VANCOUVER'S ISLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 645, 12 January 1859, Page 3

VANCOUVER'S ISLAND.

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(From the' Times.')r At lenrth we are in possession, of.a,^lear^na graphic i&ount, not of the goWe™on ; of ;i?raspr and tiibmpson Kivcrs, but of .the htobour, [capital,: and "scenery df'that noblo island which lies at thd ' portal of the New Eldorado., Our paUfornia cbWeJnondent has been disappointed in;Ms Wteniptto reach the gold-diggings themselves, but lie has given us an account of Vancouver'svlslan'd, its rising capital, and its splendid harbour, which 'cannot fail to be of the highest interest; ;comniercially and geographically.. ■„ Of the ; country., of Eraser River there, seems Jittle, to know,; except that the river abounds in rapids, thatiit? banks, higher, up are perpendicular rocks, ,>yhicli^ It is impossible to scale, and.thatthe miners da^enot venture fat from the stream, into, the thickly*wooded interior :for fear o> of the attacks of ijlie Indians.''-""Tlie; river will riot be lit for gold-washing till: September, arid'iri tlie meanwhile the miner.B who have provided ''themselves with provisions or money, are waiting in impatient and compirtsory inaction the drying up of the snow-fed torrent; and those who have not sufficient stores have either gone ?iway to" seek employment felsewliere, or 'have remained to starve"to death, —a fate; which" has. actually overtaken some of the unfortunate "men who' have ventured without suitable. t preparation into \ these; vast! 'and ■ almost inaccessible sjqlitjttdes. ; , We have established a colony, but^before:it..can be colonised 4t;;Seems absolutely necessa^^to prpyi^e agcess^to its deep, anA remote vaHey's^and for'this" p^urpoi^e wejdpubt not the corps' of Sappers; a^"Mmers whw prove of ise most eminent advantage.',''.'''' ° The"; greater!part/'of? *ouij corrgsporidetit's letter is devoted 4py an-account' of^^Y^Ppuvfer's^-Island, 0 its capital, Victoria, and its Harbour,; -Es'qtiimalt,l and > certainly it would be'difficult for the ghost of Mr. George; Robins himself ito draw a more delightful or alluring'picturethan that; which we receive from' an experienped and intelligent writer; whoma Californian residence of nine years.must haye_made into \ a tHorpuglily^g'oocl; judge of.iieW:countries and jjrojecte& settl^merits:V.. With's.c^^ Scoißtiman'very 11 fdrcibly of tlie mountain'ranges" andlie.autiM salt-water lake's of native land—: with a^climat?^Strongly^^^resemß^ngthat'ofEn'glah'd,' but less variable - in- summer: and less severe.- in winter—Vancouver's Island 'seems to' present peculiar 'attraction * to: al ong expatriated' European. That portions of:tolerably good land are.to be found on its suface ; there; is no doubt,; though' the backward state j of sjurvey,; and eyen of,-, exploration, leaves it^doubtful how much of: its, surface is adapted forthejiurposejpf!agriculture. , Th^re ishodoubt, however^1 th^t^the^islahdy possesses} Abundance of good.'coal,^^'excellentspars forslnjps,'copp6r)g6ld^and v potter's clay! : iron .and'limestorie'. may also be: counted'among its mineVal: trea r ( sur.es.s ' Biit that in which Vancouver's Island1 is" .over "all her rival States (ra the: North-west seaboard, fromthe Russian station ofSitKa^dbwri to" California, is ■ the .wonderful harbour: of Esq^uimalt.. The main- ' land of this immense coast is peculiarly destitute of. harbours,. :and.this "gives to ; the, : beautiful inlet pf Esquinialt a-;value compounded .partly of its own natural'.'aiyanta^ind'jpa^ly "of.lthe ;defects of its,, rivals. . The' : har¥our: is described as a circular .bay,''. scooped by. mature; out of 'the' sblid'rock. : On passing"' ■ it's narrow entrance theiship]"exchanges at once,the <; loiig roll' and 5 swell of iKe great'.Pa'cilc for the,calmv ness of a land-locked Highlatidlake." -It has deep water,;varying:-T firom'--'flve:-W"eigliP fathoms,';good holdihgrgrouhd, and an extent Sufficient to contain: any^ conceivable •number of. : : ships.! Whatever be": the iate >of the; goldKdiggings of Eraser River, no ; one can doubt ; ttiat this. harbour, now-that attention has bnoe the:remote country in wMchJt'.is'plac^i-willfTbecpmeitlie of a^ Tast! irade, - Svliere iilie 1 productions "of .*N6fth and South/of-Eas^ great" and central^mart. £" Many othßr 'circumitan'ces 'besides the ■ recent discbyery k'6f- gold? tend Jtbf bring '' about: this result.''The opfeniirig of the'tfade vwi& Ghiria^ of which, we have just received intelligence, must attract the I attention of men; of.capitalv; and;enter- : r prise; .to; the Northern; Pacific,; andr-the thriving which; Russia hai^forniea^atTtiie moutn ? fr«r.thei Ampor Biyer, and-thrown ?open with; praise- ; tworthyliberality p i settlers "of all nations, will prp- ' ba^iyincrease this tendency; ' The harbour appears |;to-bei:easiiy~ defelisiblfe^andr.being"praced'on an f island, the Mistress of ;the Seas may very reasonl ably look upon it as-a durable possession. The site" of the city of Victoria, distant a few miles frpmEsc[uimalt:liarbqur, : seems to be admirably well chosen, and -a. prospect i equally j beautiful and commanding, extending .over. wopds, ; bays,' and; inlets, to the distant mountains of. Washington Ter? ritory, rising ta the -height • -of : th"e> loftiest Alps, and ;• cpyered;With;perpef;uals'now- The only drawback ; | in the, glowing^ picture of sVancouver's Island is | that it^has tio fivers, but; this want is in some degree; f suppiied^ by;.arm& of the sea running:deep into the I: land^ by a very ] moist winter^and jbyi: v : ery heavy I dews, wMchrefresh,the:herbag,e;duringthe?heatsbf summer. „-; - ,- .-•:•■■: - v •.•■/''■. ;--n

It,'^pleasant to see that the; Government of a country r which has suddenly; fp.und: itself: : changed by, ; thei7magic i-influence.^ of .gold; from .an-, obscure - fishing and hunting,station; to' the resort of.tens of; thbusandsofieageri.andnot. n very .orderly;colonists has. been found: fully equal to the emergency. ■ Mr. Douglas, who combines; the apparently incompatible ©ffirasrofchieifac^ ahdr^vernbrof Vancouver's seems, by the confession of all parties,-, : to have-[discharged his arduous and novel dutiesin a manner worthy o£the; highest approbation. The .officers of the Hudson's Say Company have exercised formany years; aquiet and undisputed sway oyer .80,000 Indians inhabiting Vancouver's Island and:tne! adjacent colony of New Columbi£.': l: Thisfseems 'to'have' been *an?admirable training for the present: einergenfCy; iThe Governor has obtained the'habit of commandjiof forethought,and^arrangement, and rhas learnt not to.be ;afraid_rof heavy responsibuityy-while -hecurbsr;with- -a-strict' and ; steady hand the six orseven thousand brigands, whohaye suddenly' descended; upon "Victoria as.a: permanent increase to her population, and the 30,000 miners ; who have, passed,throughcthetown on their ■way to. Eraser Rivera -He has $llowedr the miners to carry up provisions fort their own -use,.and, in^ stead.of availing fhimselfv of the opportunity, of extorting money.- from'-the: necessities^ of the new comers, he has sold provislons-rto-them at-a ;very : flmalt.profit,: and,thus : consolidated to himself and I his government: the good will: and, obedience, of his tuibuient guests. He is .said to be about to throw open the trade altogether—a wise'resolution, which we trust speedily <to 'learn 'has been' executed. Equally, agreeable;is it to find that the rude miners of California have upon the-whole submitted with a very good grace to thesway of the representative of Her Majesty.!- To be ■ sure, Mr..'Douglas -isnot one ofthosempnarchsTYho trust only tp fear for the execution of their mandates. Amid so many conflicting duties he found time to travel to the distant an:diiia;cces"Bible gold-diggings, settled disputes between the Indians and the whites, and explained to the American miners the law under which they came to live. Whether it be from this novel and sensible step on the part of one who might have stood oh'his authority and dignity, or whether 'the_CaUfornians had had enough of the sweets of a, Deniocratic Governmyntf acting under the inspection ot a Vigilance; Committee, certain it is that they have conformed in an exemplary manner to the laws ot the C6lony, ano!: even seem to have imbibed a taste for a.strong ExeciitiYe; whichhas^Established a vjgi- » lantand efficient police, 55 arid protects''Vf-ith^a firm hand both life and property.' ; .