VANCOUVER'S ISLAND

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 137, 11 February 1859, Page 4

VANCOUVER'S ISLAND

{From the Times.) At length we are in possession of a clear and graphic account, not of the golden region of Fraser and Thompson Rivers, but of the harbor, capital, and scenery of that noble island which lies at the portal of the New Eldorado. Our California correspondent has been disappointed in his attempt to reach the gold-diggings themselves, but he has given us an account of Vancouver's: Island, its rising capital, and its splendid harbor, which cannot fail to be of the highest interest, commercially and geographically. Of the country of Eraser River there seems little to know, except that the river abounds in rapids, that its banks higher up are perpendicular rocks, which it is impossible to scale, and that the miners dare not venture far from the stream into the thickly-wooded interior for fear of the attacks of the Indians. The river will not be fit for gold washing till September, and in the meanwhile the miners who have provided themselves with provisions or money, are waiting in impatient and compulsory inaction the drying up of the snowfed torrent; and those who have not sufficient stores have either gone away to seek emp^ment elsewhere, or have remained to starve to. death, —a fate which has overtaken some of the unfortunate men who have ventured without preparation into these vast and almost inaccessible solitudes. We have established a colony, but before it can be colonised it seems absolutely necessary to provide access to its deep and remote valleys, and for1 this purpose we doubt not the corps of Sappers and Miners which has been sent; put, will prove of the most eminent advantage. .' The greater part of our correspondent's letter is devoted to an account of Vancouver's Island, its capital, Victoria, and its harbour, and certainly, it would be difficult for the ghost of Mr. George Robins himself to draw a more delightful or alluring picture than that which we receive from an experienced and intelligent writer, whom a Californian residence of nine years must have made into a thoroughly good judge of new countries and projected settlements. With scenery, which reminds a Scotchman very forcibly of the mountain ranges and beautiful salt water lakes of his native land-—:a climate resembling that of England, but less variable in summer and less severe in winter—■ Vancouver's Island seems to present peculiar attraction to a long expatriated Euro-

pean. That portions of tolerably good land are to be found on its surface there is no doubt, though the backward state'of survey,, and even of exploration, leaves it doubtful'how much of. its surface is adapted for the purpose of agriculture. There is no doubt however,' that the island possesses abundance of good coal, excellent spars for ships, copper, gold, and potter's clay. Iron and limestone may also be counted among its mineral treasures. But. that in.which Vancouver's Island is pre-eminent over all her rival States on the North-west seaboard* from the Russian station of Sitka down to California, is the wonderful harbour of Bsquimalt.- The mainland of this immense coast is peculiarly destitute of harbours, and this gives to the beautiful inlet of Esquimalt a value compounded.partly of its own natural advantages and partly of the defects of its rivals. The -harbour is described as a circular bay, scooped by nature out of the solid rock. On passing its narrow entrance the ship exchanges at once- the long roll and swell of the great pacific for the calmnesss of a land-locked Highland laker It has deep water, varying from .five. to,. eight - fathoms, good holding ground, and an extent sufficient toeontain any1 conceivable number of ships. -"Whatever be the fate of the gold-diggirig of Frazer River, no one, can doubt; that this harbour, now that attention has once been drawn to the remote country in which it is placed, will become the emporium of a yast trade, where the productions of North and South, of East and West, will meet-.in-a great and central mart.' Many • other circumstances besides tho recent discovery of gold tend to bring about this result. The opening of the trade with China, of which we have just received intelligence, must attract the attention of men of capital and enterprise to the Northern Pacific, and the thriving settlements which Russia has formed at the mouth of the Amoor River,- and thrown open with praiseworthy liberality to settlers of all nations, will probably increase this tendency. The harbour appears to be easily-defensible, and, being placed on an island, the Mistress of the Seas may very reasonably look' upon it as a durable possession. The site of the city of Victoria, distant a few miles from Esquimalt harbour,

seems to be admirably well chosen,, and presents a prospect, equally beautiful and commanding, extending over woods, bays and inlets, to the distant mountains of Washington Territory, rising to the height lof the loftiest Alps, and covered with perpetual snow. The only drawback in the glowing picture of Vancouver's Island is that it has no rivers, but this want is in some degree supplied by arms of the sea running deep into the land, by a very moist winter, and by very heavy dews, which' refresh the herbage during the heats of summer. It is pleasant to see that the Government of a country which has suddenly found itself changed by the magic influence of gold from an obscure fishing and hunting station to the resort of tens of thousands of eager and not very orderly colo T nists has been found fully equal to the emergency. Mr. Douglas, who combines the apparently incompatible offices of chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company' and Governor of Vancouver's Island, seems, by the confession of all parties, to have discharged his very arduous duties in a manner worthy of the highest approbation. The officers of the Hudson's Bay Company-have exercised for many years a quiet arid undisputed sway over 80,000 Indians inhabiting Vancouver's Island and the adjacent colony of New Columbia. This seems to have been an admirable training for the present emergenc}'. The Governor has obtained the habit of command, of forethought, and arrangement, and has learnt not to be afraid of heavy responsibility, while he curbs with a strict and steady hand the six or seven thousand brigands who have suddenly descended upon Victoria as a permanent increase to her population, and the 30,000 miners who have passed through the town on their way to Fraser River. He has allowed the miners to carry up provisions for their own use, and, instead of availing himself of the opportunity of extorting money from the necessities of the new comers, he has sold provisions to them for a very small profit, and thus consolidated to himself: and his government the good will and obedience of his turbulent guests. He is said to be about to throw open the trade altogether. —a wise resolution, which we trust speedil}?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 the sway of the representative of Her Majesty.. To ■be sure, Mr. Douglas is not one of those monarchs who trust only to fear for the execution of their mandates. Amid so many conflicting duties he found time to travel to the •. distant and: inaccessible 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 that might have stood on his authority and dignity, or whether the Califbrnians had had enough of the sweets of! Democratic Government, acting under the inspection of a Vigilance Committee, certain it is "that they have conformed in an examplary manner to the laws of the colony, and even seem to have imbibed a taste for a strong Executive, which has established a vigilant and efficient police, and protects with a firm hand both life and property.