The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-17 00:00:00

junction of Fraser and Thompson Rivers, and in-
eluding the mining country about Bridge River, he
reports very favourably. Of the country on the
Fraser River, at a distance from its mouth of about
220 miles, he remarks :—" The two banks of the
river at this place, and to a great extent for a long
distance above and below, consist of benches, or
table lands, rising with great regularity the one
above the other. Seen at a distance, they resemble
terraces, and from the uniformity of the slopes and
level surfaces, look like works of art rather than of
nature. They are covered, as are also the adjacent
mountains and bottoms, with a luxuriant growth of
bunch grass, and beautified with scattering pine
trees. Over these plateaus it is easy and plea-
sant travelling, they being so clear and level
that waggons can pass with facility over them
everywhere, except where they are cut by water
courses. In some places you isiay travel over them
for miles withouut deviating from a direct line, or
meeting with the slightest obstruction."
In this neighbourhood he found miners making
as follows :—" A Frenchman earning 20 dols. a
day ; 15 to 20 men working with rockers variously
making from 3 to 15 dols. a day to the hand. With
sluices they think 10 dots. could be made at all
seasons of the year. Going on 12 or 15 miles, and
passing some 20 miners scattered along the river
making from four to eight dollars a day, I reached
Rose's• Bar,' on which there are now 30 or 40
miners making 3to 15 dols. a day. The average
pay is at least 5 dols. a day to the hand."
He then passes on to " Foster's Bar," of which he
says:—" Many rich spots were found upon it at
low water, and as high as 50 dols. to the hand was
taken out for many days in succession. It still pays
moderately well with the rocker. Large wages
can hereafter only be made by sluicing. About 50 " RICHNESS OF THE MINES.
men on the Bar working with rockers." " To claim that the Fraser River mines are as
The next place visited was "Fountain Bar," rich, or that labour has been generally as well
lying in an indentation of the table land on which rewarded in them as in the mines of California at
the town of Fountainville was situated, and an early day, would be idle. I might say much in
about two miles below it :—A good deal of work explanation of the numerous failures that attended
has been done here with rockers, the dirt paying the first adventurers to these mines, without mak-
even when castled several hundred yards to the ing myself their apologist—how the miners came to*
water .Last fall, a company composed of Germans, soon and in too great numbers—how the river kept
French, and Italians, having claims here, dug a up, and of the many disadvantages under which
ditch to bring water from a small lake a few miles they laboured ; all might be enlarged upon were it
east of the fountain. This ditch at present sup- not now well known to the public. In regard to
plies three or four sluice-heads, and could easily this section, however, I may say those pioneers who
be made to furnish more. It was the first work of worked here last winter and spring uniformly made
the kind completed in this vicinity, and cost about large wages, and that those who came in since have
5,000 dols., more than half of which consisted of been able to remain, paying the enormous prices
their own labour. They paid their hands 6 dols., they-have done for provisions, whichproves that they
and the whip-sawyers 8 dols. a day and board, while must have had good paying claims most of the
at work on it. The company have put up com- time. The cost of living here, with other necessary
fortable cabins, and are now running three sluices, expenditures, could not have been less than 4 dols.
and working 15 men, with an average yield of a day to the man, yet I find all have been able to
twelve dollars a day to the hand. They have defray their current expenses, while many have
dirt enough to last them for years, the entire accumulated large sums—sufficiently large, in a
top dirt paying three feet down and if well majority of cases, with those who have been here
managed, the enterprise can hardly fail to enrich any length of time, so lay in a winter's stock of
its owners. I was informed by one of their number provisions, even at the present high prices. That
that they took out 1,500 dol. in one dayin October, better average wages can be made here than in any
a statement I found confirmed in other quarters." part of California at present there is no doubt. This
I never want a better criterion of the riches of a can be done even with the present want of ditches and
mining location than the rate of wages. Here the indifferent appliances for taking out the gold. These
miners were paying 6 dol. and 8 dol. besides board, diggings, owing to the fineness of the dust and the
costing at least a dollar a-day more for assistance, difficulty of saving it, require to be worked with
a clear proof that the " claim" would give the miner sluices—a mode that has been introduced to but a
a return sufficient to pay such high wages and leave limited extent as yet, owing to the want of lumber,
a profit to himself. Passing numerous isolated as well as of wheels or ditches for supplying water.
camps for 30 miles beyond Fountainville, the tra- When sluices shall have been generally brought
yeller found the miners realising 10 dol. a-day to the into use more than twice the amount now
hand, 5 dol. and 6 dol. a-day, from 3 dol. to 6 dol. realised can be taken out to hand. Another cause
a-day, until he arrived at a place bearing the that will tend to render these mines highly
euphonous title of Dancing Bill's Bar. Here the remunerative in the aggregate is, that every
miners told him they could make 40 dol. a-week to man will be able to secure a claim, and that
the man with ease. At Strangler's Bar the men but little capital will be required for starting
were doing about the same as at the place last men- operations ; hence every one will enjoy the full
tioned. Coming down he fell in with two men pro- fruits of his own labour and none need remain
specting along the water's edge, a little above the idle. For this winter, owing to the lateness with
mouth of Bridge River. They had been at work which provisions have been got in, not much will
three hours, and on cleaning up found 21 dol. and a be done, no one here expects it ; the utmost that
bit-in the rocker. He then gets to Bridge River, will be aimed at, as a general thing, will be to make
of which we have lately heard a good deal of a enough to pay expenses of living, to prospect a
favourable character, on account of the gold on it little, and be on hand at the breaking up of winter.
being coarser than that found on the Fraser. This With the coming of spring large operations will be
river is a tributary of the Fraser and falls into it on entered into, and all here entertain the most san-
the west side, midway between the Upper and Lower guine anticipations, or rather, I should say, fullest
Fountain villages, some 60 miles beyond the junction confidence as to the results.
of Thompson's River. The correspondent discourses " THEIR DURABILITY.
of the river and its products very intelligently : " That these mines will be found not only rich
"Oa arriving at Bridge River I proceeded up it and extensive, but also lasting, lam fully satisfied.
some 20 miles, making inquiries and inspecting Apart from their vast extent of surface, the dig-
operations everywhere as I went along. This is an gings, at one time thought to be shallow, are now
impetuous stream, rushing through a canal-like known to rim downward in many localities to a
channel worn deeply into a hard slate rock, leaving good depth. It has lately been ascertained that not
little chance for bars to form upon it. There are only the bars along the river, but many of the
about 200 men now on this river working with vari- lower benches or table lands contain sufficient gold
ous results—a man making 20 dol. or 30 dol. one day to pay, where water can be brought upon them,
and hardly as many cents the next. The gold here which, in most cases, can easily be done. These
lies much in pockets and crevices, causing great benches are not only numerous, but often of great
variations in the daily yield. The dust is coarser extent, and would afford employment for a large
than that generally found on the Fraser, though number of men for many years to come. Little or
the average pay is not so large. Four dollars a day no search has been made as yet for drift digging or
would probably be a fair estimate of the wages made quartz though there are abundant indications that
here with rockers. There are five or six parties both, of a paying character, exist. Fine ledges of
working with sluices and making about double that quartz, in fact, present themselves almost every-
sum. The gold found here consists of thin scales where, though no thorough examination has been
quite uniform in shape and much resembling small made of their quality. The banks of Bridge River
shot flattened out. It assays rather better than the consist of alternate strata of slate and quartz rock,
Fraser dust, a lot of it lately sent to the Mint giv- the most favourable possible geological formation
ing, as lam informed, 16 dols. 60c. to the ounce, for gold. I would venture, then, after having seen
while the latter assayed but 15 dols. 90c. This is considerable of the mines in this quarter, to express
owing not likely to any difference in the quality of the confident opinion that they will prove suffi-
the dust itself, but to the fact that Fraser River ciently extensive, productive, and lasting to warrant
dust, being finer, is worked with quicksilver, while a large immigration to this country in the ensuing
the other is not. season, and that British Columbia is destined to
"No gold has been found on Bridge River higher become another great gold-producing region, rank-
than 35 miles from its mouth, the country along ing next to California and Australia in the amount
it at that point becoming flat and its banks allu- she will hereafter annually yield of this precious
vial. One favourable indication on this stream is, commodity."
the bars grow richer almost everywhere as the The only criticism I will make upon this letter
water subsides, giving ground to believe some rich is, that other published accounts recently received
strikes will be made when it shall have reached a from Fort Yale confirm much of what it and the
low stage." first letter contain.
Returning from Bridge River, and pursuing The same correspondent writes a third letter
his course down the west bank of the Fraser from Port Douglas on the Lilooet route, of which
River, he says he " encountered no more miners I lately spoke, as now travelled to the Upper Fraser
until reaching French Bar, two miles below. River country, because it avoids the delays and
This bar, like Rose's, Foster's, Mormon, and dangers of the navigation of that river. He says
some others, has been pretty well worlied over. many of the miners are coming down from the in-
and, like those, paid largely at an early day. A terior and abandoning mining for the winter, owing
ditch has just been completed, bringing water on to the cold and the high price of provisions—" some
this bar sufficient to work three or four sluices. to spend a couple of months at Port Douglas or at
There is no work being done now with rockers, but Victoria, returning to the mines in February—
those working with sluices make from 12 dols. to others going to Washington Territory, Oregon, or
14 dols. a-day to the hand. The bar is large and California, most of *hese also intending to come back
the pay dirt will probably last a long time." in the spring, their convictions almost uniformly
This gentleman concludes his letter, from which being favourable to the country as a mining region."
I have been quoting, with the following remarks : He says Port Douglas is increasing rapidly, and, not-
" I have thus presented you with results of my withstanding the very exorbitant prices of provi•
inquiries, made with diligence and care during a sions and of clothing, and the unreasonable rates of
journey of nearly 200 miles continuously through freights and of land-carriage, " several parties,
the heart of the goldfields of the Upper Fraser. some of them formerly prominent business men in
My statements as to the yield of mines lam satisfied San Francisco, are now making preparations for
are very nearly correct. Of course I found parties establishing themselves in trade at Port Douglas."
making more than any sum I have named, and This is a significant fact. Finally, this observant
others less than the lowest mentioned. In fact, I and enterprising traveller winds up with the follow-
consider these diggings extremely variable and un- ing opinion of the prospects of the country :—" In
certain. I have seen one man making large wages closing I cannot refrain from repeating the lan-
in his claim, while another but a few yards distant guage of encouragement I have already. held. Let
could make nothing. And it frequently happens none be discouraged—let none whose lot has been
that a party, by striking a lead or pocket, will take cast in and whose interests have been linked with
out several ounces in a day, and not make half an those of British Columbia despair. After earefnlly
ounce for a week after. This feature of and somewhat extensively surveying this vast field
the diggings, while it tends to stimulate the lam satisfied it is destined soon to become the
more hopeful and sanguine, is equally calculated theatre of great enterprises and industrial opera-
to dishearten those of an opposite temperament, tions—the scene of activity and business, the home
and hence the conflicting opinions entertained as of a great and thriving people . Just at present
to the character of these mines even by those trade is a little stagnant, and the labour
who have worked in them, and the difficulty of market depressed. But this is not to last--
arriving at a fair average of wages. Ido not desire the end is very. nigh. Now is the winter of our
to become the ardent advocate of these mines, or to discontent.' A few months will initiate a new
encourage any one to come to them at this late order of things, and the sun of prosperity will arise,
stage of the season. The weather here is growing not soon to set, on the industry and progress of
cold ; some snow has fallen even in the valleys, British Columbia."
and there are indications that winter is at hand. Very considerable quantities of gold-dust are
It still remains to be seen whether men can work continually arriving in Victoria, but I have no
at mining here during the winter months or not. means of ascertaining the amount. The produc-
I fear they will be able to do but little." tiveness of the mines is now quite settled in the
This letter was written on the 22d of November. affirmative.
On the 28th Nov. the same gentleman writes a Immigrants have not yet arrived in large num-
a second letter from Pavilion village, a place still bers, and it is much to be wished that the arrivals
higher up on Fraser River. This second letter will be gradual, so as not to overstock the popula-
agrees so perfectly with accounts which I have had tion suddenly.
from reliable persons of the locality spoken of, con- lam this instant informed that four persons have
1
e so much information of an interesting charac- certainly lost their lives from exposure to the cold
t ,and
so completely overturns the depreciatory in Fraser River. They abandoned their boats and
accounts. published of British Columbia by the Cal - endeavoured to walk along the bank to Langley,
f orma press, that I think it ought to be generally but had to succumb before they could reach this
circulated as a fair statement of facts. I therefore place. This sad fate could have been averted had
copy it in extenso
there been suitable steamers on the river to ply
"Pavilion, Upper Fraser River, . , . Nov 28 1858 from Langley to Fort Hope, instead of the weak
letter, written at the Fountain two and inefficient American boats of which I spoke at
days since, I gave you a brief account of a tour the beginning of my letter.
through this section of the mines, promising in my At Victoria business is pretty brisk. There are
next to say something as to their probable extent,
two and sometimes three, steamers engaged in duration, and and productiveness. This prom-.
promise pro- lying merchandise to Langley. Immigrants are
teed to redeem :
coming in by every vessel from San Francisco, and
" MAGNITUDE OE THE GOLDFIELDS OF BRITISH full confidence is entertained in the future growth
COLUMBIA. •
and prosperity of the place. The Orestes, with
" That the auriferous deposits of this region are 500 passengers from Australia for Victoria, had to
ap- put in for refreshment at Honolulu, and may be
fact that paying diggings have spread over a considerable scope of country is
parent from the
already been found on the Fraser )Liver, extending grants for this place and British Columbia are
from Fort Hope almost to Fort
.Alexander, a con- bullied into remaining in San Francisco by the
part, I
tinuous distance of nearly 400 miles. Among the prejudiced stories told them of the failure of the
gold mines, and of the frightful severity of the
ll
nwtilo the
—anthde Bridge
er
climate, s'
ritrvibeurstarairees okfnothwins sttio.eabme, Thompson and
this will soon find its level. For my
am glad that population does not pour
sufficiently so to have already richly rewarded
upas
into
those who have laboured upon it as high country nrematurely as happened in Califor-
and summer the best seasons to arrive in.
35 or 40 miles from its mouth, while the former niain its early days. All classes of emigrants will find
has been ascertained to have many bars that spring
will pay in its bed. On two. of its confluents—Ni- Work will
be more abundant in and about Victoria,
cholas and Bonaparte Rivers—good diggings are
money will more freely circulate than at present,
reported to have been recently discovered. How an
new country is a thing I view with horror.
many more of the numerous branches of these agreeable. A sudden influx of
roep.ulalttion into a
streams shall yet be found abounding in gold re-
The flagship Gacges is still here. mains to be seen, little or no prospecting having was sup-
posed she would have sailed immediately after the
thus far been done upon them. Nor is the extent

of this goldfield likely to be limited to these rivers
and their sources. Coarse gold was found about six
weeks since by some packers while exploring for a
mule route around Lake Seton. It was discovered
on a large creek flowing into the outlet of the lake
at a point about 15 miles from the Fraser. The dust
was apparently of high standard value. At two
places on the Lillooet River bars have been found
that will warrant working with a sluice. The first
of these is on the east side of the stream, 10 miles
above Port Dquglas, were a party are now washing
with sluices with very satisfactory results. When
I passed the spot they had been at work but two
days ; the first day three men took out 14 dols. 50c.
the next day, 18 dols. They showed me the gold,
which was fine, like that found on the Lower
Fraser. The other bar is 20 miles above Port
Douglas. It is very extensive, and promises to pay
as well as the one first named, though it has not
yet been worked. Bars similar to these are abun-
dant on the Lillooet, and the fact of these having
been prospected was owing to the accident of a log
cabin having been built near them, and not because
they seemed more likely to contain gold than the
others. For 100 miles above the Pavilion, and be-
yond what is termed the Canoe Country, the banks
of Fraser River have been proved to pay even bet-
ter than below, the gold being coarser and more
easily saved, as well as more plentiful. It will
thus be seen that the goldfields of British Columbia
ascertained to be paying, to say nothing of rumoured
discoveries beyond, are tolerably extensive. They
do not, it is true, rival those of California or Aus-
tralia in magnitude, but that they cover a large
scope of country, and will give employment to a
large population, is settled beyond controversy or
question.