The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-29 00:00:00

EIVSPAPER
• A.-,4
4c4Vlq:AV''
a 1-t°-(-6. The island is covered with timbe 'dire
-,-- 1
I never saw such magnificent trees. Th e f"_
_ • forming for cutting the timber for export ti0iT,,,,41111;-
lietspaliemno4ice it as the best timber of the LOS
had.
There is gold all over the island, but in small quantities.,
I have found a little near here. There is plenty of chance
for enterprising men with a small capital, and also for
good mechanics. Anyone who in willing to work is sure to
get on well. Labourers are paid Bs. and 9s. per day ; me-
chanics from 12s. to 20s. I should not fear of doing well
out here if I could but settle,
There is a good and regular traffic with the Sandwich
c„,-lands, San Francisco, Port Townsend, on the American
side; praoer's River, New Westminster, and many ships
straight front England and China. There are several
wealthy Chinese meratants, and a great number of poorer
They Chin reease.
capitalTh w
haveashenarir
paert, of the town to themselves.
and they are very ireful, at,
there are very few women here to wash for AS -We pay
them Os. and Bs. per day for washing.
I must now close my rambling account of the Island of
Vancouver's, and say a few words about, the poor native
Indians who were once masters of this part of the globe.
It is not known how many Indians there are exactly,..but
I think it is computed at 18,000 or 20,000, I have seen
much of them since we have been here. There are seve-
ral villages belonging to different tribes round here, and
a great number were down here from the north a month
or two ago. Some of them come to trade skirts, furs,
fish, and mats, for goods out of the stores. They
are principally paid in blankets. An Indian's chid
wealth is in his number of blankets. I am sorry to say th et
the majority of them are filthy, lazy, and disgusting in the
extreme ; great drunkards and thieves, very
crafty and
deceitful. They appear to learn nothing of the white man
but his worst vices. The northern tribes bring down crowds
of women to sell to white men, or to force them info pro-
stitution. Scenes are daily enacted openly round Victoria
that I should not have thought could possibly take place, in
a land where civilisation has begun its work. I think the
worst characters in our seaport towns would blush at the'
treatment the poor Indians receive at the hands of the low
Yankee ruffians that infest this place. We saw the Indiana
come in; they had to leave their arms with us while they
stayed. They all looked fine healthy people, but when
they went away it was a most distressing sight to see the
poor creatures crouching in their canoes, with features
shrunken and emaciated through disease and the effects of
the dreadful poison white men sell to them and call it
whiskey. What can the missionary be expected to do
when such fiends are working against them ? There is a
strict law against selling them whiskey, bit they cannot
stop the traffic. Some of the tribes are becoming rather
better. There are several good men at work among them.
The school here, I hope, will do much. I was there. one
Sunday. What a curious assemblage—tottering old men,
young men and women, children and infants—in all about
130, repeating and singing, "There is a Happy Land," irr
English. the rest of the instruction was carried on in
Chinese, theltrading language of the Hudson Bay Company.
I know a little of it, but not much. There were many in-
telligent faces in the motley group; many had rings through
their ears and noses, and on their ankles and wrists. Some
of the women had seven or eight armlets on each arm, and
scores of silver rings on their fingers, pieces of bone and
silver stuck in their under lips, and nearly all painted, and
many half naked.
The Rev. Mr. Garrett is the superintendent; he is assisted
by some other gentlemen and some ladies. A Mr. Duncan
is doing much good; he is away now with some tribe. Ho
is a friend of Mr. Brown, of the G.N.R. School at Dort-
caster; they were at the Highbury Training Institution-
together. Mr. Duncan has a great number of converts to
the temperance cause, amongst them nearly all one tribe.
The Roman Catholics are doing a good deal with them, too,
especially in the temperance movement. They appear to be
quite proud of their pledge. The bishop has addressed
them in Chinvok, he was not long in learning that curious
jargon. Some of the Indians aro very clever. One mania
Victoria is a capital silversmith. I have seen some rings be
made; they are really first-rata. I very often walk round
to the Indian village; they like to talk to any ono in uni-
form. They have a wholesome dread of King George men,
as they call all English, Irish, and Scotch. They cannot
bear Boston men (Americans). They have many curious
ceremonies, especially when any ono is sick. They are great
gamblers. I have seen them sit on their h eels in a circle a
whole day gambling for blankets. Theyare capital marksmen
with a rifle or bow and arrow. Most of the Indians round
hero are Flatheads. I have seen the poor little infants
lashed down to the board that causes the deformity; it ir'
considered a mark of distinction. No white man's child is
allowed to have its head flattened. The poor little things
tumble about the canoe naked in the roughest weather, and
seem quite happy.
But I am afraid I am tiring you, sir, with my remarks,
but I think you will like to know a little of the poor creatures
we hear so much about, and to whom we are responsible for
much.

We are ordered away to Barclay Sound, round on the
west coast of the island. There is a new coloo- just spring-
ing up. An English firm is going to erect saw mills, &c.
We are going to awe the Indians a little, I believe. The
bishop is going with us to visit this new flock. I shall
postpone finishing this until next mail, so that I ctett add a
little more information respecting this little England. We
have not much convenience to offer the bishop, but he .may
not have an opportunity again for some time.
Esquimalt Harbour, Nov. 10, 1860.
IVe are new I ying quietly at anchor after our trip, of
which I will say a little. The Bishop and Capt. Stamp, the
manager for the firm, and our pilot, came on board on
Thursday evening, October 17, and we steamed out of the
harbour at daybreak next morning. We met with tine
weather and smooth seas, so none were at all affected. We
anchored for the night in a small bay open to the Pacific.
The bishop held a short service on board. Next morning
we entered the Barclay sound, and about noon the Albur-
nie Canal. This is a fine natural canal, about 30 miles
long, and will average three-quarters of a mile in width,
wills plenty of water for large ships. The country on either
I side is mountainous, and well wooded, stocked well with
deer and game. Everyone admired the scenery, the bishop
in particular. We arrived at the end of the canal, where
the Sonless River empties itself, at five p.m. The settlers,
about forty in all, have been out two months. There
is a large store, and several houses and sheds built.
I think there will bo a nice village. They have got a
fine engine and saw mill, and they hope to have it
working by Christmas. They are doing a little
trade with the Indians in oil, fish, and skins. The
bishop and party went to visit the Indian village,
and the second Sunday he addressed them in the large
store, having picked up a few words of their language from
the Indian agent during the week ; they do not know much
Chinvok. The bishop is a very energetic man; he has had
many services both on board and in the large store on shore.
He does not care for trifles. One night he held a tallow
candle in his hand to read by, refusing the services of a
man sent to hold the light. He spoke much on the respon-
sibility of the settlers, on their own account and their
treatment of the natives, on the importance of prayer, and
the observance of the Sabbath, promising that a minister
should be sent to them as soon as possible. We were there
nine days. I was out shooting nearly every day. Our
party shot a good number of geese, ducks, and grouse.
We all enjoyed ourselves exceedingly, and were well satis-
fied with our trip. We left on the Monday morning, and
called in at an Indian village. The commander and bishop
paid them a visit. We then steamed out into the Pacific,
but we were obliged to put back again, it was so rough.
We started again next morning ; it was still rough, and
many were sea-sick, but we reached an anchorage in the
Straits, Port San Juan, when we remained all night. Got
under way at daybreak, and called into a settlement at
Sooke. There is a fine harbour, and a large sawmill be-
longing to a Scotchman, who has also a large farm.
We should have stayed there for the night for the Bishop
to hold a service, but. I believe it was declined, all the ea-
tiers being Scotchmen. We had a stroll round the settle-
ment. I never saw such fine trees ; they
than any I have seen on the island. We left taß2isp.on2., and
anchored in Victoria at (3 p.m. Landed
in
no h
our absence.p
sent for our letters, the mail having v
arriv.fseit, we all enjoyed
I hope we shall soon pay them another visit,
The rigging was
it so much, and we live so much
tots
se when we came "
are much finer
hung with strings of ducks an gee
„ to England.
could have sent a few gees— uinialt harbour the
hero; we were able to
next morn-
We steamed round make lots of presents. I seistall
to
EEither small,with
ships go into Esquimalt. This is
small vessels. All the
ing. Victoria harbour is rather water only for
one of the finest harbours in the world, well sheltered,
plenty of water and plenty of room ; it is distant three
miles
from Victoria by land and about four miles by sea.
There are several stores and hotels here, and a good pier.
The mail boats can run close in shore to unload. We some-
times are stationed here and sometimes at Victoria, We
have been to visit the corps of Marines on the island of San
Juan, the disputed territory, twice. The Americans have
a like force on another part of the island, and are on the
most friendly terms with our men. The officers visit each
timbert tehres herefship,o rt
i toe
other in their respective quarters. -We do not know how
the dispute will terminate.
I have been living on shore at the Marine Barracks here
IpbVuu eri
Ipdoo obtained
et ienlueus den
wls
eintndh
from
opnmad r
ttooyn
ceouf
oft m
dteohnlev
nf rsoe m
to be architect, and I have had the planning of everything.
Pc
nr
ar
t osi ks.
We have got a good substantial framing and roof up, but
our trip, I am afraid, will prevent us finishing it thissea-
son. 'We want the house to spend a few hours in instead of
remaining always on board, and to hold our school meet-
ings in, for we have no room on board. I had a capital
time of it. I had my gun, and went out shooting very
often. Took the men on board every Sunday for provisions
an.d service. I hope to finish, and then the men will have
somewhere to go beside the whiskey shop when they go
ashore.
I have commenced a school, and the commander has
given the Government allowance to buy books. Very few
of the men were provided with Bibles, and we cannot get
good ones under fis. or Bs., and they are American editions,
not such good plain print as the cheap English books. It
is a great pity that we cannot get Bibles for the men when
they really appear desirous of reading them, and are anx-
ious for instruction. The commander wants to commence a
Bible class for the men, and when we can get a supplyof
books I think it will be sure to succeed.
I must now conclude, and hoping that this will find yet;
in good health, I remain, reverend sir, your humble and
obliged servant,