The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-28 00:00:00

Walls End.

Hartlepool. lB 9
South Hartlepool 18 0
Riddell 16 9
Nixon's Merthyr 21 0
Trimdon Thomley 16 9
Ships at marke

BRITISH COLUMBIA.

(Concluded from the Times of Dec. 24.)
Victoria, Vancouver's Island, Oct. 26.
Fort Yale is on the right bank of the Fraser.
We found the place and its " surroundings," as an
American termed the neighbourhood, so filthy and
unsavoury—so exactly like its inhabitants, in short,
that we could not pitch our tents in or near it ; so
we shot across the river, shook the dust of this
modern Sodom from off our feet, and camped on a
clean sandspit on the opposite side, away from the
ruffianism of the town—a fortunate choice iu more
ways than one, but particularly happy in saving
the men from.contamination.
We remained here from the 13th to the 20th of
September. During this period I visited Hill's
Bar, about 11- or 2 miles below Yale and on the op-
posite side of the river, three times, and will here
give such information as I picked up from the
miners. This Bar is one of the earliest worked,
and one of the most -famous for its richness—the
bar of bars, the Ophir of Fraser's River. Mr.
Hill, the discoverer, left for California with his
" pile" some time ago, having first sold out his
e.laims at good round prices, a practice which I
Much deprecate, and which, if I were a lawgiver in
these parts, I would put a. stop to. A man who
sells -a claim sellS " what isn't kis'n." The license
does not give the miner the fee of the land, but
merely the privilege of working it for gold, the
property of the Crown ; and when a miner aban-
dons his claim it should be open to the next man
who comes and is ready to work it.
The first miner I met at Hill's Bar was a very
green miner—a young gentleman who came -up
-from. San Francisco with me in June. His profes-
sion is that of a merchant, and he came to Vic-
toria to go into business. Finding things overdone
there, he resolved to turn miner, and came up to
Hill's Bar, bought a "claim" for 350 dols. ; and has
been working it, with a partner, for nearly three
:months. They employ five men to work with
them at wages ranging from 6 dols. to 8 dols. a
day each man. To show both the division of labour
and the prospects of labouring men who may think
of comit, out to this country, I will give a detail
of . the labour and pay :—Two men shovelling, at
5 dollars a day ; three men rocking, one of them
at 6 dols., the second at 7 dols., the third at 8 dols.
a day. These were all good hands, experienced
miners ; but the two who reeeivecrthe highest pay
were choice hands. The earnings he gave me as
an ounce of gold a day to each man's work on an
Average. On calling for details this gentleman
said, his men ,would wash 1,000 bucketi a day,
and that a bucket of " dirt" would produce Bc.
I This would give 80 dols. as the earnings of the five
amen ; just 16 dols. each man. But the " dirt" does
not always yield as much as Bc., although, on the
other hand, it sometimes yields more.. He has had
as high as 33c. to the bucket, which would give to
fiye men washing 1,000 buckets an aggregate of
330 dols., or 66 dols. each a day—Cl3 sterling per
man per day. I cross-questioned my friend
strictly on this fact, but could not shake his
testimony, and he offered to show his books
in proof of his assertion. His character is a suffi-
cient voucher for any statement he makes. He is
very well known in San Francisco, where he long
held a situation of trust.
As a test of the value of this fainous bar, I may
state that he knows of Loos dols. having been given
for one half of a claim of 25 feet wide, and of 1,200
dols. for one-third interest in another claim of the
same size, and of 1;000 dols. having been offered the
other day, and refused, for one half of a claim.
This gentlemen went back to San Francisco the
other day well satisfied with the re-,-alt of his
mining adventure. His case proves two facts—that
a person of sedentary habits, who never worked at
rude outdoor occupations, can improve his pecuniary
condition by taking a spell at mining, and that an
intelligent man can find efficient labour at high
prices to 'assist him in making his "pile."
I found an Englishman here whose story is in-
structive—George Cade, from Bethnal-green, Lon-
don. He had mined .in California for three years
and upwards. Came up the river without money,
and worked at first on hire ; then took to construct-
ing rockers for the other miners, by which he saved
some money, as his outgoings were limited to the
cost of food, about 1 dol. a day; no rent and no taxes
to pay. Finally, he bought a quarter interest in a
mining claim for 400 dols. The first week he worked
made 800 dots. to his own share, or " cheek," as he
put it, which made him ' free oidebt and left some
encouragement over:" I know the man of whom
he purchased. He bought Hill, the discoverer, out
for 1,400 dollars, including some debts on the claim,
which he assumed. The claim measures 25 feet,
being the usual size, running froth the bank to the
water, and a small portion of an adjoining claim.
There are six men in " the company," four of
them hired at wages of 5 dols. a day each. In two
days last week they took out 800 dols. The average
of the week's earnings both Cade and his partner
returned at 4 lb. of gold amalgam a day, got out
by the labour of all six. One pound of amalgam
they value roughly as worth 100 dols. This is evi-
dently a low estimate.
Some of the miners have carried a small stream
a distance of 12 mile, and sell the water for sluic-
ing at 2 dols. sc. an inch—that is to say, a super-
ficial inch of water on a vertical section. By means
of sluicing ground which will not pay by "rock-
ing," and which has been once " washed,' will re-
munerate this outlay in water ; and I don't
reckon the charge high at the present high price
of labour.
About the centre of the bar, which is con-
sidered its richest part, I met another miner from
San Francisco whom I knew. His story is, "three
weeks at work on his present claim, all of which
has been already washed by rocker, and which he
and his party are now sluicing, make 2 oz. a-day to
the hand." This is the average for the whole time
they have been at work.
Stories are told of enormous sums having been
realised on this bar ; but as these are " lucky
strikes," few and far between, and which would not
give a fair average of earnings, I shall not repeat
them. There are probably 400 men on the bar. I
counted 64 houses.
Many make as much as the earnings given above ;
probably one-half the number of miners ; the other
half not so much. Several of the miners gave their
earnings at from 3 to 8 dols. a day.
The Commissioner who collects the licenses says
that everyman who chooses to work will make 5 dols.
a day at the lowest. He should be good authority
from his means of information.
At a- point a short distance above Hill's Bar,
which had the fanciful name of " Shirt-tail Bend,"
to designate it, on a long pole, I found several
miners and three rockers at work, making 5 dols.
to 6 dols. a day each rocker.
I ,omitted to mention that most of the older
miners on Hill's Bar stated that for the last four
months it was common to get fixs and six ounces
of gold a day to each rocker. A rocker may require
two or three men to feed and work it, according to
the location.
At Hill's Bar I ascertained The important fact
that there are " dry diggings" inland " at the back
of the bar." This is on a plateau covered with
forest, elevated 30 feet above the level of the river.
" Close to the surface the ground prospected 121-
cents to the pan." The plateau is extensive, as I
found out by walking across a portion of it. It
extends from Hill's Bar to Yale, and oosite to
the latter place gold has recently been found on a
portion of this same plateau. The constable from
Fort Yale told me so, and his information is con-
firmed by Mr. Pemberton, the colonial surveyor,
who has just returned from Yale.
Opposite to Hill's Bar a good deal of mining is
carried on at the lower end of the bend or crescent
upon which Fort Yale stands. I did not visit this
spot, .'at -which - there are perhaps 250 miners.
Higher up come the Fort Yale diggings. I spoke
to many of the miners here—not less than 100,
certainly on several occasions—who gave their
earnings at every sum, from 2 dols. sc. (say 3s.
sterling) to two ounces (say £6 sterling) a man per
day. The most common return from sluicing was
one ounce a man per day. They are a lazy, coarse,
grumbling, good-for-nothing set. Hundreds squat
in tents, and do nothing but complain of the bad-
ness of the times, and lament the falling off in the
produce of the bar. It does not yield nearly so
much as it did at first, but it was very inefficiently
worked, and the sluices are half the time idle,l
while the owners are drinking and gambling.
Many ".loafers" hang about, ostensibly waiting the
fall of the river to " go up," but in reality on the
lookout for plunder. I never saw so many sinister
countenances collected in one place—ill-bred curs,
as cruel as they are di-honest. Here is the nest
whence issues the wretch who will shoot an Indian
in the back when he finds one alone and unarmed,
and who is the first to run, even out of a crowd,
when he sights abodyof Indians, armed or unarmed;
and here is the Alsatia to which the coward flees
for shelter.
We ascended the river for some miles beyond
Fort Yale, and found miners encamped and at
work all along the left bank. Here we found the
largest sized scale gold yet seen—the " coarse
gold" so much prized by the miner, because he gets
more of it for the same amount of labour bestowed
on " fine gold," _which does not weigh so much. The
" prospects" all along this, the first gorge of the
river, good, and expected to improve. In some
other letter I will copy my notes of this portion of
th e -river.
I must now hurry this tedious narrative to a
close.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—ONE SHILLING DAY.—Mon-
day, Dec. 27.—Admissions on payment, 24,157 ; ditto by
season tickets, 2,241; total visitors, 26,398.

GUN ACCIDENT.—A shocking and fatal accident
has just occurred at the house of a lady in Llangollen. Two
young men, named George Barrett and Henry Evans, were
painting the greenhouse, and they went to the saddle-room
to eat their dinners, after partaking of which, the latter per-
son took hold of a gun, which had been lying loaded about
the place for some time, and while he was examining it and
showing his companion how they used such things in the
militia, it went off and shot him in the mouth, causing in-
stant death.—Carnarvon Herald.

FRIGHTFUL CASE OF SOMNAMBULISM.—We learn
by the St. Paul (Minnesota) Timesthat John H. Brownson,
Esq., son of Orestes A. Brownson, editor of Brownson' s Re-
view, was found dead at the foot of a high bluff in that city
on the morning of the 4th instant, having probably fallen or
leaped from the window of his room while in a somnambulic
state the night previous. His head was cut in the most
horrible manner, his face bathed in gore, his left shoulder
crushed in, and his body otherwise shockingly mutilated.
Mr. Brownson had for several months occupied a room in a
building which was built upon a steep bluff, along the river
side, and the distance from the window to the spot where he
first struck the ground, is 80 or 90 feet, while the distance
to the base of the bluff is 120 feet. From the testimony ad-
duced on the inquest, it appears that Mr. Brownson has
long been subject to attacks of somnambulism, frequently
arising in his sleep and wandering about the room, and
even venturing into the street unknown to himself, until
aroused to consciousness. About six weeks ago he 'met
with an accident from this cause, in which he sustained a
severe cut on the head by falling down the flight of stairs
leadihg to his office. Mr. Brownson was married, and was
daily expecting his wife from the east, whether she had been
en a visit. He had a wide range of scholastic attainments,
speaking French, Italian, and other languages with fluency
and accuracy. Ho had resided for two years in St. Paul,
where he practised law. He was about 35. years of age.
FLINT IN COTTON BALES THE CAUSE OF FIRES
IN COTTON MTLLS.—On Monday, Edwin Abbott Wright,
Esq., one of the partners of the firm of Messrs. Collinge and
Lancashire, of Oldham, and William Henry Robinson, a
workman employed by that firm, appeared before the Old-
ham Bench and made declaration relative to a number of
stones being found in bales of cotton purchased at Liver-
pool. In one bale, marked S E Y—C &L, 741, Robinson
found upwards of 950 flint stones and other pebbles, vary-
ing in *eight from half a grain to 2toz. ; the total weight
being 31b. 2oz. These pebbles were spread over several
layers of the cotton, generally extending to about eight
inches from the edge, but in few instances to near the mid-
dle of_the bale, and Robinson was of opinion that they were
wilfully put in during the packing of the bale. In several
E other;bales of cotton marked S Y, pebbles were found,
geneially of flint, and in some iron nails 11 in. long were
found ; one of the nails, notwithstanding all the vigilance
_used,..got into the machinery for opening and cleaning cot-
ton.—Mr. Wright said he had no doubt that pebbles being
in the cotton caused many of the fires in mills by striking
fire on coining in contact with some portion of the machi-
nery.,--Mr. Worthington, one of the sitting Magistrates.
said he had no doubt but that the last fire which occurred
in their mill (in the spring) was caused by stones being in
the cotton.—The Bench expressed an opinion that the sub-
ject shoillil be taken into consideration by Chambers of Com-
merce.—Manchester Examiner.

DUNFERMLINE.—REFORM MEETING.—On Wed-
nesday evening a meeting was held in the Music Hall—
Provost Robertson in the chair. Mr. Price, of the London
Reform Committee, addressed the meeting, after which Mr.
E. Beveridge moved, seconded by Bailie Whitelaw, a reso-
lution in favour of a rating franchise in towns, and a £lO
occupancy in counties, with triennial parliaments and the
ballot. Mr. Thos. Morrison spoke to the motion, and con-
tend there could be no technical difficulty as to the dif-
ferent modes of assessment, as Mr. Bright's scheme em-
braced all who were rated, whatever the mode of assessment
might be. Ex-Provost Morris then moved, and Bailie
Da/au:mason seconded, a resolution in favour of a more equal
appointment of members, and for the assimilation of the
electoral laws in Scotland and England. Mr. T. Morrison
moved, and Mr. Robt. Hay seconded, a vote of confidence
in Mr. Bright. A petition, founded on the resolutions, was
then adopted, and the meeting broke up.—Scotsman.
THE THREE AGES OF MAN.—In the morning we
carry the world like Atlas ; at noon we stoop and bend
beneath it ; and at night it crushes us flat to the ground.—
H. Ward Beecher.
A n[xAi re3tvyEittjtihseE mgiE. 18—t
ollbsotlalocalveat shPuinillans anhdapOpininetmsse:nt Ointment.—
eaNTte.
prudent pride themselves on adoptinr, measures for avoiding
it. They insure their houses and ships, and the still more
thoughtful assure their lives ; yet what is life without
health ? Can pain and enjoyment dwell harmoniously to ? The wisest man secures his own well-being., and
in Holloway's remedies finds a perfect and indisputable
policy of assurance against most of the diseases by which.
humanity is assailed. These preparations ward off many
an attack that without them would leave desolation in its
track, and cause the heart-rent mourners unavailingly to
regret
that these two policies, Holloway's Pills and Oint-
ment, were not numbered amongst then- household trea-
sures •

On our return down the river we visited Texas
Bar (Sept. 21), which we :'omitted on our way up.
We found miners making 4 dols. a day and 8 dols.
to the rocker each. This is an extensive mining

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENNG, DECEMBER 28, 1858.

settlement, log cabins audotb er evidences of success
being abundant. I copy from my„ otebook :
" A gang at the upper end-of-Mrrhiike 5 and 6
dols. a day, working the third stratum of gravel
from the surface. The first stratUrn, paid high, `the
second stratum thrown aside for future sluicing, as
it only produced 3 dols. a day to the hand ; too poor
for rocking. This bar evidently rich, as proved by
the vast amount of digging done. The auriferous
stratum runs back into the shore under a bed of
fine sand 10 feet thick. An extensive flat between
the river and the mountains. Miners say rich and
the sand easy of removal by sluicing. Gangs of six
men washed the surface gravel; gave 16 to 20 dols.
a day to the hand ; now washing the ' tailings' of
the same gravel, which yields 5 to 6 dols. a day to
the hand. A month's work averaged 16 to 20 dols.
a day,' digging a gravel bed 'underneath a thin
ledge of rock easily penetrated."
This is the " bed rock" of the miner, to which it
is his aim always to dig down.
Contrary to the opinion of the gang alongside,
this gang think the auriferous stratum does not
extend more than 250 yard.s Tronfthe water's edge.
At this extreme point it pays 5 to 6 dols. a day to
the hand. This is one of the rich claims.
John Daly, from Cork, an old California miner,
has his wife with him, "the only leddy on the bar."
Worked for some time for the Hudson's Bay Com-
pany at Fort Hope, " then 'worked for others, car-
rying dirt at 6 dols. a day." The turning point of
John's fortune he dates as on the 17th of July.
Bought a claim of 25 feet frontage of another miner,
" an Irishman born in America !" for 32 dols. Sc.;
has since made 2 dols. sc. a day often ; calls his earn-
ings now 10 to 12 dols. a day. " Can you give me the
average, Mr. Daly ?" "Faith, I can ; 10 to 12 dollars;
an' ye can put it down and show it to the Governor
if ye like." Is building a loghouse, three
times too big for him and his " leddy ;" but why
shouldn't Paddy indulge his whim ? he's in luck,
is " making money, and manes to save it." This I
much doubt. " Likes the country, for it brought
him luck." This I don't doubt.
Next met three, blackguards drunk in honour of
the Governor's visit, all hot-headed Yankees. One
was very high-spirited and independent; " wouldn't
uncover for the best man," &c. 'pulled the fellow's
hat off with a jerk, to try him. "He looked very
sheepish, and, after a pause, drawled out, " Why—
then—you're—been—and—doneit." How suddenly
the valour oozes out of these braggarts when they
are confronted with a little firmness. I look upon
every man who wears a revolver at his work as an
arrant coward. When the Governor came up (for
our little encounter was out of sight of the party),
the free citizen was disposed to be very obsequious
indeed.
These fellows had a rich claim, which yielded.loo
dols. a week, and sometimes more to each of them;
£4O a, week very ill bestowed. Another rich claim
sluiced by a stream of water, worked by 10 men,
five by day and five by night—make the ounce to
25 dols. a day to the hand. - Much of the gold lost
from imperfection of sluice. This claim cost the
present owner, Wm. H. M'Guire, 1,450 dols., hav-
ing brought out his former partners. Strange
arrangements the miners make. This claim had
been divided into single shares, half shares, 1-10ths,
and 1-20ths. It measures 250 feet in width, and
was originally located by 10 miners. All the ori-
ginal owners have left except M'Guire. They all
carried money with them-30,000 dols. in -gross—
and have all gone to the Atlantic States. The
claim was commenced to be worked on the 27th of
last May. They worked so irregularly (off and on)
and had so many interruptions that I could not fix
the period it took to make this money. Mr. Bauer-
man, the geologist of the Boundary Commission,
who is with us, examines, the gold hereabouts for
platina, of which he has collected some, taken out
of Thompson River gold.
Other miners on Texas bar gave me their returns
at 5 dols., 6 dols., and up to 10 dols. a-day. No
growlers here. ll regret that the troops are not
left in the mines. The American miners have a
slavish fear of the Indians. Their pipes are always
groaning out the doleful tune, protection against
the red skins. We have met Russians, Swedes,
Danes, French, Norwegians, Austrians, and other
Germans, English, Scotch, and Irish, and other
nationalities besides, for aught I know ; but none
of these dreaded the Indiarss as did the Americans.
As for us, the Indians were, of course, our friends,
and hung about us, always ready to serve us. The
majority of the miners are not American.
Two hundred and fifty police stationsd at Fort
Hope, the same number at. Yale, and 250 at Fort
Dallas, about 90 miles beyond Yale, with three or
four gun-boats for the river, would preserve per-
fect. order and compel absolute obedience to the law.
Such is the opinion of an officer whom I consider
good authority. He would, when a proper system
is established, disarm the population. I would
agree with him were it not for the existence of the
Indians. They cannot be depended upon, and men
may require arms in self defence. As to the silly
argument, so fashionable in Downing-street and
St. Stephen's, that we must'nt do this, that, or the
other for fear it would be disliked by our neigh-
bours, I would have but one answer—" Let those
who dislike our laws keep away."
From Texas bar we slip down to Strawberry
Island, so named for the very good reason that it is
covered with strawberry vines. This is the
" Sctlaheness" of the Indians, which I told you we
had passed without visiting on our way up on the
13th of September. The first gang we encountered
was composed of nine California miners, who had
" rocked" the shore to the tune of 9 dols. and 10
who are now busy making
dols. a-man pe. r day, and
a wheel to raise water for sluicing. They intend
to winter on the island. Nine of the handsomest
men I have seen. One half of them—no, the nine
could not well be divided,—but five of them might
have stood for models for Hercules ;—all Ameri-
cans, State of Maine.
A little below the Maine men, on the shore•of
the island, came upon a huge water-wheel of 40 feet
diameter, for raising water for "hydraulic wash-
ing." The wheel is set upon a wooden flat, mov-
able, to be shoved out into the river as the water
falls. The wheel is, of course, under shot.
I asked Major Hawkins,
who understands engi-
neering and mechanics, what he thought of the
wheel. The major thought it would fall to pieces
as soon as the water set it in motion. We now
' wheel of fortune." He is
meet the owner of this
full of hope from the effects to be produced in the
told us that a man left
ld
last Saturday with
theseisl a nd
diggings
ihni
gs
s wheel;for al
California
2,0430 dols.—a fact which acids new fervour to his
hopes.
The, owner of the wheel is Mr. C. D. Burlinson, a
native of Ohio and citizen of California, where he
•has been a trader and a publican, last at Amador.
He is.so pleased with the country-, and his own pros-
pects, that he " shouldn't wonder a particle if he'd
become a British subject, and spend the balance of
his days And, in furtherance of this laud-
ableintention,here." is about to send for his wife and
family. He has dug a hole or shaft to "prospect"
what is in the bowels of the island. The first four
feet of the shaft is sand, which produced no gold.
Then comes a "streak" of gravel, which appears of
great thickness, for four to five feet in depth of it is
already exposed without •going through it. This
gravel has paid him 10 dols. to 12 dols. per day to
the hand, the dust very fine, the lower portion of
the stratum paying the best. His intention is to
" ground sluice' first, and then to wash down, after
making " a face," as far as the dirt will pay. To
carry out this intention is the object of the wheel.
He may' fail at first, but that's nothing; he'll try
again, and succeed at •last. These diggings of Mr.
Burlinson's, and of others on the island, are dry
diggings, of much importance in a miner's estima-
tion, because they are likely to endure after the
river, or wet diggings, become exhausted. We have
reason to expect that plenty such will be found.
One such was discovered lately on an elevated
fiat 50 feet
,above the river and 250 yards inland, on
the right side, some miles atove this island, and
close to our last night's encampment. Early this
morning 13 Scotchmen sent a deputation to Mr.
Douglas, with a " prospect" in a pan, for permis-
sion to work, and to appropriate the water of a
neighbouring stream for "sluicing." me thing
looked so feasible that the Governor granted both
requests, and promisidd that if they are successful
he would give
them double allowance of giound in
reward for their discovery. I have lately had a
good account of the Scotchmeu. The Governor
christened their claims "Prince Albert's Diggings."
I hope they will succeed. They have got a lucky
name, any way.
Back to Fort Hope for the night. The houses
have increased in our absence. Miners have also
multiplied near by. On our way down the river
found a large accession of miners, and the ground
actually worked greatly extended.
Camped (Sept. 22) nine miles below Fort Hope,
on a strip of rich bottom land covered with long
bunch grass, the soil well adapted for farming or
gardening. This is the first wet day we have had
since the 30th August. During that period we
have had two slight showers of short duration.
The weather was lovely the whole of the time.
To-night wet feet, &c., but with a fire that would
have roasted 10 oxen, and in good humour with all
the world and ourselves, we passed a night that an
Emperor might have envied.

The English arc great on climatology, and like
to discuss what they have very little off. Well, to
gratify such as are enthusiasts on the subject, I
will give the temperature of-one of our days at
Fort Hope—a place sumunded by mountains :
Sept. 11, by Fahrenheit's thermometer, in the
shade under a treee, noon, 82 deg. ; at 2 o'clock,
85 deg. ; 4, 81 deg. 6, 68 deg.,; 8, 56 deg. ; 10,
53 deg.; 12,.50 deg. —The 12th.--r2 aan.,-58 dog.;

4, 57 dog. ; 6, 57 deg. ; 8, 65 deg. ; 10, 67 dog. ;
12, 70 deg. At night the temperature sometimes
fell to 30 deg.. and frequently ranged from 40 deg.
to 43 deg. Midday is oppressive in tents and in
the open air, but the mornings and evenings are
charming. No climate can be more healthy.
Here are the distances I spoke of somewhere in
this letter. Victoria to Sand Heads, or mouth of
Fraser River, 65 miles ; do. to Langley, 35 miles ;
do. to Fort Hope, 70 miles ; do. to Fort Yale, 15
miles; do. to Fort Dallas (forks of Fraser and
Thompson), 90 miles ; Fort Dallas to La Fontaine,
65 to 70 miles.

Late news from this upper region encouraging,
but provisions very dear.

OCT. 27.
The whole party, soldiers and civilians, roused by
the sound of the bugle at five a.m. ; tents struck, all
packed in the batteaux, and away by G o'clock. On
a journey recommend me to an ergineer, clever,
handy, intelligent, and'full of resource. ihese are
your true pioneers—to a new country invaluable.
Our party of them, as well as the 'marines, behaYed
admirably, barring the m6fortune that two of the
latter gave their officer the slip at Fort Yale: " No
great •loss. They had only just joined the Satellite,"
was a criticism I had heard made upon this circum-
stance.

We procured at Fort Hope the best bread (baked
by a Frenchman) I have tasted since I was in Paris.
Supplied with this, and with salmon, so abundant
in the river, we breakfasted on the beach near the
mouth of the Harrison river; and, after duly "for-
tifying the inner man," dropped down to Smess
River, where Major Hawkins left us to pay a flying
visit to his party of the Boundary Commission en-
camped in Smess Valley, some 12 miles inland.
Left the soldiers encamped on the bank of the river
opposite the mouth of the Smess, and we, that is,
the " carpet knights," pursue our voyage to Fort
Langley. While we drop down the stream, some
enjoying the scene and others reading with much
interest the last news from England, I will explain
how the affair of the reported collision between the
miners and the Indians turned out, which in-
duced the Governor to ask for the military escort.
A Frenchman stole away and deforced an Indian
girl of the -" Kequeloose" tribe, or of some other
Indian community on the Fraser, above Lang-
ley. After the endurance of much indignity, the
Indians retaliated, caught the Frenchman, and cut
his head off and sent his body down the river as an
example, perhaps, to all poachers on other men's
manors. Altogether four headless trunks came
down from the upper waters, and were pickedup by
miners between Fort Yale and Fort Hope. The
sight-naturally roused the inhabitants to action, and
a fellow named Graham, a Californian, burning to
distinguish himself, raised a company of volunteers
to fight the Indians. His plan was very simple.
He, was to commence killing the Indians at the
nearest village just beyond Fort Yale, and keep
killing as he went up the river as far as the Forks,
90 miles. No investigation, no discretion, no segre-
gation of the guilty from the innocent. It was to
be an exterminating raid. This fellow was not only
a beast but a vain fool. One tribe of these Indians
would have sent him and his party of raggamuffins
after the lecherous Frenchman. But he was accus-
tomed to Oregon practice, aud would try his hand
at it here. The bulk of the Yale miners were guided
by more humane and prudent counsels. Some 50 of
them enrolled themselves under a Major Snyder,
" a free and independent citizen" of the great and
glorious Republic which produces such abundant
crops of military knights.
Snyder exercised some degree of common sense
in his proceedings. He called at several Indian
villages on his way up, sending a flag of truce be-
fore him, declared amity with all the tribes who had
not been guilty of murdering white men, and made
peace and brought about a good understanding
" generally," as he himself summed up his ex-
ploits. In his grandiloquence he called his very
commonplace and vulgar palaver with the Indians
" treaties."
He must have concealed the fact of his being a
" Boston," or he would have had but poor success
with the Indians. However, he has the merit of
having had sufficient discretion to prevent bloodshed.
It may be well for fiery spirits of this class, who pant
for glory, to know that it is a very dangerous pro-
ceeding to make war on any of her Majesty's
subjects, and that she has not yet delegated to any
"citizen," however " distinguished," the treaty..
making power. A message from the Governor or
a visit from one of the Hudson's Bay Company's
officers would have produced a better effect upon
the Indians than all Major Snyder's eloquence,
backed though it might have been by a display of
physical force. Now matters are more amicable,
and the establishment of law and order as far as
possible with miserably inadequate means is pro,
gressing slowly, but surely and firmly. Any way,
we do not want the, services of any military adven-
turers. If they will, contrary to good advice, enter
the lists, they may depend upon it they do so with
a halter round their necks. Experience shows that
the Indians do not require these irregular and illegal
displays of force, and humanity demands that the
Government shall protect them.
Turn we now to the other " man in buckram,"
the brave Major Graham. He offered to unite his
forces with those of Major Snyder, but the latter
prudently " repudiated.' In this dilemma Major
Grahain proceeded on his own hook. He seemed to
have been firmly convinced of the truth of the trite
apothegm, that. " prudence is
_the better part of
valour," and to have acted upon it. In going up he
cautiously avoided all the Indian villages, and
sneaked along through the forest for some 40 miles
above Yale. Here he and his party were encamped
one fine night, when about midnight some one of the
"braves," hearing a rustling in the bushes, cried out
" Indians!" As they had set no guard, and were,
like most mobs, great cowards, the scum of Yale soon
became as much frightened as they were disorderly.
On the first alarm the Major, as was proper, jumped
up and fumbled with his reTolver. A shot im-
mediately followed, and the doughty Major fell to
rise no more. By this time his Lieutenant got
upon his legs. Another shot, and he too fell
dead. The camp was now a scene of ludicrous
confusion ' • some fired right, some fired left, some
fired " all round," and some ran away. Among
the latter was an Irishman, who was so horribly
frightened that he never pulled foot until he got
to Yale, where he told a tale whitth harrowed the

feelings of that refined population to a degree of
intensity altogether indescribable. The Indians had
massacred the whole party but him, and had then
mutilated the bodies of these Christian men in a
manner too horrible to mention. Here was the

" fiery cross" brought by an accredited henchman,
and it had its effect. Late at night " indignation
meetings" were held ; resolutions of great power
and energy and breathing vengeance were passed,
and the crowd of blackguards proceeded to the
lludson's Bay Company's house;and demanded arms
and ammunition to go and fight the Indians with.
The officer in charge told them he would not
admit a mob into his house, neither would he give
arms, or anything else, under threats such as were
being made by this enlightened "deputation ;"
that if they broke into the" house they. would do so
at their peril ; but that, as he was armed, the first

man who, entered, and "likely enough the second,"
would be shot ; that as he had a sick child in the
house, wife alarmed, other children disturbed, &c.,
he begged they would make less noise; and finally,
that if they retired and sent a "reasonable deputa-
tion of their number," say two or three, he would
admit it and see what could be done. This
suggestion was adopted, and the officer counted
out a number of muskets which wouldn't go
oft; as he candidly told them, and, taking a receipt
for them, closed the door and returned to bed.
Of course, he knew that these fellows were more
• frightened than hurt, and that their present velour
was of the Bob Acres' quality. The •" excitement"
once. aroused, however, must be kept up. They
sent a deputation with the Irishman's tale down to
Fort Hope, where the same scene was re-enacted to
the great astonishment of the Company's " servant"
there, and the deputation, now charged with the
-united suffrages of the good people of Yale and
Hope, started off without delay in a canoe for Vic-
toria, with a most piteous cry for help. They
effected the passage in a marvellously short time,
and looked, certainly, when they were presented
themselves before the Governor, like men who be-
lieved their own story.. Soon other wayfareis from
" above" drop in, and they more than confirm the
tragic story. One of these deliberately and cir-
cumstantially told, to my knowledge, that he had
seen 14 headless trunks picked up beyond Yale.
Every horrible detail was given with a minuteness
that carried conviction. It was now the Governor
asked for and obtained the soldiers. Before we
started a letter arrived from the Gold Commissioner
at Fort Yale with a denial of the massacre, but I
only learned the facts when I got up.
The important question of Who killed Major
Graham and his lieutenant" is still unanswered.
Their fate looks like a ju,t retribution. The un-
lucky major being a " politician" and not a sodger,
handled his pistol so clumsily that he shot himself
by accident. His wound proved this; The lieu-
tenant was killed by one of the stray shots of his
own men, which were discharged " all round."
There were no. Indians in the case. There was a
suspicion that the men shot both the major and his
lieutenant, and the "balance" of the party which
came hack to Yale reported that there really were
Indians who fired upon them when asleep ; but
that the Indians ceased firing when they were in-
formed that Major Snyder had made " a treaty"
with their chief.

This is the fable which found its way into the
papers, and which has made a wide circuit before
my contradiction- will 2ppear. • I refrained from