a station at the south end of the 
 Lilloett Lake, and distant from Douglas some 32 miles. 
 Along this part of the route, or " portage," as these trails 
 are designated, over which material has to be transported 
 from one sheet of water to another, the Lilloett Kiver, which 
 runs by or near it, is found of considerable use. In the summer 
 it is too rapid and dangerous even for canoe navigation ; but 
 in the winter-time, when the waters have subsided, the Indians 
 make their way up it, charging just one-third of the price 
 required by the land-packers. From Lilloett the lake carried 
 them as far as Pemberton, from which place another portage 
 of some 22 miles brought them to the south-west end of 
 Lake Anderson, which is almost connected with Seton, a lake 
 of similar size, from the upper end of which the route to 
 Lilloett, upon the Fraser, is only three or four miles, and 
 comparatively easy. By this trail the dangers of the passage 
 of the Fraser above Tale are avoided, and a distance of 
 some 120 miles of the most perilous travelling saved. At the 
 worst, when everything had to be carried from one piece 
 of water to the other by Indians, with immense labour and 
 at most extravagant rates of charge, it was far preferable to 
 the river route. And now that a broad waggon-road has been 
 laid between Douglas and Lilloett, which by the end of the 
 year will be continued from Pemberton and Anderson, the 
 task of getting up to the mines from the seacoast is rendered 
 comparatively easy. 
 
 The main engineering difficulties in constructing the Har- 
 rison-Lilloett route lay at its commencement. The Harrison 
 River, which flows for about five miles into the lake of the 
 same name, is in one spot so shallow, that the steamers, when 
 the water is low, have to land their cargoes on the bank, and 
 boats inside the bar re-ship them for Port Douglas. Many 
 plans were suggested to obviate this difficulty. Among others 
 it was proposed to cut through the valley from the lake to 
 
Chap. V. THE HARRISON-LILLOETT ROUTE. 95 
 
 the Fraser, thus making no use of the Harrison Kiver what- 
 ever. It was at last, however, decided to make a canal through 
 the flat, deepening it and walling it up with large baulks 
 of timber. This task gave Captain Grant and a party of 
 Engineers veiy moist occupation for two summers, and still I 
 believe baffles their labours. 
 
 Above the Harrison River the banks of the Fraser rise 
 somewhat, and the stream sweeps more swiftly between 
 clay cliffs, from 10 to 30 feet high. The navigation here 
 becomes more and more difficult for steamers, and at times, 
 when the river is swollen by the snow-freshets from the hills, 
 they are altogether baffled. Between Hope and Yale they 
 are at present stopped by some rocks, which almost meet in 
 the channel : were these blasted away, steamers might reach 
 the latter place ; but at that point, 85 miles from its mouth, 
 the river, tearing between high, in some cases perpendicular 
 banks, becomes impassable even for canoes. Steamers have 
 occasionally reached Yale, but it is seldom attempted, and 
 still more rarely accomplished. 
 
 Hope is perhaps the prettiest town on the Fraser. Indeed 
 until Cayoosh, or as it is now called Lilloett, is reached, there 
 is no other settlement that will bear comparison with it. 
 Behind it Ogilvie Peak rises abruptly to a height of 5000 feet : 
 to the right stretches the valley of the Que-que-alla, through 
 which the trail to the new gold districts in the Semilkameen 
 country is cut ; while in the front the river glides, its channel 
 divided by a beautiful little green island, the hills upon its 
 opposite bank rising gradually to a considerable height, and 
 forming a charming background to the prospect. High ex- 
 pectations are entertained of Hope by its settlers; and 
 indeed, since the discovery of gold in Rock Creek and the 
 Semilkameen Valley, for both which districts Hope must 
 serve as the emporium, there is a probability that they may 
 be, in some degree at least, realised, though at present, all 
 traffic being directed to Cariboo, it is not thriving. 
 
96 THE HAREISON-LTLLOETT ROUTE. Chap. V. 
 
 Yale, 15 miles above Fort Hope, lies at the entrance of 
 the Lower or Little Canon, and is consequently the head of 
 canoe or boat, as Hope is of steam, navigation. As I have 
 before said, the only obstacle presented to steam-navigation 
 between these two stations lies in some rocks, which almost 
 meet in the channel of the river off Strawberry Island, some 
 six or eight miles below Yale. There would be no great diffi- 
 culty in removing these, and I believe that at one time the 
 Governor did invite tenders for the work ; but the scheme 
 was wisely, aud I should hope for some time to come, if not 
 finally, given up. The only benefit which would accrue to 
 the colony would be shifting at a great expense the head 
 of steam-navigation some 15 miles higher up the river, and 
 thereby supplying provisions to the bars between Yale and 
 Lilloett a few cents cheaper than at present. 
 
 There is nothing calling for any notice in Yale. It 
 was selected by the Hudson Bay Company as a convenient 
 resting-place before commencing the arduous ascent of the 
 Canons, and where, having come down, they might dry the 
 furs and skins that had got wet in the passage. It is chiefly 
 useful now as a port for shipping and unloading materials 
 from and to the mines, and is besides enriched by the diggers 
 from Hill's and other bars in its vicinity, who come hither on 
 Sundays and holidays and spend a great deal of their money. 
 The site of the town is itself auriferous, and all the front part 
 of it has been washed. 
 
 At Yale my work in reality commenced, and several days 
 were passed discussing with those who were most likely to be 
 well informed upon the subject the best route I should take, 
 and making preparations for it. These were at last com- 
 pleted, and on the afternoon of the 2nd of May we — that is, 
 Dr. Campbell and myself, with a party of nine Indians — were 
 ready to start to ascend the banks of the Fraser to Lytton. 
 While talking the matter over, several highly cheering ac- 
 counts of the perils of the way had been volunteered by some 
 
Chap. V. THE HAIUUSOX-LILLOETT ROUTE. 97 
 
 officials, who had been there recently collecting the licence- 
 fees. They agreed in describing the dangers of the Canons 
 and Jackass Pass, through which our route lay, as really great, 
 and one of them, who had not been up, said quite seriously 
 that he should hesitate to undertake the journey for a thousand 
 pounds. These canons, of which there are two between Yale 
 and Lytton, are narrow passes, through which the river forces 
 its way between steep, in some cases perpendicular, banks, 
 from three or four hundred to a thousand feet high. 
 
 The journey between Yale and Lytton occupied five days ; 
 but as I think it scarcely possessed sufficient interest to carry 
 the reader over it step by step, it will be better perhaps to 
 give him a general idea of our mode of travelling and the 
 country through which we passed. It had been intended at 
 Yale that I should be supplied with a white man who knew 
 the country, as interpreter ; but upon its being proposed to 
 him, he declined to accompany me, having mining plans of 
 his own, and I was therefore obliged to be content with an 
 Indian who spoke French, not, of course, of the purest. It is 
 by no means uncommon to find natives in the interior of the 
 country possessing a useful knowledge of French. It was the 
 language spoken by far the larger number of the Canadian 
 voyageurs who first came across the mountains in the service 
 of the Hudson Bay Company, and indeed their trade at their 
 inland posts is mostly carried on in French. 
 
 An Indian lias a great objection to travelling without a com- 
 panion of his own tribe, and consequently after Mr. Ogilvy. 
 the Hudson Bay Company's officer at Fort Hope, had suc- 
 ceeded in obtaining for me the services of Tom (by winch 
 name my interpreter was known), I found myself compelled 
 to engage a friend to accompany him. The inconvenience 
 of this arrangement was subsequently felt to be very great ; 
 for Tom falling ill at Fort Kamloops, his friend, who by that 
 time had become valuable to us, persistently declined to leave 
 him, although of course I in my turn refused to pay him if 
 
98 EQUIPMENT DESCRIBED. Chap. V. 
 
 he remained. A few words here as to our personal equipment 
 may be permitted. For trips such as these I always wore a 
 shooting-jacket with as many pockets as possible; strong 
 corduroy trowsers, tied under the knee after the fashion of 
 English navvies, to take the drag off it when they are wet ; 
 and an old uniform cap, which I always found had a capital 
 effect upon Indians, inspiring them with an idea of the 
 wearer's exalted position as a " Hyas Tyee," or great chief. 
 Slung over my shoulder I carried an aneroid, which, with a 
 spy-glass, completed my equipment. Dr. Campbell carried 
 the gun on this occasion, as I had a chronometer in my pocket, 
 which it was of the greatest importance not to disturb, and I 
 therefore did not shoot. My spare things, packed in a small 
 valise, consisted of a clean flannel shirt, six or eight pairs 
 of socks, a Hudson's Bay capot (a sort of blue frock-coat, made 
 with a hood to it) — upon the cuffs of which a lieutenant's gold 
 lace was put to add to the effect, and which was worn before 
 the natives upon all particularly important occasions — and a 
 coat and trousers made of blue blanket, which I put on as soon 
 as we camped at night, and in which I always slept. As to 
 provisions, all we ever carried was a side or two of bacon, 
 four or five bags of flour — the quantity depending upon the 
 time that was likely to elapse before fresh stores could be 
 reached — plenty of tea and coffee, and a bottle of brandy 
 in case of accidents. Our fare upon occasions like this 
 consisted almost exclusively of bacon and dampers, with 
 tea and coffee. Xow and then we might be lucky enough to 
 shoot a grouse ; but this happened rarely, as when you are 
 travelling with an object, time cannot be given to going out 
 of the way to hunt up game. Dampers, although well known 
 to colonists in new countries, are, I may explain for the benefit 
 of my English readers, cakes of dough rolled out to the size 
 of a plate, and one or two inches thick. They are cooked 
 either by being baked in the wood-ashes of the fire, or fried 
 in the pan with bacon fat. 
 
Chap. V. EQUIPMENT DESCRIBED. 99 
 
 Besides the things already enumerated, I had to carry a 
 sextant and an artificial horizon for getting observations for 
 latitude and longitude. Upon these things being packed, 
 they were found to amount to so considerable a weight and 
 bulk, that nine Indians were required to carry them. These 
 were engaged at two dollars (or 8s. 4d) a-day, which, with 
 their food, was the lowest price at which the Indians would 
 work in those parts. The things were then divided into 
 bundles or packs, as they are called, of as even weight as 
 possible, giving some 50 or 60 lbs. to each man. Arranging 
 these packs is a matter of no little difficulty, for the Indian 
 has a great objection to altering his load after he has once 
 started, so that you have to give the men carrying the pro- 
 visions, which grow lighter daily, a heavier load at starting 
 than those who have the canteen or the tent to carry. The 
 majority of these Indian porters have now adopted the dress 
 of Europeans, and turn out for the journey in trowsers and 
 shirt, usually carrying an old coat of some sort, which they 
 are careful to put on upon nearing a town. I have known 
 them to be absurdly particular about this ceremony. I once 
 journeyed with half-a-dozen Indians, each one of whom posi- 
 tively carried a suit of clothes in a bundle on his back for more 
 than three weeks, to have the gratification of wearing them at 
 Tort Douglas. When we were within a mile or so of the place 
 the party halted, untied their bundles, donned their clothes, and 
 painting their faces bright red, filed into the town with dig- 
 nified gravity. Shoes are the one article of European attire 
 which they do not take kindly to wearing, although they 
 always ask for a pair at starting, which, too, they carry in the 
 pack upon their backs. They either travel barefoot or in 
 mocassins, which are not the pretty things embroidered with 
 beads which one sees in pictures, but a plain piece of deer- 
 skin, laced round the foot with a strip of the same material. 
 I have known occasions when an elk has been killed by 
 me, and within a quarter of an hour after its death all the 
 
 h2 
 
100 INDIAN GUIDES. Chap. V. 
 
 meat has been slung at their backs and its skin been laced 
 upon their feet. 
 
 Previous to beginning a journey with Indians, they always 
 look for- a present. Indeed it would be difficult, if not impos- 
 sible, to get them to start without this ceremony being gone 
 through. It is not a very serious tax, all that is expected 
 being that you should give them a " cultus-patalatch " (lite- 
 rally, a useless present).* Tobacco is often selected for this 
 purpose, and it is generally advisable, if their squaws are 
 present, to remember them, as this will do more than anything 
 else towards starting them. The Indians, too, are always 
 pleased at having a clay pipe given to each on starting, even 
 if it is never used. Smoking, by the way, has a curious effect 
 upon them. As a rule, although they soon learn to smoke as 
 we do, they begin by inhaling it, swallowing enough in a 
 few minutes thoroughly to intoxicate them. I have seen one 
 pipe passed from one to the other of the party suffice to bring 
 them all into tins condition. The effect does not last long, 
 and in a quarter of an hour they wake up from their drunken 
 dose, looking and no doubt feeling very much the worse 
 for it. 
 
 The daily routine of life upon the march varies little. 
 About five in the morning we rose and got under way as 
 quickly as possible. I used to indulge in a cup of coffee 
 before starting, but experience soon taught me that it was 
 better to make only two good meals a-day; between ten 
 o'clock and noon, therefore, we halted for breakfast. For 
 this meal we only unloaded what was absolutely necessary, 
 and did not pitch the tent. A likely spot was selected near 
 a stream and if possible under some shady trees, a fire was lit, 
 and the cooks were soon busy kneading the dampers and boiling 
 the tea. While this was going on — for after the first day we 
 were glad to leave the cooking with the Indians — I used to get 
 
 * " Cultus-patalatch " means more correctly a present for which nothing is 
 expected in return. 
 
Chap. V. CAMP-LIFE. 101 
 
 out my sextant to be ready for the meridian altitude of the 
 sun at noon, and, if our halt were sufficiently early, get a set of 
 a.m. sights first. By the time I had done this, breakfast was 
 ready, and our appetites being freshened with a six hours' 
 walk, dampers of the consistency of saddle-leather disappeared 
 as if they had been puff-paste. After breakfast we would 
 start again, holding on steadily until evening, when the most 
 convenient camping-place was selected for the night's rest. 
 The Indians in walking are accustomed to stop for some five 
 minutes' rest every half-hour, and this they do with surprising 
 regularity. They generally squat down near a ledge of rock, 
 on which they can rest their burdens without removing them. 
 They carry everything in the same way, viz., with a band 
 over the forehead, the pack resting on their shoulder-blades, 
 or a little below. 
 
 When a halt was called for the night, the Indians divided 
 the labours of camping. The cook, who was sometimes the 
 same throughout the journey, collected small wood, and made 
 the lire ; upon his way he had very likely picked up pieces of 
 charred wood, to assist him in this operation ; another cut 
 larger logs, for use during the night ; the head man pitched 
 our tent, while another gathered a quantity of fir-boughs, on 
 which we should sleep ; others fetched water ; and if any deer- 
 tracks had been seen, or it was thought game might be found 
 in the neighbourhood, one took a musket, and went in search of 
 it, generally, I must say, with little success. As a rule, Indians 
 make very bad shots. They never think of shooting a bird on 
 the wing, and only bring down deer by hiding near a river, 
 to which they know the animals will come at nightfall to 
 water. When these preparations have been effected, and 
 while the dampers are cooking, the Indians are, perhaps, 
 making themselves drunk upon tobacco, which does not, 
 however, at all affect their appetite, or are busy making 
 spoons for their repast. It is not at all uncommon for them, 
 if they have leisure, to spend it in making a set of bark 
 
102 CAMP-LIFE. Chap. V, 
 
 spoons for supper. This they do in a very ingenious manner, 
 cutting a strip of bark some three or four inches, and splitting 
 it half-way down ; then bending back the slit portion at right 
 angles to the other, and tying them with fibres of the same 
 material. It is an operation that must be seen to be tho- 
 roughly understood, but they do it with considerable dexte- 
 rity, and the task of allotting the spoons when made among 
 the party, according to the size of each mouth, leads to very 
 great merriment. Stolid as Indians appear in their villages, 
 upon a cruise of this sort I have always found them in high 
 spirits, and they would discuss the adventures and mishaps of 
 the day's journey with great animation, frequently referring 
 to me to settle any vexed question that might arise. They are 
 very quick, too, at noticing any breach of their own code of 
 manners, and are unsparing in their raillery of the offender. 
 Gluttony particularly excites their ridicule. I remember on 
 one occasion an individual of my party happened to be a 
 great eater, and the others scarcely gave him any rest what- 
 ever, explaining to me that he deserved it, being "carqua 
 cushon" (like a pig). Another of their comrades happened 
 to be a very good-looking fellow, and, although I believe he 
 was secretly respected for it, he had to endure a great deal of 
 raillery upon his reported successes with the fair sex. Indians 
 appreciate nothing more highly than physical prowess ; and a 
 good warrior or hunter needs no other recommendation to be 
 admired and envied — the words are synonymous there as 
 elsewhere — by both the men and women of his tribe ; and 
 these qualities my friend the lady-killer possessed in such 
 a marked degree, as to make his companions' raillery so sub- 
 dued in its tone as to be almost flattering. In travelling 
 with Indians, should the Englishman be anything of a 
 sportsman, he will find it easy to secure the respect of his 
 guides and packers. Shooting a bird or two on the wing, or 
 bringing down a deer running, will raise him high in their 
 estimation ; and he may secure it beyond a doubt by walking 
 
Chap. V. CAMP-LIFE. 103 
 
 them well off their legs on the first day's journey. They will 
 not bear him the least ill-will, and they respect him ever 
 after. 
 
 Now that I am on the subject of Indian manners, I 
 may mention a strange vanity of their young men who aim 
 at gaining reputation as great hunters or warriors. Tins is 
 their fashion of scoring their legs, under the impression that 
 it gives them strength and endurance, and renders them 
 impervious to cold. The limb is deeply cut in circular 
 fashion, from the hip to the knee, making it look not unlike 
 fish crimped for cooking. These indentations are very deep, 
 and can, of course, only he made gradually, oik- wound having 
 to heal before another is inflicted, so that a man is generally 
 twenty-live or twenty-six years old before the process is com- 
 pleted. Some such fashion is not uncommon among other 
 savage tribes. The natives of Bforeton Bay, in Queensland, 
 for instance, are in the habit of cutting their bodies deeply 
 round from the shoulder to the waist, tilling up the gash with 
 dirt, so that, when it heals, the scar projects like a large rope 
 or wheal tied round their bodii 
 
 I have strayed, however, from our camp-fire, although 
 not so far, perhaps, as our thoughts wander sitting by it, 
 with night closing in. While the Indians laugh and talk, 
 or busy themselves mending their garments and patching 
 their mocassins, turning and twisting them about in every 
 direction to find a sound part to serve as a sole to protect the 
 foot for the next day's journey over the rocky trails, a pipe is 
 smoked, the notes of the day discussed and transferred to the 
 field-book, to-morrow's work talked over, and then to bed — 
 my companion and myself in the tent, the Indians grouped 
 about the fire. I have said that I always slept in a blanket 
 suit, and I recommend this precaution to travellers emphati- 
 cally. However hot the day may have been, the night in 
 British Columbia, even in the months of summer, is always 
 fresh and cold. Cold as it may be, however, the Indian 
 
104 CANONS ON THE UPPER FRASER. Chap. V. 
 
 invariably strips to sleep, and lies with his blanket wrapped 
 about him, feet in towards the fire. Even when camped in 
 snow, I have observed they always take off their clothes. 
 
 Fort Yale is situated on the left bank of the Fraser, at the 
 entrance to the Little Canon. The banks of the canon are so 
 perpendicular that the traveller is obliged to leave the river's 
 side to pass it, unless the water is very low indeed, when 
 there is a narrow trail at the bottom of the cliff. The trail 
 commonly used, and which is now made into what would be 
 a very fair mule-road, save for the snow, which blocks it up 
 for seven or eight months of every year, leads up a consider- 
 able height, and through a gorge between two mountains, 
 coming down on the river again between the two canons, 
 about five or six miles above Yale. As we did not start until 
 after noon, it took us till camping-time to pass the canon, 
 and we pitched our first camp when we came again upon 
 the river. Next day we passed the Upper, or Big Canon, 
 which is six or eight miles long. Before entering we had 
 a magnificent view up it, and very striking and wonderful 
 it was. 
 
 These canons, pronounced by all the miners canyons, are 
 narrow passes, where the steep, almost perpendicular moun- 
 tains, close in upon the stream. Overhead the rocks near each 
 other, in some places almost meeting ; so that from below a mere 
 irregular thread of light is seen. The surface of the river is 
 uneven, and the fall so great, that here and there cascades are 
 formed, over which the stream rolls with fearful rapidity. 
 In the summer time it sometimes tears along at the rate 
 of 20 miles an hour, and when I was there it was flowing 
 15 or 16, as I ascertained by experiment. In winter, when 
 the stream is at its lowest, they are navigable for canoes 
 and boats, but this is always attended with considerable 
 danger, and many lives have been lost in them. timers, 
 however, dare anything ; and when Governor Douglas 
 was at Fort Yale, in 1859, he saw a man who had actually 
 
Chap. V. CANONS ON THE UPPER FRASER. 105 
 
 come down through the canons lashed on to a large log of 
 timber! 
 
 As I have said, the view before entering the Upper Canon 
 is grand. Looking up between the precipitous cliffs, the 
 water is seen rushing through them at fearful speed. 1 
 hardly know which was more grand, the view from this spot 
 or that further on, as we got well into the canon, in 
 which in some places the trail led up crags so steep that 
 we had to clamber up them with our hands and feet, 
 until we arrived breathless at the top of a projecting ledge, 
 on which we were glad to halt a few minutes, to draw 
 breath and gaze with wonder on the scene. Before and 
 behind, peak alter peak rose 1000 or more feet above us, 
 although we were probably 600 or 800 feet above the river, 
 each more ragged, bold, and grand than the other; while be- 
 neath, the river, white with foam, whirled along, gurgling and 
 eddying, its wild reverberations continued in endless echoes. 
 Grand as the scene was, watching it, my brain grew dizzy, 
 and I was glad to turn away and continue my journey, fearful 
 lest, if I looked longer, thai strange desire which creeps over 
 you to spring into the boiling torrent should become too 
 strong for further resistance. At the present day the trail — 
 which is the name given in the country lor any sort of path — is 
 so improved that I believe mules travel by it without difficulty 
 when the snow is not on the ground. I should be very sorry, 
 therefore, to say anything disheartening to the intending 
 settler, although I may add that anyone who would be dis- 
 couraged by difficulties such as these had better not visit 
 British Columbia. At the time I speak of there were three 
 trails, though they were not entirely separate. The first of 
 these, the Mule-trail, was completely blocked up by snow ; it 
 is hardly ever open till June. The others were known as the 
 " Lower " and " Upper " Caiion trails. The lower trail could 
 only be passed when the water was low, at which time there is 
 a ledge of boulders along the bottom of the cliff, over which 
 
106 CANONS ON THE UPPER FRASER. Chap. V. 
 
 a rough path was carried. The upper trail passed along from 
 ledge to ledge, at a height ranging from 50 to 800 feet above 
 the river. We went partly along each of these trails. When 
 we could we kept the lower, but constantly, on coming to some 
 bluff of rock jutting out into the river, we had to scramble up 
 into the upper trail to pass it. The mode of rounding these 
 cliffs, which literally overhang the river, is peculiar, and 
 makes one's nerves twitch a little at first. There are two or 
 three of them, the trail coming up to them on one side, and 
 continuing again on the other. The difficulty, of course, was 
 to pass the intervening space. This was managed by the 
 Indians thus: they suspended three poles by native rope, 
 made of deer-hide and fibre, from the top of the cliff, the 
 inner end of the first and third resting on the trail, and the 
 middle one crossing them on the front of the bluff. Of course 
 there was nothing to lay hold of, and the only way was for the 
 traveller to stretch out his arms and clasp the rock as much as 
 possible, keeping his face close against it ; if he got dizzy, or 
 made a false step, the pole would, of course, swing away, and 
 he would topple over into the torrent, which rolled hundreds 
 of feet beneath. The land-slips in the mountain crevices 
 are also very dangerous. Several times we had to make an 
 ascent of about 200 feet up a land-slip, at an angle of quite 
 35°, in loose sand, and with nothing to check our downward 
 progress if the sand should slip quicker than we could 
 scramble over. The most dangerous of these, which we 
 did not pass till the third day, but which I may as well 
 mention while upon the subject, is called the Jackass Moun- 
 tain. Several people have lost their lives in crossing this, 
 and on one occasion a mule, which some miners tried to get 
 across it, was, I believe, with his driver, precipitated into the 
 river; which circumstance may, perhaps, account for the 
 name of the mountain. 
 
 This mountain rises abruptly out of the river, and the old 
 trail leads across the face of it. To pass it several land-slips, 
 
Chap. V. CANONS ON THE UPPER FRASER. 107 
 
 of twenty or thirty yards wide, and at an angle of about 50°, 
 had to be crossed. To do this the traveller had to make 
 a bolt from the rocky ledge on one side to that on the other ; 
 and if he chanced to get dizzy, or the land slipped away with 
 him, he must inevitably be lost. My companion had here 
 a most merciful escape. He got dizzy, and slipped, but had 
 got so far across that he was just able to grasp a root above 
 his bead, and thus save his life. I had just crossed, and was 
 watching him, when I saw him turn pale and slip. It was 
 all the work of B second, however, and before I could move 
 he was hanging on to the root. 
 
 The following extract from the Journal of the Bishop of 
 Columbia, when travelling over the same ground, will prove 
 that my description is not exaggerated: — "We continued 
 
 the ascent for some distance. Impassable, indeed, much of 
 it was for horses and mules, and even for man not without 
 danger. We must have been at the height of 2500 or 3000 
 
 feet; our pathway lay along the edge of a perpendicular fall 
 of such a height, sometimes along beds of loose rock, and 
 most warily must the feet step from stone to stone ; a slip 
 would either precipitate to the abyss below, or cast you 
 among the rocks, where a limb might easily be broken. At 
 other times in the descent the path was nil, the projections 
 for the foot not an inch ; it seemed like the crawling of a fly 
 upon the perpendicular wall. Tins sort of work lasted for 
 hours. It was, however, so absorbing, and required the 
 utmost constant stretch of attention for self-preservation, 
 that the time passed more rapidly than one would have 
 thought. At the time the critical character of this operation 
 was such that, though near together, no one spoke ; there 
 was a solemnity, as if we realised hanging between life and 
 death. Frequently we had to crawl upon hands and knees. 
 It was quite wonderful to see the Indians, with their heavy 
 loads, pass along; one of ours did fall, however, once. We 
 came occasionally to mountain torrents, bringing down the 
 
108 PROPOSED NEW ROUTE. Chap. V. 
 
 cool water from the snowy height. At one time we slaked 
 our thirst from the snow itself. At length we had gone over 
 the worst of the Lake Mountain ; the Fraser was again spread 
 out before us; the smoke in the distance pointed out the 
 dwellings upon Boston Bar." 
 
 Fifteen miles above Yale is Spuzzum, an Indian village, 
 where there is a ferry, and here the mule-trail leads across 
 to the east bank of the river, which from this point runs 
 nearly north and south. The foot trail, the best in winter, 
 keeps along the west bank to Island Bar, which is opposite 
 to Boston Bar, and forty miles above Yale. Boston Bar is 
 at the mouth of the Anderson or Coquiome River, and it is 
 to this Bar that the people of Fort Hope wish to have a direct 
 road made, which, I believe, has since been begun, cutting 
 off the small elbow which the river makes, and avoiding Yale 
 and the canons altogether. This will very likely become a 
 valuable route for the Lytton and Thompson River country, 
 but not for that which is attracting the greatest notice now — 
 viz. the Cariboo. The Anderson Biver is a considerable one, 
 and, after running in a short distance, it divides into two 
 branches, one trending northward till it nearly meets one of 
 the tributaries of Nicola River, and the other running south- 
 ward and almost joining the north branch of the Que-que-alla 
 coming up from Hope. It is along the banks of these 
 streams that the Hope and Boston Bar trail passes. 
 
 At Boston Bar the Fraser Yalley opens out a little, and 
 between it and Lytton several flats occur, which will some 
 day, no doubt, be converted into pretty little farms. The 
 largest of these, which is five miles above Boston Bar, was 
 already fenced in when I was there, and had a hut built on it. 
 These flats, or benches as they are called in this country, 
 are found generally at the bends of the river, and are 
 raised some fifty or sixty feet above it. They occur much 
 more frequently on the Thompson and Nicola Rivers, and 
 higher up the Fraser, than here. They are all covered 
 
Chap. V. LYTTON. 109 
 
 with the long sweet grass of which cattle and horses are 
 so fond, and which has so wonderful an effect in fattening 
 them. I have seen horses on Vancouver Island, where the 
 same grass grows, which have been turned out in the autumn, 
 brought in in April in splendid condition, and as fresh as if 
 they had been most carefully treated all the time. This is, 
 indeed, the common custom with the island horses, and T 
 remember one of the oldest and best farmers there Baying 
 that the only horses he had ever lost were killed by being 
 taken too much care of, and kept in all the winter. Jackass 
 Mountain is ten or twelve miles above Boston Bar, and when 
 it was crossed all dangers were past, and we trudged on 
 easily, reaching Lytton two days after we passed Boston 
 Bar, and five days from the time we left Yale. 
 
 The whole way from Yale to Lytton, which is 60 miles, 
 the geological formation of the country is the same, and we 
 1 between steep trappean and granitic mountains 2000 
 to 3000 feet high, the distance across the river from peak to 
 peak not averaging more than a mile. There is very little 
 land fit for cultivation, except, as 1 have said, on some of those 
 benches which are found on all the rivers of this country, 
 and which point out the higher level their streams once occu- 
 pied, and the subsequent upheaval of the whole country. 
 
 Lytton, at the time I saw it, consisted of an irregular row 
 of some dozen wooden huts, a drinking saloon, an express 
 office, a large court-house — as yet unfinished — and two little 
 buildings near the river, which had once belonged to the 
 Hudson Bay Company, but which were now inhabited by 
 the district magistrate. This gentleman happened to be 
 absent from Lytton, but I found his constable, and at once 
 took up my quarters in the courthouse. Next day, thinking 
 we should find it preferable, we pitched our tent without; 
 but the clouds of dust which swept over Lytton continuously 
 soon made us glad to seek its shelter again. 
 
 Whilst here I determined, instead of making our way 
 
110 START FOR KAMLOOPS. Chap. Y. 
 
 direct to Lilloett, to diverge by the way of the Nicola River 
 and Lake to Fort Kamloops or Thompson, situate some 90 miles 
 up the Thompson River. Seven of our Indian escort, when they 
 heard of my purpose, refused to accompany us to Kamloops, 
 unless I would promise them to return from that place direct 
 — a programme I had no intention of following. Tom and 
 his friend, however, stuck to us ; and I found an Indian who 
 owned two horses, and who undertook the transport of our 
 packages, by this time, of course, considerably reduced in 
 weight and bulk. As it proved, we were most fortunate in 
 this arrangement, for without horses we should have found it 
 impossible to ford the Nicola, and must inevitably have been 
 turned back on reaching that river. Pleased enough to leave 
 the dust and wind of Lytton, our little party started for 
 Kamloops, 
 
Chap. VI. ASPECT OF THE COUKTRY. 11] 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Journey continued — Kamloops — Life of the Hudson Bay Employes — Indian 
 Chief, St. Paul — Pavilion — The Harrison-Liliuett Route. 
 
 For about nine miles our course lay along the south bank 
 of the Thompson, close by the water's edge. The scenery of 
 the river resembled that of such parts of the Fraser where 
 the trail lay along its shore — a shelving bank of large 
 boulders, covered in the summer with water. Coming to 
 the Xicowameen River, — where, it is said, gold was first found 
 in British Columbia by an Indian who, stooping to drink, saw 
 a rich nugget glittering in the water, which lie carried to Mr. 
 McLean, the officer in charge of Fort Kamloops, — we turned 
 oil', and, crossing a mountain on our right, found ourselves in 
 a long, narrow valley, in which I saw the first land I had 
 as yet found that seemed unmi stake ably fit for agricultural 
 purposes. From this time all the way to Kamloops the 
 aspect of the country had completely changed from that of 
 the Fraser below Ly tton ; and we passed through a succession 
 of valleys sufficiently clear of timber to make settling easy, 
 yet with enough for building purposes, well watered, and 
 covered with a long, sweet grass. There are no prairies in 
 British Columbia, but it consists of what is called rolling 
 country — that is, long valleys from one to three or four 
 miles wide, divided one from the other by mountain ridges. 
 Through the centre of these runs usually a river, and in some 
 cases may be seen a chain of small lakes. In summer, when 
 the water is high, streams and lakes meet, and the valleys 
 become sheets of water, dotted with large islands. At such 
 a time it is very curious to see the same river flowing diverse 
 
112 ASPECT OF THE COUNTKY. Chap. VI. 
 
 ways, as you may at almost all the watersheds or turning- 
 points of the water. 
 
 After passing along the first of these valleys, in which 
 many trees had been felled, and two log-huts erected, most 
 probably for the sake of claiming pre-emption, we passed 
 through a gorge of the mountains, and came out in view of 
 the. Nicola Eiver, flowing some 600 or 800 feet below us. 
 The view from this spot was one of the most lovely I ever 
 saw in British Columbia. It was a fine, clear May day. 
 The sun shone brightly, giving a warmth and freshness 
 to the hill-side, which sloped to the water's edge, not 
 in craggy, precipitous masses like those of the canons on 
 the Eraser Eiver, but clothed with long, soft grass, and 
 bright with the numberless wild flowers which grow so 
 luxuriantly in this country. Unlike them, too, instead of 
 terminating abruptly at the water's edge, they sloped down 
 to it in plateaux a mile or so in breadth, terminating some- 
 times in steep, perpendicular banks, but as often sweeping 
 down gradually to a neutral ground of reeds and swamp, yet 
 always vying with the hill-sides in fertility, and luxuriance. 
 Between these banks the Mcola coursed with great rapidity, 
 leaping over the many rocks which check its progress, and 
 sweeping round the numerous small islets that dot its 
 surface. 
 
 It is very difficult to impress the reader with the 
 beauty of the view on which we stood gazing, unwilling to 
 tear ourselves from it. As yet we had seen nothing at all 
 equal to it in British Columbia. The shores of the coast 
 are lined with dense, almost impenetrable forests, while the 
 Fraser cuts its way through steep and rugged mountains. 
 It is true that between Forts Langley and Hope there is 
 some level land on either side of the river, but even there you 
 see a mountain barrier rise in the near horizon, and feel sure 
 that it must be scaled before rich fertile land like this can 
 be reached. 
 
Chap. VI. NICOLA RIVER. 113 
 
 It was about three in the afternoon when we reached the 
 Nicola River. Coming to where it should be forded, we found 
 that we had to pay a heavy price for the sunny weather that 
 had seemed so welcome, but which had melted so much snow 
 among the mountains, as to swell the river and make it nearly 
 impassable. However, it must be crossed somehow ; and now 
 we found the advantage of having horses with us. Remov- 
 ing their loads, two of the Indians swam the horses across. 
 So swift was the swollen stream, that, although it could 
 not have been more than 100 yards wide, they were swept 
 at least half-a-mile down the river before they could gain 
 a footing on the opposite shore. Next we crossed, only 
 getting over one at a time, as the other had to swim the 
 horses back ; and lastly the baggage was taken over. It was 
 rather a lengthy process, and by the time it was all done night 
 was setting in, and it was time to camp. 
 
 Next morning we followed the course of the Nicola River, 
 until, during the second day, we came up with the Lake. 
 Here for the first time I saw mounted Indians of the interior. 
 They were as yet uncontaminated by intercourse with white 
 men : indeed all they had ever seen were the people of the 
 Hudson Bay Company stationed at Fort Kamloops. When 
 we camped overnight, I had no idea that we were in the 
 close proximity of Indians, and upon waking in the morning 
 I was not a little surprised to see an old Indian on horseback 
 looking into the tent. Tom at once introduced him as No- 
 as-is-ticun, the chief of the Skowtous tribe, and a connection 
 of his own, and very soon a large number came riding up to 
 our encampment, all fairly mounted on light yet fleet horses. 
 My new friend with the long name was very friendly and 
 sent one of his men to his hut for a grouse, which he pre- 
 sented to us for breakfast, and which Dr. Campbell and 
 I ate with no little relish. It was one of the willow-grouse, 
 which is found commonly both in Vancouver Island and on 
 the mainland. 
 
114 NICOLA LAKE. Chap. VI. 
 
 Coming out of the tent — (it was quite dark when we had 
 camped the night before) — I found that we were upon rising 
 ground, with a river flowing beneath us, and that beyond a 
 wide valley of undulating land extended for several miles, 
 which was dotted with Indian villages, the smoke of whose 
 fires was rising into the clear air, while over it we could see 
 Indian horsemen galloping about in various directions. The 
 old chief informed me that these were the homes of his tribe, 
 the Skowtous, and that his domain- extended as far as the 
 Thompson Kiver, which divided him from the Shuswap Indians. 
 
 Upon my telling him whither I was going, the chief at once 
 expressed a desire to accompany us through his territory, and 
 offered us horses for the journey. These, for several reasons, 
 we declined ; but we accepted the offer of his company, and in 
 a little while he joined us with a staff of eight or ten of his 
 tribe, all well mounted. Passing through another fine valley 
 about ten o'clock, we came to the Nicola Lake. This lake 
 is about fourteen miles long by one to two wide, and lies 
 nearly north and south. Its Indian name is " Smee-haat- 
 loo," but it has long been called the Nicola, after an old chief 
 of the Shuswap Indians. Its banks are low, except in one 
 place on the west side, where a perpendicular granitic cliff 
 barred our progress and compelled the horsemen of our party 
 to take a considerable detour to avoid it. Upon the west 
 side of the lake the mountains approach it closely ; but on 
 the east, northward of a mountain about 2000 feet high, 
 called by the natives Wha-hat-challoo (Otter) Mountain, two 
 rivers run into it from large valleys, in which there appeal's 
 to be, and according to my native friend there is, some very 
 good land. These rivers are called respectively M 'Don aid 
 and Bodinion. 
 
 A small chain of lakes or ponds stretches eastward from 
 the Nicola in an almost unbroken line to the Thompson 
 River. Passing these, we ascended the side of a mountain 
 called by the natives Skye-ta-ken, upon the summit of which 
 
Chap. VI. KAMLOOPS. 115 
 
 we were, as nearly as I could estimate, 3600 feet above 
 the sea. The view from hence was very extensive and 
 beautiful, ranging as far as the Semilkameen Valley and the 
 Shuswap Lake, and disclosing a fine tract of grass land which 
 will some day become a noble grazing country. Descend- 
 ing the mountain-side, we crossed a succession of low grassy 
 hills, coming in time to the Thompson River. 
 
 It was about 8 o'clock in the morning when we came 
 here, and found ourselves in sight of Kamloops. The view 
 from where we stood was very beautiful. A hundred feet 
 below us the Thompson, some 300 yards in width, flowed 
 leisurely past us. Opposite, running directly towards us and 
 meeting the larger river nearly at right angles, was the North 
 River, at its junction with the Thompson wider even than 
 that stream ; and between them stretched a wide delta or 
 alluvial plain, which was continued some eight or ten miles 
 until the mountains closed in upon the river so nearly as 
 only just to leave a narrow pathway by tin' water's edge. At 
 tliis fork and on the west side stood Fort Kamloops, enclosed 
 within pickets; and opposite it was the village of the Shuswap 
 Indians. Both the plain and mountains were covered with 
 grass, and early spring wild flowers. 
 
 We descended to the river-side, and our Indian companions 
 shouted until a canoe was sent across, in which we em- 
 barked and paddled over to the Fort. Kamloops differed 
 in no respect from other forts of the Hudson Bay Company 
 that I had seen — being a mere stockade enclosing six or eight 
 buildings, with a gateway at each end. Introducing ourselves 
 to Mr. M'Lean, the Company's officer in charge of the fort 
 and district, we were most cordially received, and, with the 
 hospitality common to these gentlemen, invited to stay in his 
 quarters for the few days we must remain here. 
 
 At this time the only other officer at the Fort was 
 Mr. Manson. With them, however, was staying .a Koman 
 Catholic priest, who, having got into some trouble with the 
 
 i 2 
 
116 HUDSON BAY COMPANY'S EMPLOYES. Chap. VI. 
 
 Indians of the Okanagan country, had thought it prudent to 
 leave that district and take up his abode for a time at 
 Kamloops. The life which these gentlemen of the great Fur 
 Company lead at their inland stations must necessarily be 
 somewhat dull and uneventful; but they have their wives 
 and families with them, and grow, I believe, so attached to 
 this mode of existence as rarely to care to exchange it for 
 another. As it happened we visited them just as the one 
 stirring event of the season was expected — the arrival of the 
 great Fur Brigade from the north. 
 
 It may be well if I pause here to describe, in as few words 
 as possible, the position of the Hudson Bay Company in 
 these districts, of which until lately, they formed the sole 
 white population. Those who have seen the " fur traders " 
 only at their seaports, can form but a very inadequate idea 
 of the men of the inland stations. 
 
 Inland you find men who, having gone from England, or 
 more frequently Scotland, as boys of fourteen or sixteen, have 
 lived ever since in the wilds, never seeing any of their white 
 fellow-creatures, but the two or three stationed with them, ex- 
 cept when the annual " Fur Brigade " called at their posts. 
 They are almost all married and have large families, their 
 wives being generally half-breed children of the older servants 
 of the Company. Marriage has always been encouraged 
 amongst them to the utmost, as it effectually attaches a man 
 to the country, and tends to prevent any glaring immoralities 
 among the subordinates, which if not checked would soon lead 
 to an unsafe familiarity with the neighbouring Indians, and 
 render the maintenance of the post very difficult, if not 
 impossible. 
 
 In the Company's service there are three grades of officers 
 —the "Clerk," "Chief Trader," and "Chief Factor." The 
 clerk is paid a regular salary of 1001. to 1501. per annum, and 
 he has his mess found him, which is estimated by the Com- 
 pany to be worth another 100?. a-year. In this grade they 
 
BLOCK-HOUSE FORT OF HUDSON BAY COMPANY. 
 
Chap. VI. HUDSON BAY COMPANY'S EMPLOYES. 117 
 
 are usually kept 14 or 15 years, though interest with the 
 directors or great efficiency sometimes enables a man to get 
 his promotion in 10 or 12 years. He then becomes a chief 
 trader, and, instead of being a salaried servant, is a shareholder, 
 his pay varying with the value of the year's furs from 4.001. 
 to as high as 700?. or 8001. The mode in which he re- 
 ceives his share is somewhat peculiar. The accounts of the 
 Company are made up at intervals of four years, and no pay 
 is given to the higher servants — i. e. the shareholders — until 
 this is done. Thus a man who is made a chief trader in 
 1802, will get no pay till 1860, when the dividends for the 
 former year are declared. Of course in the long run this is 
 the same }hing; as, if a man retires in 1802, he keeps on his 
 full pay till 1866, when he is paid his dividend for 1862 ; and 
 no real inconvenience is felt, as the Company always lends 
 whatever moneys are required, within certain limits, and in- 
 deed prefers its officers being in its debt. The posts of chief 
 factors are filled up as vacancies occur, the number being 
 limited. A man is generally a chief trader for 15 to 20 
 years before he reaches this — the highest step in the service- 
 The chief factor's share varies from 800?. to 1500?. per 
 annum. Every station is, as a rule, in charge of a chief 
 trader, chief factors having the control of several posts, or a 
 district, as it is called, or being stationed at head-quarters. 
 
 As all Hudson Bay posts are much alike, I will here 
 describe them generally. They are built usually in the 
 form of a square, or nearly so, of about 100 yards. This 
 space is picketed in with logs of timber, driven into the 
 ground, and rising 15 to 20 feet above it. In two of 
 the corners is usually reared a wooden bastion, sufficiently 
 high to enable the garrison to see a considerable distance 
 over the country. In the gallery of the bastion five 
 or six small guns — six or twelve pounders — are mounted, 
 covered in, and used with regular ports like those of a ship ; 
 while the ground-floor serves for the magazine. Inside the 
 
118 VISIT TO AN INDIAN CHIEF. Chap. VI. 
 
 pickets are six or eight houses: one containing the mess- 
 room for the officers at the post, and their dwelling-house, 
 where the number of them is small ; two or three others — the 
 number of course depending on the strength of the post, — 
 which seldom exceeds a dozen men — being deyoted to the 
 trappers, voyageurs, &c. Another serves for the Indian 
 trading-store, and one for the furs, which, as will be hereafter 
 explained, remain in store at the inland posts during the 
 greater part of the year. 
 
 Some of these forts have seen some hard fighting, and have 
 often been as gallantly defended against Indians and the rival 
 traders of the old North- Western Company as military posts 
 for the defence of which great glory has been gained. 
 
 The day after our arrival at Kamloops we went across North 
 Kiver to the Indian village, to pay a visit to the chief of the 
 Shuswap tribe, who was described to us as being somewhat of 
 a notability. Here was the site of the old fort of the Com- 
 pany, which some twelve years back, after the murder of 
 Mr. Black, the officer in charge of it, by the Indians, had 
 been removed by his successor to the opposite side of the 
 river. No doubt the old site was preferable to the new, 
 which is subject to the summer floods. Only the year before 
 our visit, indeed, all the floors had been started by the water, 
 and the occupants of the fort buildings had to move about 
 in canoes. 
 
 We found the Shuswap chief located in a good substantial 
 hut. The Indian constructs but two kinds of abodes anywhere : 
 one a permanent hut, in his village ; the other a temporary 
 one, to shelter himself when he is moving about from place to 
 place, fishing or collecting clams. In their permanent houses 
 the architectural peculiarity that strikes the observer with most 
 surprise is the solidity and size of the cross-beams. They 
 erect ten or twelve upright supports, according to the size of 
 the hut, the tops of which are notched to receive the beams ; 
 and it is a great object with them to have as large a beam as 
 
Chap. VI. VISIT TO AN INDIAN CHIEF. 119 
 
 possible, because, as it must be raised by sheer strength and 
 numbers, its size is supposed to testify to the number and 
 cordiality of the builders' friends. The ends of these huge 
 beams — some of those I have seen being 40 to 50 feet long, by 
 two to three feet in diameter — are usually ornamented with 
 the head of some fish or animal, which, projecting beyond 
 the wall, shows the crest or distinguishing mark of the house. 
 The sides of the building are formed of large planks, 
 wonderfully smooth considering that the Indians use no 
 plane, and until lately, indeed, had no axes. The interior of 
 the hut is divided into compartments, and, upon entering, you 
 may see a fire burning in each, with six or eight individuals 
 huddled about it, their dusky forms scarcely distinguishable in 
 the cloud of white blinding smoke, which has no other outlet 
 than the door, or sometimes a hole in the roof. Their tem- 
 porary hut is constructed lightly of thin poles covered with 
 mats; but these, as I have said, are generally used only in 
 the summer, and upon their fishing-expeditions and travels. 
 It is not, however, unusual for the Indian to have a permanent 
 residence in two or three villages, in which case he usually 
 makes one set of planks useful for all, carrying them with 
 him from place to place, and leaving only the upright posts 
 and beams stationary. They have been known, however, from 
 some superstitious reason, or because of sickness breaking out 
 in a place, to leave their villages with everything standing, 
 and never to return to them. 
 
 The building into which we were introduced was more like 
 a regular wooden house than an Indian hut. In the centre 
 room, lying at length upon a mattrass stretched upon the 
 floor, was the chief of the Shuswap Indians. His face was a 
 very fine one, although sickness and pain had worn it away 
 terribly. His eyes were black, piercing, and restless; his 
 cheek-bones high, and the lips, naturally thin and close, had 
 that white, compressed look which tells so surely of constant 
 suffering. Such was St. Paul, as the Hudson Bay Company 
 
120 VISIT TO AN INDIAN CHIEF. Chap. VI. 
 
 called him, or Jean Baptiste Lolo, as he had been named by 
 the Koman Catholic priests who were in this district many years 
 before. Behind him stood his wife, and presently he sum- 
 moned two handsome-looking Indian girls, whom he intro- 
 duced to us as his daughters. St. Paul received us lying 
 upon his mattrass, and apologized in French for not having 
 risen at our entrance. He asked Mr. M'Lean to explain that 
 he was a cripple. Many years back it appeared St. Paul 
 became convinced there was something wrong with his knee. 
 Having no faith in the medicine-men of his tribe, and there 
 being no white doctor near, the poor savage actually com- 
 menced cutting a way to the bone, under the impression that 
 it needed cleansing. In time, at the cost of course of great 
 personal suffering, he succeeded in boring a hole through the 
 bone, which he keeps open by constantly syringing water 
 through it. Mr. M'Lean described him as a man of very 
 determined character, who had been upon many occasions 
 most useful to him and his predecessors at the fort. Although 
 obliged to lie in his bed sometimes for days together, his 
 sway over his tribe is perfect, and, weak as he is, he rules 
 them more by fear than love. Upon my remarking casually 
 that I wondered he was not sometimes afraid of some or other 
 of his people taking advantage of his comparatively helpless 
 condition, he heard me with a grim smile, and for answer 
 turned back his pillow, where a loaded gun and a naked 
 sword lay ready to his hand. Upon our rising to leave 
 Mr. M'Lean whispered that our host would take it ill if 
 he were not asked to accompany us ; and this being done, 
 to my surprise St. Paul at once assented. Being assisted to 
 rise, he hobbled to. the door on crutches, and, having been 
 with considerable difficulty got into the saddle, rode about all 
 the day with us. - 
 
 The mountain up which Mr. M'Lean guided us was one of 
 two standing side by side opposite the fort, and about a mile 
 from it. Its companion had been named Boches des Femmes, 
 
Chap, VI. BANDS OF HORSES. 121 
 
 from the fact that, in summer, many Indian women were to 
 be seen scattered about its sides gathering berries and moss. 
 From its summit, at a height of some 1500 feet, we had a 
 very fine view of the land along the banks of the Thompson 
 and North liivers. It appeared to be very good, and in this 
 opinion we were confirmed by Mr. M'Lean, who further 
 informed us that the land at the head of the Thompson River, 
 and southward of that point to the Semilkameen Valley, was 
 equally fertile and valuable. Descending the mountain, 
 which we christened Mount St. Paul, in honour of the old 
 chief, we lunched with him, returning to the fort for a tea- 
 dinner. Tea is a beverage drunk usually at this and other 
 meals. Indeed, Mr. M'Lean informed us that he took no- 
 thing else. Nor had total abstinence disagreed with him. A 
 finer or more handsome man I think I never saw, with long 
 beard and moustaches, and hair hanging in ringlets down his 
 shoulders. The Indians, we heard, had given him the 
 sobriquet of the Bearded Chief. 
 
 On the following day we went out to see the bands of 
 horses driven in, and those that were past work selected for 
 food. There were some two or three hundred horses, of all 
 sorts and ages, at the station. Just outside the Fort were two 
 pens, or corrals as they called them, and into these the horses 
 were driven. A few colts were chosen for breaking in, and 
 then the old mares, whose breeding-time was past, were selected 
 and — for it was upon horse-flesh principally that the Fort people 
 lived — driven out to be killed, skinned, and salted down. 
 
 It was curious to note the close discipline in which the 
 stud-horses of each band kept their mares. There are gene- 
 rally three studs in each band, and while they were in the 
 corral they might be seen galloping about, administering a 
 kick here and a bite there. For a few minutes, perhaps, one 
 would stand still and look about him, then suddenly, without 
 the least perceptible cause or provocation, he would make a 
 rush at some unfortunate mare, and bite or kick her severely. 
 
122 ACCOMPANIED BY ST. PAUL. Chap, VI. 
 
 The mountain-sides in the neighbourhood of Kamloops are 
 covered with a bright yellow moss, called by the Indians 
 Quillmarcar. It is much used by them as a dye, and when 
 boiled gives them that yellow which is so familiar to those 
 who have travelled among them in their dog-hair mats and 
 other native work. There is also a kind of lichen which 
 grows here, called by them " Whyelkine," and which is one 
 of their most important articles of food.* In its natural 
 state it somewhat resembles horse-hair, and being boiled it is 
 pressed into cakes, three or four inches thick, looking not 
 unlike our gingerbread. Its taste is very earthy and rather 
 bitter. Our companion, St. Paul, gave us this, which they 
 call " Wheela," with milk, upon our return to his hut, but two 
 or three mouthfuls were all we cared to take. 
 
 While at the Fort I learned that the rivers between 
 Kamloops and Pavilion on the Fraser, for which place I had 
 determined to start, were likely to be so swollen with the 
 late thaw that we should not be able to cross them without 
 horses. Accordingly it became necessary to make arrange- 
 ments for mounting our party. We discovered that the best 
 way of effecting this would be to seek the aid of St. Paul, 
 who happened to be the possessor of a score or more horses. 
 Willing as Mr. M'Lean was to render us every assistance, he 
 could himself spare us no horses, a message having been 
 received from the officer in charge of the Fur Brigade, which 
 was expected to arrive daily, saying that he should require 
 all they could supply him with. Terms were accordingly 
 made with St. Paul, and upon their completion, to my 
 surprise, the old chief said that he should like to accompany 
 us. We were very glad of this, if for two reasons only. In 
 the first place, Tom, my interpreter, had fallen ill, and, as 
 I have before said, his friend steadily refused to leave him, 
 so that we were without a guide, and the information we 
 had lately received convinced us that, without the aid of some 
 
 * L. jiibatus. 
 
Chap. VI. COURSE OF THOMPSON RIVER. 123 
 
 one well acquainted with the fords, it would be difficult, if 
 not altogether impossible, to cross the rivers that lay in our 
 path. Secondly, St. Paul possessed considerable influence 
 with the Indian tribes through which we had to pass, and 
 we might feel pretty sure that he would, if he lived through 
 the journey, conduct us safely to its end. 
 
 On the morning of the 14th May, then, into the Fort rode 
 St. Paul, with an escort of eight men mounted, and with led 
 horses for Dr. Campbell and myself. Four of these men were 
 to have charge of our packages ; the rest formed his own body- 
 guards, two being the old chief's sons. We were soon ready 
 to start, and, following the course of the Thompson for about 
 twelve miles, came to the river Tranquille. Here Mr. M'Lean, 
 who had ridden so far, was compelled to part company with 
 us, regretting that the hourly expected arrival of the Fur 
 Brigade prevented his leaving Kamloops for any length 
 of time. 
 
 The plains that lay along the course of the Thompson 
 seemed rather light and sandy, but in spots good land was 
 observable. Crossing the Tranquille close to its mouth 
 without any difficulty, the water being little above our horses' 
 knees, and turning to the right, we mounted a somewhat 
 steep gorge leading to a long, narrow valley running nearly 
 parallel to the Thompson Kiver, but quite out of sight 
 of it. Emerging from this pass, we descended to Lake 
 Kamloops, along the side of which we held until night, 
 camping at a spot called the Coppermine, where the Indians 
 said they had found perfectly pure specimens of that 
 metal. We made a very careful examination of the place, 
 and although there were unmistakeable signs of the pre- 
 sence of copper, we saw nothing to cause us to doubt 
 that the Indian's story was not, as usual, very much over- 
 charged. 
 
 At this spot the trail by which the Fur Brigade would 
 travel to Fort Kamloops met that along which we were 
 
124 THE FUK BEIGADE. Chap. VI. 
 
 journeying, and St. Paul was very anxious that we should 
 deposit a note for the officer in command of it, expressive of 
 his, the chiefs, good wishes. I was rather puzzled what to 
 say, but St. Paul was so urgent that I should, as he expressed 
 it, " Bon jour Mr. Peter," that I scrawled a few hurried lines ; 
 and when a year later in Victoria I chanced to meet Mr. 
 Peter Ogden, the officer who had been in charge of the 
 Brigade, I learnt that upon his arrival at Coppermine he had 
 found my note. It was not without regret that I missed 
 seeing the Fur Brigade. It is one of those old institutions of 
 this wild and beautiful country, which must give way before 
 • the approach of civilisation. The time will come — soon, 
 perhaps — when such a sight as a train of some 200 horses, 
 laden with fur-packages, winding their way through the rough 
 mountain-passes of British Columbia, will be unfamiliar as 
 that of a canoe upon its rivers. No doubt the change will 
 be for the better, but it is sometimes hard to believe it. 
 Of course it is much more practical to ascend the Fraser in a 
 river steamboat than to make the journey in an Indian canoe ; 
 and perhaps, taking the chances of an explosion into con- 
 sideration, equally exciting; but it will be long before I 
 should prefer the former method of locomotion to the latter 
 when the weather is fine. With all its many inconveniences, 
 there is something marvellously pleasant in canoe travelling, 
 with its tranquil, gliding motion, the regular, splashless dip, 
 dip of the paddles, the wild chant of the Indian crew, or better 
 still the songs of the Canadian voyageurs, keeping time to the 
 pleasant chorus of " Ma belle Bosa " or " Le beau Soldat." 
 
 Miss the Fur Brigade we did, however, and next morning 
 we pursued our way along the shore of the Kamloops Lake. 
 The scenery here was very pretty, and the lake was, we found, 
 perfectly navigable for steamers. Indeed it has since been 
 proposed to start steamers here, and run them past Kamloops 
 for some miles up the North and Thompson Bivers, from the 
 latter of which a small portage would connect them with 
 
Chap. VI. BUONAPAKTE KIVER. 125 
 
 another line of steamers to be stationed on the Okanagan 
 Lakes. 
 
 About half-way along the north side of Kamloops Lake 
 the trail passes round a very steep and dangerous cliff, over- 
 hanging the deep water below. A ledge barely wide enough 
 to give the horses footing is the only pathway. This pass, 
 known as the Mauvais Rocher, was one of the most un- 
 pleasant places I had ever ridden over ; and I was not at all 
 surprised to hear that several horses had, with their riders, 
 been precipitated into the lake below. St. Paul told us that 
 he had discovered a way along a narrow gorge in the rear, by 
 which this might be avoided, but that it required some labour 
 to clear it before it could be used. There is also a trail 
 upon the other side of the lake by which the passage of the 
 Mauvais Eocher might be avoided ; and a horse-ferry had 
 just been established at its west end, which was very generally 
 used by the American packers from Walla- Walla. But 
 travelling northward as we were, had we followed this trail 
 we should have had to cross the Thompson twice. 
 
 A little below Bhuswap Lake the Buonaparte River joins 
 the Thompson. This river is said to have its rise in Loon 
 Lake, some 40 or 50 miles north of the Thompson. At 
 this point we left the Thompson and camped for the night, 
 by the side of the Riviere de la Cache, a small stream 
 flowing into the Buonaparte. 
 
 Next morning's w r ork commenced with fording the Buona- 
 parte. It cost us some time to find a suitable spot, the 
 floods having made the ordinary ford impassable ; but at last 
 we managed to cross, the horses being now and then swept 
 off their legs into deep water, and having to swim for it. 
 En passant, I would remark that it is by no means so easy 
 to swim a horse across a rapid stream as it may seem to a 
 horseman who has not tried it ; the rolling motion given to 
 the animal by the swift current making the rider very apt to 
 lose his balance. 
 
126 A DIFFICULT BRIDGE. Chap. VI. 
 
 The Buonaparte, however, was not the most difficult river 
 we had to cross on this day's journey. For at the Eiviere 
 Defant the water was found to be so deep as to make it 
 necessary to swim the horses all the way across, without the 
 chance of their gaining a footing from shore to shore. We 
 were particularly anxious to avoid this necessity on account 
 of the instruments, which would infallibly be damaged, and 
 after a long search we came upon the trunk of a tree by 
 which Indians were evidently accustomed to cross. To our 
 annoyance, however, the river had risen so high that this 
 rough bridge was at least two feet under the water, which 
 tore over it with the rapidity of a mill-stream ; so that, unless 
 a rope could be carried over and fastened at the other side to 
 form a balustrade, it seemed quite impossible to get ourselves 
 and the luggage across safely. However, St. Paul seemed 
 determined that this should be done, and several of his men 
 stripping to the work endeavoured gallantly to cross the 
 river. As often, however, as they managed to get to the 
 middle of the primitive bridge, the elasticity of the tree, 
 together with the velocity of the current, sent them spinning 
 off, and they were swept down the stream, having to swim 
 vigorously for their lives. After many successive failures, 
 we had almost made up our minds that we should have to 
 loiter by the river's side for a day or so, until its waters should 
 have subsided — for there were no trees handy large enough 
 to frame a bridge with — when St. Paul, whose anger had 
 risen at the ill-success of each fresh attempt, to our astonish- 
 ment leapt up — we were all lying on the ground watching 
 the baffled Indians — and throwing off his clothes ran forward 
 to their aid. In his weak and exhausted condition, we made 
 sure that the effort and excitement of such an attempt would 
 act most injuriously if not fatally upon him, and did our best 
 to dissuade him from making it. Nor were we altogether 
 unselfish in this, perhaps, since we knew that, if the old chief 
 lost his life in our service, it would not only be most painful 
 
Chap. VI. DEXTERITY OF ST. PAUL. 127 
 
 to us, but that we should lose all the Indians, who would 
 infallibly return to Kamloops with his corpse, to take part in 
 his wake. However, the spirit of the old man was roused, 
 and breaking from us lie was soon standing mid-stream, the 
 rope in his hand, yelling to his men, and swearing in a French 
 jargon peculiar to himself, with a zeal and originality that 
 would have inspired the members of Captain Shandy's troop 
 in the Low Countries with admiring envy. Very much to 
 our relief, as may be supposed, St. Paul succeeded in 
 scrambling over the fragile bridge with the agility, of a 
 monkey, and, the rope being made last to the other side, we 
 crossed with comparative ease. Not, however, without 
 getting thoroughly wet and spoiling one of the instruments 
 about which I felt so anxious. AYith all my care, when I 
 came to look at my sextant, I found that it had been under 
 water, and that the pieces of wood that kept it in its place in 
 the case had been loosened and were floating about. Fortu- 
 nately, however, I had a pocket one with me, so that its loss 
 was not so important as otherwise it would have been. All 
 now fairly over, we halted for breakfast. I had foimd before 
 leaving Kamloops that when travelling with the officers of 
 the Hudson Bay Company, St. Paul was always admitted to 
 their mess, and upon starting I had of course invited him to 
 join ours. The Indian is so quick at observing and imitating 
 the manners of those with whom he is brought into contact, 
 that the old chief had learnt to conduct himself with perfect 
 composure and decorum, and the beef w T ith which he had 
 provided himself on starting, proved a welcome addition to 
 our bacon. 
 
 Following the course of the Buonaparte until its junction 
 with the Chapeau, we turned up the valley through which 
 that river flows. There is much good land along the Buona- 
 parte; the whole being clothed with long grass, of which 
 the horses seemed very fond. We carried no fodder with us 
 on this expedition, turning the horses loose at night to graze. 
 
128 AMERICAN FARMERS. Chap. VI. 
 
 They never strayed far. One of course was hobbled, and at 
 daybreak an Indian caught and mounted him, driving in 
 the others. 
 
 We followed the course of the Chapeau until it opened 
 into .a large valley running southward, in which the river 
 rises, and through which also another small river runs to 
 join the Fraser, some 20 miles above Lytton. Through 
 this valley the Indians told us there was a trail by which 
 Lytton might be reached in two days.* Taking a northerly 
 direction, we passed a small lake called Lake Crown, and soon 
 came to the Pavilion Lake. The mountains here are of 
 limestone and rise abruptly from the lake's edge, causing the 
 trail to be somewhat narrow and dangerous. But this place 
 and the Mauvais Eocher on the Shuswap Lake were the only 
 spots upon the whole of our route from Kamloops to Pavilion, 
 along which waggons might not have travelled with ease. 
 Of course in saying this I suppose the rivers bridged. 
 
 Lake Pavilion is six miles long by one wide. On its 
 south bank there is a mountain some 3000 or 4000 feet high, 
 which is topped w r ith a very remarkable peak, not at all 
 unlike a watch-tower built there to keep a look-out over the 
 Fraser. The Indians call this Skillipaalock, w T hieh being 
 interpreted means a finger or joint. 
 
 Just beyond the Pavilion Lake we passed a log hut, near 
 which a farmer was ploughing — it was the first time I had 
 seen such an implement in use in British Columbia— very 
 diligently with two horses. This farm, of which I shall 
 have occasion to speak- hereafter, had, we found, been occu- 
 pied by a couple of Americans for more than a year. 
 They described their land as good, and spoke well of their 
 prospects. Their principal occupation at present consisted in 
 growing vegetables, &c, for the miners. The Pavilion Eiver 
 ran close by their hut, giving them a plentiful supply of 
 
 * Lately this valley has become the high road from Lytton to Cariboo. 
 
Chap. VI. PAVILLON. 129 
 
 water. It is a small stream flowing from the lake, and 
 discharging itself into the Fraser at Pavilion. 
 
 Altogether we were five days making the journey from 
 Kamloops to Pavilion, although the distance is a little under 
 100 miles. We had been much impeded, however, by the 
 swollen state of the rivers, and had ridden very leisurely, 
 constantly stopping to take bearings and make observations 
 generally. Pavilion stands upon a terrace very similar to 
 that upon which Lytton is situated, but some 100 feet or so 
 higher. It consisted at that time of a score or so of miners' 
 huts, and had gained its name from the fact of an Indian chief 
 having been buried here, over whose grave, after the fashion 
 of this people, a large white flag had been kept flying. It 
 has since become a much more important place, forming a 
 sort of head-quarters for the miners and the mule-trains, who 
 from Pavilion, branch north and south to the diggings at 
 Alexandria, Cariboo, and Kamloops. 
 
 We wished much to have pushed on from Pavilion to 
 Alexandria, although at that time the diggings at Cariboo 
 and Quesnelle were unthought of, and Alexandria was only 
 known as a more distant station of the Hudson Bay Com- 
 pany. But poor St. Paul was knocked up by the efforts he 
 had already made, and in such suffering that it was quite 
 impossible to expect him to accompany us further. Almost 
 all the way, indeed, he had been obliged to ride his horse in 
 side-saddle fashion, and his exertions at the Defant River 
 had used up what little strength he had, besides aggravating 
 the pain he always suffered from his wounded knee. Accord- 
 ingly, these considerations, coupled with the expense of pre- 
 paring a new party for the trip, and the fact that we had 
 already done more and gone farther than had been marked 
 out for me in the Governor's programme of instructions, 
 determined us to return by the Harrison-Lilloett route to the 
 mouth of the Fraser. After staying three days at Pavilion, 
 during which time the wind blew and the dust tormented us 
 
 K 
 
130 A DRUNKEN SCUFFLE. Chap. VI. 
 
 much as it had done at Lytton, we bade St. Paul and his 
 party adieu, starting for Cayoosh, or as it is now called Lilloett. 
 
 I may say here that while at Pavilion we experienced the 
 only trouble with Indians I have ever had while travelling. 
 A half-breed who was journeying with us, although not of 
 our party, having a bullock to sell, disposed of it for 200 or 
 300 dollars, purchasing with part of its price a keg of 
 whisky. Upon the contents of this he very soon got 
 drunk, and must needs reduce the rest of our party to 
 the same plight ; so that in the dead of the night I was 
 roused by the sound of scuffling going on outside the tent, 
 and became aware of what all who have had any expe- 
 rience in camping will agree with me in calling a very dis- 
 agreeable sensation, caused by a number of men tumbling 
 over the tent-ropes. Going out, we found that St. Paul 
 and one of his sons were the only sober men of our escort. 
 Fortunately my gun was the only one belonging to the 
 party, and most of the knives were in St. Paul's tent, or 
 the consequences might have been serious. As it was, the 
 offending half-breed was driven away, two or three of the 
 more refractory Indians knocked down, and peace re-esta- 
 blished, in a way we, without St. Paul, would have found 
 it very difficult to accomplish. 
 
 It may be interesting to note that when I was at Pavilion, 
 flour was selling at 35 cents (Is. 5jtZ.) the pound, and bacon 
 at 75 cents (35.). A few months earlier in the winter these 
 high prices had been more than double. The charges for the 
 carriage of goods were also very high, as much as 25 cents 
 per lb., being paid from Pavilion to Kamloops, while to Big- 
 Bar, a place only 18 miles distant, the rate was 8 cents, or ±d. 
 
 We were now left without any attendants, but as we knew 
 that there were regular mule-trains on the Harrison-Lilloett 
 route, we determined only to engage two horses to take our 
 baggage as far as Lilloett, and thence to accompany a train 
 down to Port Douglas. 
 
Chap. VI. SUPPOSED SOURCES OF RIVERS. 131 
 
 We started on the morning of the 23rd May, and proceeded 
 towards Fountain, keeping the left bank of the Fraser, and 
 passing along a fair trail over very good land ; our party 
 consisting of our two selves, a couple of horses, and one man, 
 who served as guide, driver, and packer. 
 
 Fountain is a flat at a sharp turn in the river 12 miles 
 below Pavilion, and derives its name from a small natural 
 fountain spouting up in the middle of it. It is a much 
 prettier site than Pavilion, and the river-bend shelters it from 
 the gusty north and south winds which I have mentioned as 
 being so very uncomfortable both at Lytton and Pavilion. 
 
 About three miles below Fountain, and on the opposite 
 side, the Bridge River (or Hoystien, as the Indians call it) 
 joins the Fraser. This river takes its English name from the 
 fact of the Indians having made a bridge across its mouth, 
 which was afterwards pulled down by two enterprising 
 citizens, who constructed another one, for crossing which they 
 charge the miners twenty-five cents. Bridge River rises in 
 some lakes 50 or 60 miles from its mouth. I have never 
 visited them, but from information obtained at various times 
 from Indians, I believe that the Bridge, Lilloett, Squaw- 
 misht, and Clahoose Kivers, all of which will be mentioned 
 hereafter, take their rise in these same lakes, which, so far 
 as I could ascertain, lie very high up in a moimtain-basin, 
 nearly north of Desolation Sound. 
 
 The Bridge River also runs through two lakes about 40 
 miles from its junction with the Fraser. I once met a miner 
 who told me he had visited these lakes, and thought the land 
 round them very good and well adapted for agriculture. A 
 man at Pavilion also told me he had travelled from 
 Chilcotin Fort to these lakes by a valley parallel to the 
 Fraser, and had then descended the river. I am inclined, 
 however, to doubt whether these lakes lie so far as 40 miles 
 up the river, as I have found that travellers almost always 
 overestimate distances when going up a rapid river. 
 
 k 2 
 
132 LILLOETT. Chap. VI. 
 
 Just before coming to the Bridge Kiver our guide pointed 
 to a deserted bar opposite, and said, "Last summer I and 
 two others made 600 dollars (200Z.) each in a week there." 
 " Why did you leave it ? " I asked. " Oh, we thought we 
 had done enough," was the reply ; " and went to Victoria and 
 spent it all in two or three weeks : and when I came up the 
 river again I hadn't a cent, and so I took to packing." 
 This is the story nearly every miner has to tell. If you 
 question him, you will find that at some time or other he 
 was worth several thousand dollars. He may still, perhaps, 
 have a gold watch, or a large brooch stuck in the front of 
 his mining-shirt, as a memento of that time, but all the rest 
 has gone. 
 
 About a mile and a half below the Bridge Eiver, at a place 
 called French Bar, is a ferry, which we crossed. After 
 crossing we came upon a fine flat, lightly timbered with small 
 trees,* which continued to Lilloett, which is about two miles 
 from the ferry. 
 
 Lilloett is a very pretty site, on the whole decidedly the 
 best I saw on the Fraser Kiver. It stands upon a plateau 
 some hundred feet above the river. On the opposite side of 
 the Fraser is another large plateau on which the Hudson Bay 
 Company were building a fort when I was there, which was 
 to be named Fort Berens, after one of their directors. 
 
 Lilloett has now grown into a somewhat important town, 
 situated as it is at the north end of the Harrison-Lilloett 
 route, at its junction with the Fraser. 
 
 The Inkumtch Kiver runs in at the south end of the flat 
 on which the town stands. It is a rapid stream, 40 or 50 
 yards wide at its mouth, and not fordable in summer. 
 
 At Lilloett we found that the pack-trains came up to Port 
 Anderson at the south end of the lake of that name, and 
 that we must take boat across it and Lake Seton. We pro- 
 cured two or three Indians to carry our baggage and instru- 
 ments to Lake Seton, which was about four miles off; but 
 
Chap. VI. '< RESTAURANTS." 133 
 
 finding upon calculation that the expense of conveying our 
 cooking-utensils, &c., would be considerably more than their 
 original cost, we determined to leave them behind for the 
 benefit of any travellers who might pass that way. We knew 
 we could not starve, as there were several " restaurants " on 
 the trail down ; still we took some bread with us in case of 
 accidents. It is very awkward at first when you have to make 
 any purchases at these places, getting your change in gold- 
 dust. There is little or no coin in use among the miners, 
 and they pay and transact all business in gold-dust. For a 
 purse every one carries a chamois-leather bag containing the 
 dust. If you offer coin, they take out their scales and weigh 
 you off your change. I have mentioned the fact of there 
 being " restaurants " all along the Lilloett portages, and I 
 should have mentioned their existence in the canons of the 
 Fraser also. All such places in this country are called 
 " restaurants," although they are simply huts, where the 
 traveller can obtain a meal of bacon, beans, bread, salt butter, 
 and tea or coffee, for a dollar ; while, if he has no tent with 
 him, he can select the softest plank in the floor to sleep on. 
 Of course these places vary with their situation. At those 
 on the Lower Fraser meals can now, I believe, be had for 
 half-a-dollar, and sometimes eggs, beef, and vegetables can 
 be got. On the other hand, at those far up the river I paid a 
 dollar and a half for the bare miner's fare of bacon, beans, and 
 bread. Miners suffer a great deal from inflamed mouths, 
 which is very generally attributed to their constant diet of 
 bacon. By some, however, it is attributed to the water of 
 the river.* 
 
 We started for Lake Seton on the afterndbn of the same 
 day that we reached Lilloett, and, turning off from the 
 Fraser River, followed the Inkumtch, up a deep narrow 
 valley between two magnificent mountains some 5000 feet 
 high. About half-way to Lake Seton we found that the 
 river divided; one branch coming from the lake and the 
 
134 LAKES SETON AND ANDEKSON. Chap. VI. 
 
 other down a gorge on the left. This branch is said to take 
 its rise in a lake some miles below Lilloett, and between the 
 lake of that name and the Fraser Eiver. 
 
 After walking about four miles we emerged from the 
 mountain-pass and came out on Lake Seton. Here we had 
 to get a canoe to cross the river, as the boatmen's huts were 
 on the other side of it. We crossed, and, as it was late, 
 pitched our tent and made arrangements for a boat with four 
 men to take us over the lake in the morning. 
 
 In the morning accordingly we started, and had a most 
 tedious cold pull of four hours' duration. On this lake, and, 
 indeed, on all the chain of lakes, it blows almost incessantly 
 from the southward during the day, the wind commencing 
 at nine or ten and dying away at four or five, leaving the 
 mornings and evenings calm. Lake Seton and Lake An- 
 derson are very like each other, although the latter trends 
 much more to the southward than the former. Both are very 
 deep, and bounded by mountains of 3000 to 5000 feet, which 
 rise so abruptly from the water as to leave no room for a 
 road even along their banks without a good deal of blasting 
 and levelling. These mountains are densely wooded, like 
 those along the coast. The two lakes are each 14 or 
 15 miles long, and are separated by a neck of land a mile 
 and a half in extent, with a stream of 20 or 30 yards wide 
 running through it. There is a small restaurant at the 
 south end of Lake Seton, and another larger one at the south 
 end of Lake Anderson, for the entertainment of the muleteers, 
 &c, who sleep there after coming from Port Pemberton; 
 returning on the following day. 
 
 We were lucky enough to find a mule-train starting next 
 morning, and arranged to accompany it. At this time the 
 charge was eight cents (4Jc?.) per pound for packing goods 
 along this portage, the length of which is about 25 miles. 
 This portage, which extends from Port Anderson to Port 
 Pemberton on the Lilloett Lake, was at first called the 
 
Chap. VI. THE LILLOETT VALLEY. 135 
 
 Birkenhead Portage, but since has acquired the much more 
 appropriate name of Mosquito Portage. When I passed 
 along it the trail was on the whole good, though in some 
 parts very indifferent. But this summer will probably see a 
 waggon-road constructed from one end to the other. The 
 valley through which the road lies averages about 1500 yards 
 in width. At Port Anderson, however, where it is widest, it 
 is about two miles broad. There is a stream running the 
 whole way along it, having a watershed at the Summit Lake 
 about nine miles from Port Anderson. From this lake, 
 when the water is high, the rivers run either way, one into 
 Lake Anderson and the other into the Lilloett River, just 
 above Port Pemberton. When the waters are out the north 
 branch only runs from the lake, the true source of the south 
 branch being a few yards from it. The Summit Lake is, 
 as nearly as I could estimate it, 800 feet above Lake Ander- 
 son and 1800 above the sea. The banks of the river arc 
 low and covered with willows, <Xrc, and there are a number of 
 small streams running into it at intervals all the way along. 
 Thero are only two of these of any size, which come down 
 rather large valleys. The mountains on either side range 
 from 1000 to 5000 feet high, and are generally very steep. 
 All the level spots are covered with wild peas, vetches, 
 lettuce, and several sorts of berries. The mosquitoes along 
 the portage were more troublesome than I had ever found 
 them (at that time) elsewhere. 
 
 Five or six miles before reaching Port Pemberton the 
 valley opens out, and there are several miles of splendid 
 grass-land on the right, through which the Lilloett River 
 runs into the lake of the same name. On this occasion 
 I had not much opportunity for observing these Lilloett 
 meadows, as they are called, but upon my next visit I came 
 upon them by the Lilloett Valley, and walked all over them. 
 Several agricultural settlers were already there, and it is a 
 
136 THE FALL OF RAIN PARTIAL. Chap.' VI. 
 
 lovely spot for settlement. The river here divides into 
 several small streams, which run through the plain in all 
 directions, cutting it up into fine fields, and greatly adding 
 to its beauty. 
 
 Port Pemberton is at the north end of Lilloett Lake, and 
 consists of a couple of restaurants and half-a-dozen huts, occu- 
 pied by muleteers and boatmen. The great objection to its 
 site is that there is a large flat off it, which in winter dries 
 the whole way across the lake, so that even boats cannot get 
 to the town, and all goods have to be landed a quarter of a 
 mile below it. This is, however, quite unavoidable, as there 
 is no place further down the lake on which to build a town, 
 the mountains rising nearly perpendicularly from the water. 
 When the road was in contemplation Captain Grant, E.E., 
 who had command of the men at work upon it, examined the 
 meadows with a view of seeing if it would answer better to 
 take the road from the other side of the lake, but he decided 
 against it. This lake is in appearance much like the others 
 I have described. 
 
 We got across the Lilloett Lake the same afternoon, sleep- 
 ing that night at Port Lilloett. Early next morning we 
 again set out. It rained the whole night while we were at 
 Port Lilloett, and we were informed that this was the first 
 rain that had fallen since the beginning of the year. This 
 illustrates the partiality of the rain in this region, where 
 January, February, March, and April had passed without a 
 shower, while at Victoria it had rained almost incessantly for 
 the first half of that period. 
 
 Next morning we started for Port Douglas. At the time 
 I first went along this — which I have before said is called the 
 Douglas Portage — there was only the trail which had been 
 cut by the party who had volunteered for the purpose. Hav- 
 ing no engineer with them, they gave themselves a vast deal 
 more trouble than there was any occasion for, by makmg the 
 
Chap. VI. HARRISON LAKE. 137 
 
 trail pass over all sorts of ridges which might have been 
 avoided. Eight miles from Port Lilloett the traveller comes 
 to a very curious hot spring, called St. Agnes' Well, so 
 named from one of the Governor's daughters. It runs in a 
 small stream out of a mass of conglomerate into a natural 
 basin at its foot, overflowing which it finds its way into the 
 Lilloett River. Here have been built a restaurant and bath- 
 house. On my first visit I stopped to bathe and found the 
 water in the basin hotter than I could bear. Unfortunately 
 my thermometer was only marked to 120°, up to which the 
 mercury flew instantly. I believe its temperature has since 
 been ascertained to be 180° Falir. 
 
 I have said that the Lilloett River runs down nearly to 
 Port Douglas. When I passed down no canoes were able to 
 ascend, though some went down the stream. In winter, how- 
 ever, a good deal of traffic is carried on by the river, at a 
 cost less than the land-carriage. This river varies greatly 
 in width, ranging from 50 to 150 yards. About nine miles 
 below Port Lilloett a large stream, called by the Indians 
 the Amockwa, joins it; and about the same distance above 
 Port Douglas another river, called the Zoalklun, runs into 
 it, coming, it is said, from a lake called Zoalkliick. Two 
 large hills have to be crossed on this portage, which have 
 been named Sevastopol and Gibraltar; the latter rises just 
 before entering Port Douglas, and on its south side are the 
 finest cedars * I saw in the whole country. There is a stream 
 running down a gorge in this hill, and a large water-mill 
 has been erected about half-a-mile from the town, so that 
 I dare say considerable havoc has been made among the 
 cedars by this time. 
 
 The scenery on the Harrison Lake is much finer than on 
 the upper ones. It is also much longer, being 45 miles in 
 
 * Juniperus occidentalis ? I believe there is no true cedar in British 
 Columbia. 
 
138 SUDDEN CHANGES OF TEMPERATURE. Chap. VI. 
 
 length, and four or five broad. There are several islands 
 upon it, and some large and apparently fertile valleys 
 running into it. In some of these silver has been found, and 
 one or more companies have been started to work it. 
 
 During our journey we found the change of temperature 
 very great and sudden. I have seen the thermometer 31° 
 in the shade in the morning, 95° at noon, and 40° again the 
 same evening. 
 
 On the 19th June we rejoined the ' Plumper ' at Esqui- 
 malt. 
 
SKETCH MAP OF HARO ARCHIPELAGO, SHOWING THE THREE CHANNELS. 
 
 .-., 
 
 if* 
 
 w- 
 
 ^ R ,v£> 
 
 BJRITISH £ (COLUMBIA 
 
 -■■ •.-■:-\it, >-, -.--■ 
 
 
 c.!-:iRr-lC~- 
 
 ^^?SHOALIH? \.\ v \STUARTS 
 
 van c; Q,Ui>f E R D |f c ^,, \ 
 
 
 DARCVI. *» ^,"& =T?f 
 
 r y^ 
 
 i« VjX, \ 1 
 
 
 Like claimed bt the United States. 
 Line claimed by Great Britain. 
 Proposed Middle Channel. 
 
Chap. VII. THE BOUNDARY QUESTION. 139 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 American occupation of San Juan Island — Arrival of the Flagship, 1I.M.S. 
 1 Ganges ' — Inlets of the ' Coast of British Columbia — Autumn Survey 
 between Nanaimo and Victoria — The 'Plumper' leaves for San Francisco 
 — Our stay there. 
 
 July, 1859. — The Boundary Commissioners had been all 
 this while working to little effect. The treaty concluded 
 in 1844 between the English and American Governments 
 was, as I have before said, somewhat vague. It set forth 
 clearly enough that the boundary-line should follow the 
 parallel of 49° north latitude, to the centre of the Gulf 
 of Georgia ; but it was at this point, as the reader may 
 remember, that the difficulties attendiDg its interpretation 
 began. Thence the treaty stipulated that the line should 
 pass southward through the channel which separates the 
 continent from Vancouver Island to the Strait of Juan de 
 Fuca. The channel. But there were three. Were the most 
 eastward of these meant, such a construction would give pos- 
 session of all the islands of the Gulf to Great Britain. On 
 the other hand, should the line, as the American Commis- 
 sioners contended, be taken to pass down the Haro Strait, these 
 islands would pertain to them. Keasons, which I have pre- 
 viously given, exist which prevent my making any remarks 
 upon the merits of the matters in dispute between the Com- 
 missioners of Great Britain and the United States, or the 
 results which followed them. I may only say, that it was at 
 this time, while the question had been referred by the Com- 
 missioners to their respective Governments, that General 
 Harney, who had lately been appointed to the command of 
 the United States troops in the territories of Oregon and 
 
140 ARRIVAL OP THE FLAG-SHIP. Chap. VII. 
 
 Washington, without any notice, landed soldiers upon the 
 island of San Juna, who still remain there. 
 
 The same reasons which keep me silent upon this proceed- 
 ing of the American General prevent my doing more than 
 allude to the angry excitement which it caused in the 
 colonies and at home. The events of that period will still 
 be fresh in their memory of my readers. It will, therefore, 
 be remembered how nearly war between the two countries 
 was approached, and by what judicious and timely arrange- 
 ments it was averted. I will merely remark, in conclusion, 
 that, during the present domestic troubles of the American 
 people, this dispute is temporarily shelved. San Juan is at 
 present held by equal bodies of troops of Great Britain and 
 America,* and the question remains open for settlement at 
 some future period. 
 
 August 5th. — The flagship arrived, with divers on board, 
 who, upon examining the ' Plumper,' found that she had 
 received so much damage that it was determined, so soon 
 as the coming winter-work was finished, to proceed to San 
 Francisco, where the necessary repahVcould be made. 
 
 August 19th. — A report reaching the Governor of some 
 settlers in Burrard Inlet having been seized and detained 
 by the Indians, we were despatched thither to investigate this 
 matter, but, upon our arrival, we found the report untrue. 
 
 I will take the present opportunity of giving a short and 
 general description of the more important of those long arms 
 of the sea, or inlets, which, as a glance at the map will show 
 the reader, stretch at comparatively small intervals inland 
 along the coast of British Columbia. Some of these were not 
 surveyed until a period considerably later than the time of 
 which I am now writing, while others are still unexplored. 
 It must be many years before these shores can be of any 
 value to the new colony; and it is mainly with the hope 
 
 * About 100 men of each nation. 
 
Chap. VII. BURRARD INLET. 141 
 
 of discovering, from the head of one of them, a more 
 direct route or routes to the gold-fields on the Upper Fraser 
 than that afforded by the river, that exploring parties have 
 been, and still are, busy examining them. 
 
 All these inlets possess certain general characteristics. 
 They run up between steep mountains three or four 
 thousand feet in height ; the water is deep, and anchorages 
 far from plentiful ; while they terminate, almost without 
 exception, in valleys, — occasionally large and wide, at other 
 times mere gorges, — through which one or more rivers struggle 
 into the sea. They may be said, indeed, to resemble large 
 fissures in the coast more than anything else. In the days 
 of Vancouver these arms of the sea were diligently searched in 
 the hope of discovering through one of them the long looked- 
 for passage that should connect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. 
 It was not indeed until after many successive disappoint- 
 ments that Vancouver seems to have relinquished this hope ; 
 and although of course some inaccuracies have been found 
 in his charts of these parts, their general correctness, together 
 with the amount of labour they must have cost him, and the 
 patience and perseverance with which he forced his vessels 
 through intricate passages difficult and dangerous even to 
 steamers, deserve more credit than he ever obtained. 
 
 The southernmost, and as yet the most important, of the 
 inlets of British Columbia was named, by Vancouver, " Bur- 
 rard," after a friend of that name in the Royal Navy. 
 This inlet differs from most of the others in possessing 
 several good anchorages. It is divided into three distinct 
 harbours, which are separated from each other by narrows, 
 through which the tide rushes with such velocity as to render 
 them impassable by any but powerful steamers except, at 
 slack-water or with the tide. 
 
 The entrance of Burrard Inlet lies 14 miles from the 
 sand-heads of the Fraser River. English Bay is the an- 
 chorage immediately inside the entrance on the south side 
 
142 HOWE SOUND. .Chap. VII. 
 
 and is of considerable importance to vessels entering at 
 night, or when the tide is running out through the narrows, 
 affording them an anchorage where they can wait comfortably 
 until morning or turn of tide, instead of drifting about the 
 place. Two miles inside the first narrows is Coal Harbour, 
 where coal has been found in considerable quantities and 
 of good quality, although the demand is not yet sufficient to 
 induce speculators to work it in opposition to the already 
 established mines at Nanaimo. Six miles above Coal Har- 
 bour, the inlet divides again into two arms ; one of which runs 
 inland about ten miles, the other opening into Port Moody, 
 which forms the head of the southern arm. Port Moody is a 
 very snug harbour, three miles long, and averaging half-a- 
 mile wide, though only 400 yards across at the entrance. It is 
 the possession of this port, with its proximity by land to New 
 Westminster upon the Fraser Eiver, from which place it is 
 distant but five miles, which gives to Burrard Inlet its pre- 
 sent importance. During the winter the Lower Fraser is 
 sometimes frozen up, and the only access to British Columbia 
 then open is by the way of Burrard Inlet and Port Moody. 
 Hither the steamers have to take their passengers, mails, and 
 cargo ; whence, by a short, good road, they are conveyed to 
 New Westminster. During last winter (1861-62), which was 
 unusually severe, the Fraser was entirely blocked up; and 
 tins way, and an out-of-the-way, inconvenient trail of seven 
 miles from Mud Bay, inside Point Koberts, were the only 
 routes by which the interior of British Columbia could for 
 some considerable time be reached. 
 
 Immediately north of Burrard Inlet is Howe Sound, the 
 north point of the former forming the south shore of the latter. 
 This sound runs inland for about 20 miles, and is wider 
 than the other inlets, having a breadth at its entrance of six 
 miles. At its head is a wide, extensive valley, the soil of 
 which is very good, and through which several rivers run into 
 the inlet : the largest of these, the Squawmisht, is navigable 
 
Chap. VII. JERVIS INLET. 143 
 
 for 20 miles for canoes. From this point, which, how- 
 ever — so tortuous is the river — is only distant ten miles 
 from the head of the sound, a road might, with no great dif- 
 ficulty, be cut to Port Pemberton, on the north end of the 
 Lilloett Lake, the distance being only 40 or 50 miles. I 
 examined this route in 1860, and found it perfectly prac- 
 ticable ; but as a road between Port Douglas, at the head of 
 Harrison Lake, and the south end of the Lilloett Lake had 
 already been constructed, it was not thought advisable to 
 make another so near it. Had this route met the Fraser 
 above instead of below Cayoosh, it would have been worth 
 cutting at any expense ; but coming out where it does, its 
 construction would not have been of sufficient benefit to the 
 colony to have justified the great outlay which must have 
 been incurred in making it. 
 
 Next to Howe Sound is Jervis Inlet, a narrow arm run- 
 ning inland 45 miles. Vancouver appears to have thought 
 this the most promising of all the inlets lie had explored for 
 the great object of his search ; and experienced great disap- 
 pointment when, after sailing up it for several days, he 
 reached its head. It seems strange that such an experienced 
 explorer should have expected that so narrow a passage — its 
 greatest breadth after the first ten miles being but two — 
 would be found to divide the American continent from shore 
 to shore. 
 
 It was for some time thought that a highway to British 
 Columbia would be found to exist up this inlet ; and, with the 
 view of ascertaining its practicability, I was instructed to 
 start from the head of Jervis Inlet, and make my way to the 
 Fraser River. An account of this journey and its unsuc- 
 cessful issue will follow in its place. Whilst making it, I 
 constantly interrogated the Indians who accompanied me as 
 to the probability of a way existing from the head of Toba or 
 Bute Inlets, which run up from Desolation Sound, and are 
 the two next inlets northward of Jervis. From their answers, 
 
144 CLAHOOSE EIVER. Chap. VII. 
 
 I was for some time under the impression that Bute Inlet 
 was the place whence a start might be made for the Fraser 
 with every prospect of success. But upon returning to Vic- 
 toria, and submitting the accounts of my informants to the 
 scrutiny of an interpreter, and making them map out in their 
 own way the route that they suggested, I came to the con- 
 clusion that the route they spoke of led, not to the Fraser 
 Biver, but to Lake Anderson. 
 
 -^fr-It may seem strange that Indians living at Jervis Inlet 
 should know the country about Desolation Sound so well, 
 seeing that the two arms of the sea are distant from 
 each other 60 miles, and that the inhabitants of each inlet 
 are constantly at war. The tribe, however, to which my 
 guides belonged/ although in the summer dwelling by the 
 coast, were settled really at Lake Anderson, from which 
 neighbourhood they migrated to Howe Sound, Jervis, Bute, 
 and Toba Inlets, to fish, and were, therefore, likely to be well 
 acquainted with the country through which at such times 
 they must pass on their way to the coast. They were called 
 Loquilts, the proper Indians of Jervis Inlet being named 
 Sechelts. 
 
 From these Indians I ascertained that the Bridge Biver, 
 one — the north — branch of the Lilloett, together with the 
 Squawmisht and the Clahoose Bivers, which empty into 
 Desolation Sound, all take their rise in three or four small 
 lakes lying in a mountain basin some 50 or 60 miles from 
 the coast due north of Jervis Inlet. Mr. Downie, when 
 exploring Bute Inlet with a view to a way from the coast 
 inland, went four or five miles up the Clahoose Biver, which 
 he described as large and broad, running in a north-east 
 direction. " The Indians," he wrote, " told me it would take 
 five days to get to the head of it. Judging from the way a 
 canoe goes up such rivers, the distance would be about sixty 
 miles, and it must be a long way above the Quamish (Squaw- 
 misht), and not far from the Lilloett. The Indians have 
 
Chap. VII. KOUTES TO THE INTERIOR. 145 
 
 gone this route to the head of Bridge Kiver, and it may prove 
 to be the best route to try. It is very evident there is a pass 
 in the coast-range here that will make it preferable to Jarvis 
 -Inlet or Howe Sound. If a route can be got through, it will 
 lead direct to Bridge River." 
 
 It is now three years since Mr. Downie made the above 
 statement ; and I think it is probable that he has long since 
 changed the opinion he then expressed as to the route to l^ie 
 Bridge Kiver being the most practicable and best of those 
 proposed to the Upper Fraser. So little, however, is known 
 of this valley — and that little comes from Indian information 
 — that the route advocated by Mr. Downie may yet be found 
 to equal his expectations of it. Since my return from the 
 colony it has been again examined and adopted by a com- 
 pany, who propose at once to open it up. It is asserted 
 by them that this way is nearly twenty miles shorter than 
 the Bentinck Arm route to Alexandria, and that no serious 
 obstacles intervene to prevent striking the Fraser at a point 
 where steamers can be put on to ply on the Upper River. 
 The right to construct this route, and to collect tolls on 
 the pack-trail for five years, at 1J cents per lb., and 50 
 cents for animals — with, should a waggon -road be constructed, 
 5 cents per lb. toll — has been conceded to them. In their 
 prospectus the distance of the route proposed is set down as 
 241 miles, of which 83 miles are river and lake navigation, 
 and 158 land-carriage, offering an advantage over the rival 
 route by Bentinck Arm, which has a longer land-carriage. 
 Before this summer is out, the question of superiority will 
 in all probability be settled. 
 
 The next inlet, north of Bute, is Loughborough. Beyond 
 are Knight Inlet and Fife Sound, of which comparatively 
 little is known. In 1861 Mr. Downie went up Knight Inlet 
 and discovered plumbago, which, when tested, did not prove 
 to be so rich as he at first sight thought it. 
 
 The entrance to Fife Sound is marked by a magnificent 
 
 L 
 
146 ROUTES TO THE INTERIOR. Chap. VII. 
 
 mountain on its north side, winch Vancouver named 
 " Stephens," after the then First Lord of the Admiralty. 
 
 Above this point up to our coast boundary, in 54° 40' north 
 latitude, is a succession of inlets known only to the Indians 
 who inhabit them, and some of the Hudson Bay Company's 
 employes. One of these, through which it is thought by many 
 that the much-desired road to the interior of the country will 
 be found to lie, " Deans Canal," has recently attracted con- 
 siderable notice. The entrance to this inlet is about 80 
 miles from the north end of Yancouver Island ; it runs in- 
 land some 50 miles, under the name of Burke Channel, and 
 then divides into three arms : one, Deans Canal, running 
 nearly north for 25 miles ; the others, called the North and 
 South Bentinck Arms, pursuing north-easterly and south- 
 easterly directions. By one or other of these channels it is 
 pretty confidently expected that a good available route to the 
 interior will be found to exist. No doubt attention was 
 drawn to this spot not a little from the fact, that years ago 
 Sir Alexander McKenzie did actually penetrate from the 
 interior to the sea here. Subsequently it was known that a 
 Mr. McDonald had found his way from Fort Fraser to the 
 coast, coming out at Deans Canal, and, it was said, making 
 the journey with ease and expedition ; while later, letters 
 were conveyed more than once by some such route, by 
 Indian messengers, from the Hudson Bay Company's steamer 
 ' Beaver,' lying in the Bentinck Arm, to the officer in charge 
 of Fort Alexandria, high up the Fraser Kiver. 
 
 When Sir Alexander McKenzie explored this part of the 
 country, he appears to have ascended the West-road Biver 
 from the Fraser, and then, crossing the ridge forming the 
 watershed, to have descended to the sea. His route has 
 never been exactly followed ; but in 1860 Mr. Colin McKenzie 
 crossed from Alexandria to the same place on the coast, viz., 
 ^Bascals' Village, or Bell-houla Bay,* in thirteen days by way 
 
 * This is sometimes spelt Bell-whoak. 
 
Chap. VII. MR. BARNSTON'S LETTER. 147 
 
 of Chilcotin Lake. His party travelled the greater portion 
 of the way on horseback : Mr. McKenzie told me that they 
 might have taken their animals all the way by changing 
 the route a little. On their way back, indeed, they did so. 
 The ascent to the watershed was, he said, so gradual, that 
 they only knew they had passed the summit by finding that 
 the streams ran west, instead of east. Since that time 
 another gentleman, Mr. Barnston, has travelled by much the 
 same route. His journey is described in a letter which he 
 wrote to Mr. P. Nind, Gold Commissioner at Cariboo, in 
 July, 1861, and which, as illustrating the character of the 
 country and the obstacles met with in the construction of 
 trails, I am enabled, by the kind permission of that gentle- 
 man, to give to the reader : — 
 
 " We left Alexandria on the 24th May last, and after the 
 loss of several days from accidental causes, such as missing 
 trail, &c, arrived at Lake Anawhim on the 8th June. We 
 left this place on the 10th. On the 12th we camped in the 
 Coast Kange. On the 13th we descended into the valley of 
 Atanaioh, or Bell-houla River, and camped a few miles down. 
 Here we left our horses with Pearson and Ritchie. On the 
 evening of the 17th McDonald and I, accompanied by Tom- 
 kins, started on foot for the coast. We arrived at the Bell- 
 houla village, Nout-chaoff, early on the morning of the 19th. 
 Here we obtained a canoe and descended to Kougotis, the 
 head of the Bell-houla (North Bentinck Arm), in six hours. 
 The cause of our horses being left behind was the swollen 
 state of the mountain-torrents running into the Bell-houla 
 River. These streams are, however, quite small and narrow, 
 and could be bridged at little expense. On the 24th we left 
 Kougotis to return in the same canoe, and arrived at Nout- 
 chaoff on the 25th. The trail between the two villages is 
 good. From Nout-chaoff to camp it took us two days, a 
 distance usually travelled by Indians with packs in one. On 
 the 30th we broke up camp on Bell-houla River, and arrived 
 
 l 2 
 
148 MR. BARNSTON'S LETTER. Chap. VII. 
 
 in Alexandria on the 10th, travelling moderately with packed 
 animals. The Bell-houla River could be made navigable for 
 light-draught steamers as far up as Nout-chaoff, and perhaps 
 above. From thence pack-trains could make Alexandria, or 
 the mouth of Canal River,* if a trail were made there, easily 
 in 14 or 15 days. The trail to Canal River would probably 
 have to diverge from the Alexandria trail at Chisikut Lake 
 about 75 miles from Alexandria. The trail runs the whole 
 distance from Alexandria to Coast Range on a kind of 
 table-land, which is studded in every direction with lakes 
 and meadows : feed is plentiful. The streams are numerous, 
 but small and shallow ; in fact, mere creeks. There are 
 some swamps, which require corduroying. There is plenty 
 of fallen timber ; but it is light and could easily be cleared. 
 There is also a kind of red earth, which is in places very 
 miry ; the cause of this is I think, want of drainage. This 
 miry ground and the swamps are the greatest objections 
 that can be urged against the road. The swamps, however, 
 have one advantage over such places generally, — that is, in 
 their foundation, which is rocky and strong. The trail 
 might be shortened in some places, but not a great deal. 
 We made the distance from our camp on Bell-houla Tliver 
 to Alexandria easily enough in 11 days with packed horses. 
 The trail is, with the exception of the descent of the Coast 
 Range, comparatively level, and could easily be made a good 
 practicable road. The descent on to the Bell-houla River is 
 not by any means steep, with the exception of a slide, down 
 which we, however, took our horses. This slide might be 
 avoided, or could be easily overcome by a zigzag trail. The 
 trail would have to be considerably improved before pack- 
 trains could pass over it. When the Coast Range is passed 
 there is no perceptible ascent. 
 
 " From the place where you first strike the Bell-houla River 
 in the Coast Range, the trail runs along its bank through a 
 
 * Probably Qucsnelle River. 
 
Chap. VII. ROUTES TO THE INTERIOR. 149 
 
 deep gorge or pass in the mountains the whole way to the 
 coast. There is, however, another road from Lake Anawhim, 
 which strikes the river at Nout-chaoff, which the Indians 
 informed us was the better road. They also told us that if we 
 had taken this road we could have reached Nout-chaoff with 
 our horses, as we should have thereby avoided the worst part 
 of the other road and the torrents. Kougotis, the head of the 
 inlet, would be the head of navigation for sea-going vessels. 
 
 " We think that if a road were made from the Bell-houla 
 Inlet, to strike the Fraser somewhere about the mouth of the 
 Quesnelle River, and from thence into the Cariboo, &c, a con- 
 siderable saving in the cost of transportation would be effected. 
 We can hardly make an approximate estimate even of what 
 it would cost to make the trail passable ; but it would not 
 .cost much considering the distance and style of country, and 
 could easily be made available for next summer's operations." 
 
 If .the reader will follow on the map the line between the 
 Bentinck Arm (Bell-houla) and Alexandria, he will see that it 
 runs straight east and west between the two places for 100 
 miles. This is the route to the gold-fields, south of that 
 taken by Sir A. McKenzie, which is proposed to be adopted, 
 and to open up which another company, in opposition to the 
 Bute Inlet scheme, has been organised. It is affirmed 
 that the road becomes open and practicable for animals 
 in the beginning of April, and that the snow at Bell- 
 houla and the main plateau above it disappears early in the 
 year. At present and for some time to come no accommoda- 
 tion for travellers can be expected along this route ; but in 
 reply to this objection it is urged that the journey is com- 
 paratively short, and may be walked without a pack in seven 
 days ; and that the Indians of the various tribes through which 
 it will be necessary to pass are not only friendly but seem 
 anxious for white settlers to come, inquiring constantly when 
 the Boston and King George men may be expected, and looking 
 forward to remunerative employment in packing to the mines. 
 
150 EOUTES TO THE INTERIOR. Chap. VII. 
 
 The following account of this route has also been given by 
 one of its projectors, who assumes to speak from personal ex- 
 perience : — " My suggestion would be, let a man take up suffi- 
 cient provisions for the road ; or if he wishes to avoid the heavy 
 outlay which a poor miner must experience before he has 
 struck a claim, let him take sufficient to last him three or 
 four weeks, and pack one, two, or three Indians, as the case 
 may be. I assure him he will find no difficulty in pro- 
 curing Indians. Nootlioch (an Indian lodge) is 30 miles up 
 the river; for 15 miles above this goods can be taken in 
 small canoes. Narcoontloon is 30 miles ; a good road with 
 the exception of one bad hill. Here there is another Indian 
 lodge, from which it is 50 miles to Chilcotin; good trail, 
 perfectly level From there it is 60 miles to Alexandria, 
 or about 70 to the mouth of Quesnelle Eiver. The trail 
 from the top of the Nootlioch hill is for foot-passengers as 
 good the whole way as any part of the Brigade Trail, with the 
 exception of one or two places, where there is a little fallen 
 timber. The trail follows a chain of lakes, and could conse- 
 quently, if taken straight, be made much shorter, and also 
 avoid much soft ground. Game and fish are abundant on the 
 road : I caught several trout with a string and a small hook 
 and a grasshopper on my way down. The Aunghim and 
 Chilcotin Indians have a good many horses, which might be 
 turned to use for packing." 
 
 Alexandria, however, which is the proposed terminus in 
 this route from Bell-houla, is some 50 or 60 miles south of 
 those diggings, which are now the most profitable in the 
 country, and which, under the general name of the Cariboo 
 gold-fields, extend from the lake of that name to Bear Kiver, 
 and are likely to extend still farther north, should the 
 opinion of many of the miners that the richest diggings still 
 remain to be found on the Peace Biver, northward of that 
 spur of the Rocky Mountains, which turns the course of the 
 Fraser southward, prove correct. It seems, therefore, likely 
 
Chap. VII. ROUTES TO THE INTERIOR. 151 
 
 that the line of route proposed by other adventurers, running 
 from Dean's Canal, in a north-easterly direction, to the 
 Nachuten Lakes, and along the river of the same name to 
 Fort Fraser, may bear off the palm, particularly if, as is very 
 probable, Stuart Kiver be found navigable for steamers from 
 that place to Fort George, where it meets the Fraser. 
 
 In the summer of 1859 Mr. Downie explored a still more 
 northward route from Fort Essington, by a river called by him 
 the Skena, but which must be the same as that known inland 
 as the Simpson or Babine, and which flows from Lake Babine. 
 This route is less direct than any of the others, and is so far 
 north as to be unavailable for the greater part of the year. 
 Mr. Downie's interesting account of this journey will be 
 found in the Appendix. It will be seen that he reports the 
 country through which he travelled to be auriferous, that he 
 found evidence of most extensive deposits of coal of a quality 
 superior to any specimen of that mineral which he had pre- 
 viously seen in British Columbia and Vancouver Island, and 
 that the land generally seemed excellent and well adapted for 
 agricultural purposes. 
 
 Forty miles north of Port Essington, and 240 from the 
 north end of Vancouver Island, Fort Simpson is reached, 
 winch is situated as nearly as possible upon the line of boun- 
 dary between Great Britain and Bussia. This post has been 
 established for many years, and is surrounded somewhat thickly 
 by Indians, among whom Mr. Duncan ; the missionary teacher, 
 of whose self-denying life and valuable labours I shall here- 
 after have occasion to speak at greater length, works with 
 such singular success. 
 
 From the 25th August to the 30th September we were 
 employed among the inner channels between Nanaimo and 
 Victoria, and in putting down a set of buoys on the sands at 
 the entrance of the Fraser Kiver. On the islands in these 
 inner channels there are now several agricultural settlements, 
 the principal one being on Admiral Island, an island fourteen 
 
152 COWITCHIN HARBOUR. * Chap. VII. 
 
 miles long by four or five wide, having two or three excellent 
 harbours, and containing much good land. On this island 
 there are saltsprings. 
 
 Admiral Island is next to Vancouver, from which it is 
 separated by a narrow strait, called Sausum Narrows, which 
 at its narrowest part is little more than half-a-mile wide. 
 
 Four miles west of the south part of Admiral Island, Cape 
 Keppel, is Cowitchin Harbour. As a harbour this is not 
 worth much ; but it will be of importance when the Cowitchin 
 Valley, which runs back from it, becomes settled. This 
 valley is the most extensive yet discovered on the island, 
 and is reported by the colonial officers who surveyed it to 
 contain 30,000 or 40,000 acres of good land. It is peopled 
 by the Cowitchin tribe of Indians, who, as I have mentioned, 
 are considered a badly-disposed set, and have shown no favour 
 to those settlers who have visited their valley. Although it 
 has been surveyed it cannot yet be settled, as the Indians 
 are unwilling to sell, still less to be ousted from their 
 land. Through this valley runs the Cowitchin River, which 
 comes from a large lake of the same name, and 24 miles 
 inland, and empties itself into the head of Cowitchin Har- 
 bour. It is navigable for several miles for canoes. Between 
 Cowitchin and Nanaimo there is a considerable quantity 
 of good land, which has been surveyed and is called the 
 Chemanos district. 
 
 Immediately south of Cowitchin Harbour is the Saanich 
 Inlet, a deep indentation running 14 miles in a south-south-east 
 direction, carrying deep water to its head, and terminating 
 in a narrow creek within four miles of Esquimalt Harbour. 
 This inlet forms a peninsula of the south-east portion of Van- 
 couver Island of about 20 miles in a north-north-west and south- 
 south-east direction, and varying in breadth from eight miles 
 at its southern part to three at its northern. On the southern 
 coast of this peninsula are the harbours of Esquimalt and 
 Victoria, in the neighbourhood of which for some five miles 
 
CHAr. VII. START FOR SAN FRANCISCO. 153 
 
 the country is pretty thickly wooded — its prevailing features 
 lake and mountain — with, however, some considerable tracts 
 of clear and fertile land. The northern portion for about 
 ten miles contains some of the best agricultural land in Van- 
 couver Island. The coast here, as everywhere else, is fringed 
 with pine ; but in the centre it is clear prairie or oak- land, 
 most of it now under cultivation. Seams of coal have also 
 been found here. On the eastern or peninsular side of the 
 inlet are some good anchorages, the centre being for the most 
 part deep. A mile and a half from the head of the inlet is a 
 large lake, called Langford Lake, which is very likely to be 
 called into requisition some day to supply the ships in Esqui- 
 mau Harbour, from which it is two miles and a half distant, 
 with water. Outside the Saanich peninsula is Cordova Chan- 
 nel, extending to Discovery Island, seven miles from Victoria. 
 Like all these inner passages, this one is quite safe for 
 steamers, but, from the varying currents, dangerous for sailing 
 vessels. As several farms have been established along the 
 shore of the island here, looking out on the Haro Strait, and 
 the land is much more clear than usual, this is one of the 
 prettiest parts of the island. 
 
 On the 30th September the Admiral (Sir R. L. Baynes, 
 K.C.B.), came on board, and we took him to Xanaimo and 
 Burrard Inlet, returning to Esquimalt on the 4th October. 
 From this time until the 28th we continued working north- 
 ward from Nanaimo, when, having been drenched to the skin 
 nearly every day for a month, the captain determined to close 
 the season's operations, and we made for Nanaimo. Here we 
 found — what was not unfrequently the case — that the Indians 
 were all more or less drunk, owing to a grand feast which had 
 been given by the chief of the tribe a few days before, and 
 that they would not get the coal out of the pit for us : we had, 
 therefore, to help ourselves. 
 
 On the 10th of February, 1860, having brought our winter 
 duties to an end, we started for San Francisco, and anchored 
 
154 SCARCITY OF TIMBER. Chap. VII. 
 
 that night in Neah Bay, of which I have spoken in describing 
 the Strait of Fuca. Next morning we proceeded out of the 
 Strait, passing several vessels on their way in. The sight of 
 these vessels could scarcely fail to remind us of the colony 
 which had sprung into existence since we had rounded Cape 
 Flattery and entered that Strait three years before, when we 
 might have steamed up and down it for a week without meet- 
 ing more than a few vessels, and those bound to American 
 ports. In the passage between San Francisco and Vancouver 
 Island there is nothing worthy of particular notice, except 
 the change from the everlasting pine-trees which fringe all 
 our shore, to the almost treeless coast of California. One 
 cannot help feeling that Nature has been unfair in its distri- 
 bution of timber in these regions. California, comparatively 
 speaking, may be said to have none, all their plank being 
 supplied from the saw-mills before spoken of as being at 
 work in Puget Sound and Admiralty Inlet. It was with 
 considerable difficulty and at great expense that they managed 
 to get sufficient wood to build a small steamer, ordered by the 
 Federal Government to be constructed at Mare Island, the 
 dockyard of San Francisco. The coast all the way down is 
 well lighted, but there are no good harbours ; San Fran- 
 cisco, indeed, is the only good one between the Strait of Fuca 
 and Acapulco, which is 1500 miles below it, on the coast of 
 Mexico, although there are several open anchorages. The 
 distance from Cape Flattery to the Golden Gate, as the 
 entrance of San Francisco harbour is called, is 700 miles, 
 and the mail-steamers make the passage generally in three 
 days and a half to five days. We, however, were under sail 
 much of our time, and did not make it until seven days 
 after leaving Esquimalt. On the morning of the 17th we 
 sighted the noble head, the name of which has been changed 
 from " Punta de Los Keyes " — the grand name the old 
 Spaniards had given it — to " Point Reyes " — and crossing 
 the bar, entered the harbour at four in the afternoon. 
 
Chap. VII. SAN FRANCISCO. 155 
 
 Nothing can be finer than the entrance to this magnificent 
 harbour ; and, considering also the country of which it is the 
 only port, its name of " Golden Gate " is very appropriate, 
 although the name was given to it long before the discovery 
 of gold in California. It had reference, no doubt, to the 
 beauty of the country generally, and to the golden appear- 
 ance it wears in spring, before the parching summer sun has 
 scorched its verdure. 
 
 Fifteen miles off the harbour is a group of rocky islands, 
 called the Farrallones, on the southern of which is a light- 
 house. Off the entrance of the harbour is the "Bar," on 
 which the surf is generally rough. This bar, however, serves 
 to let the mariner know he is off the entrance if he is trying 
 to make the harbour in a fog ; which, as they prevail con- 
 stantly from May till October, he is very likely to do. The 
 current in the entrance varies from two to five knots. There 
 are two lighthouses at the mouth of the harbour, and on the 
 hill above, on each side, is a telegraph-station. The constant 
 fogs make this of little use, as ships are always slipping in 
 and out without their arrival or departure being known. 
 When we went in H.M.S. < Hecate/ in October, 1861, nobody 
 knew anything of our arrival till some of the officers appeared 
 at the club. Generally speaking, how r ever, vessels arriving 
 are seen as they pass Alcatraz Island, which lies in the 
 middle of the harbour, and is a military station. Although 
 some attempt has been made to fortify San Francisco, it is 
 still very imperfect in this respect. The only defensive 
 works as yet existing are, a brick fort on the south side of 
 the entrance, intended to carry 140 guns, in three tiers of 
 casemates, and one tier en barbette. A battery, intended to 
 mount eleven heavy guns, is being constructed on the hill 
 above this fort. Alcatraz Island, in the middle of the 
 harbour, is partially fortified ; and as the guns on this island 
 are 150 feet above the sea, it would be an awkward place to 
 attack with ships. This island is about three miles and a half 
 
156 SAN FRANCISCO. Chap. VII. 
 
 from Fort Point ; it is a small place, about 550 yards long, 
 by 150 yards wide. Their guns are all en barbette, and number 
 about 100. There is no water on the island, and they have 
 to supply it from Saucelito Bay, five or six miles distant, and 
 keep it in a large tank, said to hold 50,000 gallons. 
 
 I had last visited San Francisco in 1849, when the gold- 
 fever was at its height, and there were only a dozen houses in 
 the place, the 5000 or 6000 inhabitants being scattered about 
 in tents. At that time the site of the present magnificent 
 city was a bare sand-hill. In those days the harbour was 
 filled with merchant-ships, as now ; but although they entered 
 in great numbers, few went out, both officers and men desert- 
 ing the ships for the diggings as soon as the anchors were let 
 go, and leaving their cargoes to be unloaded by others. Where 
 these vessels used then to be anchored fine streets have been 
 erected, for all the lower part of San Francisco is built out 
 over the harbour. Many accidents are constantly occurring 
 from the insecure way in which these streets are left. It is 
 dangerous to go down to the wharves after dark, from the 
 large holes left exposed, through which many poor fellows 
 have fallen and been killed. Constant actions are being 
 brought against the Town Council on this account. Greenhow, 
 the American historian, was killed by falling through one of 
 these places, and his widow brought, an action against the 
 Town Council, recovering the sum of 10,000 dollars for 
 her loss. 
 
 San Francisco has been twice burnt down in the twelve 
 years during which it has been in existence. These fires 
 have been most beneficial to the town, as most of the wooden 
 buildings which were destroyed have been replaced by very 
 fine brick ones. Montgomery Street, the principal thorough- 
 fare in the town, is now almost as fine a street as any European 
 capital can boast of; equal, indeed, in the size of the build- 
 ings and magnificence of the shops, to the best thoroughfares 
 of London. No city in the world has, I imagine, a history so 
 
Chap. VII. VIGILANCE COMMITTEE. 157 
 
 short and wonderful as San Francisco. In February, 1 849, 
 the population was about 2000 : in the middle of the same 
 year it had risen to 5000 ; while it is stated that from April, 
 1849, to January, 1850, nearly 40,000 emigrants arrived, of 
 which only 1500 were women. By the year 1860, the popula- 
 tion had risen to 66,000. In addition to these, thousands 
 went to the mines direct, many crossing the continent and 
 the Sierra Nevada, where hundreds left their bones to bleach 
 among the mountains. 
 
 Among the thousands who hurried to California from 
 every part of the world, it may be imagined there were many 
 of the very dregs of society. Convicted felons from our 
 penal colonies — every one, indeed, whose own country was 
 too hot for him, hastened hither. Murders, incendiarisms, 
 and every kind of crime were being daily perpetrated ; no 
 decent man dared to walk the streets after dark, and no 
 property was safe. Law there was not; and where two- 
 thirds of the population were scoundrels, it may be imagined 
 what class of public officials would be elected under the 
 system of universal suffrage. What, therefore, between the 
 weakness or partiality of the judges, the technicalities of 
 the law, the dishonesty of the juries, and the dread of 
 witnesses to tender their evidence, San Francisco, in 1851, 
 was suffering from anarchy unparalleled in modern history. 
 It was this social condition of the city that caused the 
 organisation of that most remarkable society, the " Vigilance 
 Committee," to which I have had occasion to allude in a 
 former chapter. 
 
 This association was formed in June, 1851, ."for the 
 protection of the lives and property of citizens resident in 
 the city of San Francisco." A council was appointed and 
 a place of meeting fixed, while the tolling of the bell of the 
 Monumental Fire Engine Company was the signal for 
 assembly. Although the "Vigilance Committee" has for 
 several years now allowed the law of the land to take its 
 
158 VIGILANCE COMMITTEE. Chap. VII. 
 
 course, it still exists, and is ready to assemble whenever the 
 signal may be given. " What has become of your Vigilance 
 Committee," I asked one of them when I was in San 
 Francisco in October last. " Toll the bell, Sir, and you will 
 see," was the reply. " Oh, then you are still under orders ? " 
 " Always ready at the signal, Sir. If it were now given, you 
 would see thousands at the meeting-place before the bell had 
 ceased to sound." 
 
 There is no doubt that this strange organisation exer- 
 cised, and still exercises, a most wholesome restraint over 
 a society that, but a few years since, elected a miner to 
 be chief judge of the State, and whose two principal judges 
 now go by the significant sobriquets of " Mammon " and 
 " Gammon." The first proceeding of the committee in the 
 summer of 1851 was to arrest, try, and hang four men, three 
 of whom confessed their crimes, while the fourth was, I 
 believe, undoubtedly guilty. The moral effect of this pro- 
 ceeding was wonderful. All the other towns, which were 
 rising all over the State, formed Vigilance Committees of 
 their own. Many known ruffians, whose crimes could not be 
 brought home to them, were ordered to leave the State; 
 while others were kept in surveillance, and reported from 
 Committee to Committee as they traversed the country. 
 For years after this California was almost free of crime. 
 Although by the greater number of the people the Vigilance 
 Committee was held in favour, the officials and some others 
 denounced it, and to this day stigmatise its existence as a 
 disgrace to California. These termed themselves the "Law 
 and Order " party ; but upon many occasions then weakness 
 to restrain the mixed and dangerous population of San 
 Francisco was made apparent. 
 
 I have entered more fully into the history of San Francisco 
 than I otherwise should have done, since I think a valuable 
 and fair comparison may be drawn between these scenes 
 and the peaceable course of British Columbia since the 
 
UNITED STATES DOCKYARD, MAIIE ISLAND, SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
Chap. VII. SECTIONAL DOCK. 159 
 
 discovery of gold there five years ago. The reader unac- 
 quainted with the past history of California, would scarcely 
 credit the fearful scenes through which she has reached her 
 present growth. 
 
 If San Francisco were the only city in California, its 
 dimensions would not, perhaps, be so surprising ; but it is 
 only one of many, almost as large and equally beautiful, in 
 the State. Sacramento, the seat of government, Stockton, 
 and others, vie with it in size, while Marysville, Benicia, Los 
 Angelos, &c, are far more beautifully situated. 
 
 After a few days' stay off San Francisco, we proceeded to 
 Mare Island, where the Government dockyard is established. 
 Mare Island is 23 miles from San Francisco, across San 
 Pablo Bay, and at the mouth of the Sacramento. Here we 
 were received by the American naval officers, and imme- 
 diately put on the dock. 
 
 It may be interesting to some of my readers if I here say 
 something of a Sectional Dock, such as that we were now 
 placed upon, and which, though generally used in America, 
 is very little known, and still less liked, in this country. In 
 a new country where there is plenty of timber, this kind of 
 dock has one great advantage, in its cheapness and facility 
 of construction, compared with the ordinary stone docks. But 
 in California, where, as I have before said, there is very little 
 timber, a stone dock might have been constructed almost as 
 cheaply. The dock of which I am speaking had to be built 
 at Pensacola, and then taken to pieces, and sent out to 
 California at an expense, I was there told, of about 70,000 
 dollars (15,000Z.) 
 
 The Sectional Dock is composed of a series of sections, or 
 iron tanks, each being fitted with a complete pumping- 
 apparatus, elevated on a framework 60 or 80 feet above 
 the top of the tank. These tanks are fitted with gates, 
 like the caissons used in English docks, so that they can 
 
160 SECTIONAL DOCK. Chap. VII. 
 
 be filled, sunk, or again pumped out at pleasure. A number 
 of these sections, varying according to the weight and 
 length of the ship to be lifted, are securely chained together, 
 and the whole is moored in water sufficiently deep to allow 
 of their being sunk beneath the vessel's keel. They are 
 generally kept level with the water's edge; but when a 
 vessel is to be docked, they are sunk low enough to allow 
 her to come over the blocks which are placed along the 
 centre. The vessel is then hauled over the blocks, the 
 pumps started, and, as she rises, shores from the sides of the 
 tanks, and from the frames of the pump-houses, are placed 
 under her and against her sides, and she is gradually raised 
 till her keel is out of the water. If proper care is taken, 
 these docks are quite safe, but the ship must be placed 
 cautiously on the blocks, or an accident is very likely to 
 happen. In 1860 H.M.S. ' Termagant' was allowed to fall 
 over in this dock, and was for some time in great danger. 
 Her stern was allowed to rest on the edge of one of the 
 sections, which, as her weight came upon it, rose up and 
 turned over. This canted the ship, and she fell with her 
 masts against the pump-houses. Fortunately she had only 
 been raised a little way; had she been further out of the 
 water, she would probably have broken down the pump- 
 houses, and very likely sunk. One advantage possessed, by 
 these docks is, that the ship being, as it were, raised into 
 the air, there is better light for working at her bottom than 
 in a stone dock. 
 
 While at San Francisco we had, of course, many oppor- 
 tunities of remarking those peculiar habits of manner and 
 phraseology indulged in by the Americans. At Victoria, 
 peopled as it is by Americans, we had been made familiar 
 with them ; but here they were more commonly and glaringly 
 used. Certainly, they justify anything that Mr. Dickens 
 or other English satirists have written of them. Americans 
 
Chap. VII. AMERICAN PHRASEOLOGY. 161 
 
 all say — not, however, with perfect truth — that these eccen- 
 tricities belong only to the lower orders of society. I have 
 the pleasure of knowing both American gentlemen and ladies 
 quite free from their use ; but still I have met many others, 
 holding good positions in society, thoroughly " Yankee " in 
 tone and expression. These Americanisms must lose much 
 of their ludicrous effect by being written, as it is impossible 
 to give the tone and peculiar emphasis of the speaker. Words 
 are often used by them to convey a sense entirely different 
 to that which we apply to them. Thus, " I'll happen in 
 directly " is considered rather a good expression for a contem- 
 plated visit. So, " clever " doe3 not imply any talent in the 
 individual of whom it is spoken, but is said of a good-natured, 
 gentlemanly man generally ; while " smart " answers for our 
 " clever." Speaking to an American naval officer, just 
 before leaving Victoria for San Francisco, he said, "Well, 
 sir, " I guess you'll have quite an elegant time down there. 
 Elegant place, sir, San Francisco." A very pretty young 
 lady, living in Puget Sound, and happening to be on board 
 the 'Plumper,' said to one of the officers: "Well, sir, if you 
 come over to Steilacoom, I guess you shall have a tall horse- 
 back ride ;" by which form of expression she meant to imply, 
 not that the horse should be longer in the legs than is usual, 
 but that care should be taken that the ride should be more 
 than ordinarily agreeable. In a book on Americanisms, pub- 
 lished last year, a Baltimore young lady is represented as 
 jumping up from her seat on being asked to dance, and 
 saying, " Yes, sirree ; for I have sot, and sot, and sot, till I've 
 nigh tuk root ! " I cannot say I have heard anything quite 
 equal to this ; but I very well remember that at a party 
 given on board one of the ships at Esquimalt, a young lady 
 declined to dance a "fancy" dance, upon the plea, "I'd 
 rather not, sir ; I guess I'm not fixed up for waltzing ;" — an 
 expression the particular meaning of which must be left to 
 readers of her own sex to decide. An English young lady, 
 
 M 
 
162 AMERICAN PHRASEOLOGY. Chai>. VII. 
 
 who was staying at one of the houses at Mare Island, when 
 we were there, happened one evening, when we were visiting 
 her friends, to be confined to her room with a headache. 
 Upon our arrival, the young daughter of our host — a girl of 
 about twelve — went up to her to try to persuade her to come 
 down. " Well," she said, " I'm real sorry you're so poorly. 
 You'd better come, for there are some almighty swells down 
 there ! " A lady, speaking of the same person, said, " Her 
 hair, sir, took my fancy right away ! " Again, several of 
 us were one day talking to a tall, slight young lady about the 
 then new-fashioned crinoline which she was wearing. After 
 a little banter, she said, " I guess, Captain, if you were to 
 take my hoops off, you might draw me through the eye of a 
 needle ! " 
 
 Perhaps one of the most whimsical of these curiosities of 
 expression, combining freedom of manner with that of speech, 
 was made use of to Captain Eichards by a master-caulker. 
 He had been vainly endeavouring to persuade the Captain 
 that the ship required caulking, and at last he said in disgust, 
 " You may be liberal as a private citizen, Captain, but you're 
 mean to an almighty pump-tack ! " — in his official capacity, of 
 course. Again, an American gentleman on board one of our 
 mail packets was trying to recall to the recollection of the 
 mail agent a lady who had been fellow-passenger with them 
 on a former occasion. " She sat opposite you at table all the 
 voyage," he said. " Oh, I think I remember her ; she ate a 
 great deal, did she not ? " " Eat, sir ! " was the reply, " she 
 was a perfect gastronomic filibuster ! " One more example, 
 and I have done with a subject upon which I might enlarge 
 for pages. The boys at the school at Victoria were being 
 examined in Scripture, and the question was asked, "In 
 what way did Hiram assist Solomon in the building of the 
 Temple ? " It passed two or three boys, when at last one 
 sharp little fellow triumphantly exclaimed, "Please, sir, he 
 donated him the lumber." 
 
Chap. VII. HABITS OF DRINKING. 163 
 
 Hardly less remarkable than their peculiarities of language 
 is their habit of taking drinks with remarkable names from 
 morning till night. No bargain can be made, no friend- 
 ship cemented — in fact, no meeting can take place — without 
 " liquoring up." The morning is commenced with a brandy, 
 or champagne, cocktail, not unfrequently taken in bed. 
 This is continued, at short intervals, until bedtime again, 
 and no excuse will avail you unless you can say you are a 
 " dashaway," which is their name for a total abstainer. This 
 habit, I must say, does not extend so high in the social scale 
 as the other ; it is, however, the great social failing of the 
 Western States. 
 
 The repairs of the slnp were finished, and on the 9th March 
 we left San Francisco to return to our work ; little thinking 
 that in scarcely more than a year we should revisit it again 
 with another ship in a worse state than we had brought the 
 ' Plumper.' 
 
 M 
 
164 DIFFICULTIES IN PURCHASING Chap. VIII. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Johnstone Strait — The North-East ofVancouver Isl an d — Fort Rupert and 
 Queen Charlotte Sound. 
 
 On the 5th of April we left Esquimalt to commence the sum- 
 mer work, and proceeded to Nanaimo to fill up with coal. 
 On our way we stopped at the northern settlement on Admiral 
 Island, as it had been reported that some Indians had been 
 troublesome there. We found, however, that the Indians 
 had done nothing more than tell the settlers occasionally, as 
 Indians do everywhere, that they (the whites) had no busi- 
 ness there except as their guests, and that all the land be- 
 longed to them. At the Ganges Harbour settlement some 
 of the black settlers had been robbed by them. The Indians 
 always stedfastly refused to regard black men as entitled to 
 any of the respect claimed by and shown to the whites. They 
 also entertain the same feeling with regard to the Chinese. I 
 remember an Indian once asking me about them, and saying, 
 " Wake, wake ! " (" No, no ! " ), most decidedly, when I told 
 him they were " earqua King George men " (" the same as 
 Englishmen " ). 
 
 It appeared to be most desirable here, as at other places, 
 that the Indians should be duly paid for their land. This is 
 not so simple as it may seem, however, even supposing the 
 money necessary for such a purpose to be forthcoming. In 
 New Zealand the Government spent many thousand pounds 
 purchasing the land, appointing agents, commissioners, &c, 
 and something of the same is no doubt as necessary here. 
 Vancouver Island, however, has no revenue available or suffi- 
 cient for such a purpose, and of course the revenue of British 
 Columbia cannot, while the two colonies are distinct, be 
 applied to it. Another difficulty would be found in the con- 
 
Chap. VIIT. LAND FROM THE INDIANS. 165 
 
 flicting claims of the various tribes, arising from their habits 
 of polygamy and inheritance from the female side, together 
 with the absence of any documentary or satisfactory evidence 
 of title. 
 
 If, therefore, any one chief or tribe were paid for a piece 
 of land without the acknowledgment on the part of adjacent 
 tribes of the vendor's right to the land sold, five or six other 
 claimants would in all probability come forward asserting the 
 land to be theirs, and founding their title to it upon some 
 intermarriage of its former possessors. The difficulties aris- 
 ing from the Indian custom of descent from the female side 
 are most perplexing. Mr. Weynton, of the Hudson Bay 
 Company, who resided some years at Fort Rupert, told me 
 he had known, on the death of a chief, a man from quite 
 another tribe step in and take the chieftainship, without, so 
 far as he could ascertain, any close connection with the tribe 
 he claimed to rule. Admiral Island, for instance, of which 
 I am now speaking, would, in all probability, be claimed by 
 no less than four tribes, viz., the Cowitchin, the^Penalikut- 
 son, a small tribe living among these islands, the Nanaimos, 
 and Saanitch Indians. On the occasion of our present visit, 
 the settlers, in reference to this subject, said the Indians had 
 never been there before, and that they had established a 
 village there for the sole purpose of asserting their claim to 
 compensation for the land. Upon our telling one of them 
 this, he pointed to a small stump by which we were stand- 
 ing, and said it marked his father's grave, where he had 
 buried him three years ago — long before any white settler 
 came to the place. 
 
 From Nanaimo we went to the Qualicome River, from 
 which a trail leads across the island to the head of the Alberni 
 Canal, which runs up from Barclay Sound on the west coast. 
 Between Nanaimo and Qualicome, and twenty miles from 
 the former, is the magnificent harbour of Nanoose. The 
 Nanoose district, as the neighbourhood of this harbour is 
 
106 JOURNEYS FROM ALBERNI TO NANAIMO. Chap. VIII. 
 
 called, contains a considerable quantity of very good land. 
 In the course of a journey I made in the following year from 
 the Alberni settlement to Nanaimo, I passed over this dis- 
 trict, and found a large quantity of land well adapted for 
 settlement. Some parts of it are rather light and stony, and 
 there are a few swamps ; but the greater portion is rich black 
 vegetable mould, lightly timbered, and well watered by the 
 Nanoose Elver, which runs into the harbour, and by several 
 smaller streams. From Qualicome to Alberni the distance 
 in a straight line is only twelve miles, this being the nar- 
 rowest part of the island, except at the very northern end, 
 where Quatsinough Inlet runs in from the west side to within 
 seven miles of Beaver harbour on the east, in which Fort 
 Rupert is situated. 
 
 In the year 1859 Captain Richards crossed the island from 
 Qualicome to Alberni, before the settlement at the latter 
 place was established, in company with one of the Hudson 
 Bay Company's agents, who goes there every year to pur- 
 chase sea-otter skins, &c, from the natives of the west side. 
 He found that, after ascending the Qualicome River for 
 some four or five miles and crossing a ridge 600 or 800 
 feet high, they came to a lake six miles long, called 
 Home Lake. This they crossed in a canoe which the 
 Indians kept there on purpose for Mr. Home, the Hudson 
 Bay Company's agent, to make his annual trip in, and theu, 
 ascending the ridge at its western end, they looked down on 
 the Alberni Canal five miles off. The ridge to the summit 
 of which they ascended has since been named " Steep Ridge." 
 It lies across the head of the Alberni, and the ascent from 
 Home Lake to its summit was so steep that Captain Richards 
 was convinced that, however well it might answer as a trail 
 for foot-travellers, it could never be used as a roadway. In 
 the summer following that of which I am now writing, and 
 two years after Captain Richards had examined this route, 
 we happened to be engaged in surveying Barclay Sound and 
 
Chap. VIII. DILATORINESS OF INDIANS IN STARTING. 167 
 
 the Alberni Canal. The Governor having expressed a great 
 desire to find a way of connecting the settlement then 
 becoming established at Alberni with Nanaimo, by crossing 
 the mainland instead of sailing round the island, I was 
 instructed by Captain Eichards to ascertain whether a way 
 existed across the island to Nanaimo by a valley that 
 seemed to be more favourable for the purpose than that 
 which he had previously traversed from Home Lake. Al- 
 though, as I have said, this journey did not take place till a 
 year after the period of which I am now writing, it will 
 perhaps be desirable to describe it here, since it relates to 
 the part of the island now under consideration. 
 
 On the 29th April, 1861, therefore, having made all neces- 
 sary arrangements, we left the settlement at Alberni to make 
 our way to Nanaimo, a distance as the crow flies of about 40 
 miles. Our party consisted of six Somass Indians, Mr. Bamfield, 
 the Indian agent at Barclay Sound, and one Koyal Marine 
 from H.M.S. ' Hecate." I have before spoken of the difficulty 
 of effecting a start with Indians, and on this occasion more 
 than ordinary trouble was experienced. It was still early 
 spring, so that while the Indian's winter stock of provisions 
 was exhausted, the berries upon which he relied for sub- 
 sistence were not yet in season ; and they were living from 
 hand to mouth on what they could shoot and their daily haul 
 of fish. The consequence of this was, that before I could 
 induce any of the Indians to accompany us, I had to make 
 arrangements for the provisioning of their wives during their 
 absence, and to give an undertaking that Captain Stamp, the 
 gentleman in charge of the saw-mills, would see to their being 
 provided with food if our journey to Nanaimo and back should 
 chance to exceed the estimated time. I refused on this occa- 
 sion to recognise more than one wife to each of the Indian 
 guides, although I was aware that some had more ; but even 
 this arrangement — which is, however, absolutely necessary — 
 adds much to the expense and trouble of such journeys. 
 
168 DILATORINESS OF INDIANS IN STARTING. Chap. VIII. 
 
 After everything lias been settled, farewells said, and the 
 packs distributed and arranged — always a matter of much 
 consideration — the mere process of getting under weigh will 
 often occupy two or three hours. First, one fellow will make 
 the discovery that he is not provided with " scaarlux " 
 (breeches), and that he will be torn by the bushes. His 
 want met, another will plead the need of mocassins, and 
 although it is pretty certain he will make no use of them, 
 a pair of shoes has to be found for him somehow. Powder 
 and shot will next be applied for, and matches must be 
 served out all round. When at last stirred by the strongest 
 expressions of which the Chinook vocabulary is capable, 
 some sort of a start is made, the leader will find that his 
 mocassins are imperfectly laced, or his pack not perfectly 
 balanced, or, if he happens to have his shoes on, he decides 
 to take them off. Down he squats, the whole party follow- 
 ing his example, and when you overtake them, you find them 
 a few hundred yards from the starting-place, seated in a row, 
 talking with the utmost animation and unconcern of the 
 journey before them. Time, of course, they set no value on, 
 and it is a great thing to get two or three miles of a journey 
 over in the first day, or even to camp for the night at a suffi- 
 cient distance from their village. The starting over, how- 
 ever, and once fairly in the bush, all goes well enough. 
 
 Upon this occasion, however, our difficulties did not end 
 with the first night's camping, for our journey lay through a 
 country over which none of the Indians had ever travelled. 
 After their fashion, therefore, they declared it to be impene- 
 trable, and but for one old hunter, who supported and 
 expressed a determination to follow me, I do not think I 
 should have induced them to remain with me. As it was we 
 had not proceeded far on the second day's journey when one 
 of the Indians complained of being ill, and desired to return. 
 He was evidently ill, but it would never have done to have 
 allowed one of them to turn back just then, so I proceeded to 
 
Chap. VIII. AN ELK SHOT. 169 
 
 abuse him to the full extent of my knowledge of Chinook, 
 upbraiding him with being " carqua klootcluman," — " like a 
 woman," — and finally dismissing him with a note of explanation 
 to Captain Stamp, in which I said that I was sorry he should 
 have sent a woman instead of a man with me. I took care 
 to read this note out aloud, and it had the desired effect of 
 making him ashamed, and the others laugh ; whereupon the 
 sick man shouldered his load and completed the journey 
 without another word of complaint. 
 
 By noon of tins day (30th) we had crossed the steep ridge 
 which lies across the head of the canal, by a path much lower 
 than that which Captain Kichards had taken coming from 
 Home Lake. The ascent, indeed, was so gradual as to offer 
 no obstacle to the construction of a road. Having descended 
 by the other side, which was somewhat steeper, we came upon 
 a beautiful stream, 40 or 50 yards wide, running to the north- 
 ward. Following this stream, we fell across some herds of elk 
 (wapiti), one of which I fortunately brought down, after my 
 head Indian had made two or three unsuccessful shots. I say 
 fortunately, for nothing raises a stranger more in the estima- 
 tion of the Indians than skill with the rifle ; and as I managed 
 next day to shoot two deer through the head, it raised their 
 opinion of me immensely, and made them follow my instruc- 
 tions much more readily than they might otherwise have 
 done. It would astonish one unacquainted with Indians on a 
 campaign like this, to note the expedition with which an 
 elk, larger than a cow, is reduced to a skeleton. As 
 I have before mentioned, a quarter of an hour suffices to 
 accomplish this result, including the process even of turn- 
 ing its skin into mocassins. The prime cuts — those along 
 each side of the saddle, and affording two strips of meat 
 five or six feet long, and four inches thick, belonging of right 
 to me as the leader of the party — were sewn up in a piece of 
 the elk's skin and slung on the chief Indian's pack. The 
 rest of the deer's flesh was then divided, and its skin laced on 
 
170 A FORTUNATE ESCAPE. Chap. VIII. 
 
 to their feet, in the way I have before described, with extra- 
 ordinary despatch. 
 
 After another hour's walk we halted under a large tree to 
 smoke a pipe, before crossing a piece of swamp which lay 
 just ahead of us. I had leant my gun against a tree — I 
 carried it myself just then, in the hope of getting another 
 shot at an elk — and was striking a match, when I saw the old 
 hunter leap up with an abrupt ejaculation, and commence 
 tearing the cover off his gun in great haste. Seizing mine, 
 and looking about to see what was the matter, a large black 
 bear jumped down from the tree under which we had been sit- 
 ting, and made off with all speed into the bush. With my gun 
 to my shoulder I swung round upon my heel after him, when 
 Mr. Bamfield, in his eagerness to get a shot at the bear, 
 starting up, placed his head within a few inches of the muzzle 
 of my weapon, and nothing but a sharp instinctive jerk which 
 I gave it upward prevented his receiving the contents of the 
 barrel. It was a fortunate escape for him, for me, and for the 
 bear, who, in the confusion which followed, made his escape, 
 much to the disappointment of the Indians, who prefer bear- 
 meat to elk at this season, and would have thrown away their 
 stock of venison for it. Proceeding, we soon came to a small 
 lake about three miles long, of the existence of which no one 
 of the Indians had any idea. As we had been on low land, 
 or through thick wood all the w r ay, I was rather puzzled to 
 make out whereabouts Mount Arrowsmith, the position of 
 which was well determined in our charts, was, and somewhat 
 inadvisedly invited a discussion of the question before the 
 Indians. I had all along been steering by a pocket-compass, 
 which the Indians looked upon with great awe, and which I 
 insisted, whenever I found them wavering, showed me the 
 way to Nanaimo. My doubts as to the whereabouts of Mount 
 Arrowsmith were therefore an admission of ignorance which it 
 was rash of me to make ; for one curious, observant old fellow, 
 whom we had christened Wat Tyler, from a likeness he bore 
 
Chap. VIII. REACH NANAIMO. 171 
 
 to Mr. Bamfield's ideal of that personage, immediately pro- 
 pounded the troublesome problem — " If the compass showed 
 me the way to Nanaimo, why did it not show me where the 
 mountain was?" I had to explain that the compass, being 
 bound for Nanaimo, declined to trouble itself with any other 
 consideration. 
 
 We walked along the beach for about half the length 
 of the lake, when the Indians proposed making a raft to 
 continue our journey on. As it was near camping-time, and 
 I did not know how much farther the lake extended, we 
 halted and commenced making the raft to proceed upon 
 next morning. It proved fortunate that we did so, as it 
 saved us a scramble over steep rocks, and round one or two 
 points which would have proved by no means easy or pleasant 
 travelling. 
 
 At the east end of the lake, which was not more than three 
 miles and a half long, and which we reached after a wet, cold 
 journey on the raft we had constructed during the night, we 
 found another considerable river running to the northward 
 through the gorge, up which a road could be carried with no 
 great difficulty. We did not follow this stream, but crossed 
 the ridge on the right of it, and descended on its north side, 
 the Gulf of Georgia opening before us. This was the 1st of 
 May, and from that till the afternoon of the 3rd, having 
 crossed to the east coast of the island, we passed over land 
 most of which would be admirably adapted for settlement, 
 quite equal, indeed, to the already settled Saanitch district, 
 although not so good, perhaps, as some other parts of the 
 island, particularly at Komoux, of which I shall have to speak 
 presently. Most of it was level, and lightly timbered; in 
 some parts, indeed, the soil was light and swampy, but, as a 
 rule, it was a dark, rich vegetable mould. It will be remem- 
 bered that I am speaking now of the east coast of the island 
 between Qualicome and Nanoose. On the 3rd, at 1 p.m., 
 we made the sea, a few miles from Nanoose Harbour, and, 
 
172 RETURN TO ALBERNI. Chap. VIII. 
 
 skirting it, held directly for Nanaimo, which we reached next 
 day at 5 p.m. 
 
 The Nanaimo people were very much surprised at our 
 appearance, and delighted to hear so good a report of the 
 way we had travelled by. We remained there till the 7th, 
 on which day we set out on our return journey to Alberni. 
 Three of the Indians who had accompanied me suffered so 
 much from swollen feet and legs that I was obliged to leave 
 them behind, finding, luckily, as many Nanaimos willing to 
 take their place. I intended to return by an entirely different 
 route to that which we had taken in coming, and accordingly 
 pushed inland at once from Nanaimo, keeping behind Nanoose 
 Harbour altogether. We found a great deal of excellent 
 land in the valley of the Nanoose Kiver, which flows from the 
 southward into the head of Nanoose Harbour ; so that I am 
 able to affirm that the whole country between the QuaKcome 
 River and Nanaimo is fair, and in parts excellent. At 
 Nanoose we nearly struck our old route, and having found 
 that Mounts Arrowsmith and Moriarty, that lay before us, 
 and between which I had hoped to pass, were united by a 
 high, snow-covered ridge, held for the lake, recrossed it by 
 means of the raft, which we found where it had been left, and 
 reached the settlement at Alberni at ten in the morning of 
 the 12th May. 
 
 Though the difficulties of making a road across the island 
 were not insuperable, or even great, yet the Governor was 
 disappointed at those which I reported to exist, he having 
 been under the impression that there was little to prevent a 
 waggon-road being at once laid down. This, however, will 
 seldom be found practicable in this country. I think I am 
 safe in asserting that road-making is the hardest and most 
 expensive work in the colony ; for when there are not hills 
 to be scaled, there are woods and swamps to cross ; and where 
 these are wanting, rapid rivers and streams will be found 
 that require bridging. As yet no road has been constructed 
 
Chap. VIII. COURTENAY RIVER. 173 
 
 even between Victoria and Nanainio, the main obstacle to 
 which is the lack of money in the colonial treasury.* When 
 this is done we may hope for communication across the island 
 to the Alberni, which I think should be carried up from that 
 place through the Nanoose Valley, and then along the coast, 
 a branch turning into Cameron Lake and Alberni, and the 
 main road continuing up the east side of the island to 
 Comax, Salmon Eiver, Beaver Cove, and Fort Rupert — 
 in all of which districts there is much good land, of 
 which I shall presently speak. Let us now, however, return 
 to the ' Plumper,' and accompany her from Qualicome, 
 where we left her at anchor. On the 13th April we 
 weighed, and steamed up Baynes Sound, between Deninan 
 Island and Vancouver, anchoring in Henry Bay, at the north 
 end of the former. From this place our party pushed on to 
 Cape Mudge, at the south end of Discovery Passage, to 
 prepare the way for the ship ; while Dr. Wood and I 
 went to examine the land about the Courtenay Eiver, winch 
 empties itself into the head of Baynes Sound. This portion 
 of the island, which is known as the Komoux, or Comax 
 district, had been partially examined before ; but although we 
 had been informed that there was some fine land there, the 
 extent and beauty of what we saw quite surprised us, and we 
 both agreed this was the most promising spot for an agricul- 
 tural settlement we had yet seen on the island. 
 
 The Courtenay Kiver runs into Augusta Bay, at the head 
 of Baynes Sound, and here we found what is of the utmost 
 importance in prospecting for a settlement, viz., good and 
 safe anchorage for ships of almost any size. At the rivers' 
 mouths are sands, which dry off to some considerable distance, 
 and in winter are covered with flocks of ducks, geese, and 
 other wild fowl. The stream for about a mile is perfectly 
 
 * Since writing the above a bill has been brought before the House of 
 Assembly for the construction of a road between these places ; the bill was 
 most unwisely, rejected, and one for a mule-trail granted. 
 
174 COURTENAY RIVER. Chap. VIII. 
 
 navigable for large boats at high-water, or even for small 
 stern-wheel steamers ; although the land on the left bank 
 being quite clear and level from outside the river's mouth, 
 it is unnecessary to have steamers, or even bateaux there. 
 At the point where it becomes unnavigable, the Courte- 
 nay — which as far as we examined runs nearly parallel with 
 the coast — is joined by a river, called by the natives the 
 " Puntluch," which flows from the south-west through a deep 
 valley, and probably takes its rise in the great central lake, 
 from which the Somass Eiver runs down on the west side 
 of the island into the Alberni Canal. We did not go up this 
 stream, the Indians reporting that there was no good land 
 upon its banks, and that the bush was very thick. Landing 
 from the canoe just above the Forks of the Puntluch and 
 Courtenay (or Tzo-o-oom, as the Indians call it) Rivers, and on 
 the left bank of the latter, we found ourselves in the middle 
 of a large prairie, which we discovered continued in a north- 
 westerly direction, or parallel with the coast, for eight or ten 
 miles. The Courtenay flows nearly through the centre of 
 this, and there are one or two smaller streams, which water 
 the whole abundantly. The ground slopes upwards from the 
 river on both sides, so as to prevent the possibility of over- 
 flow to any extent. The whole of this prairie is bounded by 
 dense wood, forming a sheltering coast-fringe on the east, and 
 affording plenty of timber on all sides (except towards the 
 entrance from Baynes Sound) for building, burning, &c. It 
 took us a day and a half to walk over this land, through 
 which a plough might be driven from end to end. We tried 
 to penetrate the forest at the northern end, in hopes of 
 finding some more clear land beyond, but the Indians said 
 they did not know of any in that direction ; and as our time 
 was limited, we retraced our steps. I have no doubt, how" 
 ever, but more good land will be found to lie between this 
 point and the valley of the Salmon River, which is 60 miles 
 north of it. The Indians at Salmon River told us that thev 
 
Chap. VIII. KOMAN CATHOLIC PEIERTS. 175 
 
 could go by land from there to Komoux in a day and a half ; 
 and this, if true, proves that the bush cannot be very thick. 
 We found the 'ground on the west bank of the Courtenay 
 nearly as good as that on the east. The soil, indeed, appeared 
 quite equal to it, but it is not so level. We estimated the 
 clear land here altogether at 7000 or 8000 acres. The 
 Indians told us that a great many blankets would be wanted 
 for the purchase of this tract, as all the neighbouring tribes 
 resorted there in the summer-time to collect berries, shoot 
 deer, catch fish, &c, all of winch were found in large quan- 
 tities. Indeed, they showed some reluctance at taking us 
 over it, feeling sure, no doubt, that we should desire to 
 possess it when its qualities became known. Eejoining .the 
 ship after two days' absence, on the 20th we started for a 
 small harbour inside Cape Mudge, whence to commence 
 surveying operations up the Strait. While in Henry Bay we 
 witnessed the arrival of some Koman Catholic priests, which 
 caused the greatest excitement among the natives. They 
 were scattered in all directions, fishing, &c. — many on board 
 and around the ship — when a canoe, with two large banners 
 flying, appeared in sight. Immediately a shout was raised of 
 " Le Pr£tre ! Le Pretre ! " and they all paddled on shore as fast 
 as they could to meet them. There were two priests in the 
 canoe, and in this way they travelled, visiting in turn every 
 village on the coast. A fortnight afterwards, when I was in 
 Johnstone Strait with a boat-party, I met them again. It 
 was a pouring wet day, cold, and blowing hard, and they were 
 apparently very lightly clothed, huddling in the bottom of 
 their canoe, the Indians paddling laboriously against wind 
 and tide to reach a village by night, and the sea washing- 
 over them, drenching them to the skin. I never saw men 
 look in a more pitiable plight. They had a little map 
 with them, and asked me to show them where they were, of 
 which they appeared to have a very hazy idea. One of their 
 men had shot a deer, which they were delighted to exchange 
 
176 CAPE MUDGE — SEYMOUR NARROWS. Chap, VIII. 
 
 for some biscuit, of which they had run very short. Certainly if 
 misery on this earth will be compensated for hereafter, those 
 two priests were laying in a plentiful stock of happiness. 
 
 The Koman Catholic clergy located in these parts are 
 mostly Frenchmen. They are energetic, clever men — of no 
 very high extraction or type, perhaps — and work under the 
 direction of M. Demers, the Eoman Catholic Bishop of 
 Victoria. They are thorough masters of Chinook, have 
 the art of making themselves understood and feared by the 
 Indians, and undoubtedly possess considerable influence over 
 them. 
 
 Coming out at the north end of Baynes Sound, and round- 
 ing Cape Lazo, Cape Mudge — so named by Vancouver, after 
 his lieutenant, the late Admiral Zachariah Mudge — appears 
 like an island in the middle of the Gulf, presenting a high, 
 steep face to the southward; though as it is approached, 
 shoals will be found extending from it a long way. This 
 part of the Gulf of Georgia forms a sort of playground for 
 the waters, in which they frolic, utterly regardless of all tidal 
 rules. This is caused by the collision of the streams which 
 takes place here ; the flood-stream from the south, through 
 the Strait of Fuca, and up the Haro Archipelago, being met 
 by that from Queen Charlotte Sound and Johnstone and 
 Discovery Straits. The tide-rips caused by the conflict 
 between these opponent streams are excessively dangerous 
 to boats, and great care has to be exercised in crossing. 
 These tide-rips exist to some extent in all parts of these 
 inner waters, but they are certainly more dangerous here than 
 anywhere else. A boat getting into them is almost certain 
 to be swamped ; aud even a ship is so twisted and twirled 
 about as to run considerable risk, if the passage is at all 
 narrow, of being forced on the rocks or beach. 
 
 Fifteen miles above Cape Mudge, Seymour Narrows, at the 
 south end of Discovery Strait, are reached. These narrows 
 are only 900 yards wide, and as the stream turns almost 
 
Chap. VIII. RAPID AND UNCERTAIN CURRENTS. 177 
 
 instantaneously in them, there is an incessant turmoil and 
 bubble going on. On the Monday after we moved from Baynes 
 Sound to Quathiosky Cove, just inside Cape Mudge, Pender 
 and I started for these narrows. I had to stop at them while 
 he was going further on for a distance of 40 or 50 miles. We 
 pulled up to them with the young ebb : my boat keeping close 
 inshore to prevent its being carried through ; Pender in the 
 mid-stream. As we approached we watched his boat quicken- 
 ing her pace every second. When close to the entrance we 
 shot into a little pool of still water, and jumping on a rock I 
 was just in time to see him shoot through at a tremendous 
 speed, laying on his oars, for they were quite useless, and 
 flying up the Strait. In about an hour from the time we 
 parted he had reached Point Chatham,*about 15 miles up. 
 This is very well so long as a boat is going with the stream, 
 but when working against it it is not so pleasant, particu- 
 larly if, as frequently happens, a strong wind is blowing with 
 the current. For, as the mountains are mostly very high on 
 each side and the Strait nowhere more than two miles wide, 
 the wind blows up and down it with great force. 
 
 It would be tedious both to myself and to my reader to give 
 a detailed description of the numerous islands and passages 
 between Cape Mudge and the north end of the island. I will 
 therefore only speak of the few places that are or seem 
 likely to become of importance to the colony. I may say 
 generally that the passage of the Strait is 140 miles long, 
 and averages one mile and a half in width : its average 
 depth is about 100 fathoms, and there are plenty of anchor- 
 ages on both sides. For sailing-vessels the rapid and 
 uncertain currents must always make the navigation some- 
 what dangerous, although Vancouver managed seventy years 
 ago to get the old * Discovery ' and ' Chatham ' through. 
 For steamers capable of going seven or eight knots it is safe 
 enough, though a stranger would probably feel a little nervous 
 
 N 
 
178 NUMBERS OF ELK. Chap. YIII. 
 
 at finding his vessel twisted round and round against her 
 helm, and apparently running full tilt at the steep trap cliffs 
 which line it, until an opposite eddy catches and preserves her, 
 or forces her in the same fashion on to the other shore. 
 
 Fifteen miles above Seymour Narrows is Point Chatham. 
 Here the channel divides : the western one, Johnstone 
 Strait, leading up to Kupert ; the eastern, Nodales Channel, 
 flowing between the islands towards Bute and Lough- 
 borough Inlets. Five-and-twenty miles above this again is 
 Salmon Bay and Kiver, in the vicinity of which I believe 
 there is some good land, and from which, as I have said, the 
 Indians assert that they can go direct to Komoux. Ten 
 miles above Salmon Biver is Port Neville, a long harbour 
 in which is capital anchorage, and beyond the head of which 
 we were told were some large lakes. We had a most fortu- 
 nate escape of running on a pinnacle in the entrance of this 
 harbour. The harbour had been examined carefully before 
 we went there ; but the existence of this rock was not dis- 
 covered. As we went in we must have gone within a few 
 € yards of it without knowing anything about it, and on coming 
 out we passed it so closely as to be able to see it distinctly 
 from the deck. After a few years in a surveying ship, how- 
 ever, you get quite used to this sort of escape. 
 
 Five or six miles above Port Neville, on the opposite side, 
 is Adam's Biver, a stream of considerable size, flowing through 
 a large valley, which looks as though it had some good land 
 in it. Twenty miles above Adam's Biver is Beaver Cove, 
 called by the natives Quarkese. There is some beautiful 
 land a mile or so in from the harbour, and large numbers 
 of elk are to be found : Mr. Weynton told me that he had 
 seen thirty or forty in a day, and shot a large number. Close 
 above this again is the Nimpkish Biver, with the village 
 of the Nimpkish Indians on its north bank. This village 
 presents exactly the same appearance now as it did in 1792, 
 
Chap. YIII. MR. MOFFAT'S JOURNAL. 179 
 
 when Vancouver made that sketch of it which is given in his 
 Voyages. The river flows from a large lake in the centre of 
 the island. There is an Indian trail from Nimpkish to Nootka, 
 by which Mr. Moffat, one of the Hudson Bay Company's 
 officers, crossed in 1852. As Mr. Moffat is the only white 
 man who has ever travelled by this route, and as his explora- 
 tions nearly meet those of Captain Eichards and myself in 
 the southern part of the island, I will here introduce some 
 extracts from his Journal : — 
 
 Leaving the mouth of the Nimpkish River at daybreak of 
 July 2, 1852, in a canoe with six Indians, he reached the fishing- 
 village at the entrance of the lake at nine o'clock, and entered 
 it at ten. The Indian name of the lake is 'Tsllettle ; but he 
 afterwards called it the Nimpkish Lake, by which name it is 
 now generally known. "The shores on either side at this 
 (north-east) end," writes Mr. Moffat, "rise perpendicularly 
 from the water's edge to the height of some 1500 or 1600 feet, 
 and from 4000 to 5000 feet a little inland, and are in many 
 places capped wdth snow. The width, of the lake at its 
 entrance is about half-a-mile, gradually widening to a mile 
 and a half. I endeavoured to ascertain the depth with a forty- 
 fathom line, but did not succeed. Our course through the 
 hike was about south-east, and the length I have since ascer- 
 tained to be fully 25 miles. In the evening we camped at 
 the River Oaksey, distant about a mile from the head." 
 
 At ten next morning Mr. Moffat's party commenced the 
 ascent of the River Oaksey, stopping a short time to examine 
 the finest beaver-dam he had ever seen. "The whole of 
 this day was spent in working up the rapids, of which the 
 river is one continuation. We encamped in the evening 
 at Waakash, the half-way house to the second lake, a dis- 
 tance of 12 miles. The banks of the river are rather 
 low, and abounding in splendid red pine and maple * of 
 all sizes ; but not the slightest vestige of clear land to be 
 
 * Probably Abies Douglasii, and Acer macliruphyllum or Acer rubrum. 
 
 N 2 
 
180 ME. MOFFAT'S JOUKNAL. Chap. VIII. 
 
 seen. The country a short distance inland from the river 
 is very high." 
 
 On the following day, after eight hours' paddling, they 
 reached a second village, where they got a few salmon 
 and trout. "The river here branches off in two different 
 directions : the distance from Waakash to this place is about 
 seven or eight miles, and the river, as yesterday, nothing but 
 rapids. We remained only a short time here and then started 
 for Lake Hanns, distant six miles." The Indians told Mr. 
 Moffat that this part of the river was very shallow and the 
 country between them and the lake clear ; so he went with 
 some of his crew on foot, and reached the lake after a very 
 pleasant walk. "The country through which I passed was 
 clear, with occasional belts of wood and brush, and abounding 
 in partridges, of which I shot a good many. I also noticed a 
 pond of cold spring-water, of great depth, without an outlet, 
 similar to what are at home called blow-wells. During my 
 walk I was informed of a tribe of Indians living inland, having 
 no canoes and no connection with the coast whatever. I have 
 since learned that these people sometimes descend some of 
 the rivers for the purpose of trade with the Indians of Xootka, 
 and they offered to guide me to the place at any time I should 
 wish. The name of the tribe is Saa-kaalituck ; they number 
 about 50 or 60 men, and were only discovered a few years 
 back by one of the Nimpkish chiefs, while on a trapping 
 expedition. The following is the Indians' story of their 
 discovery : — Our party, while sitting round the fire on the 
 banks of a small rivulet, observed a beaver playing in the 
 water, and having followed the course of the stream in hopes 
 of falling in with a dam, came suddenly upon a lake, and the 
 first thing that struck our attention was a small village, 
 situated at the opposite side. Upon entering the village Ave 
 were well received by the Indians and opened a trade for 
 skins, of which they had an abundance, and which they used 
 for clothing. They informed us that Southern Indians (as we 
 
Chap. VIII. INDIAN SUPERSTITION. 181 
 
 supposed, the Saanitch) had been there on war parties, and 
 killed a good many of them. 
 
 " This tribe are known to the Nootkas, who have a 
 superstitious idea that they are the spirits of their dead, on 
 account of their speaking the same language. From the 
 time the Nimpkish say it takes to perform this journey, and 
 from the Saanitch (or more probably the Comax) Indians 
 having knowledge of these people, I have not the least 
 doubt that a road might with little difficulty be discovered 
 from here to Victoria, through the very centre of the island. 
 After passing this lake, which is probably ten miles long, 
 we encamped at the base of a snow-capped mountain, two 
 very fine cascades falling several hundred feet from its 
 summit ; and the streams which they form abounding in 
 trout of excellent quality and great size> numbers of which 
 we caught." 
 
 Next day Mr. Moffat endeavoured to ascend the mountain 
 mentioned, and which he called Ben Lomond, but which is 
 probably the Conuma Peak of the old navigators. He 
 failed from its steepness, however. " Having," he writes, 
 " been disappointed in my walk, I returned to the camp at 
 9 a.m., and set out for a walk across the portage (which was 
 a succession of mountain defiles) to the head-waters of the 
 Nootka Kiver. This river, during its course of three or four 
 miles from its source, disappears three different times. 
 Stopped at noon to dine, and, after half an hour's rest, 
 recommenced our journey, and arrived at Nootka Sound 
 at 7 p.m., after passing over 16 or 18 miles." 
 
 The Indians would not encamp there, however, on account 
 of a superstitious fear of ghosts, and he had to go on farther. 
 This was, however, the real end of the journey, so far as this 
 route is concerned ; the rest being merely down Nootka 
 Sound in a canoe. From Nimpkish Kiver to the Thupana 
 arm of Nootka, occupied four days. On his arrival at 
 
182 BEAVER HARBOUR. Chap. VIII. 
 
 Friendly Cove, he was received with a discharge of guns 
 from the Chiefs house. " Until we were about to land," he 
 says, " scarcely an Indian was to be seen, but at a given signal 
 the whole tribe darted from their houses and commenced a 
 grand dance in honour of the arrival of a white man to visit 
 them, after which a sea-otter skin was presented to me by 
 the Chief, and we landed amid the welcome shouts of the 
 Nootkas. In the evening a grand fancy dress ball was given, 
 and a large quantity of blankets and other property dis- 
 tributed." * 
 
 Ten miles beyond Nimpkish is Beaver Harbour, on the 
 south side of which stands Fort Eupert — the only fort beside 
 Victoria on Vancouver Island. Between the Nimpkish Biver 
 and Beaver Harbour, the Straits become, comparatively 
 speaking, very shallow ; and a bank has to be crossed with 
 not more than three fathoms of water upon it. 
 
 Beaver harbour is fine, roomy, and well sheltered. There 
 is no extent of clear land in its vicinity, although it is pretty 
 level. As I have before said the Quatsinough Inlet runs up 
 from the west side of the island to within seven miles of 
 this place, and there is a good trail connecting them. The 
 timber here is fine — the Douglas and White pines grow- 
 ing very large. Three or four years ago a large number 
 were felled, with the intention of shipping them to China 
 and elsewhere ; but from some mismanagement in the 
 Company which had undertaken the work, they were never 
 despatched, and are now lying about the beach in all direc- 
 tions. There is a considerable quantity of yellow cypress 
 here also. This wood is not found on the south-east part 
 of the island. Some has been cut on the west side, but 
 it becomes more plentiful as you travel north ; and in the 
 Russian territory near Sitka it exists in large quantities. It 
 
 * Pemberton's 'Facts and Figures,' Appendix. 
 
Chap. VIII. SALMON FISHERY. 183 
 
 is very light and tough, and is by far the best wood on the 
 coast for boat-plank. When green it emits a peculiar though 
 not unpleasant smell, and can always be recognised in 
 the woods by its leaf, which differs from that of the Com- 
 mon pine — which tree it otherwise closely resembles, being 
 convex on both sides. 
 
 Fort Rupert is the newest and best built station of 
 the Hudson Bay Company I have seen, and the gardens 
 are very nicely laid out. Of course, like all the rest, it is 
 stockaded, and has its gallery and bastions. It stands almost 
 in the middle of the Indian village. Some idea of the 
 number of salmon in these parts, and of the prodigality of 
 the Hudson Bay Company under the old regime, may be 
 gathered from the fact told me by one of these officers, 
 that before he took charge of the post 3000 salmon were 
 used annually as manure for the garden. I take it that 
 pickling salmon here would be a very lucrative speculation. 
 The fish can be bought for a leaf of tobacco each, and as 
 forty of these leaves compose a pound of that herb, a fair 
 margin of profit is left. Including the packing, they might 
 be cured at a cost of from one and a half dollars to two 
 dollars a barrel. The price obtained at the Sandwich Islands, 
 where the Company at one time earned on some little trading 
 of this sort, averaged fourteen dollars a barrel. The Hudson 
 Bay Company, however, are shy at embarking in any but 
 the fur trade, and perhaps they are right. Companies are 
 proverbially unlucky in trade, and the opportunities neglected 
 and thrown away by this one during the last few years have 
 astonished every merchant who has visited these parts. I 
 should add that 2000 barrels might be obtained annually at 
 Port Rupert, and as much more at almost every inlet in the 
 island. 
 
 It may interest the reader if I attempt some description 
 of the profits derivable from these trading-posts of the 
 
184 PROFITS OF HUDSON BAY Chap. VIIL 
 
 Hudson Bay Company on Vancouver Island and elsewhere. 
 Fort Rupert may be accepted as a very fair specimen of its 
 order. It is certainly not too favourable a one, as a year 
 since the directors had some thought of abolishing it, on the 
 ground that its profits were considered insufficient, though the 
 figures on the next page show they are not small. 
 
 The post is manned by one officer (a clerk) and eight men. 
 The officer is paid 100?. a year; the chief man, 40?. ; and the 
 other seven, 20?.* The cost of provisions for the year cannot 
 exceed 200?., and perhaps firing and other small items may 
 amount to 100?. more, making the total cost of the post about 
 600?. a-year. I have omitted the expense of building the fort, 
 but this was done by the eight men whose wages I have 
 given; and the plank, and some small sum to the Indians 
 employed in fetching and carrying, were the only extra 
 outlay incurred in its construction. If this were the only 
 post along the coast, in the estimate of the cost of keeping it 
 up would have to be included the expense of the steamer 
 which visits it twice a-year. As it is, however, she calls 
 there on her way to Fort Simpson and the stations on the 
 northern coasts, whence great numbers of furs are obtained ; 
 so that but a small proportion of her cost can be charged 
 against Fort Rupert. 
 
 Having roughly estimated the cost of this station, I will 
 give the number and value of the furs and skins collected in 
 the year 1859 — by no means an extraordinarily productive 
 season, The following is a list : — 
 
 * At this time a clerk was in charge of Kupert. A chief trader is now there, 
 whose salary may be estimated at 500Z. or 600Z. 
 
Chap. VIII. 
 
 COMPANY'S POSTS. 
 
 185 
 
 Number and Value of Furs. 
 
 Num- 
 ber. 
 
 Price given. 
 
 Total cost. 
 
 Value of each in 
 England. 
 
 Total Value 
 in England. 
 
 
 
 
 £. 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 
 £. 
 
 s. d. 
 
 Bear Skins 
 
 250 
 
 1 blanket each 
 
 si 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 11. to SI 
 
 500 
 
 
 
 Marten 
 
 2000 
 
 G for 1 blanket 
 
 108 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 10s. to 21. 
 
 2015 
 
 
 
 Minx .. 
 
 5000 
 
 30 
 
 54 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 2s. to 7s. Gd. 
 Black. 
 
 1250 
 ) 
 
 
 
 Land Otter 
 
 250 
 
 1 blanket each 
 
 81 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 15s. to 11. 10s. 
 Pale. 
 
 200 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ( 
 
 7s. Gd. to 10s. Gd, 
 
 
 Beaver 
 
 GOO 
 
 2 for 1 blanket 
 
 97 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 3s. Gd. to 8s. Gd. 
 
 150 
 
 
 
 Lynx .. 
 
 100 
 
 3 
 
 10 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 3s. to 8s Gd. 
 
 White. 
 
 20 
 ) 
 
 
 
 Fox . . 
 
 50 
 
 3 
 
 5 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 3s. to 5s. 
 
 Red. 
 6s. to 10s. 
 
 I" 
 
 
 
 Sea Otter . . 
 
 50 
 
 12 blankets each .. 
 
 195 
 
 
 
 
 
 51. to 251. 
 
 750 
 
 
 
 Fishers 
 
 50 
 
 3 for 1 blanket 
 
 5 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 5s. to 11. 10s. 
 
 42 
 
 10 
 
 Bacoon 
 
 1000 
 
 12 „ 
 
 4 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 Is. to 10s, 
 
 275 
 
 
 
 Babbits 
 
 5000 
 
 1 leaf of tobacco each 
 
 2 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 Not sent home. 
 
 
 
 Wolverine .. 
 
 GO 
 
 3 for 1 blanket 
 
 6 10 
 
 
 
 5s. to 9s. 
 
 21 
 
 
 
 Wolf .. .. 
 
 12 
 
 3 
 
 1 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 Is. to 10s. 
 
 3 
 
 10 
 
 Fur Seal . . 
 
 GO 
 
 2 
 
 8 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 8s. to 12s. 
 
 150 
 
 
 
 Hair Seal . . 
 
 60 
 
 1 12 leaves of tobacco) 
 
 \ each f 
 
 1 4 leaves of tobacco "1 
 \ each .. .. / 
 
 
 
 9 
 
 
 
 Is. to 4s. 6d. 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 Musk Bat . . 
 
 100 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 3d. to 10^. 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 Silver Fox 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 GG0 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 5405 
 
 
 
 If, then, we add to the cost of the furs 600?. for the 
 expense of the post, we have 1200?. against 5405?., showing 
 a profit of more than 4100?. yearly on this establishment, 
 which is considered by the Company as one of their least 
 profitable stations. 
 
 From this balance of profit has to be deducted the cost of 
 conveying the above articles to England, which cannot well 
 be estimated, as they are conveyed in the Company's own vessel, 
 which carries passengers and other freight. In addition to 
 the above list of furs, above 400 gallons of seal- oil are yearly 
 exported from Fort Eupert. 
 
 Between Beaver Harbour and Cape Scott, at the extreme 
 north of the island, there are two or three anchorages — Shu- 
 
186 QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS. Chap. VIII. 
 
 cartie Bay on the island, and Bull Harbour in Hope Island, 
 on the opposite shore. Just beyond Bull Harbour a bank, 
 called the Newittee Bar, has to be crossed, upon which, 
 however, there is always sufficient water for ships to pass 
 over safely. The Newittee Indians inhabit this part of the 
 island, and coal has been found by them in considerable 
 quantity. I should have mentioned that coal has been 
 discovered at Beaver Harbour also, and, indeed, that mea- 
 sures of this mineral extend all along the northern part of 
 the island. 
 
 Off Cape Scott, in Queen Charlotte's Sound, is a small 
 group of islands, called the Triangles. These are high and 
 rocky, and useless except perhaps to erect a lighthouse on at 
 some future day. 
 
 One hundred and twenty miles north of Cape Scott are 
 the Queen Charlotte Islands. These islands are as yet 
 unsurveyed and unexplored. It is generally thought that 
 the group will be found to be divided into many more 
 islands than are at present given on the charts. 
 
 Very little is yet known of their character. The Haida 
 Indians who inhabit them are fierce, and rather disposed to 
 resist the encroachments of the whites. Some years ago, 
 indeed, they fired on the boats of a man-of-war approaching 
 their shores. These Indians have at various times brought 
 specimens of gold in quartz to Victoria, and in 1852 
 the Hudson Bay Company despatched a party of men in the 
 brig 'Una' to examine the place from whence they said it 
 came. This party proceeded to Gold Harbour, as it is now 
 called, on the south-west side of Moresby Island ; and Mr. 
 Mitchell, who commanded the ship, told me that they got 
 about 1000 dollars of gold out, but that the Indians stole it 
 from them as fast as they collected it. The miners then 
 growing weary of their task, and quarrelling among them- 
 selves, the expedition broke up. 
 
Chap. VIII. QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS. 187 
 
 In July, 1859, Mr. Downie —whose name I have before 
 mentioned as an old Califoraian miner and explorer — started 
 with a party of twenty-seven men, provisioned for three 
 months, and reached Gold Harbour on the 6th of August. 
 They examined the place where the gold was taken out by 
 the ' Una's ' party, and discovered a few specks in a small 
 quartz-seam running through slate. They then explored 
 Douglas Inlet, which runs into the south of Gold Harbour, 
 without any success ; and afterwards proceeded to Skidegate 
 Channel, which separates the two large islands Graham and 
 Moresby. They found trap and hornblende rocks, with a 
 few poor seams of quartz, but no gold to the southward. To 
 the northward they found talcose slate, quartz, and red 
 earth, but no gold ; and, coming upon coal in the Skidegate 
 Channel, decided further search was useless, and returned to 
 Gold Harbour. They had left some of the party there to 
 blast, and, on returning found that they too had given it up 
 as hopeless. The conclusion they came to as the result of 
 their investigation was, that the gold found by the first party 
 existed in an offshoot, or, as it is technically termed, a blow, 
 instances of which are very common in California. In his 
 report of his journey to the Governor, Mr. Downie says: 
 " The offshoots in question are not uncommon, as I have 
 often seen them in California. On such a discovery being 
 made, hundreds of miners take claims in all directions near 
 it, and test the ground in every way ; but nothing is found 
 except in the one spot, about seventy feet in length, running 
 south-east and north-west. On being worked about fifteen 
 feet it gave out. . . . Before work commenced, I have blown 
 the sand off a vein of pure gold." About the same time, 
 Captain Torrens also went with a party to prospect on Queen 
 Charlotte Island. They landed at the village in the Skide- 
 gate Channel, and were very nearly being murdered there. 
 One of the Indians commenced haranguing the others, and 
 
188 QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS. Chap. VIII. 
 
 incited them to murder the party by. saying they were come 
 to rob them of their land. One of the chiefs, however, stood 
 by them, and enabled them to get to their canoes, and they 
 escaped unhurt, though several shots were fired after them. 
 They crossed to Fort Simpson, and, after remaining there a 
 few days, were recalled to Queen Charlotte Sound by a 
 deputation of Indians from Gold Harbour. The party, how- 
 ever, soon became discontented, and having met with as little 
 success in their search for gold as Mr. Downie, refused to 
 stay longer. Captain Torrens, in his report of the expedition, 
 writes: "The country north of Skiddegate Channel is low 
 and thickly wooded, receding, in one unbroken level, towards 
 a huge range of mountains about 30 miles off. Vegeta- 
 tion is here luxuriant, and at intervals patches of open land 
 occur, in which the Indians have planted crops of turnips 
 and potatoes." His party— originally twelve — had broken 
 up at Simpson: six accompanying him, three staying at 
 Simpson, and two going with a chief named " Edensaw " to 
 Copper Island and the northern islands of the Queen Char- 
 lotte group. The accounts from these latter were satisfactory, 
 as they brought back copper ore and quartz with sulphurets. 
 In a letter which I have received from Captain Torrens, 
 narrating the details of his journey, he says that these speci- 
 mens gave, upon analysis — 
 
 1st. Copper, 96 lbs. to the ton ; value about 7000 dollars 
 (1400J.) per ton. 
 
 2nd. Sulphuret of iron and gold, valued at 13,500 dollars 
 (2600?.) per ton. 
 
 As no blasting, however, was done to get these specimens, 
 he very justly thinks that they do not give any guide to the 
 real value of the spot in which they were found. 
 
 On the 17th of May the < Plumper ' reached Fort Eupert, 
 where we found everything quiet, on account of nearly all 
 the Indians being away at Shir-wattie, on the mainland, 
 
Chap. VIII. RETURN TO ESQUIMALT. 189 
 
 catching "koulikin." Having been longer out than usual 
 this time, and our coal becoming exhausted, we left Rupert 
 on the 25th, and reached Nanaimo on the following day. 
 
 After a few days more work in the Gulf, we returned to 
 Esquimalt on the 15th of June, where we heard that H.M.S. 
 ' Hecate ' had been ordered out to relieve the * Plumper,' and 
 to continue the survey of the shores of Vancouver Island and 
 the mainland. 
 
190 ARREST OF AN INDIAN CHIEF. Chap. IX. 
 
 CHAPTEE IX. 
 
 Jervis Inlet — Overland to Port Pemberton — Ship goes to observe Eclipse 
 
 — To Nanaimo with ' Alert ' and ' Termagant ' — * Termagant ' runs ashore 
 
 — ' Alert ' accompanies ' Plumper ' to Fort Rupert — Rescue of Female 
 Slave — Ship goes round West Coast of Island, and I go down inside in 
 boat and up Squawmisht River in canoe — Arrival of H.M.S. ' Hecate.' 
 
 We remained at Esquimalt till the 26th, when we went 
 into Victoria Harbour to assist in intimidating the Indians 
 from the north, who had shown symptoms of mutiny. Some 
 of them had raised difficulties about camping in the right 
 places, and a chief, called Captain John, was to be arrested, 
 upon which occasion it was thought likely there would be a 
 disturbance. Accordingly, it was decided that we should go 
 into Victoria, and, upon the Governor's coming on board, 
 fire as much blank cartridge as possible ; and that all the 
 Marines, small-arm men, and field-pieces of the ships at 
 Esquimalt should be paraded ostentatiously on Beacon Hill. 
 The chief was to be arrested while they were all there, so 
 that any disturbance which might arise could be easily 
 quelled. The individual on whose behalf this entertainment 
 was provided aUowed himself to be arrested quietly ; but, 
 some time afterwards, he attempted to stab the policeman 
 who was conducting him into court, and was shot by him on 
 the spot in self-defence. We remained at Victoria over the 
 Coronation Day, to give the Indians the benefit of a little 
 more powder and noise, and started that evening (28th) for 
 Nanaimo. Here I prepared for the most arduous trip I made 
 in British Columbia, the object of which was to find a valley 
 along which a road might be made from the head of Jervis 
 Inlet to the Upper Eraser about Chilcotin. 
 
HEAD OF JERTTS INIJ3T. 
 
 Pnsre 191. 
 
Chap. IX. STAET FOE JERVIS INLET. 191 
 
 We left Nanaimo on the 2nd of July, and reached the 
 head of the Inlet the same night. Here we managed to 
 find a spot close under the rocks, where we could anchor in 
 twenty fathoms, and as it fortunately remained calm we 
 were able to hold on. Next morning I managed to induce 
 five Indians to accompany me. It came ori to blow so hard 
 that the ship could not possibly remain there, and I had to 
 go on shore with our travelling-gear, and the five natives, 
 Dr. Wood being again my travelling companion. As soon 
 as we were on the beach, the ship steamed away, leaving 
 us with water in front of us, and the thickest, most impene- 
 trable bush I have ever had to travel through behind us. 
 As there was no village near, however, we soon got the party 
 off, and made our way into the bush, with the feeling, com- 
 mon on such occasions, of vague hope that we should come 
 out again somewhere and somehow. The valley through 
 which our way lay was narrow at the entrance, and the hills 
 on each side very precipitous. After a hard walk of about 
 five miles we halted, camping early to let things settle into 
 their places. 
 
 Next morning, after we had travelled about a mile, we came 
 to the Laakine Kiver, which runs into the head of the inlet we 
 had left. When we reached this stream, the Indians told me 
 we should not be able to accomplish the object of our journey, 
 as they knew from the height of the water there that we should 
 be unable to ford the river higher up ; and further, that even 
 if we succeeded in fording this, the Squawmisht and Lilloett 
 Kivers — both of which we should have to cross before we 
 could reach the Fraser — would be up to our necks at the fords. 
 Having on former occasions, however, experienced similar dis- 
 couragements on the part of the natives, whose laziness and dis- 
 inclination to start upon a journey I have before mentioned, 
 we did not pay much attention to them, and pushed on. We 
 had to cross and recross the stream three times during the 
 
192 THE LAAKINE KIVEE. Chap. IX. 
 
 day, owing to the mountains at those places rising perpen- 
 dicularly out of the water ; and each time it was a task of 
 greater difficulty, as the stream became more rapid and 
 deeper as we advanced, while for a considerable distance we 
 had to walk along in the riyer up to our waists. This did not 
 look promising, but still we hoped it might improve, until at 
 4 o'clock we came to a dead stop. At this spot, if we de- 
 cided to continue our journey, it was necessary for us again 
 to cross the river, as before us lay an impenetrable morass. 
 The only apparent means of crossing was on a single log, 
 about 120 feet long, which was two feet under water, and 
 over which the stream was rushing in a torrent. It was 
 quite evident that the packs could not be got across ; and an 
 opinion which had grown upon us during the day, that the 
 gorge through which we were advancing could never be made 
 available as a roadway, forced itself still more powerfully upon 
 our minds. We were, however, unwilling as yet to return ; 
 and set about making a better bridge by felling a tree across 
 the current. After some search, one was found that was long 
 enough for the purpose, if we could get it to fall directly 
 across ; and we set to work upon it. An hour's hacking 
 and chopping brought us to the critical moment. What 
 ropes we had were got upon it to guide it the right way, 
 the last chop, upon which our fate depended, was given, and 
 down came the tree with a crash that for the moment 
 drowned the roar of the water. But it fell short of the 
 opposite bank, and the next moment we saw our only hope 
 flying down the river. The failure of this attempt, coupled 
 with the conviction that no perseverance on our part would 
 be rewarded, decided us upon retracing our steps to the 
 Inlet. It was too late, how r ever, to move that night, and 
 I did not tell the Indians of my intention till next morning, 
 w 7 hen I delighted them with the intelligence that we 
 were going back. All the arguments they had used on 
 
Chap. IX. OVEKLAND TO PORT PEMBERTON. 193 
 
 the previous day to prevent our proceeding were repeated 
 with additional emphasis now. " The water would keep on 
 rising all the summer, as it had commenced much earlier 
 than usual," they said ; " we should never have got across 
 the other rivers, even if we had crossed here, as this river was 
 not to be compared with them. Our provisions would have 
 been exhausted long before we could have reached the 
 Fraser, if we ever did reach it ; and what would be the good 
 of exploring this way after all, when they were certain mules 
 co aid never pass it ? " These and many similar arguments 
 were brought forward to confirm our purpose of returning, 
 and justly too ; for our way hitherto, when we had not been 
 walking on the bed of the river, had been through swamp in 
 which we sank nearly up to our knees, and where a mule 
 would undoubtedly have gone up to his girths. I say no- 
 thing of the undergrowth of willow and wild raspberry- 
 bushes, which formed a thick network, through which we 
 had to force our path, but which in constructing the trail 
 would of course be cleared away. The Indians, in their 
 eagerness to return, had told me that they knew a way by 
 which we could cross from Jervis Inlet to Howe Sound, and 
 thence to Port Pemberton, and I now determined to make 
 them take this route. Accordingly, we retraced our steps 
 to the Inlet, and, sleeping at our first night's camping-place, 
 reached it by nine next morning. 
 
 Having got safely out of the bush, the Indians showed the 
 greatest reluctance to making another start, and urged all 
 kinds of fresh and startling difficulties. Kecourse to very strong 
 expressions was found necessary ; and they were threatened 
 with the undying wrath of Mr. Douglas, whose name always 
 acts as a talisman with them. It was vividly set forth how 
 that gentleman would call them " cultus " (useless), if they did 
 not go, and how they would all receive muskets, blankets, 
 and praise if they did. These arguments, accompanied with 
 the taunt which I have before mentioned as proving very 
 
 o 
 
194 OVEELAND TO PORT PEMBERTON. Chap. IX. 
 
 effectual with them, that they were woman-hearted, induced 
 them to yield and promise to go if I would consent to take 
 them to their village in the Arm for that night, that they 
 might report their safe return to their squaws and replenish 
 their stock. It cost us, as I have said, no little difficulty to 
 persuade them to make a fresh start, and in our extremity I 
 remember using the powerful argument that not only would 
 Mr. Douglas when he heard of it exclaim that the Sechelt 
 and Loquilt Indians were women, but that Queen Victoria 
 and all the world would from the moment I reported the 
 circumstance, regard their tribe as unworthy of their con- 
 sideration. 
 
 Much as I dislike sleeping at an Indian village, I thought 
 it wise to yield to their wish so far, and accordingly we 
 paddled down the inlet to it. On our way we met our 
 pinnace, which had been left with two other boats' to survey 
 the inlet, and I was very glad to go on board her for an hour 
 or so. We slept at the village, however, as I knew if I once 
 lost sight of the Indians I should never get them away from 
 home. Next morning, the 7th July, we started with less 
 trouble than I had ever experienced in leaving a village. 
 My chief guide I could not help pitying, as he was leaving 
 a young and pretty wife with a child in her arms, who cried 
 bitterly when we started. He seemed very fond of her, and 
 constantly on the journey said he wanted to hurry back to his 
 " Papoose," as he called her. 
 
 We paddled down to a bay called " Deserted Bay," 15 miles 
 from the head of the inlet, and here met Pender, who was in 
 charge of the surveying party, and Gowland in the pinnace. 
 I spent a few hours with them, and at three we got away, 
 Pender and Gowland bearing us company to the edge of the 
 bush, and there leaving us with good wishes, — congratulating 
 themselves, as they afterwards told us, that their way lay no 
 further inland. We camped a few miles in by the side of a 
 river which runs into one of the southern arms of the inlet. 
 
Chap. IX. OVERLAND TO PORT PEMBERTON. 195 
 
 and which is called by the natives the " Tzoonye." This 
 stream, they say, flows from a lake not far north of this spot. 
 Directly facing us was a ridge of mountains, which must be 
 crossed on the following day. Had we then known the height 
 of this ridge and the difficulty we should experience in 
 making the ascent, these facts would certainly have decided 
 us to turn back at once, as they render the pass quite un- 
 available for any practical purpose. 
 
 Next morning we commenced the ascent and toiled for 
 twelve hours up it and along its summit before we could find 
 a spot clear enough of snow to camp in. From the time we 
 started it cost us a struggle of about nine hours up an angle 
 of thirty to thirty-six degrees to reach its summit. Here we 
 found the snow lying three or four feet deep, but suffici- 
 ently hard on the surface to prevent our sinking more than 
 six or eight inches at each step. Our camp that night lay, by 
 the barometer, 4000 feet above that of the night before, and 
 we had ascended from a very comfortable temperature to one 
 intensely cold. The view was certainly very fine, though 
 it scarcely compensated for the discomforts of our situation. 
 We were up among snow-peaks which reared their heads 
 1000 feet or more above us, and which we recognised as old 
 friends seen frequently from the Gulf of Georgia. Before us 
 lay the valley along which we must pass, and at its far end 
 20 or 30 miles off, on the opposite side of the Squawmisht 
 River, was seen another range of snow-clad hills. All this 
 when lighted up by the moon and stars, which shone out 
 brightly as we sat by our camp-fire smoking our last pipe 
 before turning in for the night, was very beautiful. 
 
 Next morning the way became even more difficult. It took 
 us three days to descend the valley to the Squawmisht River, 
 which we reached and crossed about 10 miles above the head 
 of Howe Sound on the 12th. It will give some idea of the 
 nature of the country to say that the distance was only about 
 25 miles, and that we travelled each day more than ten hours 
 
 o 2 
 
196 OVEELAND TO PORT PEMBERTON. Chap. IX. 
 
 and usually twelve, making therefore an average speed of 
 little more than three-quarters of a mile an hour. A stream, 
 for which the Indians had no name, runs through this valley, 
 and down to its bed the mountains, 3000 or 4000 feet high, 
 slope at all sorts of angles. The ground on which we 
 walked the whole way was either smooth, slippery, rocky, or 
 swampy ; while nearly everywhere the thickest growth of 
 alder, willow, and wild raspberry I have ever seen, formed a 
 complete network across our path. A few days of travelling 
 such as this may well weary the strength and patience of the 
 strongest and most enduring, and my companion, after 
 struggling manfully against its fatigues and discomforts, was 
 obliged at last to give in. The way before us lay through 
 the thick bush I have described, — now over swamp in which 
 we sank at every step, sometimes knee-deep, — then over rock 
 covered with green slippery moss, on which a fall every few 
 minutes was certain. Add to this the constant plague of 
 mosquitoes, and it need not be wondered at that my com- 
 panion, on reaching the Squawmisht village, said it was no 
 use his trying to go any farther. Accordingly he arranged 
 with the Indians to take him in a canoe down Howe Sound 
 and up the Fraser to Westminster, which he reached the 
 following day. Used as I am to the smell of an Indian lodge, 
 this village of Elaawho was more than I could stand, and 
 there was no other place to pitch the tent, except in the 
 midst of the long rank nettles, which thrive so well in the 
 vicinity of all Indian villages. Accordingly I said good-bye 
 to the Doctor, and having engaged two canoes to take us 
 about a mile up the river, started about three in the after- 
 noon of the same day, and soon camped for the night. 
 
 The valley at the northern extremity of which this vil- 
 lage is situated, and which lies at the head of Howe Sound, 
 is of considerable extent, and contains much good land. 
 Two large rivers flow through it : the one on which I was, 
 the Squawmisht, on the west side ; and the Tseearkamisht 
 
Chap. IX. OVERLAND TO PORT PEMBERTON. 197 
 
 on the east. Into these rivers several smaller ones run. 
 When I met Dr. Wood on my return to Esquimalt, he 
 described the lower part of the Squawinisht as very winding, 
 and the distance from the village to the head of Howe Sound 
 as so much farther than I thought it could be, that afterwards 
 when I came down from Fort Kupert in one of the ship's 
 boats, I ascended it in a canoe to the village to get observa- 
 tions there. 
 
 I was most fortunate in finding the chief, whom I had 
 met at Elaawho, at the mouth of the river, and he took 
 me up in his canoe most willingly. I then found that the 
 river had two mouths, and that through the western and 
 larger one stern-wheel steamers might pass and ascend for 
 several miles. How far they might be able to go is very 
 doubtful, and cannot be determined till they are tried, as it 
 frequently happens that those places which appear most 
 narrow and dangerous are the easiest to pass ; while in a 
 place which appears to an explorer, walking along the bank 
 or pushing up the stream close in-shore, perfectly clear, there 
 is some snag or bank which forms an effectual block to steam- 
 navigation. On returning down the river, however, we kept 
 mid-stream, and saw nothing dangerous; and the Indians 
 said it was all deep. The chief, who had been several times 
 on the Fraser, frequently confirmed them, saying that " Boston 
 steamers" could go up his river; and though we passed 
 several banks and snags, I saw no place so bad as the Uma- 
 tilla snag on the Fraser Kiver, which I have before described, 
 while the current did not appear more rapid than I have seen 
 it at Sea Bird Bar and opposite Fort Hope. We saw several 
 small villages along the river's bank, where the Indians were 
 all engaged in salmon-fishing. The Tseearkamisht jojns the 
 Squawmisht before reaching Howe Sound ; but the constant 
 silting-up has made the mouth of the former so shallow 
 as to be quite unnavigable. The chief said there were a 
 great many Indians living in different parts of the valley, 
 
198 OVERLAND TO PORT PEMBERTON. Chap. IX. 
 
 and many potato-grounds ; and he described the soil as being 
 very rich. There is no trail to his village from the Sound, 
 as they always use the river ; but as the ground is quite level 
 and in many parts clear, one could be easily constructed. 
 The only ascent which would have to be made between this 
 and Port Pemberton is to the summit of a spur which sepa- 
 rates the Tseearkamisht and Squawmisht Eivers, and which 
 we crossed the day after I left the village. From this summit 
 the whole way is by a gradual descent. There would be no 
 difficulty in carrying a road over this at an easy grade. 
 From the description of Mr. McKay, an Hudson Bay Com- 
 pany's officer, who traversed the other side of this spur up 
 the valley of the Tseearkamisht, that route would seem to 
 be even easier than the one I passed over. 
 
 For about 400 feet perhaps the path we took was rather 
 steep; but, from the general appearance of the ground, I 
 am confident a more easy grade could be found. We 
 reached the summit by noon; and for the whole of the 
 rest of the day our path lay through a gorge by the side 
 of a stream, till, about six o'clock, we passed round a small 
 hill, and came to a little lake, called by Mr. McKay, Daisy 
 Lake. Here we camped for the night. Some of the ground 
 over which we had passed during the day was rather rough ; 
 but after the travelling we had experienced between Jervis 
 Inlet and Howe Sound, it was pleasant enough; and, as I 
 was by this time beginning to feel very much fatigued, the 
 prospect of an easy journey to Pemberton, in which I was not 
 disappointed, was very agreeable. 
 
 Next morning (14th) we crossed a low ridge, and imme- 
 diately came upon the Tseearkamisht Eiver, which flows 
 on the other side of it. This river here runs through a 
 large basin, which appeared as if it had been lately inun- 
 dated; and indeed had it not been for the dead trees still 
 standing in it, I should have taken it for the bed of a lake 
 from which the water had lately receded. Though the river 
 
Chap. IX. OVERLAND TO PORT PEMBERTON. 199 
 
 itself was here 50 yards wide, the number of dead trees, 
 which completely blocked it up at this point, made a capital 
 floating bridge, and enabled us to cross quite easily. We 
 then walked along the basin, which we found to be composed 
 of sand covered with boulders of trap and granite for two 
 miles, when we came to that part where the river still over- 
 flowed its banks. The appearance of the country here was 
 most remarkable. The trees were many of them very large, 
 and the water, though lower than it had been, still stood 
 six or eight feet up their trunks, giving them the appearance 
 of a forest growing in water. As we advanced, a still more 
 curious sight presented itself, for the trees having been 
 burned by one of those fires so common in the bush, stood up 
 all black and charred in the flood, looking as if there had been 
 a struggle between fire and water for the mastery, in which 
 both might claim a victory. While speaking of fire in the 
 bush, 1 may mention that in former years — for it decreases 
 yearly as the trees are cut down — these fires were so common 
 along the coast as to cause a smoke all over the Straits that 
 had the effect of a fog, and made them as difficult of navi- 
 gation as in the thickest winter weather. 
 
 From this point to our journey's end the way had been 
 travelled previously by Mr. McKay, an officer of the Hudson 
 Bay Company, whose name I have already mentioned. He 
 had, however, gone the opposite way to that which I took, 
 having started at Port Pemberton and from the Daisy Lake, 
 following the Tseearkamisht down, while I had come up the 
 Squawmisht. He consequently reached Howe Sound by the 
 east side of the large valley mentioned at its head, while I 
 went up the west ; and as, on comparing notes with him, I 
 found he thought the side he took to be as good as mine, 
 there can be little doubt of the favourable quality of the land 
 there. 
 
 After proceeding along the east bank of the river for six, 
 miles we came to a small canon ; and about two miles 
 
200 HEAVY THUNDERSTORM. Chap. IX. 
 
 beyond this again crossed the river on dead trees, and 
 camped. This canon could be easily avoided by a. bridge 
 built a little below it : it is of very small extent, the 
 river being narrow, and the bank on the opposite side low 
 and level. 
 
 A five-mile walk next morning brought us to a lake which 
 we found to extend, with an average breadth of one mile, 
 about 10 miles in a north-easterly direction. Finding the 
 Indians knew no name for it, I called it " Green Lake," from 
 the remarkably green colour of the water. This was a very 
 pleasant spot ; and coming upon a shady tree, with good grass 
 growing beneath it, we halted for breakfast, and waited till 
 noon to get a latitude. We then kept along its west bank to 
 the head where there was a small patch of swamp, and cross- 
 ing this, we came upon a fine beaten trail leading through a 
 pleasant valley, which we kept till night. 
 
 During the night we experienced one of the heaviest 
 thunderstorms I ever heard in the bush. It was raining 
 a little when we turned in, but there were no very threaten- 
 ing indications of storm, although, doubtless, had we been in 
 the open instead of among very large trees, where we could 
 hardly see any sky, we should have been more prepared for 
 it. As it was, about midnight we were awakened by a crash 
 like the falling of an immense number of large trees, although 
 the bright flash which almost instantly shot across the door 
 of the tent showed us its cause. My poor crew suffered badly 
 this night. The rain fell in torrents, putting out their fire, 
 and drenching them thoroughly ; and though I soon dozed 
 off again, their idea of supernatural agency in thunder and 
 lightning, which I have mentioned when speaking of Indians 
 generally, kept them awake all night ; and whenever I 
 was roused by a particularly loud clap or a brighter flash 
 than usual, I heard their shouts of terror or excitement 
 mingling with the thunder's reverberation. In the forest 
 depths a storm of this kind is certainly a most awful and im- 
 
Chap. IX. MOUNTAIN LAKES. 201 
 
 posing spectacle. The clap of the thunder rings so much 
 more than in an open space, while the reverberation continues 
 through the forest with a succession of loud, sharp cracks 
 like a number of distinct reports of cannon. A storm, too, 
 appears so much nearer to you in the depth of a forest than 
 when you see it on the plain. I have often stepped suddenly 
 back into my tent when I have been watching it, fancying 
 for the moment that the fork would strike the very spot on 
 which I was standing, so vividly has the jagged line of light 
 flashed across my face. The expression of fear on the 
 Indians' faces on these occasions is beyond description ; they 
 almost grow white through the coating of dirt on their skins ; 
 and you can never get them to move about alone while the 
 storm continues. 
 
 Next day we continued our march in no very comfortable 
 plight, every one and every thing wet through. As the sun 
 rose, however, bright, clear, and warm, the past night appeared 
 like a dream, for, except a few freshly-fallen trees and broken 
 branches, no traces of the wild disturbance of the elements 
 were seen. Our course all this day lay along the centre of 
 a thickly-timbered valley with two or three small hills in it. 
 Ascending one of these, about nine o'clock we saw the Lil- 
 loett River four or five miles off, coming in from the westward 
 between very high precipitous mountains, and beyond these 
 appeared the snow-capped peaks, which, according to the 
 Indians, surround the mountain lakes, in which, as I have 
 said, the Lilloett, Squawmisht, Clahoose, Bridge, and other 
 rivers take their rise. They describe it as a basin, very high 
 up, containing four or five small lakes, in which rise all the 
 larger rivers watering this part of the country. 
 
 We soon came upon the Lilloett River, and followed its 
 right bank till night, when we crossed one arm of it by an 
 Indian bridge made over a fall of 200 or 300 feet, and there 
 camped. We had crossed two or three steep mountain- 
 shoulders during the latter part of the day, as this course 
 
202 MOSQU1TOS. Chap. IX. 
 
 shortened the distance, and was preferable to keeping the 
 valley on account of the density of the bush there. A tra- 
 veller will find that Indians always prefer the mountain-side 
 to traversing a valley, so that, in examining with them a 
 line of country for a road, you hardly ever pass over the exact 
 ground through which it would be carried. This should 
 always be borne in mind in considering an Indian's report 
 of any route, as, except where it crosses high mountains or 
 rivers, his description would not convey to a road-cutter a 
 very good idea of the work before him. 
 
 It afforded me no small gratification when we halted that 
 night to feel that it was our last out for this trip, and that 
 we should be at Port Pemberton in good time next day.. 
 The way, after passing the Squawmisht, was certainly much 
 easier than before ; but travelling without a white com- 
 panion is always very dull work ; and for the last day and 
 a half the mosquitos had become almost intolerable, worse 
 indeed than I had ever before known them to be even in 
 British Columbia. Fortunately I had a small mosquito-net, 
 which the Doctor had wisely insisted upon bringing, or I do 
 not know what I should have done. Whenever we halted I 
 hung this on cross sticks, and, getting inside, tucked it about 
 me. When tea was ready, it was handed in to me under the 
 net, watch being kept that none of the enemy entered with it. 
 The poor Indians suffered terribly, though they coated them- 
 selves with a mixture of oil and mud. At starting they had 
 warned us that the " quileemuck " (mosquitoes) would kill 
 us all when we got to the Lilloett ; and they certainly did 
 their best to effect that purpose. Before we left the ship 
 we had head-bags made of crape, and these were the only 
 things that kept us from being devoured while we were 
 walking. These were long veils which were fastened round 
 the top of our straw hats, and tied in at the neck. We even 
 went so far as to have small cane hoops inserted in them to 
 keep them off the face. But these only answered in clear 
 
Chap. IX. LILLOETT MEADOWS. 203 
 
 land, of which we found very little on this trip. In the bush 
 the hoops were always catching the boughs of trees and tear- 
 ing. The moment the bag touched your face you were 
 bitten through it : the mosquitoes making nothing of any 
 such trifling obstruction as the net of which it is com- 
 posed. Indeed it was said by some of the officers engaged 
 on the Boundary expeditions, that the mosquitoes were known 
 to bite through two blankets! It should be said, however, 
 that these plagues are only met with in these woods and on 
 the Lower Fraser. The country above Fort Hope, for instance, 
 is free, or almost free from them. And wherever the country 
 is cleared they disappear. At Westminster, for example, 
 they have become much less troublesome since the site of 
 the town was cleared, although their disappearance cannot 
 be looked for until the thick bush, which still hedges in the 
 city closely, shall have yielded to the axes of the settlers. 
 In Vancouver Island they are almost unknown. 
 
 An hour's walk on the following morning brought us to 
 the top of a hill from which we looked down on the 
 Lilloett Meadows. A small lake, at certain seasons nearly 
 dry, lay at our feet, and before us, for some miles east and 
 west, dotted at long intervals with log huts — the ripe corn 
 surrounding them, and the long hay which grew all over 
 the plain sending up a delicious perfume — lay the Lilloett 
 Meadows. Through them flowed the river, which came from 
 the high rugged mountains in the east, where the fertile 
 country ended. It was lovely weather, calm and bright as 
 July mornings always are here, and the scene was most at- 
 tractive and beautiful. Our sense of its charms was not a 
 little heightened perhaps by the few signs of civilization 
 before us, and the sight far off of the thin white smoke which 
 told where the huts which constitute the important city of 
 Pemberton, whither we were bound, lay. 
 
 Descending to the little lake, we obtained a canoe from a 
 
204 REACH PORT PEMBERTON. Chap. IX. 
 
 liut on the opposite side, and paddled across it, and for about 
 a couple of miles down the main stream of the Lilloett. 
 From this we walked four or five miles across the meadows, 
 passing on our way several settlers gathering in their 
 harvest, until we came to the river again. Obtaining another 
 canoe there, we paddled down to Pemberton, which we 
 reached at noon. The settlers whom I saw on the Lilloett 
 Meadows spoke very highly of the soil, and the crops looked 
 extremely fine. All were very busy building huts, sawing 
 timber, and gathering in their summer crops. 
 
 At Port Pemberton I found little or no alteration since 
 I was there a year before. True it was somewhat startling, 
 when I made inquiries for a boat that crossed the lake, to be 
 told that the steamer had gone over that morning, and 
 would not return till the following day. I was unwilling, 
 however, to await its arrival ; and, having my own crew of 
 Indians, I obtained the loan of a canoe, and we paddled 
 across the lake, leaving our boat to be towed back by the 
 steamer in the morning. 
 
 The steamer was certainly not an imposing craft, being a 
 mere wretched little tub 40 or 50 feet long, with no attempt 
 at fittings. However, it was a great thing to find a steamer 
 there at all ; and I have no doubt she answered the purpose 
 for which she was intended very well. Since that time 
 steamers have been placed upon the other lakes of the Har- 
 rison-Lilloett route, and a considerable saving of time and 
 expense in the journey to the Upper Fraser has been thus 
 effected. 
 
 We camped at the north end of the Little Lilloett, or 
 Tenass, Lake, and next morning, as I heard the Engineers' 
 camp was only a few miles further, I determined to push 
 on there, in hopes of getting some change of diet, being 
 rather tired of the bacon and dampers, of w 7 hich, moreover, 
 we had been on short allowance for two or three days 
 
Chap. IX. POET DOUGLAS. 205 
 
 before reaching Port Pemberton. I should have mentioned 
 before — as a very favourable trait of the Indians who were 
 with me — that when we ran short of flour, as we did during 
 the last day or so of our journey, they would not eat any of 
 the dampers, saying that I needed them, and that they could 
 live quite as well on berries. Fortunately there was plenty 
 of tea, and when we reached Pemberton, I was careful to 
 recompense them for their unselfish thought of me. 
 
 Eeaching the Engineers' camp, I was at once provided 
 with a bed, and a good breakfast of bread-and-butter and 
 mutton-chops, which I ate with a relish which must remain 
 unknown to those to whom fortune denies the preliminary dis- 
 cipline of rusty bacon and dampers. After breakfast I started 
 for Port Douglas, the doctor from the camp accompanying 
 me. Here the change was, indeed, great since my last visit. 
 Then the traveller scrambled over this portage by a wretched 
 trail, carried, quite unnecessarily, over the steepest hills and 
 roughest places. Now, however, we were journeying along a 
 waggon-road which would be no discredit to many parts of 
 England. This had been, however, a work of great expense, 
 costing at least 500?. a mile. A contract was afterwards 
 entered into for the cutting of the succeeding portage from 
 Port Pemberton to Anderson Lake, at 2601. per mile ; but 
 the contractor failed completely. 
 
 Upon this fine hard road — a rare treat after the walking 
 we had lately had — the Indians were no match for us, and 
 when we reached the four-mile house from Douglas, they 
 were so far in the rear, and it was getting so late, that we 
 decided to halt there for the night. Next morning we crossed 
 " Sevastopol," as the steep hill which lies behind Douglas is 
 named, and reached the port. Douglas, too, had improved 
 somewhat within the year which had elapsed since I had seen 
 it. The restaurants were decidedly better, and things gene- 
 rally cheaper. The saw-mill in the gully leading down the 
 
206 SHIP GOES TO OBSERVE ECLIPSE. Chap. IX. 
 
 mountain was finished, and had been at work for some time, 
 while the mule-trains were larger and more numerous. Except, 
 however, as a resting-place, or point of arrival and departure, 
 Douglas does not promise to become of much consequence, as 
 the site is very limited, and there is little if any land adapted 
 for agricultural purposes in the neighbourhood. 
 
 At Douglas we had to wait a day for the steamer ; travel- 
 ling by her to Hope, we stayed the night there, reaching New 
 Westminster by the noon, and Esquimalt by the evening of 
 the day following. 
 
 Eejoining Dr. Wood on board the ' Plumper,' I found that 
 after he left me it had taken him a day and a half to reach 
 New Westminster, and that he arrived just in time to see 
 the < Plumper ' steaming out of the harbour. This was on the 
 14th July, when the ship had gone to Puget Sound to make 
 a series of observations on the eclipse which occurred on the 
 night of the 16th and 17th, and of which they had an excel- 
 lent view. The congratulations upon the success of their 
 mission, which they received from the American officer in 
 charge of the troops there, were couched in very characteristic 
 language. He remained with them while the observations 
 were being made, standing the while at a respectful distance. 
 When they were finished he advanced, and, taking off his 
 hat, said, "I congratulate the world generally, and science 
 in particular, on the result of your labours, gentlemen." 
 
 On the 12th of the month H.M.S. ' Termagant' arrived 
 with the two gunboats, Forward and Grappler, which 
 she had convoyed from England, and on the 30th our old 
 companion, the ' Satellite,' left for home. She had been 
 nearly four years in commission, three of which had been 
 spent at this place. Her departure could scarcely fail to 
 remind us of the change that had taken place since she had 
 entered Esquimalt Harbour three years back. It was the 
 first time that its waters had ever been disturbed by a steam- 
 
Chap. IX. ' TEKMAGANT ' RUNS ASHORE. 207 
 
 ship of such a size ; and now, as she steamed out from the 
 changed and busy port, homeward bound, she gave back the 
 hearty cheers of two of Her Majesty's frigates, two sloops, and 
 as many gunboats. 
 
 On the 31st we left for Burrard Inlet and Nanaimo, in 
 company with the ' Termagant ' and * Alert.' As we steamed 
 through the ' Plumper,' now ' Active,' Pass, the ' Termagant ' 
 met with an accident which well nigh turned out seriously 
 for her. In rounding the point in the middle of the passage 
 the current caught her bow, and she would not answer her 
 helm. For a moment she appeared to be going stem on to 
 the rocks, when she suddenly veered a little round, but not in 
 time to clear them altogether. The rocky bank against 
 which she grazed was, fortunately, sheer and steep, so that, 
 although she heeled over so much that those watching her 
 thought she must have capsized, she shot back into the middle 
 of the stream, tearing up a tree with her foreyard, and throw- 
 ing it over the yardarm, as though it had been a broomstick. 
 Fortunately, although she leaked a good deal, she was able 
 to go on, and we anchored in Burrard Inlet that night. 
 Next morning we picked up the boats which had been at 
 Jervis Inlet, and proceeded to Nanaiino. Here the damage 
 done to the ' Termagant's' hull was found to be too low to be 
 reached by heeling her over, and we went to Esquimalt to 
 bring back the divers to examine her. Returning with them 
 on the 5th, we remained at Nanaimo until the 8th, when the 
 ' Termagant ' being sufficiently repaired, we started to convoy 
 the ' Alert ' to Rupert, whence, after assisting us in quelling 
 a reported disturbance among the Indians of that place, she 
 was to proceed to Sitka. Anchoring the first night in Tribune 
 Bay, Hornby Island, by the next evening we reached Knox 
 Bay, in Johnstone Straits. Upon passing Cape Mudge this 
 time we found that the stockaded village which, upon our 
 previous visits had been empty, was inhabited, the Strait 
 
208 ATMOSPHEEIC PHENOMENON. Chap. IX. 
 
 being now full of fish. This habit among the Indians of 
 changing their places of residence, not at any particular 
 season, but as the fish and game shift their quarters, appears 
 to have misled Vancouver, who, in passing, concluded all 
 villages which he found uninhabited to have been deserted 
 altogether by their people. 
 
 Next day we went through Johnstone Strait, sounding all 
 the way, and reached Port Harvey at night. Weighing 
 anchor next morning, we got outside, when a thick fog came 
 on, and, as we could not see any sounding-marks, we bore up 
 again for the port. Here we experienced one of the curious 
 atmospheric phenomena which are common to these parts. 
 In the Strait a strong breeze was blowing from the north- 
 west, bringing down with it a thick fog, while inside the 
 harbour it was a dead calm, and perfectly clear. I have 
 noticed this and similar peculiarities frequently in this 
 Strait. The northerly wind appears always to bring the fog 
 down from the Russian coast, and it will remain in the Strait 
 until a southerly breeze springs up, while, curiously enough, 
 the large harbours at either side of the passage are wholly 
 unaffected by it. 
 
 On Monday morning we left Port Harvey, reaching Cor- 
 morant Bay at 10 a.m. Here I was left with two boats to 
 continue the survey, while the ships proceeded to Rupert. 
 Arriving there they found the Indians recovering from a de- 
 bauch, consequent on their having paid a visit to Victoria, 
 from which place they had returned with an abundant supply 
 of spirits. Their conduct had, according to the report of Mr. 
 Weynton, the officer of the Hudson Bay Company in charge 
 of the station, been more furious than on any previous occa- 
 sion, and as some of his men had joined in the debauch, 
 he became rather alarmed for the safety of the fort. The 
 Indian population had, it appeared, been much excited by 
 the murder of A-kush-ma, one of their chiefs, by a Songhies 
 
Chap. IX. " PALAVER " WITH INDIANS. 209 
 
 Indian, wlien they were leaving Victoria, and they were now 
 planning a campaign to the southward to avenge his death. 
 Upon their way up they had had a brush with the Indians at 
 Nanainio and carried off a woman, named Hu-saw-i, whose 
 husband had appealed to the authorities for redress. Captain 
 Eichards had visited Rupert for the purpose, among other 
 things, of recovering her; but he saw that in their present 
 excited state caution was necessary : so word was sent to the 
 chiefs, who were somewhat impressed by the show of force 
 made, that he desired to have a " war-war " (speech) with 
 them upon several important matters next day. 
 
 Accordingly on the following morning he landed with several 
 officers and proceeded to the fort. Judging, however, from 
 the conduct which they would most probably pursue in such a 
 case, the Indians, suspecting treachery, steadfastly refused to 
 enter the gates of the fort, so the palaver was held outside in 
 front of their lodges. In his address to them Captain Richards 
 explained, through Mr. Hunt — who was one of the employes 
 of the Hudson Bay Company and who spoke their language — 
 that the time had come when it would not do for them to take 
 the law into their own hands ; that Mr. Douglas, who had been 
 informed of their conduct, was very angry with them, and was 
 determined to punish them if they did not behave better ; that 
 they must no longer kill in retaliation, but be satisfied that 
 all murderers would be duly tried by law, and if found guilty, 
 executed. At this moment the brother of the murdered chief 
 interposed, and nearly brought the meeting to a close in some 
 confusion by jumping up and announcing his intention of 
 going at once with all the men he could get to revenge his 
 brother's death. This was mere bravado, however, and he 
 was soon pacified. At last, after a great deal of violent 
 language and action, the chiefs said they were quite willing 
 to give up their custom of killing and making slaves, if the 
 other tribes of the island would amend their ways also. One 
 old chief at this juncture was very eloquentrupon the neglect of 
 
210 " PALAVEE " WITH INDIANS. Chap. IX. 
 
 his tribe by the missionaries. " Why," he asked, " was no one 
 sent to teach their young men what was right ? It was very 
 well for us to assert that what they (the Indians) had learned 
 from their forefathers was wrong, but why was not care taken 
 to explain this, and to teach them better ways? They felt 
 ashamed," he said, " before the Tsimsheans, whose young men 
 were learning to read and write, and knew so much more than 
 they did. Why was Mr. Duncan sent past Eupert to Fort 
 Simpson, and no one sent to them ? " He was assured that the 
 desire of his people for instruction should be made known to 
 Mr. Douglas, and that no doubt teachers would shortly visit 
 them. At last, therefore, they handed one of their poles over 
 to Captain Eichards in token of the palaver having ended ami- 
 cably and of their assent to his wishes, and gave their promise 
 that they would not go on the intended foray southward. 
 
 After this followed the slave question. They had somehow 
 got wind of our purpose, and, suspecting that she would be 
 claimed of them, had on the previous night sent their captive 
 across to the mainland. At first they refused to give her up 
 for less ransom than 100 blankets, and then seeing this would 
 not be submitted to, they asserted that she had left them and 
 was three days' journey away. Captain Eichards, therefore, 
 gave them three days' time to bring her on board, saying that 
 he should remain there with both ships, and use force if she 
 were not forthcoming at the end of that period. Feeling con- 
 vinced at last that it was of no use holding out longer, they 
 said that they would send at once for her, and asked for some 
 payment for the men who should be despatched. This was 
 promised, and she was brought on board two days later. 
 
 Had it not been for the presence of the e Alert,' Ave should 
 probably have had great difficulty in inducing them to give 
 up this slave. The stand they made in the presence of so 
 much force was very significant of the attachment with which 
 they cling to this among other habits of their restless, pre- 
 datory lives. The" old chief's questions, however, about Mr. 
 
Chap. IX. ME. DUNCAN. 211 
 
 Duncan, showed a desire to learn, which the old men among 
 the Indians certainly feel for their children's sakes, but for 
 which they do not generally get credit. There is no doubt 
 that men of Mr. Duncan's stamp, who will in a frank, manly 
 spirit go among them diffusing the blessings of religion and 
 education, will meet with a cordial reception and an abundant 
 reward. But without any desire to disparage or dishearten 
 others, I must say that Mr. Duncan impressed us as a man of 
 ten thousand, possessing, with abundant energy and zeal, that 
 talent for acquiring the confidence and love of his fellow- 
 creatures, which all who came in his way, were they whites 
 or Indians, could not fail to acknowledge and feel subject to. 
 
 The * Alert ' proceeded on her voyage on the 17 th, and on 
 the 18th the ' Otter' arrived with our mails, and having Mr. 
 Duncan on board and with him the Rev. Mr. Tugwell, who it 
 was intended should take his place at Fort Simpson while he 
 (Mr. Duncan) went to Victoria to establish schools there. 
 The following extract from Mr. Duncan's Journal, descriptive 
 of his interview with Captain Richards, who was just then 
 much impressed by the desire expressed by the Indians to re- 
 ceive European teachers, will no doubt bo read with interest : — 
 
 " Aug. 19. — This evening we arrived at Fort Rupert and 
 found H.M.S. 'Plumper' in the harbour. Went on board 
 and was warmly greeted by Captain Richards, who astonished 
 me by saying he had just been writing about me to the 
 Admiral. I read his despatch. It stated that he had had 
 some trouble with the Indians of that place, and at a large 
 meeting they had asked him why Mr. Duncan was not sent 
 to teach them, and then insisted on the injustice of my being 
 sent over their heads to the Tsimshean Indians. During 
 my conversation with Captain Richards, he said the business 
 he had just had with the Indians convinced him that it was 
 not our ships of war that were wanted up the coast, but mis- 
 sionaries. The Indian's ignorance of our power and strong 
 confidence in his own, in addition to his natural savage temper, 
 
 p2 
 
212 A KESCUED SLAVE. Chap. IX. 
 
 render him unfit to be dealt with at present by stern .and 
 unyielding men of war, unless his destruction be contem- 
 plated, which of course is not. ' Then,' asked the captain, 
 ' why do not more men come out, since your mission has been 
 so successful; or, if the missionary societies cannot afford 
 them, why does not Government send out fifty, and place them 
 up the coast at once ? Surely it would not be difficult to find 
 fifty good men in England willing to. engage in such a work ? 
 and their expenses would be almost nothing compared with 
 the cost which the country must sustain to subdue the Indians 
 by force of arms.' Such are the earnest sentiments of one of 
 Her Majesty's naval captains while among the Indians."* 
 And such, I may add, are the sentiments of myself — in 
 common, I believe, with all my brother officers — after nearly 
 &ve years' constant and close intercourse with the natives of 
 Vancouver Island and the coast of British Columbia. 
 
 Kejoining the ' Plumper ' on the 20th, I found the rescued 
 slave Hu-saw-i in full possession of the after cockpit. There is 
 no accounting for tastes, of course ; but it was fortunate for 
 Hu-saw-i that her husband esteemed her more than we did, or 
 I fear she would have been left to the tender mercies of her 
 captors. She was one of the ugliest, dirtiest specimens of an 
 old squaw I have ever had the pleasure of meeting ; and during 
 the ten days we had her on board, she excited, I fear, anything 
 but sympathy among us. She was turned over to the charge 
 of the serjeant-major, a dress being made for her of printed 
 calico, which, with sundry other garments, she was desired to 
 wear, besides being told to make herself as decent and clean as 
 her habits would permit. The first thing to be done was to in- 
 duce her to give up possession of her filthy blanket and to take 
 a bath, to both of which proceedings she expressed decided re- 
 pugnance. The sergeant, who was a most strict-service man, 
 treated all men and women as stores put under his charge, 
 
 * Mr. Duncan's letters to the Church Missionary Society. 
 
Chap. IX. A PUNCTILIOUS SERJEANT. 213 
 
 and for which he was responsible till relieved by his com- 
 manding officer. He could not speak a word to Hu-saw-i, 
 and his endeavours — crowned I should add with perfect suc- 
 cess — to get her to do what was ordered, were most amusing. 
 First he was told that she was to be cleaned and dressed. 
 Keceiving the order just as he would have done one to " cane 
 a boy," or put any one in the Black List, he carried it out to 
 the letter, and then came with a military salute and reported 
 " Old woman cleaned, sir." As punctiliously he took her food 
 to her or saw that she got it, while he used to visit her like a 
 prisoner three or four times a-day to make sure that she was 
 all right. The poor old creature was all this while in a great 
 fright, and I have no doubt in her heart wished herself back 
 among her enemies. All clay long she would stand at the 
 fore end of the passage which went round our chart-room, 
 and every time we turned to walk aft along the quarter-deck 
 would begin to wave her hand and cry " Ah ! Tyee, Tyee !" 
 (Ah! chief, chief!) in the most piteous voice imaginable, till 
 we were faifly driven off deck. On the 27th, however, much 
 to our delight, we got rid of her, sending her in the ' Shark ' 
 (our decked pinnace), to catch the * Otter ' on her way down 
 to Victoria. The sergeant accompanied her to the last, seeing 
 her on board, and reporting, with the utmost gravity, " Old 
 woman's in the boat, sir." 
 
 This sergeant was the source of much amusement to us. 
 His notions of service were of the strictest and most laughable 
 kind. One of his company having lost a thumb, he applied 
 persistently to the Captain for a certificate of the accident, 
 and was most uncomfortable at his refusal, regarding it in 
 precisely the same light as the loss of a knapsack or rifle. 
 He argued that the man having left the " division " with two 
 thumbs, he, the sergeant, was responsible for his being 
 returned into store with only one, and must show that its 
 loss was correct, and not owing to any negligence on his, 
 the sergeant's, part. I remember, when the * Plumper ' was 
 
214 BOAT EXPEDITION. Chap. IX. 
 
 actually heaving up her anchor, homeward bound, and we 
 were just leaving the ship, he came up to me, and begged me 
 to speak to Captain Eichards about it, " as he was still with- 
 out a certificate for that man's thumb, and really ought to 
 have one to satisfy his Colonel ! " 
 
 On the 21st the ship went on to Shucartie, a bay 20 miles 
 northward of Fort Eupert, where we experienced very foggy 
 and rainy weather, which made our observations most uncer- 
 tain and otherwise delayed our work. Winds from the north- 
 west prevailed here ; with them, as I before said, comes the 
 fog, and, so troublesome did we find it, that not more than 
 one day in three was available for working purposes. 
 
 On the 27th we went on to Bull Harbour, in Hope Island, 
 opposite the northern extreme of Vancouver Island, where 
 we remained till Monday the 3rd of September, when it 
 was determined to make a start to the southward, the ship 
 going outside Vancouver Island, while I went down inside 
 with two boats to finish off some work and go up the Squaw- 
 misht Eiver. The weather at this time, though still very 
 pleasant at Victoria, begins to be very bad at the north end 
 of the island ; rain, fog, and strong north-westerly winds pre- 
 vailing, while the nights, though usually calm and clear, are 
 cold. Wild-fowl also began to make their appearance in 
 large quantities from the northward, reminding us unplea- 
 santly of the near approach of winter. We were not sorry, 
 therefore, to receive orders to move southwards. 
 
 On the morning of the 3rd, I started with the gig and 
 ' Shark,' the latter carrying the provisions, &c, for which we 
 had no room in the boat. Our cruise was to extend over 350 
 miles, and, as there was a good deal to be done on the way. 
 we made preparations for a cruise of at least a month. The 
 ship towed us out of the harbour, and then turned northward, 
 while we kept down the channel to the south. Having fair 
 wind and tide we reached Fort Eupert by noon, where we 
 remained all night to wait for the < Shark,' which had some 
 
Chap. IX. DAILY ROUTINE. 215 
 
 work to do by the way. At Rupert we laid in a great stock 
 of vegetables, which lasted us nearly all our cruise ; and pro- 
 ceeding on our journey next morning, reached Beaver Cove, 
 in which neighbourhood we remained for two days. I have 
 not yet, I think, described camp-life when away with boats ; 
 and as it differs somewhat from camp-life in the bush, I will 
 now attempt it. To begin with, it is much pleasanter work 
 than roughing it in the bush ; for, instead of cutting down 
 everything to the smallest possible limit, you are able to 
 carry many comforts with you. A large bell-tent accommo- 
 dates the men, and, if you have a roomy boat, you will pro- 
 bably take a small tent for yourself also. In addition to 
 these, a canteen, a box, fitted for holding cups, plates, knives, 
 and forks ; tins for tea and coffee, and bottles for grog, if you 
 take any, are requisite. The same stock of clothes for boat 
 and bush excursion is necessary, the crew washing theirs on 
 Sunday. Objections are sometimes made to this work being 
 done on that day, and Saturday evening is recommended for 
 the purpose, — when the men are likely to be so tired as to 
 neglect the task. The bush, however, is so thick ordinarily, 
 that it rarely happens that the tent is pitched in a spot where 
 the men can get a walk on the Sunday morning ; and I think 
 this employment before prayer-time very useful. 
 
 The daily routine of life in the boats differs, of course, 
 very much from that in the bush. Instead of working 
 before breakfast the day begins with that meal. Breakfast 
 over, the boats are launched or unmoored, and operations 
 begun for the day at an hour depending a great deal upon 
 the work to be got through, and ranging generally from 
 6 to 8. About noon — or as near to that time as an appro- 
 priate spot for the meal was reached — we halted for dinner, 
 and, resting for an hour, continued our work until the 
 evening, taking care, however, to get our tent pitched and 
 boats moored before dark. It was always necessary to keep 
 
216 DAILY ROUTINE, Chap. IX. 
 
 a watch all night, as some Indians were pretty sure to be 
 lurking about in the neighbourhood on the look-out for a 
 chance of thieving. When among the northern tribes, 
 also, there was always some fear, more or less, of their 
 attacking us. I remember, when we first began work in 1858, 
 paying for my neglect of watch-keeping with the loss of a 
 double-barrelled fowling-piece. We were in the American 
 territory, on the east side of the Bellingham Channel. When 
 we camped we had not seen any Indians near, and, having a 
 dog with us, I did not think it worth setting a watch. We 
 had been some time away from the ship, and, having used 
 all my powder and shot, instead of taking my gun into the 
 tent as usual, I left it in the boat, which was hauled up on 
 the beach. About the middle of the night we were awakened 
 by the dog barking violently, but, running out of the tent, 
 could see nothing. The dog was soon quiet, and we attri- 
 buted the disturbance to a deer, and went to sleep again. In 
 the morning, the coxswain said to me, " That was a deer last 
 night, sir ; here are his tracks all round the tent." I thought 
 no more about it, till walking down to a station close by I 
 saw a marten, and, knowing I had one barrel of my gun still 
 loaded, called for it. The coxswain went to the boat to fetch 
 it, when it was found to have disappeared, and there could 
 be no doubt that it had been taken during the night. Close 
 behind the tent was a deep ditch, into which the thief must 
 have jumped when the dog heard him, and so escaped. 
 
 On Saturdays we usually camped a little earlier than on 
 other days, so that the boats might be cleaned out, &c. Sun- 
 days were always spent in camp ; Church-service being read 
 in the forenoon. 
 
 Such was our surveying life. The men generally managed 
 to procure salmon, venison, potatoes, &c, from the natives ; 
 so that, as a rule, we did not fare badly, although sometimes 
 we had what the seamen called very hungry cruises. On the 
 
Chap. IX. MEET MR. DOWNIE. . 217 
 
 whole, it was a happy life enough, and the time passed 
 pleasantly and swiftly. 
 
 On Monday the 10th we proceeded down the Strait and 
 reached Point Chatham on the 13th, the only thing we had 
 to complain of being the weather. It rained constantly, and 
 at such short intervals that there was no time to get our 
 things dry between the showers. In going down Johnstone 
 Strait we met Mr. Downie, in his schooner, on his way to 
 Knight Inlet. He had shortly before discovered plumbago 
 there, and was on his way for a cargo of it, which was, he 
 hoped, to make his fortune. He gave us some newspapers 
 and a supply of apples, which were by no means unacceptable. 
 We passed Cape Mudge on the 15th, and reached the little 
 island of Mittlenatch, which lies six or eight miles off it, by 
 night, and there spent our second Sunday. The * Shark ' 
 had not been able to reach the island, and had been obliged 
 to seek shelter elsewhere, from which, however, she was 
 subsequently driven by a gale that sprang up. We picked 
 her up on Monday ; and having put a mark on Savary 
 Island, we proceeded together to Texhada Island, which 
 we reached the same evening, remaining here all Tuesday 
 (18th), and reaching the entrance of Howe Sound on Wed- 
 nesday. Leaving the ' Shark ' to take soundings about the 
 entrance, 1 started for its head, being desirous, if I could get 
 a canoe, to ascend the Squawmisht River, and reach the 
 village which we had visited when on the way from Jervis 
 Inlet to Port Pemberton. Reaching the mouth of the river 
 on the morning of the 20th, we found the village there deserted 
 by all save one old man and a little boy. I was beginning to 
 despair of getting up the river, when to my great delight, 
 Peter, the chief of the village I wished to go to, made his 
 appearance. He had heard of our arrival, and had dropped 
 down the stream from his temporary village about two miles 
 up, where he was fishing, to see who we were. He imme- 
 
218 ASCEND THE SQUAWMISHT IN A CANOE. Chap. IX. 
 
 diately recognised me and agreed to take me up on the 
 following day. Accordingly, having selected a good place 
 to leave the boat in, I started next morning with Peter and 
 three other Indians up the river. As I have spoken of this 
 river in the beginning of the chapter, I will only say now 
 that we reached the village that evening ; and as it poured 
 with rain all night and not a star showed itself in the heavens, 
 I was glad to sleep in Peter's lodge and wait for the sun 
 next day. Here I experienced the hospitality I have always 
 received from Indians when alone with them. They cleared 
 everything out of one end of the large hut, and put a barrier 
 across, so that no children or dogs could come near me, and 
 kept my fire alight all night. The children certainly were 
 models of quietness ; for although there were no fewer than 
 30 or 40 in the lodge, I hardly heard a sound all night. 
 Altogether there were 50 or 60 men, women, and children 
 in the place ; but, except an occasional bark by one of 
 the dozen dogs who slept under the same roof, and who 
 was probably chasing a deer in his dreams, not a sound 
 disturbed me. 
 
 Dropping down the river next day, and rejoining the boat 
 at 6 p.m. on the following morning, we started down the 
 Sound, and after a few days' cruise — which, with the boat- 
 trip altogether, would have been pleasant enough but for the 
 constant rain — reached Esquimalt. 
 
 Kemaining some time in harbour — during which several 
 changes among the other vessels took place, and we hoisted 
 the garland * for the second time during our cruise, in honour 
 of the marriage of our first lieutenant — we started on the 
 13th for our last cruise in the old 'Plumper' to Howe 
 Sound. We remained here, struggling against the rain and 
 
 * It is the custom on board men-of-war to hoist a garland of flowers to the 
 mast-head, between sunrise and sunset, when a wedding takes place among 
 the officers. 
 
Chap. IX. ARRIVAL OF THE ' HECATE.' 219 
 
 wind that did its best to convince us that the time had 
 arrived for giving up work for the winter, until the 28th, 
 when we went to New Westminster, where we remained 
 until the 1st of November. Crossing the Gulf to Nanaimo 
 for coal, we proceeded to Esquimalt, where we commenced 
 our winter chart-work and made preparations for turning- 
 over to the * Hecate,' which we knew had left England in 
 June last, and might arrive at any moment. 
 
 On the 14th we were much shocked by the sudden death 
 of poor Bull, our master and senior assistant-surveyor. His 
 death was quite unexpected, and cast a gloom over us all. 
 It was but ten months since he had been married, and had 
 built himself a house near the harbour, where he died 
 without the slightest warning or previous illness. On the 
 day previous to his death he had been working with us all 
 at the office. 
 
 On the 12th of December a requisition was sent by the 
 Governor for a vessel to go to Nootka Sound, to see what 
 assistance could be rendered to a Peruvian brigantine which 
 was on shore there, a message having been sent by the crew 
 that they expected hourly to be killed by the natives. As 
 almost invariably happens in these cases, it proved that the 
 white men had provoked an attack — one of them threatening 
 to chop an Indian down with his axe. At the same time we 
 heard that one or two other vessels had been lost on the coast 
 in the heavy gales which had prevailed since the beginning of 
 November. Accordingly on the 16th, the 'Forward' was 
 sent out to hunt up the wreck, Browning, one of our second 
 masters, going in her as pilot. 
 
 On the 23rd of December H.M.S. ' Hecate' made her 
 appearance, and it may be fancied how eagerly we all hurried 
 on board to see what our new home was like. We were 
 greatly delighted with the change, for though possessing no 
 external beauty, she was very roomy and comfortable 
 
220 OUR FOURTH CHRISTMAS. Chap. IX. 
 
 within — my new cabin alone being nearly as large as our 
 mess-room of the ' Plumper.' It was decided that we were 
 to take possession of the new ship on the 1st of the coming 
 year, all of us joining her except Moriarty, the 1st Lieu- 
 tenant, who was to go home with the ' Plumper.' Our fourth 
 Christmas was spent in the usual way, finishing with a dinner 
 at the Captain's house. 
 
Chap. X. WE JOIN THE ' HECATE.' 221 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Turn over to the ' Hecate ' — Preparations for Summer's Work — Trip to 
 West Coast to look for the ' Forward ' — Visit Nootka Sound — Survey of 
 Barclay and Clayaquot Sounds, and Eemarks ou West Coast of the Island 
 — Promotion — Ship runs ashore. 
 
 We began the year 1861 by joining our new ship, and 
 immediately commenced such alterations as the ' Hecate's ' 
 fittings required for the work before her. We had hardly 
 got on board, however, and had not half "shaken down," 
 when the non-appearance of the ' Forward ' caused so much 
 anxiety that Captain Richards decided upon going out to 
 look for her. Accordingly on the 4th we were under weigh 
 in our new ship, and steaming out of the Strait of Fuca. 
 The 'Forward' had at this time been absent quite a fort- 
 night longer than she ought to have been, and as we knew 
 that heavy gales had been prevalent outside the Straits, it was 
 natural some anxiety should be felt for her, although most of 
 us' as yet trusted in the general luck of her commander, 
 Robson (who, poor fellow ! has since been killed), for picking 
 himself up somewhere. Browning, too, who had accompanied 
 the 'Forward,' knew the coast thoroughly; and we, there- 
 fore, as yet attributed her absence to some accident in her 
 machinery. Subsequently, however, we began to feel seriously 
 alarmed for her safety. 
 
 We reached Nootka Sound in the afternoon of the fol- 
 lowing day, and, passing Friendly Cove, steamed up to 
 the Boca del Infierno, and anchored in a small place 
 called Island Harbour. Here we communicated with the 
 natives, but could only hear that a steamer had been there 
 and left some time ago. Next day (6th) we left Island 
 
222 SEARCH FOR THE 'FORWARD.' Chap. X. 
 
 Harbour, and went to the Tasis village, but without learning 
 anything more. On our way out we despatched a boat-party 
 to Friendly Cove, and there found a board with a broad 
 arrow cut upon it, but no notice. This we afterwards learned 
 had been put up by a Mr. Lennard, who was cruising about 
 the west coast on the look-out for furs, in his cutter, the 
 4 Templar.' We remained outside all night, jogging slowly 
 down the coast towards Barclay Sound, which we entered 
 next morning, and proceeded to the settlement at the 
 head of the Alberni Canal. Here we remained all night, 
 but got no further information, and next morning steamed 
 to Uclulet at the north entrance of the Sound, where 
 we found five men of the 'Florentia,' the vessel which 
 the ' Forward' had been despatched to look for, and which 
 had been wrecked 12 miles north of this point, together with 
 several of the crew of the American brig ' Consort,' which had 
 also been lost on the coast 90 miles beyond Nootka. From 
 these, whom we took on board, we learned that the ' Forward' 
 had arrived at Friendly Cove on the 19th of December, and 
 hearing there of the wreck of the ' Consort,' had gone to 
 rescue her crew ; that she returned to Friendly Cove, having 
 eighteen of the ' Consort's ' crew on board, and, taking the 
 'Florentia' in tow, had started with her for the Strait of 
 Fuca. Outside Nootka Sound it appeared that they expe- 
 rienced a considerable swell, and twice parted the chain by 
 which the ' Florentia ' was towed, but succeeded each time 
 in getting it on board again. About 8 in the evening, 
 however, the ' Forward' dropped close to the 'Florentia,' 
 and Eobson (her commander) hailed to say he could not tow 
 her any longer, and immediately cast her off, — or the chain 
 parted again, — they were not sure which. The ' Forward' 
 then ran across the ' Florentia's ' stem, steering for Xootka, 
 and was lost sight of in ten minutes, since which they had 
 neither seen nor heard anything of her. The 'Florentia' 
 had afterwards drifted ashore again, and been totally lost. 
 
Chap. X. EETUKN OF THE 'FORWARD.' 223 
 
 Captain Richards, upon a consideration of these facts, came 
 to the conclusion that if the ' Forward ' had entered any of the 
 Sounds, the Indians would have known of it, and that she 
 had probably by this time got back to Esquimalt. We, 
 therefore, returned thither, reaching it on the 10th, but to 
 our surprise and alarm, Ave found nothing had been heard of 
 her. It was at once determined that the ' Plumper ' should 
 start in search of her, this time examining the whole of 
 the west coast, and communicating with Fort Rupert upon 
 the chance of her having gone round the island. On the 
 11th, therefore, the 'Plumper' left, and as day after day 
 passed without our obtaining any news of the missing gun- 
 boat from her or any other source, we, waiting anxiously at 
 Esquimalt, began to give up all hope. 
 
 On the afternoon of the 15th, however, when sitting in my 
 cabin, I was told that an officer was coming alongside, and 
 on going up the ladder, great was my surprise to find Browning 
 standing at the top of it ! I have said he had gone as pilot 
 in the ' Forward,' and had he delayed making his appearance 
 for a few days later, it is not unlikely that he would have 
 found his kit sold as " dead and run men's effects." There 
 he was, however, and he told us he had come in from the 
 ' Forward,' which was outside the harbour, and would arrive 
 in an hour. He explained that they had parted company 
 with the ' Florentia,' on account of the crown of one of the 
 furnaces coming down, and, returning to Friendly Cove, 
 had patched this up as well as they could, and started for 
 Esquimalt. Outside they met strong easterly gales, which 
 blew without intermission, and so hard that they could make 
 no head against them. After several days' struggle, Eobson 
 having 20 shipwrecked men on board in addition to his own 
 crew, began to fear that they might fall short of provisions, 
 and at last determined to bear up and go round the north 
 end of the island, knowing that they could get supplies of 
 
224 < PLUMPER ' SAILS FOR ENGLAXD. Chap. X. 
 
 some sort at Eupert, which place they reached finally with 
 no worse mishaps on the way than running short of pro- 
 visions and coal. 
 
 On the 18th the ' Plumper' returned from her search, 
 having learned at Eupert that the gunboat had passed down 
 the Strait, and on the 28th our old ship sailed for England 
 amid most vociferous cheering from those she left behind. 
 Our winter work in the office, which I have before made 
 mention of, went on much as usual ; while, on board, the boats 
 were being fitted up, and other preparations made for the 
 coming summer. The ' Shark ' which had before been only 
 half-decked, was now completely decked over, and turned 
 into a regular schooner, capable of navigating the west coast 
 of the island. On the 23rd of February we had official news 
 of Sir T. Maitland's assuming command of the station, and 
 changed our flag for the third admiral since we came out. 
 
 By the middle of March everything was ready for a start, 
 the ship caulked, chart-room fitted, our pinnace converted 
 into a schooner, and all the boats ready, and on the 22nd we 
 left Esquimait for the Fraser Eiver to lay down our second 
 set of buoys at its entrance. The ' Forward ' went with us to 
 assist in this operation, and we both anchored that night off 
 Port Eoberts. Next day we entered the Fraser and steamed 
 up to New Westminster, without any let or hindrance. This 
 was subject of great rejoicing to the people of Westminster, 
 as no steamer of the ' Hecate's ' size (850 tons) had before 
 ascended the river, and it showed unmistakeably that it was 
 practicable for large vessels to do so. So delighted were the 
 people of Westminster, indeed, that they wanted to entertain 
 Captain Eichards at a public banquet, a .deputation of 
 citizens waiting on him with that object. This, however, he 
 steadfastly declined, representing that all he had done was 
 his duty, and that he had come to buoy the mouth of their 
 river, not to feast. So they contented themselves with pre- 
 
Chap. X. DRIFTING SANDS. 225 
 
 senting him with a complimentary address. From the 25th to 
 the 29th the surveying officers were employed in the ' Forward ' 
 placing the buoys. The difficulty of keeping these buoys in 
 their places, which is very great, arises from the number of 
 large trees which are floated off the banks of the river when 
 the water is high, and come down the stream carrying every- 
 thing before them. The buoys now put down were large spars 
 fitted with a running chain through the heel, and moored to 
 heavy weights in such a way that anything on a line with 
 them would only dip them under water and pass over. The 
 bottoms of the weights were hollowed out so that they might 
 work themselves down into the sand, and so keep in their 
 places. Considerable difference of opinion still exists as to 
 whether these sands drift and change their position. My 
 opinion is that they do, although not to the extent that some 
 affirm. In thick weather the leading marks upon them are 
 not of course visible, and the masters of ships losing their 
 course and grounding are likely enough to lay their mishap 
 to the shifting of the sands rather than to the right cause. 
 On the 29th we crossed to Nanaimo and filled up with coal, 
 and on the 5th April went to Esquimalt, where we found 
 that the ' Bacchante,' with the new admiral, Sir T. Maitland, 
 on board, had arrived, together with the * Topaze ' and ' Tartar.' 
 The spring weather had now fairly set in, and we felt that 
 working time had commenced. This winter (1860-1) had been 
 by far the finest and mildest we had experienced since we 
 came to the island, there being but a few days' frost in the 
 month of January, while even then the thermometer sank 
 only a few degrees below zero.* We knew, however, that the 
 season on the west coast, to which we were going, was later 
 than that inside the island, and so we waited until the 17th 
 before we started. 
 
 * This has been fully compensated by the winter of 1861-2, which has been 
 the most severe that can be remembered. 
 
226 BARCLAY SOUND. Chap. X. 
 
 We left Esquimalt on the night of the 17th, and anchored 
 in Port San Juan on the morning of the 18th. I have before 
 mentioned this harbour, which lies at the entrance of the 
 Strait of Fuca on the north. Some gold had recently been 
 found in -Gordon River which runs into its head, and a party 
 had started to work it ; but although the precious mineral 
 undoubtedly existed there, it was not found in quantities 
 sufficiently remunerative to induce them to remain. 
 
 On the 19th we reached the head of the Alberni Canal, 
 and anchored about a mile off the saw-mills. Although we 
 had visited this place before in the ' Plumper,' 1 have as yet 
 given no description of it. As it is already a considerable 
 settlement, and likely to become of some importance, it 
 claims, I think, some passing notice. 
 
 Barclay Sound, as it is now spelt, at the head of which the 
 Alberni settlement is placed, should properly, I believe, be 
 " Berkely," as it was named by Captain Berkely of the ship 
 ' Imperial Eagle,' who in 1787 discovered, or rather redis- 
 covered, the Strait of Fuca. Its eastern entrance is a little 
 more than 30 miles north-west of Cape Flattery, and the 
 whole length of the sound is 35 miles. The entrance, which 
 is six or eight miles across, is filled with small islands and 
 low rocks, many under water, over which the sea breaks with 
 great violence during the prevalence of southerly winds, 
 giving to the entrance a greater appearance of danger than 
 really exists. Into this sound there are passages from the west 
 and the east, of which the latter, although the narrower, is to be 
 preferred, from the fact that there are no sunken rocks in the 
 channel. It is proposed to erect a light on Cape Beale, the 
 southern cape of Barclay Sound, which will no doubt be of 
 great use to navigators making the Strait of Fuca. In the 
 winter time, when the weather is so often thick and foggy, it 
 frequently happens that observations cannot be obtained for 
 two or three days before making the land, and the navigator 
 
Chap. X. BARCLAY SOUND. 227 
 
 does not like to keep in for Cape Flattery, for fear of getting 
 under the American coast, where there is a perfect nest of 
 rocks. A light on Cape Beale would enable him to make the 
 island shore with considerably less anxiety than at present, 
 and he could find shelter in Barclay Sound if he preferred 
 waiting for clear weather before making the Strait, as the 
 winds which most endanger ships here blow on to Vancouver 
 shore, and are consequently fan into the Sound. Like all 
 the sounds of the west coast of Vancouver Island, Barclay is 
 subdivided into several smaller sounds or arms, running five 
 or six, or sometimes more, miles inland. Of these the 
 Uclulet arm is just within the west entrance, and inside this, 
 as you coast round the west shore, is the Toquart, Effingham, 
 Ouchucklesit, and several others, almost all containing good 
 anchorage. In Ouchucklesit coal has been found, which will 
 probably be of great value to the settlement. The scarcely 
 less valuable commodity of limestone of very good quality 
 has been discovered here. At the mills they used large 
 quantities of it. Previously to its discovery they were 
 entirely dependant on the clam-shells which the Indians leave 
 in very large quantities on the beaches where they dig up the 
 fish. Some of these arms are very curious, running in a straight 
 line, or very nearly so, 5 or 6 miles between mountains 3000 
 or 4000 feet high, with a breadth in many places of not more 
 than 50 yards, and yet 30 or 40 fathoms deep up to the head, 
 which is invariably flat with a river running through it. 
 Fifteen miles above the entrance, the sound narrows to half 
 a mile, and the Alberni Canal commences. This continues 
 at about the same width for 20 miles, where it opens out 
 into a large harbour, on the east side of which is the Alberni 
 Settlement. Extending north-west from the settlement is 
 an extensive valley, which terminates in a large lake 5 or 
 6 miles from the head of the canal or inlet, and above this 
 is another large lake, separated from the lower one by 
 a mountain-ridge. These lakes were each estimated by 
 
 q2 
 
228 SAW-MILL COMPANY. Chap. X, 
 
 Captain Stamp, who examined them, to be SO miles long and 
 1 to 2 miles broad. 
 
 From the southern of these lakes runs the Somass Eiver, 
 which, being joined by another river having its rise in the 
 upper lake, flows into the Alberni Canal. A very great 
 volume of water comes down by this river, so much indeed 
 that at the end of the ebb-tide the water alongside the ship 
 was quite fresh, though we lay a mile from its mouth. On 
 both banks of the Somass, and indeed all over the valley, 
 the soil is very rich, and the timber magnificent- — the 
 Douglas pine (Abies Douglasii), growing to an enormous 
 size, and the white pine, oak, and yellow cypress also 
 abounding. Of these, however, more will be said when I 
 come to speak of the timber of the country generally. This 
 tract of country has been granted upon lease to the Saw- 
 Mill Company, who have a farm upon it under cultiva- 
 tion, and are commencing a brisk trade in spars and lumber. 
 It was here that the flagstaff which is erected in Kew 
 Gardens was cut. As these mills are by far the largest and 
 most important in the colony, a short description of them 
 may interest the reader. 
 
 They have been erected in a most solid fashion, and at a 
 heavy outlay, by English labourers, and with English ma- 
 chinery. They contain two gangs of saws capable of cutting 
 about 18,000 feet of lumber (plank) daily, and in the 
 best way, as is proved by the high price obtained for it at 
 Melbourne. Seventy white men are employed at and about 
 the premises, so that the place has all the appearance of a 
 flourishing little settlement. Two schooners and two steamers 
 are also employed by the Company here, the former trading 
 with Victoria and bringing the necessary supplies to the 
 place. One of the steamers, the ' Diana,' a little tug, also 
 trades to Victoria, and is used besides for towing vessels 
 up to and away from the mills. The second steamer, the 
 * Thames ' has not yet reached the colony, but is on her way 
 
Chap. X. ALBERNI. 229 
 
 out from England. In addition to these, several ships are 
 employed in the spar trade between the colony and Europe, 
 but the desire of the company is to sell on the spot. 
 
 The Alberni Mills possess several advantages over similar 
 rival undertakings in Puget Sound, which are now beginning 
 to be appreciated by merchants, and still more by the masters 
 of ships. One of the chief of these lies in its accessibility, 
 for Alberni being situated on the outside coast of the island, 
 the navigator avoids all the journey in and out of the Straits 
 of Juan de Fuca and Admiralty Inlet, which occupies ordi- 
 narily a week : so that a vessel bound to Alberni, making 
 Cape Flattery at the same time with one bound for Puget 
 Sound, would be half-loaded by the time the other reached 
 its destination. Again, when loaded, the tug takes him to 
 the entrance of Barclay Sound, where he can wait for a fair 
 wind, while the other, in consequence of the more prevalent 
 winds blowing into the Strait, has to beat for two or three 
 days to get outside. In winter this is by no means a 
 desirable spot to beat about in, for the squalls from the 
 Olympian Mountains are sudden and heavy, and fogs come 
 on very rapidly. Another consideration, which carries much 
 weight with the skipper, is that there are no opportunities 
 for men to desert at Alberni. Of course, when the trade 
 becomes greater and the country more opened up, this advan- 
 tage will cease to exist, but for some time to come men will 
 be very safe there. 
 
 There are no port charges whatever at Alberni, and it is 
 a port of entry, so that vessels can clear from the mills ; 
 whereas in Puget Sound they cannot, and have to call at 
 Port Townshend or some other port to get their clearance. 
 The scarcity of white pine in the American territory will 
 probably enable the Alberni mills to compete with their 
 Puget Sound rivals successfully even in the San Fran- 
 cisco market, and they are admirably placed for the supply 
 
230 BOAT-SURVEYING PARTIES. Chap. X. 
 
 of America, China, and Australia, with the latter of which 
 countries a remunerative trade has already been opened. 
 Several foreign Governments have entered into contracts for 
 these spars, and our own has ordered two cargoes of top- 
 masts to be supplied. I will now, however, quit this subject, 
 having to speak more particularly of the qualities of the 
 different woods growing on this coast, when treating of the 
 resources of the island. 
 
 On the 29th I started by land for JSTanaimo — a description 
 of which journey has been already given — returning on the 
 12th of May. I found that the 'Hecate' had gone to 
 Ouchucklesit, and proceeded thither in a canoe the same 
 afternoon, overtaking the ship at 7 p.m. The boat-surveying 
 parties were busily engaged by this time at the entrance of 
 the Sound, and the ship had moved down to Ouchucklesit on 
 the 9th to be nearer them. The boat parties had returned 
 to the ship once during my absence. Upon their next visit 
 on the 27th, I joined them for a week. From this time until 
 the 9th of June we were all hard at work about the various 
 inlets and islands of Barclay Sound. On the 3rd the ship 
 moved down to Island Harbour in the entrance, and on the 
 9th we went out to sound off the Straits of Fuca, leaving 
 two boats behind to finish Uclulet. 
 
 We spent a week running lines of soundings backwards 
 and forwards over an area of 400 square miles, to determine 
 the limits of the bank which runs off from the island shore 
 for upwards of 20 miles ; and a most unpleasant week it was, 
 and very glad we were when it was over. These soundings 
 proved, however, of great use, as we found the edge of the 
 bank to be so steep that a ship may always find her approxi- 
 mate position by the soundings as she approaches the shore — 
 the depth changing quite suddenly from 200 fathoms or there- 
 abouts to 40 or 50. Our task being completed by the 14th, 
 we went right up to the head of the Alberni again for sights, 
 
Chap. X. EFFECT OF THE SIGNAL-GUN. 231 
 
 and commenced painting the ship. On Monday, the 24th, 
 this necessary although unpleasant job was finished, and we 
 started for Esquimalt, having in tow a main topmast for 
 the ' Bacchante,' which Mr. Stamp sent as a present and 
 specimen to the Admiral. We generally went about these 
 channels with a good string of things of some kind to wing- 
 after us, usually boats which were to be dropped at different 
 places on our road ; and this time was no exception to the 
 rule, for we passed down the canal towing the topmast, with 
 the * Shark,' and one of the whale-boats, which we cast off at 
 the entrance, they being bound for Clayoquot to prepare, by 
 sounding the entrance, for our arrival there as soon as we 
 returned from Esquimalt. 
 
 One of the whale-boats, under the charge of Mr. Browning, 
 had been away since we started on our sounding cruise, and 
 we now went to pick her up off Port San Juan. We usually 
 took these opportunities for exercising at gun-drill, as when 
 we were on surveying ground we had other fish to fry; so 
 that on this occasion the pivot-gun was ready loaded when 
 we opened San Juan Harbour, and saw Browning's tent com- 
 fortably pitched on the shore. There is a certain amount 
 of pleasure, I suppose, in disturbing an unsuspecting fellow- 
 mortal ; and although we all knew, from frequent experience, 
 the annoyance of seeing the ship gliding round some point, 
 and hearing the boom of a signal-gun when it seemed rea- 
 sonably certain that a quiet, undisturbed night might be 
 enjoyed, it was not with much commiseration for our ship- 
 mate that we watched, through our glasses, the figures rush- 
 ing out as the boom of the pivot-gun reached them, and 
 the tent's sudden disappearance. Browning, who, with the 
 rest of us, was pretty used by this time to decisive action in 
 packing and shifting his quarters, lost no time ; and in 20 
 minutes after our signal, his boat was cleared and hoisted up, 
 and we were flying down the Strait with all sail set to a 
 fair wind. 
 
232 DEFECTIVE MAIL ARRANGEMENTS. Chap. X. 
 
 On the 26th the mail steamer arrived, but with no mail — 
 Mr. Booker, our consul at San Francisco, sending instead 
 the pleasant news that the Americans had refused to carry 
 the colonial mails without payment any longer. We did not 
 think that the Company were in the least to blame, but it 
 was hard upon us, who had had nothing to do one way or the 
 other with the postal arrangements. The American Company 
 had been allowed to bring and take our mails for years 
 without any offer of remuneration being made, and had the 
 colonists alone suffered, none of us would have felt disposed to 
 pity them. Without any reference to politics, we could not 
 help wishing sincerely at the time that the Derby ministry 
 had remained in office, as it was understood that it was 
 their intention to grant a mail subsidy for the colony. The 
 Company that owns the saw-mills at Alberni had made pro- 
 posals for carrying the mails, and their agent told me 
 that a subsidy of 20,000?. for conveying them between San 
 Francisco and the colony had been promised them, and that 
 nothing but the formal confirmation of the contract was 
 wanting when the Government went out. 
 
 The agent also represented to me that the refusal of the 
 incoming authorities to ratify the contract arose from the 
 fact that so few letters left England addressed to British 
 Columbia. The reason of this was, he said, that all men 
 of business at home gave instructions that their letters 
 should be directed under cover to their agents at San 
 Francisco, on account of the uncertainty of the conveyance 
 of the ordinary mails beyond that place. Correspondence, 
 indeed, with the colony was at this time most uncertain — 
 the majority of letters intended for settlers there being 
 directed, "Post Office, Steilacoom, Washington territory." 
 This mode of direction used often to puzzle the post officials 
 and amuse us. It was printed upon all the official envelopes, 
 but the cause of its origin and continuance was a mystery 
 which no one could explain. 
 
Chap. X. THE BOUNDARY MARKS. 233 
 
 Steilacoom never was the post-office of Washington territory 
 while we were there ; and even if it had been, why letters 
 should be directed to that place, which is 60 miles up 
 Admiralty Inlet, when there was a post-office at Port Towns- 
 hend, in its entrance, was most unaccountable. To make 
 the matter still worse, some people took to having "Oregon" 
 printed or written also in a conspicuous place on the envelope 
 — no doubt wholly unaware of the fact that Oregon and 
 Washington are two distinct territories, each somewhat larger 
 than France. 
 
 On the 2nd of July, at 9 p.m., we again left Esquimalt, 
 having on board five-and-twenty of the pillars which had 
 been sent out from England to mark the 49th parallel 
 boundary-line. We took them to Semiahmoo Bay, and 
 landed them on the parallel ; and, it being low-water when 
 we arrived, they had to be carried about a mile across the 
 sand. Twenty-two only were landed at the boundary, and 
 the other three taken to Port Roberts, where we left them 
 the same afternoon, and proceeded to Nanaimo. These perio- 
 dical visits to the boundary-line gave us some idea of the 
 rapid growth of the bush in this country, and showed us how 
 completely futile the mere cutting down of trees to mark 
 a boundary in such a country is. We knew the position of 
 the boundary-line, but could not find the stump which had 
 been driven in to mark the spot ; and when I tried to pene- 
 trate along the line which could be distinguished from 
 above easily enough by the gap in the larger trees which, of 
 course, had not yet grown again, I found the undergrowth 
 so thick as to be what people unused to that country would 
 consider quite impenetrable. Upon another occasion we wit- 
 nessed a still more speedy obliteration of such a trail by 
 the undergrowth of timber. When we were at Port Roberts 
 about a year after the trail had been cut, it was necessary 
 for some purpose to pass through it. But, although we 
 
234 SURVEY CONTINUED. Chap. X. 
 
 hunted for an hour or more among the bush, no entrance to 
 the trail could be found. 
 
 We remained at Nanaimo coasting until the 12th ; the 
 ' Grappler ' taking the rest of the beacons to Smess Kiver, 
 and there depositing them. I should have said that these 
 beacons or pillars were constructed of cast-iron, pyramid- 
 shaped, and having the words "American Boundary" on one 
 side, and " Treaty, 1844," on the other. They were hollow, 
 and fitted to screw or bolt on to a stone or block of wood, the 
 weight of each being about 100 lbs. 
 
 On the 13th we left Nanaimo, reaching Cormorant Bay at 
 nine that night ; and next day we went on to Fort Kupert 
 (Beaver Harbour). 
 
 We occupied our time at Kupert till the 17th, getting 
 sights, &c, and cutting and dragging out of the bush five 
 trees of the yellow cypress for repairing our boats, &c, for 
 which and similar purposes, as I have before said, this wood 
 is the best I have ever seen. On the 17th we went on to 
 Shucartie Bay, and spent the 18th there, while the cutter and 
 one whaler sounded on the Newittee Bar. We tried the seine 
 (net) in Shucartie Bay, but only caught about thirty salmon. 
 
 On the 19th we steamed through the Groletas Channel 
 towards the north end of the island, but the fog came on so 
 thick that we anchored on the edge of the JNewittee Bar. We 
 must have been nearer the edge indeed than we thought, 
 for we soon found ourselves drifting off it, and the ship 
 cruising about with 50 fathoms of chain hanging from her 
 bows. Fortunately, it cleared about this time, so we hove the 
 anchor up and proceeded out. At noon we reached Cape 
 Scott, and then went out to look at the Triangle Islands, 
 which lie off it, and at dark shaped our course for Woody 
 Point, or Cape Cook, halfway between the north end of the 
 island and Nootka Sound. We passed this spot next morning 
 at daybreak, and by three in the afternoon were off Nootka. 
 
HEAD OF TSOIHS ARM, KOOTKA SOUND. 
 
 Page 234. 
 
Chap. X. SURVEY CONTINUED. 235 
 
 We were bound, however, for Clayoquot Sound, which lies 
 between Nootka and Barclay Sounds ; so on we went, and 
 reached the entrance at 8 p.m. It being then too dark to 
 enter, we had to do what seamen are proverbially fond of — 
 "stand off and on" for the night. At daybreak we found 
 ourselves off Port Cox — so named by Meares, and described 
 by him in terms which were calculated to lead us to suppose 
 that, had we wanted it, safe anchorage might be found there. 
 When, however, the spot he had thus described was surveyed, 
 it was found that a sand-bar completely blocked up its 
 entrance. The whale-boat we had to take up was inside, 
 and at six she came on board ; and we went back again to 
 the northern entrance of Clayoquot Sound, and in to an 
 anchorage which she had found for us, where we moored, 
 intending to remain till we had surveyed all the Sound — 
 little thinking what, was in store for us, and what mishap 
 would befal us before we should again reach Esquimalt. 
 
 We all set to work surveying the various arms of the 
 Sound, and the weather continuing fine our task progressed 
 satisfactorily. We found sundry arms and passages hitherto 
 unknown, and discovered that one previously marked upon 
 the charts as Brazo de Topino was inaccurately described — 
 its extent proving to be not more than half that laid down 
 by former explorers. 
 
 On the 7th of August I returned to the ship, after a ten- 
 days' surveying cruise, and walking as usual into the chart- 
 room, was told that the Indians had brought a mail across 
 from Alberni, and that my letters were in my cabin. I was 
 going down for them, when the Captain came on deck with 
 a service-letter in his hand, and said, "Here is something 
 that concerns you as First Lieutenant of the ship." I in- 
 stantly apprehended some question of minor punishments, 
 and was preparing to defend my conduct, when he read out : 
 " I have to inform you that Lieutenant B. C. Mayne has 
 been promoted to the rank of Commander," &c. This intelli- 
 
236 PKOMOTION. Chap. X. 
 
 gence was so sudden and wholly unexpected, that it was not 
 until I had read the document that I fully realised it. Only 
 the night before my return to the ship, as I lay by my watch- 
 fire smoking and thinking of the future, I had come to the 
 conclusion that I should remain with the i Hecate ' until she 
 was paid off; and now I knew that this sudden change in 
 my prospects would lead, upon our reaching Esquimalt, to 
 my being ordered to return to England. As it happened, 
 however, my connection with the ' Hecate' did not termi- 
 nate so abruptly as I then expected, and I remained with 
 her for three months from this date. 
 
 On the 15th August we started for Alberni, to get sights 
 again, reaching it the same night. On the 17th we again 
 left, intending to pick up Gowland, who was away on sur- 
 veying service off Nootka Sound, and then going round the 
 north end of the island, to finish some work at Cape Scott, and 
 return inside the island to Nanaimo and Esquimalt. The next 
 morning at 10 we were off Point Estevan (Nootka Sound), 
 and Gowland joined us. A fresh north-wester was then 
 blowing, and during the afternoon it increased into a gale. 
 This put a stop, of course, to sounding, and as the Captain 
 knew that he would not be able to land on the north end of 
 the island for some days after a gale, he determined on 
 giving up work for the present, and going in by the Strait 
 of Fuca. At 8 p.m. we were " fixed " and steering for the 
 Strait, and at 10 we ran into a thick fog. This was nothing 
 at all unusual, and as we knew our ground, or water — indeed 
 I may say both — by heart, we jogged along about seven 
 knots, sounding every half-hour. 
 
 About 3 o'clock, as we approached the Strait, the speed 
 was eased to five knots, and the course altered a little ; and 
 at 4 o'clock we got a cast of 19 fathoms. This puzzled every 
 one. We knew the water was much deeper than this on the 
 south side of the Strait, and it was agreed by all that we must 
 have got rather far on to the north shore. The ship was accord- 
 
Chap. X. SHIP EUNS ASHOEE. 237 
 
 ingly kept south a mile and a half, and then up the Strait 
 again, going four knots an hour, the fog continuing as thick as 
 " pea-soup," to use a nautical simile. At 8.30, when I relieved 
 the captain who had been all night on deck, he said " Three 
 or four hours more and you will be packing up your traps," 
 and went down to his breakfast. He had hardly reached his 
 cabin, when he heard the orders, " Hard a port! " — " Stop her ! " 
 — "Ke verse the engines! "—shouted from the bridge, and 
 rushed on deck just in time to find the ship landed on a nest 
 of rocks, over which the surf was sullenly breaking in that 
 heavy, dead way which it does when it has a long drift of 
 ocean open to it but no wind to lash it into foam. I had 
 jumped on to the bridge, and seeing her head fly round in 
 answer to the helm, thought we were going clear, but no 
 such luck was in store for us, and up she went. Nothing 
 but rocks were to be seen all around us, and we were all 
 equally puzzled to know where we were, how we got there, 
 and how we should get the ship off. That we were close to 
 the shore we soon found, for high up over our foretopmast- 
 head, as it appeared from aft, the summit of a cliff, with a 
 few pine-trees upon it, showed itself. Fortunately for us, the 
 noise of the steam escaping was heard by the master of a 
 small schooner, which we afterwards found was lying close to 
 us, and we soon saw two white men, in their usual costume of 
 red flannel and long boots, paddling to us in a small canoe. 
 Getting them on board we discovered that w r e were two miles 
 inside Cape Flattery, that the cliff we saw was a small island 
 close to the main, and that about 50 yards from us lay tw r o 
 small schooners in a little basin formed by the rocks. While 
 tins information was being gathered, both paddlebox boats 
 had been got out, the small boats lowered, and the waist 
 anchor placed in the paddler and laid out astern. During the 
 time that this was being done, the ship swung broadside to 
 the rocks and began to bump fearfully, — the masts springing 
 like whips, — and wo began to think it was all up with the 
 
238 THE ' HECATE ' ON THE EOCKS. Chap. X. 
 
 poor ' Hecate.' Presently as the tide, which was rising, came 
 in and then receded, she gave two tremendous crashes, 
 sending us all flying about in different directions. At the 
 second crash the chief engineer ran up from below with the 
 report that the cross-sleepers had started and the bottom of 
 the bunker fallen in, and that another such bump would send 
 the engines through her bottom. This was cheerful intelli- 
 gence, and everything was got ready for a sudden departure 
 in the boats. Our friends in the schooner had previously 
 informed us that if she held together till the tide rose a few 
 inches, she could get in between the rocks to where his vessel 
 lay. The stern cable had been hauled on for this purpose, 
 but with no effect, when suddenly she slipped a little off the 
 rock and then forged ahead. Instantly the stern cable was 
 let go, and she glided quietly in between the rocks and along- 
 side the schooner. No mortal could have put her there on 
 the calmest, smoothest day, but there she was, and right 
 thankful for our most merciful escape were we, who a few 
 minutes before, could see no possible chance of saving her. 
 We let go an anchor to hold her until the sleepers of the 
 engines could be cut away to enable them to move, and, 
 sounding the well, found she was making water at the rate 
 of six inches an hour. This was quite an agreeable surprise, 
 for, from the hammering she had received, we thought the 
 bottom must have been half-knocked out. Finding the 
 engines would soon be in working condition, it was deter- 
 mined to push on for Esquimalt. It was quite neces- 
 sary that we should go somewhere without delay, for had 
 a breeze sprung up we should have been as badly off 
 where we now were as on the rocks. Here again the master 
 of the Yankee schooner, was of service. The passage by 
 which we must pass out was very little more than the 
 ship's breadth across, and lay between two sunken rocks. 
 He took two of our whale-boats, anchoring them over the 
 rocks between which our channel lay, and then, assisted by 
 
Chap. X. NARROW ESCAPE. 239 
 
 an Indian, whom tie brought with him, took us out. All this 
 time the fog was as thick as ever, but when we got two or 
 three miles up the Strait we passed out of the fog-bank as 
 suddenly as we had entered it ; all ahead being perfectly clear. 
 This fog had, the master of the schooner told us, hung at the 
 entrance of the Strait for five days ; and he said it frequently 
 occurred that a local fog of the sort kept about there for 
 weeks. This man showed all the readiness and nerve of his 
 countrymen, and was certainly of great service to us. When 
 we were fairly outside, he said, "Now, there is plenty of 
 water round the ship, and I'm almighty dry! if you'll give 
 me a chart, Captin, and a bottle of rum, I'll think of you 
 often." I need hardly say he was abundantly supplied, and 
 expressed himself very thankful. The Admiralty afterwards 
 sent him a spy-glass for his services, but he, falling, I fancy, 
 into some lawyer's hands, sent in an exorbitant claim for 
 salvage which has not yet, I believe, been settled. We 
 reached Esquimalt that evening without further damage or 
 accident, the leakage continuing at the same rate, — and 
 anchored the ship in Constance Cove, after as narrow an 
 escape from total loss as any ship ever had. We were 
 altogether 35 minutes beating on the rocks, and nearly an 
 hour from the time of striking till we were quite clear 
 again ; our fate depending upon whether the tide would rise, 
 as it did, sufficiently to float her before she gave another 
 bump, which would in all probability have finished her. I 
 should perhaps have said, the ship's fate, — for calm as it was, 
 and close to shore, we should probably have got all the men 
 to land ; although an operation of this sort, which appears 
 quite easy as long as you have a few planks to stand on, 
 becomes rather difficult with a ship breaking up under you. 
 
 Next morning, Tuesday, 21st August, an examination was 
 commenced by the diver and flag-ship's carpenter. The 
 former after two days' examination reported about 25 sheets 
 of copper off under the starboard wheel, and three heavy 
 
240 REPORT OF DAMAGE. Chap. X. 
 
 crushes in the ship's side ; several sheets of copper off under 
 the port quarter, 16 under the port wheel, and another heavy 
 crush there ; part of the fore-foot and false keel forward gone, 
 with several other sheets of copper off in various places. 
 Inside the carpenter reported 14 floors damaged more or less, 
 four binding- streaks requiring shifting, one butt of binding- 
 streak on port side leaking badly, with the first futtocks 
 probably started. Upon this state of affairs being made 
 known, it was decided by the Admiral that we must go to 
 San Francisco to be docked, and that before we started 
 the diver should patch up as well as he could, by stuffing 
 tarred and greased oakum into the holes, nailing over that 
 the tarred blanket or felt supplied for that purpose, and 
 sheet lead above it. This took him six days, and most 
 capitally he did his work : I never saw a man work so 
 long at a time as he did, sometimes remaining down more 
 than an hour without resting. I may here mention, for the 
 information of nautical readers, that we found tarred blanket 
 answer much better than the felt supplied by the service 
 for such a purpose. The felt was too thick to suck into the 
 cracks ; and when it became saturated it swelled so much 
 the diver could not work it, and being pressed together, 
 and having no weft or thread through it, the action of 
 the water separated it and wore it away while he was pre- 
 paring the lead to cover it. Having a great deal of lead to 
 put on, we found it much more convenient also to make nails 
 for the purpose, longer than copper (2£ inch) and with flat 
 heads, one inch in diameter. Where the wood was much 
 bruised the service nails proved too short, and the heads so 
 small that the diver could not see to hit them, and was con- 
 stantly dropping them and hitting his fingers. 
 
 On Thursday (29th) the damages were so well stopped that 
 we were only leaking one inch an hour ; and we took in our 
 coal and got ready for sea. A survey was then ordered to be 
 held, to report whether or not it was safe for us to go to 
 
Chap. X. START FOR SAN FRANCISCO. 241 
 
 San Francisco alone. It was decided that we ought to be 
 attended by another ship ; for although while in harbour we 
 appeared right enough, no one could say what the ' Hecate ' 
 could or could not bear if she got into a gale of wind. 
 Accordingly the Admiral ordered the ' Mutine ' to accompany 
 us as far as Captain Kichards thought necessary. 
 
 Upon our arrival at Esquimalt, I went on board the flag- 
 ship for my commission, expecting at the same time to be told 
 to return home. To my surprise, however, I was informed 
 that no orders to supersede me had been received ; and that I 
 must remain till my relief came. This did not disappoint me 
 so much as it would have done had nothing happened to the 
 ship, for I did not like to leave her in her present dilapi- 
 dated condition, and I had determined to go to San Francisco 
 in her even if I were ordered home. 
 
 I will pause ere I take the reader with me on this cruise, 
 which for me, terminated in Southampton Docks, to ^>ive a 
 slight summary of the resources and capabilities of the 
 country, and of the habits and customs of the natives. 
 
242 ABORIGINES OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Chap. XL 
 
 CHAPTEE XL 
 
 Indians — The Coast Tribes — Classification — Manners and Customs — Notes 
 from Mr. Duncan's Journal — Inland- Tribes — Number — Information 
 concerning them. 
 
 The aboriginal inhabitants of the two colonies of British 
 Columbia and Yanconver Island, of which I now propose to 
 speak, may be divided into two classes, viz. the Coast, or, as 
 they are generaly called, the Fish-eating Indians, and the 
 Inland tribes. By Fish-eating Indians must be understood 
 those who depend almost entirely upon fish for subsistence ; 
 for the Inland, as well as the Coast, tribes, live to a great 
 extent upon salmon. 
 
 The Indians of the interior are, both physically and 
 morally, vastly superior to the tribes of the coast. This is 
 no doubt owing in great part to their comparatively slight 
 intercourse with white men, as the northern and least known 
 coast tribes of both the island and mainland are much finer 
 men than those found in the neighbourhood of the settle- 
 ments. But it is also attributable in no slight degree to the 
 difference of their lives, the athletic pursuits and sports of the 
 Indians of the interior tending much more to healthy phy- 
 sical development than the life of the Coast Indian, passed, 
 as it is, almost entirely in his canoe, in which he sits curled 
 up like a Turk. The upper limbs of a Coast Indian are 
 generally so well proportioned and developed, that when 
 sitting in his canoe he might be thought a well-grown 
 man, but upon his stepping out it is seen that his legs 
 are smaller than his arms. Miserable as these limbs are 
 in size, in shape they are still more deformed, the lower 
 
•" -'SO- 
 INDIAN WOMAN AND CHILD, THE LATTER WITH HEAD BOLND LP. 
 
Chap. XI. THE COAST TRIBES. 243 
 
 bones becoming bent to the shape of the side of the 
 canoe, and the feet very much turned in. With the women 
 this is worse than with the men, and when they try to walk 
 they waddle like a parrot, crossing their feet at every step. 
 Again, the trade in slaves, which is carried on to a great 
 extent among all the Coast tribes, and tends undoubtedly to 
 demoralize them, is not practised in the interior. Of course 
 the prisoners which they make in their many fierce wars 
 with one another are enslaved, but the practice is not made a 
 trade of by them as by the tribes along the shore. 
 
 To begin, then, with the Coast or Fish-eating Indians. 
 Mr. Duncan, the missionary teacher at Fort Simpson, of whose 
 labours there I shall have occasion to speak, and upon the 
 accuracy of whose information every reliance may be placed, 
 estimates the Indians of the east side of Vancouver Island, 
 of Queen Charlotte Sound, and of the coast of British Colum- 
 bia, at about 40,000 in number. Among them four distinct 
 languages are found to exist, each spoken by some 10,000 
 souls. One of these is shared by the Songhies, a tribe col- 
 lected at and around Victoria; the Cowitchen, living in the 
 harbour and valley of Cowitchen, about 40 miles north of 
 Victoria ; the Nanaimo and the Kwantlum Indians, gathered 
 about the mouth of the Fraser. 
 
 In the second division are comprised the tribes situated 
 between Nanaimo and Fort Eupert, on the north of Van- 
 couver Island, and the mainland Indians between the same 
 points. These are divided into several tribes, the Nanoose, 
 Comoux, Nimpkish, Quaw-guult, &c, on the island ; and the 
 Squawmisht, Seelielt, v Clahoose," Ucle-tah, Mama-lil-a-culla, 
 &c, on the coast and among the small islands off it. 
 
 Of these the Nanoose tribe inhabit the harbour and district 
 of that name, which lies 50 miles north of Nanaimo ; the 
 Comoux Indians being found to extend as far as Cape Mudge. 
 The Squawmisht, Sechelts, and Clahoose live in Howe Sound, 
 
 r2 
 
244 VARIETIES OF DIALECTS. Chap. XI. 
 
 Jervis Inlet, and Desolation Sound respectively. At and 
 beyond Cape Mudge are found the Ucle-tahs, who hold pos- 
 session of the country on both sides of Johnstone Strait until 
 met 20 or 30 miles south of Fort Kupert by the Nimpkish 
 and Mama-lil-a-cullas. The Quaw-guults, and two smaller 
 tribes, live at Fort Kupert itself. Five of the first-named tribes 
 muster at Nanaimo for trade, and, being all more or less at 
 enmity with each other, frequent encounters between them 
 take place there. The others assemble at Eupert, at which 
 post there are generally as many as 2000 or 3000 Indians to 
 be found. 
 
 Of all these Indians the Soughies at Victoria are the most 
 debased and demoralised. The Cowitchens are rather a fine 
 and somewhat powerful tribe, numbering between 3000 and 
 4000 souls. The Nanaimo Indians, who at one time were 
 just as favourably spoken of, have fallen off much since .the 
 white settlement at that place has increased. 
 
 I have said the distinct languages spoken by the Indians 
 are few in number, but the dialects employed by the various 
 tribes are so many, that, although the inhabitants of any 
 particular district have no great difficulty in communicating 
 with each other, a white man, to make himself understood 
 by the various tribes, would have to learn the dialects 
 employed by all. And when it is considered that hardly 
 any attempt has been made to investigate and define the 
 principles which regulate their use of words, and that the 
 common roots of the words themselves, if they possess such, 
 are at present quite out of the student's reach, the diffi- 
 culties of such a task may easily be conceived. The 
 southern tribes, as a rule, understand the Chinook jargon, 
 in which almost all the intercourse between Indians and 
 whites is at present carried on. A few men may be found 
 in almost all of the northern, and many of the inland 
 tribes, who understand it, but its use is most common in 
 
Chai\ XI. FEROCITY OF THE UCLE-TAHS. 245 
 
 the south. This Chinook is a strange jargon of French, Eng- 
 lish, and Indian words, of which several vocabularies have 
 been published. It was introduced by the Hudson Bay Com- 
 pany for the purposes of trading, and its French element is 
 due to the number of French Canadians in their employ. 
 
 The Comoux Indians possess a very fine tract of country 
 inside a point called Cape Lazo, of which I shall speak here- 
 after. They are a large tribe, and have the reputation of being 
 rather savage, though we always found them very peaceably 
 disposed. They know quite well, however, the value of the 
 (J000 or 8000 acres of clear land which they possess, and 
 when I went over it w T ith them, took great care to explain 
 that the neighbouring Indians resorted there in the summer 
 for berries, &c, and that a great many blankets would be 
 required as purchase-money whenever we wanted it, an event 
 which they evidently contemplated. 
 
 Next to them, as I have said, come the Ucle-tahs. The 
 most important village of this tribe is situated at Cape 
 Mudge, but they are spread all over Discovery Passage and 
 the south part of Johnstone Strait. As I have before said, 
 they may be regarded as the Ishmaelites of the coast, their 
 hand being literally against every one's, and every one's 
 -against them. The Indians who come from the northward 
 to Victoria in the summer, are particularly guarded when 
 passing through their neighbourhood. Several battles have 
 taken place at different times at or near Cape Mudge. 
 Upon one occasion they murdered nearly all the crew 
 of a Hudson Bay vessel which stopped there for water, 
 one half-breed boy only, I believe, escaping. They are bold 
 as well as blood-thirsty, and by no means disposed to yield, 
 as Indians generally do, to the mere exhibition of force. 
 In the year before last some of their canoes robbed two 
 Chinamen's boats off Saltspring Island, and on the ' Forward' 
 being sent after them, the villagers at Cape Mudge, which 
 
246 TREACHERY OF THE COWITCHENS. Chap. XL 
 
 is regularly stockaded, defied the gunboat and fired upon 
 her. The ' Forward ' had to fire shot and shell among 
 then), and to smash all their canoes, before they gave in and 
 surrendered the stolen goods. Had it not been for the rifle- 
 plates with which the crew were protected, a good many 
 might have been hit. as the Indians kept up a steady 
 fire upon them for a considerable time. I must not be 
 understood to say that these Ucle-tahs are the only tribe of 
 Indians who have proved troublesome upon the coast, but 
 they are alone as yet in standing out after the appearance of 
 a man-of-war before their village. They also have a reputa- 
 tion, which may not, however, be quite deserved, of being 
 more treacherous than the Indians of other tribes. Many 
 stories are current of the cold-blooded treachery of all these 
 tribes one to the other, and sometimes to the white men who 
 have fallen into their hands. In 1858, for instance, some 
 members of the Cowitchen tribe made a most brutal and 
 treacherous attack on a body of unoffending northern Indians, 
 which I will detail, as it illustrates, not unfavourably, the 
 hardihood and endurance of the red man amid the perils 
 incidental to his life. 
 
 Information had been sent to the Governor of a canoe full 
 of people having been massacred in Ganges Harbour, and 
 H.M.S. ' Satellite' was sent to inquire into it. Upon her arrival 
 at Cowitchen it was ascertained that a northern canoe with a 
 dozen Indians in it was passing down the inner passage to 
 Victoria, when a white man, one of the settlers on the north 
 end of Saltspring Island, asked them to take him to Victoria, 
 calling at the settlement in Ganges Harbour on the way. 
 They were willing to take him to Victoria, but objected to 
 going to Ganges Harbour on account of the Cowitchens. The 
 settler, however, overruled their objections, and they finally 
 assented to his wish. When they reached the spot where 
 their passenger wanted to land, they found about twenty 
 
Chap. XL A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE. 247 
 
 Cowitchens camping there. These fellows came down to the 
 canoe, and made such cordial professions of friendship to the 
 poor northerners, that they were tempted to land. While 
 the white man was present their manner continued to be 
 most friendly ; but unluckily the settler's house, to which he 
 wanted to go, stood some quarter of a mile back from the 
 shore. The moment he was out of sight the Cowitchens 
 leaped up and fired on the others. Those who remained in the 
 canoe shoved off, but were pursued and captured all but one, 
 a chief of some rank among them. Six of the prisoners were 
 slaughtered with the most barbarous, wanton cruelty ; Captain 
 Prevost of the * Satellite ' reporting that there were the marks 
 of bullets discernible all round their hearts, and that their 
 heads were fearfully battered in. Three women and a child 
 were spared and kept as prisoners, all but one of whom were 
 eventually rescued from them. 
 
 The Indian who escaped from the canoe swam to a small 
 island at the entrance of the harbour, and his subsequent 
 struggle for life illustrates strongly, as I have before said, the 
 skill and endurance of his race when reduced to extremities. 
 Although wounded in the neck, arm, and leg, he succeeded 
 in floating upon a log from the island on which he had landed 
 to Cowitchen Harbour, a distance of 13 miles. Here he was 
 picked up by some other Cowitchen Indians, who, according 
 to their own account, let him go. At any rate he escaped, 
 and wounded and weak as he was, and with no other food 
 than what roots and berries he could pick up, made his way 
 through the forests and the midst of his enemies to Victoria, 
 a distance of 45 miles, through a country entirely unknown 
 to him. The pleasant part of the story, however, is that, on 
 the ' Satellite's ' return with the women who had been reco- 
 vered from the offending tribe, a canoe of northern chiefs, 
 among whom was this very man, knowing the errand she had 
 been on, put out from Victoria to her. Upon his going on 
 
248 WHITES MURDERED BY INDIANS. Chap. XI. 
 
 board the first thing he saw was his wife, who had been 
 washed and dressed, and was no doubt looking better than 
 he had ever seen her. Although of course each thought 
 het other had been murdered, there was no violent manifesta- 
 tion of joy upon their recognition. Captain Prevost said that 
 her face lighted up, and she started a little, but then stood quite 
 still, while the man walked up to her without any appearance 
 of surprise or undignified haste, kissed her once on the fore- 
 head, and turned away, taking no more notice of her whatever 
 until he was leaving the ship, when he called her to his canoe. 
 Kissing in token of affection is not an Indian habit, and must 
 have been taught this man, I take it, by the Roman Catholic 
 missionaries. I have been in their villages upon several 
 occasions while travelling -parties were leave-taking; and 
 although the women, while packing up the store of fish or 
 venison for their husbands' journey have cried bitterly, and 
 taken leave of them with every evidence of grief and afflic- 
 tion, I have never seen them kiss each other. 
 
 Several instances have occurred of whites being murdered 
 by Indians in different parts of the colony, but I fear these 
 murders have generally been the result of introducing fire- 
 water, or taking liberties with the females of the tribe ; for 
 although the Indian thinks little of selling female slaves for 
 the vilest purposes, he sometimes avenges an insult offered to 
 his own wives summarily. Their ideas, however, on this subject 
 are by no means clear, for they occasionally take terrible 
 vengeance for an insult which at another time they will not 
 even notice. Whenever a white man takes up his residence 
 among them, they will always supply him with a wife ; and 
 if he quits the place and leaves her there, she is not the least 
 disgraced in the eyes of her tribe. The result of this is, that 
 you frequently see children quite white, and looking in every 
 respect like English children, at an Indian village, and a 
 very distressing sight it is. 
 
Ch^p. XL DESCRIPTION OF A PALAVEK. 249 
 
 North of the district occupied by the Ucle-tahs come the 
 Nimpkish, Mama-lil-a-cula, Matelpy, and two or three other 
 smaller tribes. The Mama-lil-a-culas live on the mainland ; 
 the Nimpkish have their largest village at the mouth of the 
 Nimpkish river, about 15 miles below Fort Rupert. A picture 
 of this place is given in Vancouver's Voyages, and so little has 
 it changed in the 70 years since his visit, that we recognised it 
 immediately from that sketch. The Quaw-guults and other 
 Indians at Fort Eupert possess no peculiar characteristics, but 
 fight and drink when they can, after the fashion of Indians 
 generally. I have previously described the * Hecate's ' palaver 
 with them upon the occasion of their having captured an Indian 
 woman of another tribe.* A palaver of this sort is a curious 
 sight, and some Indians are very eloquent at them. All those 
 present squat on crossed legs in the usual Indian fashion. 
 The speaker, alone standing, holds a long white pole, which 
 he sticks into the ground with great force every now and then 
 by way of emphasis, sometimes leaving it standing for a 
 minute or so while he goes on speaking. Then he strides to 
 it, catches it up, and perhaps swings it over his head, or again 
 sticks it into the ground. The exact meaning or purpose of 
 this pole I do not know, but it has some particular office, and 
 serves, among other things, to ratify any agreement to which 
 they may come upon the subject discussed ; for when they 
 agreed finally to give up the slave, the chief stepped forward 
 and handed the pole to Captain Richards. 
 
 In the third group Mr. Duncan includes all those Indians 
 speaking the Tsimshean language, and to whom he has 
 devoted so much care and labour. He divides these into 
 four parts : — 
 
 2500 at Fort Simpson, taking the Fort as the centre. 
 
 2500 on the Naas River, 80 or 100 miles to the north- 
 east. 
 
 * Page 209 ante. 
 
250 ESTIMATE OF INDIAN POPULATION. Chap XL 
 
 2500 on the Skeena River, 100 miles south-east. 
 2500 in the numerous islands in Millbanke Sound, &c, 
 lying south-east of Fort Simpson. 
 
 These northern Indians, as I have before said, are finer 
 and fiercer men than the Indians of the south, or the tribes 
 of the west coast of Vancouver Island, and are dreaded more 
 or less by them. Their foreheads, as a rule, are not so much 
 flattened, but their countenances are decidedly plainer. 
 
 It is very difficult to give anything like a correct estimate 
 of Indian population anywhere in the island, but upon the 
 west or Pacific coast it is still harder, as no attempt whatever 
 at ascertaining their number, even approximately, has yet 
 been made. I imagine, however, that the island may contain 
 from ten to twelve thousand, of whom five thousand live 
 along the west coast. When speaking to Mr. Duncan once 
 of the difficulty of numbering the Indians, he gave a very 
 amusing account of the endeavour made to get a census 
 taken at Fort Simpson. After every means had, it was 
 supposed, been taken to prevent them from being found 
 in two places at once, the operator got what was thought 
 to be a fair start ; but nothing could induce the Indians to 
 believe that a game of some sort was not intended, so that as 
 soon as the head of a house began counting heads, the younger 
 members of the family would dodge from one side of the 
 hut to the other, that they might be reckoned in again and 
 again. 
 
 The Indians of the west coast are divided into 24 tribes. 
 Some of these are almost extinct, while others number from 
 300 to 400 men. Among all these there are but two distinct 
 languages spoken, while the dialects are not so numerous as 
 on the other side. 
 
 All the tribes of Barclay, Clayoquot, and JNootka Sounds 
 speak a language intelligible to each other. The names and 
 approximate numbers of these tribes are as follow : — 
 
Chap. XI.' ESTIMATE OF INDIAN POPULATION. 251 
 
 In Barclay Sound. 
 
 Pacheenett 50 
 
 Nittinat 400 
 
 \/Ohiat 400 
 
 v. Ouchuchlisit 80 
 
 i Opecluset 40 
 
 V Shcchart 150 
 
 Toquart 40 
 
 Ucle-tah 150 
 
 Tsomass 10 
 
 
 
 1320 
 Clayotjuot Sound. 
 
 layoquot 350 
 
 • KilsSmi t 100 
 
 Ali6us8t 250 
 
 vManna-wousut 10 
 
 Ishquat 100 
 
 800 
 Nootka Sound. 
 
 Match-clats 40 
 
 VMoachet 300 
 
 Xeiichallct 70 
 
 Eliateset 70 
 
 480 
 North of Nootka Sound is the largest tribe of the West 
 coast — the Kycu-cut — numbering 500 or (J00 men ; and north 
 again of these lie the Quatsino and Koskiemo, occupying 
 the two Sounds bearing those names. 
 
 East of Cape Scott, which is the north point of Vancouver 
 Island, is a small tribe — the Newittees, which meet the 
 Quaw-guults at Port Kupert. Mr. Moffatt, who was for years 
 in charge of Fort Kupert, and had therefore the best oppor- 
 tunities of judging, estimates the number of Indians between 
 Nootka and Newittee at 1500 men. This would make 
 the number of the Koskiemos, Quatsinos, and Newittees 
 about 500. 
 
 Between Victoria and Barclay Sound are the Soke Indians, 
 who are few in number; while the Pacheenetts, which I 
 have included in Barclay Sound, also inhabit Port San Juan. 
 
252 FOOD OF THE INDIANS. Chap. XL 
 
 All these are fish-eating Indians, though they get at times 
 a great deal of venison as well. The fish taken by them are 
 salmon, halibut, cod, rock-cod, a large pink fish, in shape 
 something like a rock-cod, herrings, smelt, hon-li-kun and 
 clams. All these are eaten fresh, and are also dried. But 
 although these are the fish best known to us and most com- 
 monly bought by us from them, the Indians feed upon the 
 whale, porpoise or sea-hog, seal, sea-lion, sea-cow or fur-seal ; 
 sardine, cuttle-fish, squad, &c. ; sea-cucumber or trepang ; 
 crabs, muscles, cockles and clams. 
 
 For animal food they have fallow, rein, and elk deer ; 
 mountain-goat, mountain-sheep (in British Columbia only) ; 
 beaver, bear, lynx or wild cat, badger, sea-otter. 
 
 They also eat esculent roots, sap of trees, and various oils 
 from the whale, seal, porpoise, and hou-li-kun ; deers'-tallow, 
 goats'-tallow, and bears'-grease. 
 
 The following land and sea fowl are also taken by them 
 in large quantities : — Cranes, swans, grey or Canada goose, 
 white or snow goose, langley, stock-duck (like our wild duck), 
 widgeon, teal, black duck, surf-duck, velvet duck;* par- 
 tridges, plover, sand-larks, snipe, sea-parrots, sea-hens, curlew, 
 oyster-catchers, dovekils, gulls. The eggs of almost all these 
 birds, and the spawn of fish, especially salmon and herring, 
 are also much eaten. The latter is collected in large quan- 
 tities and spread in the sun to dry. I never saw it used 
 fresh. 
 
 Potatoes are now grown at almost all the villages in large 
 quantities. 
 
 The Indians have a favourite dish at their feasts, which 
 appears to answer to the carva of the South Sea Islands. 
 They bring canoe-loads of snow and ice, and with these 
 ingredients are mixed oil, and molasses if they have it: 
 the slaves and old women being employed to beat it up, 
 
 * There are also several other kinds of ducks. Sir J. Kichardson, I believe, 
 collected twenty species. 
 
Chap. XI. FOOD OF THE INDIANS. 253 
 
 which they do in large bowls, until it assumes the appearance 
 of whipped cream, when all attack the mess with their long 
 wooden spoons. Neither animals nor fish are eaten raw, except 
 at certain ceremonials and festivities, which I shall presently 
 describe. Venison, or indeed meat of any kind, is seldom dried 
 or preserved on the coast, the quantity obtained being so small 
 and the Indians eating so much flesh when they can get it, that 
 it is devoured at once or sold at an adjoining settlement. Of 
 their eating meat in large quantities, I speak from personal 
 experience when travelling with them. When a deer or elk is 
 killed they divide the meat pretty fairly, and, the first time 
 they halt, cook it all in lumps three or four inches square ; 
 they then spit all the pieces on a stick and secure it on their 
 backs, leaving one end within reach over the shoulder. As 
 they walk along they every now and then pull a piece off the 
 end of the stick and eat it, and in a few hours the whole is 
 gone. In the season when bears are fat (midsummer) the 
 Indian prefers their meat to venison. 
 
 They rely mainly upon fish for winter use. They cure 
 it in large quantities, drying it in the sun and hanging it up 
 in their lodges. A shell-fish, called Clam, forms a principal 
 article of consumption: it is like a large cockle, being 
 frequently the size of one's hand, and with a smooth shell. 
 They are found on almost all the muddy beaches, a few inches 
 below the surface at low water ; their whereabouts being 
 always denoted by a small hole, which they leave open as 
 they imbed themselves in the mud when the water goes out. 
 Through this hole they keep perpetually spouting a small jet 
 of water, making it most unpleasant work to walk over them. 
 The task of collecting and drying them, as indeed of preparing 
 all food, devolves principally on the old women and slaves ; 
 and parties of twenty or thirty of them may be seen going 
 about from beach to beach on this errand, under the charge of 
 two or three men. They carry baskets and dig them up with 
 their hands or a stick — the beach, dotted thickly with women 
 
254 MODE OF CUEING FISH. Chap. XI. 
 
 in red, green, or dirty-white blankets, presenting a somewhat 
 picturesque appearance. When a large quantity of these 
 clams has been collected, they make a pit, eight or ten feet 
 deep ; a quantity of firewood is put in the bottom, and it 
 is then filled up with clams ; over the top is laid more fire- 
 wood, and the whole is covered in with fir-branches. In this 
 way they are boiled for a day or more, according to circum- 
 stances. When cooked, they are taken out of the shells, 
 spitted on sticks, three or four feet long, and exposed to the 
 sun to dry, after wdiich they are strung on strips of the inner 
 cypress-bark or pliable reeds, and put away for the winter 
 store. When the Indians return to their winter villages 
 they are strung along the beams, forming a sort of inner 
 roof. Some Europeans profess to like them ; but I confess 
 I could never get over their smell, to say nothing of their 
 taste. 
 
 The oil obtained from the hou-li-kun is a common article 
 of food among the northern tribes, and one of which they are 
 very fond. This fish is not unlike a sprat, but somewhat 
 longer and rounder, and is so oily that when dried it will burn 
 like a candle. They are not found at the south part of the 
 island, but are caught in great numbers to the northward. 
 The process of extracting the oil from them is very primitive 
 indeed. Mr. Duncan gives in one of his letters the following 
 description of it, as witnessed by him at Nass Kiver : — 
 
 " In a general way," he says, " I found each house had a 
 pit near it, about three feet deep and six or eight inches 
 square, filled with the little fish. I found some Indians making 
 boxes to put the grease in, others cutting firewood, and others 
 (women and children) stringing the fish and hanging them up 
 to dry in the sun ; while others, and they the greater number, 
 were making fish-grease. The process is as follows: make 
 a large fire, plant four or five heaps of stones as big as your 
 hand in it ; while these are heating fill a few baskets with 
 rather stale fish, and get a tub of water into the house. When 
 
Chap. XL EXTRACTING OIL FEOM FISH. • 255 
 
 the stones are red-hot bring a deep box, about 18 inches 
 square (the sides of which are all one piece of wood), near the 
 fire, and put about half a gallon of the fish into it and as 
 much fresh water, then three or four hot stones, using wooden 
 tongs. Repeat the doses again, then stir the whole up. 
 Repeat them again, stir again ; take out the cold stones and 
 place them in the fire. Proceed in this way until the box is 
 nearly full, then let the whole cool, and commence skimming 
 off the grease. While this is cooking, prepare another boxful 
 in the same way. In doing the third, use, instead of fresh 
 water, the liquid from the first box. On coming to the refuse 
 of the boiled fish in the box, which is still pretty warm, let it 
 be put into a rough willow-basket ; then let an old woman, 
 for the purpose of squeezing the liquid from it, lay it on a 
 wooden grate sufficiently elevated to let a wooden box stand 
 under ; then let her lay her naked chest on it and press it 
 with all her weight. On no account must a male undertake 
 to do this. Cast what remains in the basket anywhere near 
 the house, but take the liquid just saved and use it over again, 
 instead of fresh water. The refuse must be allowed to accu- 
 mulate, and though it will soon become putrid and change 
 into a heap of creeping maggots and give out a smell almost 
 unbearable, it must not be removed. The filth contracted by 
 those engaged in the work must not be washed off until all is 
 over, that is, until all the fish are boiled, and this will take 
 about two or three weeks. All these plans must be carried 
 out without any addition or change, otherwise the fish will be 
 ashamed, and perhaps never come again. So," concludes Mr 
 Duncan, " think and act the poor Indians." * 
 
 The sea-cucumber, so well known in the South Seas as the 
 Trepang or Beche de Mer (Holothuria tubulosa) is much 
 eaten by the natives. Captain Flinders, in his ' Voyage to 
 Terra Australis,' says it is boiled and dried, and traded, when 
 
 * Letter to the Church Missionary Society. 
 
250 . LICHEN, BERRIES, ETC., AS FOOD. Chap. XT. 
 
 thus prepared, with the Chinese. I have never seen the Eed 
 Indians dry it, nor have I ever seen it thus prepared in their 
 huts ; but I have constantly seen it boiled and eaten fresh. I 
 once tasted some that was just cooked, and found it had 
 much the same consistency as India rubber, but without its 
 flavour. The Indians make some kind of cake of the berries 
 when they are plentiful. 
 
 The lichen (L. jubatus) which grows on the pines, is also 
 prepared for food. Twigs, bark, &c, being cleared from it, 
 it is steeped in water till it is quite soft ; it is then wrapped 
 up in grass and leaves to prevent its being burnt, and cooked 
 between hot stones. It takes 10 or 12 hours cooking, and 
 when done, while still hot, it is pressed into cakes. Berries 
 when fresh are eaten in a way we should hardly appreciate 
 — viz., with seal-oil ! I have seen the Indians land from a 
 canoe and pick a large quantity of beautiful fresh berries, 
 then take a small bowl and pour into it a lot of seal-oil, and, 
 sitting round it, dip each bunch of berries into the oil, and 
 eat them with great apparent relish. They prefer houlikun- 
 oil for this purpose when they can get it. 
 
 They have various berries, among them the strawberry 
 and raspberry. They are always very glad to get bread 
 or rice, and these articles of diet are generally exchanged 
 with them for fish. I found when travelling that neither the 
 Coast nor the Inland Indians would ever eat pork. The 
 invariable reply to my questions why they did not do so, 
 being " Wake cumtax Sivash muckermuck cushom " (Indians 
 do not understand how to eat pork). 
 
 Many of the ducks eaten commonly by the Indian would 
 be found most unpalatable by white men ; indeed of the 24 
 species existing in this part of the world there is only one, 
 the stock-duck, that can be relied on as being always free 
 from a fishy taste. 
 
 None of these tribes are cannibals. An isolated instance 
 
Chap. XI. CANNIBALISM NOT PREVALENT. 257 
 
 of a man who eats human flesh may be found ; but he is 
 generally looked upon with horror and dread by the rest of 
 his people. Still cannibalism is not altogether unknown 
 among them ; and instances may be adduced of wretches, 
 who have actually exhumed and eaten human corpses. 
 
 For drink they are very fond of tea, and always delighted 
 to get it when travelling, although I have never heard them 
 ask for it in barter. I remember, on leaving a village in 
 Jervis Inlet where my party had been sleeping, that the 
 headman came to me and asked for a little tea for his 
 mother, who, he said, had a bad pain in the face and was 
 very ill. When they can obtain spirits, they will always get 
 drunk ; but I think they would rather be without them even 
 when they are at work, travelling or otherwise. I have 
 never yet been asked for spirits by any of a travelling party, 
 but always for tea; and when I had not enough of that to 
 give them, they used to fill up my kettle with water, reboil 
 it, and drink the miserable decoction with the greatest relish. 
 When they cannot get tobacco, the Indians will smoke a 
 small leaf like that of the box-shrub. There is another leaf 
 which they also use for this purpose: to prepare it they 
 pluck a small bough, hold it over the fire for a few minutes, 
 then strip the leaves off and rub them in their hands till fine 
 enough to smoke. 
 
 I have previously had occasion to refer to the fashion 
 among the Indians of carving the faces of animals upon the 
 end£ of the large beams which support the roofs of their 
 permanent lodges. In addition, it is very usual to find 
 representations of the same animals painted over the front of 
 the lodge. These crests, which are commonly adopted by 
 all the tribes, consist of the whale, porpoise, eagle, raven, 
 wolf, and frog, &c. In connexion with them are some curious 
 and interesting traits of the domestic and social life of the 
 Indians. The relationship between persons of the same crest 
 is considered to be nearer than that of the same tribe ; mem- 
 
 s 
 
258 USE OF FAMILY CRESTS. Chap. XI. 
 
 bers of the same tribe may, and do, marry — but those of the 
 same crest are not, I believe, under any circumstances allowed 
 to do so. A Whale, therefore, may not marry a Whale, nor a 
 Frog a Frog. The child again always takes the crest of the 
 mother ; so that if the mother be a Wolf, all her children 
 will be Wolves. As a rule also, descent is traced from the 
 mother, not from the father. 
 
 At their feasts they never invite any of the same crest as 
 themselves : feasts are given generally for the cementing of 
 friendship or allaying of strife, and it is supposed that people 
 of the same crest cannot quarrel ; but I fear this supposition 
 is not always supported by fact. Mr. Duncan, who has 
 considerable knowledge of their social habits, says that the 
 Indian will never kill the animal which, he has adopted for 
 his crest, or which belongs to him as his birthright. If he 
 sees another do it he will hide his face in shame, and after- 
 wards demand compensation for the act. The offence is not 
 killing the animal, buk doing so before one whose crest it is. 
 They display these crests in other ways besides those I have 
 mentioned, viz., by carving or painting them on their paddles 
 or canoes, by the arrangement of the buttons on their blankets, 
 or by large figures in front of their houses or their tombs. 
 They have another whimsical custom in connexion with these 
 insignia : whenever or wherever an Indian chooses to exhibit 
 his crest, all individuals bearing the same family-figure are 
 bound to do honour to it by casting property before it, in 
 quantities proportionate to the rank and wealth of the giver. 
 A mischievous or poor Indian, therefore, desiring to profit by 
 this social custom, paints his crest upon his forehead, and 
 looks out for an opportunity of meeting a wealthy person of 
 the same family-crest as himself. Upon his approach he 
 advances to meet him, and when near enough displays his 
 crest to the unsuspecting victim ; and, however disgusted the 
 latter may be, he has no choice but to make the customary 
 offering of property of some sort or other. In this, as in 
 
Chap. XT. " FISH-PKIESTS." 259 
 
 many other respects, the Indians are so strangely superstitious 
 as to allow themselves to be imposed upon by their more astute 
 and unscrupulous brethren. It is common enough for an 
 Indian living by his wits to circulate a report, some weeks 
 before the commencement of the fish or berry season, that 
 he has had a dream of a large crop of berries, or influx 
 of salmon to some particular spot, which he will disclose for 
 a certain present. He will then go through various cere- 
 monies, such, for instance, as walking about at night in lonely 
 places ; taking care that it shall be publicly known that 
 he is "working on the hearts of the fish" to be abundant 
 during the coming season. His supposed influence over the 
 weather and the inclination of the fish are so readily credited, 
 that he will in all probability command large prices for his pre- 
 tended information and intercession. A canoe's crew will often 
 give a third of then- first haul to the " fish-priest " to propitiate 
 him, and ensure good luck for the rest of the season. The 
 prophet of course takes care to send them to a place where 
 fish are generally found in abundance ; and, even should they 
 be unsuccessful, it is easy for him to assert that they have 
 done something to offend the Spirits. The habits of the fish 
 themselves, perhaps, tend to the prevalence of such super- 
 stitious fancies; as they will often quit particular places 
 altogether for a season, or for several years. Old women, 
 also, often obtain much influence from the profession of 
 second-sight and the power of foretelling births, deaths, 
 marriages, famines, &c. Dreams are generally used as their 
 machinery for these purposes. They also claim more than 
 the gift of prophecy, and insist that they can prevent people 
 they dislike from sharing in the success of the others, and in 
 many ways influence their lives. It is not uncommon to see 
 these old witches communicating their dreams to the tribe ; 
 men and women standing by with open mouths, and impressed 
 wonder-stricken faces. I take it these poor old creatures 
 often adopt this profession in the hope of lengthening their 
 
 s 2 
 
2G0 INITIATION OF MEDICINE-MEN. Chap. XI. 
 
 lives ; for the Indians are very cruel to the aged, and when 
 they become useless and burdensome to them will often kill 
 them outright or leave them on some small desert island to 
 starve. Thus the poor old creatures will go on gathering 
 clams and berries as long as they can stand, or making them- 
 selves useful in some such way, knowing well that their lives 
 are not worth much when they cease to work. 
 
 The most influential men in a tribe are the medicine-men. 
 Their initiation into the mysteries of their calling is one of 
 the most disgusting ceremonies imaginable. At a certain 
 season, the Indian who is selected for the office retires into 
 the woods for several days, and fasts, holding intercourse, it is 
 supposed, with the spirits who are to teach him the healing 
 art. He then suddenly reappears in the village, and, in a 
 sort of religious frenzy, attacks the first person he meets and 
 bites a piece out of his arm or shoulder. He will then rush 
 at a dog, and tear him limb from limb, running about with a 
 leg or some part of the animal all bleeding in his hand, and 
 tearing it with his teeth. This mad fit lasts some time, 
 usually during the whole clay of his reappearance. At its 
 close he crawls into his tent, or falling down exhausted is 
 carried there by those who are watching him. A series of 
 ceremonials obervances and long incantations follows, lasting 
 for two or three days, and he then assumes the functions and 
 privileges of his office. I have seen three or four medicine- 
 men made at a time among the Indians near Victoria, 
 while twenty or thirty others stood, with loaded muskets, 
 keeping guard all round the place to prevent them doing 
 any mischief. Although a clever medicine-man becomes of 
 great importance in his tribe, his post is no sinecure either 
 before or after his initiation. If he should be seen by any 
 one while he is communing with the spirits in the woods, 
 he is killed or commits suicide; while if he fails in the 
 cure of any man he is liable to be put to death, on the 
 assumption that he did not wish to cure his patient. This 
 
Chap. XI. CUEING. THE SICK. 261 
 
 penalty is not always inflicted ; but, if he fails in his first 
 attempt, the life of a medicine-man is not, as a rule, worth 
 much. The people who are bitten by these maniacs when 
 they come in from the woods consider themselves highly 
 favoured. 
 
 The ceremony of curing or trying to cure a sick person 
 is very curious. I give the following description of such a 
 process upon an old woman — a Tyee — in Shoalwater Bay. 
 
 " She had been sick some time of liver-complaint, and 
 finding her symptoms grow more exaggerated she sent for a 
 medicine-man to ' mamoke ' (work) spells to drive away the 
 * memmelose ' or dead people, who, she said, came to her 
 every night. 
 
 " Towards night the doctor came, bringing with him his 
 own and another family to assist in the ceremony. After 
 they had eaten supper, the centre of the lodge was cleaned, 
 and fresh sand strewed upon it. A bright fire of dry wood 
 was then kindled, and a brilliant light kept up by occasionally 
 throwing oil upon it. I considered this to be a species of 
 incense offered, as the same light could have been produced, 
 if desired, by a quantity of pitch-knots, which were lying in 
 the corner. The patient, well wrapped in blankets, was laid 
 on her back, with her head a little elevated and her hands 
 crossed on her breast. The doctor knelt at her feet, and 
 commenced singing a refrain, the subject of which was an 
 address to the dead, asking them why they had come to take 
 his friend and mother, and begging them to go away and 
 leave her. The rest of the people then sang the chorus in a 
 low, mournful chant, keeping time by knocking on the roof 
 with long wands they held. The burden of the chorus was to 
 beg the dead to leave them. As the performance proceeded, 
 the doctor got more and more excited, singing loudly and 
 violently, with great gesticulation, and occasionally making 
 passes with his hand over the face and person of the patient, 
 
262 NATURE OF THE CEREMONY. Chap. XI. 
 
 similar to those made by mesmeric manipulators ; a constant 
 accompaniment being kept up by the others with their low 
 chant and beating with their sticks. The patient soon fell 
 asleep, and the performance ceased. She slept a short time, 
 and woke refreshed. This was repeated several times during 
 the night, and kept up for three days ; but it was found that 
 the patient grew no better, and another doctor was sent for, 
 who soon came with his family of three or four persons, the 
 first doctor remaining, as the more persons they have to sing 
 the better. 
 
 " ' Old John/ as the last doctor was usually called, had no 
 sooner partaken of food than he sat down at the feet of the 
 patient, covering himself completely with his blanket. He 
 remained in this position three or four hours, without moving 
 or speaking. He was communing with the 'To-man-na- 
 was,' or familiar spirit. 
 
 " When he was ready, he commenced singing in a loud 
 and harsh manner, making most vehement gesticulations. 
 He then knelt on the patient's body, pressing his clenched 
 fists into her sides and breast till it seemed to me the woman 
 must be killed. Every few seconds he would scoop his hands 
 together as if he had caught something, then turning towards 
 the fire would blow through his fingers, as though he had 
 something in them he wished to cast into the flames. The 
 fire was kept stirred up, so as to have plenty of embers, on 
 which, it appeared, he was trying to burn the evil spirit he 
 was exorcising. There was no oil put on the fire this time, 
 for the Indians told me they put on oil to light up their 
 lodge, to let their dead friends see they had plenty, and were 
 happy, and did not wish, to go with them ; but now all they 
 wanted was to have the fire hot enough to burn the ' skokeen ' 
 or evil spirit the doctor was trying to expel. The pounding 
 and singing were kept up the same as at the first perform- 
 ance. Old John sang to his * To-man-na-was ' to aid him ; 
 
Chap. XI. INTERCHANGE OP GIFTS. 263 
 
 then, addressing the supposed spirit, he by turns coaxed, 
 cajoled, and threatened to induce him to depart. But all 
 was of no avail, for in two days the woman died/' * 
 
 At all the feasts the chiefs and heads of families give 
 away and destroy a great deal of property ; this raises them 
 greatly in the estimation of their own and the people of 
 other tribes summoned to the feast. Individuals and even 
 tribes will sometimes travel 100 miles or more to be at the 
 feasts of another tribe. The whole object of amassing wealth, 
 indeed, seems to be for the gratification of afterwards de- 
 stroying it in public. I was at a feast once where 800 
 blankets were said to have been destroyed by one man. I 
 saw three sea-otter skins, for one of which 30 blankets had 
 been offered and refused a few days previously, cut up into 
 little bits about the size of two fingers, and distributed among 
 the guests. In the interchange of presents the same crests 
 never give to or receive from each other. I say, in the 
 ' interchange :' for in making a present an Indian always has 
 in view the return that will be made him. Indeed, should 
 an Indian make you a present at a feast, and you omit to 
 repay the compliment by presenting him with something 
 equally valuable at the next feast, he will not hesitate to 
 demand his gift back again. Mr. Duncan speaks thus of the 
 religious feasts, and, among other customs, of the destruction 
 of property on such occasions : — 
 
 " Their greatest luxury at such times is rice and molasses : 
 their second dish of importance is berries and grease. Now 
 and then I hear of a rum-feast being given, which is generally 
 succeeded by quarrelling and sometimes murder. They are 
 very particular about whom they invite to their feasts, and, on 
 great occasions, men and women feast separately, the women 
 always taking the precedence. Vocal music and dancing 
 have great prominence in their proceedings. When a person 
 
 * • Three Years in Shoalwater Bay,' by T. Swan. 
 
264 RELIGIOUS FEASTS. Chap. XI. 
 
 is going to give a great feast, lie sends, on the first day, the 
 females of his household round the camp to invite all his 
 female friends. The next day a party of men is sent round 
 to call the male guests together. The other day, a party of 
 eight or ten females, dressed in their best, with their faces 
 newly painted, came into the Fort-yard, formed themselves 
 into a semicircle ; then the one in the centre, with a loud 
 but clear and musical voice, delivered the invitation, declaring 
 what should be given to the guests, and what they should 
 enjoy. In this case the invitation was for three women in 
 the Fort who are related to chiefs. On the following day a 
 band of men came and delivered a similar message, inviting 
 the captain in charge. 
 
 " These feasts are generally connected with the giving 
 away of property. As an instance, I will relate the last 
 occurrence of the kind. The person who sent the aforemen- 
 tioned invitations is a chief who has just completed building a 
 house. After feasting, I heard he was to give away property 
 to the amount of 480 blankets (worth as many pounds to 
 him), of which 180 were his own property and the 300 were 
 to be subscribed by his people. On the first day of the feast, 
 as much as possible of the property to be given him was 
 exhibited in the camp. Hundreds of yards of cotton were 
 flapping in the breeze, hung from house to house, or on lines 
 put up for the occasion. Furs, too, were nailed up on the 
 fronts of houses. Those who were going to give away 
 blankets or elk-skins managed to get a bearer for every one, 
 and exhibited them by making the persons walk in single file 
 to the house of the chief. On the next day the cotton which 
 had been hung out was now brought on the beach, at a good 
 distance from the chief's house, and then run out at full 
 length, and a number of bearers, about three yards apart, 
 bore it triumphantly away from the giver to the receiver. I 
 suppose that about 600 to 800 yards were thus disposed of. 
 
 " After all the property the chief is to receive has thus 
 
Chap. XI. CUEIOUS NOTION OF PKOPEETY. 265 
 
 been openly handed to him, a day or two is taken up in 
 apportioning it for fresh owners. When this done, all the 
 chiefs and their families are called together, and each receives 
 according to his or her portion. If, however, a chiefs wife is 
 not descended from a chief, she has no share in this distri- 
 bution, nor is she ever invited to the same feasts with her 
 husband. Thus do the chiefs and their people go on reducing 
 themselves to poverty. In the case of the chiefs, however, 
 this poverty lasts but a short time : they are soon replenished 
 from the next giving away, but the people only grow rich 
 again according to their industry. One cannot but pity them, 
 while one laments their folly. 
 
 " All the pleasure these poor Indians seem to have in their 
 property is in hoarding it up for such an occasion as I have 
 described. They never think of appropriating what they 
 gather to enhance their comforts, but are satisfied if they can 
 make a display like this now and then ; so that the man pos- 
 sessing but one blanket seems to be as well off as the one 
 who possesses twenty ; and thus it is that there is a vast 
 amount of dead stock accumulated in the camp doomed never 
 to be used, but only now and then to be transferred from 
 hand to hand for the mere vanity of the thing. 
 
 " There is another way, however, in which property is dis- 
 posed of even more foolishly. If a person be insulted, or 
 meet with an accident, or in any way suffer an injury, real or 
 supposed, either of mind or body, property must at once be 
 sacrificed to avoid disgrace. A number of blankets, shirts, 
 or cotton, according to the rank of the person, is torn into 
 small pieces and carried off." 
 
 The numberless antics practised at these feasts would take 
 far more space to describe than I can devote to them. I 
 believe, however, there is some system in them, and that 
 much which appears to us sheer folly has a meaning and a 
 purpose to these poor creatures. Their sacred feasts are of 
 several kinds, but the most common is that which takes 
 
266 PROPITIATORY FEASTS. Chap. XI. 
 
 place at the commencement of each season, to invoke the aid 
 of the deity for fine weather, plenty of fish, &c. &c. A 
 glimpse of one of these is given by the Eev. Mr. Garrett (of 
 whom I shall have occasion to speak hereafter in con- 
 nection with the missions to the Indians), in a letter to his 
 brother : — 
 
 "Bee. 16. — When crossing the bridge to the Indian School 
 to-day, I was astonished by a very loud noise proceeding from 
 one of the houses of the Songhies. Guided by the sound, I 
 entered the house to see what was going on. For a time, so 
 great was the din, I could make nothing of it. At length, by 
 force of inquiry, and pressing through the crowd to the front, 
 I witnessed the following scene. A space, about 40 feet by 
 20 feet, had been carefully swept; three large bright fires 
 were burning upon the earthen floor; round three sides of 
 this space a bench was fixed, upon which were packed, as 
 close as they could fit, a crowd of young women. I do not 
 think there were any men or boys among them, but there 
 being only the light of the fires, I could not see very distinctly. 
 Each of these individuals was armed with two sticks. In front 
 of them, extending all the way round the rectangular space, 
 was a breadth of white calico. Under this calico the row of 
 sticks exhibited themselves. Upon the ground, in the corner 
 on my right, was a young man provided with a good-sized box, 
 which he had fixed upon an angle and used as a drum. Also, 
 on the ground, still nearer to me, sat an old man and an old 
 woman; and flat upon the ground, apparently dead, lay a 
 female chief, with her head reclining in the lap of the old 
 crone ; while around me there stood a motley crowd of all 
 tribes, staring first at me and then at the stage. All this time 
 the choir upon the benches kept up a sort of mixture between 
 a howl and a w r ail, while they beat time upon the bench with 
 the forest of sticks with which they were armed ; our friend 
 upon the ground making his wooden drum eloquent of noise. 
 It is utterly vain to attempt to give any description of the 
 
Chap. XI. NOISINESS OF THE CEREMONY. 267 
 
 terrible noise which was thus occasioned. This continuing 
 for about twenty minutes, the female chief began to show 
 signs of life ; first, by a slight motion of the hands, then 
 of the arms, then of the shoulders, and so on, until her 
 whole frame became violently agitated; the din and the 
 uproar increasing in intensity as her agitation increased. 
 At length she shook herself into a sitting position, when, with 
 hair dishevelled and glaring eyes, she formed a singularly 
 repulsive spectacle. Her agitation increased, until there 
 could have been no part of her body which did not shake — 
 the storm and rattle of sticks and the howling unmeaning 
 wail steadily keeping pace with her — when, suddenly, at a 
 motion of her hand, there was an instantaneous silence. They 
 watched her narrowly and her every motion was observed. 
 Upon a signal they began again, and stopped as suddenly. 
 At length she got upon her hunkers, and in that not very 
 graceful position jumped about between the fires. Presently, 
 as her inspiration increased, she raised herself and ultimately 
 got herself erect. Having, then, by a series of very ungraceful 
 motions, completed a journey round the fires, she came to a 
 stand at the end of the rectangle next which the old man and 
 woman were sitting. . . . This being done, such a clatter 
 and rattle and yell were raised as nearly deafened me. . . . 
 My time being now exhausted, I was obliged to leave this 
 strange but interesting scene. . . . 
 
 "It was refreshing to breathe the sea-air again and gaze 
 upon the light of day, after emerging from so unearthly a 
 place. Pursuing my way, I met a man carrying two large 
 boilers. I cross-examined him, and ascertained that the 
 female chief, who was playing her part within among the 
 women, would presently give an abundant feast of wild-fowl 
 to all the men, and that he was bringing down the boilers to 
 cook the same. He further stated that all the men were 
 assembled in his house, awaiting the gift, and that, if I wished, 
 he would gladly show me where they were. I accompanied 
 
268 PROPITIATION FOR THE NEW YEAR. Chap. XI. 
 
 him joyfully. I found a very large house, carefully swept, 
 with several good fires burning brightly upon the earthen 
 floor, and about fifty or sixty men assembled, in patient ex- 
 pectation of the birds. I inquired into the nature of the 
 musical entertainment going on. They told me that was their 
 " Tamanoes," or sacred feast ; that they always played and 
 danced so during the latter half of the last month in the year ; 
 that they did so for two reasons — first, to make their hearts 
 good for the coming year, and secondly, to bring plenty of 
 rain, instead of snoiv ; that if they did not do so, a great deal 
 of snow would come, and they should be very much afraid" 
 
 At their grand feasts and ceremonies some of the chief men 
 wear very curious masks and dresses — the former composed 
 of the heads of animals decorated with feathers, and painted 
 various colours. At Fort Kupert, " Whale," one of the Quaw- 
 guult chiefs, showed me his masks, which he kept carefully 
 locked up in a large box. One in particular was most extra- 
 ordinary: it was a wooden head, large enough to take his 
 own inside easily, and I think meant for an eagle ; the mouth 
 was very large, and could be opened by strings, which were 
 carried through the top of the mask and down the back, so as 
 to be worked by the wearer's hands. I have seen others 
 with strings to make the wings flap, and to turn the head 
 from side to side. 
 
 On all occasions of peace-making, whether it be feast or 
 palaver, the chiefs cover their heads with eagles' down and 
 scatter it about them and over the person with whom they 
 are making peace. I have seen this done on several occa- 
 sions and under different circumstances. With them, as with 
 us, white always denotes peace. For example, the Indians, 
 whom we employed on board as interpreters, always put white 
 feathers in their caps when going among a strange tribe. Mr. 
 Duncan also speaks of this occurring at their reception of 
 him on two different occasions. 
 
 He says : — " Much to my sorrow, he (the chief) put on his 
 
Chap. XL SIGNIFICANT USB OF BIRDS' DOWN. 269 
 
 dancing-mask and robes. The leading singers stepped out, 
 and soon all were engaged in a spirited chant. They kept 
 excellent time by clapping their hands and beating a drum. 
 (I found out afterwards that they had been singing my praises, 
 and asking me to pity them and do them good.) The chief 
 Kahdoonahah danced with all his might during the singing. 
 He wore a cap which had a mask in front, set with mother-of- 
 pearl and trimmed with porcupine-quills. The quills enabled 
 him to hold a quantity of white birds' down on the top of his 
 head, which he ejected while dancing by jerking his head 
 forward ; thus he soon appeared as if in a shower of snow. 
 In the middle of the dance a man approached me with a 
 handful of down and blew it over my head, thus symbolically 
 uniting me in friendship with all the chiefs present and the 
 tribes they severally represented." 
 
 On another occasion he says : — " The usual course was pur- 
 sued. Kinsahdad dressed himself up in his robes, and then 
 danced while the people sang and clapped their hands. During 
 the performance I was nearly covered with white downy 
 feathers. A man, after having feathered Kinsahdad's head, 
 came and blew a handful over me. One great feature of the 
 dance was that the performer should keep a cloud of feathers 
 flying about his guest. It was done in this way : the dancer, 
 after making a graceful approach, would commence a retreat, 
 still keeping his face toward me, and, in perfect time with 
 the song and clapping of hands, jerk his head forward at 
 every step, and thus keep a quantity of feathers flying from 
 his head-dress." 
 
 The reader will notice in these extracts, and in all that has 
 been said about the Indian feasts, a curious distinction between 
 the customs of the West and those of the East. Here it 
 is always the men, and the chief men, who dance and take 
 a part in all the antics, while in the East the women are the 
 performers. I have never seen an Indian woman dance at a 
 feast, and believe it is seldom if ever done. The young 
 
270 MANNER OF CONDUCTING WAR. Chap. XI. 
 
 men sit round and look on with awe at what Easterns would 
 regard as beneath the dignity of man. So with work : the 
 woman of the West is a slave, performing the most menial 
 offices, while the woman of the East lives a life of luxurious 
 idleness. 
 
 On missions of peace also this down is, as I have said, made 
 use of. One day in talking to Mr. Bamfield, the Indian agent 
 on the West coast of Yancouver Island, who has resided 
 among the ' Ohyat tribe several years, we were comparing 
 many of the Indian customs with those of Europe, and he 
 told me that on the occasion of a quarrel between the Ohyat 
 and another tribe, a chief, who was one of the best speakers 
 among them, was employed for several days as envoy, 
 going frequently to the enemy's camp to negociate, and that 
 his diplomacy averted war. During the whole time of the 
 negociations the peace-maker wore eagles' down all over his 
 head, so that he looked as if he had been powdered, and 
 eagles' feathers in his cap, or secured to a band round his 
 head. I remember Mr. Bamfield mentioning another occa- 
 sion, on which they came to blows, as illustrative of the sys- 
 tematicmethod of their approach and attack. The Ohyats 
 and Nootkas joined forces against the Clayoquots ; and Mr. 
 Bamfield accompanied them part of the way. When they 
 approached the Clayoquot village they were to attack, they 
 put into a sandy beach and landed : the chiefs then held a 
 consultation with those who knew the place best, and having 
 hit upon a young man who had a Clayoquot wife, told him to 
 draw a plan of the place on the sand. He commenced by 
 marking out the ground, then the houses ; describing the par- 
 titions in them, how many men were in each, whether they 
 were brave or cowardly : in fact, describing the place accu- 
 rately. They then divided the w r ork between the two tribes, 
 and, standing back to back some little way apart, the chiefs 
 told off each man to his duty. Everything, he said, was per- 
 fectly arranged. The attack was, however, not successful, as 
 
INDIAN BURIAL-GROUND. 
 
Chap. XI. MODES OF SEPULTURE. 271 
 
 the Nootkas failed in their part and would not leave their 
 canoes. The Ohyats took 18 heads, and lost about the same 
 number. The cause of the war was that the Clayoquots had 
 murdered a white man, and tried to put the blame on the 
 others, among whom he was living. y 
 
 As a rule, the Indians burn their dead, and then bury the 
 ashes. The mode of depositing these remains differs even 
 among members of the same tribes. Sometimes they are 
 buried in the ground, sometimes in trees, in boxes or in 
 canoes. There is, I think, no rule or rules observed in 
 sepulture. I have seen more suspended among the 
 branches of the trees than buried in the ground, but their 
 mode of sepulture depends very much upon convenience and 
 circumstances. More are laid on the ground than in it, for 
 the Indians have, I believe, a decided objection to interment 
 — whether from any idea of a resurrection or not, I cannot 
 say. When buried on the ground, they are generally placed 
 among the bushes on some small islet, and the top of the 
 box is always covered with large stones. We used quite 
 commonly to come across the bleached bones when putting 
 up surveying-stations. It is very common for a man's pro- 
 perty to be buried with him, or suspended over his grave. 
 In the case of great men the latter course is, I think, chosen 
 generally for the purpose of showing their wealth. I have 
 seen the grave of a chief inland with a number of blankets 
 cut in strips hanging over it, several pairs of trowsers, and 
 two or three muskets. At Nanaimo there is a small hut 
 built over the remains of the late chief. In the case of a 
 chief it is also customary to paint or carve his crest on the 
 box in which his bones lie, or to affix it on a large sign- 
 board upon a pole or neighbouring tree. Mr. Duncan says 
 that if the crest of the deceased happens to be an eagle or a 
 raven, it is usual among the Northern Indians to carve it in 
 the act of flying — the bird being affixed to the edge of the 
 box with its wings spread, so that it appears to a passer-by 
 
272 PRACTICE OF INCREMATION. Chap. XI, 
 
 as if j list about to leave the coffin; and he (Mr. Duncan) 
 very naturally asks whether this may come of any knowledge 
 of a resurrection of the dead among the Indians. 
 
 They will not usually let strangers witness the burial of 
 their dead. It was at one time not uncommon for Indians 
 to desert for ever a lodge in which one of their family had 
 died ; but this rarely, if ever, ha23pens now. 
 
 The rites of mourning are carried out strictly, but not 
 until the corpse is buried. After this, at sunrise and sunset, 
 they wail and sing dirges for the space of some thirty days. 
 
 I never witnessed a funeral myself ; but I think that, ex- 
 cept when the person to be buried is of some rank, there is 
 very little ceremony. 
 
 At Fort Simpson it appears to be the regular custom to 
 burn the dead, but this is departed from in some cases ; for 
 Mr. Duncan mentions witnessing a funeral there from the 
 Fort Gallery. He says : " The deceased was a chief's daughter, 
 who had died suddenly. Contrary to the custom of the 
 Indians here (who always burn their dead), the chief begged 
 permission to inter her remains in the Fort Garden, along- 
 side her mother, who was buried a short time ago, and was 
 the first Indian thus privileged. The corpse was placed in a 
 rude box, and borne on the shoulders of four men. About 
 twenty Indians, principally women, accompanied the old 
 chief (whose heart seemed ready to burst) to the grave. A 
 bitter wailing was kept up for three-quarters of an hour, 
 during which time about seven or eight men, after a good 
 deal of clamour (which strangely contrasted with the appa- 
 rent grief of the mourners), fixed up a pole at the head of 
 the grave, on which was suspended an Indian garment. At 
 the head of the mother's grave several drinking-vessels were 
 attached, as well as a garment. 
 
 It is certain that the Indians have some idea of a Superior 
 Being ; and this idea, no doubt, dates before the appearance of 
 any priests among them. They believe, too, that thunder is 
 
Chap. XL TKADITION OF THE FLOOD. 273 
 
 his voice. I remember on one occasion, when I was tra- 
 velling in a canoe during a violent thunderstorm, that, at 
 each peal, all the rowers rested on their paddles, and said a 
 prayer, taught them, no doubt, by the Komish priests, and I 
 could not get them to paddle on till they had finished it. 
 
 After a storm on the coast, they always search for dead 
 whales, and seem to connect them in some way with thunder. 
 It is very difficult indeed to get at any of their traditions, 
 and still more difficult to distinguish between their own 
 standard doctrines and the teaching of the priests. One of 
 the settlers on the west coast of Vancouver Island, who has 
 been there for a number of years, told me that there was at 
 Ohyat a carving of two eagles with a dove in their centre 
 and two serpents in the rear, with a whale seemingly seeking 
 protection from the serpents. This carving representing 
 thunder, under its native name Tuturrh, was held in great 
 respect by them. An old half-breed once told me that one of 
 their legends was that crows were white once, but were made 
 black by a curse: what they had done to deserve this 
 punishment I could not ascertain. 
 
 The Indians appear generally to have some tradition about 
 the Flood. Mr. Duncan mentions that the Tsimsheans say that 
 all people perished in the water but a few. Amongst that few 
 there were no Tsimsheans ; and now they are at a loss to tell 
 how they have reappeared as a race. In preaching at Obser- 
 vatory Inlet he referred to the Flood, and this led the chief 
 to tell him the following story. He said : " We have a tradi- 
 tion about the swelling of the w r ater a long time ago. As you 
 are going up the river you will see the high mountain to the 
 top of which a few of our forefathers escaped when the waters 
 rose, and thus were saved. But many more w 7 ere saved in 
 their canoes, and were drifted about and scattered in every 
 direction. The waters went down again ; the canoes rested 
 on the land, and the people settled themselves in the various 
 spots whither they had been driven. Thus it is the Indians 
 
274 BELIEF IN THE SON OF GOD. Chap. XI. 
 
 are found spread all over the country ; but they all under- 
 stand the same songs and have the same customs, which 
 shows that they are one people." 
 
 Schoolcraft, the American writer, in his * History of the 
 Indians/ narrates a similar tradition, which is found current 
 on the east side of the Kocky Mountains. 
 
 As their languages become more known, many other 
 legends and traditions will doubtless come to light ; but I 
 must not conclude this notice of them without reference to 
 the most interesting yet known, viz., a belief in the Son of 
 God. " This [Observatory Inlet] being " (says Mr. Duncan) 
 " a noted place, the Indians have several legends connected 
 with the various objects about. I listened to some, and re- 
 marked that in most of them the Son of the Chief above occu- 
 pies the place of benefactor or hero, and most of the acts 
 ascribed to him are acts of mercy. It was he, they say, that 
 first brought the small fish to this inlet for them, which now 
 forms one of their principal articles of food." 
 
 As I have before said, the Koman Catholic priests have, so 
 far as regards forms and the observance of certain religious 
 customs, done a good deal among them. I remember one 
 Sunday in Port Harvey, Johnstone Strait, when we were 
 all standing on deck, on a bright sunny morning just before 
 church-time, looking at six or eight large canoes which 
 hung about the ship, they suddenly struck up a chant, which 
 they continued for about ten minutes, singing in beautiful 
 time, their voices sounding over the perfectly still water 
 and dying away among the trees with a sweet cadence that I 
 shall never forget. I have no idea what the words were, but 
 they told us they had been taught them by the priests. The 
 Eoman Catholic priest, indeed, has little cause to complain 
 of his reception by the Indians. On the west coast, at a 
 place where the priest had been before, but had not time to 
 revisit them, he sent his shovel-hat in the canoe in his stead ; 
 and upon its arrival the whole village turned out, shouting 
 
Chap. XL FONDNESS FOR GAMBLING. 275 
 
 " Le Pretre ! Le Pretre ! " and had prayers at once upon 
 the spot. I have seen other Indians, on the priest's arrival 
 among them, cease their fishing and other occupations, and 
 hurry to meet him. 
 
 At Esquimalt all the Indians attend the Eomish mission 
 on Sunday morning, and at eight o'clock the whole village 
 may be seen paddling across the harbour to the mission- 
 house, singing at the top of their voices. Certainly the 
 self-denying zeal and energy with which the priests labour 
 among them merit all the success they meet with. To come 
 upon them, as I have done, going from village to village 
 alone among the natives, in a dirty little canoe, drenched to 
 the skin, forces comparisons between them and the generality 
 of the labourers of other creeds that are by no means flat- 
 tering to the latter. 
 
 Perhaps the worst failing of the Eed man, next to his love 
 of fire-water, is his passion for gambling. Most of them will 
 gamble away everything they have — houses, wives, property, 
 all are staked upon the chances of their favourite games. If 
 in passing their village at night you leave them sitting in a 
 ring gambling, the chances are that, upon ) r our return in the 
 morning, you will find them at it still. I have only seen two 
 games played by them, in both of which the object was to 
 guess the spot where a small counter happened to be. In 
 one of these games the counter was held in the player's 
 hands, which he kept swinging backwards and forwards. 
 Every now and then he would stop, and some one 
 would guess in which hand he held the counter, winning 
 of course if he guessed right. The calm intensity and 
 apparent freedom from excitement, with which they watch 
 the progress of this game is perfect, and you only know * 
 the intense anxiety they really feel by watching their faces 
 and the twitching of their limbs. The other game con- 
 sisted of two blankets spread out upon the ground, and 
 covered with saw-dust about an inch thick. In this was 
 
 t2 
 
276 PRACTICE OF POLYGAMY. Chap. XL 
 
 placed the counter, a piece of bone or iron about the size of 
 half-a-crown, and one of the players shunkd it about, the 
 others in turn guessing where it was. These games are 
 usually played by ten or twelve men, who. sit in a circle, with 
 the property to be staked, if, as is usual, it consists of blankets 
 or clothes, near them. Chanting is very commonly kept up 
 during the game, probably to allay the excitement. I never 
 saw women gamble. 
 
 The Indians are well known' to be polygamists, but I 
 believe that a plurality of wives is general only among the 
 chiefs of tribes, the rest being commonly too poor to afford 
 this luxury. No other cause for any such abstinence on their 
 part exists. When Mr. Stain was the Colonial Chaplain at 
 Victoria, the chief of the tribe residing there went to him 
 for some medicine for his wife, who was ill. He gave him 
 something which cured her, and, to the astonishment of the 
 chaplain and his family, a day or two afterwards the chief came 
 to his house, leading his wife by the hand, and, in gratitude 
 for her recovery, presented her to his benefactor. On being 
 remonstrated with, I believe, by the chaplain's wife, who 
 objected, not at all unnaturally, to the nature of the offering, 
 he said it was nothing, not worth mentioning in fact, as he 
 could easily spare her, she being one of eleven ! 
 
 I have said that intrigue with the wives of men of 
 other tribes is one of the commonest causes of quarrel 
 among the Indians. This is not surprising, when it is con- 
 sidered, among other things, that marriage is entirely a 
 buying and selling process, and the bargain is frequently 
 made when the principals are children. The man or his 
 friends give so many blankets for the wife, while yet a child. 
 If when she grows up she refuses to marry the man who has 
 purchased her, she or her friends must return all the pro- 
 perty paid for her; if they cannot do this, she is obliged 
 to go to the buyer. There is generally a feast at the 
 wedding of any one of importance in a tribe ; bat this, I think, 
 

 INDIAN GIRL, SHOWING CONICAL FORM OF SKILL. 
 
Chap. XL FACIAL CHARACTERISTICS. 277 
 
 depends entirely on the wealth of bride and bridegroom, 
 much as in our own country. 
 
 In appearance the Indians of Vancouver Island have the 
 common facial characteristics of low foreheads, high cheek- 
 bones, aquiline noses, and large mouths. They all have 
 their heads flattened more or less*; some tribes, however, cul- 
 tivating this peculiarity more than others. The process of 
 flattening the head is effected while they are infants, and is 
 very disgusting. I once made a woman uncover a baby's head, 
 and its squashed elongated appearance nearly made me sick. 
 By far the most flattened heads belong to the tribe of Quatsino 
 Indians, living at the north-west end of the island. Those who 
 have only seen the tribes of the east side of the island may 
 be inclined to think the sketch of this girl exaggerated, but it 
 was really drawn by measurement, and she was found to have 
 18 inches of solid flesh from her eyes to the top of her head. 
 It does not appear that the process at all interferes with their 
 intellectual capacities. Among some of the tribes pretty 
 women may be seen : nearly all have good eyes and hah*, 
 but the state of filth in which they live generally neutralises 
 any natural charms they may possess. 
 
 Half-breeds, as a rule, inherit, I am afraid, the vices of 
 both races : I speak of the uneducated half-breed, to whose 
 Indian abandonment to vice and utter want of self-control 
 appears to be added that boldness and daring in evil which 
 he inherits from his white parent. 
 
 The Indian's head is generally large, often so large as to 
 be somewhat out of proportion to the rest of his frame. 
 Men and women both part their hair in the middle, and wear 
 it long, hanging over the shoulder. The hair is generally 
 good, but so neglected that it looks, and is, very dirty. 
 The custom of painting prevails among all Indians in North 
 America. They paint the face in hideous designs of black and 
 red (the only colours used), and the parting of the hair is also 
 coloured red. I have seen them when travelling, and when I 
 
278 MODE OF WEARING THE HAIR. Chap. XL 
 
 knew they had not washed for three weeks, take the greatest 
 pains in colouring their faces, oiling their hair with fish-oil, 
 and painting the parting. The northern males sometimes 
 wear their hair cut short, or rolled up into a sort of ball on 
 the top of the head ; but the southern tribes consider it a 
 disgrace to have short hair. A Barclay Sound lad, whom 
 we took on board the * Hecate,' and who had been per- 
 suaded to have his hair cut, said he could not go back to his 
 tribe until it had grown again. 
 
 The men very seldom have beards or moustaches, and are 
 in the habit of pulling out any hair that appears on their 
 faces. This beardlessness appertains to almost all the North 
 American Indians, and I believe not to them only, as the 
 natives of the Congo, who are very fine men, have no hair on 
 their faces. The hair of their heads is almost always dark 
 brown, though sometimes an Albino is seen with quite white 
 hair. The strong feature in all their faces is their eyes. 
 which are nearly always fine, and among the half-breeds 
 very beautiful. 
 
 Their constant diet of dry fish, &c, has the curious effect 
 of destroying the teeth, so that you hardly ever see an 
 Indian over middle age with any visible, having worn them 
 down level with the gums. 
 
 Some Indians, especially the tribes of Queen Charlotte 
 Islands, carve very well, and much of their leisure time is 
 spent in decorating their canoes and paddles, making dishes 
 and spoons in wood or slate, bracelets and rings of metal. 
 They make busts out of whales' teeth, that are in some cases 
 very faithful likenesses. Like the Chinese, they imitate 
 literally anything that is given them to do ; so that if you 
 give them a cracked gun-stock to copy, and do not warn 
 them, they will in their manufacture repeat the blemish. 
 Many of their slate-carvings are very good indeed, and their 
 designs most curious. 
 
 One of their strangest prejudices, which appears to pervade 
 
Chap. XL ANTIPATHY TOWAEDS THE AMERICANS. 279 
 
 all tribes alike, is a dislike to telling their names — thus you 
 never get a man's right name from himself; but they will 
 tell each other's names without hesitation. 
 
 I have previously mentioned that slavery is universally 
 practised among these tribes, and the subsequent extracts 
 from Mr. Duncan's Journal will show with what horrid cruelty 
 their captives are treated — indeed, it often happens that 
 some crime is atoned for by a present of three or four 
 slaves, who are butchered in cold blood. 
 
 I have also spoken of the intense hatred of them all for 
 the " Boston men." * This hatred, although caused chiefly by 
 the cruelty with which they are treated by them, is also 
 owing in a great measure to the system adopted by the 
 Americans, of moving them away from their own villages 
 when their sites become settled by whites. The Indians 
 often express dread lest we should adopt the same course, 
 and have lately petitioned Governor Douglas on the subject. 
 
 Their phraseology abounds in highly figurative and flowery 
 expressions. It is so little known, however, as yet, that 
 anything like an accurate account is impossible. In illustra- 
 tion, I will, however, quote from Mr. Duncan's Journal an 
 account given him by an Indian, of the first appearance of 
 white men among his people, the'Keethratlah Indians, near 
 Fort Simpson. " One very old man," he writes, " with 
 characteristic animation, related to me the tradition of the 
 first appearance of the whites near this place. It was as 
 follows: — 'A large canoe of Indians were busy catching 
 halibut in one of these channels. A thick mist enveloped 
 them. Suddenly they heard a noise as if a large animal were 
 striking through the water. Immediately they concluded 
 that a monster from the deep was in pursuit of them. With 
 all speed they hauled up their fishing-lines, seized the paddles, 
 and strained every nerve to reach the shore. Still the 
 
 * Americans. 
 
280 FIRST ADVENT OF WHITES. Chap. XI. 
 
 plunging noise came nearer. Every minute they expected 
 to be ingulphecl within the jaws of some huge creature. 
 However, they reached the land, jumped on shore, and 
 turned round in breathless anxiety to watch the approach of 
 the monster. Soon a boat rilled with strange-looking men 
 emerged from the mist. The pulling of the oars had caused 
 the strange noise. Though somewhat relieved of fear, the 
 Indians stood spell-bound with amazement. 
 
 " ' The strangers landed, and beckoned the Indians to come 
 to them and bring them some fish. One of them had over 
 his shoulder what was supposed only to be a stick : presently 
 he pointed it to a bird that was flying past — a violent poo 
 went forth — down came the bird to the ground. The Indians 
 died! — as they revived, they questioned each other as to 
 their state whether any were dead, and what each had felt. 
 
 " * The whites then made signs for a fire to be lighted ; the 
 Indians proceeded at once, according to their usual tedious 
 practice, of rubbing two sticks together. The strangers 
 laughed, and one of them, snatching up a handful of dry 
 grass, struck a spark into a little powder placed under it. 
 Instantly another poo ! — and a blaze. The Indians died ! 
 After this the newcomers wanted some fish boiled : the 
 Indians, therefore, put the fish and water into one of their 
 square wooden buckets, and set some stones on the fire ; 
 intending, when they were hot, to cast them into the vessel, 
 and thus boil the food. The whites were not satisfied with this 
 way : one of them fetched a tin kettle out of the boat, put 
 the fish and some water into it — and then, strange to say, set 
 it on the fire. The Indians looked on with astonishment. 
 However, the kettle did not consume ; the water did not run 
 into the fire. Then, again, the Indians died ! 
 
 " ' When the fish was eaten, the strangers put a kettle of rice 
 on the fire ; the Indians looked at each other, and whispered 
 Akshahn, ahshahn ! or, " Maggots, maggots ! " The rice being 
 
Chap. XI. FACE OKNAMENTS. 281 
 
 cooked, some molasses was produced and mixed with it. 
 The Indians stared and said, Coutree urn tsakah ahket, or 
 " The grease of dead people." 
 
 " ' The whites then tendered the rice and molasses to the 
 Indians ; but they only shrank away in disgust. Seeing this, 
 to prove their integrity, they sat down and enjoyed it them- 
 selves. The sight stunned the Indians, and again they all 
 died. Some other similar wonders were worked, and the 
 profound stupor which the Indians felt each time to come 
 over them, they termed death. 
 
 " ' The Indians' turn had now come to make the white 
 strangers die ; they dressed their heads, and painted their 
 faces. A Nbk-noJc or wonder-working spirit possessed them : 
 they came slowly and solemnly, seated themselves before the 
 whites, then suddenly lifted up their heads and stared ; their 
 reddened eyes had the desired effect — the whites died ! ' " 
 
 The " heart "is the word always used by them in speaking 
 of motive, disposition, or feelings. If a person is angry, they 
 say — " His heart is bad to them." If they wish to express 
 their kind feelings or intentions, they say — " Their heart is 
 very good towards you." And if the fish leave a place 
 where they are usually caught, or it is a bad season, they 
 say the fishes' hearts are bad. 
 
 All the Indians, both men and women, wear ornaments in 
 the ears, nose, and lips. These are made of shell or bone ; 
 th6 commonest earrings worn by almost all, are bits of 
 a blue shell like the inside of an oyster, and called in 
 trade " kopose." Eings of the same material passed through 
 the cartilage of the nose are very common : the northern 
 tribes wear also very generally a small round shell, called 
 the "hai-qua," in appearance not unlike a piece of clay- 
 pipe stem one or two inches long, stuck into their lower 
 lips at an angle of 45° with the chin. Some also wear a 
 piece of bone inside the lower lip, making it project in a 
 horridly ugly way. Preparation for this, of course, has to be 
 
282 HIDEOUS LIP DEFORMITY. Chap. XI. 
 
 coinnienced while the " patient " is young : they first bore a 
 hole in the hollow of the under lip, in which is put a piece of 
 silver the shape of a pen. After some time this is taken out 
 and an oval-shaped piece of wood inserted horizontally ; after 
 a time this becomes too small, and a larger piece is inserted, 
 till, as a woman gets towards old age, she will have a piece 
 of wood three inches long and two inches wide in the lip. 
 Fortunately this custom is only practised among the northern 
 tribes, for it makes a woman the most hideous creature 
 imaginable. The lip-piece is concave on both sides, while the 
 edge is grooved so as to keep it in its place ; this sometimes 
 answers the purpose of a spoon, and Mr. Duncan says he has 
 seen an old woman put her food on it for a few seconds while 
 it cooled, and then raising her lip, empty this semi-natural 
 platter into her mouth. This lip, he says, is considered a 
 mark of honour among these poor creatures : a woman's 
 rank among women — that is, as far as her word, opinion, 
 or advice is concerned — is settled according to the size 
 of her wooden lip ; so that if a young woman dares to 
 quarrel with an old one, the latter will not remind her 
 of her youth, inexperience, and consequent unfitness to 
 dictate to age, but will reproach her with the inferior 
 size of her lip. Ked is the colour most commonly used 
 in painting the face ; but sometimes black is applied. I 
 have seen three or four canoes full of Haida Indians (from 
 Queen Charlotte Island), each canoe holding 16 or 18 people, 
 all black as my hat. The face is sometimes tatooed, but 
 not so commonly as on the eastern side of the continent. 
 For dress many now wear shirts and trowsers, purchased at 
 the stations of the Hudson Bay Company ; but the normal 
 style is still a blanket brought round the body, and pinned 
 with a wooden skewer on the shoulder, or held by the hand. 
 On my first visit to this place, this was rather a picturesque 
 costume, as they mostly wore native blankets made of dogs' 
 hair, and stained various colours ; but now they use English 
 
 
Chap. XI. CLOTHING AND CANOES. 283 
 
 blankets, and as they are always very dirty, the near effect is 
 not pleasant, though they still look picturesque at a distance. 
 Very small feet and well-made hands are common among 
 them ; as a rule, they all go bare-footed and bare-headed, 
 though, as I have before mentioned, when travelling they 
 wear mocassins. These are of no use, however, for keeping 
 out wet ; for, being made of plain deer-skin, they soon get 
 quite soft and sloppy. No doubt many of the diseases so 
 common among them are attributable to constant wet feet. 
 Sometimes they wear caps or tie handkerchiefs round their 
 heads, and in wet weather they frequently wear mushroom- 
 shaped hats made of the bark of the thuja, cut in narrow strips, 
 plaited much like Panama straw, and painted with various 
 devices. Their canoes are of all sizes, from frail things a man 
 can hardly find room to sit in, to boats large enough to hold 
 30 or 40 people with their equipment. They are all made of 
 single trees, although sometimes the very large ones have a 
 bow and stern tacked on. After they cut the tree down 
 they burn out the inside, and then finish it off and shape it 
 with axe and knife. The models of some are beautiful, their 
 shape and fashion varying according to the place they are 
 required for. Thus all the Indians inside the island and 
 northward of it have round and pointed sterns, while in the 
 Strait of Fuca and on west coast of the island they have 
 straight-up and down sterns, each being adapted to the 
 waters in which they are used. The birch-bark canoes, made 
 from the bark of Betula papyracea, and so celebrated in the 
 interior and east of the Kocky Mountains are unknown, or at 
 least unused, on the coast. 
 
 I must not omit to mention that most of the Indians 
 are good shots at a fixed object ; but they never think 
 of firing at a bird on the wing. Nothing excites their 
 admiration more than to see birds shot flying ; but I could 
 never get them to try it. No doubt a great reason for 
 this is their scanty supply of powder and shot; they are 
 
284 MODES OF SHOOTING BIKDS, &c. Chap. XI. 
 
 always begging for these, and will barter almost anything for 
 them. Their mode of approaching wild-fowl is very curious 
 and characteristic : a man will take a small canoe and fill 
 the bows with branches of evergreens, so as completely to 
 conceal himself seated behind it. Through the middle of 
 this hedge he points his gun, letting the barrel rest along the 
 stem of the canoe. He then paddles the canoe very quietly 
 along in the direction of a number of birds sitting on the 
 water, taking care to keep the bows straight towards them : 
 the birds are very sharp, and will swim across the canoe 
 to ascertain if there is any deception ; but as they all go 
 one way, the man is able to keep the canoe facing them, 
 and they fancy it is a floating bush. So careful are these 
 men of their powder, however, that they are not generally 
 content to get within shot of one bird, but will manoeuvre 
 about till they can get two or three in a line. I have seen 
 them devote half a day to this, perhaps only firing once in 
 several hours. * 
 
 For vermin they set traps with large stones, very like our 
 brick traps, except that they are open at both ends ; this is 
 put in some place where the animal is in . the habit ol 
 passing, and falls on him as he runs under it. 
 
 To shoot deer, they usually ascertain the spot on some 
 stream where the animals go to drink ; they then select the 
 first hollow tree within shot of the trail, and build up the 
 entrance to it with bushes so as to shelter themselves from 
 view. Towards evening or before dawn, they ensconce them- 
 selves in this tree, from whence they get a deliberate shot at 
 the unsuspecting animal as he passes. 
 
 The value of the following extracts from Mr. Duncan's 
 letters to the Church Missionary Society respecting these 
 Coast Indians is so great that, lengthy as they are, I will 
 make no excuse for giving them to the reader. 
 
 "Sometimes slaves have to be sacrificed to satiate the 
 vanity of their owners, or take away reproach. Only the 
 
Chap. XI. SACRIFICE OF SLAVES. 285 
 
 other day we were called upon to witness a terrible scene of 
 this kind. An old chief, in cool blood, ordered a slave to be 
 dragged to the beach, murdered, and thrown into the water. 
 His orders were quickly obeyed. The victim was a poor 
 woman. Two or three reasons are assigned for this foul act : 
 one is, that it is to take away the disgrace attached to his 
 daughter, who has been suffering some time from a ball 
 wound in the arm. Another report is, that he does not 
 expect his daughter to recover, so he has killed his slave in 
 order that she may prepare for the coming of his daughter 
 into the unseen world. I think the former reason is the most 
 probable. 
 
 ""I did not see the murder, but, immediately after, I saw 
 crowds of people running out of those houses near to where 
 the corpse was thrown, and forming themselves into groups 
 at a good distance away. This I learnt was from fear of 
 what was to follow. Presently two bands of furious wretches 
 appeared, each headed by a man in a state of nudity. They 
 gave vent to the most unearthly sounds, and the two naked 
 men made themselves look as unearthly as possible, proceed- 
 ing in a creeping kind of stoop, and stepping like two proud 
 horses, at the same time shooting forward each arm alter- 
 nately, which they held out at full length for a little time in 
 the most defiant manner. Besides this, the continual jerking 
 their heads back, causing their long black hair to twist about, 
 added much to their savage appearance. 
 
 " For some time they pretended to be seeking the body, 
 and the instant they came where it lay they commenced 
 screaming and rushing round it like so many angry wolves. 
 Finally they seized it, dragged it out of the water, and laid 
 it on the beach, where I was told the naked men would com- 
 mence tearing it to pieces with their teeth. The two bands 
 of men immediately surrounded them, and so hid their horrid 
 work. In a few minutes the crowd broke again into two, 
 when each of the naked cannibals appeared with half of the 
 
286 INITIATION OF MEDICINE-MEN. Qhap. XI. 
 
 body in his hands. Separating a few yards, they commenced, 
 amid horrid yells, their still more horrid feast. The sight 
 was too terrible to behold. I left the gallery with a depressed 
 heart. I may mention that the two bands of savages just 
 alluded to belong to that class which the whites term ' medi- 
 cine men/ The superstitions connected with this fearful 
 system are deeply rooted here ; and it is the admitting and 
 initiating of fresh pupils into these arts that employ numbers, 
 and excite and interest all, during the winter months. This 
 year I think there must have been eight or ten parties of 
 them, but each party seldom has more than one pupil at once. 
 In relating their proceedings I can give but a faint concep- 
 tion of the system as a whole, but still a little will serve to 
 show the dense darkness that rests on this place. 
 
 " I may mention that each party has some characteristics 
 peculiar to itself; but, in a more general sense, their divisions 
 are but three — viz., those who eat human bodies, the dog- 
 eaters, and those who have no custom of the kind. 
 
 ei Early in the morning the pupils would be out on the 
 beach, or on the rocks, in a state of nudity. Each had a 
 place in front of his own tribe ; nor did intense cold interfere 
 in the slightest degree. After the poor creature had crept 
 about, jerking his head and screaming for some time, a party 
 of men would rush out, and, after surrounding him, would 
 commence singing. The dog-eating party occasionally carried 
 a dead dog to their pupil, who forthwith commenced to tear § 
 it in the most doglike manner. The party of attendants kept 
 up a low growling noise, or a whoop, which was seconded by 
 a screeching noise made from an instrument which they 
 believe to be the abode of a spirit. In a little time the 
 naked youth would start up again, and proceed a few more 
 yards in a crouching posture, with his arms pushed out behind 
 him, and tossing his flowing black hair. All the while he is 
 earnestly watched by the group about him, and when he 
 pleases to sit down they again surround him and commence 
 
Chap. XT. INITIATION OF MEDICINE-MEN. 287 
 
 singing. This kind of thing goes on, with several little 
 additions, for some time. Before the prodigy finally retires, 
 he takes a run into every house belonging to his tribe, and is 
 followed by his train. When this is done, in some cases he 
 has a ramble on the tops of the same houses, during which 
 he is anxiously watched by his attendants, as if they expected 
 his flight. By-and-by he condescends to come down, and 
 they then follow him to his den, which is signified by a rope 
 made of red bark being hung over the doorway, so as to 
 prevent any person from ignorantly violating its precincts. 
 None are allowed to enter that house but those connected 
 with the art : all I know, therefore, of their further pro- 
 ceedings is, that they keep up a furious hammering, singing, 
 and screeching for hours during the day. 
 
 " Of all these parties, none are so much dreaded as the 
 cannibals. One morning I was called to witness a stir in the 
 camp which had been caused by this set. When I reached 
 the gallery I saw hundreds of Tsimsheeans sitting in their 
 canoes, which they had just pushed away from the beach. 
 I was told that the cannibal party were in search of a body 
 to devour, and if they failed to find a dead one, it was pro- 
 bable they would seize the first living one that came in their 
 way; so that all the people living near to the cannibals' 
 house had taken to their canoes to escape being torn to pieces. 
 It is the custom among these Indians to burn their dead; 
 but I suppose for these occasions they take care to deposit a 
 corpse somewhere, in order to satisfy these inhuman wretches. 
 
 "These, then, are some of the things and scenes which 
 occur in the day during the winter months, while the nights 
 are taken up with amusements — singing and dancing. Occa- 
 sionally the medicine parties invite people to their several 
 houses, and exhibit tricks before them of various kinds. Some 
 of the actors appear as bears, while others wear masks, the 
 parts of which are moved by strings. The great feature in 
 their proceedings is to pretend to murder, and then to restore 
 
288 CURIOUS MOON-PERFORMANCE. Chap. XI. 
 
 to life, and so forth. The cannibal, on such occasions, is 
 generally supplied with two, three, or four human bodies, 
 which he tears to pieces before his audience. Several persons, 
 either from bravado or as a charm, present their arms for him 
 to bite. I have seen several whom he has thus bitten, and I 
 hear two have died from the effects. 
 
 " One very dark night I was told that there was a moon to 
 see on the beach. On going to see, there was an illuminated 
 disc, with the figure of a man upon it. The water was then 
 very low, and one of the conjuring parties had lit up this 
 disc at the water's edge. They had made it of wax, with 
 great exactness, and presently it was at the full. It was an 
 imposing sight. Nothing could be seen around it ; but the 
 Indians suppose that the medicine party are then holding 
 converse with the man in the moon. Indeed there is no 
 wonder in the poor creatures being deluded, for the peculiar 
 noises that were made, while all around was perfectly still, 
 and the good imitation of the moon while all around was 
 enveloped in darkness, seemed just calculated to create wild 
 and superstitious notions. After a short time the moon 
 waned away, and the conjuring party returned w T hooping to 
 their house. 
 
 " Before any young persons can join these medicine parties 
 they are supposed to go into the bush for some days, and be 
 there alone, whence they receive their supernatural gifts. 
 But I am inclined to believe that this is not strictly carried 
 out, for it is also supposed that they are not visible when 
 they come back: it therefore becomes an easy matter to 
 conceal them in their houses for a short time, and then 
 publish a lie. The end of all these proceedings is the giving 
 away property ; so the chiefs reap the benefit. No person 
 need think of becoming " Allied " until he or his friends have 
 amassed considerable property, and are disposed to beggar 
 themselves. 
 
 " One Sunday I was startled by a peculiar noise proceeding 
 
Chap. XI. MEDICINE-MEN NOT DOCTORS. 289 
 
 from the camp, and on going to see what was the cause, I 
 observed a man, who, it seems, had finished his education as 
 an "Allied," and was now going to give away his goods. 
 He was proceeding to a distant part of the camp, and step- 
 ping all the way like a proud unmanageable horse. Behind 
 him were about fifteen or twenty men, all holding on to a kind 
 of rope, which went round his waist. They were pretending 
 to keep him back, or hold him from taking his flight. Pre- 
 sently this party was joined by other two, upon a similar 
 errand, and they now seemed to try which could make the 
 greatest noise, or look the most unearthly. The three bands, 
 after a good deal of manoeuvring, proceeded, I think, to the 
 same chief's house. 
 
 " I think it is generally supposed that these parties I have 
 described are the doctors of the Bed Indians, because their 
 proceedings are called ' medicine work,' and they * medicine 
 men ; ' but I find that the medical profession is altogether a 
 distinct business, and the doctors a distinct class. After 
 investigation of the matter, I am led to conclude that these 
 medical practitioners are, for the most part, those who have 
 themselves been visited with some serious sickness, and have 
 recovered; or else have been, at some time in their lives, 
 exposed to great peril, but have escaped uninjured. For 
 instance, if a man or woman is taken in a fit, and remains 
 motionless for so long that they are concluded dead, should 
 such a one ultimately recover, that is the person who is 
 regarded as competent to deal with diseases : for it is 
 believed, that, during the period of unconsciousness, super- 
 natural power and skill was vouchsafed them ; and also, by 
 their recovering, it is concluded that they have successfully 
 resisted the effects of bad medicine, or the evil workings of 
 some malevolent being. Still I do not mean to say that all 
 their doctors arise from these circumstances, but mostly so. 
 I believe that any shrewd or eccentric man may, by fasting, 
 
 u 
 
290 CURIOUS MODES OF CUEE. Chap. XI. 
 
 successfully prognosticating, or otherwise acting so as to excite 
 the superstitious reverence of the people in his favour, secure 
 a footing in this lucrative profession. 
 
 " Next, as to the means employed by the doctors to recover 
 patients. For pains in the body they employ a bag of hot 
 ashes, after first placing a damp cloth on the skin. If the 
 patient is afflicted with a pain in the head, they strike him 
 on the place with small branches of the spruce-tree. For 
 wounds they have a salve, but they seldom use it except in 
 bad cases : the most ordinary method is simply to place a 
 quantity of gum over the lips of the wound to keep them 
 closed. For most of the diseases which afflict them, they have 
 some herb or decoction which they give as a counteractant. 
 
 " But the chief thing relied upon and resorted to, in case 
 of failure of other means, is incantation. The instrument 
 used is a rattle, generally in the shape of a bird or a frog, in 
 the body of which a few small stones are placed.* This is 
 whirled about the patient while a song is sung. Occasionally 
 the doctor applies his ear, or his mouth, to the place where 
 the pain or disorder chiefly rests. It is also very common, at 
 this stage, to make incisions where the pain is felt, or to apply 
 fire to the place by means of burning tinder made of dried 
 wild flax. If relief follows these measures, the doctor asserts 
 that he has extracted the foul substance that has done the 
 mischief; which substance is supposed by them to be the 
 bad or poisonous medicine some evil-disposed one had silently 
 inserted into the invalid's body. At such an announcement 
 made by the doctor, the patient, and the patient's friends, 
 overjoyed at his success, liberally present him with such 
 property as they have got. IT, however, a relapse ensues, 
 and the invalid dies, the doctor returns every particle of the 
 property he has received. When no relief follows the first 
 
 * I have seen these rattles made of the bills of the horned puffin, three or 
 four dozen being strung together. — Author. 
 
Chap. XI. SUPPOSED MALEVOLENT INFLUENCES. 291 
 
 trial, a more furious attack is made another time. If still 
 without effect, there is but little hope of the patient's 
 recovery. 
 
 " Another curious matter connected with these operations 
 is, that when the doctor has got pretty warm in his work, he 
 boldly asserts that he can see the soul of the patient, if it is 
 present. For this he shuts his eyes for some time, and then 
 pronounces his sentence. Either the soul is in its usual 
 place, which is a good sign ; or it is out of its proper place, 
 and seems wanting to take its flight, which makes the 
 patient's case doubtful; or else it has flown away, in which 
 case there is no hope for the invalid's recovery. The bold 
 deceiver does not even hesitate to tell the people that the soul 
 is like a fly in shape, with a long curved proboscis. 
 
 " This people ascribe nearly all their bodily afflictions, and 
 most deaths, to the secret working of malevolent persons. 
 This being the case, when any person dies — if of any im- 
 portance amongst them — and especially if suddenly, the 
 friends of the deceased fix upon some one as the cause, either 
 a slave, or a stranger just arrived in the camp, or, more pro- 
 bably still, a person with whom the deceased has lately 
 quarrelled. Whoever the victim is, however, whether man 
 or woman, nothing short of his or her life will satisfy the 
 bereaved persons. They believe in two ways an evil-disposed 
 person may effect his purpose. One is by placing some bad 
 medicine in the meat or drink of his victim, or, if sick, by 
 persuading the individual to drink a poisonous draught. The 
 other way is by magic, and this is by far the most common 
 method they suppose. In this case, they say that the deadly 
 substance is transmitted from the hand of the destroyer to 
 the body of his victim, without the latter having any per- 
 ception of the event. * 
 
 " Such superstition as this is well calculated to produce 
 that distrust of each other which I find so prominent amongst 
 them; and also makes it somewhat dangerous for one to 
 
 u2 
 
292 DANGER OF WHITES' PRESCRIBING. Chap. XL 
 
 assist them a little with real medicine. I hear that several 
 white persons — some of whom are American missionaries — - 
 have been murdered for attempting this kindness, all because 
 their medicine did not prevent death. There has not been a 
 case of that sort among the Indians here yet ; but I see that 
 the same superstitions which have led other Indians to 
 commit murder are deeply rooted here, so that it behoves one 
 to be cautious. I have already given medicine and advice to 
 some, which the Lord has been pleased to bless : so that they 
 are beginning to gain confidence and appreciate my coming 
 amongst them. My efforts in this way have as yet been nearly 
 all confined to the Fort people ; but as the Indian women in 
 here are generally the most influential in the tribe to which 
 they belong, in gaining their confidence a great blow is 
 struck at the prejudices of the people outside. 
 
 " If one Indian is vexed with another, the most effectual 
 way of showing his displeasure, next to killing him, is to say 
 to him (what would be in English), By and by, you will die. 
 Not unfrequently the poor victim thus marked becomes so 
 terrified that the prediction is verified. When this is the 
 case, the friends of the deceased say that they have no doubt 
 about the cause, and therefore (if they are able to meet the 
 contest which may ensue) the prognosticator, on the first 
 opportunity, is shot for his passionate language. 
 
 " The young man named Clah, whom I have had to assist 
 me in Tsimshean, only a little time before I came shot a 
 woman, because by some silly expression she excited his 
 belief that it was owing to her evil influence a piece of wood, 
 which was being carried by some Indians, fell from their 
 shoulders and seriously hurt one of them, a relative of his. 
 Now I hear that this woman's son (although Clah has paid 
 him 30 blankets) is watching his opportunity to revenge her 
 death. Thus is the stream of murder fed from time to time. 
 
 " In the majority of cases, I think the sick receive a great 
 deal of attention from their friends. I have always found 
 
 
Chap. XL MOURNING FOR THE DEAD. 293 
 
 one or two nurses to an invalid, if the case was at all bad ; 
 the sympathy of the nurses, too, seemed very great. It 
 seemed to me, however, that they never thought of washing 
 the sick, for nearly all who had been laid up for any length 
 of time were literally immured in dirt. If any one suggested 
 the propriety of a good wash, they would immediately say 
 they had no soap, which amounted to asking one to supply it, 
 yet scarcely any are without ample means of purchasing it if 
 they would. ^ 
 
 " When a person dies, except in the case of a slave, very 
 great lamentation is made by surviving friends. Their 
 mourning lasts for several days. A few days ago, I saw a 
 poor woman in the bush, at some distance behind the camp. 
 She was sitting with her face towards the stump of a tree, 
 and continued her bitter wailing for a long time. This is the 
 second instance I have seen of this kind. Occasionally, 
 mourners may be seen going about the beach. Only lately I 
 saw a woman coming away from a house of death. She pro- 
 ceeded along the beach to where another tribe is settled, and 
 continued her woful cry all the way. Persons whom she 
 passed took no notice whatever of her ; it seemed nothing 
 strange to them. 
 
 " Soon after death the corpse is conveyed away in a canoe 
 to a distant part of the beach, and there burned to ashes. 
 Mourners accompany it, and they make the air to ring with 
 their piercing cries all the time the body is consuming. The 
 ashes are collected and placed in a little house appointed to 
 receive them. 
 
 "A slave, after death, is at once placed in a canoe and 
 thrown into the harbour, without any sorrow being expressed. 
 The Tsimsheeans, I find, believe in two states after death : % 
 the one good, and the other bad ; the morally good are trans- 
 lated to the one, and the morally bad are doomed to the 
 other. The locality of the former they think to be above, 
 and that of the latter is somewhere beneath. The enjoyment 
 
294 NOTIONS OF THE DEITY. Chap. XI. 
 
 of heaven and the privations of hell they understand to be 
 carnal. 
 
 " They do not suppose the wicked to be destitute of food 
 any more than they were here, but they are treated as slaves 
 and are badly clothed. 
 
 " What is very strange, they imagine that as the various 
 seasons leave them they advance to the abode of the wicked. 
 For instance, when the fish get out of the reach of their nets, 
 they .suppose they are then becoming the prey of the wicked 
 beneath. 
 
 " The idea they entertain of God is that He is a great chief. 
 They call him by the same term as they do their chiefs, only 
 adding the word for above — thus, ' shimanyet ' is chief, and 
 ' lakkah ' above ; and hence the name of God with them is 
 Shimanyet Lakkah. They believe that the Supreme Being 
 never dies ; that he takes great notice of what is going on 
 amongst men, and is frequently angry and punishes offenders. 
 They do not know who is the author of the Universe, nor do 
 they expect that God is the author of their own being. They 
 have no fixed ideas about these things, I fully believe ; still 
 they frequently appeal to God in trouble : they ask for pity 
 and deliverance. In great extremities of sickness they address 
 God, saying it is not good for them to die. 
 
 " Sometimes, when calamities are prolonged or thicken, 
 they get enraged against God, and vent their anger against 
 Him, raising their eyes and hands in savage anger to Heaven, 
 and stamping their feet on the ground. They will reiterate 
 language which means ' You are a great slave ! ' This is 
 their greatest term of reproach. By far the most prominent 
 trait of character in this people is pride, yet many other of 
 the corruptions of our fallen nature they exhibit in de- 
 plorable measure. Kevenge with them, which is their only 
 way of adjusting wrongs, is so dire and determined that 
 many years and change of circumstances cannot extinguish 
 it. Several instances have been known where it has burst 
 
Chap. XI. KEVENGE AND PKIDE. 295 
 
 forth in terrible vengeance more than twenty years after its 
 birth, and simply because an opportunity to satisfy it never 
 occurred before. But, as I said before, pride or conceit is 
 the passion they most strikingly exhibit. It is astonishing 
 what they will do or suffer in order to establish or maintain 
 dignity. Yesterday a young man fell down, and cut himself 
 a little with an axe. On arriving home, his father imme- 
 diately announced his intention to destroy some property 
 which was to save his son from any disgrace attached to the 
 accident. When a few people or friends were collected to 
 witness the brave act, the father would carry out his vow, 
 with no small show of vanity. I hear that instances are 
 numerous where persons who have been hoarding up pro-- 
 perty for ten, fifteen, or twenty years (at the same time 
 almost starving themselves for want of clothing), have given 
 it all away to make a show for a few hours, and to be thought 
 of consequence." 
 
 I come now to the Indians of the interior, of whom, how- 
 ever, I regret to say, much less is known than of those upon 
 the coast. 
 
 At and about the entrance of the Fraser Kiver is the 
 'Kwantlun tribe : they live in villages which extend along 
 the banks of the river as far as Langley. Next to these, and 
 extending from Langley to Yale, are the Smess^hillway- 
 hook^lPallalts, and Teates — which latter are called by the 
 upper tribes Sa-chin-ko. These all appear, from their simi- 
 larity of language and customs, to be branches of the 
 Kwantlun tribe, although, as usual, their dialects differ con- 
 siderably. They have villages placed on the tributary streams 
 as well as the main river. The Smess Indians occupy the 
 Smess river and lake, and the Chillwayhooks the river and 
 lake of that name. In the summer, however, they nearly all 
 congregate on the banks of the Fraser Kiver to fish. As 
 every village seems to have an old long-standing feud with 
 
296 INDIANS OF THE INTERIOR. Chap. XI. 
 
 some of their neighbours — which what has been said of their 
 revengeful spirit readily accounts for — constant bickerings 
 and frequent murders signalise these annual gatherings. 
 For these reasons, and to guard against the incursions of the 
 coast-tribes for slaves, the permanent villages are all stock- 
 aded — a measure which, though more common here than on 
 the coast, is sometimes resorted to there, as at Cape Mudge. 
 It is a curious fact that, though living in a constant state of 
 alarm, no Indians in this country ever keep watch at night. 
 To be sure, they always have a number of barking curs 
 about the lodges, but these are easily bought over by cun- 
 ning foes, with food, &c, and thus their villages have no real 
 protection against the night attacks which are sometimes 
 made upon them. I have frequently suggested the propriety 
 of keeping watch when in my travels we camped near 
 strange villages, but never could get them to do it. I be- 
 lieve this to be from superstitious dread of spirits, as they 
 are not the least afraid to be out at night looking for deer, 
 fishing, or stealing. 
 
 Yale is the limit to the wanderings of the above-mentioned ■ 
 tribes, and at Spuzzum, a village six miles above the Canon, 
 a race very different both in habits and language is found. 
 These are the*Nicouta-much or Mcouta-meens, a branch of a 
 widely-extended tribe. They, with their cognate septs, the 
 At-naks or Shuswap-much, occupy the Fraser Eiver from 
 Spuzzum to the frontier of that part of the country called by 
 the Hudson Bay Company New Caledonia, which is within a 
 few miles of Fort Alexandria (about 330 miles from the 
 river's mouth), making the extent of their wanderings about 
 250 miles. 
 [From Thompson River other septs of this race — the Shu- 
 swaps, Skowtous, Okanagans, Spokans, Skoi-el-poi (of Colville), 
 Pend'oreilles, and Coeurs d'Aleines — occupy the country as 
 far as the Flathead Passes of the Rockv Mountains, where 
 
Chap. XL ESTIMATED INDIAN POPULATION. 297 
 
 the Sae-lies or Flatheads form the eastern portion of the 
 race. The Rocky Mountains on one hand, and an imaginary 
 line running east and west 60 to 100 miles south of the 
 parallel of 49° N. lat., may be said to define the tract occu- 
 pied by these people between the Thompson Kiver and the 
 Flathead country.") 
 
 Mr. A. C. Anderson, who has travelled a great deal in this 
 country, estimates the number of Nicouta-meen and Shuswap- 
 much Indians mustering annually on the Fraser at 6000 or 
 8000. He considers that in North- West America, generally, 
 there is not more than one man to ten square miles, although 
 this population is not by any means distributed evenly over 
 the country, which would make it appear more dense in 
 those parts best known. This estimate would give an Indian 
 population of about 20,000, which I fancy is not far wrong. 
 
 Between the Rocky Mountains, the Upper Columbia and 
 its tributary the Killuspehn or Pend'oreille, and watered by 
 an intermediate stream called the Kootanais Kiver, is an an- 
 gular piece of country peopled by a small, isolated tribe, 
 bearing the same name as the last-mentioned river, on the 
 banks of which they principally live. Tin's country of the 
 Kootanais being very poor, they have to cross the Kocky 
 Mountains for the buffalo, and when there they are constant ! y 
 attacked, murdered, or driven back by the Blackfeet. Thus 
 they are constantly diminishing. Isolated, and speaking a 
 language of their own, it is not easy to imagine their origin ; 
 but it appears probable that they once belonged to some 
 more powerful southern tribe, from which they became cut 
 off by the intervention of larger tribes. Mr. Anderson says 
 they are brave and possess more than ordinary virtue. 
 Their country is very difficult to get at, either by land or 
 water, as the Kootanais Kiver is too rapid for navigation, 
 and only fordable or passable for horses in spring before the 
 melting of the snow, and in the autumn when it is beginning 
 to freeze again. In 1848 Mr. Anderson was travelling among 
 
298 
 
 ESTIMATED INDIAN POPULATION. Chap. XL 
 
 these Indians, and he made his interpreter take a census, 
 with the following results : — 
 
 
 Men. 
 
 Lads. 
 
 Women 
 
 and 
 
 . Children. 
 
 Total. 
 
 Upper Kootanais 
 
 Kootanais who visit Flathead country 
 U Lower Kootanais or Arc Plattes 
 
 35 
 44 
 
 78 
 
 18 
 39 
 46 
 
 113 
 183 
 
 273 
 
 166 
 266 
 397 
 
 
 157 
 
 103 
 
 569 
 
 829 
 
 
 The number of this tribe, however, is now probably reduced 
 to about 500 or 600. 
 
 All the natives of the Upper Fraser are called by the 
 Hudson Bay Company, and indeed generally, " Porteurs," or 
 carriers, and as I have shown, when speaking of travelling in 
 this country, they well deserve the name. It originated from 
 their bearing a corresponding designation among their north- 
 ern neighbours, the " Beaver " Indians. They (the Beavers) 
 call themselves Ta-cully, or Tah-killy, signifying " wanderers 
 on the deep." They form the western branch of the great 
 Chipewyan tribe, a race whose wanderings extend from Fort 
 Churchill on Hudson Bay, and thence far north coterminously 
 with the Esquimaux of the coast. 
 
 In 1839 Mr. Anderson estimated the population of this 
 northern district of British Columbia, then New Caledonia, 
 as follows : — 
 
 
 Men. 
 
 Women. 
 
 Children. 
 
 Total. 
 
 At M'Leod's Lake 
 
 49 
 
 40 
 
 113 
 
 202 
 
 Ohilcotin 
 
 224 
 
 132 
 
 244 
 
 600 
 
 Alexandria .. .. 
 
 292 
 
 223 
 
 232 
 
 747 
 
 Fort George • . . 
 
 75 
 
 50 
 
 62 
 
 387 
 
 Connolly Lake 
 
 • 28 
 
 30 
 
 87 
 
 135 
 
 Babine Lake 
 
 69 
 
 47 
 
 65 
 
 181 
 
 Fraser Lake 
 
 98 
 
 87 
 
 100 
 
 285 
 
 Stuart Lake 
 
 62 
 
 79 
 
 147 
 
 288 
 
 
 897 
 
 688 
 
 1040 
 
 2625 
 
 Their number has probably been much decreased since 
 
Chap. XL SHELL CUKEENCY. 299 
 
 that time, though from the wildness of this region and the 
 absence of white men they may have kept up their num- 
 bers much better than the tribes nearer the coast have done. 
 There is a curious currency used by the Hudson Bay Company 
 in trading with these natives, viz. Haiqua shell, which I Have 
 mentioned as being worn in the under-lip of the northern 
 Coast Indians. This little shell is obtained off Nootka Sound. 
 It is found clinging in clusters to the rocks in deep water, 
 and is dragged up by the Indians with long poles and hooks. 
 They (the Nootkas) sell them to the Company at Fort 
 Rupert and other coast posts, and they are sent up to the 
 interior to be used as money ; the inland Indians having a 
 great partiality for them, and using them in large strings, 
 much in the same way, I fancy, as the Eastern North Ameri- 
 can Indians use the celebrated wampum-belts. 
 
 Almost all theJtribes mentioned in the above census inhabit 
 the country west of the Fraser River, or between it and the 
 coast, and they all visit the coast more or less frequently, 
 their journeys depending chiefly upon the supply of salmon, 
 &c, in their own districts. The routes by which they go are 
 as yet little known. Some have been explored lately, and 
 one or two by earlier employes of the Hudson Bay and North- 
 West Companies, including among their number Sir A. 
 M'Kenzie. Of these, however, it will be remembered that I 
 have spoken when describing the inlets along the coast, and 
 discussing the probability of a practicable route being found 
 from the sea to the upper part of British Columbia, from the 
 head of some one or other of them. Some of the interior 
 tribes spend half their year inland and half at the coast : for 
 instance, the '^Loquilt" Indians have their home in the 
 winter on Lake Anderson and the surrounding district, 
 whence they descend to the coast in Jervis Inlet in the 
 summer ; while the Chilcotin Indians spend much of their 
 time at Bellhoula in the Bentinck Inlet. 
 
 The natives eastward of the Fraser, viz, the Skowtous r 
 
300 LOW STATE OF MORALS. Chap. XI. 
 
 Shuswap, Okanagan, &c, own numbers of horses, and are for 
 the most part mounted. I have already, while narrating my 
 travels in British Columbia, alluded to the feeling of respect 
 which the traveller entertains generally towards mounted 
 Indians. After being used to the dwarfed natives of the 
 coast, whose limbs have assumed almost the shape of the 
 canoe that is their constant home, it is startling to come 
 among the fine athletic Indians of the interior, and to behold 
 the skill and courage with which they manage their half- wild 
 horses, and train themselves in the sports of peace for war. 
 These tribes, as I have before said, are not addicted to 
 slavery as a trade, which probably conduces much to their 
 superior moral condition. Virtue is not, however, I fear, 
 much more regarded as a principle and motive* of action 
 among these poor people than by the Indians of the 
 coast, although their comparative seclusion and freedom 
 from foreign influences preserve them from that utter 
 abandonment of decency which is found near the white 
 settlements. I remember discussing this question, when I 
 was staying at Fort Kamloops, with an employe of the 
 Company, who had been eight or ten years in the country ; 
 and he said he had only heard of one instance of an 
 Indian woman expressing any other ground for chastity than 
 the fear of some man, father or husband. In this solitary 
 case, he said, upon the man assuring her that her deeds 
 would never be known, she said, " There is One who knows 
 everything;" and as she spoke she pointed to the sky. I 
 think he said this girl was an Okanagan. Mr. Anderson, 
 whom I have before quoted, asserts that these Indians are 
 much more virtuous than those of the coast, but from the 
 conversations I have had with various traders living among 
 them, I am inclined to fear that any difference there may be, 
 is, as I have said above, owing to force of circumstances rather 
 than to any fixed principle. 
 
 As may readily be supposed, the tastes of these Indians for 
 
Chap. XI. FOOD AND CLOTHING. 301 
 
 hunting and riding tends to make them less industrious than 
 the more sedentary Coast natives, and they are, I believe, less 
 provident. Since the discovery of gold, especially, many 
 have taken to gold-washing in the summer instead of laying 
 by a winter stock, and the result has been that, during the 
 severity of winter, they have died of starvation in great num- 
 bers. Their principal food is salmon, venison, bear, wild 
 sheep, and berries, mosses, and lichens. The principal of 
 these latter is the black lichen (L. jubatus), called by them 
 Whyelkine, of which I have already spoken. 
 
 Far inland, and occasionally even in the neighbourhood of 
 the coast, may still be seen the deer-skin dress, ornamented 
 with beads and porcupine-quills, in which Indians are always 
 represented in pictures ; but shirts and trowsers are so easily 
 obtained, and save so much trouble, that most of the men 
 now wear them, while the women use blankets, generally 
 white, though sometimes blue or red, and fastened in the 
 same way. 
 
 They also make capes of bark, similar to their mats. These 
 are generally trimmed with fur round the edge, and go over 
 the head like a South American poncho. They only reach 
 to the elbows, and are seldom worn except in wet weather. 
 Like the Sea-shore Indians, they generally go bare-headed, 
 although many may be seen wearing the blue cap with a 
 leather peak, commonly used by mariners, and ornamented 
 with some feathers or ribbons. Mocassins are much more 
 generally worn than at the coast : these are sometimes very 
 neatly ornamented with beads, but often they are mere 
 pieces of deer-skin laced round the foot. Frequently, how- 
 ever, they ride about barefooted, holding the piece of cord, 
 which serves both as stirrup-leather and stirrup, between 
 the first and second toes. They occasionally wear leggings 
 made of cloth, and very prettily ornamented with beads. 
 Nearly all use the Spanish wooden saddle, which they make 
 with much skill ; and the bridle is a simple cord, often the 
 
302 FEASTS AND CEEEMONIES. Chap. XL 
 
 hair of the wild sheep, for it cannot be called wool, plaited. 
 The middle of this is passed through the horse's mouth, 
 and hitched round his lower jaw, and the ends brought up on 
 each side of his neck. 
 
 In their huts or lodges, which are similar to those of the 
 coast, they have the same mats of cypress or cedar bark. 
 Of their feasts and ceremonies I know little : their fashion of 
 exchanging presents, however, resembles that of the Coast 
 Indians. Their medicine -feasts are also much the same, 
 and, like the others, they all wear charm-bags round their 
 necks. 
 
 The medicine-bag charm ordinarily worn is small, but on 
 feasts and great occasions the chiefs and medicine-men wear 
 very large ones. As a rule, nothing can be done without the 
 aid of the medicine-men and their mummeries. The bag I 
 have spoken of is, I believe, generally made of the skin of 
 some animal, bird, or reptile, as the beaver, otter, polecat, or 
 weasel ; eagle, magpie, or hawk ; snake, or toad. Anything — 
 dry grass, leaves, &c— is stuffed into it, and it is carefully 
 sewn up and ornamented. 
 
 Before a young man is admitted to be a man and a warrior, 
 he has to get his medicine, which he does, or is supposed to do, 
 by roaming about the woods, fasting and praying to the great 
 spirit to help him to medicine, much in the same way, though 
 to a less extent, as the medicine-men prepare themselves for 
 the higher mysteries. His medicine-animal is the first animal, 
 bird, or reptile he dreams of during this process ; and, having 
 dreamt of it, he immediately kills one, and it becomes his 
 medicine for ever. His bag is or should be made of this 
 animal's skin ; but there is much trickery in all these matters. 
 
 Among the principal of those medicine-tricks which I have 
 omitted to speak of is that of rain-making. In most of the 
 valleys in which the Indians live they suffer occasionally 
 from want of rain. It constantly pours on the hills around, 
 without a drop falling in the valleys. There is nothing for 
 
Chap. XI. "RAIN-MAKERS." • 303 
 
 which greater credit is got by a medicine-man than being a 
 skilful rain-maker. Of course if the clouds do not gather 
 or break at once, the rain-makers have only to go on with 
 their ceremonies until they will. This they manage to do by 
 persuading the others that the Great Spirit is offended ; and 
 when they see that rain is at hand, they redouble their 
 energies, winding up, when it is on the point of falling, with 
 some still more frenzied appeal to the Great Spirit, and 
 sometimes, I have been told, shooting an arrow into the cloud 
 to burst it, when it is evident the rain is on the point of 
 descending in torrents. The Indians never appear to* lose 
 their faith in the operator's power, however long he may 
 have kept them waiting ; but as all the shrewder men of the 
 tribe are or desire to be medicine-men, this is not much to be 
 wondered at. 
 
 The children of all these tribes have their heads flattened, 
 more or less, and the women carry them in the same curious 
 little cradles slung at their backs : these are made, I believe, 
 of the bark of cypress, and look like little canoes. The child 
 lies at full length, and the sides of the cradle are sufficiently 
 high to enable the mother to lace it in by a cord passed from ' 
 side to side, a small block being put at one end as a pillow. 
 When the mother is travelling she carries the cradle on her 
 back in a nearly upright position, with the head just appear- 
 ing above her shoulder ; but if she is working, she suspends 
 the infant from a pliant branch of a tree, or sticking a pole 
 in the ground at a slight angle hangs the cradle, sometimes 
 upright, sometimes horizontally, on the end of it. They move 
 pole and cradle so as to keep it near them, and every now and 
 then give it a swing, so that it rocks up and down. It is said 
 that when children die they are often put in some lake or 
 pool in their cradles and left to float about them, the natives 
 regarding the water as sacred ever after ; but I fancy this is 
 more common on the east side of the mountains than the 
 west. 
 
304 MODES OF SEPULTURE, AND DIALECTS. Chap. XI. 
 
 ^ Like the Coast Indians, they frequently bury their dead in 
 trees, and whenever they are laid on the ground they always 
 cover the lid of the coffin with stones. I have heard this 
 custom attributed, as I have before said, to some instinctive 
 feeling that the dead will rise again ; but I am inclined to 
 believe it is only done to protect them from the wild animals 
 of the forest. I have seen some coffins also raised on posts, 
 six or eight feet above the ground, when there were no trees 
 to put them in. I do not think they are ever guilty of bury- 
 ing alive, though, as I have said of the Coast natives, they 
 are very careless of and cruel to the old men and women 
 when they get past work, and will often leave them to starve. 
 The dialects of the Indians of the interior are numerous 
 as among those of the island and shore. When I was at 
 Pavilion, on the Upper Fraser, a man who had been there 
 many years, and who had travelled much among them, told 
 me that between that place and Alexandria, a distance of 
 some 120 miles, there were nine dialects spoken, and that 
 these differed so much as to be almost distinct languages. 
 It will be many years before much more than this is likely 
 to be known of them. Indeed, it is probable, if not certain, 
 if the white emigration continues and the colony progresses, 
 that, before any opportunity of the kind comes, the tribes 
 who use them will have almost, if not entirely, vanished from 
 the face of the earth. 
 
 
 c 
 
Chap. XIJ. EARLY PROTESTANT MISSIONS. 305 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Religious and Educational condition of the Colonies. 
 
 In speaking of the religious and educational condition of 
 these Colonies, I purpose to glance shortly at the position 
 which the Church of England has already assumed in that 
 distant land, dwelling next upon the missionary efforts of 
 those who, in carrying the Christian religion to its Indian 
 inhabitants, have undertaken labours, and striven success- 
 fully through difficulties of no ordinary character. Fore- 
 most among these, as the earliest Protestant missionary to 
 our possessions in the North Pacific, and the successful 
 introducer of education among the neglected Indian children 
 of its shores, is that Mr. William Duncan whose name is 
 already familiar to the reader of these pages. The journals 
 and letters, published and unpublished, of this gentleman 
 have been most kindly placed in my hands by the Secretary 
 of the Church Missionary Society. And in the following ac- 
 count of the religious and educational condition of British 
 Columbia and Vancouver Island, it will be found that I have 
 used them largely. 
 
 Before 1857 no Protestant missionary had ever traversed 
 the wilds of British Columbia, nor had any attempts been 
 made to instruct the Indians. At Victoria the Hudson Bay 
 Company had a chaplain stationed, but he was devoted 
 entirely to the white settlers. I must except the exertions of 
 the Roman Catholic priests. If the opinion of the Hudson 
 Bay people of the interior is to be relied upon, they effected 
 no real change in the condition of the natives. The sole 
 
 x 
 
306 ROMANIST MISSIONS. Chap. XII. 
 
 result of their residence among them was, that the Indians who 
 had been brought under their influence had imbibed some 
 notions of the Deity, almost as vague as their own traditions, 
 and a superstitious respect for the priests themselves, which 
 they showed by crossing themselves devoutly whenever they 
 met one. Occasionally, too, might be seen in then lodges, 
 pictures purporting to represent the roads to Heaven and to 
 Hell, hi which there was no single suggestion of the danger 
 of vice and crime, but a great deal of the peril of Pro- 
 testantism. These coloured prints were certainly curious in 
 their way, and worth a passing notice. They were large, and 
 gave a pictorial history of the human race, from the time 
 when Adam and Eve wandered in the garden together, 
 down to the Reformation. Here the one broad road was split 
 into two, whose courses diverged more and more painfully. 
 By one way the Eoman Catholic portion of the world were 
 seen trooping to bliss ; the other ended in a steep bottomless 
 precipice over which the Protestants might be seen falling. 
 Upon the more sensible and advanced of the Indians, 
 teaching such as this had little effect. I remember the chief 
 of the Shuswap tribe, at Kamloops, pointing out to me such 
 an illustration hanging on his wall, and laughingly saying, in 
 a tone that showed quite plainly how little credence he 
 attached to it, " There are you and your people," putting his 
 finger as he spoke on the figures tumbling into the pit. 
 
 Of such kind was the only instruction that the Indians had 
 received prior to 1857. Its influence was illustrated in that 
 year at Victoria, where a Roman Catholic Bishop and several 
 priests had been resident for some time, and were known to 
 have exerted themselves among the Songhie Indians, who 
 reside there. A cross had been raised in then village, and 
 some of them had been baptized ; but when these were called 
 before the bishop for confirmation, they refused to come unless 
 a greater present of blankets was made to them than had 
 been given at their baptism. The bishop was said to have 
 
Chap, XII. THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 307 
 
 been very angry with the priests when this came to his know- 
 ledge : he having very possibly been deceived by them as to 
 the condition of the Indians. I am informed that he had 
 a large heart painted upon canvas, through which he drew a 
 blanket, and represented it to the Indians as symbolical of 
 their condition. 
 
 Upon H.M.S, 'Satellite' being commissioned in 1856, 
 Captain Prevost offered to give a free passage to a missionary 
 if the Church Missionary Society would send one. This 
 Society, which had been endowed by an anonymous benefactor 
 with the sum of 500/. to be devoted to such a purpose, offered 
 the work to Mr. Duncan, who had been trained at the 
 Highbury College, and who readily accepted it. The 
 ' Satellite ' sailed in December, 1856, and reached Vancouver 
 Island in June, 1857, when Mr. Duncan, whose name is now 
 known and beloved by almost every Indian in the two 
 colonies, at once prepared to commence his labours. 
 
 After some question with the colonial authorities as to 
 where he should begin his work, considerable desire being 
 expressed on the Hudson Bay Company's part to place him 
 at Nanaimo, it was determined that he should go to Fort 
 Simpson on our northern boundary. This spot had been 
 previously fixed upon by the Society at home for the scene of 
 Mr. Duncan's labours. The Indians there were known to be 
 more free from the contagion of the white man, and were 
 assembled in larger numbers than at any other place on the 
 coast. Another advantage possessed by this locality was that 
 at Simpson the trade of the fort brought a great number of 
 different tribes together. Indeed the tribe of the Tsim- 
 sheeans, among whom Mr. Duncan's labours have been most 
 productive of good, had been attracted to Fort Simpson 
 from another spot on this account, and had since settled 
 there altogether. 
 
 From June till October, 1857, Mr. Duncan found it 
 necessary to remain at Victoria, being unable to get a passage 
 
 x 2 
 
308 MISSION OF ME. DUNCAN. Chai>. XII. 
 
 to Fort Simpson, a distance of 800 miles, until the Hudson 
 Bay Company's steamer should proceed thither. This in- 
 terval, however, he employed most profitably in learning the 
 language of the Indians among whom he was intending to 
 reside (the Tsimsheeans), and otherwise in preparing for the 
 work before him. 
 
 Upon his arrival at Simpson, Mr. Duncan was, in pursuance 
 of orders to that effect given by the Governor, quartered in 
 the Fort of the Hudson Bay Company, and one of the smaller 
 houses was allotted to him, which was large enough for a 
 school, as well as for his dwelling. In the Fort he found 
 eighteen men assembled — one Scotch, one English, three 
 Sandwich Islanders, and thirteen French Canadians, each 
 having an Indian woman living with him. There were also 
 seven children, and he was told there were some half-breed 
 children scattered about the camp, who, if he pleased, might 
 be received in the Fort for instruction. 
 
 On Sunday, the 11th October, he first performed Divine 
 service in this the scene of his new and arduous labours, and 
 on the 13th he opened school with but five half-breed boys 
 belonging to the Fort as pupils, the eldest not five years old. 
 Speaking of this he writes, " I am very glad for their sakes 
 that they are so young. These I intend to teach in English. 
 Their parents seem exceedingly delighted. I did think of 
 taking a few half-breed children out of the camp, but I find 
 they have been so long abandoned by their fathers that they 
 have forgotten every word of English, and become so much 
 like the Indians that I shall be obliged to deal with them as 
 such." 
 
 A few days after, writing upon the same subject, he says, 
 " To-day a chief called, whose principal anxiety was to 
 ascertain whether I intended giving dollars to the Indians, to 
 get them to send their children to school. I think I shamed 
 him a little, at least I tried to do so, for entertaining such 
 a selfish notion. I have a good many visitors, and all seem 
 
Chap. XII. COMMENCEMENT OF HIS LABOUES. 309 
 
 desirous of ingratiating themselves ; some by referring me to 
 numerous papers which they bring, obtained in general from 
 the Conrpany's officers. These papers, however, rarely say 
 more for them than that they are influential men and great 
 beggars. Other of my visitors, not blessed with papers, will 
 tell me what good hearts they have, and how rich and in- 
 fluential they are." I may, in reference to this remark of 
 Mr. Duncan, mention that the fashion of producing their 
 testimonials to visitors is common among all the Indians. 
 You rarely come across one of any importance in his tribe, 
 but he produces three or four papers, carefully kept in a box, 
 and smelling horribly ; while every Indian who does anything 
 for you expects a testimonial as well as payment for his 
 services. Of course they do not know what is said of them ; 
 and I have had papers shown me that, had their contents 
 been known to the bearer, he would have been by no means 
 proud of exhibiting. Speaking also of their habit of begging, 
 Mr. Duncan says : — " When they beg, which is generally the 
 case, I mostly satisfy and always lessen their expectations 
 by saying I have not come to trade. This opens a way to 
 telling them what I have come to do for them; and in 
 every case, as soon as my object is realised, I hear the oft- 
 repeated ' Ahm, ahm ' (Good, good), and their faces exhibit 
 every expression of joy of which they are susceptible. I 
 make a practice of telling all, that I shall expect their assist- 
 ance in erecting a school-room outside the Fort as soon as I 
 can talk their language a little better. Without exception 
 they assent to my proposal ; but whether they will be ready to 
 act when the time comes, remains to be seen. I already see 
 several difficulties in the way ; their jealousies and feuds are 
 not the least. It is a pity we cannot put their sincerity to 
 the test at once, but I feel it would not be prudent to do so. 
 The winter is at hand, and their long and all-absorbing 
 medicine-feasts come with it; besides, I do not yet feel 
 possessor of so much of their tongue as such a work would 
 
310 THE FIEST HOLIDAY. Chap. XII. 
 
 require. However, I hope by the carrying out of what is 
 already begun in the Fort, and what I intend yet to com- 
 mence, under God's blessing, to keep alive at least, if not 
 increase, the desire already awakened around me for instruc- 
 tion." 
 
 On many other occasions Mr. Duncan mentions the visits 
 of chiefs and others while his school was going on, and of 
 the seriousness of their looks when he and his pupils knelt 
 in prayer, and the invariable " Ahm, ahm " which followed 
 a spectacle so novel to them. But although this approval 
 was manifested by so many individuals, it had little or no 
 effect on the conduct of the mass ; and the scenes of cruelty 
 and horrible murder which he had, and even still has, to 
 witness, would daunt the heart of a less brave and earnest 
 man. 
 
 The first holiday which he gave his scholars, is thus 
 described by him : — " This afternoon (December 9, 1857) I 
 assembled my little boys for a breaking-up for a few days. 
 They came clean and nicely dressed, with hearts ever so 
 joyful. The father of each boy, and another visitor or two, 
 were present. We sang several hymns, and I then gave 
 each of them a present, and after a little drilling they 
 marched away. Their fathers seemed highly gratified. I 
 did not let the little fellows read or repeat catechism (both 
 of which they can do a little), as they were so excited. Thus 
 I feel," he continues, " as though something had been done 
 these last two months. May God prosper the small beginning, 
 and make it the earnest of a great future harvest." 
 
 Nor had Mr. Duncan confined himself to educational efforts. 
 Already his influence for good was being felt by the Indians, 
 and men of importance in their tribes had come to him for 
 aid and advice. 
 
 " To-day," he writes, " a chief came who is suffering from 
 a bad cough, and seems wasting away. He very anxiously 
 desired relief ; but it is of no use giving them any medicine 
 
Chap. XII. HIS INFLUENCE ON ADULTS. 311 
 
 for such complaints, as their habits prevent any good effects 
 ensuing. I perceived he wanted to tell me something serious 
 by his countenance. Like a man about to take a long 
 journey, he seemed gasping for directions about the way. 
 Oh ! how I longed to tell him my message, but could not. 
 I made him understand that I should soon be able to teach 
 them about God, that I had His book with me which I 
 should teach from, and my object was to make them good 
 
 and happy His constant response was *Ahm, ahm' 
 
 (Good, good). Upon another occasion the same man asked to 
 see ' Shimanyet Lak-kah Shahounak ' (God's book). His 
 anxious gaze and sighs showed me how he longed to know 
 its contents, while I, too, longed to tell him. Again and 
 again I mentioned the name of our Saviour. I could do 
 little else." 
 
 Upon another occasion he writes : — " To-clay the chief 
 officer came to me while I was busy with my Indian scholars, 
 and asked to speak to me privately. I went aside with him, 
 and he began telling me that an Indian woman, who is living 
 with one of the white men in the Fort, had been treating her 
 slave (a poor girl) very unmercifully while we were at Divine 
 service yesterday. He wished me to go and speak to the 
 woman, for he believed if she was not interfered with the 
 slave would be certain to lose her life. At first I objected, 
 on account of my inability to speak her language sufficiently ; 
 but presently I thought I would go, for I could see that 
 although it was necessary to be done, the man who lives with 
 her dared not, for peace sake, and the captain dared not, for 
 conscience sake, undertake the duty : I accordingly went, 
 having first asked the counsel and blessing of God. I found 
 her washing clothes, and, although somewhat soured in expres- 
 sion, she greeted me with her usual recognition of respect. I 
 commenced telling her in English what I had come for, which 
 she quickly understood, and hung her head over the washing- 
 tub and remained motionless while I spoke. I used as kind 
 
312 THE FIRST CHRISTMAS DAY. Chap. XII. 
 
 a tone as I could command, and when I had finished I wished 
 her good morning; to which she very solemnly responded. 
 This evening her husband has been at school, and from him I 
 learnt that she had been weeping nearly all the day. Almost 
 immediately after school the woman, with tears in her eyes, 
 came to see me. Her face told the sorrow that was awakened 
 within, and how bitterly she had been mourning. One of the 
 men was with me at the time, so I desired him to go away, 
 for I saw she wished to unburthen her mind ; but she pre- 
 vented him from doing so, wishing to use him as an interpreter. 
 Then, with her eyes upon the ground and her heart sobbing 
 with grief, she commenced to unfold her feelings : the man 
 interpreted. I then explained my mind a little more fully to 
 her, hoped she would amend, and then shook hands with her. 
 I need hardly say how her countenance brightened, and how 
 relieved she seemed when she went away. This was the first 
 woman I ever reproved, and she a Red Indian, a heathen, and 
 of naturally a proud and haughty temper. The result seemed 
 to astonish me. Was it not of the Lord ? I thought how 
 much more like a Christian she had acted than many who 
 call themselves such would have done." Such scenes show 
 how susceptible of improvement these people are. 
 
 Speaking of the first Christmas Day that Mr. Duncan 
 passed at Fort Simpson, he writes : — " This day has passed 
 off much better than I expected. In the morning we had 
 Divine service, when fifteen men and four boys were present 
 — the greatest number we have ever had. After breakfast 
 (according to usual custom here) the men had each a pint and 
 a half of rum served out to them, and therefore I feel not a 
 little thankful that so many should have put aside the temp- 
 tation and come to service. From two sources I have had an 
 account of the wretched way in which Christmas Days have 
 been spent, and glad I am to have seen things so orderly and 
 quiet to-day. Many have expressed their astonishment at 
 the great and sudden change ; but to me it only appears yet 
 
Chap. XII. LABOUES BEYOND THE FOET. 313 
 
 an outward change, such a one as man is able to effect in and 
 by himself. I am waiting and longing for that change which 
 only God can effect : when I see this, I will rejoice indeed." 
 
 With the commencement of the new year he began his 
 labours among the Indians outside the Fort : — " Though I was 
 not in a position to do them much good, still I thought I 
 would at least go and see them all, and endeavour to win a 
 little of their esteem and confidence." 
 
 " It would be impossible to give a full description," he says, 
 " of this my first general visit to the Indians in their houses, 
 for the scenes were too exciting and too crowded to admit of 
 it. I confess that cluster after cluster of these half-naked 
 and painted savages round their fires was to my unaccustomed 
 eyes very alarming ; but the reception I met with was truly 
 wonderful and encouraging. On entering a house I was 
 greeted by one, two, or three of the principal personages with 
 ' Clah-how-yah,' which is the complimentary term used in the 
 trading jargon. This would be repeated several times ; then 
 a general movement and a squatting ensued, followed by a 
 breathless silence, during which every eye was fixed on me. 
 After a little time several would begin nodding and smiling, 
 at the same time in a low tone reiterating ' Ahm ahm-ah-ket 
 — ahm shimanyet' (Good, good person, good chief). In 
 some houses they would not be content till I took the chief 
 place near the fire, and always placed a mat upon a box for 
 me to sit upon. My inquiries after the sick were always 
 followed by anxious glances and deep sighs : a kind of solemn 
 awe would spread itself at once. I found forty-seven sick, 
 and three in a state of lunacy." 
 
 It appears that the officer in charge here, some years before, 
 took an account of the Indians, and very soon after great 
 numbers were swept away by measles. Of course the Indians 
 attributed the calamity to their being numbered, and upon 
 this occasion Mr. Duncan found that they were not free from 
 certain superstitious fears : " still in many houses," he says, 
 
314 DESIRE FOR INSTRUCTION. Chap. XII. 
 
 " tliey told me of the difference they placed upon the motive 
 of his visits and mine. Many were inclined to think that the 
 very contrary would result from my visit." Poor creatures ! 
 when the horrors of illness to them, with no kind of relief, 
 no hope, and often the most barbarous treatment by their 
 doctors are considered, it is not surprising that they should 
 have a superstitious dread of anything that appears likely to 
 bring disease among them. I remember once seeing a man 
 at a village in Cowitchen with his face frightfully scarred 
 by fire, which they told me was applied to burn out the evil 
 spirit that was making him ill. 
 
 More than once Mr. Duncan reverts to their desire for know- 
 ledge : — " There is one cheering feature connected with this 
 people which my visit has prominently shown me, that is, 
 they are longing for instruction. The presence of the whites 
 and their own visits to the south have shaken their supersti- 
 tion and awakened inquiry ; but that is all. There is a 
 general belief amongst them that the whites do possess some 
 grand secret about eternal things, and they are gasping to 
 know it. Tins is the propitious moment. Oh that the people 
 of God were awake to their responsibility, duty, and privi- 
 lege ! " 
 
 Again, a little later, he says, " My Indian interpreter tries 
 every day to lift up the veil a little higher to let me see his 
 people. He assures me that the Indians are wanting to hear 
 what is good, and are even becoming impatient. They have 
 begun to think that the Fort people are monopolizing my 
 time and attention in order to keep them in ignorance. An 
 Indian, who is very much feared, wanted to see me teach 
 a night or two since ; but they would not let him stop in the 
 Fort. On going away he said to the officer that he and his 
 people wanted to learn to be good, but the Fort people stood 
 in the way. The same man told my Indian the other day 
 that when he was in his own house he always felt angry and 
 wanted to murder somebody, but as soon as he came within 
 
Chap. XII. THE SCHOOL-HOUSE COMMENCED. 315 
 
 the precincts of the Fort he felt quite good, which change he 
 attributed to my being in the Fort. The secret of it is, he is 
 mostly in the Fort-yard when I cross to or from breakfast, 
 and I always give him a pleasant look and a kind word, and 
 these produce what he attributes to magic." 
 
 In the autumn of 1858, Mr. Duncan commenced building 
 his school-house outside the Fort, a work in which the Indians 
 greatly assisted, providing plank and bark for the roof, to the 
 value, he estimated, of at least five pounds. 
 
 " I had," he says, "to go to every house to receive their 
 donations, which were presented with a great deal of cere- 
 mony and good feeling. Many took boards off their own roof 
 to give me, and some even the pieces that formed part of 
 their bed." And on November 12th, he writes in his 
 journal : — " By Monday next, the 15th, I hope the plastering 
 of the school-house will be dry enough for whitewashing, and 
 then how glad I shall b% that this troublesome work is over. 
 I have had many unforeseen difficulties and vexations to con- 
 tend with, but out of them all the Lord has carried me." 
 
 A few days before this he recounts his first night-visit to 
 the Indian encampment. 
 
 " Last night was the first time I had ventured out in the 
 camp during dark. It was to see a poor dying woman, sister 
 to the late head chief. I had seen her three or four times 
 before, but could do her no good ; still, as her friends had 
 come to the Fort desiring aid, I accompanied them back. 
 On arriving at the house, I found the sick woman laid before 
 a large fire, round which some twenty Indians were squatted. 
 After, administering a little medicine, I began speaking to 
 them a few w r ords which the solemn scene suggested. I 
 showed them our condition, and only remedy in Jesus our 
 adorable Saviour, adding, too, upon what conditions we were 
 saved by Him. They all understood what I said, and two of 
 the women that sat close at the head of the sick person very 
 earnestly reiterated to her my words, and questioned her if 
 
316 MR. DUNCAN'S PROGRESS. Chap. XII. 
 
 she understood tliem. It was, I think, the most solemn scene 
 I have witnessed since I have been here. Before I went 
 away, one man said that she and her people did not know 
 about God, but they wanted to know, and learn to be good." 
 
 I cannot, perhaps, do better than to allow Mr. Duncan to 
 tell, in his own words, the progress of his teaching during the 
 winter of 1859. 
 
 " November 16. — I have, these last few days, been making 
 some special visits to inform the Indians what are my inten- 
 tions and hopes with respect to commencing the school. In 
 a few houses I was also enabled to set forth the blessed truths 
 of the Gospel. In every house I was attentively listened to, 
 and greeted in their warmest way. 
 
 " The season in which the deep heathenism and darkness 
 of this people is manifested has just set in. My heart was 
 gladdened, however, to-day by the chiefs of our tribe coming 
 to my house to say that they had^made up their minds to 
 abandon these sorceries, or medicine-work. Since then I 
 have heard of another tribe that has made the same reso- 
 lution ; and on a visit to an old chief yesterday afternoon, I 
 gathered from him that his tribe were meditating the same 
 thing. Thus I feel thankful to God that one heathenish 
 custom, and that one decidedly the most gross and deeply 
 rooted, is tottering, and ready to fall, since three tribes out 
 of the nine here have already declared against it. Whenever 
 I speak against this medicine-making, as it is called, I am 
 sure to be reminded of its long existence as a custom of great 
 importance among them. 
 
 " My class of Indians, resident in the Fort, which I have 
 been teaching of a night at my house from the black-board, 
 have begun reading in books to-night. The books are of my 
 own making, and I add a little each day. This measure I 
 have adopted more as a stimulant to the Indians outside than 
 anything else. When they see these little books, and hear 
 their own people read and explain them, I think that a good 
 
Chap. XII. THE SCHOOL-HOUSE FINISHED. 317 
 
 effect will be produced. Very little things, I have already 
 learnt, either done or said among this people, produce effects, 
 either for good or evil, in commencing anything new amongst 
 them. 
 
 '"I am frequently reminded about the papers which the 
 Romish priests have distributed among some Indians, whose 
 place is about 150 miles away north of this. The papers were 
 given to them while on a visit south, either at Victoria or 
 some American port near. 
 
 " The Indians regard such gifts as charms, and wonder, or 
 rather have wondered, why I did not treat them similarly. 
 An Indian, lately from the south, told me yesterday that the 
 priests informed him they intended soon to establish them- 
 selves here. This I regard as very probable, especially since 
 the priests have heard I am here. 
 
 " Nov. 17. — The school is finished, and oh, how thankful I 
 feel ! We have washed the floor, and made all clean and 
 tidy, both inside and around to-day. To-morrow the seats 
 and desk will be done, and placed in the school, and on Friday 
 I begin teaching. 
 
 " After prayer to-night for God's especial blessing, I feel 
 greatly strengthened and comforted. I can look my work in 
 the face without fear, nay, even with joy , and my plan for 
 proceeding in the school is much more clear to me now than 
 it has ever appeared before. I will endeavour to lean fully 
 upon God, and so move on. He has shown me frequently 
 what a thing of nought I am in myself. May He now show 
 me what I can be and do while dealing with His strength 
 and relying upon His wisdom. 
 
 " Nov. 18. — Fresh trials and fresh mercies to-day. A 
 very severe storm awoke me early this morning. After 
 breakfast, a man came running to inform me that the roof 
 of the school-house was blown off. My heart quailed for 
 a moment; but before I had time to get out and look for 
 myself, the man returned, saying that the roof had not 
 
318 OPENING OF THE SCHOOL. Chap. XII. 
 
 gone, and not even the bark had stirred on one side. I 
 learnt, too, from whence emanated the untrue and unkind 
 report. Many wait for my halting, but the Lord disappoints 
 them. When I went to the school, I found that only a slight 
 damage had come to one side of the roof; but still the wind 
 continued to blow so fiercely, that I was afraid more damage 
 might ensue, and it was impossible to go up and mend, or 
 prevent the matter. I therefore knelt down in the school, 
 and poured out my cries to the Lord who holds the storm. 
 I entreated Him to disappoint His enemies, and support His 
 lonely and feeble servant. He heard my cry. Before an 
 hour had passed the wind had ceased. This afternoon willing 
 hearts came forward to assist me. One man gave me a plank, 
 mounted the roof to repair the breach, and wanted no remu- 
 neration. Several others also carried my seats and desk into 
 the school, and waited for no return. 
 
 " Nov. 19. — Through the mercy of God, I have begun school 
 to-day. It has been a strange day to me, but the Lord 
 helped me through. In the morning I plainly saw that a 
 superstitious fear was spreading powerfully among the In- 
 dians : crowds wanted to come to school, but who were to be 
 the first to venture? Here I reaped the fruit of my few 
 weeks' labour in the chief's house during last summer. The 
 little flock I had there eagerly enough rushed to the school 
 when they saw me coming, and one even gladly mounted the 
 platform and struck the steel for me, to call their more timid 
 companions to the place. I had arranged to have the chil- 
 dren in the morning, and the adults in the afternoon ; but I 
 now see reason to change that plan, and have all together, at 
 least for a while. My first start was with only fifteen chil- 
 dren ; but, before we had finished, we mustered about seventy. 
 In the afternoon came about fifty adults, and fifty children. 
 I felt it very difficult to proceed with such a company, and 
 should have found it much more so, but for the few children 
 whom I had already had under training. 
 
Chap. XII. INCREASE OF ATTENDANTS. 319 
 
 " Both morning and afternoon I finished with an address, 
 previously prepared, in their own tongue ; in which I endea- 
 voured to show them my intention, their need and condition, 
 and also the glorious message which I had come to make 
 known, namely, salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of 
 God. They were very attentive, and I hope and pray the 
 Lord will now begin His work amongst them, to the glory of 
 His great name. 
 
 " Nov. 20. — This morning about one hundred children and 
 forty adults came. Last night I spoke to the head chief 
 about his little girl not coming to school. I had heard that 
 she was kept away because it was intended that she should be 
 initiated into the medicine-art this winter ; not so much from 
 the desire of her parents, but because the tribe, or at least 
 part of it, demanded she should. I was told that my inter- 
 position would be acceptable. This morning I was glad to 
 see that my visit was not without effect ; both the chief and 
 his little girl came neat and clean to school. He sat down 
 and learnt with the others, and had occasionally something 
 to say to the scholars. 
 
 " I am very thankful that I am able to say there is amongst 
 the Indians a great stir of opinion against their heathenish 
 winter-customs, and four of the tribes out of nine have, 
 indeed, cut them off. Those tribes which still adhere to them 
 are carrying them on exceedingly feebly ; so much so, that I 
 am assured by all whom I speak to about the matter, that 
 what I now see is really nothing compared with what the 
 system is when properly carried out. They tell me that they 
 were afraid to cast the custom away all in one year, but would 
 rather that part should do so this year, and the remainder 
 next ; so, according to this, I sincerely hope that this is the 
 last winter any of these savage practices will be seen. 
 
 " Nov. 23. — Both yesterday and to-day we mustered about 
 one hundred children, and from forty to fifty adults at school. 
 Every day shows me more and more what a dense mass of 
 
320 FEELINGS OF THE INDIANS. Chap. XII. 
 
 ignorance I have come into contact with. I have also now 
 to meet all the evil reports continually emanating from very 
 evil and superstitions persons. Some are watching, I believe, 
 for a calamity to arise and explode the work. Others are in 
 suspense, hoping we shall succeed, but feel afraid we cannot. 
 Some keep a scrutinizing eye over all our movements, and 
 when they feel satisfied we have no tricks to injure them, I 
 suppose they will countenance us. But we go on, and I am 
 glad to hear every day, in contrast with the incessant and 
 horrid drumming of the medicine-men, the sweet sound of 
 our steel, calling numbers to hear and learn the way of life. 
 
 " On leaving the school this morning, I spoke to a man 
 who is of considerable power and influence in the camp, as to 
 why he did not send his children to school, and come himself. 
 He replied that he was waiting till the Indians had done with 
 their foolishness and dancing, which time was not far distant, 
 then he would come. * He both wanted himself and his 
 children to learn, but would not come yet, as it is not good, 
 he said, to mix his ways and mine together. He intended 
 soon to give up his, and then he would come to school. This 
 afternoon he just dropped in to school simply as a gazer : he 
 would join in nothing. Nevertheless, he heard a short ad- 
 dress, which I gave in Tsimsheean, and which I hope will 
 not be lost to him. It was the first of the Gospel he ever 
 heard, for he was not here when I gave my addresses in the 
 summer. 
 
 " Nov. 25. — This morning about 140 children, and, in the 
 afternoon', about 120. Adults seldom vary from about fifty 
 each time. I am glad to see already an improvement in their 
 appearance, so far as cleanliness is concerned. I inspect 
 them daily. Some few have ventured to come with their 
 faces painted, but we have less of it daily. A . good many, 
 too, have cast away their nose-rings, yet some come who have 
 very large ones in use still. 
 
 " I visited three sick persons to-day, and was able to speak 
 
Chap. XII. DIFFICULTIES OF THE CONVERTS. $21 
 
 to two about our Saviour. One of them had been very 
 anxious to see me ; and when I went, he said he had refused 
 to call in the medicine-men to operate upon him, and begged 
 very earnestly for me to give him a little of my medicine. 
 This is the first instance that has come under my notice, in 
 which the power of their medicine-men or women has been 
 slighted ; for, as a whole, this people place implicit confidence 
 in these lying wonder-workers. 
 
 " Nov. 27. — Last night, after repeating the Lord's Prayer, 
 I read to my scholars a prayer which I have written and 
 translated. This is the first time they ever heard their 
 language arranged for such a purpose. They remained 
 serious. This morning we offered up this prayer in their own 
 tongue. 
 
 " Nov. 29. — After school-teaching was over this morning, a 
 chief remained behind; he had a serious difficulty. His 
 people, who had before decided to give up their medicine- 
 working, were beginning to repent of their decision. According 
 to the chief's statement, they professed themselves unable to 
 leave off what had been such a strong and universal custom 
 among them for ages. He heard my remarks, and then set 
 off, seemingly satisfied that I was right ; and, I hope, in a 
 mind determined to hold on in its present improved course. I 
 had some talk with another chief to-day, on the same subject 
 of medicine-work. He and his people seem stedfast in their 
 purpose to cut the abominable system off; still, he says, he 
 feels very much ashamed when he comes into contact with 
 their chiefs who are carrying it on. 
 
 "I laboured to set before the same old man the way of 
 salvation, and he gave me serious attention, and looked eager 
 to learn. When speaking of prayer, he asked me how often 
 I prayed each day. 
 
 "To-night I visited two houses where there are sick. In 
 both I directed the inmates to Jesus as our only Saviour, 
 and I was much assisted and comforted. 
 
 Y 
 
322 OPPOSITION TO THE SCHOOL. Chap. XII. 
 
 " December 1. — I was told to-day, by the manager of the 
 Fort, that the head chief of the Indians is going to ask me 
 to give up my school for about a month ; his complaint being, 
 that the children running past his house to and from school, 
 tend to unsettle him and his party in working their mysteries. 
 My mind is made up, and my answer ready, if such a request 
 is made. 
 
 "After school this afternoon, a chief, who is a regular 
 scholar, came to inquire whether I had promised to close the 
 school during the medicine-season, as a report to that effect 
 was afloat. I see now, that although I have been as careful 
 as possible not to give unnecessary offence, yet a storm is in 
 the horizon. I must prepare for fierce opposition, and that 
 from the chief I had least expected to show it. 
 
 " I had a delightful round to-night. I was in nine houses. 
 I found myself able to hold conversation and give instruction 
 in the Indian tongue with some freedom, in one house 
 especially, which was a chief 's. When I was seen going in, a 
 number of his people followed me, and we soon formed a large 
 group round the fire. I had some difficulty in commencing ; 
 but, when that was overcome, I felt quite at home in 
 addressing them. I laid down our condition and remedy 
 plainly before them, and exhorted them frequently to amend 
 their ways ; I was greatly delighted with the response they 
 made. One man held both his hands out before him, and 
 then gave them a sudden turn over, exclaiming, ' Thus it was 
 going to be with the hearts of the Tsimsheeans soon.' The old 
 chief, too, with his eyes upon the ground, listened very atten- 
 tively, and after I had begged them to desist from some of 
 their bad practices, such as prostitution and rum-drinking, 
 he, very chief-like, reiterated to them something of what I 
 said. I returned quite cheered at what I had seen and heard. 
 
 " Dee. 8. — I learnt, yesterday, that the head chief had been 
 ' speaking bad,' as the Indians say, against me. He has been 
 exhorting all to have nothing to do with the school ; but. 
 
Chap. XII. FONDNESS FOR SINGING. 323 
 
 blessed be God, he is too late : his speech had but little 
 effect. Indeed, I may say that none bat a few of his own 
 tribe took any notice of it : the mass of the Indians are 
 disgusted with him for making it, because only a little time 
 ago, when I had school in his house, he spoke so much in 
 favour of me and my work, and his contradictory speech now, 
 without any cause, has only rendered him contemptible. 
 
 " I visited at four houses to-night, and met with grateful 
 looks and greetings everywhere. 
 
 "The Indians are exceedingly fond of the singing I am 
 teaching them. I have got them to understand the difference 
 between sacred and secular music, and they are particularly 
 solemn when we sing hymns. They are often telling me 
 how they long to be able to sing to God. I hear, too, that 
 several Indians have begun to pray before they go to sleep. 
 Oh ! that the Lord would manifest Himself to them ! 
 
 " Dee. 10. — It is still very cold, but 130 were present in 
 school to-day. 
 
 " Dec. 13. — After school to-night, a medicine-man came to 
 ask me for a little English medicine, as he felt himself sick. 
 I brought him to my house in the Fort, and talked to him 
 for some time about his ways. He excused himself as much 
 as possible. I told him not to lie, but tell me truthfully if 
 he believed what he had just said, when he frankly confessed 
 he did not. 
 
 " Dec. 14. — I bless the Lord for His gracious care of me 
 this day. As I went through part of the camp on my way 
 to the school, this morning, I met a strong medicine-party 
 full in the face ; they seemed ashamed and confounded, but 
 I quietly walked on. Their naked prodigy was carrying a 
 dead dog, which he occasionally laid down and feasted upon. 
 Wlrile a little boy was striking the steel for me at school, 
 some of the party made their appearance near the school, I 
 imagine, for all at once the boy began to be irregular and 
 feeble in his strokes, and when I looked up at him I saw he 
 
 y 2 
 
324 ENCOUNTER WITH MEDICINE-PARTY. Chap. XII. 
 
 was looking very much afraid. On inquiring the cause, he 
 told me the medicine-folks were near ; I told him to strike 
 away, and I stood at the door of the school. Some few 
 stragglers of the medicine-party were hovering about, but 
 they did not dare to interfere with us. When all were 
 assembled, and the striking ceased, my adult pupils com- 
 menced a great talk ; I had seen, as they came in, there was 
 something serious on their minds. After a little time, a 
 chief came and told me that the Indians were ' talking bad ' 
 outside, by which I understood that the medicine-folks had 
 been using more threats to stop us. However, I quickly 
 stopped the consultation, and got them on at work ; on 
 leaving school I came into contact with the same medicine- 
 party which I met on going to school. I almost hesitated 
 about proceeding, but the Lord did not let me halt. 
 
 "The medicine-men were ashamed to meet me, and so 
 took a short turn. They then became very much scattered, 
 some hung behind, the charm seemed broken, and all seemed 
 lost. On nearing the Fort, I met one of the most important 
 men in the medicine-business, a chief, and father to one of 
 the little boys that are being initiated. I spoke to him. He 
 stopped, and I then told him how angry God is to see such 
 wickedness as he and his party were carrying on; and also 
 how grieved I was to see it. He spoke very kindly, and told 
 me that if they did not make their medicine-men as they had 
 always been used to do, then there would be none to stop or 
 frustrate the designs of those bad men who made people sick, 
 and therefore deaths would be more numerous from the effects 
 of the evil workings of such bad men. I told him if they put 
 away their wicked ways, then God would take care of them. 
 He did not say much more, except assuring me it was 
 the intention of all soon to do as I wished them, but at 
 present the medicine-parties must go on. I learnt shortly 
 afterwards, from the chief officer of the Fort, that this very 
 man and another had just visited the Fort to tell him they 
 
 
Chap. XII. THREATS OF THE INDIANS. 325 
 
 would now be content if I would stay school for a fortnight, 
 and, after that, they would all come to be taught ; but if I did 
 not comply they intended stopping me by force, for they had 
 determined to shoot at my pupils as they came to the school. 
 I had a long talk to two of the officers about the matter, 
 giving them plainly to understand that I did not intend in 
 the least degree to heed the threats of the Indians, but go on 
 with my work I would, in spite of all. I told them that 
 Satan had reigned long enough here ; it was high time his 
 rule was disturbed (as it is). I went, of course, to school as 
 usual this afternoon ; about 90 pupils were present. After 
 we had done, a chief who was present began to address them, 
 encouraging them to continue ; after he had done, I began 
 to speak on the matter to them. I was afraid I should not 
 be able to convey my feelings to them in their own tongue, 
 yet, thanks be to God, I was enabled to do so. The effect I 
 desired, was produced: they all reassured me of their con- 
 tinuing, come what would. 
 
 " After school, as I had several calls to make to see the 
 sick, I went out, and found plenty of grateful hearts to 
 acknowledge my feeble endeavours for their good ; I was in 
 ten houses. Everywhere I hear intimations of the struggle 
 that is now going on. Oh ! that the Almighty arm would 
 interpose, that this people may be delivered from the chains 
 which have so long fettered them. 
 
 " Bee. 20. — This day has been a great day here. I have to 
 thank heartily that all-seeing Father who has covered me 
 and supported me to-day. The devil and wicked men 
 leagued to overthrow me this day, but the Lord would not- 
 have it so. I am still alive. 
 
 "This morning the medicine-party who are carrying on 
 their work near to the school, broke out with renewed fury, 
 because, as they assert, the child of the head chief had just 
 returned from above. The little boy that lights my fire 
 came in great excitement to tell me that the head chief was 
 
326 HOSTILE VISIT TO THE SCHOOL. Chap. XII. 
 
 not willing for me to have school to-day, and was anxious to 
 know if I intended going ; he seemed greatly amazed at my 
 answer. On going to school, I observed a crowd of these 
 wretched men in a house that I was approaching. When 
 they turned to come out, they saw me coming, and imme- 
 diately drew back until I had passed. As soon as I got into 
 school, the wife of the head chief came to beg me to give up 
 school for a little time : she was certainly very modest in her 
 manner and request, but altogether unsuccessful. I spoke to 
 her a little, and then she said (what I know to be false) that 
 it was not she nor her husband that desired to go on with 
 the medicine-work, for they often cried to see the state of 
 things, but it was the tribe that urged them to do what they 
 were doing. When she saw she could prevail nothing, not 
 even so much as to prevent striking the steel, which they 
 have a peculiar hatred for, she left me. I then went up the 
 ladder and struck the steel myself, as I did not like to send a 
 boy up ; very soon about 80 pupils were in the school, and 
 we went on as usual. 
 
 "This afternoon, a boy ran to strike the steel, and not 
 many seconds elapsed before I saw the head chief approaching, 
 and a whole gang of medicine-men after him, dressed up in 
 their usual charms. The chief looked very angry, and bade 
 the boy cease : I waited at the door until 'he came up. His 
 first effort was to rid the school of the few pupils that had 
 just come in ; he shouted at the top of his voice, and bade 
 them be off. I immediately accosted him, and demanded to 
 know what he intended or expected to do ; his gang stood 
 about the door, and I think seven came in. I saw their 
 point : it was to intimidate me by their strength and frightful 
 appearance, and I perceived the chief, too, was somewhat 
 under the influence of rum ; but the Lord enabled me to 
 stand calm, and without the slightest fear to address them 
 with far more fluency, in their tongue, than I could have 
 imagined possible — to tell them of their sin faithfully — to 
 
Chap. XII. VIOLENCE OF THE CHIEF. 327 
 
 vindicate my conduct — to exhort them to leave their bad 
 ways, and also to tell them they must not think to make me 
 afraid. I told them that God was my master, and I must 
 obey Him rather than them, and that the devil has taught 
 their fathers what they were practising, and it was bad ; but 
 what I was teaching now was God's way, and it was good, 
 and that all the Tsimsheeans knew. 
 
 "Our meeting lasted for more than an hour. I saw a 
 great many people at a distance looking anxiously at our 
 proceedings, the school-door being open, and we stood near 
 it. Nearly all my pupils had fled in fear. The chief expressed 
 himself very passionately, now and then breaking out into 
 furious language, and showing off his savage nature by his 
 gestures. Sometimes I pacified him by what I said, for a 
 little time ; but he soon broke out again with more violence. 
 Towards the close of the scene, two of the confederates, vile- 
 looking fellows, went and whispered something to him, upon 
 which he got up from a seat he had just sat down upon, 
 stamped his feet on the floor, raised his voice as high as he 
 could, and exhibited all the rage, and defiance, and boldness 
 that lie could. This was all done, I knew to intimidate me, 
 but, blessed be God, he did not succeed : finding his efforts 
 unavailing, he went off, but not before he had been almost 
 deserted by his gang. As he went away, he kept addressing 
 those who had been witnesses ; but none seemed to heed 
 him or give any encouragement. After this I shut the door, 
 and found 16 scholars presently around me, and we com- 
 menced work. 
 
 " We had not gone on long before the chief returned to 
 the school ; he gave a loud knock on the door with a stick. 
 I went to open it, and my pupils began to squat about for 
 shelter. When he came in I saw he was in rather a different 
 mood, and he began to say that he was not a bad man to the 
 white people, but that he had always borne a good character 
 with them ; this he could prove by papers containing his 
 
o2S THE CHIEF'S DENUNCIATION. Chap. XII. 
 
 character, given him by the officers of the Fort. After this 
 he despatched his wife in great haste to fetch me the papers ; 
 when they came, I read them, and then he soon left us again. 
 It was now time to leave school, so we concluded by singing 
 a hymn. All appeared solemn, and when they went away 
 they wished me good night. 
 
 " The leading topics of the chief's angry clamour I may 
 class as follows : — He requested four days' suspension of the 
 school ; he promised, that if I complied, he and his people 
 would then come to school ; but threatened, if my pupils 
 continued to come on the following days, he would shoot at 
 them ; — lastly, he pleaded, that if the school went on during 
 the time he specified, then some medicine-men, whom he 
 expected on a visit shortly from a distant tribe, would shame, 
 and perhaps kill him. 
 
 " Some of his sayings during his fits of rage were, that he 
 understood how to kill people, occasionally drawing his hand 
 across his throat to show me what he meant ; that when he 
 died he knew he should go down ; he could not change ; he 
 could not be good; or, if I made him good, why then he 
 supposed he should go to a different place from his fore- 
 fathers : this he did not desire to do. 
 
 " On one occasion, while he was talking, he looked at two 
 men, one of them a regular pupil of mine, and the other a 
 medicine-man, and said 'I am a murderer, and so are you, 
 and you ' (pointing to each of these men), * and what good 
 is it for us to come to school ? ' Here I broke in, and, blessed 
 be God, it gave me an opportunity of telling the three mur- 
 derers that pardon was now offered to them if they would 
 repent, and amend, and go to Jesus our Saviour. After 
 school I took the opportunity of speaking again to the one 
 who comes to the school, setting the mercy and love of God 
 before him, and the terms upon which God will now pardon 
 and save us. He seemed very solemn, and I hope the truth 
 will sink into his heart. 
 
Chap. XII. SCHOOL HELD IN A CHIEF'S HOUSE. 329 
 
 " After this another chief came to my house, and spoke of 
 the difficulties in the way of attending school now, and so 
 offered me the use of his house for a school, where the 
 children and others would not be afraid to come. I readily 
 availed myself of his kindness, and I hope that good will 
 arise out of the arrangement. 
 
 "Dec. 21. — I have had school to-day in the chief's house. 
 About 100 scholars attended. A medicine-party from a dis- 
 tant tribe has arrived to-day, and caused great stir among 
 the parties here. In one house to-night, where I dropped in, 
 I found about fifteen quietly sitting over the fire, two or 
 three of whom were interesting the rest by going over the 
 reading-lesson of the day, which they had written on a slate 
 I had lent them. 
 
 " Dec. 23. — School as usual in the chief's house, both yester- 
 day and to day. 
 
 " I am told that the head chief is still doing, or rather say- 
 ing, all he can to hinder my work. Yesterday, at a feast of 
 the medicine-parties, he gave a speech full of bitter feeling 
 towards us. I hear, too, he is taunting the chief who has 
 lent me his house. How all this will end I cannot tell, but I 
 leave it with God. 
 
 " Dec. 24. — At the close of school-work this morning I gave 
 my audience an address on the coming Christian festival, 
 which has hitherto only been distinguishable to the Indians 
 as a time of riot and drunkenness among the whites. 
 
 " While in school there was a frightful outburst of the 
 medicine-parties, setting the whole of the camp round about 
 in a kind of terror. A party were, with their naked pro- 
 digy, on the beach when I went out of the school, but on 
 seeing me they immediately ran into a house until I got 
 past. 
 
 " I hear that the chief of the medicine-party strangers who 
 have arrived lately here has proposed to try the strength of 
 my medicine, which means he will try how strong I can talk, 
 
330 CHRISTMAS-DAY. Chap. XII. 
 
 or whether I can resist his strong talk and his imaginary evil 
 influence. 
 
 " Dec 25 : Christmas-day. — Yesterday I told my scholars to 
 bring their friends and relatives to school to-day, as I wanted 
 to tell them something new. I found a strong muster when 
 I arrived at the chief's house, and a long train of all ages 
 followed me in. We numbered over 200 souls. I felt the 
 occasion to be a very important one, and longed to turn it to 
 some good account. We did not read as usual, but I tried to 
 make them understand why we distinguished this day from 
 others. After this I questioned the children a little, and 
 then we sung two hymns, which we also translated. While 
 the hymns were being sung, I felt I must try to do some- 
 thing more, although the language seemed to defy me. I 
 never experienced such an inward burning to speak before, 
 and therefore I determined to try an extemporaneous address 
 in Tsimsheean. The Lord helped me : a great stillness pre- 
 vailed, and, I think, a good deal of what I said was under- 
 stood. I told them of our condition, the pity and love of God, 
 the death of the Son of God on our account, and the benefits 
 arising to us therefrom. I then exhorted them to leave their 
 sins, and pray to Jesus ; warning them of the consequences if 
 they refused, and told them of the good which would follow 
 to them on obedience. On hearing me enumerate the sins 
 of which they are guilty, I saw some turn and look at each 
 other with those significant looks which betokened their 
 assent to what I said. I tried to impress upon them the 
 certain ruin which awaited them, did they proceed in their 
 present vices. Yery remarkably, an illustration corroborating 
 what I said was before their eyes. A poor woman was taken 
 sick, not four yards from where I stood, and right before the 
 eyes of my audience. She was groaning under a frightful 
 affliction, the effect of her vices. 
 
 " Dec. 28. — School as usual in the chief's house ; over 150 
 pupils on each occasion. One man came to-day to return 
 
Chap. XII. VISIT TO A SICK INDIAN. 331 
 
 thanks to me for giving him a little medicine, which, he 
 says, has been the means of his recovery from sickness. It is 
 rather an interesting case to me, because this person is the 
 first, so far as I know, who, being dangerously ill, has refused 
 to call in the aid of the medicine-folks, from a conviction 
 they could do him no good, but only told him lies. Having 
 recovered without them, he is making a great talk about it. 
 
 "Dec. 29. — After school to-night I went to take a little 
 medicine to a sick man, and found in his house a group of 
 Indians of the tribe which have lately sent a party of medi- 
 cine-men here to show themselves off. I therefore felt an 
 increased desire to set forth the Gospel on this visit, that 
 these poor creatures might go back and tell their people 
 something of the glad tidings they had heard. Their village 
 is about 80 to 100 miles away from here, I think. For some 
 time I could not begin ; however, I would not go away, but 
 stood musing and praying, my heart burning, but full of mis- 
 giving. At last an opportunity was afforded me, and I 
 began, and, by God's blessing, I was enabled to set the 
 Gospel clearly and fully before them — that is, as to the 
 first and essential great truths of it. While I was speaking, 
 one or two would make remarks as to the truth and reason- 
 ableness of what I said. Several times one man exclaimed 
 — ' Ahn radish I alim malsh!' (Good news! good news). 
 And another, when I had done, said, * Shimhow? which 
 means ' It is true,' and it is equivalent, in their way of speak- 
 ing, to ' Amen,' ' I believe.' They all seemed thankful for 
 my visit, and I hope the Lord will bless it. I tried to enforce 
 the duty of love and obedience to God, by alluding to the 
 attachment and obedience they expected from their children. 
 To this they agreed, and fully believed the Indians would 
 not be long before they would be altogether changed." 
 
 It will be seen from the above that Mr. Duncan's work had 
 much increased : feeling that he could not carry it on single- 
 handed, he wrote home requesting very earnestly that a coad- 
 
332 DEMAND FOE ANOTHER MISSIONARY. Chap. XII. 
 
 jutor might be sent to him. About this time a serious difficulty 
 began to embarrass him, viz., what was to be done with the 
 children who were being taught, when they passed from his 
 hands. It was evident to him, and to the Indians them- 
 selves, that they and the well-disposed adults among them 
 would be far too weak numerically to be able to carry out 
 their new principles in their old camp. The necessity of 
 transplanting them, therefore, was evident; although how 
 such a number could be removed against the wish, probably, 
 of many of their parents and the tribe generally, was a 
 problem most difficult of solution. 
 
 In it, however, he was not without assistance from some of 
 the Indians themselves. In his journal for June, 1859, he 
 writes : " Had some talk with a chief, who entreated me to 
 beg for another missionary, and to remove the well-disposed 
 Indians and their children away to some good land about 
 30 miles from here, that they might thus escape the present 
 scenes of wickedness." A few days later the same chief came 
 again, knowing that Mr. Duncan was writing letters to Vic- 
 toria, and again urged his request for another missionary, 
 and for a separation to be made in the camp. He said, 
 that the Indians were willing to give Mr. Duncan their 
 children to teach and bring up as he wished, adding, however, 
 that the grown people desired no change. 
 
 With the approach of autumn and the renewal of the 
 medicine-orgies among the Indians, Mr. Duncan's difficulties 
 recurred. What progress he made, his own words Avill best 
 describe : — 
 
 " August 18, 1859. — This morning forty-three children and 
 fourteen adults were at school. After the usual lessons, I gave 
 them a short address, or rather tried to impress upon them 
 the safety of God's people, and the insecurity of the wicked. 
 The Lord enabled me to express myself with feeling earnest- 
 ness, and disposed my hearers to attention and solemnity. 
 Having a good deal of writing to do in the books which I 
 
Chat. XII. THE SCHOOL BROKEN INTO. 333 
 
 write for my pupils for home lessons, I announced we would 
 have no school in the afternoon of to-day. After dinner a 
 loud and unusual knock was given at the door. I opened it. 
 It was a chief, bringing me the broken lock of the school, 
 and the sad intelligence that Cushwaht (a notoriously bad 
 man), being drunk, had with an axe broken my door open, 
 entered the school, and smashed all the windows. The chief 
 then entered into a passionate explanation of the cause of 
 this deed, and assured me that Cushwaht stood alone in the 
 mischief; not another Indian would have dared or thought 
 of such a thing. 
 
 " Very soon several other Indians came — some to bring me 
 the utensils of the school, and others to tender their sympathy. 
 Thus it has pleased the Lord to permit us to have another 
 check; but I trust and pray He will make it administer 
 good. This is the explanation. The Indian that did the 
 mischief has a bad leg. He sent his wife this morning to 
 
 beg of a little salve for it, but she was unsuccessful. 
 
 refused to assist because of his bad conduct, he having, 
 
 only a few days ago, struck a woman who lives in the Fort 
 with a sword, and wounded her severely, and for no cause. 
 Being denied the salve, and under the influence of rum, he 
 went, Indian like, to revenge himself on what came readiest 
 of the white man's property, and that happened to be the 
 school. Here is the good providence of God in ordering that 
 I and my scholars were not to be in the building when the 
 wicked savage was to vent his rage upon it. Had we been 
 assembled, T tremble to think what might have been the con- 
 sequences. The chief who came to my house to bring me 
 the lock, &c, entreated me not to go outside the Fort, as 
 the enraged villain might fire upon me ; but I felt assured 
 that the Lord would protect me while in the path of duty. 
 On seeing me on the beach, several Indians came to speak 
 with me, to tender their sympathy, and express their anger 
 with the man. I remember an old man saying 'the whole 
 
334 MURDERS AND RIOTS. Chap. XII. 
 
 camp was crying, and many guns were ready and waiting for 
 the villain if he dared to appear.' I entreated them not to 
 shed his blood ; said that it was very wrong indeed what he 
 had done, but that I was inclined to pity and forgive him. 
 One house I had to go to was the next but one to that occu- 
 pied by Cushwaht. On approaching it, many thought, pro- 
 bably, I was going to see him. They looked very much 
 alarmed, expecting, no doubt, that firing would ensue. But on 
 seeing me enter the house where the sick person was, many 
 followed me, among whom was the wife of the mischievous 
 rascal. I never alluded to my own troubles or wrongs, but 
 applied myself to the case of the poor invalid, whose state 
 was indeed alarming. 
 
 " September 15. — Some sad work has occurred in the camp 
 this afternoon. A young man, an Indian, under the influence 
 of drink, irritated one of the chiefs, who was also partly 
 drunk. The chief immediately seized a pistol, and shot the 
 brother of the man who had offended him. Then commenced 
 a series of encounters, and two more were killed. The firing 
 is going on, and quite close to the school-house. 
 
 " Sept. 19. — Another very serious disturbance to-day. As 
 I went to the school-house, to see about repairing it, I ob- 
 served that some of the Indians of one tribe were having a 
 rum-feast. On nearing the house of the man who broke the 
 school- windows (Cushwaht), I saw that his house was the 
 point of attraction, and, from what I heard, concluded that a 
 good many were already drunk within. I had nothing but 
 civility shown me, both in going and returning, although I 
 passed some that were drunk. I had only just got back to 
 the Fort, when a quarrel took place in Cushwaht's house, 
 and Cushwaht himself, as usual, the cause of it. It was not 
 long before firing ensued. Two women have been killed, 
 one of them Cushwaht's sister, and Cushwaht has been shot 
 in the hand. These murders and riots are all tending very 
 powerfully to awaken the minds of those who have been 
 
Chap. XII. SCHOOL RECOMMENCED. 335 
 
 under instruction, and to wean them more and more from 
 this place of darkness. I find many flock around me now to 
 speak of their trouble, and they listen with much more atten- 
 tion and seriousness to the Gospel message. I have been for 
 some time desiring to speak to the cannibal chief. To-day 
 the opportunity was afforded me, and I had some talk with 
 him. This man heads the most degrading superstition this 
 people have got; but he is a young man, and has a noble 
 look. It will be a hard struggle if he ever sets himself to 
 escape from the meshes of that horrid custom which he has 
 taken upon himself to perpetuate ; but I hope and pray God 
 may give him light and strength for the conflict, and bring 
 him, clothed and in his right mind, to the feet of Jesus. He 
 met my proposals very kindly, and promised to come under 
 my instruction when he returns from a place whither he is 
 going to purchase food. 
 
 " Sept. 27. — By the good pleasure of our Heavenly Father 
 we began school again to-day. About 50 children and 
 10 adults attended. The tide was so high that many had to 
 come in canoes. It rained, too, all the day. I saw some of 
 my little scholars, washed and with their best clothes on, 
 waiting for me outside the Fort, hours before the time ap- 
 pointed for opening school, although it rained. 
 
 " Sept. 28. — I put Bibles into the hands of my first class 
 to-day. What a blessed event, indeed, when it is remem- 
 bered that the entrance of God's Word giveth light ! We 
 commenced with St. Matthew's Gospel. 
 
 " October 9th : LoroVs-day. — Only between 40 and 50 souls 
 present at school this morning. Many have gone away 
 during last week to a place where they usually purchase 
 large quantities of provisions. I was enabled, by the blessing 
 of God, to introduce a happy change in our usual Sunday 
 course. I handed ten of my pupils Bibles, and they read out 
 simultaneously, several times over, the passage (Psalm cxlv. 
 
336 A DEATH-BED SCENE. Chap. XII. 
 
 18-20) from which I addressed them. We also translated 
 it, clause by clause, several times over. 
 
 " Oct. 10. — A very solemn event has taken place this even- 
 ing. I was informed, on coming out of the school this after- 
 noon, that a young man, who has been a long time suffering 
 in consumption (brought on by a severe cold), and whom I 
 have visited several times, was dying ; so, after a little re- 
 flection, some misgiving, and prayer, I started off to see him. 
 I found him, as his wife had said, dying. Over 20 persons 
 were about him : some were crying, and two, I am sorry to 
 say, were partly intoxicated. I looked on for some time in 
 silent sorrow. When I wished to speak, silence immediately 
 ensued. I rebuked the noise and tumult, and directed the 
 dying man to fix his heart on the Saviour Jesus, to forget 
 the things about him, and spend his little remaining time in 
 praying in his heart to God to save him. His reply was, 
 ' 0, yes, Sir ! 0, yes, Sir !' and for some moments he would 
 close his eyes, and seem absorbed in prayer. On one occa- 
 sion he spoke of his heart being happy or resigned. I could 
 not make out the exact expression, as there was some talk- 
 ing at the time, and the remark was in Tsimsheean. 
 
 "He begged me, with much earnestness, to continue to 
 teach his little girl. He wanted her to be good. This little 
 girl is about seven years old; her name is Cathl. She has 
 been very regular at school since I commenced, and has 
 made nice progress. 
 
 "Much to my comfort, a young woman sat by his side 
 who has been one of my most regular pupils. She is in the 
 first class, and can read portions of the Bible. Her intelli- 
 gence is remarkable, and I have observed her to be always 
 very serious when listening to religious instruction. Thus, 
 here was one sitting close to the dying man who could tell 
 him, much more accurately than I, the few directions I 
 desired to utter. What remarkable providence it seemed to 
 
Chap. XII. TEACHABLENESS OF THE INDIANS. 337 
 
 nie ! With tears in her eyes she begged him to give his 
 heart to God and to pray to Him. I longed to pray with 
 him, and watched anxiously a long time for the opportunity. 
 The opportunity came, and the strength came with it. I 
 knelt down by his side. All was hushed, and I prayed from 
 a full heart to the Lord our God to have mercy upon the 
 poor soul about to come into His presence, for the sake of 
 His dear Son Jesus. I feel sure that the Lord heard my 
 prayer, and I can indulge a hope for this poor man's salva- 
 tion. The whole of the circumstances seemed ordered of 
 God for my commencing this solemn and important duty of 
 prayer with dying Indians. In the case of this poor man, I 
 can say I have felt my heart exceedingly rejoiced more than 
 once, when I have left him, for what I had been permitted to 
 see and hear. I know he understood the main and leading 
 truths of the Gospel, and he frequently told me that he 
 prayed much to God. During his sickness he never per- 
 mitted the medicine-folks to operate upon him; and this of 
 itself shows a wonderful change in the man. After I had 
 prayed with him he gave me his hand, winch I shook, and 
 he bade me good-bye. 
 
 " Oct. 11. — The young man alluded to above died last 
 night. He reassured the people around him of his safety, 
 and he had a very solemn parting from his little girl." 
 
 This is only one instance of many in winch Mr. Duncan 
 found the hearts and intellects of the Indians open to his 
 teaching. The labours of men of his class among the distant 
 heathen are undervalued by the world, which refuses to credit 
 the fact that savages, such as these Coast Indians undoubtedly 
 are, can receive and retain impressions so utterly at variance 
 with their nature and habits. But the following extracts 
 from the journal of one of Mr. Duncan's Indian pupils at Fort 
 Simpson — a lad aged 19 — will be read with interest by those 
 who believe that the aborigines of these colonies may assuredly 
 be Christianised and civilised. From this curious document, 
 
 z 
 
338 PUPIL'S JOURNAL. Chap. XII. 
 
 which was presented to me by Captain Prevost, B.N., I 
 extract the following "passages from the Journal of Shoo- 
 quanahts," written after ten months of occasional instruction 
 by Mr. Duncan : — 
 
 " Tuesday, April 4, 1860. — -If will die my father, then will 
 very poor my heart 4 my brother all die ; only one 
 Shooquanahts save ; and two my uncle save. I will try to 
 make all things. I want to be good, and I want to much 
 work hard. When we have done work, then will please, sir, 
 Mr. Duncan, will you give me a little any thing when you 
 come back. 
 
 " April 9. — Please, sir, I want to speak to you. I wish 
 I had some powder for my gun. All done shot : all done for 
 me. What for you want to shoot clucks? Because it is 
 very sweet. Please, sir, Mr. Duncan, will you give me a 
 little powder and little shot? If you will give me any 
 powder, then I will be very happy. If I get some ducks, 
 then I will give Mr. . Perhaps no want ducks, Mr. . 
 
 "April 10. — I could not sleep last night. I must work 
 hard last night. I could not be lazy last night. No good 
 lazy — very bad. We must learn to make all things. When 
 we understand reading and writing, then it will very easy. 
 Perhaps two years then we understand. If we no understand 
 to read and to write, then he will very angry, Mr. Duncan. 
 If we understand about good people, then we will very happy. 
 
 April 27 : /School, Fort Simpson. — Shooquanahts not two 
 hearts — no always one my heart. Some boys always two 
 hearts. Only one Shooquanaht's — not two heart, no. If I 
 steal any thing, then God will see. Bad people no care about 
 Son of God. When will come troubled hearts, foolish people. 
 Then he will very much cry. What good cry ? Nothing. No 
 care about our Saviour, always forget. By and by will under- 
 stand about the Son of God. 
 
 April 29. — How many ducks you get yesterday ? 5 ducks 
 I shoot yesterday. Did you see many ducks yesterday? 
 
Chap. XII. PUPIL'S JOURNAL. 339 
 
 Yes, very many; not far away, but near. To one man I 
 give one duck yesterday, and one duck I eat yesterday. The 
 name of that man is Nahs-lukolik. He want to work for you. 
 If it rain to-morrow, then we cannot go to Sebassah. If it 
 do not rain to-morrow, then we go to Sebassah. 
 
 " 8th May, I860.— The brother of Sebassah is not good, 
 * he understand to eat dead people : no good — very bad, that 
 man. They understand make lie : no good, those men — very 
 bad. Not a good place, Sebassah place : always want to 
 steal some little things. They cannot rest ; they love bad 
 ways ; they always like to make afraid the people. 
 
 " lUh May, 18G0.— The Shad-Zahu, by and by, will give 
 rice at our place, and molasses ; and all the brothers of 
 Shad-Zahu will give rice at our place, and two sisters of 
 Shad-Zahu will give rice at our place. My father wants to 
 make two houses; when he has done making the houses, 
 then he will call three chiefs, and all people will sit together 
 in the house. My father then will give elk-skins to three 
 chiefs, and to all men he will give elk-skin by and by. Per- 
 haps two winters first will give little things, and by and by 
 he will give more. 
 
 "May 16, 1860. — When you go way Victoria, sir, then 
 he will speak to Mr. Compton, sir. Good will tell Mr. 
 Compton, sir, to pity me when you go way Victoria, sir. 
 Who take care me, sir, when you go way ? who will give the 
 soap for me, sir ? who will give the tobacco for me when you 
 go way Victoria, sir ? who will give the medicine for me, sir, 
 when you go way Victoria, sir ? No, not any will pity me 
 when you go way, sir. Good will speak, sir, Mr. Moffat will 
 pity me when you go way Victoria, sir. Then will, please, 
 sir, Mr. Duncan, will you give me a little medicine and 
 little soap ? — not now, sir ; no, when you will go way Vic- 
 toria, sir.. Then good will pity me. 
 
 " May 17, 1860. — I do not understand some prayers — only 
 few prayers I understand, not all. I understand, no. I wish 
 
 z 2 
 
340 PUPIL'S JOURNAL. Chap. XII. 
 
 to understand all prayers. When I understand all prayers, 
 then I always prayer our Saviour Jesus Christ. I want to 
 learn to prayer to Jesus Christ our Saviour, by and by. I 
 understand all about our Saviour Christ ; when I understand 
 all what about our Saviour, then I will happy when I die. 
 If I do not learn about our Saviour Jesus, then I will very 
 troubled my heart when I die. It is good for us when we 
 learn about our Saviour Jesus; I wish to understand to 
 prayer our Saviour Jesus. When I understand about our 
 Saviour, then I will very happy when I die." 
 
 In writing of the journal from which I have given the 
 above extracts, Mr. Duncan explains : " Last winter, for the 
 sake of exercising my first class in composition, I gave each 
 of them a copy-book wherein to record their own thoughts in 
 their own way, after school-hours. But neither the writers 
 nor I ever expected them to be exhibited. I therefore was 
 ]oth for Captain Prevost to take one away, because several 
 entries in it require explanation, or they may give wrong 
 impressions. For instance, on one occasion the boy asks, 
 ' who will give him tobacco,' &c, during my absence. From 
 this the reader might infer that I encouraged him to smoke, 
 and supplied him with tobacco for that purpose. The fact is, 
 that, because the boy worked so hard and pleased me so 
 much, I made him one of my school-assistants, also school- 
 cleaner, for which I paid him about two shillings a week— 
 not in money, but in goods, which he exchanged for pro- 
 visions. He, of course, chose the kind of goods for which 
 there was then the readiest market." 
 
 I will now quit Mr. Duncan to speak of the progress of the 
 Church which had in this year (1859) sprung up in other 
 parts of the colony. 
 
 The only clergyman in the colony previous to this was the 
 Kev. E. Cudge, Chaplain to the Hudson Bay Company, who 
 had been established at Victoria for four or five years. 
 
 Early in the year 1859 four Wesleyan missionaries arrived 
 
Chap. XII. MISSION OF THE BISHOP. 341 
 
 from Canada and commenced their labours. The head of 
 this mission was Dr. Evans, a most zealous man and able 
 preacher. He settled himself at Victoria, where he has 
 since built a pretty church, which is very well filled. His 
 staff were soon disposed of — one going to Nanaimo, another 
 to New Westminster, and the third to Fort Hope. These 
 men, zealous and active, have been working hard in their 
 districts; but their mission, like that of our own Church, 
 has been more to the whites than the Indians. 
 
 A missionary of the Church of England, under the auspices 
 of the Colonial Church and School Society, had arrived 
 previous to this (on Christmas Day, 1858), and established 
 himself at what was then the capital of British Columbia, 
 New Langley or Derby. In the course of the year the 
 Society for the Propagation of the Gospel despatched three 
 missionaries, and the Special Fund endowed by Miss Burdett 
 Coutts sent two. In addition to this a bishop had been 
 appointed (Dr. Hills), who, however, was detained in England 
 raising further subscriptions for the mission. Besides these, 
 two other missionaries — I am not sure of what denomination — 
 arrived about this time. Thus in 1859 eleven missionaries of 
 different denominations betook themselves to then- duties in 
 various places — some at and around Victoria, others on the 
 Fraser Kiver. 
 
 On the 5th of January, 1860, the Bishop reached Esquimalt 
 and commenced an organization of his forces, which were soon 
 augmented by the arrival of five other clergymen. An 
 iron church, which had been sent from England, was 
 erected. The expense of its construction was, as may be 
 imagined, very large, and the edifice was not free from debt 
 when I left the island. 
 
 Among the most pressing needs of the colony were good 
 schools for either sex : to this the Bishop's attention was 
 immediately directed, and the Bev. C. T. Woods and his 
 
342 SCHOOL COMMENCED. Chap. XII. 
 
 wife, the Eev. 0. Glover, and the Misses Penrice, left England 
 in the summer of 1860 for the purpose of establishing them. 
 
 On the arrival of this staff, a school for boys and a ladies' 
 college were immediately organised ; and so earnest and 
 zealous were the labours of their promoters, that in the 
 winter of that year there were 41 boys and 21 girls in attend- 
 ance. The difficulties in the way of starting these schools cannot 
 be appreciated by those who have not lived among such a 
 mixture of peoples as is found in newly-settled countries, 
 each representative of his race clinging with peculiar tenacity 
 to its prejudices. The fact of Mr. Glover, the second master 
 of the school, being distinguished at home as a Hebrew scholar, 
 was, I believe, of no little importance in this way ; for the 
 Jews, of whom there are several in Vancouver Island, all sent 
 their sons, delighted at the chance of their acquiring Hebrew. 
 The great want of the ladies' school for a long time was a 
 piano, and I do not know whether it has been since supplied. 
 
 The limited state of the funds of the British Columbian 
 Mission proved a serious hindrance to its successful progress. 
 Most people in the colony had an idea that Miss Coutts had 
 undertaken the whole expense of the mission, church and 
 school building, &c. ; whereas her bounty, noble as it was, 
 was confined to two objects, viz., a provision of 600?. a-year 
 for the bishop, and 4:001. a-year towards the archdeaconries. 
 After his appointment the Bishop worked hard to raise money 
 in England, and succeeded in obtaining 11,000?. But this 
 sum did no more than pay the initiatory expenses, and the 
 whole of it was exhausted before 1861 in the payment 
 of outfits and passages for clergy, in grants, and in land 
 investments.* The annual fund of the mission the bishop 
 estimates at 1500?., which suffices merely for the support 
 of the clergy and teachers. The clergy of St. John's, Yic- 
 
 * Bishop of Columbia's Speech at Victoria, January, 1861. 
 
Chap. XII. PAKOCHIAL ORGANISATION. 343 
 
 toria, the iron church spoken of, and Trinity, New Westminster 
 — a church built by subscription — were not included in this 
 sum, as they were supposed to be supported by their congre- 
 gations. The financial state of the latter I do not know ; 
 but up to the time I left (September 1861), St. John's was 
 still in debt, and its rector had not received any salary at all. 
 Those clergy who were sent out by societies have their 
 incomes temporarily secured to them to the extent of 1700?. 
 a-year, making the support of clergy and teachers in the 
 colony amount altogether to about 4000Z. In a speech on 
 the subject, delivered at Victoria in January, 18b'l, the 
 Bishop proposed that the organisation of a parish primarily 
 should include a rector, churchwarden, church committee, and 
 vestry — the last consisting of pewholders. Ultimately he 
 hoped to have a complete diocesan organisation under one of 
 the various titles of Convention, Synod, Assembly, or Council. 
 Pending the formation of this, he proposed that there should 
 be, as in other colonies, a Church Society, supported by sub- 
 scriptions and church collections gathered from all parts of 
 the diocese, for the support of ministers, building of churches, 
 parsonages, and schools, the aid of widows and orphans of 
 clergy, and other objects, and regulated by a committee 
 chosen by subscribers. But perhaps of all the Bishop's cares 
 and difficulties none pressed more hardly upon him than the 
 question what to do with and for the Indians. 
 
 The Songhies, near Victoria, were still living the most 
 debased lives imaginable, while the many Indians who visited 
 Victoria from the North — and their number increased yearly 
 — could scarcely fail to imbibe their habits. Under these 
 circumstances, it was but too clear that Mr. Duncan's work, 
 far away among the Tsimsheeans at Fort Simpson, was likely 
 to be counteracted by the bad lessons which his former pupils 
 would learn upon their visits to the South. In the hope, 
 therefore, of providing a remedy for this state of things, Mr. 
 Duncan was induced to go to Victoria to consult with the 
 
344 A COADJUTOR FOR MR. DUNCAN. Chap. XIT. 
 
 Governor and Bishop as to the steps that should be taken for 
 the Indians' safety. 
 
 Mr. Duncan remained at Victoria during the summer, 
 organising the plans decided upon, and continuing his minis- 
 trations among such of his old friends, the Tsimsheean 
 Indians, who happened to be there. By them and the 
 Indians generally the most implicit confidence was placed in 
 his good faith and motives. It was very strange to notice 
 among these — the fiercest of the Coast-tribes — the childlike 
 affection which they displayed towards him, and the thorough 
 trust they expressed in his integrity. Speaking of them 
 himself, he says : " My duties have kept me from noon till 
 night among the Indians. They so appreciate my exertions 
 for their temporal welfare, that many have come to receive 
 religious instruction who would otherwise have stayed away. 
 The Indians are continually coming to me with their troubles, 
 and seem very grateful for my assistance. I also succeeded 
 in getting several into good places as servants." 
 
 In June, when the Governor returned from British 
 Columbia, he at once acceded to the plans submitted to 
 him for the benefit of the Indian population, and took the 
 necessary steps to carry them into action. At a public 
 meeting 60/. was collected for the erection of a school-house. 
 The Governor himself made this sum up to 100?., and the 
 building was immediately commenced. 
 
 On the 8th August Mr. Tugwell, who had been sent by 
 the Church Missionary Society to join Mr. Duncan, arrived, 
 and it was determined that they should both go at once to 
 Fort Simpson in order that Mr. Duncan might introduce his 
 companion to his duties there, and then return to Victoria 
 for the winter to superintend the new schools. They accord- 
 ingly left Victoria on the 13th, and reached Simpson on the 
 21st August. While there, to his great delight, news reached 
 him that the Be v. A. C. Garret and Mr. Mallandaine had volun- 
 teered to take charge of the Indian schools at Victoria, and 
 
Chap. XII. SCHOOL EXAMINATION. 345 
 
 that bis return for that purpose was not therefore necessary. 
 These gentlemen at once assumed their self-imposed duties, 
 and in a short time brought the schools into a highly flourish- 
 ing condition. The difficulties which beset their path were 
 of course many and great. The example set in tbe Indian 
 huts but too often paralysed the school-teaching,- while tbe 
 attendance of the children was necessarily often interrupted. 
 They were very quick and ready at receiving instruction, 
 however; and those visitors who attended the public ex- 
 amination in December, 1SC0, were with reason amazed at 
 the progress made. The following is Mr. Garret's account of 
 this examination :— 
 
 " Dee, 22. — Our examination came off to-day. There were 
 157 Indian scholars in the room when the Governor arrived. 
 We had the Governor, the Bishop, the Colonial Secretary, 
 Chief Justice of British Columbia, and many other influential 
 laymen, with all the clergy here who could attend, and Mr. 
 Knipe, who arrived yesterday, among the number. We 
 began by singing. Then Mr. Mallandaine, the catechist, 
 examined them in reading the diagrams, and showed that 
 they knew the English names for the various objects, and 
 could spell and pronounce them. This, for three months' 
 work, was considered very excellent by the Governor and all 
 the visitors. After this the most advanced class, who have 
 been somewhat longer at school, read in their books, _ and 
 satisfied the suspicions of the Chief Justice of British 
 Columbia by reading backwards, thus showing they were not 
 crammed like parrots, but that they thoroughly understood 
 what they had learned. This being over, the copies were 
 produced, which elicited universal admiration. One espe- 
 cially, the production of a fine young man, who has received 
 but one month's schooling in his life, fairly astonished the 
 strangers. I send it to you as a curiosity. I then examined 
 the various tribes (there were three present, Songhies, 
 Haidas, and Tsimsheeans) in the Chinook catechism, which I 
 
34() MISSION-BUILDINGS PKOJECTED. CuAr. XIT. 
 
 have composed ; and showed that they knew the history of 
 the Creation, the Fall, Cain and Abel, and the Flood — in 
 the Old Testament; and also that they knew about Jesus 
 Christ, whose Son He is, and what He did on earth, why He 
 died, how long He was dead, where He is now, what we must 
 do to be saved, &c." 
 
 Before leaving Victoria, Mr. Duncan had been informed 
 that the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Tugwell at Fort Simpson 
 must necessarily interfere with his previous position there. 
 The three could not expect from the Hudson Bay Company 
 the favours that had been granted to him. It was neces- 
 sary, therefore, that he should vacate the quarters which 
 he had hitherto occupied in the Fort, and that a dwelling- 
 house should be built outside its stockade. 
 
 "Thus the time is come," he writes, "when mission- 
 buildings are to figure among the poor Indians on this 
 dreary coast. And thankful am I to say that I believe 
 matters are fully ripe for such a step. Of course we must 
 expect many annoyances in thus putting ourselves entirely 
 into the hands of the Indians, but I do not anticipate any 
 great danger to either our persons or property. The great 
 question before us is, where shall we build ? You will have 
 seen from my journal that many of the Indians are strongly 
 desiring to return to their old villages situated in a lovely 
 channel about 15 miles from here, and are anxiously 
 waiting for me to lead the way. On my visit to the Eeeth- 
 rahilah Indians last spring, I saw these spots, and, in my 
 journal accompanying this, I have written a short description 
 of them. They are called Met-lah-kah. Therefore the choice 
 of a site for our mission premises rests, I think, between the 
 neighbourhood of Fort Simpson and Met-lah-kah. I will 
 compare the two places, and I think you will agree with me 
 that the latter place is decidedly to be preferred. The only 
 advantage of Fort Simpson is a negative one — that is, by 
 remaining here we shall avoid the trouble of a move. But 
 
Chap. XI!. QUESTION OF LOCALITY. 347 
 
 the disadvantages are great. The influence of the Fort, and 
 the immoralities allowed on board the Company's ships which 
 come here, greatly oppose the influence of the mission. 
 More than all, the physical character of the country in the 
 neighbourhood of the Fort is exceedingly bad, and, to my 
 mind, condemns the place at once. One effect. the missions 
 must have upon the Indians will be to make them desire 
 social improvemement. How necessary, therefore, it is that 
 the mission be established where social improvement is pos- 
 sible ! But at Fort Simpson it is not possible. First as to 
 beach-room. This is essential to the comfort and welfare of 
 these Coast Indians, who have so many canoes to take care 
 of. But the whole of the beach at Fort Simpson is now more 
 than conveniently occupied. And then as to land about this 
 place, it is all in such a state that it could not be made avail- 
 able for gardens without immense labour, and a calling for 
 appliances which the Indians do not possess. 
 
 " Met-lah-kah, however, not only possesses these two essen- 
 tials to improving the Indians socially, viz., plenty of beach- 
 room and plots of land suitable for gardens, but its channel is 
 always smooth and abounds with salmon and shell-fish, while 
 its beauty stands in great contrast to the dreary country 
 around." Mr. Duncan states, further, that the Company, 
 aware of the desire of the natives to return there, had sent 
 people to try to find an eligible spot nearer Simpson, and says 
 one of them who went as far as Nutlahkah, not only failed in 
 finding any other suitable spot, but declared he did not be- 
 lieve there was such another in that part of the country. 
 
 "It may be asked," he continues, "why did not the Com- 
 pany establish their Fort there ? This is easily explained. 
 Twenty-five years ago, when Fort Simpson was built, the 
 Company had sailing ships employed up the coast, and the 
 passage to the old Tsimsheean village being rather narrow, 
 they preferred this, as the entrance to the harbour is wider ; 
 but to steamers, the way into Met-lah-kah presents no diffi- 
 
348 FAILURE OF MR. TUGWELL'S HEALTH. Chap. XII. 
 
 culty. The Indians were induced to leave their ancient 
 home for the sake of trading with the Fort ; there is now no 
 necessity for their remaining near it for that purpose ; other 
 facilities for trading are opening up ; a schooner, not the 
 Company's, is at this moment in the harbour, doing a famous 
 trade with the Indians : indeed, I may say, that the import- 
 ance of Fort Simpson as a central trading-port is gone ; very 
 few Indians from other places come here now, as they used 
 to do, and fewer will continue to do so ; — everything seems 
 propitious and prepared for a move to be made for the social 
 welfare of these poor tribes, and surely it is worthy of this 
 Mission to be the leader in such a praiseworthy undertaking." 
 
 I have given this extract in full, as it concerns more than 
 the mere selection of the spot for the Mission, important as 
 that is : it shows the change which is gradually coming over 
 those parts of the country uninfluenced by the discovery of 
 gold.* This consists mainly in the far greater freedom 
 that will be given to the Indians for trading purposes, and 
 which will enable them now to live where they please, since 
 trade will follow them to their homes, and they will always 
 find a market there for anything they have to sell. 
 
 The proposal for the re-settlement of the Indians at Met- 
 lah-kah has met with the Governor's entire approval, and I 
 believe steps are being taken for its execution. 
 
 After remaining a year at Fort Simpson, Mr. Tugwell's 
 health became so seriously affected that he was obliged to 
 resign his labours and retire to Victoria. Mr. Duncan, there- 
 fore, is again left to labour single-handed. The plan which 
 they had purposed carrying out, had they been permitted, 
 was, that Mr. Duncan should remain at Simpson, while Mr. 
 Tugwell went to Met-lah-kah, built a house there, and drew 
 the Indians round him as they left Simpson. This pur- 
 pose, however, Mr. TugweH's illness has frustrated; nor 
 
 * Since writing this I believe, however, that gold has been discovered near 
 Fort Simpson. 
 
Chap. XII. NEED OF MORE MISSIONARIES. 349 
 
 can it be carried out until some one is found to take his 
 place. There can be little doubt but some earnest worker will 
 volunteer his services for the purpose, but the qualifications 
 necessary for the task, both physical and moral, are many 
 and great. Strong as Mr. Duncan is, his labours have told 
 severely upon his constitution. In the spring of last year he 
 suffered from repeated attacks of exhaustion, and was com- 
 pelled to go to Victoria for change of air and rest. The 
 character of man required, indeed, to share his labours, cannot 
 be described better than in his own words : — " We want more 
 men, but they must be men of a peculiar stamp, simple and 
 hearty, hardy and daring, — men who are able and willing 
 to endure rough work." 
 
 Before finally quitting the subject of Indians, I will record 
 one of those little incidents which offer good evidence of 
 moral improvement, and cheer the Missionary's labours. 
 Writing in August, 1860, Mr. Duncan, says " I will give one 
 instance in proof of my statement just made, that many 
 Indians have begun to pray. One night when I was en- 
 camping out, after a weary day, the supper and the little 
 instruction being over, my crew of Indians, excepting one old 
 man, quickly spread their mats near the fire, and laid down 
 to sleep in pairs, each sharing his fellow's blanket. The one 
 old man sat near the fire, smoking his pipe. I crept into my 
 little tent, but after some time I came out again to see that 
 all Avas right. The old man was just making his bed, a thin 
 bark-mat on the ground ; a little box of grease and a few dry 
 salmon for his pillow ; a shirt on and a blanket round him ; 
 another bark-mat over (head and all) was to form his bed in 
 the open air during a cold dark night in April. When 
 everything was adjusted, he put his pipe down and offered up 
 in his own tongue this simple little prayer : ' Be merciful to 
 me, Jesus ;' then he drew up his feet, and was soon lost to 
 view." 
 
 Though I have spoken of the difficulties of the Bishop's 
 
350 HABITS OF THE WHITE POPULATION. Chap. XII. 
 
 work with regard to money, schools, &c, I have said 
 nothing of the disheartening moral condition of the mass of 
 the civilized population of these colonies. By far the larger 
 portion of the colonists are miners, who, though as yet their 
 conduct since they arrived in British territory has been very 
 praiseworthy, had previously been living for years in Cali- 
 fornia, where the " Almighty Dollar " is the only object of 
 worship. Apart from this, the very nature of a miner's life 
 tends to ungodliness : he is perpetually roving about, in the 
 morning rich, at sunset poor; to-day a gentleman — in the 
 American sense of the term — to-morrow a labourer. For 
 a few years some perhaps work with the notion of return- 
 ing as rich men to their native land ; but during that time 
 the many fluctuations of the struggle, and the hard, wild life 
 they lead, so unfit them for domestic existence, that, if they are 
 fortunate enough to have made money and leave the country, 
 they probably spend it all in the first large town they come 
 to ; or, reaching home, tire of it in a few months, and return 
 to the life which has become second nature to them. These 
 miners, as I have before said, are by no means always un- 
 educated ; many men of good parentage and education are to 
 be found among them, and this very fact renders the inculca- 
 tion of religion more difficult than it otherwise would be. I 
 am not, of course, speaking of those who, beginning as poor 
 men, steadily work their way to competence or wealth, bene- 
 fiting themselves, those around them, and the country of 
 their adoption, but of those who, so soon as they have made 
 two or three thousand dollars, instead of enlarging their 
 works, or laying the money by, rush to San Francisco, spend 
 it like fools, and return beggared. 
 
 In the few books that have been written about these 
 colonies, various remarks have been made on the society of 
 Victoria. It would ill become me to pass over without a 
 word that society in which I have spent four as happy years 
 as any of my life, from which I have always met with the 
 
Chap. XIL CONDITION OF THE NEGROES. 351 
 
 greatest kindness, and in which it will give me real pleasure 
 again to mix if fate should send me to Victoria, That my 
 opinion is shared by most of the members of my profession, 
 any impartial witness of the social proceedings of the last 
 five years will allow ; and if most of the ladies of Victoria 
 have not joined that profession, matrimonially at least, it has 
 been from no want of invitation on the part of its members. 
 
 I must not omit to mention the African Negroes, several 
 hundreds of whom left California when British Columbia 
 sprung into life. It is well known to all who have lived 
 among Northern Americans that they treat free negroes 
 infinitely worse than an Englishman w r ould treat a dog. In 
 California neither coloured men nor Chinese are allowed the 
 benefit of the laws, such as they are, and their evidence is 
 not taken in the courts, so that a black man may be 
 murdered in the midst of a hundred other blacks, and if there 
 is no white man to impeach the murderer, redress cannot be 
 obtained. This feeling was not lessened in the hearts of the 
 Americans at Victoria when they found this hated race, that 
 they had illused in every way, enjoying precisely the same 
 privileges as themselves. The consequence was that on one 
 occasion there was a pitched battle in the theatre between 
 blacks and whites, in which, I believe, the former came off 
 victorious. Then the whites objected to the blacks being 
 allowed to go to the same church with them, and actually 
 appealed to the Bishop to prevent it. The Bishop w 7 as firm 
 in his refusal to do anything of the kind, but I believe many 
 stayed away from church in consequence. One of the dis- 
 senting ministers from Canada was obliged to leave the 
 country for giving the same refusal. The whites all deserted 
 his church and went to another who was anti-black, and 
 the negroes w 7 ere unable to support their champion. As 
 a rule these free negroes are a very quiet people, a little 
 given perhaps to over familiarity when any opening for it is 
 afforded, very fond of dignity, always styling each other Mr., 
 
352 • PRESENT STATE OF THE MISSION". Chap. XII. 
 
 and addicted to an imposing costume, in the way of black 
 coats, gold studs and watch-chains, &c. ; but they are a 
 far more steady, sober and thrifty set than the whites by 
 whom they are so much despised. 
 
 The Chinese are also very quiet and harmless. They 
 make fair cooks and servants, and where they take to 
 digging are generally content to work claims discarded by 
 the regular miners ; they do not do much good to the colony, 
 however, as they eat little and drink less, and spend little or 
 no money in the country. 
 
 I have before said that one or two churches have been 
 built since the Bishop's arrival. More are, I understand, 
 being erected, and the mission has spread by this time as far 
 as Cariboo, which it was the Bishop's intention to visit this 
 summer. For any further particulars, however, I refer the 
 reader to the Eeport of the Columbia Mission, where all 
 the details connected with this most important work will 
 be found recorded. 
 
Chap. XIII. RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRY. 353 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Routes to British Columbia — Agricultural Resources of British Columbia and 
 Vancouver Island — Natural History — Land System — Roads, Climate, &c. 
 
 In this chapter I propose to treat of the resources of Her 
 Majesty's dominions in the Pacific, comprising, as the reader 
 already knows, the country between the 49° and 54° 40' 
 north latitude and the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Ocean, 
 with the islands of the coast comprised in those limits. In 
 doing so, I shall speak of the general condition of the country 
 and its probable future ; offering, at the same time, an ac- 
 count of the various routes by which emigrants may reach it, 
 with the approximate cost of each. I shall also have occasion 
 to speak of the routes that may hereafter be opened up to the 
 great gold-fields of the Pacific. In so doing I shall not hesi- 
 tate to avail myself of the information afforded by Parlia- 
 mentary papers, the labours of others, and the press; 
 selecting from these and more private sources such facts and 
 suggestions as my own experience of the country may lead 
 me to approve. 
 
 The claims of the Hudson Bay Company to the possession 
 of the territory they have so long held by grants from the 
 Crown, renewed from time to time through a couple of cen- 
 turies, have been so fully discussed in and out of Parliament 
 that it is needless for me now to enter upon this subject. I 
 think, however, that those who blame the Company's rule 
 do not sufficiently consider the vast difficulties with which 
 these traders have had to contend. Living, as their assailants 
 do, under the protection of British law, they are little capable 
 of appreciating the absolute necessity of many apparently 
 cruel acts, which however were directly traceable to the 
 
 2 A 
 
354 HUDSON BAY COMPANY. Chap. XIII. 
 
 instinct of self-preservation. I do not mean for a moment 
 to deny that there were acts of cruelty committed by the 
 Hudson Bay people, winch even this consideration could 
 not justify ; but I do maintain that a handful of white men, 
 hundreds of miles away from the protection of their own flag, 
 surrounded by a population, among whom were many both 
 fierce and treacherous, should not, in common justice, be 
 judged by the rules which apply to a more civilised state of 
 existence. One of the main charges against the officers of 
 the Hudson Bay Company in what was then New Caledonia 
 is, that while their lease of the country specified that offences 
 above a certain degree should be tried by the Courts of 
 Canada, they, instead of sending criminals there, executed a 
 species of retaliatory justice themselves. But it was simply 
 ridiculous to expect any such slow and awkward machinery 
 for the repression or punishment of crime to be used. As it 
 was, the Company, under that instinct of self-preservation I 
 have before put forward in their defence, appointed the best 
 men they had to the charge of their posts, and left them to 
 hold their own and maintain law and order among the Indians 
 as best they could. No one who has travelled much among 
 the natives of British Columbia can fail to be convinced that 
 one result of the Company's rule has been that the white 
 man is respected by them everywhere. Even the missionaries 
 — who complain of the little that has been done during these 
 many years for the spiritual welfare of the Indian tribes — 
 must admit that but for their familiarity with the traders, 
 and the opinion they have thereby gained of the honesty and 
 justice of the Englishman generally, their reception would 
 be very different to what it now is. 
 
 Again ; the abuse which has been showered upon the long 
 and undisturbed monopoly of the trade of these regions 
 enjoyed by the Hudson Bay Company would have been 
 more deserved had their possession of them been valued or 
 envied by others. As it was, the country was unheeded by 
 
Chap. XIII. INFLUENCE OF THE COMPANY. 355 
 
 emigrants, neglected by the Government, and but for the 
 Company's tenure of it, might have fallen into the hands 
 of Russia, France, the United States, or any other nation 
 that cared to take it. 
 
 The time has undoubtedly come when their pretensions to 
 its longer possession should be rightly unheeded. But I think 
 it should have been resumed by the English Government with 
 thanks for the Company's care of it, rather than with vague 
 distrust and suspicion of their past occupation. I for one 
 feel convinced that I should have found it impossible to 
 travel about British Columbia with the ease and freedom from 
 danger which I felt, but for the influence of the Hudson Bay 
 Company exerted in my favour. The name of Mr. Douglas, 
 as I have more than once said, proved to be a talisman, 
 wherever it was mentioned, that secured me respect and help. 
 The reports of Captain Palliser show also that the success of 
 his three years' exploration in the Rocky Mountains was 
 owing, in no small degree, to the influence and assistance 
 rendered him by the Company. The following extract from 
 one of his despatches will, I think, serve to illustrate this 
 sufficiently. One of a deputation of Indians who waited 
 upon him, an old chief, spoke thus : — 
 
 "I do not ask for presents, although I am poor and my 
 people are hungry. But I know that you have come straight 
 from the great country, and we know that no man from that 
 country ever came to us and lied. I want you to declare to us 
 truthfully what the great Queen of your country intends to 
 do to us when she takes the country from the Fur Company's 
 people. All around I see the smoke of the white men to 
 arise. The Longknives (Americans) are trading with our 
 neighbours for their land, and they are cheating and deceiving 
 them." 
 
 Who but the officers and men of this much-abused Com- 
 pany could have inspired this spokesman of the Indian people 
 
 2 a 2 
 
356 ROUTES TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. Chap. XIII. 
 
 with the trust in the word of an Englishman which is here 
 expressed ? 
 
 Again ; any one who knows the condition of the Indians 
 in British Columbia, and will take the trouble to compare it 
 with that of the tribes in American territory, must come to 
 the conclusion that some salutary influences — wanting there 
 — have been at work among them. Scarcely a paper reaches 
 Victoria from Oregon or Washington states that does not 
 contain an account of some brutal murder of whites by the 
 Indians, or some retaliatory deed of blood by the troops of 
 the United States. So confirmed, indeed, has their enmity 
 become, that what is little short of a policy of extermination 
 is being pursued towards the Aborigines. 
 
 But in British Columbia troops have not once been called 
 upon to oppose the Indians ; and men of every class, from 
 the Bishop on his visitation to the friendless miner, travel 
 among them in confidence and unmolested. 
 
 While, therefore, quite prepared to admit that in their 
 government of the country the Hudson Bay Company have 
 been guilty of sins both of commission and omission, I cannot, 
 in common justice, forbear from stating the good they have 
 actually accomplished in British Columbia. 
 
 With respect to the routes to British Columbia, there are 
 at present five open : — 
 
 1st. By the Koyal West India mail-steamers to Aspinwall, 
 across the Isthmus of Panama, and thence by American 
 packets to San Francisco and Victoria. 
 
 2nd. By the Cunard steamers to New York, and thence by 
 American steamer to Aspinwall ; the rest of this route being 
 by the same conveyance as the last. 
 
 3rd. Bound Cape Horn, or through Magellan Straits, and 
 thence direct to Victoria by the same ship all the way. 
 
 4th. Across the American continent, from Lake Superior 
 or St. Paul's to Bed Biver, and thence over the Bockv 
 
Chap. XIII. ROUTES TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 357 
 
 Mountains. Or, perhaps, it would be better to say across 
 the continent in British territory, as there are several ways 
 by which this may be done. And — 
 
 5th. Across the continent in American territory to Cali- 
 fornia, and thence by steamer to Victoria ; or by land to 
 Portland, in Oregon, and from there by steamer to Victoria. 
 
 By the first of these routes the total expense of the journey 
 may be estimated at 901. for first class, proportionately less 
 of course for second and third ; the time occupied, if there 
 are no delays on the way, being under six weeks. Adopting 
 this route, the traveller may embark at Southampton on the 
 1st or 16th of any month, and proceed direct to St. Thomas, 
 a passage of 12 or 14 days. At St. Thomas he takes an 
 intercolonial steamer, and in four to six days reaches Aspin- 
 wall, the port on this side of the Isthmus of Panama. 
 Crossing the Isthmus by rail, in 3J hours Panama is reached. 
 Here the great drawback to this route is often experienced 
 in the fact that there is no certainty of finding a Pacific 
 steamer ready to sail, and that very often the traveller has 
 to stop at Panama a week or ten days before one starts. 
 This delay, of course, adds considerably to the expense of 
 the journey, to say nothing of Panama being a most 
 unhealthy place to stay in. Arrangements, however, are 
 said to be making to remedy this inconvenience. 
 
 The passage to San Francisco occupies 14 or 15 days, and 
 on the way the steamer calls at Acapulco for coal. Arrived 
 at San Francisco a further delay takes place, and it is some- 
 times a week or ten days before the steamer for Victoria 
 loaves. Some arrangement has, I believe, lately been 
 entered into, however, which has made the line between 
 San Francisco and Victoria more regular. 
 
 By the second route the latter half of the journey is the 
 same as the first, the difference being that the traveller starts 
 by the Cunard steamer from Liverpool for New York. 
 
 At New York the traveller may have to stay a few days, 
 
358 ROUTES TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. Chap. XIII. 
 
 but this is better than waiting at Panama, and then he goes 
 to Aspinwall in a regular line of American packets : the 
 great advantage of this line being that it is connected with 
 the Pacific Mail Company's steamers to San Francisco, and 
 therefore there is no chance of being — unless, indeed, the 
 Atlantic packet brings more passengers than the Pacific one 
 can carry away — kept eight or ten days on the Isthmus. 
 
 The third route is, by the old way, round Cape Horn, or 
 through the Straits of Magellan. The drawback to this is 
 the length of the sea-voyage, which may be said to average 
 five months, although it has been done in four. The 
 Hudson Bay barque, 'Princess Koyal,' has for years made 
 a yearly trip out and home, leaving England in the 
 autumn, reaching Victoria in January or February, and 
 returning home again by the end of June. She still bears 
 the palm for quick passages. Captain Trivett, who has com- 
 manded her for years, says his great object always is to 
 get out well to westward after passing Cape Horn, not caring 
 if he have to go somewhat to southward in doing so, by 
 which he finds he gains greatly on those who fear getting too 
 far westward, and hug the coast rather than stretch far out. 
 His quickest passages have been 118 days out and 110 days 
 home ; his average of five passages out 133 days. This route 
 is by far the cheapest yet open, and indeed may be said to 
 be the only one within the reach of the poorer class of 
 emigrants. The cost varies considerably, but will get cheaper 
 as passengers become more numerous. The Hudson Bay 
 Company's charge has always been 701. for first class and 
 SOI. for second class. Their charges for freight also have 
 always been high also, but vessels are constantly advertised 
 to sail by first-rate firms ; and a line of clipper ships of 1200 
 tons is announced to carry passengers at more moderate rates. 
 
 The fourth way lies across our own part of the continent. 
 This route must be for some time virtually impassable. The 
 fate of those emigrants who, deluded by the misrepresenta- 
 
 
Chap. XIII. ROUTES TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. 359 
 
 tions of the bubble British Columbian Overland Transit Com- 
 pany, started to make a supposed easy journey from St. Paul's 
 across the Kocky Mountains, must still be fresh in the recol- 
 lection of my readers. The inducements held out by the so- 
 called Company, calculated as they undoubtedly were to 
 deceive the public generally, could impose upon no one who 
 had any practical experience of the country. For instance, 
 one of their statements was, that above 1000 carts travelled 
 annually along the line they proposed to follow. The impres- 
 sion conveyed by this is that these carts crossed the Rocky 
 Mountains into British Columbia by the route proposed 
 to be taken by the Company; whereas the truth is, that 
 they simply trade to the Bed River and the Saskatchewan 
 country, and no further. That a waggon-road will some day 
 be carried over the passes of the Rocky Mountains that lie 
 beyond the Red River settlement, and between that point 
 and British Columbia, I have no doubt. It may be, indeed, 
 that before very long the whistle of the locomotive will be 
 heard among them. But that as yet they are impassable for 
 waggons, and that they present great, and at times almost 
 insurmountable, difficulty to all save the experienced unin- 
 cumbered traveller, the following quotations from the 
 reports of Captains Palliser and Blakiston and Dr. Hector 
 will, I think, be found to contain conclusive proof. 
 
 It will assist the reader in forming a judgment upon this 
 matter if I first give, from the report of Captain Blakiston, 
 an account of the passes of the Rocky Mountains by which 
 British Columbia may be reached. " In anticipation," writes 
 Captain Blakiston, " of the establishment of a continuous route 
 through British North America, it is proper here to refer to 
 the passes of the Rocky Mountains north of latitude 49°, or, 
 in other words, in British territory. There are many points 
 at which the chain of these mountains can be traversed ; but 
 omitting for the present that known as * Peel's River Pass,' 
 within the Arctic circle, and that from Fraser Lake to Pelly 
 
360 PASSES OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. Chap. Xlil. 
 
 Banks, at the head-waters of the Youkon in latitude 62°, as 
 well as one from Dease's House to Stickeen, and others only 
 known to the hardy fur-traders of the far north, we come to 
 three : one of which crosses from the Findlay branch of the 
 Peace Kiver to Babine River, the northern boundary of the 
 province of Columbia ; while the other two, at the very head- 
 waters of Peace Biver, in latitude 55° north, connect with 
 Fraser Biver at its most northern bend, one of which was 
 described, as long ago as 1793, by that intrepid traveller, Sir 
 Alexander Mackenzie. The connection with these being, 
 however, by water, and rather far north on the east side, I 
 shall pass on to enumerate the known passes more to the 
 southward, and which may be called the passes to British 
 Columbia. In commencing with the North, they stand 
 thus : — 
 
 Latitude, 
 o / 
 
 " 1. Cowdung Lake Portage, or Leather Pass .. .. 54 ON. 
 
 2. Boat Encampment on original Athabasca portage 53 
 
 3. Howse's Pass .. .. 51 45 
 
 4. Kicking-Horse Pass 51 25 
 
 5. Vermilion Pass 51 10 
 
 6. Kananaskis, or Emigrant Pass 50 40 
 
 7. Crow's-nest Pass 49 40 
 
 8. Kootonay Pass 49 25 
 
 " The first of these connects the head-waters of Athabasca 
 Biver with the great fork of the Fraser, and has never been 
 used except as a portage between these two rivers. 
 
 " 2. The second is that which, until the last few years, was 
 used regularly by the Hudson Bay Company for the convey- 
 ance of a few furs, as well as despatches and servants, from 
 the east side to the Pacific, by the way of the Columbia 
 Biver, and which, from the ' Boat Encampment,' is navigable 
 for small craft ; but this, like the first, has not been used in 
 connection with any land-route on the west side. 
 
 " 3. The third was probably first used by either Thompson 
 or Howse (author of the Cree grammar), who, following up 
 
Chap. XIII. PASSES OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 361 
 
 the north branch of the Saskatchewan, crossed the watershed 
 of the mountains to the north fork of the Columbia, and 
 thence to its source, the Columbia Lakes, where, striking the 
 Kootonay Kiver, he followed it down to the south of 49° 
 north. 
 
 " 4. The ' Kicking-Horse Pass,' so named by Dr. Hector, 
 crosses the watershed from near the head-waters of the Bow 
 Kiver to those of the Kootonay, and may be reached by 
 following up either the north or soutli branches of the Sas- 
 katchewan by land. 
 
 " 5. While another (see Parliamentary Papers, June 1859), 
 the ' Vermilion Pass,' likewise traversed and laid down by Dr. 
 Hector during the summer of 1858, occurs also on Bow River 
 so near the last-named one, that it is unfortunate that the 
 western edge of the mountains was not readied, as it would 
 then have proved whether these passes can be of value in 
 connection with a continuous route across the country.* 
 
 " 6. The next pass which enters the mountains in common 
 with the fifth on Bow Kiver, has been named the ' Kananaskis 
 Pass ' (see Parliamentary Papers, June 1859), and was laid 
 down by latitude and longitude observations during the 
 summer of 1858 by Captain Palliser. This also leads to the 
 Kootonay Kiver, passing near the Columbia Lakes. It is 
 generally supposed that this pass was only discovered last 
 year, but a description of it is to be found in ' An Overland 
 Journey Round the World,' by Sir George Simpson, who, 
 together with a party of emigrants, 50 in number, under the 
 late Mr. James Sinclair, passed through, but not with carts, 
 as had been stated,! to the lower part of the Columbia in 
 1841, besides which it has been used by other travellers. 
 If we are to consider its western extremity to the south of 
 the Columbia Lakes, it is a long and indirect route, but as 
 
 * See post, extract from Dr. Hector's report of this. 
 
 t See Evidence before the Select Committee, ' Hudson Bay Question.' 
 
362 PASSES OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. Chap. XIII. 
 
 yet it has only been used for following the valley of the 
 Kootonay, and thence into American territory. In the event 
 of the country west of the Columbia Lakes proving suitable 
 for a land-road, this, as well as the previous three, would 
 prove available for crossing from the Saskatchewan north of 
 latitude 51°. 
 
 "For 100 geographical miles of the mountains south of 
 Bow River no pass is at dresent known to exist until we 
 come to the Mocowans, or Belly River, a tributary of the 
 Saskatchewan, on the branches of which four passes enter 
 the mountains — the * Crow-nest,' the ' Kootonay,' the ' Boun- 
 dary,' and the ' Flathead.' 
 
 " 7. Of the first of these, we know only that its eastern 
 entrance is on the river of the same name, and that it emerges 
 in the vicinity of the Steeples, or Mount Deception, while 
 neither of the two last are entirely in British territory — 
 hence the name of ' Boundary Pass ' for that which has its 
 culminating point north of 49°. 
 
 "8. The 'Kootonay Pass,' is the most southern, and, of 
 those yet known, by far the shortest in British territory. 
 
 '•'These passes, of which the altitudes are known, do not 
 differ greatly ; and I refrain from commenting on their 
 relative merits, because before any particular one can he 
 selected for the construction of a road, the easiest land- 
 route from Hope and the western bend of the Fraser River 
 should be ascertained, which, considering the distance, would 
 be no very great undertaking. In conclusion, I would only 
 remark, that at present no pass in British territory is 'prac- 
 ticable for ivlieeled-carriagesr * 
 
 It should be remembered that Captain Blakiston wrote 
 this before an overland route was thought of. But he has 
 since told me, that during his explorations he came upon 
 
 * ' Blue Book,' June, 18G0, p. 61. 
 
Chap. XIII. PASSES OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 363 
 
 the remains of the waggons of Mr. Sinclair's party upon 
 this side of the mountains, the idea of transporting them 
 farther having been abandoned at that spot. 
 
 Dr. Hector, the geologist accompanying Captain Palliser's 
 expedition, upon reaching the Kocky Mountain house, in the 
 most northerly of the passes enumerated above, writes of it 
 thus : " The mountain-house is at a distance of not less than 
 100 miles from the main chain of the Eocky Mountains, 
 which are nevertheless distinctly seen from it as a chain of 
 snow-clad peaks. The principal chain is, however, screened 
 
 by a nearer range, distant about 45 miles I made 
 
 an attempt to reach this near range, but failed in forcing a 
 road through the dense pine-wood with which the whole country 
 is covered." * 
 
 Of the Kananaskis Pass, the sixth of the above list, Captain 
 Palliser writes thus : " On the 18th of August I started to 
 seek for the new pass across the Kocky Mountains, proceed- 
 ing up the north side of the Saskatchewan or Bow River, 
 passing the mouth of the Kananaskis River ; five miles higher 
 up we crossed the Bow River, and entered a ravine. We 
 fell upon Kananaskis River, and travelled up in a south- 
 westerly direction, and the following day reached the Kana- 
 naskis Prairie, known to the Indians as the place 'where 
 Kananaskis was stunned but not killed.' On the 21st we 
 passed two lakes about two miles long and one wide. We 
 continued our course, winding through this gorge in the 
 mountains among cliffs of a tremendous height, yet our on- 
 ward progress was not impeded by obstacles of any conse- 
 quence ; the only difficulty we experienced was occasioned 
 
 by quantities of fallen timber caused by fires On 
 
 the 22nd August we reached the height of land between the 
 waters of Kananaskis River and a new river, a tributary of 
 the Kootonay River. Our height above Bow Fort was now 
 
 * Letter to Captain Palliser, June, 8, 1858 ; ' Blue Book,' p. 26. 
 
364 PASSES OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. Chap. XIII. 
 
 1885 feet, or 5985 feet above the sea. Next morning we 
 commenced our descent, and for the first time were obliged 
 to get off and walk, leading our horses down a precipitous slope 
 of 960 feet over loose angular fragments of rock. This portion 
 of our route continued for several days through dense masses 
 of fallen timber, destroyed by fire, where our progress was 
 very slow — not owing to any difficulty of the mountains, but 
 on account of the fallen timber, which we had first to climb 
 over and then to chop through to enable our horses to step 
 or jump over it. We continued at this work from daybreak 
 till night, and even by moonlight, and reached the Columbia 
 Portage on the 27th of August. 
 
 " On September the 6th I started to recross these moun- 
 tains by the Kootonay Pass (the eighth upon the above list). 
 This is frequently used, but not the general pass of the 
 Kootonay Indians, who have a preferable one in American 
 territory. 
 
 " On the 7th of September we passed the height of land — a 
 formidable ascent, where we had to walk and lead the horses 
 for two hours. This is the height of land which constitutes 
 the watershed. We encamped for the night in a small 
 prairie after making a considerable descent. 
 
 " On the 8th of September our course continued through 
 woods and swamps, for about 15 miles, till we reached another 
 ascent. This was also a severe ascent, though not so for- 
 midable as that of the day previous ; we reached its summit 
 about four o'clock through a severe snow-storm (this in Sep- 
 tember), the snow falling so fast as to make me very appre- 
 hensive of losing the track. We descended that evening, 
 and camped on the eastern side, and next day arrived at the 
 eastern extremity of the pass. I regret that I cannot give 
 the altitudes of this pass, as our barometer was broken by 
 one of the horses. It is, however, far from being so favour- 
 able as the more northern, by which I entered on Kananaskis 
 Kiver, which has but one obstacle, in the height ol land, to 
 
Chap. XIII. PASSES OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 365 
 
 overcome, and where the whole line is free from swamps and 
 marshes." * 
 
 Dr. Hector, accompanying the same expedition, in speak- 
 ing of the Vermilion Pass (the fifth upon the list), says 
 of it : " On the 20th I crossed Bow Biver without swimming 
 the horses or unloading the packs, and, after six hours' 
 march through thick woods, reached the height of land the 
 same afternoon. The ascent to the watershed from the Sas- 
 katchewan is hardly perceptible to the traveller who is 
 prepared for a tremendous climb, by which to reach the 
 dividing ridge of the Eocky Mountains ; and no labour would 
 be required, except that of having timber, to construct an easy 
 road for carts, by which it might be attained." 
 
 Of the Beaver, or Kicking-Horse Pass (fourth upon our 
 list), he says : " The bottom of the valley (that of the Kou- 
 tanay Kiver) is occupied by so much morass, that we were 
 obliged to keep along the slope, although the fallen timber 
 rendered it very tedious work, and severe for our poor horses, 
 
 that now had their legs covered with cuts and bruises 
 
 On the 31st of August we struck the valley of the Kicking- 
 Horse Kiver, travelling as fast as we could get our jaded 
 horses to go and as I could bear the motion [he had been 
 badly kicked by a horse]. On the 2nd Sept. we reached 
 the height of land. In doing so we ascended 2021 feet. 
 Unlike the Vermilion Eiver, the Kicking-Horse Kiver, 
 although rapid, descends more by a succession of falls than 
 by a gradual slope. Just before we attained the height of 
 land, we ascended more than 1000 feet in about a mile, down 
 which the stream leaps in a succession of cascades." t 
 
 I cannot do better than conclude the consideration of this 
 question of an overland passage to British Columbia with the 
 following extract from the Report of Captain Palliser to the 
 Secretary of State for the Colonies, in 1859 : — 
 
 * Letter to Captain Palliser, June 8, 1858 ; « Blue Book,' p. 33. 
 t Letter of Dr. Hector, p. 38. 
 
366 CAPT. PALLISER'S REPOKT. Chap. XIII. 
 
 " In answer to the third query contained in your Lord- 
 ship's letter, viz., ' What means of access exist for British 
 immigrants to reach this settlement?' I think there are no 
 means to be recommended save those via the United States. 
 The direct route from England via York Factory (Hudson's 
 Bay), and also that from Canada via Lake Superior, are 
 too tedious, difficult, and expensive for the generality of 
 settlers. The manner in which natural obstacles have iso- 
 lated the country from all other British possessions in the 
 East is a matter of considerable weight ; indeed it is the 
 obstacle of the country, and one, I fear, almost beyond the 
 remedies of art. The egress and ingress to the settlement 
 from the east is obviously by the Red River valley and 
 through the States." 
 
 Further on the same subject Captain Blakiston writes : " In 
 answer to the fourth query contained in your Lordship's 
 letter, viz., ' Whether, judging from the explorations you 
 have already made, the country presents such facilities for the 
 construction of a railway as would at some period, though 
 possibly a remote one, encourage Her Majesty's Government 
 in the belief that such an undertaking, between the Atlantic 
 and Pacific Oceans, could ever be accomplished ? ' I have no 
 hesitation in saying that no obstacles exist to the construc- 
 tion of a railway from Eed River to the eastern base of the 
 Rocky Mountains ; and probably the best route would be 
 found in the neighbourhood of the south branch of the Sas- 
 katchewan. An amount of capital very small in proportion 
 to the territory to be crossed would be sufficient to accomplish 
 the undertaking so far; but the continuation of a railway 
 across the Rocky Mountains would doubtless require a con- 
 siderable outlay. 
 
 "In my letter to Her Majesty's Government, dated 7th 
 Oct., 1858, 1 have referred to two passes examined by myself 
 and Mr. Sullivan, my secretary, both of which I found prac- 
 ticable for horses right across the chain of the Rocky Moun- 
 
Chap. XIII. CAPT. PALLISEE'S BEPORT. 367 
 
 tains to the Columbia Kiver, and that a small outlay would 
 render the more northern one practicable for carts, and even 
 waggons. 
 
 " On the return of Dr. Hector from his branch expedition, 
 I found he had also crossed the mountains as far as the 
 valley of the Columbia Kiver. by the Vermilion Pass, which 
 leaves the valley of the Bow Kiver nearer to its source than 
 the pass I had myself traversed. In that pass he had 
 observed a peculiarity which distinguishes it from the others 
 we had examined, viz., the absence of any abrupt step at the 
 commencement of the descent to the west, both ascent and 
 descent being gradual. This, combined with the low alti- 
 tude* of the greatest elevation passed over, led him to 
 report very favourably upon the facilities of this pass for the 
 clearing of a waggon-road ; and even that the project of a 
 railroad by this route across the Kocky Mountains might be 
 reasonably entertained." 
 
 Before taking leave of this subject, I think it but right to 
 correct another impression which appears likely to mislead 
 the public. This is, that the quantity of buffalo on the 
 route proposed to be taken by the bubble Overland Tran- 
 sit Company is so great as to render it impossible for a 
 man, with a gun in his hand to starve. Now, although enor- 
 mous herds of buffaloes may be met with — indeed Captain 
 Palliser writes of them, "The whole region as far as the 
 eye could reach was covered with buffaloes in bands varying 
 from hundreds to thousands " — yet it is quite possible for the 
 traveller to die of slow starvation and exhaustion without 
 seeing one. Dr. Rae, the eminent Arctic traveller, informed 
 me that he spent three weeks in these plains with a party of 
 gentlemen, and that during that time they saw nothing larger 
 than a beaver, and only shot two martens ! 
 
 Again we have seen that Dr. Hector was glacl to travel 
 
 * Kananaskis Pass. 
 
368 DIFFICULTY OF GETTING MEAT. Chap. XIII. 
 
 21 out of 24 hours for want of food ; and in a letter of 
 Captain Palliser, written in the midsummer of 1858, he 
 says : " On my arrival at the Bow Fort, I found my hunters 
 waiting for me. They had been out in every direction, but 
 could not fall in with buffalo. They had also found elk and 
 deer very scarce." In the same letter we also find him 
 writing: "Owing to the absence of buffalo during the 
 winter, my hunters, as well as those belonging to the Fort, 
 have had to go to great distances in order to get meat, which 
 they obtained in such small quantities, that the Hudson Bay 
 Company's officer in charge of this post was obliged to scatter 
 the men, with their families, all over the plains in search of 
 food. Even Dr. Hector and Mr. Sullivan were obliged to 
 leave this post and go to Forts Pitt and Edmonton in order 
 to lessen the consumption of meat, of which the supply there 
 was quite inadequate. Fortunately, however, the winter 
 has been an unusually mild one, otherwise the consequences 
 might have been very serious indeed." 
 
 Speaking of the mountains on the west side, Captain 
 Palliser also remarks : " The fact is, the knowledge the 
 Indians possess of the mountains is very small; and even 
 among those said to ' know the mountains,' their knowledge 
 is very limited indeed. This is easily accounted for by the 
 scarcity of the game, which offers no inducement for the 
 Indians to go there." 
 
 Dr. Hector also writes: "While traversing this valley, 
 since coming on the Kootanie Kiver, we have had no trail to 
 follow, and it did not seem to have been frequented by 
 Indians for years. This makes the absence of game all the 
 more extraordinary. The only animal which seemed to occur 
 at all was the panther. The Indians saw one ; and in the 
 evening we heard them calling, as they skirted round our 
 camp, attracted by the smell." 
 
 To this testimony of others, I may add my own experience. 
 I have travelled 600 miles in British Columbia without seeing 
 
Chap. XTIF. ROUTE TN AMERICAN TERRITORY. 369 
 
 anything larger than grouse, or having the chance of more 
 than half-a-dozen shots at them. I have also had occasion 
 to speak of death by starvation among the Indians. This 
 has been by no means uncommon of late, since they have 
 neglected the culture of their land for the more alluring 
 search after gold. If, then, the native of these plains finds it 
 impossible to support life upon the wild animals frequenting 
 it, what chance, under similar circumstances, could the artisan 
 or the peasant, fresh from the loom or plough, be expected to 
 have ? 
 
 The last of the routes which I have to consider is that 
 across the continent in American territory. A way between 
 New York and San Francisco has been for some time open, 
 and so regular and speedy is the transmission of mails by it, 
 that the American postal subsidy has been taken away from 
 the Panama Steam Company, and given to the Overland. 
 The traveller by this route proceeds by rail to St. Louis 
 on the border of Illinois and Missouri. Thence by stage 
 across Missouri to St. Joseph, by the Missouri Kiver to 
 Omaha city, and from there across Nebraska and Utah to 
 the Great Salt Lake city. From Utah the route passes 
 southward of the Humboldt Mountains to Carson city and 
 into California. A telegraph now runs along the whole of 
 this line, while a stage-coach goes three times and the pony- 
 express twice a week — the latter making the journey in 
 about seventeen days. The whole distance from New York 
 to San Francisco is about 3000 miles, of which 900 are 
 travelled over by rail. 
 
 From San Francisco the traveller can reach his destination 
 by land through California and Oregon to Portland, and 
 thence by steamer to Victoria : or via the Columbia River to 
 Walla-Walla and thence through Okanagan across to the 
 Thompson River, and so direct to the mines. This route 
 across the continent is considered pretty safe, and I know a 
 
 2 B 
 
370 CHARACTER OF COAST LINE, Chap. XIIT. 
 
 lady who crossed by it ; but the mails are sometimes waylaid 
 by Indians, and the passengers murdered or ill-treated. 
 
 Before treating of the mineral resources of British Columbia, 
 I will endeavour to describe its physical aspect. The coast 
 of British Columbia is fringed with dense forest, some- 
 times growing on low ground, but generally covering moun- 
 tain-ridges of all shapes, which terminate in numbers of 
 irregular peaks shooting up in every possible form and in 
 heights varying from 1000 to 10,000 feet. All these ridges 
 and peaks have the same general appearance, being composed 
 of trappean or granitic rocks and covered with pine-trees to 
 the height of 3000 or 4000 feet, and sometimes higher. Here 
 and there the constant fires caused by the carelessness of 
 the Indians have stripped the branches from all the trees 
 on a hill-side, leaving nothing but scorched trunks standing 
 on the blackened rock; while in other places they appear 
 stripped in the same way from top to bottom of a mountain, 
 the whiteness of the trunk, however, forbidding the notion 
 of fire. The reason of this phenomenon, which was of frequent 
 occurrence in the inlets, caused us much speculation. The 
 conclusion arrived at was, that it was caused by a slide of 
 frozen snow from the mountain's summit. These mountain- 
 ridges are divided at intervals all along the coast by the long 
 inlets of which I have before spoken. 
 
 Behind all these minor ranges and inland of the heads of 
 the inlets, the Cascade Kange runs nearly parallel with the 
 coast, and at a distance of 60 to 100 miles from it, forming 
 a barrier but too effectual to shut out intruders into the 
 Eldorado that lies beyond it. The highest peak of this range 
 is Mount Baker, situated in latitude 48° 44' N. and con- 
 sequently upon American territory. Its height is 10,700 feet, 
 and it forms a prominent feature in the view from any part 
 of the Strait of Fuca or Gulf of Georgia. Though, as I have 
 mentioned when describing the inlets of the coast, there is 
 
Chap. XIII, THE CASCADE RANGE. 371 
 
 usually a valley, sometimes of considerable extent, at the 
 head of these sea-arms, the Cascade Mountains, as far as 
 explorations have yet been carried, appear always to bar 
 approach to the country beyond. Sometimes they recede 
 from the coast so much that it is possible to steam 40 or 50 
 miles inland ; but in time the mountains are sure to be found 
 closing in and barring farther progress. The valley of the 
 Fraser Kiver forms the single exception to this rule. Here 
 the river has certainly mastered the rocks, and, attacking 
 them from the rear, cut itself a devious way to the sea. But 
 it has done no more, the rocks so closing in upon its course 
 that, as in the canons I have described, there is hardly footing- 
 left for a goat along the high precipitous banks. 
 
 These coast-mountains have as yet been imperfectly exa- 
 mined, and little therefore is known of their geological 
 formation or mineral resources. Dr. Wood, who, it will be 
 remembered, accompanied me on my excursion inland from 
 Jervis Inlet, says of those we passed on that occasion, " On 
 the right side of the upper arm of Jervis Inlet the mountains, 
 against whose sides the sea washes, give indications of being- 
 composed of porphyritic granite ; the granite rocks generally 
 are deeply imbued with copper oxides ; their veins of white 
 quartz are frequently seen intersecting the granite. The 
 rocks forming the sides of the second inlet, some six or eight 
 miles distant, are more rugged and precipitous, and consist 
 generally of a strongly micaceous quartzose granite. A 
 mountain-stream which we crossed, presented in the granite 
 and trap boulders, which formed its bed, singularly rich 
 specimens of iron pyrites without any observable indications 
 of other metals. Upon another mountainous stream which 
 we crossed, I saw the largest boulder of quartz (transported) 
 I ever witnessed ; it must have been four or five tons' weight, 
 and was deeply stained on one side with oxides of iron/' 
 During this journey, I perceived indications of nothing but 
 
 2 b 2 
 
372 GEOLOGY OF THE COAST. Chap. XIIT. 
 
 trap and granite, with here and there thin veins of quartz. 
 Indeed, I may say, that all the inlets surveyed by the 
 ' Plumper ' presented the same geological characteristics. 
 Texhada Island, which lies off the entrance of Jervis Inlet, is, 
 however, an exception : nearly the whole of the northern end 
 being limestone, mostly blue, but some white and compara- 
 tively soft ; the blue being very hard. I found a few small 
 outcrops of limestone in the entrance of Jervis Inlet after- 
 wards, but they were only thin veins, round which the 
 igneous rock had hardened. Clay-slate frequently occurs in 
 the inlets, but usually in very small outcrops. I have re- 
 marked its occurrence also in the canons of the Fraser Kiver, 
 and Lieut. Palmer, R.E. when in the same range (Cascade) 
 on the Harrison-Lilloett route, says, "From the cursory 
 view I was enabled to take of the general geological character 
 of the country, trappean rocks appear to prevail, consisting 
 principally of greenstone, dense clay-slate (here and there 
 presenting a laminated structure), and compact hornblende. 
 The exposed surfaces of the rocks are generally covered 
 with felspar, and are occasionally stained red with iron, 
 forming an agreeable contrast in the landscape. Quartz- 
 veins permeate the clay -slate in many places, of an average 
 thickness of one to twelve inches; the formation, in fact, 
 would suggest the high probability of metalliferous deposits. 
 The mountains rise bold, rugged, and abrupt, with occasional 
 benches on their sides, on which are found quantities of worn 
 rounded boulders, principally of coarse-grained granite, oc- 
 casionally porphyritic. The granite contains golden-coloured 
 and black mica in large quantities. The crystals of felspar 
 in the porphyritic granite are very numerous, but small. 
 The soil appears in many places to have been formed by the 
 decomposition of granite, it being light and sandy and con- 
 taining much mica. 
 
 "Below the soil is very generally found a white compact 
 
Chap. XIII. GEOLOGY OF THE COAST. 373 
 
 mass, very hard and approaching to a conglomerate, containing 
 pebbles of every description in a matrix of decomposed clay- 
 slate. Lime seems wanting even in the conglomerate, and 
 I saw no traces of limestone or sandstone all along the 
 route, though I understand there is plenty of the former at 
 Pavilion.* " 
 
 Along the coast, between Jervis Inlet and Desolation 
 Sound, the appearance of the rocks changes somewhat, and 
 quartz and slate predominate. 
 
 Speaking of Desolation Sound, Mr. Downie says, " This is 
 the first time I have seen pure veins of sulphuret of iron, 
 which looks very much like silver. ... I came across a 
 number of seams of the same kind; it lies in quartz, the 
 same as gold. I have no idea that the gold is confined to 
 the Fraser Kiver alone ; and if it can only be found from the 
 seaboard, or on the rivers at the head of some of these inlets, 
 the country will soon be prospected." At the head of the 
 same inlet, he says, " I have seen more black sand here in 
 half a day than I did in California in nine years; it looks 
 clear and bright, as if it came from quartz." f Seeing it was 
 out of the question to proceed farther, we put back, and came 
 down along shore, breaking and trying the rocks, finding 
 much iron pyrites and sulphuret of iron, but no gold. 
 
 In Knight's Inlet I have mentioned plumbago as having 
 been found ; and on Queen Charlotte's Island (which may be 
 regarded, in common with the rest of these islands, as chips 
 off the coast), gold-bearing quartz and coal. 
 
 Of the geological features of the interior little is yet 
 known. Wherever I have been, the same trappean rocks 
 predominate as on the coast, except at and around Pavilion, 
 220 miles up the Fraser, where limestone occurs in large 
 quantities. In the Cariboo district Mr. Nind, the Gold 
 
 * ' Blue Book,' part iii. p. 48, and ' Geographical Journal,' 1861, p. 231. 
 f It is in this black sand that the loose gold is usually found. 
 
374 GEOLOGY OF THE INTERIOR. Chap. XIII. 
 
 Commissioner, gays he has observed " masses of quartz ; " 
 and when travelling near the Antler Creek, in the valley of 
 which some of the richest diggings occur, he says, " The 
 streams I passed were very numerous ; and where it was 
 possible, from the falling in of the ice and snow, to observe 
 their beds, I noticed the same characteristics of large quartz 
 boulders and a kind of slate-rock, covered with red gravel, 
 said to bear a close resemblance to the rich auriferous beds 
 of the streams of the southern mines of California. 
 
 Of the Semilkameen district, in the southern part of the 
 colony, Lieutenant Palmer, K.E., in his Keport quoted 
 before, writes : — " The geological character of the several 
 districts (Fort Hope and Fort Colville) is throughout very 
 uniform, the rocks belonging principally to the igneous and 
 metamorphic series. The bulk of Manson Mountain * appears 
 to be granite, tipped with slate ; here and there presenting 
 particles of white indurated clay, found, on examination, to 
 contain fragments of white quartz. 
 
 " This formation may be said to consist of granite, with its 
 felspar decomposed and reduced to a state of indurated clay ; 
 it extends to the dividing ridge of the Cascades, and partly 
 into the valley of the Tulameen. In the latter valley may 
 be seen vast masses of white quartz ; in all probability the 
 exposed face of the rock, winch, with granite, constitutes a 
 large portion of the district, extending into the Semilkameen 
 valley. 
 
 " On approaching the summit of the Tulameen range, the 
 quartz partially disappears, and is replaced by a species of 
 variegated sandstone, in which traces of iron occur. To 
 what extent the sandstone prevailed I had no opportunity 
 of judging, the weather being snowy while I was there, and 
 the rocks, as a rule, imbedded in peaty turf. 
 
 * A mountain a few miles north of Fort Hope. 
 
Chap. XIII. GEOLOGY OF THE INTERIOR. 375 
 
 " As we leave the Tulameen Mountains, and descend into 
 the valley below, indurated clay appears to predominate to a 
 considerable extent. This clay varies in character as we 
 approach the Vermilion Forks ; a portion I noticed near that 
 point being a white silicate of alumina mixed with sand. 
 On one specimen which I picked up were the fossil remains 
 of the leaves of the hemlock. 
 
 "Further down, in the Semilkameen valley, the clay 
 acquires a slaty texture, and becomes stained with iron, to a 
 greater or less extent. Blue clay also exists, only, however, 
 in small quantities. 
 
 " The mountains bordering the Semilkameen consist chiefly 
 of granite, greenstone, and quartz, capped with blue and 
 brown clay-slate. The beds of both the Tulameen and 
 Semilkameen are covered with boulders of granite, of every 
 description and colour ; of greenstone and of trap, and vary 
 in form and size. 
 
 " Boulders of the same character prevail on the river- 
 bottoms, to a greater or less extent. Like that of most of 
 the other explored parts of British Columbia, the geological 
 character of this region appears to indicate the high proba- 
 bility of auriferous deposits. In the lower portion of the 
 Semilkameen, and near the ' Big Bend,' gold was discovered 
 shortly after I passed through, by some of the men attached to 
 the United States Boundary Commission. Keport pronounced 
 the discovery a valuable one, as much as 40 dollars to the hand 
 being taken out in three hours, without proper mining-tools ; 
 but I cannot speak positively as to the truth of this state- 
 ment, neither could I discover whether the place spoken of 
 was in British or American possessions. Probability would 
 suggest the former. Beyond Osoyoos Lake* I did not 
 deem it necessary to pay much attention to the geological 
 
 * A lake in the Okanagan River, which falls just on the boundary line. 
 
376 GEOLOGY OF THE INTERIOR. Chap. XUI. 
 
 character of the country, the route lying almost entirely in 
 American possessions. Suffice it to say that but few features 
 of interest presented themselves, and that in no place did I 
 see any sign of stratified rocks." 
 
 The only part of the country which can be said to have been 
 geologically surveyed, is the neighbourhood of the Harrison 
 Lake and the portage which lies between Port Douglas and Lil- 
 loett. In the summer of 1860, Dr. Forbes, of H.M.S. < Topaze,' 
 undertook this service ; and his Eeport contains, among other 
 things, much valuable information as to the existence of silver 
 there. Of the Harrison Lake, he says : " At the mouth of the 
 stream (on the east side of the lake) and extending on both 
 sides along the shore of the lake, were water-worn boulders 
 of granitic and quartzose rocks ; gneiss, with garnets ; mica- 
 schist, with garnets; pieces of good roofing-slate, together 
 with masses of a pure white quartz, containing excellent 
 indications of metal. The mountain, the top of which is 
 somewhat rounded in its outline, having a flat surface to the 
 westward, and a remarkable pinnacle or finger-like rock at 
 its immediate base, is composed of trap ; having resting upon 
 it, and tilted at a high angle, micaceous, talcose, and horn- 
 blendic schists, all highly charged with iron, the oxidation of 
 which has produced disintegration of these rocks. At a 
 point 500 yards from the mouth of the stream, on its proper 
 right bank, a mass of trachytic rock has been erupted, 
 shattering the surrounding rocks, itself much shaken and 
 shattered; great masses, dislodged by weather and other 
 causes, having slipped and rolled to the bottom of the ravine. 
 
 " In this rock, of volcanic origin, was found a mass of 
 quartz, of a beautiful white colour, containing good indica- 
 tions of silver and copper; which indications proved true, 
 for, on assaying a specimen by the reducing process, a 
 globule of each of these metals showed itself. The mass 
 or vein of quartz dips northerly, beneath the overlying 
 
Chap. XIII. GEOLOGY OF THE INTERIOR. 377 
 
 trachytic rocks. It is wedge-shaped, the thickness increasing 
 with the depth. From it, in all directions, radiate veins of 
 quartz ; which, guarded on each side by a fissile rock, of a 
 French-grey colour, permeate the mass of trachyte in all 
 directions. Those only which run north and south are metal- 
 liferous ; the east and west veins, or cross courses, are barren. 
 .... I proceeded to examine the veins, seriatim, as they 
 radiated from the great central mass. Iiising in a north- 
 westerly direction is a quartz-vein, running through or along 
 with the fissile rock above alluded to, containing ores of 
 silver; and to the right, having the same north-west and 
 "south-east direction, about 200 yards above the 'mother 
 vein,' a quartz-vein shows itself in the broken precipitous 
 face of the continuing trachytic rock. It rims between two 
 great bands of French-grey coloured rock, separated from it 
 by masses of partially decomposed pyrites; which besides, in 
 a band about three inches in thickness, accompanies the 
 quartz-vein throughout its course. 
 
 "Besides these masses and bands of iron pyrites, masses of 
 a dark-green chlorite rock occur; and nodules containing 
 Bulphuret of silver are clearly discernible, both in the vein 
 itself and the rock through which it passes. 
 
 " Following the ravine, and at the same time ascending, I 
 found, at an elevation of about 600 or 700 feet, another 
 quartz-vein, of the same character, dipping in the same direc- 
 tion, and belonging to the same system ; and, from the nume- 
 rous angular fragments of quartz and quartzose rocks ever} r - 
 where scattered about, I believe there are numerous other 
 veins, which I had not time to look for or explore. I worked 
 into the quartz- matrix and its ramifying veins, and satisfied 
 myself of the existence of silver at this spot, which, however, 
 will require somewhat extensive mining-operations to procure 
 in paying quantities. The geological character of this loca- 
 lity affords a good type of the general formation of the whole 
 
378 GEOLOGY OF THE INTERIOR. Chap. XIII. 
 
 eastern side of the lake, and may here be briefly described 
 as a region of primary, metamorphic, and volcanic rocks, 
 crossed and recrossecl by trappean dykes and veins, and 
 seams of metalliferous quartz and quartzose rocks. The 
 primary and igneous rocks, which form the central axis of 
 the mountain-range, have on their flanks transverse ridges 
 and spurs of trappean rock, bedded and jointed ; resting on 
 which, at various angles, lie the metamorphic schistose rocks, 
 which, again broken through, disturbed, and shattered by 
 successive intrusions of volcanic rock, have in many instances 
 undergone a second metamorphosis, and show an amorphous, 
 crystalline structure, accompanied by segregation of metal* 
 into the permeating veins."* 
 
 Speaking of the country that lies farther up the lake, he 
 says : " The great mass of debris in all the slips was composed 
 of plutonic, trappean, and quartz rocks ; all of them full of 
 beautiful groups and strings of crystals of iron pyrites, both 
 massive and in cubes, and all possessing good indications of 
 the proximity of valuable mineral." 
 
 Of the road between Douglas and Lilloett, he observes : 
 " The argentiferous rock is of a pale-blue colour, with masses 
 and strings of quartz running through it. Sulphuret of silver, 
 argentiferous pyrites, and some specks of gold, were to be 
 seen along with iron pyrites in cubes and masses. The vein 
 runs through trap, which, when in contact with the vein, is 
 of a trachytic character. Great volcanic disturbances have 
 taken place, numerous faults existing in the trappean range, 
 which runs in parallel ridges north and south, slips and slides 
 having taken place in the planes of bedding ; and the bluff 
 in which this metalliferous rock is found appears to be the 
 result of a great slip from the boundary range of the valley 
 on its eastern side." Of the whole way to the Hot Springs 
 
 * ' Blue Book,' part iv. p. 33. 
 
Chap. XIII. GEOLOGY OF THE INTERIOR. 379 
 
 on the Douglas road, 23 miles from Port Douglas, he says : 
 "The geological formation is trap of various characters in 
 reference to its crystallization and bedding; in some cases 
 both these characteristics very perfect, in others less so. 
 Metamorphic rock, altered and disturbed by its intrusion, 
 permeating quartzose veins, in some cases metalliferous, in 
 others not so, run through the whole formation. Near the 
 Hot Springs an erupted granite-rock, having a highly crys- 
 talline trap on both flanks, occurs, which extending eastward 
 has relation to the granitic rock developed in the argentiferous 
 formation at Fort Hope, if indeed it be not the same. 
 
 " Trap rises in lofty precipices on the western side of the 
 river (Lilloett River), and continues on the east, resting on a 
 rocky range of white-coloured stone, winch, on examination, 
 proved to be a siiicious rock, containing a few indications of 
 copper. The formation on the western side of the river indi- 
 cates that these veins (quartz) pass along a ravine winch dips 
 to the river-bed, under which they pass to rise again. The 
 most promising vein is a quartzose mass, 6 feet in thickness, 
 bedded in and running along with a siiicious rock, having 
 masses and fragments of talcose schist in the immediate 
 vicinity. The quartz contained strings of sulphuret of silver, 
 and is, I believe, the outcrop of a valuable mine." * 
 
 Summing up these indications, Dr. Forbes remarks : " The 
 elevation of all these ranges is due to the action of volcanic 
 forces, causing, in the first place, in this north-west and 
 south-east line, a slow and gradual upheaval of the primary 
 and igneous rocks composing the crust of the earth. Then, 
 as these forces increased in intensity, upheavals and dis- 
 turbances of the mountain masses occurred, both generally 
 and locally, until the geographical features of the country 
 assumed their present aspect, viz. great mountain-chains, 
 
 * 'Blue Book,' part iv. p. 39. 
 
380 COAL-MEASURES. Chap. XIII. 
 
 running north-west and south-east, having, at right-angles to 
 their axis of elevation, trappean rocks running east and west 
 in transverse spurs and ridges. Besting on these spurs, tilted 
 by them at various angles, are detached and broken masses 
 of metamorphic rock of various kinds, such as clay-slate, 
 micaceous, hornblendic, talcose, and chlorite schists, all per- 
 meated by dykes and veins of erupted rock, which, in many 
 instances, have changed the metamorphic rocks at the points 
 of contact into amorphous semi-crystalline masses." 
 
 I have before mentioned the discovery of coal at other 
 places than Nanaimo, where it is now worked. All the 
 north end of Vancouver Island, indeed, contains coal-mea- 
 sures, and some quantity has been taken out a little way to 
 the northward of Fort Kupert. The specimens we had on 
 board when we were there were considered quite equal to 
 Nanaimo coal, and the Indians brought some from the main- 
 land opposite, which was also very good. In 1859, coal was 
 found in Coal Harbour, Burrard Inlet, and we took six bags 
 from the outcrop there, upon the quality of which the en- 
 gineer reported very favourably. It is no exaggeration, 
 indeed, to say that coal exists all along the shores of both 
 colonies; and, when any of the inlets become of sufficient 
 importance to make the work remunerative, there is no doubt 
 it will be found in working position and sufficient quan- 
 tities. At Nanaimo the seams have lately been tested by 
 bores with the most satisfactory result; and, quite lately, 
 it has been found close to the water's edge on one of 
 the islands 40 or 50 miles north of that place. In the begin- 
 ning of last year, Mr. Nicol, the manager of the coal-mines 
 at Nanaimo writes : " We have got the coal in a bore nearly 
 5 feet thick. I have now fully proved 1,000,000 tous. 
 A shaft 50 or 52 fathoms deep will reach the coal; dip, 
 1 in 7 ; a very good working seam. I have no doubt there 
 is another seam underlying this one, of an inexhaustible 
 
Chap. XIII. CHARACTER OF THE COAL. • 381 
 
 extent. I have got the outcrop inland, and, from dip to 
 strike, I am sure it is about 30 fatlioms below ; so that by 
 continuing the same shaft, if necessary, another larger seam 
 containing millions will be arrived at ; but the first seam will 
 last my life, even with very large works. With about 5000/. 
 or 8000/. I could get along well, and start a business doing 
 from 60,000 to 100,000 tons a year. The price is 25s. to 
 28s. alongside the ship." 
 
 It will give a better idea of the comparative cheapness of 
 this coal if I say that at San Francisco the Nanaimo coal sells 
 from 12 to 15 dollars (21. 8s. to 3/.), while the cheapest good 
 English coal cost, when I was there, 20 dollars, or 4:1. a ton, 
 and it had been worth more than that. At Panama the U. S. 
 frigate ' Saranac ' had to lay in some coal, and paid 35 dollars 
 (7/.) a ton for it. I happened to be in San Francisco later, 
 when the same vessel came there to be docked. The coal 
 was taken out to lighten the ship, and it was so bad and 
 dusty that it was not considered worth taking on board 
 again. 
 
 Mr. Bauermann, the geologist of the Boundary Expedition, 
 says of the Nanaimo coal : " Two seams of coal, averaging 6 
 or 8 feet each in thickness, occur in these beds, and are 
 extensively worked for the supply of the steamers running 
 between Victoria and Fraser Biver. The coal is a soft black 
 lignite, of a dull earthy fracture, interspersed with small 
 lenticular bands of bright crystalline coal, and resembles 
 some of the duller varieties of coal produced in the South 
 Derbyshire and other central coalfields in England. 
 
 " In some places it exhibits the peculiar jointed structure, 
 causing it to split into long prisms, observable in the brown 
 coal of Bohemia. For economic purposes these beds are 
 very valuable. The coal burns freely, and yields a light 
 pulverescent ash, giving a very small amount of slag and 
 clinker." * 
 
 * ' Geological Society's Journal, I860,' p. 201. 
 
382 NANAIMO COAL COMPANY. Chap. XIIT. 
 
 These beds were first brought to notice in 1850 by the 
 Indians bringing some coal to one of the Hudson Bay Com- 
 pany's agents. This was found on Newcastle Island, in the 
 harbour, and they said they had seen the same on the main- 
 land. It proved to come from the outcrop of the Douglas 
 seam, which was afterwards found to cross the harbour to the 
 island mentioned, where some of the best coal is now taken 
 out. Since its discovery it has been worked by a Company 
 known as the Nanaimo Coal Company, which, however, was 
 really under the management of the Hudson Bay Company's 
 officials. Quite recently, however, a new Company has been 
 formed, who have purchased good-will, stock and fixtures. It 
 is to be hoped that better fortune will attend this enter- 
 prise. Strange enough, whatever else than furs the Hudson 
 Bay Company meddle with appears almost invariably to 
 prove a failure. They mismanaged affairs at Nanaimo, 
 certainly. Good and expensive machinery was sent and 
 fixed, but sufficient capital to work it was not forthcoming ; 
 so that the managers were impeded at the outset and, not 
 enabled to develop the resources of the place. 
 
 The greatest objection to the Nanaimo coal is its dust and 
 dirt. It burns well, however, and H.M.S. 'Satellite' was 
 able to get better steam with it than with any other coal. 
 We used it constantly in the ' Plumper ' for four years with- 
 out having any other reason of complaint than the dirt arising 
 from it. One of the originators of the new Company which 
 has taken these mines assures me that one valuable quality 
 of this coal is its adaptability for making gas. At San Fran- 
 cisco and in Oregon it is preferred for this purpose to any 
 other coal, on account of its being so highly bituminous. It 
 may be remarked, that the deeper the workings at Nanaimo 
 are carried the better the quality of the coal becomes. 
 
 The natural resources of British Columbia, however, 
 independently of its mineral wealth, are such as to make it 
 well worthy of the consideration of agricultural settlers. 
 
Chap. XIII. "ROLLING COUNTRY" OF THE INTERIOR, 383 
 
 After the Cascade Kange is passed, or from Lytton upwards, 
 the country assumes an entirety different aspect from that 
 of the coast. The dense pine-forests cease, and the land 
 becomes open, clear, and in the spring and summer time 
 covered with bunch-grass, which affords excellent grazing fur 
 cattle. Although this country may rightly be called open, 
 that word should not be understood in the sense in which an 
 Australian settler, for instance, would accept it. There are 
 no enormous prairies here, as there, without a hill or wood 
 to break the monotony of the scene far as the eye can 
 reach. It is rather what the Californianfl term "rolling 
 country," broken up into pleasant valleys and sheltered by 
 mountain-ridges of various height. These hills are usually 
 well clothed with timber, but with little, if any, undergrowth. 
 The valleys are generally clear of wood, except along the 
 banks of the streams which traverse them, on which there is 
 ordinarily a sufficiency of willow, alder, &c, to form a shade 
 for cattle. The timber upon the hills is very light, com- 
 pared with its growth upon the coast ; indeed, there is nothing- 
 more than the settler requires for building, fuel, and fencing. 
 Several farms are now established in different parts of the 
 country. I have mentioned one at Pavilion in the account of 
 my journey there, and since there have been greater facilities 
 for obtaining land many others have, I believe, been started. 
 Mr. McLean, wdio was in charge of Fort Kamloops, when I 
 visited it, has since left the Company's service, and culti- 
 vates a farm near the Chapeau Eiver. He has been many 
 years' in the country, and at Kamloops carried on consider- 
 siderable farming operations on behalf of the Company. 
 Governor Douglas, speaking of this district, over which I 
 travelled in 1859, viz. that of the Thompson, Buonaparte, 
 and Chapeau rivers, says : — 
 
 "The district comprehended within those limits is ex- 
 ceedingly beautiful and picturesque, being composed of a 
 succession of hills and valleys, lakes and rivers, exhibiting 
 
384 VALUABLE GRAZING COUNTRY. Chap. XIIT. 
 
 to the traveller accustomed to the endless forests of the coast 
 districts the unusual and grateful spectacle of miles of green 
 hills crowning slopes and level meadows, almost without a 
 bush or tree to obstruct the view, and even to the very hill- 
 tops producing an abundant growth of grass. It is of great 
 value as a grazing district, — a circumstance which appears to 
 be thoroughly understood and appreciated by the country 
 packers, who are in the habit of leaving their mules and 
 horses here when the regular work of packing goods to the 
 mines is suspended for the winter. The animals, even at 
 that season are said to improve in condition, though left to 
 seek their own food and to roam at large over the country : a 
 fact which speaks volumes in favour of the climate and of the 
 natural pastures. It has certainly never been my good for- 
 tune to visit a country more pleasing to the eye, or possessing 
 a more healthy and agreeable climate, or a greater extent of 
 fine pasture-land ; and there is no doubt that, with a smaller 
 amount of labour and outlay than in almost any other 
 colony, the energetic settler may soon surround himself with 
 all the elements of affluence and comfort. Notwithstanding 
 these advantages, such have hitherto been the difficulties of 
 access that the course of regular settlement has hardly 
 yet commenced. 
 
 " A good deal of mining-stock has been brought in for sale, 
 but, with the exception of eight or ten persons, there are no 
 farmers in the district. One of those, Mr. McLean, a native 
 of Scotland, and lately of the Hudson Bay Company's ser- 
 vice, has recently settled in a beautiful spot near the deb'ouche 
 of the Hat River, and is rapidly bringing his land into culti- 
 vation. He has a great number of horses and cattle of the 
 finest American breeds; and, from the appearance of the 
 crops, there is every prospect that his labour and outlay will 
 be well rewarded. He is full of courage, and as confident as 
 deserving of success. He entertains no doubt whatever of 
 the capabilities of the soil, which he thinks will, under 
 
Chap. XTTI. FARMING AT PAVILLOX. 385 
 
 proper management, produce any kind of grain or root crops. 
 The only evil he apprehends is the want of rain, and the 
 consequent droughts of summer, which has induced him to 
 bring a supply of water from a neighbouring stream, by 
 which he can at pleasure irrigate the whole of his fields." 
 
 Again ; Mr. Douglas, in speaking of the farm at Pavilion, 
 which I mentioned in my account of that place, says : — 
 
 " I received an equally favourable report from Mr. Rey- 
 nolds, who commenced a farm at Pavilion in 1859, and has 
 consequently had the benefit of two years' experience. His 
 last crop (I860), besides a profusion of garden vegetables, 
 consisted of oats, barley, turnips, and potatoes, and the pro- 
 duce was most abundant. The land under potatoes yielded 
 375 bushels to the acre. The turnip-crop was no less prolific; 
 one of the roots weighed 26 lbs., and swedes of 15 lbs. and 
 1() lbs. were commonly met with.* He could not give the 
 yield of oats and barley, the greater part having been sold in 
 the sheaf for the mule-trains passing to and from the mines ; 
 but the crop, as was manifest from the weight and length of 
 the straw, which attained a height of fully four feet, was 
 remarkably good. He generally allows his cattle to run at 
 large, and they do not require to be housed or fed in winter. 
 The cold is never severe ; the greatest depth of snow in 1859 
 was 12 inches, and the following winter it did not exceed 6. 
 Ploughing commences about the middle of March.. The 
 summers are generally dry, and Mr. Reynolds is of opinion 
 that irrigation will be found an indispensable application in 
 the process of husbandry in this district. In the dry summer 
 of 1859 he kept water almost constantly running through 
 his fields, but applied it only twice during the summer of 
 1860, when the moisture of the atmosphere proved otherwise 
 sufficient for the crops." t 
 
 * Roots of this weight, and even heavier, are quite common in California and 
 Ore 'gdi). 
 
 t ' Blue Book,' part iv. pp. 54, 55. 
 
 2 c 
 
386 CLIMATE CHANGED BY CULTIVATION. Chap. XIII. 
 
 Although the irrigation spoken of as necessary may appear 
 a great drawback, it is not so really ; for so numerous are the 
 streams all over the country, and in such a variety of direc- 
 tions do they run, that very little care will enable a man so 
 to lay out his fields that he may always have plenty of water 
 at his command. The Governor remarked this. " The 
 numerous streams," he says, "which permeate the valleys 
 of tins district afford admirable facilities for inexpensive 
 irrigation. So bountiful, indeed, has Nature been in this 
 respect, that it is hardly an exaggeration to say that there is 
 a watercourse or rivulet for every moderate-sized farm that 
 will be opened in the district." * 
 
 I think it will be found, however, that, as civilization ad- 
 vances, as the hill-tops are denuded of trees, and the soil of 
 the valleys is broken up, artificial irrigation will not be so ne- 
 cessary as it now is. Experience elsewhere shows that the 
 climate changes as a country becomes settled ; and already this 
 is felt in other parts of this colony. Last year the rain fell in 
 the summer time much more abundantly than it had been 
 known to do before ; while the winter, in which hitherto all 
 the rain had fallen, was drier. I think that Victoria has 
 seen the last of the regular wet and dry seasons that used 
 to set in, and that henceforth there will be rain throughout 
 the year as in England. The rain also becomes much less 
 partial as settlement progresses. A few years ago we used to 
 have rain at Victoria when not a drop fell at Esqmmalt, three 
 miles off; and I have seen it rain hard on shore on one side 
 of the harbour, when there was none falling on the other. 
 This, however, seldom happens now. 
 
 The country lying south-east of the district we have been con- 
 sidering, is perhaps even richer and more open. I have never 
 visited it myself; but every one whom I have heard speak of 
 it called it the best agricultural district in the colony. It is 
 
 * ' Blue Book,' part iv. pp. 54, 55. 
 
Chap. XTIT. LIEUT. PALMER'S REPORT. 387 
 
 usually called the Semilkameen country, from the river of 
 that name which runs through it ; and it extends from the 
 Nicola Kiver and head-waters of the Thompson, at the 
 Shuswap Lake, down by the Okanagan Lake and River to the 
 boundary line. This region has lately been opened up by 
 a trail cut from Fort Hope through a gorge in the Cascade 
 range of hills, which at that point are called Hanson 
 Mountains; and thence descending upon the Semilkameen 
 and Okanagan Rivers. Beneficial as this trail will be to that 
 district, like most of the mountain-trails of the country, it 
 will only be available from four to six months of the year 
 from the depth of snow in the gorge through which it passes. 
 In September, ft59, Lieutenant Palmer, R.E., w T as sent 
 to examine this trail and, the country adjoining it; and 
 although he reports very favourably on the soil and gene- 
 ral capabilities of it, he thinks the difficulty of obtaining 
 provisions, &c, will deter settlers for some time. Of the soil 
 be says: "The grass is generally of a good quality, the 
 prickly-pear and ground-cactus, the sore enemy to the 
 moccassined traveller, being the surest indication of an 
 approach to an inferior quality. Timber is for the most 
 part scarce, but coppices appear at the sharp bends of 
 the river tolerably well wooded, and abounding in an 
 underbush of willow and wild cherry, while near the base of 
 the mountains it exists in quantities easily procurable, and 
 more than sufficient for the requirements of any settlers who 
 might at some time populate the district. The soil is some- 
 what sandy and light, but free from stones, and generally pro- 
 nounced excellent for grazing and farming ; and though the 
 drought in summer is great, and irrigation necessary, many 
 large portions are already well watered by streams from the 
 mountains, whose fall is so rapid as greatly to facilitate such 
 further irrigation as might be required. In corroboration of 
 my expressed opinion relative to the yielding properties of the 
 soil, I may mention that in spots through which, perchance, 
 
 2 c 2 
 
388 LIEUT. PALMER'S REPORT. Chap. XIII. 
 
 some small rivulet or spring wound its way to the river, wild 
 vegetation was most luxuriant, and grass, some blades of 
 which I measured out of curiosity, as much as nine feet high, 
 well rounded and firm, and a quarter of an inch in diameter 
 at its lower end. The river throughout its course is confined 
 to a natural bed, the banks being steep enough to prevent 
 inundation during the freshets (a favourable omen for agri- 
 culture), and its margin is generally fringed with a con- 
 siderable growth of wood of different kinds." * 
 
 In concluding his report he says: "The present unde- 
 veloped state of British Columbia, and the absence of any 
 good roads of communication with the interior, would pro- 
 bably render futile the attempt to settle the Semilkameen 
 and other valleys in the vicinity of the 49th parallel. Exten- 
 sive crops, it is true, might probably be raised, but the immi- 
 grant would have to depend for other necessaries of life either 
 on such few as might from time to time find their way into 
 the country from Washington territory, or on such as might, 
 during four months in the year, be obtained from Fort Hope 
 and other points on the Fraser River, and either of which 
 could not be obtained but at prices too exorbitant for the 
 pocket of the poor man. It would seem, therefore, that the 
 Buonaparte and Thompson River valleys are the natural 
 starting-points for civilization and settlement. Starting from 
 these points, civilization would gradually creep forward and 
 extend finally to the valleys of the frontier." t 
 
 While quite agreeing with Lieutenant Palmer that the 
 Buonaparte and Thompson valleys have at present the advan- 
 tage of the Semilkameen, I think he overestimates some of 
 the difficulties of settling the latter. The great advantage 
 possessed by the former is in the fact of their lying on the 
 road to the richest diggings now worked in the country 
 (Cariboo). This, of course, enables the farmer to find a near 
 
 * ' Blue Book,' part iii. p. 85. f Ibid. 
 
Chap. XIII. PROSPECTS OF MINING. 389 
 
 and convenient market for his produce ; as, for instance, in one 
 of the reports from which I have quoted, Mr. Reynolds, a 
 farmer there, is said to have sold all or nearly all his oats and 
 barley in the sheaf to the mule-trains trading to the mines. 
 Just now the Semilkameen country, in which very rich 
 diggings were discovered, has been deserted for the superior 
 attractions of Cariboo ; but a lucky find, which is likely to 
 occur at any time, will bring the miners hurrying back again, 
 to the profit, of course, of the settlers farming there. In 
 proof of the probability of this occurring, it may be mentioned 
 that in May 1861, Mr. Cox (the Cold Commissioner at Rock 
 Creek) reports: " We prospected nine streams, all tributaries 
 of the lake (Okanagan), and found gold in each, averaging 
 from thirty to ninety cents a pan." He then mentions other 
 good prospects which have not been made public, "as it would 
 only lead to bad results just at present. The miners in this 
 (Bock Creek) neighbourhood would be easily coaxed off, and 
 the mines now in preparatory condition for being worked, 
 abandoned; improvements going on in buildings or farms 
 would be checked; town lots would be almost unsaleable; in 
 fact, the expected revenue receipt would be seriously interfered 
 with." * 
 
 As to the necessaries and even the luxuries of life, there is 
 no doubt that the settlers in the Semilkameen districts could 
 command them cheaper and more readily than those upon the 
 Upper Fraser, obtaining them as they might across the boun- 
 dary from Wal la- Walla and Colville upon the Columbia Kiver. 
 I have before mentioned that this fact of the Americans carry- 
 ing on a trade across the frontier was a great cause of com- 
 plaint to the British merchants, who, having to take their 
 goods up the Fraser Kiver, found themselves undersold by 
 their more fortunate rivals. To remedy this, in December 
 1860, an order was issued prohibiting the transmission of 
 
 * ' Blue Book,' part iv. p. 50. 
 
390 TRADE AND CLIMATE. Chap. XTII. 
 
 goods across the frontier except at a high rate of duty, and 
 then only " pending the completion of the communications in 
 British Columbia." This prohibitory proclamation was issued 
 because when the Governor visited New Westminster in 
 October 1860, "there was much depression in business circles, 
 and a marked decrease of trade ; .... a casualty gene- 
 rally attributed by business men to the growing overland 
 trade with the possessions of the United States in Oregon and 
 Washington territory, which now supply, on the southern 
 frontier of the colony, a large proportion of the bulky articles, 
 such as provisions and bread-stuffs, consumed in the eastern 
 districts of British Columbia." * This clearly shows that 
 the southern districts of the colony can be more easily sup- 
 plied than any others : while, for agricultural purposes, the 
 advantages of climate there will be a consideration of great 
 weight. 
 
 In the northern part of the colony, from Alexandria 
 upwards, although the soil, wherever it has been tried by the 
 Hudson Bay Company's people, has been found good, the 
 country is too cold and liable to frost, in the early summer, 
 to offer the attractions as a producing district possessed by 
 the country farther south. 
 
 Mr. McLean, however, who lived many years at Alex- 
 andria, told me that he had known a bushel of wheat 
 planted there yield forty bushels ; but this was considerably 
 more than an average produce. Of the Upper posts, Mr. 
 Manson, who was seven years at Fort St. James, told me the 
 soil is good, but the crops, except barley, are almost always 
 nipped by frost. During the whole of his residence there, 
 they only got two crops of potatoes. At Fraser Fort, which 
 is in nearly the same latitude as Fort James, but con- 
 siderably to the westward of it, vegetation thrives much better. 
 and barley, peas, turnips, and potatoes, almost always yield 
 
 * ' Blue Book," pari iii. p. 22. 
 
Chap. XIII. BANKS OF THE LOWER ERASER. 391 
 
 good crops. The country southward of Fraser Fort and down 
 to the Ohilcotin Eiver, I was told by Mr. McLean, as well as 
 by a settler whom I met at Pavilion, contained very good 
 farming-land, but on most of it there are two or three feet of 
 snow every winter : so that these regions will not yet vie with 
 those before spoken of ; for at Pavilion, in the northern part of 
 the Thompson River district, Mr. Reynolds, as I have before 
 mentioned, said they had only twelve inches of snow in the 
 winter of 1859-60, aad only six inches in 18G0-b'l. More- 
 over, in the north the cattle must always be stall-fed in 
 winter. 
 
 Of the banks of the Lower Fraser, between the mouth 
 of the river and Fort Hope, the Governor rates : " The 
 banks of this river are almost every where covered with 
 woods. Varieties of pine, and firs of prodigious size, and 
 Large poplar-trees, predominate. The vine and soft maple, 
 the wild apple-tree, the white and black thorn, and deciduous 
 bushes in great variety, form the massive undergrowth. The 
 vegetation is luxuriant, almost beyond conception, and at this 
 season of the year presents a peculiarly beautiful appearance. 
 The eye never tires of ranging over the varied shades of the 
 . fresh green foliage, mingling with the clustering white flowers 
 of the wild apple-tree, now in full blossom and filling the air 
 with delicious fragrance. As our boat, gliding swiftly over 
 the surface of the smooth waters, occasionally swept beneath 
 the overhanging boughs that form a canopy of leaves imper- 
 vious to the sun's scorching rays, the effect was enchanting." 
 
 Although I have said that the country seaward of the 
 Cascade Range is, as a whole, unfit for agricultural purposes, 
 there are some spots of very fine land near the coast quite suffi- 
 cient to produce all that will for a long time be required by 
 the population there. I have before spoken of the Lilloett 
 meadows at Port Pemberton, and of the valley of the 
 Squawmisht, at the head of Howe Sound, as containing much 
 valuable land. At the mouth of the Fraser, also, there is 
 
392 BANKS OF THE PITT RIVEK. Chap. XIII. 
 
 an extensive plain which is covered in summer with most 
 luxuriant hay, and which, although now flooded when the 
 water is high, might, I think, easily be reclaimed. The hay 
 from this plain has already become a source of considerable 
 profit to some settlers, who cut and send it to Victoria. 
 
 Five miles above New Westminster, on the banks of the 
 Pitt River, are also found extensive clear plains called the 
 Pitt meadows. These will no doubt soon be cultivated 
 for the supply of New Westminster, their only drawback 
 being that many parts are liable to overflow. In 1860 the 
 Governor visited Pitt Lake, from winch the river of that 
 name flows, and, speaking of these meadows, he says : " The 
 banks of the Pitt Eiver are exceedingly beautiful : extensive 
 meadows sweep gracefully from the very edge of the river 
 towards the distant line of forest and mountain. The rich 
 alluvial soil produces a thick growth of grass, interspersed 
 with the Michaelmas daisy, the wild rose, and scattered groups 
 of willows. This fine district contains an area of 20,000 acres 
 of good arable land, requiring no clearing from timber, and 
 ready for the immediate operations of the plough. Many 
 parts of it are, however, exposed to overflow through the 
 periodical inundations of the Eraser, which commence about 
 the first week in June, and generally subside before the 
 middle of July. Owing to this circumstance, the Pitt 
 meadows are not adapted for raising wheat or other cereals 
 which require the entire season to mature ; but it may be 
 turned to good account in growing hay and every kind of 
 root crop, and may also be used extensively for pasturing 
 cattle, and for the purposes of dairy." * 
 
 In addition to these localities, there is a considerable 
 quantity of clear land around, and opposite to, .the deserted 
 city of Derby. Land may now be obtained in British 
 Columbia under the enactments of the new pre-emption 
 
 * 'Blue Book,' part iv. p. 8. 
 
(Jiiap. XIII. THE PRE-EMPTION SYSTEM. 393 
 
 system readily, and at a very low rate, in those parts of the 
 country yet unsurveyed ; which include indeed all but that 
 immediately surrounding the settlements. An intending 
 settler has merely to fix upon the site of his farm, and give 
 such a description of its locality, boundaries, &c, as he is 
 able to the nearest magistrate, paying at the same time a fee 
 of 8*. for its registration. These regulations extend, however, 
 to 160 acres only. A settler desiring to pre-empt a larger 
 quantity than that, must pay down an instalment of 2s. Id. 
 per acre. This payment entitles him to possession of the 
 land until it is surveyed by the Government, when the full 
 value at which it may be assessed — which cannot, however, 
 exceed !x. 2d. an acn — becomes payable. To prevent specu- 
 lators holding large tracts of country, and thus keeping out 
 bonot fide settlers, land held under the pre-emption system 
 cannot be legally sold, mortgaged, or leased, unless the pre- 
 emptor can prove to the magistrate that he has made per- 
 manent improvements on the land to the value of 10s. an 
 acre. As this land-system is of great importance to the 
 intending settler, the latest proclamations upon the subject 
 are given in full in the Appendix. 
 
 On Vancouver Island, although the quantity of agri- 
 cultural land is very small in comparison with that in British 
 Columbia, there are many lovely spots for farms; and the 
 soil, wherever it has been tried, is very fertile. To name all 
 the clear spots on the island would take too much space, and 
 would be of no advantage to the settler unacquainted with 
 the country. I will, therefore, merely speak of the larger 
 tracts which have been examined, and of the system by 
 which these, or any portions of them, may be occupied. 
 
 The districts of Soke and Metchosin, at the south-east 
 extreme of the island, contain a large quantity of good land, 
 much of which is still unsettled. Of the capabilities of this 
 tract, 1 cannot do better than quote the evidence of the late 
 Colonel Grant, who was one of the first immigrants to Van- 
 
3^4 SOKE AND METCHOSIN" DISTRICTS. Chap. XIII. 
 
 couver, and whose farm was in this district. He says that 
 he found the soil produce abundantly, when cultivated, 
 any crops that can be grown in Scotland or England. 
 After describing Soke Harbour, he continues : — " Along the 
 eastern shore there is little or no available land. Fol- 
 lowing the shore of the harbour, we come to no available 
 land until half-way to the Indian village, which is situated 
 at the bend above-mentioned ; round it are a few hundred 
 acres of available woodland. At this point the Soke Eiver 
 discharges itself, which takes its course in two lakes, one 
 about 12 miles in a direct line to the north, and the other 
 about 25 miles up. There are a few patches of open meadow- 
 land near the mouth of the river, on which the Indians grow 
 considerable quantities of potatoes. Small canoes can go up 
 the river to a distance of three miles ; there is a little level 
 land along it at intervals for that distance, consisting of a 
 rich alluvial soil, covered with a magnificent growth of timber. 
 This land, however, where it exists at all, merely extends 
 for a few yards back from the river, and beyond the whole 
 country is utterly unavailable. From the mouth of the river 
 all along the west coast of the harbour, the land is rich and 
 level ; and, though at present covered with woodland, may, 
 doubtless, some day be brought into cultivation. Near the 
 entrance of the harbour, and running from it across a 
 peninsula to the Straits, is a small prairie of 315 acres. 
 The soil in the prairie is a rich, black vegetable mould from 
 three to four feet deep, with a stiff clay subsoil, resting on 
 sandstone, and the surrounding woodland also consists of very 
 rich soil." 
 
 Colonel Grant then proceeds to state that "five square 
 miles, of which 330 acres in all are open land, and the 
 remainder tolerably level woodland, will certainly comprise 
 the whole available land in the district." In this estimate, 
 however, there is no doubt that he is a good deal under 
 the mark. 
 
Chap. XIII. OOWITCHEN A T ALLEY. 395 
 
 Immediately round Victoria, and in the Baanitch district, on 
 the peninsula spoken of before, is much good land ; but this is 
 now all or nearly all settled and under cultivation. The Cow- 
 itchen Valley, which I mentioned in my journal as comprising 
 a very large quantity of available land, was surveyed in 1860, 
 and in the surveyor's report will be found the following re- 
 marks : — "I am firmly persuaded that under a common judi- 
 cious system of farming, as good returns can be obtained from 
 these lands as in any part of the continent of America. The 
 climate, it may be noted, is one especially adapted for the 
 pursuits of agriculture, not being subject to the heats and 
 droughts of California, or to the colds of the other British 
 American provinces and the eastern United States. The 
 loamy soils everywhere possessing a depth of two or three 
 feet, and containing a large proportion of the calcareous 
 principle, are especially eligible for fruit-culture; and the 
 oak-plains around the Somenos and Quamichan lakes,* with 
 a sandy clay subsoil, are exceedingly well adapted for fruit 
 or garden purposes. Among the native/ruits the blackberry, 
 mulberry, raspberry, strawberry, gooseberry, currant, and 
 high bush-cranberry, would require little pains or culture 
 to produce luxuriantly. The varieties of plants are very 
 numerous ; a few only were noted growing on the plains or 
 meadow lands, among which are the following : — Wild pea, 
 wild beans, ground-nut, clover, field-strawberry, wild oat, cut 
 grass, wild timothy, reed meadow-grass, long spear-grass, 
 sweet grass, high ostrich-fern, cowslip, crowfoot, winter cress, 
 partridge-berry, wild sunflower, marigold, wild lettuce, 
 nettles, wild Angelica, wild lily, broad-leafed rush, and reed- 
 bush. The ferns attain a height of six or eight feet, and the 
 grasses all have a vigorous growth. 
 
 " The following are some of the trees or shrubs : — Oak, 
 red or swamp maple, alder, trailing arbutus, bois de Heche, 
 
 * In the Cowiteheu Valley. 
 
396 THE SOMENOS VALLEY. Chap. XIII. 
 
 crab-apple, hazel-nut, red alder, willow, balsam-poplar, pitch- 
 juice, and various other species; balsam-fir, cedar, barberry, 
 wild red cherry, wild blackberry, yellow plum, choke-cherry, 
 black and red raspberry, swamp-rose, bearberry, red elder, 
 mooseberry, snowberry, blueberry, bilberry, whortleberry, 
 cranberry, red and white mulberry. 
 
 "The whole area surveyed is 57,658 acres, of which 45,000 
 acres of plain and prairie land may be set down as superior 
 agricultural lands, the remaining portion being woodland, 
 either open or thick." 
 
 Though I have not perfect confidence in all the details of 
 the gentleman who was charged with this survey, and who 
 was not one of the regular staff, the general outline may be 
 trusted ; and I have given the above extracts to show gene- 
 rally how rich the country is wherever it is free from the 
 heavy timber. The luxuriance of the growth of wild fruits 
 and flowers exceeds that of any country I have ever been in. 
 I do not, of course, mean to compare it with the rank vegeta- 
 tion of the tropics, but I assert that it is more naturally fertile 
 than any region I have ever visited. 
 
 Above the Cowitchen Valley come the Somenos Yalley 
 and the Nanaimo district. In each of these there is much 
 good land. 
 
 Mr. Pearce, the assistant-colonial surveyor, who examined 
 and reported on these districts, divides the land around 
 Nanaimo into four divisions — the Mountain, Cranberry, and 
 Cedar districts, and the Delta plains — estimating them to 
 contain together 43,450 acres. He says of the second of 
 these : — " The soil is sandy, but covered with the most luxu- 
 riant vegetation, fern, wild fruit-bushes, and trees, among 
 which it may be noted the crab-apple and cherry are every- 
 where found. The woods are, for the most part, open, and 
 free from bush and fallen timber, and present quite a tropical 
 appearance. The principal timber is cedar, pine, maple, and 
 poplar, all of which grow to gigantic size, the pine^ rising to 
 
Chap. XIII. THE CEDAR DISTRICT. 397 
 
 100 feet without a branch, and having many distinct and 
 separate tops ; the branches of the cedar grow to the very- 
 ground. Some of these trees measure 27 feet in circum- 
 ference, and are perfectly sound. The maple and poplar- 
 trees are very tall and straight, and average 10 feet in 
 circumference." Of the Cedar district, which contains 11,000 
 acres, he says : — " Nearly the whole of this is available for 
 cultivation. The soil is very fertile, and of a good depth. 
 with a clay subsoil, and abounds in springs of beautiful water. 
 especially along the coast, which are probably caused by the 
 drainage from the lakes in the interior. The south-eastern 
 part is also filled with large lakes, though the land generally 
 IS poor and rocky around them, but the pine, cedar, and 
 maple timber, is all of the finest kind. The lakes are per- 
 fectly full of trout, and the surrounding country abounds with 
 all kind of game before mentioned; i.e., elk, deer, bear, 
 grouse, partridge, wildfowl, crane, and pigeon." Of the 
 Delta plains, which contain about 1000 acres, he says: — 
 "The southern portion consists of rich vegetable soil, of a 
 gnat depth, with a subsoil of muddy clay or loam, the deposit 
 of ages; the north portion is apparently subject at long inter- 
 vals to floods, but is, nevertheless, admirably suited for a 
 stock or grazing farm, or rather farms, bearing a long rich 
 giass, which the Indians annually cut and sell to the settlers 
 at Colville town (Nanaimo)." 
 
 Of the Komoux, Salmon Eiver, and other clear places 
 farther north on the island, I have spoken in the description 
 of my visits to them. According to Mr. Pemberton, the 
 colonial surveyor, there must be a good deal more clear land 
 at Komoux, Courtenay Eiver, than we saw, as he estimates it 
 at 30 square miles. 
 
 At Fort Rupert, which is the most northern spot on the 
 island where cultivation has been attempted, the produce of 
 vegetables and flowers in the garden is yearly most luxuriant. 
 Nor is this strange, when it is remembered that the northern- 
 
398 MR, MOFFAT'S SUMMARY. Chap. XIII. 
 
 most point of the island is only in the same latitude as the 
 Thompson River district. 
 
 I have given in a previous chapter some extracts from the 
 Journal of Mr. Moffat, the only white man who has visited 
 the interior of the island at the north end. In his summary 
 he says : — 
 
 " The timber in the interior of the island is very fine ; in 
 fact the banks of both sides of the Mmpkish River, from the 
 first lake almost to the Nootka Inlet, are lined with splendid 
 red pines,* large and long enough for the spars of the largest 
 men-of-war. The water-communication is also a great con- 
 sideration. Spars could be squared, rolled into the water, and 
 floated down without difficulty to any depot, such as the 
 anchorage at Illeece, or even Beaver Cove. 
 
 " The various berries of the country grow in great abun- 
 dance, with the exception of the small dark berry resembling 
 a beaver-shot ; I am unacquainted with the name. It is 
 plentiful down south and at Comoux. Salmon of various 
 kinds, of splendid quality, are found in abundance on the 
 coast, as well as halibut and other sea-fish. 
 
 " Rock-oysters of large size I procured to the north of 
 Nootka, some 50 miles, but saw few other shell-fish, except 
 the large sea-mussel and the barnacle. Crabs and sea-egg 
 were plentiful, also the sea-cucumber, and the various species 
 of star-fish and sea-anemones. 
 
 " The zoology is the same as other parts of Vancouver 
 Island, except that the purple marmot is occasionally found 
 at Koskimo, but not the common grey marmot. The white 
 land-otters, which have at various times been forwarded from 
 here, were killed near Kioquettuck. 
 
 "The depth of the Nimpkish Lake I have since sounded, 
 and got no bottom at seventy-five fathoms from the stern of a 
 canoe, her bow being aground ashore." 
 
 * Probably Red Fir (Abies Douglasin. 
 
Chap. XIII. 
 
 RAPTD COMMERCIAL PROGRESS. 
 
 399 
 
 Mr. Moffat also mentions having discovered at the Nimp- 
 kisli Lake " a tree resembling a walnut, with a trunk about 
 \.\ feet in circumference, and emitting a line perfume." 
 
 So rapid has been the commercial progress of the colony 
 since the discovery of gold to the present time, and so 
 necessarily fluctuating are all the tariffs of a country whose 
 population doubles or trebles in a month or two, and then 
 in a few months dwindles nearly to a cipher, that it is 
 impossible to give anything like a satisfactory account of its 
 commerce. The principal trade is with San Francisco, and 
 iron i the custom-honse books we can learn the tonnage 
 which has arrived at, and cleared from, California during the 
 past year. From these we find a decrease in the trade of 
 1861 from that of 1860, which is owing, doubtless, to the 
 increasing trade with England and the eastern states of 
 America, and to the large stock left on hand from the pre- 
 ceding year. But of the export of gold we are unable to get 
 any just estimate, on account of so large a proportion of it 
 having been exported by private individuals, of which the 
 Custom-house at Victoria takes no cognizance. We find 
 from the colonial returns in January, 1802, that the number 
 of vessels, including steamers, that arrived at San Francisco 
 was 40 ; the tonnage, 29,597 tons ; the total exports, not 
 including gold, 48,905 dollars. Fifteen vessels, all steamers, 
 left the colony in ballast, and consequently all the exports of 
 the colony were carried in 31 vessels. The ports at which 
 they loaded, the tonnage, and the value, were as follows : — 
 
 
 
 Vessels. 
 
 Tonnage. 
 
 Exports. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Dollars. 
 
 
 
 Soke .. 
 
 2 
 
 576 
 
 6,500 
 
 
 
 Nanaimo 
 
 15 
 
 4252 
 
 34,124 
 
 
 
 Victoria 
 
 14 
 
 6533 
 
 8,381 
 
 
 This shows that Nanaimo exceeds Victoria in exports four- 
 fold, which is reasonable enough, when it is remembered that 
 
400 COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. Chap. XIII. 
 
 all the coal exported from that port is known, while the gold 
 sent from the other is not ascertainable. The comparison 
 above-mentioned of the years 1860 and 1861 shows a decrease 
 of 11 vessels and 14,291 tons arriving at San Francisco, and 
 that the falling off in the number of vessels cleared for Victoria 
 is greater than in the number entered. In 1860, 116 vessels, 
 with a total tonnage of 62,998 tons, cleared for British 
 Columbia and Vancouver Island. In 1861 there were only 
 84 vessels carrying 43,675 tons ; showing a decrease of 32 
 vessels and 19,323 tons. If we did not know that more gold 
 has been found in that than in any previous year, this would 
 appear alarming ; but the fact being that the supply of gold 
 is increasing, it must be attributed to the overstocked markets 
 of 1860. This, indeed, I know was the case, for merchants at 
 Victoria, well aware that good news from the upper country 
 might at any time bring a rush of immigration, laid in a large 
 supply of such stores as would not perish, so as to be ready 
 in case of emergency. 
 
 The statistics of the treasure (coin) sent up from California 
 show only two shipments: in January, 24,000 dollars, in 
 September, 3500 dollars. This is doubtless true as regards 
 the custom-house books, but that much more must have 
 come in some way is certain from the amount of dust 
 which was bought for cash in Victoria. Wells, Fargo, and 
 Company, of whom I have before spoken, are stated to have 
 sent down 1,339,895 dollars (279,1457.) in gold-dust during 
 the year 1861, and another Company (Macdonald and Co.) to 
 have shipped between June and December 296,895 dollars 
 (62,269/. 15s. 10d.), making a total of 1,636,790 dollars 
 (342,4147. lis. 8c?.), of which a large part is said to have been 
 paid for in Victoria. 
 
 In the interior of the country the prices are never steadv : 
 not only do they rise and fall with summer and winter, but 
 any delays on the route, the non-arrival of a pack-train when 
 it is expected, or the influx of 100 or 200 men, will always 
 run the prices up for a few days at least. The whole ten- 
 
Chap. XIII. PRICES CURRENT OF 1860-1. 401 
 
 dency, however, is doubtless towards cheapening the supplies 
 
 as the communications become more complete and less liable to 
 
 interruption from bad roads, &c. I have mentioned that the 
 
 winter before I went up the country, i. e., 1858-59, bacon 
 
 was selling at " Bigbar," 100 miles below Cariboo, at 1J 
 
 dollars (6s.) per lb., and flour at 75 cents (3s.). 
 
 I now give the prices current in the summer of 1SG0. In 
 
 September, 1860, the prices at Alexandria, 100 miles South 
 
 of Cariboo, were — * 
 
 £. s. d. 
 
 Flour per lb. 12 
 
 Beans „ 13 
 
 Bacon „ 3 1 
 
 Sugar 3 1* 
 
 Rice „ 13 
 
 Tea „ 6 
 
 Coffee „ 3 1 
 
 Lard „ 3 li 
 
 Candles „ 5 
 
 Soap „ 2 
 
 Salt „ 2 
 
 Pepper (ground) „ 4 
 
 Yeast-powder per tin 4 
 
 Butter per lb. 6 
 
 Rope 3 l£ 
 
 Tobacco ,, 8 
 
 Potatoes „ 10 
 
 Steel shovels each 14 
 
 Picks ,,100 
 
 Sluice forks „ 18 
 
 Axes (Collins') „ 14 
 
 Nails per lb. 2 
 
 Quicksilver „ 12 
 
 Overshirts each 10 
 
 Undershirts ,,090 
 
 Canvas trousers per pair 10 
 
 Kentucky tweed trousers „ 12 
 
 Corduroy (common) ,, 10 
 
 Boots „ 1Z. 12s. to 21. 8s. 
 
 Shoes (common) „ 14 
 
 Drilling per yard 13 
 
 Duck „ 3 4 
 
 Oregon blankets per pair 2 
 
 * ' Blue Book,' part iv. p. 43. 
 
 2 D 
 
402 PRICES CURRENT OF 1860-1. Chap. XIII. 
 
 In September of the same year they were— 
 
 £. s. a. 
 
 Bacon per lb. 3 
 
 Sugar „ 3 
 
 Flour „ 4 12 
 
 Beans „ 14 
 
 Tea „ 6 4 
 
 Coffee (green) „ 2 8 
 
 Lard ,, 3s. to 3s. Gd. 
 
 Candles „ 5 2 
 
 Soap „ 2 
 
 Pepper (ground) „ 042 
 
 Yeast-powder per tin 4 2 
 
 Butter per lb. 6 4 
 
 Rope per fathom 3 
 
 Tobacco (common) per lb. 8 4 
 
 Potatoes „ 10 
 
 Onions „ 2 
 
 Grey shirts each 10 6 
 
 Undershirts „ 7 
 
 Canvas trousers per pair 10 6 
 
 Common corduroy trousers .... „ 110 
 
 Boots (mining) .. .. „ 11. 13s. to 21. 2s. 
 
 SI loes (common) „ 15 
 
 Drilling per yard 13 
 
 Duck „ 3 4 
 
 Oregon blankets . . . . per pair 2 2 
 
 Shovels (steel) . . . . each 15 
 
 Collins' picks .. .. „ 110 
 
 Sluice-forks ' .. .. .. „ 19 
 
 Axes .. .. „ 1 13 
 
 Quicksilver per lb. 12 6 
 
 Nails „ 2 
 
 Powder „ 8 
 
 Lead „ 4 
 
 In January, 1861, we have the prices at Hope — 
 
 Flour per barrel 11. 8s. to 17. 12s. 
 
 Bacon per lb. lOd. to ll%d. 
 
 Beans „ 2\d. to 4c?. 
 
 Sugar „ 5d. to Is. 0£d. 
 
 Coffee ,, Is. to Is. 2d. 
 
 Tea „ 2s. to 4s. 
 
 Butter „ Is. 2hd. to 2s. Id. 
 
 Lard .. .. „ 10c?. to Is. 3(7. 
 
 Rice „ 4d. to Ud. 
 
 Candles „ Is. Sd. to 2s. Id. 
 
Chap. XIII. FKEIGHT — TOLLS — REVENUE. 403 
 
 In the Semilkarneen district at same date — 
 
 s. d. 
 
 Flour per lb. 1 4£ 
 
 Bacon „ 1 10 
 
 Lard. „ 2 
 
 r „ 13 
 
 Tea „ 5 
 
 Coffel „ 2 
 
 At that time the rates of freight were very low, in conse- 
 quence of excessive competition; only .'5/. per ton being 
 charged from Victoria to Yale while in the spring of I860 
 in/. per ton was charged. Mr. Banders, the Assistant Gold 
 Commissioner at Vale, says: — "The miner and labouring 
 man can live comfortably there on 3s. a day. Charge of 
 restaurants is 11. a week. Bate of wanes 10/. per month and 
 
 keep." * 
 
 He estimates the probable yield of the read-toll between 
 
 Vale and Lyttun for the year at — 
 
 £. s. d. 
 
 5000 mules, 300 lbs. each, or 1500 tuns .. 3000 
 
 400 tons l»y buats 800 
 
 750 tons carried by fndi&ns 1500 
 
 £5300 
 
 According to the list kept by him during the past season 
 
 (18G0), 2723 mules were packed to the interior from that 
 
 town (Yale). The revenue of the district of Yale for 1860 
 
 was — 
 
 £. s. d. 
 
 Mining licences 267 
 
 Mining receipts (general) 201 6 2 
 
 Tolls and femes 238 17 5 
 
 Sales of lands 272 
 
 Fines and Fees 96 14 
 
 Spirit licences 320 
 
 Tracking licences 141 
 
 £1536 17 7 
 Since that time, however, some new roads have been 
 
 * * Blue Book,' part iv. p. 48. 
 
 2 d 2 
 
404 PUBLIC WORKS. Chap. XIII. 
 
 completed and several begun, and each mile of these makes 
 things cheaper. Writing at the same time, the Governor 
 says : " The works we propose to execute this year are as 
 follows : — 
 
 Miles. 
 
 Cart-road from Bemberton to Cayoosh, length about .. .. 36 
 
 ,, from Hope to Semilkameen .. 74 
 
 Improvement of the navigation of the Semilkameen Eiver . . 60 
 
 Horse-road from Boston Bar to Lytton 30 . 
 
 „ from Lytton to Alexandria 150 
 
 „ from Cayoosh to junction with Lytton Boad . . 30 
 
 In Progress. 
 
 Boad from New Westminster to Langley 15 
 
 „ from New Westminster to Burrard Inlet 9 
 
 „ from New Westminster to boundary line at Semiahmoo 14 
 
 „ from Spuzzum to Boston Bar (nearly finished) . . . . 20 
 
 For these purposes he says the colony can find 25,000/., 
 and asks for a loan of 50,000/.* 
 
 If the routes which are now being tried between Bute 
 Inlet and Bentinck Arm to Cariboo succeed, it will make a 
 considerable change in the commercial position of the towns 
 on the Fraser, and very probably some difference to Victoria. 
 For Bute Inlet the traffic will still go in by the strait 
 of Fuca and past Victoria, but if Bentinck Arm becomes a 
 thoroughfare, vessels bound thither will do much better to 
 keep outside the Vancouver Island rather than go up the 
 inner channels, for the entrance to Bentinck Arni is 70 
 miles north of the north end of the island. It will be a 
 considerable advantage to these routes if they are able to 
 avail themselves of inland water-carriage, as it is always so 
 much cheaper than land-carriage. I have mentioned in 
 proof of this that on the Lilloett Eiver in the winter of 
 1858-59, the Indians were taking goods up the river in their 
 canoes for 5 cents (2Jc?.) per lb., while the packers on the 
 trail were charging 15 cents (7Je/.). 
 
 * ' Blue Book,' part iv. p. 44. 
 
Chap. XIII. ABUNDANCE OF FISH. 405 
 
 Mr. Nind, the magistrate of the Cariboo district, tells 
 ine that the Fraser liiver between Alexandria and Fort 
 George is navigable for steamers, and by the latest accounts 
 a steamer is being placed on the river there. If the Stuart 
 or West Road ltivers are found to be navigable also, it will 
 shorten the coast routes both in time and expense immensely, 
 and still more it' the Bellhoula liiver is navigable for any 
 distance from the coast. 
 
 In speaking of the resources of these colonies, (he immense 
 supply of lish of all kinds must not be omitted. The 
 quantity of salmon is almost beyond description; but it will 
 give some idea of it to say that a Hudson Bay Company's 
 officer, who lived many years on the Columbia, told me that 
 On a sudden falling of the water such numbers were left on 
 the banks as to cause the river to stink for miles. The usual 
 way of catching this fish is by spearing from the canoe; in 
 salt-water the Indians do this as they paddle about the 
 harbours, or, if it be at the mouth of a river, drive stakes in 
 to keep the lish back, and then spear them while they are 
 trying to get through. In the rivers a net is fixed into a 
 frame; the fish run into this and are speared, or, when the 
 water is still, are taken out with a small scoop-net fastened on 
 the end of a pole. They use spindles of the Thuja plicata as 
 corks for the upper part of these nets, and weight the lower 
 part with stones. " The rope of the net is made of Salix or 
 Thuja, and the cord of Apocymene piscatorium (A. hyperici- 
 . folium ?), a gigantic species peculiar to this country, whose 
 fibre affords a great quantity of flax."* I have frequently 
 watched this proceeding. Mr. David Douglas, the botanist, 
 gives such a capital description of the w r ay these nets are 
 iltted, in his journal, that I cannot do better than transcribe 
 it literally : — 
 
 " The quantity of salmon (Salmo scoulieri ? — Kichardson) 
 
 * Douglas, ' Botanical Magazine,' p. DO. 
 
406 ABUNDANCE OF FISH. Chap. XII L 
 
 taken in the Columbia, he says, is almost incredible ; and the 
 Indians resort in great numbers to the best fishing-spots, 
 often travelling several hundred miles for this purpose. The 
 salmon are captured in the following manner : — Before the 
 water rises, small channels are made among the rocks and 
 stones, dividing the stream into branches, over which is 
 erected a platform or stage on which a person can stand; 
 these are made to be raised or let down as the water falls or 
 rises. A scoop-net which is fastened round a hoop, and held 
 by a pole 12 or 15 feet long, is then dropped into the channel, 
 which it exactly fits ; and the current of the water carrying 
 it down, the poor fish swims into it without being aware, 
 when the individual who watches the net instantly draws it, 
 and flings the fish on shore. The handle of the net is secured 
 by a rope to the platform, lest the force of the current should 
 drive it out of the fisher's hands. The hoop is made of Acer 
 circuiatum, the net of the bark of an Apocymene, which is very 
 durable and tough, and the pole of pine-wood." He gives 
 also the size of some fish, and an average weight rather 
 higher than I should give; but he speaks of the Columbia 
 River, where, perhaps, the fish, are larger. He says they 
 generally weigh 15 to 25 lbs. He measured two : one was 
 3 ft. 5 in. long, and 10 inches broad at the thickest part, 
 weighing 35 lbs. ; the other 3ft. 4 in., and 9 inches broad, 
 weighing a little less. Both were purchased for 2 inches of 
 tobacco (about half an ounce) value two-pence. In England 
 they would have cost ol. or 4?. 
 
 The mention I have before made of salmon being used 
 as manure at Fort Rupert will also give an idea of their 
 quantity. Since the influx of whites into the country, the 
 Indians ask a much higher price for their fish than they used ; 
 but when I first went there, in 1849, I remember the largest 
 salmon bought on board weighed 50 lbs., and the price it 
 fetched was two sticks of tobacco ! 
 
 The sturgeon also is caught in very large numbers, and of 
 
Chap. XIII. GAME IN VANCOUVER. 407 
 
 great size in some parts, the mouth of the Fraser particu- 
 larly. Mr. Douglas, the botanist, mentions one caught by 
 one of my companions, which measured 12 i'oet 9 inches from 
 the snout to the tip of the tail, and 7 feet round the thickest 
 part, while its weight exceeded 500 pounds.* 
 
 Jlallibnt also reach an immense BU6, and are caught in 
 
 great numbers everywhere; but, as 1 have said, particularly 
 
 oft" the entrance of the Strait ofFuc* 
 
 The herring literally swarm over the harbours in myriads ; 
 nothing can give a b.-ttcr idea of the number of these 
 fish than the way they are caught. A dozen or so of sharp 
 
 nails OT spikes are driven into a flat piece of weed 16 or 
 
 is feet long, and 2 or 3 inches broad, making an instrument 
 like a rake; an Indian sits in the bows of his canoe, and 
 dipping this down perpendicularly under water sweeps it 
 along towards the after end of the canoe, pinning some six 
 or eight fish en the nails each Bweep he makes ; every time 
 he brings it up, he turns the nails points downwards, and 
 the rake a tap on the gunwale, which knocks the fish off 
 into the bottom of the canoe. In this way a man will often 
 halt' till his canoe in an hour or so. 
 
 There is much more game on Vancouver Island than 
 in British Columbia; when travelling in the latter, the 
 absence of animal life has always appeared to me remark- 
 able, while on the former it is generally abundant. On 
 Vancouver Island, when I went from Alberni to Nanaimo, I 
 shot a wapiti and two deer, without going out of my way, and 
 might have shot three or four more wapiti, if we had stopped 
 to do so. This, it must be remembered, however, was in a 
 part of the island before untrodden by man; and a settler 
 must not expect to meet deer straying about his fields, or he 
 will be grievously disappointed. In Columbia, on the other 
 hand, there are large numbers of mountain-sheep, which are 
 
 * Douglas, 'Memoir,' p. 91. 
 
408 TIMBER IN VANCOUVER. Chap. XIII. 
 
 unknown on the island. This animal is only found on the 
 mountains whose summits are covered with perpetual snow. 
 I only saw one while I was in the country, and that was when 
 in the snow crossing from Jervis Inlet to Howe Sound ; in- 
 stead of wool it has a short thick coarse hair, and from this 
 circumstance is called by the Company's servants mouton 
 gris. I have never tasted it, but Mr. David Douglas says 
 " the flesh is fine, quite equal to that of the domestic sheep." 
 He adds, "the horns of the male, weighing sometimes 18 to 
 24 lbs., are dingy white, and form a sort of volute ; those of 
 the female bend back, curving outwards toward the point.'' 
 I think Mr. Douglas is wrong as to the colour of the horns. 
 I have seen many of them among the Indians, by whom they 
 are made into spoons, and they are far more generally black 
 than dingy white. 
 
 The great set-off that Vancouver Island has against the 
 gold of British Columbia, is her timber ; for though timber 
 abounds in British Columbia, we came upon no place there 
 where such fine spars were to be found, and with such faci- 
 lities for shipping as at Barclay Sound and the neighbourhood 
 of Fort Kupert. 
 
 The following is the list of trees found at Barclay Sound, 
 as given by the woodsmen employed there by the Mill 
 Company already spoken of. I give first the local names, 
 the scientific being appended, so far as they are known, by 
 Dr. Lindley : — 
 
 Yellow Fir, or Douglas Pine, sometimes misnamed Oregon Pine — 
 Abies Douglasii. 
 
 White Fir — probably Abies alba. 
 
 Spruce Fir — probably Abies nigra. 
 
 Balsam Fir — Abies balsamea. 
 
 Willow Fir — Salix rostrata. 
 
 White Pine — Pinus monticola. 
 
 Yellow Pine. 
 
 Cedar — Possibly Juniperus occidentalis. 
 
 Alder — Probably Alnus viridis. 
 
 Dogwood — Cornus alba. 
 
 Yew — Taxus baccata. 
 
Chap. XIII. QUALITIES OF THE TIMBER. 409 
 
 Crab-apple — Pyrus rivularis. 
 
 Maple (two kinds) — Acer macrophyllum and probably Acer rubrum. 
 
 Hemlock — Abies Canadiensis. 
 
 Cotton Wood — Populus balsamifera, or Popnlus monilifera. 
 
 Aspen —Populus tremuloides. 
 
 Arbutus — Arbutus procera. 
 
 Yellow Cypress — Thuja gigantea. 
 
 Foremost among them all stands the Douglas fir (Abies 
 Douglasii), named after its discoverer, David Douglas, the 
 botanist. As timber for spars or plank, this tree is un- 
 equalled. It grows to the height of 200 to 300 feet, and 
 usually as straight as an arrow. This wood has been planted 
 in several places in England, and should become one of the 
 common trees of this country. The value of this wood for 
 spars has been tested and reported on by the engineer of the 
 French dockyard at Cherbourg, whose report was greatly in 
 its favour. As plank, it is equally fine. Dr. Lindley tells me 
 he has had two planks, about 20 feet long each, which have 
 been in his house in a room where there is constantly a fire, 
 since 1827, and that neither of them has warped or shrunk 
 the least since they were first placed there. 
 
 The following extract relating to the Douglas fir is from 
 the * Gardeners' Chronicle ' : — " We now know that this most 
 beautiful tree, the Douglas fir, is unsurpassable in the qualities 
 which render timber most valuable. It is clean-grained, strong, 
 elastic, light, and acquires large dimensions in ungenial 
 climates. It thrives everywhere in the United Kingdom, 
 except the extreme north, and is therefore of all trees that 
 which most deserves the attention of planters for profit. To 
 which we may add that no evergreen surpasses it as an orna- 
 ment of scenery. 
 
 " Little or nothing was known of the Douglas fir until it 
 was brought into notice by the Horticultural Society, which 
 received its seeds from the hardy collector whose name it 
 bears, and distributed some thousands of young plants among 
 its Fellows. As this happened about five-and-thirty years 
 
410 
 
 THE DOUGLAS FIR. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 ago, there must already be an abundance of good specimens 
 in the country. The purpose of this notice is to increase 
 them to the utmost, by inducing landed proprietors to substi- 
 tute the Douglas fir for the very inferior spruce. 
 
 " The Douglas fir makes its first appearance on the moun- 
 tains of Northern Mexico, in the country near the Heal del 
 Monte mines. Thence it follows northwards the western 
 slope of the Eocky Mountains, at least as high as the now 
 celebrated but savage Cariboeuf, or Cariboo gold-field, in 
 British Columbia. Douglas, the collector, who crossed the 
 Rocky Mountains a little to the south, through the i Com- 
 mittee's Punchbowl Pass,' reported that it formed vast forests 
 there on the lower ranges, and struggled upwards till it 
 became mere scrub. We ourselves had, till lately, bark of 
 the tree from those desolate regions fully six inches thick. 
 
 A spar of this fir, more than 200 feet high, has been 
 erected in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew ; and sections, 
 cut at intervals of 15 feet, of a tree 309 feet long, were 
 sent to this country for the International Exhibition. A 
 horizontal section of another tree having been sent for the 
 same purpose, a careful examination of it was made to 
 ascertain its age and rate of growth. The result of this 
 examination, which has appeared in the 6 Gardeners' Chro- 
 nicle,' will be found interesting. 
 
 " The diameter is 6 feet, viz., 34 inches on one side, 38 on 
 the other. Its rate of growth on the 34-inch side has been 
 as follows : — 
 
 The first 2 inches across were made in 
 
 The second 
 
 The third 
 
 The fourth 
 
 The fifth 
 
 The sixth 
 
 The seventh 
 
 The eighth 
 
 Years. 
 7 
 
 9 
 12 
 19 
 17 
 23 
 16 
 17 
 
 Carried forward 
 
 120 
 
Chap. X11T. THE DOUGLAS FIR. 
 
 
 
 
 Years. 
 
 
 Brought forward 
 
 .. 120 
 
 The ninth 
 
 
 . .. 14 
 
 The tenth 
 
 
 . .. 18 
 
 The eleventh 
 
 5 J> •• 
 
 . .. 24 
 
 The twelfth 
 
 > »} •• 
 
 . .. 21 
 
 The thirteenth 
 
 > ?> . . . 
 
 . .. 24 
 
 The fourteenth 
 
 » >5 
 
 . .. 24 
 
 The fifteenth 
 
 > »> . . . 
 
 . .. 31 
 
 The sixteenth , 
 
 > )> 
 
 . .. 3G 
 
 The seventeenth 
 
 > J> 
 
 . .. 42 
 
 411 
 
 Or 34 inches in semidiameter in 354 
 
 "It is as well to remark that this British Columbian fir, 
 although three centuries and a-half old, and although for the 
 last forty-two years it increased little more than l-10th of an 
 inch in diameter yearly, is perfectly sound to the heart. 
 Foresters will understand the importance of this fact." 
 
 Mr. Sproat, the Barclay Sound Mill Company's agent at 
 Victoria, says of this wood: — " The bark of the tree is very 
 like that of the Canadian hemlock. At its base, and for 
 some distance up, the bark is often a foot thick ; the sap is 
 always thinner in proportion as the baric is thick, and vice 
 versa. The sappiest trees are those that grow in the sun- 
 shine. The wood varies in colour ; a yellowish colour pre- 
 dominates, though a good many are reddish. The colour 
 appears to depend much on the age and situation of the tree, 
 on its greater or less exposure to the sun." 
 
 The cone of this tree can never be mistaken, as on the 
 outside of each scale is a sort of claw, with three fingers to it, 
 distinguishing it plainly from all other fir-cones. 
 
 The white fir (Abies alba) is poor, compared with the 
 Douglas, though the trees are often a considerable size. 
 
 The white pine (Pinus monticola) makes very good plank 
 for building purposes. 
 
 The yellow cypress (Thuja gigantea), which abounds more 
 in the north than the south of the colony, is a very useful 
 
412 FEUITS AND SHRUBS. Chap. XIII. 
 
 wood, light, tough, and elastic; it makes the best plank 
 for boat-building that I have ever seen. Its leaf differs from 
 that of the other and common cypress (Thuja occidentalis), 
 in being convex on both sides. 
 
 For ornamental purposes the bird's-eye maple (Acer macro- 
 phyllum), dogwood (Cornus alba), cedar (Juniperus occi- 
 dentalis), and arbutus (Arb. procera), are all valuable. 
 
 The maple and cedar are very plentiful, and the latter 
 grows to a great size. 
 
 The fertility of the soil wherever it has been tested is, as 
 I have before said, great ; and the quantity of wild fruits 
 and flowers which abound everywhere is very remarkable. 
 In all swampy places cranberries of two or three sorts grow 
 so plentifully that a flourishing trade is driven with them at 
 San Francisco. Wild strawberries and raspberries, sallal, 
 barberries, black and blue berries, salmon-berries, currants, 
 and gooseberries abound. In the summer, when we were 
 away surveying, the Indians brought such quantities of these 
 alongside that the whole ship's company were usually sur- 
 feited before the season was over. 
 
 There are also several kinds of bulbous roots, the com- 
 monest is the camass (Scilla esculenta), of which the Indians 
 eat a great deal ; it has a slight onion flavour, but is sweet. 
 
 I need not attempt a detailed account of the plants and 
 shrubs of the colonies. Mr. David Douglas has described 
 many ; and a fuller account may be expected from Dr. D. 
 Lyall, who has been attached to the Boundary party, and 
 with them examined the country from the coast to the 
 summit of the Kocky Mountains. 
 
 I may mention, however, that hops grow remarkably well, 
 and that a species of tobacco and tea are to be found in 
 Columbia. The former of these was first collected by Mr. 
 Douglas, who says, "Among the most interesting of the 
 plants which I gathered last year (1825) is a species of 
 tobacco, the Nicotiana pulverulenta of Keush, correctly sur- 
 
Chap. XIII. TOBACCO — TEA. * 413 
 
 mised by Nuttall to grow on this side of the Bocky Mountains ; 
 though whether this country, or the Kooky Mountains them- 
 selves, or the banks of the Missouri, be its original habitat, 
 I am quite unable to say. I am inclined to think, however, 
 that it is indigenous to the mountains, where the hunters say 
 that it grows plentifully. The Nicotiana is never sown by 
 the Indians near the villages, lest it should be pulled and 
 used before it comes to perfect maturity. They select for 
 its cultivation an open place in the wood, where they burn 
 a dead tree or stump, and, strewing the ashes over the ground, 
 plant the tobacco there. They say the wood-ashes invariably 
 make it grow large." * I have smoked this at Fort Kam- 
 loops, and liked the flavour — which was similar to that of mild 
 tobacco — very much. 
 
 The wild tea-leaf resembles that of China tea. I have 
 never tasted it, but Mr. Pemberton says, " its flavour is not 
 bad and effect exhilarating." He adds, "Some years ago 
 the Hudson Bay Company imported a cargo, but it was 
 stopped at the Custom-house and thrown overboard to avoid 
 the duty."! 
 
 I have been favoured by my friend Dr. Wood, of H.M.S. 
 'Hecate,' with the following remarks upon the natural 
 history of the two colonies. I have much gratification in 
 being able, by Dr. Wood's friendly compliance with my 
 request, to lay before the reader information so trustworthy 
 and valuable. 
 
 " In the following remarks I do not assume to give more than 
 a cursory sketch of those sections of the natural history of 
 British Columbia and Vancouver Island which are of most 
 interest to the general reader. Separated by a few miles of 
 ocean, the Fauna and Flora of both colonies are the same — insular 
 position and a less extensive area, however, causing one to be 
 sparse in many things which her larger neighbour possesses in 
 profusion, while again the ocean-washed shores of the western 
 
 * Journal of Mv. David Douglas. f Pemberton, p. 20. 
 
414 SKETCH OF NATURAL HISTORY. Chap. XIII. 
 
 side of Vancouver Island are rich in resources which British 
 Columbia possesses less abundantly. As I am personally better 
 acquainted with Vancouver Island, and as less is known of it 
 than of British Columbia, I will in a great measure confine my 
 remarks to the former, asking the reader to remember, however, 
 that, unless the contrary is indicated when speaking of either 
 colony, I include both. 
 
 " I pass over the First and Second Orders of Mammals (the first 
 embracing the peculiar province of the Ethnologist ; the second, 
 or monkey-like animals, not being represented in these colo- 
 nies), and commence with the Carnivora, the first and second 
 families of which are also sparingly represented. Among them 
 are 
 
 " Bears. — The Black Bear, Ursus Americanus, is often seen, and 
 falls easily to the gun of the sportsman. Unless when wounded, 
 it never attacks man. This bear is chiefly a vegetable feeder. 
 The flesh is coarse, but good ; and the skin, which is of little 
 marketable value, makes a good rug. 
 
 " The Grizzly, Ursus horribilis, is not found on the Island : it is 
 sometimes shot in British Columbia, but its chief home is the 
 Eocky Mountains. It is wisest to leave him unmolested. 
 
 " The Eacoon, Ursus lotor, is a harmless animal, easily tamed. 
 It feeds mostly on wild fruits and, it is said, small birds. It 
 is very numerous in some parts of the coast. 
 
 "Martens. — The yellow-breasted or Pine Marten, Mushda 
 martes, and one of a whole colour, are very numerous. Their 
 skins are in great request, and are collected in large numbers by 
 the fur-traders. A good one is worth from 6s. to 85. The 
 Common Mink, Putorius vison, is also found in great numbers. 
 The Skunk is also frequently seen. 
 
 " Otters. — The Land Otter, Mustela lutra, is frequently shot 
 by the Indians. The skin is of little value. The Sea Otter, 
 Enhydra marina, is found throughout the north-west coast of 
 Vancouver. The skin is much sought after, being an extremely 
 valuable fur. The skin of a full-sized one, undressed, and 
 measuring 6 feet, commands the price of thirty blankets — 12/. 
 to 14/. They are sent to England, and, when dressed, forwarded 
 to China, where the finest sometimes fetch 1 00 dols. (American) 
 apiece. 
 
 "Wolves.— Two species of wolf are known to the settlers, and 
 are commonly spoken of as the Eed and Black Wolf. They do 
 not much frequent the settled districts except in winter, when 
 
Chap. XIII. SKETCH OF NATURAL HISTORY. 415 
 
 they are very destructive to sheep unless watched. They are 
 cowardly, and I have not heard of their ever attacking men. 
 
 "Foxes. — There are two varieties of this animal, the * Red ' 
 and ' Silver Fox.' The latter is found in British Columbia, not 
 upon the Island. 
 
 " The American Panther or Puma, Felis concolor, is often shot 
 upon Vancouver Island. They are destructive to sheep, and 
 more particularly to pigs and poultry. When followed, they 
 often take refuge in a tree, from whence they are easily shut by 
 a common fowling-piece. Dugs will also attack them. They 
 are quite harmless to men. 
 
 " Seals. — One variety of Seal frequents the mouth of theFraser 
 Eiver, British Columbia, where it may constantly be seen by 
 visitors in summer, .seated on a log of wood drifting downwards 
 with the current. Another is found on the sea-coasts of Van- 
 couver Island, and is shot in some numbers by the Indians, who 
 sell their skins to the fur-traders. 
 
 "The Squirrel, Sciurus (<"<u\), is very numerous throughout the 
 pine forests, feeding on the cones of the various fir or pine trees. 
 They are shot in great numbers for the table, and are excellent 
 eating. There are two Or three varieties, smaller and otherwise 
 characteristically different from the English species. Ground 
 squirrels are also found. 
 
 "The Marmot, Arctomys monax, is kept by the settlers some- 
 times as a domestic pet. It is said that rats never stay in a 
 house in which a marmot is a resident. 
 
 " The European Bat is very common on the Island in settled 
 districts, as much a pest as it is at home. Both rats and mice 
 indigenous to the Island and British Columbia exist, but they 
 do not require separate mention. 
 
 " The Beaver, Castor Canadiensis, is found on the Island, and 
 also in British Columbia. Very few are now trapped for the 
 sake of their skins. They are sometimes shot by Europeans for 
 the sake of their flesh, which is palatable. The tail, which is 
 extremely fat, is considered a delicacy, and somewhat resembles 
 the fat of the turtle. A few years ago 780 beaver-skins were 
 traded in a twelvemonth at one establishment of the Hudson 
 Bay Company on Vancouver Island. The Beaver, as also other 
 fur-bearing animals, is said to be increasing in numbers since 
 the partial settlement of the western shores of North America, 
 from the fact of its being less molested, owing to the employ- 
 ment of the ' trapper ' in other pursuits. 
 
416 SKETCH OF NATUEAL HISTOEY. Chap. XIII. 
 
 " I liave not seen a specimen of either a Hare or Rabbit obtained 
 from Vancouver Island. Several varieties of both exist on the 
 neighbouring continent and throughout British Columbia. They 
 differ much, however, from the English varieties, both in habits 
 and appearance. 
 
 " The Canadian Stag or Wapiti, and the Elk, Cervus Canadiensis, 
 exist in numbers ; they sometimes equal the horse in stature, 
 and I have known them shot, weighing, when dressed, 600 lbs. 
 The horns are very handsome. The Black-tailed Deer — the 
 Fallow Deer of the Pacific, Cervus Columbianus — are found 
 throughout both colonies, and are very numerous on the small 
 islets, to which they swim, I believe, to escape the wolves. 
 They become, in certain localities, very fat towards autumn, but, 
 though excellent, want the flavour of English venison; from 
 60 to 80 lbs. is an ordinary weight. The district of Cariboo in 
 British Columbia, now so noticeable for its produce of gold, is so 
 called from a large deer which frequents its pasturage — pro- 
 bably the Eangifer caribou of Audubon. The ' Mountain Goat ' 
 and the ' Mountain Sheep ' are found in the mountains of British 
 Columbia. I am not aware of their existence on Vancouver 
 Island. 
 
 " The American Buffalo, Bos Americanus — has lately found its 
 way, it is said, through the Eocky Mountains to the upper 
 plains of the Columbia. 
 
 " Cetacea. — With this order of mammals I am little ac- 
 quainted. Whales, ' Black-fish,' and Porpoises are common off 
 the coast of Vancouver and the inland sea separating it from 
 British Columbia. Considerable ingenuity is shown by the 
 Indians in the capture of the whale. A seal-skin, prepared so 
 as to be air-tight, is attached to a harpoon, the head of which, 
 with a short rope made from cedar-bark, can be detached from 
 the staff. With this attached to him, the whale is not long 
 before he makes his appearance above water, when he is killed 
 by spears, great numbers taking part in his destruction. The 
 flesh is much esteemed by the natives as food. 
 
 "Birds of Prey, Raptores. — A frequent object met with on 
 the coast-shores of both colonies is the White-headed Erne or 
 Great Fish Eagle, Falco leucoceplialus. Couples of these birds 
 are frequently seen sailing majestically in air, descending occa- 
 sionally in graceful circles to their abode in some tall pine-tree 
 where their nest is placed. Another common object is the 
 American Osprey or Fish Hawk, Pandion CaroUnensis. The Har 
 
Chap. XIII. SKETCH OF NATURAL HISTORY. 417 
 
 rier and the Sharp -shinned Hawk, with several others, are also 
 constantly met with. The * Great Snow Owl,' Nyctea nivea, and 
 the Pigmy Owl, Glaucydium gnoma — not so largo as an English 
 blackbird — are also found, with several others. 
 
 "ScANSOBES. — In this order occur the Cuckoos. I have not 
 seen a specimen on the island or in British Columbia, but their 
 note has been heard by myself and others. The Woodpeckers 
 are numerous: thus, I may name Pints Harrim ; Sphyrapicus ruber, 
 or Bed-breasted Woodpecker; Cdaptis Mexicanus, or Bed-shafted. 
 
 "In . — I have collected three varieties of Humming- 
 
 birds on Vancouver Island. These beautiful little creatures 
 make their appearance early in .spring, even before the snow has 
 left the plains, buzzing their way from bush to bush in restless 
 search of some half-opened blossom. The Indian boys snare 
 them in numbers, and, fastening a dozen or more to a stick by 
 one loot, bring them oft* alive to the ships for sale. A }\ight 
 Hawk — known among settlers as the Mosquito Hawk — bleeds 
 upon the island, and makes its appearance on summer evenings. 
 A common object along the and the mouths of rivers is 
 
 the Belted Kingfisher, Ceryle alcyon — a much larger, but not so 
 handsome a bird as the English Kingfisher. The Flycatchers 
 have several representatives. The Singing Birds are few. 
 Amongst the Swallows may bo named the Violet green Swallow, 
 Hxrundo thalassina* Wrens, Creepers, Nut-hatches, Titmice, Shore 
 Larks, Finches, the lied Crossbill, Curvirostra Americana, the 
 Snow Bunting, Sparrows, the Bed-winged Blackbird. Among 
 the crows may be named the American Haven, the Fish Crow, 
 the Common Crow. Jays, Cyanura steUeri. 
 
 " BasoRES. — Pigeons and Doves are represented in both colo- 
 nies. A more numerous family exist in the Grouse : the Dusky 
 Grouse, Petras obscurus ; the Blue Grouse of settlers ; the Hulled 
 Grouse, Bonasa umbellus ; and the AYillow Grouse, Lagopus 
 albus, are found on Vancouver Island in immense numbers, 
 and also in British Columbia, which has several other varie- 
 ties, — the Sage Cock, the Sharp-tailed Grouse, the Prairie Hen, 
 and Ptarmigan : all of these are excellent eating, but are too 
 easily shot to afford much amusement to an English sports- 
 man. The Blue and the Huffed Grouse roost on trees during the 
 day. when not sunning themselves on some hillock or prostrate 
 trunk of a tree, where their ' drum' is loudly heard. The Blue 
 Grouse reaches the weight of A\ lbs. ; it may often be seen 
 perched on the topmost branch of some tall pine-tree, from 
 
 2 E 
 
418 SKETCH OF NATURAL HISTORY. Chap. XIII. 
 
 whence he refuses to move for repeated charges from an ordinary 
 fowling-piece, and is only "to be brought down by a rifle. As 
 the country becomes cleared, their habits will probably change, 
 and Vancouver Island will be as noticeable for good sport as 
 Scotland. 
 
 " Grallatores. — The Great Blue Heron or Crane, Ardea herodias, 
 is frequently seen and shot. In the sub-order GraUce may be 
 enumerated Golden Plover ; Kill-deer ; King Plover ; the Surf 
 Bird, Aphriza virgata ; Bachman's Oyster-catcher, Hcematopus 
 niger, and Turnstone ; Wilson's Snipe, or English Snipe ; Grey 
 Snipe ; Jack Snipe ; Sandpipers ; and Sanderlings. 
 
 " Natatores. — Swans are often shot on the lakes of Vancouver 
 Island and British Columbia ; and on the approach of winter 
 myriads of Geese arrive : among these may be named the Snow 
 Goose, Anser hyperboreus ; the White-fronted Goose, Anser gambelii ; 
 the Canada Goose, Bernicla Canadiensis ; the Brant Goose. The 
 Canada Goose is often shot 17 lbs. in weight. The Ducks are 
 innumerable. Amongst them are found the Mallard, Anas boschas ; 
 Black Duck, Anas obscura ; Pintail, Dafila acuta; Green-winged 
 Teal, Nettion Carolinensis ; the Shoveller, or Spoonbill, Spatula 
 clypeata ; American Widgeon, Mareca Americana; the Summer 
 Duck, Aix sponsa ; the Scaup Duck, Fulioc marila ; Canvas-back, 
 Aytliya vallisneria ; the Golden Eye, Bucephala Americana, and 
 albeota or Bume-head ; the Harlequin Duck, Histrionicus torquatus 
 Amongst the Sea Ducks are the Velvet Duck, Melanetta velvetina ; 
 the Surf Duck, Pelionetta perspicillata ; the Scoter, Oidemia 
 Americana. Among the Fishing Ducks is the Goosander, Mergus 
 Americanus ; the Bed-breasted Merganser, Mergus serrator ; the 
 Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus ; and I believe a fourth 
 which is not named. In the sub-order Gaum, I may mention the 
 Sooty Albatross, Diomedia fuliginosa ; and two or three Petrels. 
 Among the Gulls, the Glaucous-winged Gull, Larus glaucescens ; 
 the Herring Gull, Larus argentatus ; the Western Gull, Larus 
 occidentalis. Among the Cormorants, the Violet-green Cormorant, 
 Graculus violaceus, is extremely common. In the family of Divers 
 are the great Northern Diver, Colymbus glacialis ; the Black- 
 throated, Colymbus arcticus ; the Pacific, Colymbus Pacificus ; and 
 the Bed-throated, Colymbus septentrionalis. The tufted Puffin , 
 Mormon cirrhata ; the Horn-billed Guillemot, Cerorhina monocerata, 
 are numerous on the sea-coasts of Vancouver and its adjacent 
 islands, and the sea around them is often literally alive with the 
 Sea Dove or Dovekie. 
 
Chap. XIII. SKETCH OF NATURAL HISTORY. 419 
 
 " The Rbptilia do not require an extended notice. Several 
 varieties of Snakes are met with, but they are not, I believe, 
 venomous. Lizards and Frogs are numerous. The Bull-frog in 
 summer is rather a nuisance by his loud croakings. The Indians 
 are partial to snakes as an article of diet; immediately they 
 are caught they are skinned and eaten by them, as a stick of 
 celery is eaten by a schoolboy, and with as little cooking. 
 
 " Fjbhes. — The fish of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 
 require a more extended experience than mine to do justice 
 to them. I cannot, however, but think that, among the domestic 
 resources of both colonies, few can equal their value. The 
 seas and large inlets, the bays and rivers, are literally alive 
 with fish. Salmon, Cod, Halibut, Sturgeon, Herring, Trout, 
 Smelt, Sea Perch, Hake, Sardines, Anchovy, Flat. Fish, Dog Fish 
 (highly useful for oil), and the Iloulakan, so called by the Indians ; 
 the latter, the sizo of a herring, makes its appearance with un- 
 erring regularity in various parts of the coast for a few days 
 only, and is taken in shoals ; it is so fat on its arrival as to defy 
 ordinary cooking, melting by the heat ; it is pressed for oil by 
 the natives, who trade with it in British Columbia with the 
 inland tribes, and is also dried, in which state, lighted at one 
 end, it makes a capital torch, and is constantly used as such by 
 the Indians. The oil has been used medicinally in place of cod- 
 liver oil, and I have seen the happiest effects from its administra- 
 tion* So numerous are the Salmon, that rivers become offensive 
 from the putrid bodies of those who have failed to make their 
 way up tho c falls ' of the various rivers. Tons' weight of Halibut 
 may be caught in a day. The shores are thickly covered with 
 Acorn-shells, Limpets, Muscles, Clams, &c. Crabs of many varieties 
 are found everywhere, some edible, and of large size. The Shrimp 
 is a constant visitor in tho dredge, and Prawns are extensively 
 caught in the neighbourhood of Victoria, Vancouver Island. 
 Every pool is lined with brilliant Sea Anemones ; and nearly 
 throughout the year is the sea lightened with Medusae. 
 
 " Flora. — In the magnificent work of Sir W. J. Hooker, 
 ' Flora Boreali Americana,' may be found an epitome of the 
 botany of these colonies. I will confine my observations, there- 
 fore, to an enumeration of the Natural Orders, which contain 
 most of the Flora of interest to the settler. 
 
 " Order 1. Nympliceacece, Water-lilies. 
 
 11 ,,2. Ranunculacece, Crowfoots. 
 
 " ,, 5. Crucifercu, Cressworts. 
 
 2e2 
 
420 SKETCH OF NATURAL HISTORY. Chap. XIII. 
 
 " Order 7. Berberidacece, Berberry worts. The ' Oregon 
 Grape ' of the settlers is a small shrub very common in the woods ; 
 it bears a yellow flower, and produces a cluster of berries of a 
 deep blue colour, of a pleasant acid, astringent taste. The root 
 yields one of the best known yellow dyes. 
 
 " Order 8. Violacece, Violetworts. 
 
 " ,, 16. Ceracece, Maples. The Maple grows to a large 
 size, and is extensively found ; it produces by the changing hues 
 of its foliage a handsome object in the somewhat monotonous 
 landscape of the colonies : its wood is very inferior. 
 
 " Order 17. Geraniacece, Cranesbills. 
 
 " ,, 21. Bhamnacece, Ehamnads. 
 
 " ,, 22. Fabacece, Leguminous Plants. Representatives of 
 their order are extensively found. The Blue Lupine, Purple 
 Clover, and several varieties of Vetch are everywhere growing- 
 wild as large and strong as any I have seen cultivated in other 
 places. 
 
 " Order 23. Bosacece, Eoseworts. Species of this order are 
 also very numerous : in the spring every plain is covered with 
 the Wild Eose and Sweet Brier : in the sub-order are Wild 
 Apples, the Mountain Ash (scarce), the Service Tree, Bird Cherry 
 or Cluster Cherry. 
 
 " Order 28. Grossulariacece, Currantworts. "Wherever the 
 ground is clear abound Currant and Gooseberry bushes of endless 
 varieties ; the Flowering Currant, Eibes sanguinea, is a beautiful 
 object in the ' bush.' 
 
 " Order 30. Apiacece, Umbellifers, the Conium. 
 
 " ,, 32. Comacece, Cornels. The Dogwood tree is very 
 common, and makes a handsome object for the shrubbery. In 
 this order is the ' La Broue ' plant of the Canadian voyageurs : 
 it bears a small red berry which is dried and stored for use. 
 Mixed in small portions with a little water it is after standing 
 whisked up with branches ; it gradually expands and becomes con- 
 verted into a substance resembling ' trifle,' which is eaten with 
 sugar sifted over it. 
 
 " Order 33. Caprifoliacece, Caprifoils. Two varieties of Elder 
 tree very common. 
 
 " Order 38. Campamdacece, Bellworts. The Campanula. 
 
 " ,, 39. JEricacece, Heath worts. In a Sub-order are the 
 Cranberries. These shrubs abound eveiywhere, and yield a 
 most delicious berry ; there are many varieties — from one, the 
 Oxycoccus palustris, I have known of 100 barrels being collected. 
 
Chap. XIII. SKETCH OF NATURAL HISTORY. 421 
 
 the produce of one season. The berries do not require putting 
 down, keeping remarkably well simply immersed in water. The 
 Gualtheria shallon, the ' Salal ' of the Indians, is a common 
 shrub : it bears a handsome blossom and a bunch of large deep 
 purple berries, much used by the natives, who make it into cakes 
 which they dry in the sun for winter use ; it is also used in the 
 households of settlers for pies and puddings, but is not equal to 
 the Cranberries. 
 
 " Order 41. Gentianacece, Gentianworts. 
 
 " „ 5G. Urticacece, Nettleworts. A wild Nettle, the 
 Urtica cannabina, is used by the Indians to make hemp ; it is 
 extremely strong, and is manufactured by them info twine, rope, 
 and nets. 
 
 " Order 57. Corylacecc, Mastworts. The Oak is abundant in 
 outhern part of Vancouver Island; there is none in British 
 Columbia, I am told by Mr. Anderson, of the Hudson Bay 
 Company, except a few small specimens on the eastern borders of 
 the Rapids above Fort Yale. The Hazel Nut is common in 
 British Columbia. 
 
 11 Order 58. Saliacecv, Willowworts. Willows grow on all low 
 and swampy places ; the ' Cotton Wood ' Poplar and the Aspen 
 tree. 
 
 " Order 59. Bctulacecc, Birchworts. The common Birch is of 
 small size to the southward ; in the northern parts of British 
 Columbia it is known as the ' ( anoe Birch,' is abundant and 
 of large size, and is hard and durable (Mr. Anderson). The 
 common Alder grows to a large size, and is a useful wood for 
 turners. 
 
 " Order 61. PinacecB, Conifers. In this Order are found Yew 
 trees, Juniper bush, the Scotch Fir, Spruce Fir, the Douglas Pine ; 
 the White Pine of commerce, Pinus Weymouthii; Canada Pine, 
 Balsam Pine, the ■ Eed Cedar,' and the ' Y'ellow Cedar.' The 
 most remarkable point in the forest-trees of both colonies is the 
 profusion of trees of this order, and the immense height and size 
 they attain. The Douglas Pine can be obtained anywhere 200 ft. 
 in length, and I have seen trees that would square 45 in. for 90 ft. 
 This pine makes the best spars for ships. The 'White Pine,' I 
 am told by those preparing it, is equal to that of the Eastern 
 States of America. From the bark of the ' Eed ' and Yellow 
 Cedar, articles of wearing apparel, ropes, &c, are made: the 
 plank of the latter tree yields a close-grained beautiful wood ; 
 specimens of it made into boxes have been sent to the Inter- 
 national Exhibition. 
 
422 CLIMATE. Chap. XIII. 
 
 " Order 68. Liliacece, Lijyworts. The Camassia esculenta, the 
 Camass of the Indians, is very common : the bulbs, being 
 placed in shallow pits, are covered with a thick layer of dried 
 grass damped with water, a thin layer of earth is placed above 
 it, and a fire made over the pit. A gradual process of steaming 
 goes on, perhaps for several days : the bulbs when removed are 
 found mellowed, their colour changed to a light brown, and 
 they contain a large portion of saccharine matter. They are 
 then dried and stored for winter food. 
 
 " Order 73. Graminacece, Grasses. Varieties of nearly every 
 grass which grows in England, and many which do not, are found 
 in these Colonies : the Wild Oat is as vigorous a plant here as 
 the one cultivated at home. I have seen ' Timothy Grass ' grown 
 on the Island 8 ft. in height. 
 
 " I pass over the Ferns, Mosses, Lichens, the Fungi, and Sea- 
 weeds, with the brief remark that they abound everywhere, the 
 first in quantities somewhat troublesome to the agriculturist. 
 
 " Charles Bigland Wood. 
 
 " H.M.S. ' Hecate,- Victoria, Vancouver Island, 
 « July, 1862." 
 
 It would be useless for general purposes to give a mass of 
 statistics with regard to the climate of British Columbia and 
 Vancouver Island. In a country embracing so many hundred 
 miles of latitude there is of course great difference of tempe- 
 rature. The climate of Vancouver Island may be said gene- 
 rally to be about the same as that of the south of England. 
 Daring the last winter, 1861-2, it has been unusually severe. 
 In the four winters that I passed at Esquimalt Harbour we 
 had a great deal of rain, very little snow, while the ice on 
 the ponds bore skaters for about a fortnight each year, the 
 thermometer being hardly ever below 25° Fahr. The south 
 part of British Columbia is, perhaps, a little colder. This 
 winter the Lower Fraser has been frozen over so as entirely 
 to impede navigation; but I believe this has never been 
 known before, and it certainly has only occurred once since 
 1856. Steamers were able to go to Langley every winter 
 I was in the country, and were only prevented ascending to 
 Fort Hope by the shallowness of the stream. It will also 
 
Chap. XIII. CLIMATE. 423 
 
 be remembered that I ascended the river to Fort Yale in 
 February, 1859, without being seriously impeded by ice. 
 
 The fall of snow even during the late extraordinarily severe 
 winter appears to have been very partial. The thermometer 
 at Westminster stood at 8°, 10°, and 12° below zero, and 17° 
 or 18° at Forts Hope and Yale. The deep snow at these 
 latter places, however, made them less cold than at Lilloett, 
 where there was only an inch or two of snow, and where the 
 cold is described as having been intensely severe. 
 
 Further north, at Cariboo, the winter of 18G0-1 was even 
 more severely felt. On the night of the 1st of December 
 the mercury of the thermometer congealed, and on the 25th 
 and 2Gth of January it is said to have stiffened before sun- 
 down, with the sun shining full upon it. Two thermometers 
 at William Lake are reported in the Victoria papers to have 
 burst from the effects of the cold, and many instances of 
 severe frost-bites, &c., are given. In judging of the severity 
 of the season from the reports of the miners, however, it 
 must be remembered that their clothing and habitations 
 would ill fit them to endure with patience the hardships of 
 an ordinary winter even in England. 
 
 In a recent book on British Columbia one of the many 
 objections urged against the country is said to arise from the 
 danger of Indian aggression upon the colonists. I cannot 
 conclude these remarks without giving this assertion an 
 emphatic contradiction. My own experience — as the reader 
 will have gathered — has led me to form an exactly opposite 
 opinion of the temper and disposition of the Indians ; and lest 
 it should be thought that my official position gave me when tra- 
 velling alone among them a protection which would be wanting 
 to the ordinary colonist, I give the following quotation upon 
 the subject from the letter of a young English clergyman 
 whom I have lately had the pleasure of meeting. I withhold 
 his name only because his letter was not intended for that 
 public use which I venture to make of it. I should add that 
 
424 CLIMATE. Chap. XIII. 
 
 the writer had never visited an English colony until he went 
 to British Columbia four years ago : — 
 
 " My experience leads me to say, what I find most persons 
 confirm, that, so far as safety is concerned, there is far less 
 risk in travelling in British Columbia than in many parts of 
 England. Nothing can exceed the order of the country, and 
 the marked absence of serious crime either on the part of the 
 whites or Indians." 
 
 This was written after a journey of more than 500 miles in 
 the interior, alone or with some fellow-clergymen. Those 
 who desire further evidence of the kindly disposition of the 
 Indians will find it abundantly in the extracts of the Bishop's 
 Journal, published by the Columbian Missionary Society. 
 
 I have more than once spoken of Esquimalt as being 
 admirably adapted for a naval station and dockyard. I wish 
 to add that, important as this is for our squadron in the 
 Pacific, I think it would be still more so for the squadron 
 in the Chinese waters. Our ships there, which are sometimes 
 almost disabled by sickness, could reach the healthy climate 
 of Vancouver in six weeks, and might, if required, be relieved 
 by vessels from the Pacific squadron. In 1859 the ' Tribune ' 
 and ' Pylades ' were ordered across from China ; they arrived 
 at Esquimalt with crews greatly debilitated, and all hands a 
 good deal below par. They remained about a year there, and 
 left, I believe, with the crews of both ships in perfect health. 
 I may also mention that the healthy appearance of our crew 
 was a subject of general remark to all ships arriving on the 
 station. 
 
 The climate is said to be unfavourable for people who have 
 previously been subject to rheumatism. The officers and 
 men of the i Plumper,' however, who lived constantly in 
 camp, and were much exposed, never suffered seriously from 
 this complaint. 
 
 In concluding this rough summary of the resources of the 
 colonies, let me repeat, that in our North American posses- 
 
Chap. XIII. PROSPECTS FOR THE SETTLER. 425 
 
 sions we have, independently of its mineral wealth, a country 
 of immense extent and natural beauty, of — so far as it lias 
 been tested — invariable fertility, and with a climate closely 
 resembling our own. Against these advantages, however, 
 it must be remembered that all that is required to develop 
 and utilise the many natural advantages of the colonies has yet 
 to be done, and that for many years to come stout hearts and 
 strong hands will find abundant occupation in accomplishing 
 this work. He who is not possessed of these requisites of 
 a bush-life is as unfit for British Columbia as for any other 
 colony. But the man whose heart does not fail him at the 
 prospect of hard living and harder work, will find there 
 welcome and plenty awaiting him. 
 
426 SUPPLY OF WATER, Chap. XIV, 
 
 CHAPTEE XIV. 
 
 Mineral wealth of British Columbia, Summary of — Conclusion. 
 
 I have left myself but small space or time to speak of that 
 which is undoubtedly the mainspring of British Columbia — 
 its immense and apparently inexhaustible yield of gold. At 
 starting, however, a few remarks upon the various methods of 
 working mining-claims at the gold-fields may be found of 
 interest to the general reader. 
 
 As a rule, picking up gold is a mere delusive figure of 
 speech. It has to be dug and worked for hardly, with 
 primitive appliances often ; sometimes with all the resources 
 of modern mechanism. Before attempting to describe shortly 
 the various processes of extracting the precious mineral, I 
 may say that they all require the aid of water and, with rare 
 exceptions, quicksilver. It is the abundant natural supply of 
 water that gives British Columbia so great an advantage 
 over California. The country is, as I have before said, and 
 as a glance at the map will show, intersected in every direc- 
 tion by streams and rivers, while lakes of various size abound, 
 the majority of which may be easily adapted to the purposes 
 of mining. The very height of the hills also, which may be 
 in other respects a disadvantage, proves in this case of use to 
 the miner who can divert to his purpose the torrents which 
 course down their sides. In California the want of water has 
 been much felt, and the methods resorted to for meeting it 
 illustrate as much as anything else in that marvellous country 
 the enterprise and spirit of the American settler. In Grass 
 Valley, Nevada county, one of the richest quartz districts in 
 California, which I visited in 1860, and where 40 steam-mills 
 
Chap. XIV. « PROSPECTING." 427 
 
 were then at work, every drop of water used had to be brought 
 by " flumes," from a distance of more than 40 miles ! 
 
 Quicksilver has as yet always been found to exist in gold 
 countries. California is abundantly supplied. It has been 
 discovered in several places in Columbia ; but as yet it has 
 been found cheaper to procure it from California than to 
 work it there. 
 
 In 18G0 I made the tour of some of the richest diggings 
 in California, with the view of seeing the various appliances 
 in use there. In describing these various methods of gold 
 working, I shall have to speak of several not yet in use in 
 Columbia ; some of them, indeed, being but newly introduced 
 into California. 
 
 The first task of the miner attracted to a new gold country 
 or district, by the report of its wealth, is "prospecting." 
 For this purpose every miner, however light his equipment 
 may otherwise be, carries with him a " pan " and a small 
 quantity of quicksilver; the latter to be used only where the 
 gold is very fine. Very little experience enables a miner to 
 detect that " colour " of the earth which indicates the presence 
 of the metallic sand in which gold is found. Wherever, as 
 he travels through the new country, he sees this, he stops 
 at once to wash a pan of dirt, and thus test its value. 
 Although many diggings are found away from the bank of 
 a stream, the river-sides are the places where gold is 
 generally first looked for and worked. In saying this, of 
 course I 'except the gold in quartz, of which I shall have 
 to speak hereafter. The spots first searched are generally 
 those upon the bank of a river where the deposit consists of 
 a thick, stiff mud or clay, with stones. In some cases this 
 is covered with sand, so that the surface has to be removed 
 before the " pay dust" is revealed. All these workings on 
 river-banks are called " bars," and are usually named after 
 the prospecter, or from some incident connected with their 
 discovery. 
 
428 TESTING. Chap. XIV- 
 
 When the Prospector comes to dirt which looks as if it 
 would pay, he unslings his pan from his back, and proceeds to 
 test it. This he effects by filling his pan with the earth, then 
 squatting on the edge of the stream, he takes it by the rim, 
 dipping it in the water, and giving it a kind of rotary motion 
 stirring and kneading the contents occasionally until the whole 
 is completely moistened. The larger stones are then thrown 
 out, the edge of the pan canted upwards, and a continual 
 flow of water made to pass through it until, the lighter portion 
 of its contents being washed away, nothing but a few pebbles 
 and specks of black metallic sand are left, among which the 
 gold, if there is any, will be found. The rotary movement, 
 by which the heavier pebbles and bits of gold are kept in the 
 centre of the pan, and the lighter earth allowed to pass over 
 its edge, requires considerable practice, and an unskilful pro- 
 specter will perhaps pass by a place as not being worth 
 working that an experienced hand will recognise as very 
 rich. The specific gravity of the black sand being nearly 
 equal to that of the gold, while wet they cannot be at once 
 separated, and the nuggets, if any, being taken out, the pan 
 is laid in the sun or by a fire to dry. When dry the lighter 
 particles of sand are blown away ; or if the gold is very fine 
 it is amalgamated with quicksilver. The miners know by 
 practice how much gold in a pan will constitute a rich 
 digging, and they usually express the value of the earth as 
 " 5/' " 10," or " 15. cent dirt," meaning that each pan so washed 
 will yield so much in money. Panning, it may be remarked, 
 never gives the full value of the dirt, as may be imagined 
 from the roughness of the process. If the gold should be 
 in flakes, a good deal is likely to be lost in the process, as it 
 will not then sink readily to the bottom of the pan, and is 
 more likely to be washed away with the sand. In panning, 
 as well as, indeed, in all the other primitive processes of 
 washing gold, the superior specific gravity of this metal over 
 others, except platinum, is the basis of operations ; all depend- 
 
 
Chap. XIV. « ROCKER " OR " CRADLE." 429 
 
 ing upon its settling at the bottom of whatever vessel may 
 chance to be used. 
 
 The " pan " is hardly ever used except for prospecting, so 
 that the " rocker " or " cradle " may be described as the 
 most primitive appliance used in gold-washing. In the 
 winter of 1859, when I first went up the Fraser, the rocker 
 was the general machine — the use of sluices not having then 
 begun. It was used in California as early as 1848, being- 
 formed rudely of logs, or the trunk of a tree. And yet, 
 ungainly as they were, they commanded, before saw-mills 
 were established in the country, enormous prices. 
 
 The rocker, then, consists of a box 3J to 4 feet long, about 
 2 feet wide, and 1-J deep. The top and one end of this box 
 are open, and at the lower end the sides slope gradually 
 until they reach the bottom. At its head is attached a 
 closely-jointed box with a sheet-iron bottom, pierced with 
 holes sufficiently large to allow pebbles to pass through. 
 This machine is provided with rockers like a child's cradle, 
 while within cleets are placed to arrest the gold in its passage. 
 One of the miners then, the cradle being placed by the 
 water's edge, feeds it with earth, while another rocks and 
 supplies it with water. The dirt to be washed is thrown into 
 the upper iron box, and a continual stream of water being 
 poured in, it is disintegrated, the gold and pebbles passing 
 down to the bottom, where the water is allowed to carry the 
 stones away, and the cleets arrest the precious metal. 
 
 When the gold is very fine I have seen a piece of cloth 
 laid along the bottom box, covered with quicksilver to arrest 
 the gold. When a party of miners work with rockers, they 
 divide the labour of rocking, carrying water, if necessary, and 
 digging equally among themselves. The rocker is the only 
 apparatus that can be at all successfully worked single- 
 handed ; and rough as it appears and really is, I have seen 
 men make 30 to 50 dollars a day with it, while far greater 
 
430 THE " LONG TOM." Chap. XIY. 
 
 sums have been known to be realized by it. In these 
 remarks I have assumed that my readers generally are aware 
 that quicksilver arrests whatever gold passes over it, and, 
 forming an amalgam with it, retains it until it is retorted 
 from it. In washing gold, quicksilver has to be used always, 
 except where the mineral is found very large and coarse. 
 Even then the earth is generally made to pass over some 
 quicksilver before it escapes altogether, in order to preserve 
 the finer particles. I may here mention that in a " sluice " 
 of ordinary size 40 or 50 lbs. of quicksilver are used daily ; 
 in a rocker perhaps 8 or 10 lbs. Of course the same quick- 
 silver can be used over and over again when the gold has 
 been retorted from it. 
 
 The first improvement on the " Rocker " was by the use of 
 a machine called the " Long Tom." This, though common 
 enough in California, I never saw used in British Columbia. 
 It consists of a shallow trough, from 10 to 20 feet long, and 
 16 inches to 2 feet wide. One end is slightly turned up, shod 
 with iron, and perforated like the sieve of a rocker. The 
 trough is placed at an incline, sieve-end downwards. A stream 
 of water is turned into the upper end of the Tom, and several 
 hands supply it with earth, which finds its way to the sieve, 
 carrying along with it the gold, which it washes or disintegrates 
 in its passage. Immediately beneath the sieve a box is placed, 
 in which are nailed cleets, or as they are more generally termed 
 " Biffles," which catch the gold as in the rocker. When the 
 gold is fine another box containing quicksilver is placed at 
 the end of the rifne, to catch the gold which passes it. 
 
 A man always attends at the end to clear away the " Tail- 
 ings," or earth discharged from the machine, and also to stir 
 up the earth in the Tom, and keep the sieve clear of stones, 
 an iron rake being used for the purpose. By the use of the 
 "Long Tom," rather than the cradle, a great saving is 
 effected ; the work being performed in a much more thorough 
 
Chap. XIV. " SLUICING." 431 
 
 manner. It is estimated in California that the Tom will 
 wash ten times as much earth as a cradle, employing the 
 same number of hands. 
 
 The next important method is " Sluicing." This is by far 
 the most commonly used both in British Columbia and Cali- 
 fornia, employing, I suppose, one-half the mining population 
 of both countries. 
 
 Sluicing is, moreover, an operation which can be carried on 
 on any scale, from two or three men upon a river bar, to a 
 rich company washing away an entire hill by the " Hydrau- 
 lic" process. Whatever may be the scale of the operations, 
 however, " sluicing " is necessarily connected with a system 
 of "flumes," or wooden aqueducts of greater or less extent, 
 either running along the back of a river-bar, and supplying 
 the sluices at it, or cobwebbing and intersecting the whole 
 country as in California. I have seen flumes on the Shady 
 ( reek Canal there, conveying an enormous stream of water 
 across a deep ravine at the height of 100 to 200 feet. 
 
 " Sluice-boxes " are of various sizes, but generally from 2 to 
 3 feet long, by about the same width. These are fitted closely 
 together at the ends, so as to form a continuous strongly- 
 built trough of the required length, from 15 or 20 to several 
 thousand feet, their make and strength depending entirely 
 upon the work they have to do. I will here describe sluicing 
 upon a moderate scale, as I found it in practice at Hill's Bar 
 upon the Fraser during my visit there in 1858. 
 
 This bar was taken up in claims early in 1858, its size 
 being then about 1J mile, although it has since been 
 much extended, the richness of the soil proving, I believe, 
 greater as it is ascended. In this place, then, a flume was 
 put up, carrying the water from a stream which descended 
 the mountain at its southern end along the whole length of 
 the bar, and behind those claims which were being worked. 
 From this flume each miner led a sluice down towards the 
 river ; his sluice being placed at such an angle that the water 
 
432 "FLUMES." Chap. XIV. 
 
 would run through it with sufficient force to carry the earth, 
 but not, of course, the gold with it. Its strength, indeed, is so 
 regulated as to allow time for the riffles and quicksilver to 
 catch the gold as it passes. The supply of water from the 
 flume to each sluice is regulated by a gate in the side of the 
 flume, which is raised for so much per inch. The price paid 
 for water of course varies greatly with the cost of timber, 
 engineering difficulties of making the flume, &c. It is 
 ordinarily established by the miners, who meet and agree 
 to pay any individual or company who may undertake the 
 work a certain rateable rental for the water. Their con- 
 struction, indeed, is one of the most profitable of colonial 
 speculations. The flume I am now speaking of cost 7000 or 
 8000 dollars, and each miner paid a dollar an inch for water 
 daily. Since that time it has become much cheaper, and 
 the usual price is about 25 cents (Is.) an inch, the width of 
 the gate being 1 foot. The sluice-boxes here were very 
 slight, about inch-plank, as the dirt which had to pass through 
 them was not large. In the bottom of each box was a 
 grating, made of strips of plank nailed crosswise to each 
 other, but not attached to the box like the riffles. In the 
 interstices of these gratings quicksilver is spread to catch the 
 fine gold, the coarse being caught by the grating itself. The 
 sluice is placed on tressels or legs, so as to raise it to the 
 height convenient for shovelling the earth in ; the water is 
 then let on, and several men feed the sluice with earth from 
 either side, while one or two with iron rakes stir it up or pull 
 out any large stones which might break the gratings. 
 
 Such is the working of ordinary sluices ; but sluiciug is also 
 inseparable from the grandest of all mining operations — viz., 
 " Hydraulic Mining." Hydraulic ruining, as I witnessed it at 
 Timbuctoo in California, is certainly a marvellous operation. 
 A hill of moderate size, 200 to 300 feet high, may often be 
 found to contain gold throughout its formation, but too thinly 
 to repay cradle-washing, or even hand-sluicing, and not lying 
 
Chap. XIV. HYDRAULIC MINING. 433 
 
 in any veins or streaks which could be worked by tunnelling 
 or ground-sluicing. 
 
 A series of sluice-boxes are therefore constructed and put 
 together, as described above ; but in this case, instead of 
 being of light timber, they are made of the stoutest board 
 that can possibly be got, backed by cross-pieces, &c., so as to 
 be of sufficient strength to allow the passage of any amount 
 of earth and stones forced through them by a flood of water. 
 The boxes are also made shorter and wider, being generally 
 about 14 inches long by 3 to 4 feet wide — the bottoms, 
 instead of the gratings spoken of above, being lined with 
 wooden blocks like wood-pavement, for resisting the friction 
 of the debris passing over it, the interstices being filled with 
 quicksilver to catch the fine gold. The sluice, thus prepared, 
 is firmly placed in a slanting position near the foot of the 
 hill intended to be attacked. 
 
 To shovel a mass of several million tons of earth into these 
 sluices would prove a tedious and profitless operation. In its 
 stead, therefore, hydraulic mining is called into play, by 
 which the labour of many men is performed by water, and 
 the hill worn down to the base by its agency. The operation 
 consists of simply throwing an immense stream of water upon 
 the side of the hill with hose and pipe, as a fire-engine plays 
 upon a burning building. The water is led through gutta- 
 percha or canvas hoses, 4 to 6 inches in diameter, and is 
 thrown from a considerable height above the scene of opera- 
 tions. It is consequently hurled with such force as to eat into 
 the hill-side as if it were sugar. At the spot where I saw this 
 working in operation to the greatest advantage they were 
 using four horses, which they estimated as equal to the power 
 of a hundred men with pick and shovel. There is more 
 knowledge and skill required in this work than would at 
 first sight be supposed necessary. The purpose of the man 
 who directs the hose is to undermine the surface as well as 
 wash away the face of the hill. He therefore directs the 
 
 2f 
 
434 EXPENSE OF WATER SUPPLY. Chap. XIV. 
 
 water at a likely spot until indications of a " cave-in " become 
 apparent. Notice being given, the neighbourhood is de- 
 serted. The earth far above cracks, and down conies all the 
 face of the precipice with the noise of an avalanche. By this 
 means a hill several hundred feet higher than the water 
 could reach may easily be washed away. 
 
 The greatest difficulty connected with hydraulic work is to 
 get a sufficient fall for the water — a considerable pressure 
 being, of course, necessary. At Timbuctoo, for instance, a 
 large river flowed close by, but its waters at that point were 
 quite useless from being too low ; the consequence was, that 
 a flume had to be led several miles, from a part of the river 
 higher up, so as to gain the force required. Supplying water 
 for this and similar mining purposes has, therefore, proved a 
 very successful speculation in California. I am not able to 
 give the exact length of the longest flumes constructed 
 there, but I know that it has in some cases been found neces- 
 sary to bring water from the Sierra Nevada, and to tap 
 streams that have their rise there. It is not at all un- 
 common to bring it from a distance of 50 miles, and in some 
 cases it has been conveyed as far again. 
 
 The expense of this is, of course, enormous, and it is in 
 the ready supply of water at various levels, that the work 
 of mining in British Columbia will be found so much more 
 easy than in California. So scarce is it there, indeed, that 
 it sometimes has been found cheaper to pack the earth on 
 mules and carry it to the river-side than to bring the water 
 to the gold-fields. 
 
 The difficulty of obtaining water in the early days of gold- 
 digging in California gave rise to a very curious method of 
 extracting the mineral, which, I believe, was only practised 
 by the Mexicans. Two men would collect a heap of earth 
 from some place containing grain-gold, and pound it as fine 
 as possible. It was then placed in a large cloth, like a 
 sheet, and winnowed — the breeze carrying away the dust, 
 
Chap. XIV. " GROUND-SLUICING." 435 
 
 while the heavier gold fell back into the cloth. " Bellows 
 were sometimes used for this purpose also. 
 
 While upon this subject, I will take the opportunity of 
 describing the most common appliance for raising water 
 from a river for the use of a sluice on its bank. The ma- 
 chinery used is known as the " flutter-wheel," and the tra- 
 veller in a mining country will see them erected in every 
 conceivable manner and place. It is the same in principle 
 and very similar in appearance to our common " undershot- 
 wheel," consisting of a large wheel 20 to 30 feet in diameter, 
 turned by the force of the current. The paddles are fitted 
 with buckets made to fill themselves with water as they pass 
 under the wheel, which they empty as they turn over into a 
 trough placed convenient for the purpose and leading to the 
 sluice. In a river with a rapid current, like the Fraser, they 
 can be made to supply almost any quantity of water. 
 
 There is a kind of intermediate process between that which 
 I have just described and tunnelling or " koyote-ing," par- 
 taking in a measure of both. This is called "ground- 
 sluicing," and is quite distinct from " sluicing." The reader 
 will better understand this process if I speak of " koyote-ing," 
 and " ground-sluicing " together, the latter having become a 
 substitute for the former. 
 
 As the miners in California began to gain experience in 
 gold-seeking, they found that at a certain distance beneath 
 the surface of the earth a layer of rock existed, on which 
 the gold, by its superior specific gravity, had gradually 
 settled. Experience soon taught the miner to discard the 
 upper earth, which was comparatively valueless, and to seek 
 for gold in the cracks or "pockets" of this bed-rock, or 
 in the layer of earth or clay covering it. The depth of this 
 rock is very various ; sometimes it crops out at the surface, 
 while at other times it is found 150 to 200 feet down. Where 
 it is very deep, recourse must be had to regular shaft-sinking 
 and tunnelling, as in a coal or copper mine ; but when the 
 
 2 f2 
 
436 "KOYOTE" TUNNELLING. Chap. XIV. 
 
 rock is only 20 or 30 feet beneath the surface, tunnelling on 
 a very small scale, known as " koyote-ing," from its fancied 
 resemblance to the burrowing of the small wild-clog common 
 to British Columbia and California, is adopted. These little 
 tunnels are made to save the expense of shovelling off the 
 20 or 30 feet of earth that cover the " pay dirt " on the bed- 
 rock, and their extraordinary number gives a very strange 
 appearance to those parts of the country w T hich have been 
 thoroughly "koyote-ed." I have seen a hill completely 
 honeycombed with these burrows, carried through and 
 through it, and interlacing in every possible direction. So 
 rich is their formation, however, that after they have been 
 deserted by the koyote-ers they are still found worth working. 
 I remember looking at one in the Yuba county in California 
 which appeared so completely riddled that the pressure of a 
 child's foot would have brought it down. Upon my expres- 
 sing my conviction that anyhow that seemed worked out, a 
 miner standing by at once corrected me. " Worked out, sir ?" 
 he said — " not a bit of it ! If you -come in six months, you'll 
 not see any hill there at all, sir. A company are going to 
 bring the water to play upon it in a few days." " Will it 
 pay well, do you suppose ?" " All pays about here, sir," was 
 the quick reply ; " they'll take a hundred dollars each 
 a-day." 
 
 The Koyote tunnels are only made sufficiently high for the 
 workman to sit upright in them. They are generally carried 
 through somewhat stiffish clay, and are propped and supported 
 with wooden posts, but, as may be imagined in the case of 
 such small apertures extending for so great a length as some 
 of them do, they are very unsafe. Not unfrequently they 
 " cave in " without the slightest warning. Sometimes, too, 
 the earth settles down upon the bed-rock so slowly and 
 silently, that the poor victims are buried alive unknown to 
 their companions without. 
 
 The danger of this work and its inefficiency for extracting 
 
Chap. XIV. MINING IN RIVER-BEDS. 437 
 
 the gold, much of which was lost in these dark holes, gave 
 rise, as the agency of water became more appreciated, to 
 " ground-sluicing." This consists in directing a heavy stream 
 of water upon the bank which is to be removed, and, with the 
 aid of pick and shovel, washing the natural surface away and 
 bringing the " pay-streak " next the bed-rock into view. 
 
 Before proceeding to the subject of quartz-crushing, it will 
 be well perhaps to give the reader some further idea of the 
 great extent of those mining operations which, begun by a few 
 adventurers, have become a regularly organised system, carried 
 on by wealthy and powerful companies. As a striking monu- 
 ment of their courage and the extent of their resources, I would 
 instance the fact of their having diverted large rivers from 
 their channels so as to lay their beds dry for mining purposes. 
 This has been done at nearly every bend or shallow in the 
 numerous streams of California, and will doubtless be imitated 
 in Columbia ere long. The largest of these operations that I 
 ever saw was near Auburn, a large town in Placer county, on 
 the American river. 
 
 Sometimes the water can be brought in a strongly-built 
 flume from above, and carried by a long box over the old bed 
 of the river ; at other times a regular canal has to be made and 
 dams constructed upon a very large scale. The result is that 
 the bed of the river is laid dry, when its every crevice and 
 pocket is carefully searched for the gold which the water has 
 generally brought down from the bases of the hills and the 
 bars higher up the stream. These operations are frequently 
 so extensive as to occupy several successive seasons before the 
 whole is worked, and to employ hundreds of labourers besides 
 the individuals composing the company, who usually in such 
 an enterprise number fifty or sixty. Sometimes the prema- 
 ture approach of the rainy season, and consequent freshets, 
 carry away the whole of the works in a night. These works 
 occasionally yield immense returns, and it is not unfrequently 
 found, on renewing them after the rainy season, that fresh 
 
438 UNCERTAINTY OF PROCEEDS. Chap. XIV. 
 
 deposits of gold have taken place, almost equal in value to 
 the first. On the other hand, no amount of judgment can 
 select with any degree of certainty a favourable spot for 
 "jamming" or turning a river, and, after months of hard 
 labour, the bed when laid bare may prove entirely destitute 
 of gold deposits. The ]ong space of still water below a series 
 of rapids will sometimes be found in one spot to contain 
 pounds of gold, while in another the workers who have selected 
 that portion of the river above the rapids will find themselves 
 in the paying place. 
 
 All gold operations, indeed, depend very much upon chance 
 for success. No one can ever calculate with any degree of 
 certainty on the run of the " lode " underground, or ill the 
 "pay streak" near the surface. Thus it is ever a lottery. 
 As an instance of this on a large scale, I remember when I 
 was at Grass Yalley, " Nevada county," going to see the 
 working at the " Black Bridge " tunnel there. The first shaft 
 for this tunnel was sunk five years before my visit, and up to 
 that time nothing had been taken, though it had been con- 
 stantly worked and was nearly 20,000 feet long. It was 
 commenced in 1855 by a company, who sunk a shaft nearly 
 250 feet, to strike, as they hoped and expected, a lode from 
 the opposite side of the valley. The original company con- 
 sisted of five men, and in the course of the five years some of 
 them gave up and others joined, part of them working at other 
 diggings to get money for provisions, tools, &c, to keep their 
 firm going. At length, just before my visit, all the original 
 projectors, and about three sets of others who had joined at 
 different periods, gave the enterprise up as hopeless after 
 carrying it, as I have said, nearly four miles. A new company 
 then took possession of it and summoned the miners of the 
 valley to a consultation. The meeting decided that they had 
 not gone deep enough, and the shaft was accordingly sunk 
 50 feet lower, when the gold was at once struck. I tried to 
 ascertain what had been expended upon this tunnel, but it 
 
Chap. XIV. FREAKS OF FORTUNE. 439 
 
 had passed through so many hands that it was impossible even 
 to estimate it. The gentleman who showed me over it, and 
 who was an Englishman and the principal man of Grass 
 Valley (Mr. Attwood), said it would cost the new company 
 12,000 or 14,000 dollars (3000Z.) before they took out anything 
 that would repay them. The recklessness with which money 
 is risked and the apparent unconcern with which a man loses 
 a large fortune, and the millionaire of to-day becomes a hired 
 labourer to-morrow, is one of the most striking characteristics 
 of the American in these Western states. It is owing in a 
 great degree to the mere accident which gold-working is. 
 The effect of this upon society is of course most injurious. 
 The poor miner, hobbling along the street of San Francisco 
 or Sacramento trying to borrow — for there are no beggars in 
 California — money enough to take him back to the mines 
 from which ague or rheumatism have driven him a few months 
 before, knows that a lucky hit may (liable him in a very short 
 time to take the place of the gentleman who passes by him 
 in his carriage, and whose capital is very probably floating 
 about in schemes, the failure of which will as rapidly reduce 
 him to the streets, or send him back again to the mines as a 
 labourer. The spirit, too, with which these changes of fortune 
 are borne is wonderful. I travelled once in California with a 
 man who was on his way to the mines to commence work as 
 a labourer for the third time. He told me his story readily : 
 it was simple enough. He had twice made what he thought 
 would enrich him for life, and twice it had gone in unlucky 
 speculations. An Englishman under these circumstances 
 would probably have been greatly depressed: not so my 
 fellow-traveller. He talked away through the journey cheer- 
 fully, describing the country as we passed through it, speaking 
 of the past without anything like regret, and calmly hopeful 
 for the future. 
 
 To return to the gold-working, however. I have described 
 the various processes of extracting it from the earth or the 
 
440 QUARTZ-CRUSHING. Chap. XIV. 
 
 rock-surface. I come now lastly to the more arduous work 
 of collecting it from the rock itself, known as quartz-crushing. 
 Some very rich specimens of quartz have been found in 
 British Columbia, near Lowhee Creek, Cariboo, and in other 
 places. But while the surface-diggings continue to yield such 
 rich returns and transport is so dear, it can scarcely be 
 expected that quartz-crushing, which requires the use of 
 ponderous machinery, will be commenced. The richest 
 quartz district in California is Grass Valley, in Xevada county, 
 which place, as I have before observed, I visited in 1860. In 
 this valley there are forty steam-mills at work, drawing the 
 earth from tunnels, crushing quartz, &c. The average value 
 of the quartz there is 60 or 70 dollars a ton, though it some- 
 times runs as high as 200 dollars per ton. The Helvetia 
 mill, which is one of the best, crushes on an average 30 tons 
 daily, making therefore nearly 2000 dollars (400?.). The 
 quartz is picked or blasted out in the usual way, and then 
 conveyed on mules or by tramway to the mill, where it is 
 broken by hand into pieces about the size of an egg. 
 
 The machinery is placed under a large shed or wooden 
 building of some kind. It consists of a series of heavy 
 stampers, made of iron, or wood shod with iron, the lower 
 ends of which fit into boxes in which the quartz is placed. 
 The stampers are moved by cogs connected with a revolving 
 wheel, which lifts them and lets them fall into the boxes. 
 The Helvetia mill works thirty-four of these stampers. The 
 stamping-boxes are supplied with water by a hose or pipe on 
 one side, while at the other side is a hole through which the 
 quartz, as it is crushed, passes out in the form of a thick 
 white fluid. As it comes out it is received upon a framework, 
 placed at such an angle that it passes slowly over it : on this 
 frame are several quicksilver riffles, which catch and amal- 
 gamate the gold as it glides along. Beyond this again is 
 another frame, over which is spread a blanket, which arrests 
 any fine particles which escape the quicksilver. Even with 
 
Chap. XIV. I " RASTRA," OR DRAG. 441 
 
 all this care there is considerable waste, and the " tailings " 
 or refuse is generally worth a second washing. No way has 
 yet been found of obviating this waste. 
 
 There is a more primitive method of quartz-crushing called 
 the " rastra," or drag, which, though it will only crush about 
 a ton a day, does its work more perfectly than the stampers. 
 For this purpose a circular trough is made, and paved at the 
 bottom. In the centre of this an upright post is fixed, with 
 a spindle fitted into a frame at the top, so that it can be 
 turned round. Through the lower part of this a horizontal 
 pole is passed, one end of which plumbs the edge of the 
 trough, while the other projects some way beyond it. To the 
 short end a couple of heavy stones are attached ; a mule or 
 horse being harnessed to the other. The quartz is then put 
 into the trough, being first broken up small, and ground by 
 the friction of the stones, winch are dragged round by the 
 mule. A small stream of water is kept constantly flowing 
 into the trough, and quicksilver is sprinkled in at intervals 
 to amalgamate with the gold. After a certain time the 
 water is turned oft", the entire pavement of the trough taken 
 up, and the amalgam carefully collected and retorted. Of 
 course these are worked chiefly by parties who do not possess 
 sufficient capital to construct steam-mills. 
 
 With respect to the existence of the precious mineral in 
 North America, the theory which Sir Eoderick Murchison 
 maintains is that the matrix will be found extending the 
 whole way along the slopes of the chain of mountains lying 
 between the Kocky Mountains and the Coast Kiclge. This 
 theory is borne out by the discoveries in Kock Creek and 
 Cariboo, which lie in the line attributed to it. All the river 
 bars or " placers," as surface-diggings are called, which have 
 been worked as yet are undeniably the alluvial deposits 
 brought down by the streams on whose banks they are found. 
 And nearly all these rivers take their rise in the chain of 
 mountains spoken of, which form an almost unbroken line 
 
442 ESTIMATE OF YIELD. * Chap. X1Y. 
 
 between Eock Creek and Cariboo. The Cariboo Lake and 
 some of the rich Cariboo diggings, as Keithley's Creek, 
 Cottonwood Kiver, &c., are on the west side of this ridge ; 
 while Antler Creek, Canon Creek, and others lie on the east, 
 showing that the gold is common to both slopes. This has 
 probably tended to make the Eraser River bars much richer 
 than they otherwise would have been, as all the small streams 
 which rise on the eastern side of these mountains also run 
 into the Fraser, which comes up from the southward behind 
 them, till, as I have before shown, it is turned southward by 
 the height of the land between it and the Peace River. 
 
 The few adventurers who have crossed this barrier to the 
 Peace River report all the appearances of an extremely rich 
 auriferous region there; and Mr. Nind tells me that it is 
 generally believed at Cariboo that the richest diggings will 
 be found in that direction. This fact undoubtedly confirms 
 Sir R. Murchison's theory, as the Peace River Valley stretches 
 northward in the same direction till it meets the Finlay River 
 in lat. 56F N. 
 
 It would be simply waste of space to quote the accounts 
 of the richness of the gold-fields of British Columbia, given at 
 intervals in the journals of the day. New and more startling 
 discoveries are being so constantly made, that the marvels of 
 one day are always likely to be eclipsed by the still more 
 extraordinary reports of the next. We have also yet to re- 
 ceive the accounts of this summer's work at the gold-fields. I 
 will give, however, from the Times of February 6, 1862, the 
 estimate which its correspondent forms of the approximate 
 gross yield of gold for 1861 : — 
 
 " It is impossible to give a return of the ' yield ' of gold 
 produced by British Columbia in the aggregate with certainty. 
 I shall merely attempt an approximation of the gross yield 
 from the best data within my reach. 
 
 "It is generally conceded that, including Chinese, there 
 were 5000 men engaged in gold-digging this year. The 
 
 
Chap. XIV. ESTIMATE OF YIELD. 443 
 
 various Government returns of Customs' duties and of interior 
 tolls on roads charged on the passage of merchandise collected, 
 justify this assumption, while the miners' licences issued tend 
 to corroborate it. The mining population in the Cariboo 
 country, including within this division the Forks of Quesnelle 
 Kiver (50 miles below) is put down on general testimony 
 (of miners, travellers, other residents, and Government re- 
 turns) at 1500 men. To work out the earnings of this aggre- 
 gate of 5000 miners, I adopt a statement of names and 
 amounts, made up from miners' information, of 79 men who 
 together took out in Cariboo 926,680 dollars. The general 
 opinion of the miners is, that (in addition to the ' lucky ones ' 
 who made ' big strikes,' and which I limit to the above number 
 of 79) every man who had a claim or a share in a claim made 
 from 1000 to 2000 dollars. Of these there were at the least 
 400, and taking then- earnings at a medium or average between 
 the two sums mentioned — say at 1500 dollars to each — they 
 would produce 600,000 dollars. There remain 1021 men to 
 be accounted for. Putting their earnings at 7 dollars a day 
 each, which is the lowest rate of wages paid for hired labour 
 in the Cariboo miDes, and assigning only 107 working days 
 as the period of their mining operations during the season, to 
 make allowance for its shortness by reason of the distance 
 from the different points of departure and of bad weather, 
 they would have taken out 764,729 dollars. These several 
 sums added would make the yield of Cariboo and Quesnelle 
 2,291,409 dollars to 1500 men for the season, by far the 
 greater portion, or nearly all, in fact, being from Cariboo ; 
 although the north fork of Quesnelle is also very productive 
 and so rich as to induce its being worked by fluming this 
 winter by about 100 miners, who have remained for the 
 purpose. 
 
 " The remaining 3500 of the mining population who worked 
 on Thompson's Kiver, the Fraser, from Fort George down- 
 wards ; Bridge Kiver, Semilkameen, and Okanagan (very few), 
 
444 ESTIMATE OF YIELD. Chap. XIY. 
 
 Kock Creek, and all other localities throughout the country, 
 I shall divide into two classes : the first to consist of 1500, 
 who made 10 dollars a-day for — say 180 days (Sundays thrown 
 off), and which would give 2,700,000 dollars for their joint 
 earnings ; the second and last class of 2000 men, who were 
 not so lucky, I shall assume to have made only 5 dollars each 
 a-day for the same period, and which would give 1,800,000 
 dollars as the fruit of their united labour. 
 
 "The three last categories, which number 4521 men, 
 include the many miners who in Cariboo were making 20 to 
 50 dollars a-day each, as well as those who, in various other 
 localities, were making from 15 dollars to 100 dollars a-day 
 occasionally, so I think my estimate, although not accurate, 
 is reasonable and moderate. The Government people think 
 I have rather understated the earnings of the miners in these 
 three classes of 4521 men ; and the Governor himself, who 
 takes an absorbing interest in the affairs of this portion of his 
 government, and to whose ready courtesy I am indebted for 
 some of the information given in this letter, as well as for 
 much formerly communicated in my correspondence, thinks 
 my estimate is a very safe one. 
 
 " But I must finish this long letter with a recapitulation, 
 for I dread the inroads I have made upon your space : — 
 
 Dollars. 
 
 79 miners took out an aggregate of 926,680 
 
 400 ditto, claim owners, took out 600,000 
 
 1021 ditto, at 7 dollars a-day, in 107 days 764,729 
 
 Total yield (nearly all) from Cariboo .. 2,291,409 
 
 1500 miners who worked in other places dollars, 
 for 180 days, at 10 dollars per diem 2,700,000 
 
 2000 ditto, at 5 dollars 1,800,000 
 
 4,500,000 
 
 5000 miners— gross yield for 1861 6,791,409 
 
 " This does not include the native Indians, as I have no 
 means of estimating their earnings. They are beginning to 
 
Chap. XIV. ESTIMATE OF YIELD. 445 
 
 ' dig,' in imitation of the white men, in some parts, and will 
 eventually increase the yield of gold, as the desire for wealth 
 grows upon them. As a proof of their aptitude and success 
 in this, to them, new field of labour, I may mention that the 
 Bishop of Columbia found a gang of them 'washing' on 
 Bridge River last summer, and that he had the day's earnings 
 of one Indian weighed when he ceased hia labours, and found 
 it to contain one ounce of gold. His Lordship purchased it 
 of him, paying him 16 dollars 50 cents, the current issue, 
 and carried it away as /'/*." 
 
 The return of the assays of Cariboo gold, given by the same 
 gentleman, are also of permanent interest, as showing the 
 value of the dust. The highest assayed by Messrs. Marchand 
 and Co., from whom the return is obtained, from Davis 
 Creek, was 718 fine, value per ounce 18 doll. 97*04 c, or 
 about 31. Ids. The lowest, which came from Williams Creek, 
 was 810 fine, value per ounce 16 doll. 74-J2 c. (about 
 31. i)s:ld.). The average value of all Cariboo dust is 854 
 fine, value per ounce 17 doll. 05*37 c. (31. 13$. 6d.). 
 
 In conclusion, I have merely to add, that I remained with 
 the 'Hecate' at San Francisco until she was repaired, when, 
 on the 21st October, 18G1, I left that place in the United 
 States mail steamer 'Orizaba,' and on the 27th November 
 arrived " home." 
 

( 447 ) 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN JERVIS INLET AND DESOLATION SOUND, 
 BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
 
 Mr. William Downie to Governor James Douglas. 
 Sir, Victoria, Vancouver Island, March 19th, 1859. 
 
 I have the honour to inform your Excellency of my return to Victoria, 
 after a sojourn of sixteen weeks in British Columbia. 
 
 I have been for the last month in Desolation Sound. The snow and rain 
 set in so as to make it impossible to start over the mountains from the 
 head of Jervis Inlet to the Upper Fraser River for some time. 
 
 I then thought it would be as well to visit the Klahous country, as I had 
 heard a great deal about it. 
 
 We started from the head of Jervis Inlet on the 22nd of February for 
 Desolation Sound, in a small canoe with four Indians, pick, pan, shovel, 
 and rocker ; came down the west entrance of Jervis Inlet, which is much 
 better than the eastern. From Scotch-Fir Point, up the coast, it is shallow, 
 and rocks and reefs miming out a good distance from the shore. 
 
 It was most refreshing to come down on the gulf, where the land had all 
 the appearance of spring, and after being so long up the inlet. No snow 
 on any of the islands along the coast except Tarada. Savary Island has all 
 the appearance of a farm under cultivation, from the abundance of grass on 
 it : large patches of farming land make it look very enticing, but the water 
 is scarce for farming purposes ; yet there are excellent pastures for stock all 
 the year round. The mainland opposite this island changes in appearance 
 with regard to the rock formation : quartz and slate along the shore up to 
 Sarah Point. 
 
 We arrived safe in Desolation Sound, which does certainly look somewhat 
 desolate in a snow-storm ; but I am well pleased with the prospect of this 
 section. 
 
 This is the first time I have seen pure veins of sulphuret of iron, which 
 looks very much like silver. The first I saw of it was a small square piece 
 in the possession of an Indian : I offered him some tobacco for it, but he 
 would not part with it, even if I gave him its weight in gold. I came 
 across a number of seams of the same kind. It lies in the quartz, the same 
 as gold. I have no idea that the gold is confined to Fraser River alone ; 
 and if it can only be found from the seaboard or on the rivers, at the head 
 of some of these inlets, the country will soon be prospected. 
 
448 EXPLORATIONS IN JEKVIS INLET App. 
 
 Bute Inlet (Homathco), that runs so much farther north than this< inlet, 
 has a large river emptying into it from the north-west. This river looks 
 most favourable for gold, and I should much like to have prospected it ; hut 
 the Indians would not go, as they were afraid of the Euclitus tribes, but the 
 principal reason was that the canoe was small, and we were not altogether 
 prepared to give it a fair trial. It was snowing most of the time, and 
 rather discouraging. 
 
 Camped near the Klahous Indians' village : they paid me a visit, as a 
 matter of course, and I gave them each a small piece of tobacco. They 
 seemed well pleased ; but would have a look at our mining tools, and 
 canoe, and blankets, and general appearance. When they had satisfied 
 themselves on these points, they told my Indians I was not a Tyee — mean- 
 ing a chief, a person of consequence (this was the unkindest cut of all). 
 My Indians told them I was a Tyee ; but it was of no use. They said a 
 Tyee would have a large canoe and plenty of blankets, whereas there was 
 nothing of the kind visible ; only picks, pans, and an old rocker, and what 
 was the use of that among Indians ? 
 
 I did not feel disposed to find fault with the poor Klahons Indians for 
 judging from outward appearance, and, upon the whole, I got along with- 
 them very well. We got a few potatoes from them, so there must be some- 
 thing else besides rocks in Desolation Sound. 
 
 We went up to the head of the inlet, where the " Deserted Village " is on 
 the map, but there were no Indians there. It looked as much like a de- 
 serted tillage as it did when it was named by Vancouver. About two 
 miles above this the river comes in from the north-east. The sand wash- 
 ing out of the river has formed a large flat at the head of the inlet, in some 
 places dry at low- water. We had some difficulty in getting the canoe into 
 the river, which is also shallow, being filled up with sand from the continued 
 wash from the mountains. 
 
 We went up the river about five miles. The Indians told me it would 
 take five days to go to the head of it. Judging from the way a canoe goes 
 up such rivers, the distance would be about sixty miles, which must be a 
 long distance above the Quamish, and would not be far from the Lilloett. 
 The Indians have gone this route to the head of Bridge River (Hoystier), 
 which it may prove to be the best route to try. It is very evident there is 
 a pass in the Coast Range here that will make it preferable to Jervis Inlet 
 or Howe Sound. If a route can be got through, it will lead direct to Bridge 
 River. 
 
 I have seen more black sand here in half a day than I did in California in 
 nine years ; it looks clear and bright, as if it came from quartz. 
 
 Seeing that it was out of the question to proceed farther, we put back and 
 came down along shore, breaking and trying the rocks, but did not discover 
 any gold : lots of iron pyrites or sulphuret of iron. 
 
 The land on each side of the river is low, and must be overflowed in many 
 places in spring ; but for all that, if a trail can be found through, it will not 
 be difficult to make a road along the banks of the river. 
 
 In coming down we passed through what on the map is called the Island 
 
App. and desolation sound. 449 
 
 " Piedonda." This is a fine passage, and shortens the distance about ten 
 miles in going to Klahous Inlet. 
 
 The distance fronHUahous Inlet to Homathco Inlet (Bute Inlet on the 
 chart) is about thirty miles ; but I could not get the Indians to go in the 
 small canoe. 
 
 The Indians told me that the colour of the water in the large river that 
 comes in at the head of Homathco from the north-west was the same as 
 Fraser River; and thus when I proceed thither I should be in or near the 
 range of Queen Charlotte Islands, where I should get gold. 
 
 We had a hard passage to Nanaimo ; but arrived all right, paid off the 
 Indians, and heard from Captain Stuart that he had forwarded supplies to 
 Jervis Inlet by order of your Excellency, so that I was all ready for a start 
 again to Desolation Sound, if I could obtain a small decked-boat. 
 
 Fort St. James, Stuart Lake, New Caledonia, 
 Sir, 10th October, 1859. 
 
 I beg to make the following report of my trip to Queen Charlotte 
 Islands, and my journey thence by Fort Simpson to the interior of British 
 Columbia. 
 
 Having left Victoria on the 27th July, with twenty-seven practical 
 miners, with stores, &c, for three months, we arrived in Gold Harbour, 
 Queen Charlotte Islands, safely, on the 6th August, and immediately set 
 about prospecting. 
 
 We examined the spot where a large quantity of gold was formerly taken 
 out, and discovered a few specks of it in the small quartz-seams that run 
 through the slate ; two of the party blasting the rock, while others pro- 
 spected round the harbour. 
 
 I then proceeded in a canoe to Douglas Inlet, which runs in south of 
 Gold Harbour, hoping to find traces of the Gold Harbour lead, but without 
 success. The nature of the rock is trap or hornblende, with a few poor 
 seams of quartz straggling over the surface. Granite was found at the head 
 of this inlet, but not a speck of gold. Next day we went up an inlet to the 
 north of Gold Harbour, and here a white rock showed itself on the spur of 
 a mountain. 
 
 After a difficult ascent we found it to be nothing but weather-beaten, 
 sun-dried granite, instead of quartz. Farther up the inlet we saw a little 
 black slate and some talcose rock, but nothing that looked like gold. On 
 our return, we found that the men engaged in blasting the rock had given 
 it up ; the few surface specks being all the gold that could he found. 
 
 The large amount of gold that was formerly found with so little difficulty 
 existed in what is called an offshot or blow. The question then arises how 
 did the gold get here. Some of our party were of opinion that a gold lead 
 exists close at hand, but it can only be put down to one of the extraordinary 
 freaks of nature so often found in a mineral country. 
 
 The offshoots in question are not uncommon, as I have often seen them in 
 California. On such a discovery being made, hundreds of miners would take 
 
 2 G • 
 
450 EXPLOEATIONS IN JEEVIS INLET App. 
 
 claims in all directions near it, and test the gronnd in every way ; but 
 nothing farther could be found, except in the one spot, about 70 feet in length, 
 running south-east and north-west : on being worked about 15 feet it gave 
 out. Before work commenced I have blown the sand off a vein of pure gold. 
 I now proposed to test the island farther, and started for the Skidegate 
 Channel. At a village of the Cross wer Indians, where we were windbound, 
 the appearances were more favourable. Talcose slate, quartz, and red earth 
 were seen. "We tried to discover gold, but without success. Sulphuret of 
 iron was found in abundance, and we discovered traces of previous prospect- 
 ings. The Indians understand the search for gold well, and detect it in the 
 rocks quicker even than I can. 
 
 The coast from the Casswer Indian village to Skidegate Channel is wilder 
 than any I have ever before travelled ; and we did not care to hunt for gold 
 in such a place. Five Indians were drowned here to-day while fishing. 
 
 At the Skidegate Channel we found black slate and quartz prevailing ; 
 farther north granite appears, and then sandstone and conglomerate ; and as 
 we were now in a coal country, it was of no use to look for gold. 
 
 We saw coal here, but I cannot speak as to its quality, not being a judge 
 of it. The formation is similar to that of Nanaimo. From this we re- 
 turned to Gold Harbour, where a party which had remained behind to 
 prospect inland had met with no better success than ourselves. We then 
 consulted what was the best thing to do. I did not wish to return to 
 Victoria, as your Excellency had desired me to explore some of the inlets 
 on the mainland ; and I left Gold Harbour with a party of fourteen men for 
 Fort Simpson, where we arrived in eight days. The north-west coast of 
 Queen Charlotte Islands is a low sand and gravel flat, having no resemblance 
 to a gold country. 
 
 I left Fort Simpson for the Skeena Eiver on the 31st August. From Fort 
 Simpson to Fort Essington is about 40 miles. The salt water here is of a 
 light-blue colour, like the mouth of Fraser Eiver, and runs inland about 
 30 miles. The coarse-grained quartz of Fort Simpson is no longer seen 
 here, and granite appears ; and the banks of the river are low, and covered 
 with small hard wood and cotton-trees, with some good-sized white oaks, 
 the first I have seen west of Fraser Eiver. 
 
 Vessels drawing upwards of 4 feet of water cannot go more than 20 miles 
 up the Skeena Eiver ; and it is very unlike the deep inlets to the southward. 
 At our camp here some Indians visited us, and told us that they were 
 honest ; but next morning the absence of my coat rather negatived their 
 statement. Next day we found the river shoal for loaded canoes, as it 
 had fallen much. At our next camp I went up a small river called Scena- 
 toys, and the Indians showed me some crystallized quartz, and to my sur- 
 prise a small piece with gold in it, being the first I had seen in this part. 
 The Indian took me to a granite slide, whence, as he asserted, the piece of 
 quartz had come. I found some thin crusts of fine quartz, but no gold. 
 From the river Scenatoys to Fort Essington, at the mouth of the Skeena 
 Eiver, is 75 miles. A little below the Scenatoys an Indian trail leads to 
 Fort Simpson, through a low pass ; and the distance is not great. 
 
App. AND DESOLATION SOUND. 451 
 
 From this, 10 miles farther up, was a river called the Toes. On the 
 south side hence is an Indian trail to the Kitloops on the Salmon River, the 
 south branch of Salmon, which river is called Kittama. 
 
 By this time we were fairly over the Coast Range, and the mountains 
 ahead of us did not look very high ; the current here was very strong, and 
 much labour was required to get our canoe along, and we had to pull her 
 up by a rope from the shore. 
 
 Gold is found here, a few specks to the pan, and the whole country looks 
 auriferous, wi tli fine bars and flats with clay on the bars ; the mountains 
 look red, and slate and quartz were seen. , 
 
 The next camp was at the village of^Kitalaska, and I started in a light 
 canoe ahead of my party, as our canoe, by all accounts, could not proceed 
 much farther, and I then determined to penetrate to Fort Fraser. The Indian 
 who was with me told me that a large stream, called the Kitchumsala, 
 comes in from the north ; the land on it is good, and well adapted for 
 farming, and that the Indians grow plenty of potatoes. To the south is a 
 small stream called the Chimkoatsh, on the south of which is the Plumbago 
 Mountain, of which I had some in my hand, as clear as polished silver, and 
 runs in veins of quartz. 
 
 Near to this, on a tree, are the words " Pioneer, H.B.C.," and nearly 
 overgrown with bark. The Indian told me it was cut by Mr. John Work, 
 a long time ago. . , 
 
 From this to the village of Kitcoonsa the land improves, the mountains 
 recede from the river, and fine flats run away 4 or 5 miles back to their 
 bases, where the smoke is seen rising from the huts of the Indians engaged 
 in drying berries for the winter. These Indians were very kind to us, and 
 wished me to build a house there, and live with them. 
 
 Above the village of Kitcoonsa the prospect of gold is not so good as 
 below. As the season was so advanced I was not able to prospect the hills, 
 which look so well, and unless the Government takes it in hand, it will be 
 a long while before the mineral resources of this part of British Columbia 
 can be known. This is the best-looking mineral country I have seen in 
 British Columbia. ^ 
 
 From here to the village of Kitsagatala the river is rocky and dangerous, 
 and our canoe was split from stem to stern. 
 
 At Kitsagatala we entered a most extensive coal country, the seams being 
 in sight, and cut through by the river, and running up the banks on both 
 sides, varying in thickness from 3 to 35 feet. 
 
 The veins are larger on the east side, and are covered with soft sandstone, 
 which gives easily to the pick ; on the west side quartz lines the seams, 
 which are smaller. The veins dip into the bank for a mile along the river, 
 and could easily be worked by tunnels on the face, or by sinking shafts from 
 behind on the flats, as they run into soft earth. 
 
 I have seen no coal like this in all my travels in British Columbia and 
 Vancouver Island. 
 
 We experienced some danger from Indians here, but by a small present 
 
 2 G 2 
 
452 EXPLORATIONS IN JERVIS INLET App. 
 
 of tobacco, and by a determined and unconcerned aspect, I succeeded in 
 avoiding the danger of a collision with them. We could go no farther in 
 the canoe than Kittamarks or the Forks of the Skeena River, and we had 
 been twenty days from Fort Simpson, though the journey could have been 
 done in a third of that time. 
 
 On the 21st September I left Kittamarks with two white men and two 
 Indians, and started over a fine trail through a beautiful country for Fort 
 Fraser. We crossed over an Indian suspension-bridge, and entered some 
 first-rate land, our course being about east ; we completed about 12 miles 
 to-day. Next day it rained hard, but we succeeded in doing 12 miles 
 again, passing through as fine a farming country as one could wish to see. 
 To the south-east a large open space appeared, and I have since learnt that 
 a chain of lakes runs away here, being the proper way to Fort Fraser ; but 
 as I always follow my Indian guides implicitly, I did so on this occasion. 
 The third day the weather was fine, but the trail not so good ; it ran along 
 the side of a mountain, but below the trail was good and grass abundant. 
 My Indians started after a goat up the mountain, but were quickly driven 
 back by three bears. The fourth day we crossed what is called the Rocky 
 Pass, which may be avoided by keeping the bottom. To the north a chain 
 of mountains were seen covered with snow, distant about 30 miles, where 
 the Hudson Bay Company have a post called Bears' Fort ; to the south is 
 the Indian village Kispyaths ; along the bottom runs the Skeena, past the 
 village of Allagasomeda, and farther up the village of^Kithathratts, on 
 the same river. 
 
 On the fifth day we encountered some dangerous-looking Indians, but got 
 away from them. We passed through a fine country, with cotton-trees and 
 good soil. 
 
 We now arrived at the village of Naas-Glee where the Skeena River 
 rises. We were again on the river which we had left five days ago, having 
 travelled 55 miles, when we might have come by the river. We had great 
 difficulty with the Indians here, and it was fortunate that I knew the name 
 of the chief, as otherwise they would have seized all our property ; as it 
 was, they surrounded us, and were most importunate : one w T anted my coat, 
 another my gun, a third took my cap from my head, and I really thought 
 that they would murder us. These Indians are the worst I have seen in 
 all my travels. Naas-Glee is a great fishing-station, and all the worst 
 characters congregate there to lead an indolent life. Thousands of salmon 
 were being dried at this village. 
 
 We hardly knew 7 what to do, as they told us that it was ten days to Fort 
 Fraser, and if we returned they would have robbed us of everything. I 
 therefore determined to go on, if the chief Norra would accompany me, and 
 on giving him some presents he consented to do so. The river from Naas- 
 Glee downwards is very rapid, but as the banks are low and flat a waggon- 
 road or railroad could easily be made. 
 
 The land around Naas-Glee is excellent, and wild hay and long grass 
 abound. Potatoes are not grown here, ow T ing to the thieving of the Indians. 
 
Ait. AND DESOLATION SOUND. 453 
 
 There is no heavy pine timber hereabouts, and the canoes are made of cotton- 
 wood. 
 
 Above Naas-Glee the river was very rapid, and it required all our energy 
 to get along, as we had but a small quantity of dried salmon to last us ten 
 days. Ten miles above Naas-Glee is an old Indian village, called "Whatatt ; 
 here the shoal-water ends, and we enter the Babine Lake. Going through 
 a fine country, we accomplished 20 miles this day, the lake being broad 
 and deep. Next morning, to my surprise, I found a canoe at our camp, 
 with Frenchmen and Indians, in charge of Mr. Savin Hamilton, an officer 
 in the service of the Hudson Bay Company, from Fort St. James, Stuart 
 Lake, New Caledonia, whither we were bound. He was on his way to Naas- 
 Glee to purchase fish, and advised me to return with him there, and 
 then to accompany him to Stuart Lake ; but as I had seen enough of Naas- 
 Glee I declined his offer, with thanks. Mr. Hamilton expressed his sur- 
 prise that we had managed to get away from Naas-Glee, as w T e were the 
 first white men who had come through this route ; and even he found much 
 difficulty with the Indians there. Having persuaded Narra, the chief, to 
 let us have his canoe, we bid farewell to Mr. Hamilton, and proceeded on 
 our journey. 
 
 It was fortunate that we sent back our two Indians, as otherwise we 
 should have suffered from want of food, and as it was we reached Stuart 
 Lake only with great difficulty. We made a fine run to-day before a fair 
 wind to Fort Killamoures, which post is only kept up in the winter. Our 
 course from Naas-Glee to this place was south-east, and the distance about 
 50 miles. The land is good the whole way, with long grass on the benches 
 near the fort, which is a very lonely place. It is a great pity to see this 
 beautiful country, so well adapted to the w r ants of man, lying waste, when 
 so many Englishmen and Scotsmen would be glad to come here and till the 
 soil. Babine Lake is deep, and in some places 5 ©r 6 miles wide, with 
 islands and points of land to afford shelter from storms. From Fort Killa- 
 moures to the head of Babine is about 40 miles, direction south-south-east. 
 From the head down about 20 miles it runs east and west. We arrived at 
 the head of Babine on the seventh day after leaving Naas-Glee. We had 
 seen no Indians, nor snow, and had made a favourable journey. 
 
 The district we had passed was well adapted for farming. Some of the 
 land is rocky, but on the whole it is a fine country. 
 
 At the head of Babine Lake there is a good site for a town, and a harbour 
 could be made, as a stream flows in which would supply the town with 
 water. This is what I call the head-water of the Skeena Kiver. The lake 
 is navigable for steamers, and 100 miles in length. 
 
 From this to Stuart Lake there is a portage over a good trail, through the 
 finest grove of cotton-wood I have ever seen. The ground was thickly 
 strewed with yellow leaves, giving the scene quite an autumnal appearance, 
 and presenting a picture far different to what we expected in this part of 
 British Columbia. 
 
 Six miles from Babine we came to a small lake where were some Indians 
 
454 EXPLOKATIONS IN JEKYIS INLET, &c. App. 
 
 fishing for herrings. On onr approach they appeared undecided whether to 
 run or remain. I asked them for some food, and they soon provided us with 
 some fish, which refreshed us much, and having paid for our repast, we 
 started again. From this a small stream runs a distance of 4 miles to Stuart 
 Lake. 
 
 Arrived at Stuart Lake, we found no means of crossing, no Indians to 
 direct us, and no food to sustain us, nor had we any shot to enable us to kill 
 ducks. We camped here three nights without food, sleeping the greater 
 part of the time to stifle our hunger. The only thing that supported us was 
 the great idea of the enterprise in which we were engaged, having been the 
 first to explore the route from the Pacific to Fraser Eiver. 
 
 One of our party found an old canoe split to pieces ; this was rigged on a 
 raft of logs, as well as circumstances would admit. 
 
 I returned to the Indians above mentioned, and purchased a few herrings, 
 and walked back to our camp with difficulty, and found my limbs giving 
 way. Next morning we started on our frail raft, expecting every moment 
 to go down ; we were obliged to sit perfectly still, as the least movement 
 would have upset us. A slight breeze sprung up, and a small sea washed 
 over us, and we had to run for a lee shore, where kind Providence sent an 
 Indian to succour us. He welcomed us with a " Bonjour," invited us to 
 his lodge, and gave us most excellent salmon-trout from the lake. We had 
 at last reached this spot, with thankful hearts for our preservation through 
 so many dangers. We stayed a night with this good Indian, and next day 
 gave him a blanket to take us to the Fort. We abandoned our old canoe 
 without regret, and proceeded towards our destination. The Indians all 
 along this were very kind to us. About half-way across Stuart Lake we 
 obtained a small prospect of gold. On the north side of the lake, for about 
 20 miles, the ground is rocky ; but south, towards the Fort, the land is good, 
 and will produce anything. 
 
 We reached Fort St. James on the 9th October, and were received by Mr. 
 Peter Ogden with that kindness and hospitality which I have always found 
 at the Hudson Bay Company's ports. 
 
 The Fort is very much exposed to all winds, and I found it colder than 
 anywhere on the journey. 
 
 Stuart Lake is 50 miles long. The portage to Babine 10 miles ; Babine 
 Lake 100 miles ; from Naas-Glee to Fort Simpson 250 miles, and 200 miles 
 from Fort Simpson to Gold Harbour, Queen Charlotte Islands. 
 
 The names of the two men who accompanied me were William Manning 
 an Englishman, and Frank Chotean a French Canadian. It is possible 
 that I shall prospect the Fraser a little farther this fall. 
 
Apr. LIST OP TREES AND SHRUBS. 455 
 
 LIST OF TREES AND SHRUBS OF ECONOMIC VALUE, FOUND 
 IN VANCOUVER ISLAND. 
 
 . (Extracted from Dr. Forbes's Prize Essay on Vancouver Island.) 
 
 Popular Names. Scientific Names. 
 
 The Douglas Pine or Oregon Red Pine Abies Dougksii. 
 
 Spruce Fir „ Menziesii. 
 
 Yellow Fir „ grandis. 
 
 Balsam Fir 
 
 Hemlock Spruce Abies Canadiensis. 
 
 Wild Cherry Cerasus mollis. 
 
 White Pine or Weymouth Pine .. Pinus strobus. 
 
 Yellow Pine Pinus ponderosa. 
 
 Cedar — the Oregon Cedar . . . . Thuja gigantea. 
 
 Yellow Cypress Cupressus Metkatenses. 
 
 Arbor Vitas Thuja plicata. 
 
 Yew Taxus brevifolia. 
 
 The Oak Quercus GaiTyana. 
 
 The white, or broad-leaved Maple . . Acer macrophyllum. 
 
 Vine ditto .. Acer circinatum. 
 
 The Oregon Alder Almas Oregona. 
 
 Oregon Dogwood Cornus Nuttallii. 
 
 Arbutus Arbutus Menziesii. 
 
 American Aspen Populus tremuloides. 
 
 Oregon Crab Apple 
 
 The Willow Pyrus rivularis. 
 
 Cottonwood Salix Scouleriana. 
 
 Shrubbery Undergrowth. 
 
 The Hazel Corylus Americana. 
 
 Red Cornel, or Willow Cornus Drummondii. 
 
 Holly-leaved Barberry or Oregon 
 
 grape Berberis aquifolium. 
 
 Mock Orange or Seringa . . ' . . Philadelphus macropetalus. 
 
 Red, white, and black Raspberry .. Rubus Nutkanus, leucodermis. 
 
 Three kinds of Gooseberry .. .. Ribes divaricatum, niveum, and san- 
 
 guineum. 
 
 Serviceberry Amelanchier Canadiensis. 
 
 Elder Sambucus glauca. 
 
 Sallat Berry Gaultheria shallon. 
 
 Huckleberry, or Blceberry . . . . Vaccinium ovatum, ovalifolium, 
 
 Blackberry (Rubus) and parvifolium. 
 
 Snowberry Symphoricarpus racemosus. 
 
 Salmonberry Rubus spectabilis. 
 
 Oregon Buckthorn Frangula Purshiana. 
 
 Honeysuckle Lonicera occidentalis. 
 
456 LAND PROCLAMATIONS. App. 
 
 Popular Names. Scientific Names. 
 
 Ivy Hedera. 
 
 Hawthorn . . Cratoegus Coccinea ? 
 
 Fly Blossom, or Bearbeny .. .. Lonicera involucrata. 
 
 Wild Rose Rosa fraxinifolia. 
 
 GRASSES, LEGUMINOUS PLANTS, &c. &c. 
 
 White Clover Trifolium repens. 
 
 Reed Meadow-grass Glyceria aquatica. 
 
 Bent Spear-grass Poa pratensis ? 
 
 Sweet Grass Festuca pratensis. 
 
 Wild Timothy, or Herd's Grass . . Phleum pratense. 
 
 Wild Oat Stipa avenacea ? 
 
 Broad-leaved Rush Juncus. 
 
 Cowslip Primula veris, vel Douglasii. 
 
 BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
 Land Proclamations 
 
 By his Excellency James Douglas, Companion of the Most Honourable 
 Order of the Bath, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of British 
 Columbia. 
 
 No. I. Dated Uth Feb. 1859. 
 
 Whereas it is expedient to publish for general information the method to 
 be pursued with respect to the alienation and possession of agricultural 
 lands, and of lands proposed for the sites of towns in British Columbia, and 
 with reference also to the places for levying shipping and customs duties, 
 and for establishing a capital and port of entry in the said Colony : 
 
 Now, therefore, I, James Douglas, Governor of the said Colony, do pro- 
 claim and declare as follows, viz. : — 
 
 1. All the lands in British Columbia, and all the mines and minerals 
 therein, belong to the Crown in fee. 
 
 2. The price of lands not being intended for the sites of towns, and not 
 being reputed to be mineral lands, shall be ten shillings per acre, payable 
 one-half iu cash at the time of the sale, and the other half at the end of two 
 years from such sale. Provided that under special circumstances some 
 other price or some other terms of payment may, from time to time, be 
 specially announced for particular localities. 
 
 3. It shall also be competent to the Executive at any time to reserve 
 such portions of the unoccupied Crown lands, and for such purposes, as the 
 Executive shall deem advisable. 
 
 4. Except as aforesaid, all the land iu British Columbia will be exposed 
 in lots for sale, by public competition, at the upset price above mentioned, 
 as soon as the same shall have been surveyed and made ready for ^ale. 
 
App. land proclamations. 457 
 
 Due notice will be given of all such sales. Notice at the same time will be 
 given of the upset price and terms of payment, when they vary from those 
 above stated, and also of the rights reserved (if any) for public convenience. 
 
 5. All lands which shall remain unsold at any such auction may be sold 
 by private contract at the upset price, and on the terms and conditions 
 herein mentioned, on application to the Chief Commissioner of Lands and 
 Works. 
 
 6. Unless otherwise specially notified at the time of sale, all such sales 
 of Crown land shall be subject to such public rights of way as may at any 
 time after such sale, and to such private rights of way, and of leading or 
 using water for animals, and for mining and engineering purposes, as may 
 at the time of such sale be specified by the Chief Commissioners of 
 Lands and Works. 
 
 7. Unless otherwise specially announced at the time of sale, the convey- 
 ance of the land shall include all trees and all mines and minerals within 
 and under the same, except mines of gold and silver. 
 
 8. When any "Ditch Privilege" shall be granted, there shall be included 
 (unless excluded by express words) the right to lop, dress, or fell any trees 
 standing on unoccupied Crown lands, which in the opinion of the pro- 
 prietors of the ditch might, by their accidental fall or otherwise, endanger 
 the safety of the ditch or any part thereof. 
 
 No. II. Dated ±th Jan. 1860. 
 
 1. From and after the date hereof, British subjects and aliens who shall 
 take the oath of allegiance to Her Majesty and her successors, may acquire 
 unoccupied and unreserved and unsurveyed Crown land in British Columbia 
 (not being the site of an existent or proposed town, or auriferous land 
 available for mining purposes, or an Indian reserve or settlement), in fee 
 simple, under the following conditions : — 
 
 2. The person desiring to acquire any particular plot of land of the cha- 
 racter aforesaid shall enter into possession thereof and record his claim to 
 any quantity not exceeding 160 acres thereof, with the magistrate residing 
 nearest thereto, paying to the said magistrate the sum of 8s. for recording 
 such claim. Such piece of land shall be of a rectangular form, and the 
 shortest side of the rectangle shall be at least two-thirds of the longest side. 
 The claimant shall give the best possible description thereof to the magis- 
 trate with whom his claim is recorded, together with a rough plan thereof, 
 and identify the plot in question by placing at the corners of the land four 
 posts, and by stating in his description any other landmarks on the said 
 160 acres which he may consider of a noticeable character. 
 
 3. Whenever the Government survey shall extend to the land claimed, 
 the claimant who has recorded his claim as aforesaid, or his heirs, or in case 
 of the grant of certificate of improvement hereinafter mentioned, the assigns 
 of such claimant shall, if he or they shall have been in continuous occupa- 
 tion of the same land from the date of the record aforesaid, be entitled to 
 purchase the land so pre-empted at such rate as may for the time being be 
 
458 LAND PROCLAMATIONS. App. 
 
 fixed by the Government of British Columbia, not exceeding the sum of 10s. 
 per acre. 
 
 4. No interest in any plot of land acquired as aforesaid shall, before pay- 
 ment of the purchase-money, be capable of passing to a purchaser unless the 
 vendor shall have obtained a certificate from the nearest magistrate that he 
 has made permanent improvements on the said plot to the value of 10s. per 
 acre. 
 
 5. Upon payment of the purchase-money, a conveyance of the land pur- 
 chased shall be executed in favour of the purchaser, reserving the precious 
 minerals, with a right to enter and work the same in favour of the Crown, 
 its assigns and licencees, 
 
 6. Priority of title shall be obtained by the person first in occupation, 
 who shall first record his claim in manner aforesaid. 
 
 7. Any person authorized to acquire land under the provisions of this 
 Proclamation may purchase, in addition to the land pre-empted, in manner 
 aforesaid, any number of acres not otherwise appropriated, at such rate as 
 may be fixed by the Government, at the time when such land shall come 
 to be surveyed, not to exceed 10s. per acre ; 5s. to be paid down, and the 
 residue at the time of survey. 
 
 8. In the event of the Crown, its assigns or licencees, availing itself, or 
 themselves, of the reservation mentioned in clause 5, a reasonable compen- 
 sation for the waste and damage done shall be paid by the person entering 
 and working to the person whose land shall be wasted or damaged as afore- 
 said ; and in case of dispute, the same shall be settled by a jury of six men 
 to be summoned by the nearest magistrate. 
 
 9. Whenever any person shall permanently cease to occupy land pre- 
 empted as aforesaid, the magistrate resident nearest to the land in question 
 may in a summary way, on being satisfied of such permanent cessation, 
 cancel the claim of the person so permanently ceasing to occupy the same, 
 and record the claim thereto of any other person satisfying the requisitions 
 aforesaid. 
 
 10. The decision of the magistrate may be appealed by either party to the 
 decision of the Judge of the Supreme Court of Civil Justice of British 
 Columbia. 
 
 11. Any person desirous of appealing in manner aforesaid may be re- 
 quired, before such appeal be heard, to find such security as may be hereafter 
 pointed out by the rules or orders hereinafter directed to be published. 
 
 12. The procedure before the magistrate and judge respectively shall be 
 according to such rules and orders as shall be published by such judge, with 
 the approbation of the Governor for the time being of British Columbia. 
 
 13. Whenever a person in occupation at the time of record aforesaid shall 
 have recorded as aforesaid, and he, his heirs, or assigns, shall have continued 
 in permanent occupation of land pre-empted, or of land purchased as afore- 
 said, he or they may, save as hereinafter mentioned, bring ejectment or 
 trespass against any intruder upon the land so pre-empted or purchased, to 
 the same extent as if he or they were seized of the legal estate in possession 
 in the land so pre-empted or purchased. 
 
App. land proclamations. 459 
 
 14. Nothing herein contained shall be construed as giving a right to any 
 claimant to exclude free miners from searching for am^ of the precious 
 minerals or working the same upon the conditions aforesaid. 
 
 15. The Government shall, notwithstanding any claim, record, or con- 
 veyance aforesaid, be entitled to enter and take such portion of the land 
 pre-empted or purchased as may be required for roads or other public 
 purposes. 
 
 16. Water privileges and the right of carrying water for mining purposes 
 may, notwithstanding any claim recorded, purchase, or conveyance afore- 
 said, be claimed and taken upon, under, or over the said land so pre-empted 
 or purchased as aforesaid, by free miners requiring the same, and obtaining 
 a grant or licence from the Gold Commissioner, and paying a compensation 
 for waste or damage to the person whose land may be wasted or damaged 
 by such water privilege or carriage of water, to be ascertained in case of 
 dispute in manner aforesaid. 
 
 17. In case any dispute shall arise between persons with regard to any 
 land so acquired as aforesaid, any one of the parties in difference may (before 
 ejectment or action of trespass brought) refer the question in difference to 
 the nearest magistrate, who is hereby authorized to proceed in a summary 
 way to restore the possession of any land in dispute to the person whom he 
 may deem entitled to the same, and to abate all intrusions, and award and 
 levy such costs and damages as he may think fit. 
 
 No. III. Dated 20th Jan. 1860. 
 
 Whereas by virtue of an Act of Parliament made and passed in the 21st 
 and 22nd years of the reign of Her most gracious Majesty the Queen, and 
 by a Commission under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great 
 Britain and Ireland, in conformity therewith, I, James Douglas, Governor 
 of the Colony of British Columbia, have been authorized by Proclamation, 
 issued under the Public Seal of the said Colony, to make laws, institutions, 
 and ordinances for the peace, order, and good government of the same. 
 
 And whereas it is expedient that town lots, suburban lots, and surveyed 
 agricultural lands in British Columbia, which have been or which hereafter 
 may be offered for sale at public auction, and remain unsold, should be sold 
 by private contract. 
 
 Now, therefore, I, James Douglas, Governor of British Columbia, by 
 virtue of the authority aforesaid, do proclaim, order, and enact as follows : 
 
 The Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works for the time being for 
 British Columbia, and all magistrates, Gold Commissioners, and Assistant 
 Gold Commissioners, by the said Chief Commissioner authorized in writing 
 in that behalf, may sell by private contract any of the lots and lands herein- 
 after mentioned, at the prices and on the terms hereinafter respectively 
 stated, viz : — 
 
 («.) Town and suburban lots which have been or hereafter may be offered 
 
460 LAND PROCLAMATIONS. App. 
 
 for sale at public auction, and remain unsold, at the upset price, and on the 
 terms at and on which the same were offered for sale at such auction. 
 
 (b.) Agricultural lands surveyed by the Government Surveyor which 
 may or shall have been offered for sale at public auction, and remain unsold 
 at 10s. per acre, payable one-half in cash at the time of sale, and the other 
 half at the expiration of two years from such sale. 
 
 And the purchaser of any agricultural land aforesaid shall purchase, 
 subject to such rights of way and water as may be hereafter declared by 
 some writing under the hand of the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works 
 aforesaid. 
 
 No. IV. Dated ldth Jan. 1861. 
 
 Whereas, under and by virtue of an Act of Parliament made and passed 
 in the session of Parliament held in the 21st and 22nd years of the reign of 
 Her Majesty Queen Victoria, intituled * An Act to provide for the govern- 
 ment of British Columbia,' and by a commission under the Great Seal of 
 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, I, James Douglas, have 
 been appointed Governor of the said Colony, and have been authorized by 
 Proclamation under the Public Seal of the said Colony to make laws, insti- 
 tutions, and ordinances for the peace, order, and good government of the 
 same. 
 
 And whereas, by a Proclamation issued under the Public Seal of the said 
 Colony, on the 4th day of January, 1860, the price of unsurveyed land 
 acquired by purchase or pre-emption under the provisions of the said Pro- 
 clamation, was stated to be at such rate as might for the time being be 
 fixed by the Government of British Columbia, not exceeding the sum of 
 10s. per acre. 
 
 And whereas, by a Proclamation issued under the Public Seal of the said 
 Colony, on the 20th day of January, 1860, the price of agricultural land, 
 surveyed by the Government Surveyor, which may or shall have been 
 offered for sale at public auction and remain unsold, was fixed at 10s. per 
 acre, payable one-half in cash at the time of sale, and the other half at the 
 expiration of two years from the time of sale. 
 
 And whereas I have been empowered by Her Majesty's Government to 
 lower the price of country lands in British Columbia, in all cases, to the 
 sum of 4s. 2d. per acre. 
 
 Now, therefore, I do hereby declare, proclaim, and enact as follows : — 
 
 I. So much of the said Proclamation of the 20th day of January, 1860, 
 as fixed the price of surveyed agricultural land at 10s. per acre is hereby 
 repealed. 
 
 II. The price of all unsurveyed country land in British Columbia, whether 
 acquired by pre-emption or purchase under the Proclamation dated the 
 4th day of January, 1860, shall be 4s. 2d. per acre. 
 
 III. The upset price of all country lands in British Columbia exposed for 
 sale at public auction shall be 4s. Id. per acre. 
 
App. land peoclamations. 461 
 
 IV. This Proclamation may be cited for all purposes as the l Country 
 Land Act, 1861.' 
 
 Issued under the Public Seal of the said Colony at Victoria, Van- 
 couver Island, the 19th day of January, in the year of our Lord 
 1861, and in the 24th year of Her Majesty's reign, by me, 
 
 James Douglas. 
 
 By cominand of his Excellency, 
 
 William A. G. Young, 
 
 Acting Colonial Secretary. 
 A Proclamation, dated May 18, 1861, has also been issued, conferring 
 certain remissions in the purchase-money of country lands purchased for 
 actual settlement by retired military and naval officers. 
 
 VANCOUVER ISLAND. 
 
 Land Proclamations 
 
 By his Excellency James Douglas, C.B., &c. &c. 
 
 I. 
 
 Whereas I have been empowered by Her Majesty's Government to fix the 
 upset price of country land within the colony of Vancouver Island and its 
 dependencies at 4s. 2d. per acre. 
 
 And whereas I have been authorized as aforesaid to take such steps as 
 may tend to promote the settlement of country land in the said colony. 
 
 And whereas it is expedient to make public the method by which bond 
 fide settlers may acquire the same land. 
 
 Be it therefore known unto all men : 
 All country land to be sold at 4s. 2d. per acre. 
 
 I. That the upset price of all country land in Vancouver Island shall be 
 from henceforth 4s. 2d. per acre. 
 
 British subjects may enter upon and occupy land, not being otherivise 
 reserved, in certain quantities and in certain districts. 
 
 II. That from and after the date hereof, male British subjects, and aliens 
 who shall take the oath of allegiance before the Chief Justice of Vancouver 
 Island, above the age of eighteen years, may pre-empt unsold Crown lands 
 in the districts of Victoria, Esquimalt, Metchosen, the Highlands, Sooke, 
 North and South Saanich, Salt Spring Island, Sallas Island, and Chemanis 
 (not being an Indian reserve or settlement), of the area and under the con- 
 ditions following : 
 
 A single man, 150 acres. 
 
 A married man, whose wife is resident in the colony, 200 acres. 
 For each of his children under the age of eighteen years, resident in the 
 said colony, an additional 10 acres. 
 
462 LAND PROCLAMATIONS. App. 
 
 Pre-emptor, before recording his claim, to take the oath of allegiance if a 
 British subject who has become subject to some other nation. 
 
 III. All British subjects, who shall be desirous of pre-empting, and who 
 may, at the time of record, have taken the oath of allegiance to, or become 
 the subject or citizen of any foreign Sovereign, state, or nation, shall, as a 
 condition precedent to recording their claims, take the oath of allegiance in 
 manner aforesaid. 
 
 Pre-emptor to record his claim immediately on occupation. Fee. 
 
 IV. Immediately after occupation, the pre-emptor shall record his claim 
 at the office of the Surveyor-General at Yictoria ; paying for such record the 
 sum of eight shillings and four pence. 
 
 Regulating the form of claims. 
 
 V. The land selected, if unsurveyed, shall be of a rectangular form, and 
 the shortest side of said rectangle shall be two-fifths the length of the 
 longest side ; and the boundaries of such land shall also run as nearly as 
 possible by the cardinal points of the compass. 
 
 VI. Where the land sought to be acquired is unsurveyed, and in whole 
 or part bounded by rocks, mountains, lakes, swamps, the margin of a river, 
 or the sea-coast, or other natural boundaries, then such natural boundaries 
 may be adopted as the boundaries of the land selected. 
 
 VII. The claimant shall, if the land is unsurveyed, give the best possible 
 description thereof in writing to the Surveyor-General at the time of record, 
 with a map thereof, and shall identify the land, by placing a post at each 
 corner, and by stating in his description any other landmarks which may 
 be of a noticeable character. 
 
 Mode of recording claims in surveyed lands. 
 
 VIII. If the land, however, be surveyed, the claimant shall give the 
 description aforesaid by identification with the landmarks laid down by the 
 Government Survey. 
 
 Payment. 
 
 IX. The claimant shall, if the land be unsurveyed, pay into the Land 
 Office at Victoria the sum of four shillings and two pence per acre for the 
 same as soon as the land is included within the Government Survey ; if the 
 land be surveyed, he shall pay into the said Land Office the sum of four 
 shillings and two pence per acre by three instalments, viz. : One shilling 
 and one penny per acre within one year from the day of record ; one shilling 
 and one penny per acre within two years from the said day of record, and 
 two shillings within three years from the said day ; and any default in any 
 of the payments aforesaid shall cause a forfeiture of the pre-emption claim, 
 and of the instalments (if any) paid up. 
 
 Certificate of improvement to be granted after two years' occupation and 
 10s. per acre improvement. 
 
 X. When the pre-emptor, his heirs or devisees, shall prove to the Sur- 
 veyor-General, by the satisfactory evidence of third parties, that he has, or 
 they have, continued in permanent occupation of the claim for two years 
 from the date of record, and has or have made permanent improvements 
 
App. land proclamations. 463 
 
 thereon to the value of ten shillings per acre, the said Surveyor-General 
 shall issue to him -or them a certificate of improvement, in the form marked 
 A in the schedule hereto. 
 
 Holder of certificate of improvement may sell, lease, or mortgage. 
 
 XI. Upon the grant of the certificate of improvement aforesaid, the person 
 to whom the same is issued may, subject to any unpaid instalments, sell, 
 mortgage, or lease the land in respect of which such certificate has been 
 issued; but until the entirety of the purchase-money of the said land has 
 been paid, no sale, mortgage, or lease of the said land shall be valid unless a 
 certificate of improvement as aforesaid has been issued in respect thereof. 
 
 Conveyance of surveyed lands. 
 
 XII. Upon payment of the entirety of the purchase-money, a conveyance 
 of the land shall be executed in favour of the pre-emptor, reserving to the 
 Crown the right to take back so much thereof as may be required for roads 
 or other public purposes, and reserving also the precious minerals, with a 
 right to enter and work the same in favour of the Crown, its assigns and 
 licencees. 
 
 Conveyance of pre-empted claim in unsurveyed lands. 
 
 XI II. If the land is not then included in the Government Survey, the 
 conveyance shall, with the reservations aforesaid, be executed as soon as 
 possible after the same is so included; and the pre-emptor shall, upon 
 survey, be entitled to take any quantity of unprc-empted land, at the price 
 of four shillings and two pence per acre, which may be laid off into the 
 sections in which his pre-empted land is situate; or, if unwilling so to do, 
 he shall forfeit so much of the pre-empted land as lies in those si* Jons 
 which he is unwilling to purchase. 
 
 Priorities, 
 
 XIV. Priority of title shall be obtained by the person who, being in actual 
 occupation, shall first record his claim in manner aforesaid. 
 
 Forfeiture by cessation of occupation. 
 
 XV. "Whenever any person shall cease to occupy land pre-empted as 
 aforesaid for the space of two months, the Surveyor-General may, in a sum- 
 mary way, on being satisfied of such permanent cessation, cancel the claim 
 of the person so ceasing to occupy the same, and record de novo the claim 
 of any other person satisfying the requisitions aforesaid ; and in the event 
 of any person feeling aggrieved thereat, his remedy shall be personally 
 against the person so recording. 
 
 Compensation for waste or injury. 
 
 XVI. In the event of the Crown, its assigns or licencees, availing itself 
 or themselves of the reservation to enter and work the precious minerals as 
 aforesaid, a reasonable compensation for the waste and damage done shall be 
 paid by the person entering and working to the person whose land shall be 
 wasted or damaged as aforesaid ; and in case of any dispute, a jury of six 
 men, to be summoned by the Surveyor-General, shall settle the same. 
 
 XVII. Nothing in the conditions hereinbefore contained, or in any title 
 
464 LAND PBOCLAMATIONS. App. 
 
 to be derived hereunder, shall be construed as giving a right to any claimant 
 to exclude licencees of the Crown from searching for any of the precious 
 minerals in any unenclosed land on the conditions aforesaid. 
 
 Saving of water privileges for mining purposes. 
 
 XVIII. Water privileges, and the right of carrying water for mining 
 purposes, may, notwithstanding any claim recorded, certificate of improve- 
 ment, or conveyance aforesaid, be claimed and taken upon, under, or over 
 the land so pre-empted by miners requiring the same, and obtaining a grant 
 or licence from the Surveyor-General in that behalf, and paying a compen- 
 sation for waste or damage to the person whose land may be wasted or 
 damaged by such water privilege or carrying of water, to be ascertained, in 
 case of dispute, by a jury of six men in manner aforesaid. 
 
 Arbitration. 
 
 XIX. In case any dispute shall arise between persons with regard to any 
 land acquired as aforesaid, any one of the parties in difference may (before 
 ejectment or action of trespass brought) refer the question in difference to the 
 Surveyor-General, who is hereby authorised to proceed in a summary way 
 to restore the possession of any land in dispute to the person whom he may 
 deem entitled to the same ; and to abate all intrusions and award and levy 
 such costs and damages as he may think fit, and for all or any of the pur- 
 poses aforesaid to call in to his assistance the civil authorities or any process 
 of law. 
 
 Given under my hand, &c. 
 
 James Douglas. 
 
 II. 
 
 Whereas I have been empowered by Her Majesty's Government to take 
 such steps as may tend to promote the settlement of country land in the said 
 colony. 
 
 And whereas it is expedient to extend the time during which a person 
 may cease to occupy land pre-empted under the provisions of a Proclamation 
 given under my hand and the public seal of this colony, and dated the 19 th 
 day of February, 1861. 
 
 Now therefore, be it known unto all men that any person having pre- 
 empted land under the provisions of the said Proclamation may, if he shall 
 have been continuously in occupation of the same for the space of (8) eight 
 calendar months next previously to his leaving, leave the same for any period 
 not exceeding (6) six calendar months, provided that within (21) twenty- 
 one days from the date of his leaving the same he shall fill in a memorandum 
 in the book kept for that purpose in the Land Office at Victoria, with the 
 particulars and in the manner therein contained. 
 
 Given under my hand and the public seal, &c. 
 
 James Douglas. 
 
 i 
 
( 4C5 ) 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 ADMIRAL. 
 A. 
 
 Admiral Island, 152. 
 
 Admiralty Inlet, 23. 
 
 Alberni Settlement, 229. 
 
 Alexandria, Fort, 84. 
 
 America, North-west, sketch of British 
 possessions in, 1 ; claims of Great Bri- 
 tain to, 8. 
 
 American 'cuteness, 48 ; drinking habits, 
 163; phraseology, 160. 
 
 Anderson, Mr., 43. 
 
 River, 108. 
 
 Apostolus Valerianos. See Juan de Fuca. 
 
 Arrownnith, Blount, 17u. 
 
 E 
 
 Babiue hake, 84. 
 
 River, i&. 
 
 < Bacchante,' H.M.S., 225. 
 
 Bamfield, Mr., 107, 170, 270. 
 
 Barclay Sound, 226. 
 
 Barston, Mr., 147. 
 
 Bauermann, Mr. 351. 
 
 Baynes, Admiral Sir R. L., 153. 
 
 Beaver Harbour, 182. 
 
 Becher Bay, 22. 
 
 Bentinck Arms, 146, 404. 
 
 Berkeley, Captain, 6. 
 
 Birds' down, symbolical use of, 269. 
 
 Bishop of British Columbia, 107, 341. 
 
 Boston Bar, 108. 
 
 Boundary disputes, 9, 34, 89, 139; 
 marks, 233. 
 
 Bridge River, 131. 
 
 British Columbia, area, 13 : bush in, 50, 
 72, 88, 233 ; climate, 105 ; coast of, 
 81 ; geology, 372, 374 ; inlets, 141 ; 
 interior,' 383 ; land system, 393; na- 
 tural resources, 405 ; routes to, 356. 
 
 Buonaparte River, 125, 126. 
 
 Burrard Inlet, 141. 
 
 Bush in British Columbia, thickness of, 
 50, 71, 88, 233. 
 
 Bute Inlet, 144. 
 
 I > IN CAN. 
 
 c. 
 
 California, 154. 
 
 Camp-life in bush, 101 ; in boat---, 215. 
 
 Canal de Uaro, 79. 
 
 Cannibalism, Indian, 254, 287. ] 
 
 Canoe journey, 60, 02, 64. 
 
 Cariboo diggings, 85. 
 
 ■ Lake, ib. 
 
 Cavendish, Captain, 3, 5. 
 Cayonsh. See Lilloett. 
 Chapean River and Valley, 127. 
 
 I liver, 35. 
 Chatham Point, 179. 
 Chinook jargon, 244. 
 Chowdar, 18. 
 C<>al in British Columbia, 380 ; in Van 
 
 couver Island, 35. 
 Columbia River, 5, 81. 
 Cook, Captain, 6. 
 Cormorant Bay, 208. 
 Courtenay River, 173. 
 Coutts, Miss Burdett, 342. 
 Cowitchen Harbour, 152. 
 
 Indians, 342. 
 
 Valley, 395. 
 
 Cradles, Indian, 303. 
 
 Deans Canal, 146. 
 
 Deer in Orcas Island, 39. 
 
 Deity, Indian notions of, 294. 
 
 Derby, 72. 
 
 Desolation Sound, 373. 
 
 Discovery Island, 80. 
 
 Disturbance at Esquimalt, 53 
 
 Douglas, His Excellency J., C.B., 27, 49 
 
 51, 
 
 ., Port, 136, 235. 
 
 fir, the, 409, 410. 
 
 Downie, Mr., 144, 187, 373. 
 
 Drayton Harbour, 33. 
 
 Duncan, Mr., the missionary teacher, 77, 
 
 78, 249, 254, 263, 283, 288, 305, 307, 
 
 309, 315, 321. 
 
 2 H 
 
466 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Eclipse, observations on, 206. 
 Esquimalt, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 52. 
 Expresses and Express-men, 71. 
 
 Fargo Bar, 93. 
 
 Fife Sound, 145. 
 
 Fish, Indian mode of catching, 23, 254, 
 
 406 ; quantity of, 405, 407, 419. 
 Fish-priests, 259. 
 Flat-head Indians, 277, 303. 
 Flattery, Cape, 6, 19. 
 Flood, Indian traditions of, 273. 
 Flumes, 432. 
 
 Fogs in Gulf of Georgia, 208, 214. 
 Forbes, Dr., 376. 
 Fort Conolly, 84. 
 
 St: George, 84. 
 
 * Forward,' H.M.S., 75, 206, 221, 223. 
 
 Fountain, 131. 
 
 Eraser, Mr. Simon, 7. 
 
 River, 43, 49, 60, 63, 81-7, 90, 
 
 95, 142. 
 
 , upper canons of, 105. 
 
 Fur Brigade, 124. 
 Furs, value of, 185. 
 
 Gambling, Indian, 30. 
 
 ' Ganges,' H.M.S., 140. 
 
 Georgia, Gulf of, 32, 176, 275. 
 
 Gold, discovery of, on Fraser Paver, 43 ; 
 at Cariboo and Quesnelle Lakes, 85 ; 
 at Queen Charlotte Island, 187. Me- 
 thod of working, 426, 441. Estimate 
 of yield of, 442. Assay of, 445. 
 
 ■ Harbour, 44. 
 
 licences, 51. 
 
 ' Grappler,' H.M.S., 206. 
 
 Grass in British Columbia and Vancouver 
 Island, 109, 422. 
 
 Green Lake, 200. 
 
 Griffin, Mr., 40. 
 
 Hope, 95. 
 
 , Fort, 65. 
 
 Howe Sound, 143. 
 
 Hudson Bay Company, 5, 12, 30 ; hos- 
 pitality, of, 65; life of employes, 115'; 
 service and promotion, 117 ; posts and 
 forts, 117, 184 ; defence of svstem, 
 353. 
 
 Hula dance of Sandwich Islands, 17. 
 
 I, J. 
 
 Jackass Mountain, 107. 
 Jervis Inlet, 143, 191. 
 Indians of Vancouver Island, 23, 30, 50, 
 61, 72-8. 
 
 of British Columbia, coast tribes, 
 
 habits and dress, 99, 103, 119, 165 ; 
 superstitions, 181, 186, 201; desire for 
 instruction, 210 ; number of, 243 ; lan- 
 guage, 244 ; food, 252, 254, 257 ; can- 
 nibalism, 257 ; medicine-men, 260 ; 
 religious feasts, 263 ; war, 270 ; sepul- 
 ture, 271 ; social customs, 275-293. 
 
 of Interior of British Columbia, 
 
 life and habits, 295-340; friendly dis- 
 position of, 424. 
 
 Inkumtch, 132. 
 
 Johnstone Strait, 208. 
 
 Juan de Fuca, 3, 4, 5. 
 
 , Strait of, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21. 
 
 K 
 
 Kame-hame-ha, King, 15, 16. 
 Kamloops, Fort, 111, 115. 
 
 , Lake, 125. 
 
 Kamschatka, 5. 
 Knight Inlet, 145. 
 
 Laakine River, 192-2. 
 Landey, 60, 89. 
 Lilloett, 50, 132. 
 Lopez Island, 39. 
 Loughborough Inlet, 143. 
 Lytton, 50, 109. 
 
 Haro Archipelago, 38. 
 
 Harrison Lake, 137. 
 
 Harrison -Lilloett rou^e, 43, 50, 93,95,134. Mail, defective arrangements of, 25 
 
 Harvey, Port, 208. % < Maitland, Admiral Sir T., 235. 
 
 •Hecate,' H.M.S., 219, 221, 224, 226, Mare Island, 159. 
 
 232, 237, 241. Masks, use of, by Indians. 268, 
 
 Hills Bar, disturbance at, 59, 68. i Medicine-men, 260, 286, 323. 
 
 Honolulu, 14-18. Miners, gold, 46, 49, 52, 59, 132. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 46' 
 
 Mining Bars, 65, 60. 
 Missions to Indians, 305, 340. 
 Moody, Port, 142. 
 Mosquitoes, 135, 202. 
 Mount St. Paul, 121. 
 Mudge, Cape, 75. 
 
 Nanaimo, 12, 35, 36, 172, 173. 
 Nanoose Harbour, 165. 
 Neah Bay, 22, 23. 
 Negroes, 351. 
 New Archangel, 12. 
 
 Caledonia, 12. 
 
 Newcastle Island, 35. 
 New Langley. See Derby. 
 
 Westminster, 72, 87, 88, 224. 
 
 Nicola Lake, 113. 
 
 River, 112. 
 
 Nimpkish River, 178, 179. 
 Nootka, 7. 
 
 North-west passage, 3, 6. 
 
 0. 
 
 Orcas Island, 39. 
 
 Ornaments worn by Indians, 281. 
 
 Pacific Fur Company, 8. 
 
 ■ , shores of, 1, 2, 154. 
 
 Palaver with Indians, 209. 
 Palliser, Captain, 359. 
 Pavilion, 129, 385, 
 
 , Lake, 128. 
 
 Pearce, Mr., report of districts near Na- 
 
 naimo, 396. 
 ' Plumper,' H.M.S., 10, 11, 14, 24, 32, 34, 
 
 35, 37, 43, 52, 53, 55, 60, 72, 79, 
 
 138, 139, 153, 164, 188, 189, 191, 
 
 206, 207, 221, 224. 
 Pines, size of, 182. 
 Polygamy, Indian, 276. 
 Provost, Captain, 10, 338. 
 Propitiatory feasts, Indian, 266. 
 Prospecting for gold, 427. 
 Provisions, dearness of, 56 ; prices of, 
 
 401, 402. 
 
 Quartz-crushing, 440. 
 Queenborough. See New Westminster. 
 Queen Charlotte Islands, 44, 186. 
 Que-que-alla River, 67. 
 
 Quesnelle Lake, 85, 
 Quicksilver, 427. 
 
 R. 
 
 Race Islands, 21. 
 
 Rain-makers, Indian, 803. 
 
 Religious feasts, Indian, 2'33. 
 
 Restaurants in British Columbia, 133, 205. 
 
 Richards, Captain, 10, 11, 33, 166. 209, 
 211. 
 
 Roberts, Point, 52. 81. 
 
 Roman Catholic Church in British Co- 
 lumbia and Vancouver Island, 175, 
 176, 306. 
 
 Routes to British Columbia, 356. 
 
 Rupert, Fort, 183, 184, 208, 209, 210. 
 
 Russia, fur-trade of, 12; claims of, to North 
 America, 8, 9. 
 
 Saanieh Inlet, 152. 
 
 St. Asnes Well, 137. 
 
 St. Paul, Indian Chief, 76, 120. 
 
 San Francisco, 155, 156, 157, 159. 
 
 San Juan Island, 37, 39, 41, 80. 
 
 Port, 22. 
 
 Sandwich Islands, 14-19. 
 'Satellite,' II. M.S., 10, 36, 51, 206. 
 School, Indian, 315. 
 Semiahmoo Bay, 32, 33, 52. 
 Semilkameen Country, 387. 
 
 Valley, 115. 
 
 Seton lake, 135. 
 Seymour Narrows, 176. 
 Shooquahnats, Journal of, 338. 
 Shuswap Indians, 118. 
 Sluicing, gold-, 431, 435. 
 Snags, 92. 
 
 Songhie Indians, 30, 244. 
 Sooke Harbour, 22, 394. 
 
 Inlet, 22. 
 
 Spain, settlements of, in the Pacific, 1, 
 
 2,7. 
 Spuzzum, 108. 
 
 Steamboat-travelling on Fraser, 91. 
 Stern-wheel steamers, 90. 
 Sturgeon Bank, 81. 
 
 Tatoosh Island, 19. 
 Tea, wild, 413. 
 
 ' Termagant,' H.M.S., 206, 207. 
 Thompson River, 111. 
 Timber, 88, 154, 395, 397, 406, 407, 
 410, 411. 
 
 2 h 2 
 
468 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Tobacco, Indian substitute for, 257, 413. 
 
 Torrens, Captain, 187. 
 
 Trading with Indians, 76. 
 
 Tranquille River, 123. 
 
 Triangle Island, 186. 
 
 < Tribune,' H.M.S., 77. 
 
 Trivett, Captain, 19. 
 
 U. 
 
 Ucletah Indians, 74, 75, 245. 
 Umatilla snag, 92. 
 
 United States, claims of, 8 ; disputes with 
 Great Britain, 9 : treaty, ib. 
 
 Vancouver, Captain, 6, 7. 
 Victoria, 26, 27, 29, 31, 43, 44, 46, 55, 
 75, 77, 190. 
 
 Vigilance Committee of San Francisco, 
 59, 157. 
 
 W. 
 
 Water, abundance of, in British Columbia, 
 
 426. 
 Weather, variableness of, 225, 422. 
 Wells' express, 45, 71. 
 Wild-fowl, 173. 
 Wood, Dr., 11, 173, 191,371; account 
 
 of Fauna and Flora of the colonies, 413. 
 Wyadda Island, 22. 
 
 Y. 
 
 Yale, 58, 60, 67, 68, 93. 
 
 , Mr., 60. 
 
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