OFFICIAL REPORTS ON BRITISH COLUMBIA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 61, 28 August 1862, Page 4

OFFICIAL REPORTS ON BRITISH COLUMBIA.

The Parliamentary papers published on the gold regions of British Columbia confirm in the most ample manner the extrordinary narratives from private sources regarding not only the abundance of gold, but the beauty of the country and the healtlifulness of the climate. The present documents com prise the dispatches from Governor Douglas from February, 1860, down to November last. The scenery is characterised as possessing the utmost variety, embracing every alternation of grandeur and softness, the soil is singularly prolific, the country finely watered with rivers and lakes, and the climate “ one of the healthiest in the world.” In winter the minimum temperature is zero, but the point is rarely reached, and the lakes have never been known to freeze or the snow to lie so deep as to interrupt ordinary traffic. The Chinese find the country highly attractive, and the Indians, unlike those in tha neighbouring territory of the United States, manifest general loyalty and friendliness. Abundant signs exist of coal and other minerals, and also of silver, platina, lead, Ac., but those metals scarcely attract ny attention. “Masses of nearly pure virgin copper,” it is said,” have been found in the excavations made for mining purposes above Yale (a fort about 150 miles up the Fraser River), and valuable outcrops of coal occur on the Shimilkomoen River. The mining season commences in full force aboubthe middle of April, and the districts known as Antler Creek and Cariboo are at present the grand centres. The latter district was discovered by a young man named M'Donnell, a native of the island of Cape Breton, of mixed French and Scotch descent, “ combining in his personal appearance and character the courage activity, and remarkable powers of endurance of both races.” After three year’s constant exposure and privation, he repaired with his accumulated wealth to Victoria, Vancouver’s Island, for medical advice, and his description of the region to Governor Douglas conveyed the idea of an almost exliaustless goldfield extending through the quartz and slate formation in a northerly direction from Cariboo Lake. The subsequent experience of all who have visited the place has supported the correctness of this view, and in one of the latest despatches the Governor states that he has not met with a single disappointed person from that place. The yield to ordinary handwork is £lO per day, and permanent wages of £2 per day may be obtained by any number of men who choose to accept such a rate. At one claim, belonging to a man named Ned Campbell, 900 ounces of gold were taken out on the first day, 500 on the second, and 300 on the third, making a total of between £6,000 and £7,000 in three days. And this case was not an isolated one. So late as the 25th of September last, Mr. Begbic, loealjudge, in writing to the Colonial Secretary and describing the quiet and orderly conduct of the population, observed, “I have no doubt that there is little short of a ton lying at the different creeks. I hear that Abbott’s and Steele’s claims arc working better than ever, 301 h. to 401 b. a day each. They reckon rich claims as often by pounds as ounces now, and it must be a poor claim that is measured by dollars,” and these results are attained almost without privation. Owing to the fertility of the country, the docility of the Indians, and the agreeable nature of the climate, all clifHulties are being rapidly removed. “ The traveller,” says Governor Douglas, w ho is prepared to encounter famine in its gauntest forms on his arrival at Cariboo is not a little astonished to find himself in the midst of luxury, sitting down every morning to fresh milk and eggs tor breakfast, and to as good a dinner as can be seen in Victoria. ” Considerable progress had been effected in road-making, and the Governor is desirious of being allowed a loan of £50,000 for the purpose. Meanwhile, he has resolved to /raise one in the colony for £15,000 or £20,000 speed in work of this kind being of vital importance to its progress. The latest despatches announced that “ the accounts from Cariboo are more satisfactory than cvei’,” and that the difficulty of converting the gold dust into currency ‘is so great that coin brings a pi-emium ofs per cent. Under these circumstances minei’s were leaving the colony to carry their gold to the United States mint at San Francisco, where the charge for coinage is a half per cent., and Governor Douglas, to remedy the evil preposed to take immediate stops for the manufacture of gold pieces at the Govonnnent assay offices equal in value to the 10 and 20 dollar American coins/ until the establishment of a branch of the royal mint in British Columbia shall have been resolved upon. It is considered that “by making the gold in them of the full current value of the piece without taking the silver into account, which it is proposed should go as a bonus, they will not only answer as a cheap and convenient currency within the colonies, but also have the same exchange value when exported to other countries.”