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

BRITISH COLUMBIA.

(From the Times' Correspondent.)

VICTORIA, VANCOUVER'S ISLAND, Dec. 17,

Since I despatched my last letter, dated the Ist
and 4th inst., the winter of Vancouver's Island has
fairly set in. We had first a week of frost; then a
fall of snow five inches deep • then a sudden thaw,
which ushered in a few daTs of genial spring
weather ; and now we are having a deluge of rain,
The frosty weather was very sharp. The snow
tempered the cold, and brought out sledges of all
sorts of contrivances improvised for the occasion,
which must have afforded their occupants much
enjoyment, for the jingling of their bells was heard
in the streets and by-ways till long' past the "small
hours." The rain brings with it a temperature
mild and almost warm. If the late severe weather
is the worst of the winter, the climate has no
terrors. The true winter weather lasts about one
month, the rest of the season is wettish and mild;
and spring comes early, so says that veracious
authority, " the oldest inhabitant" of these regions.
The Fraser River is now at its lowest stage of
water in consequence of the freezing of the snow in
the upper regions of the Cascades and Rocky moun-
tains, the consequence of which is that the two
American steamers which plied on the river got
aground some days ago and are still hard and fast,
the Maria about 10 miles below the confluence of
the Harrison River, and the Enterprise several
miles higher up, both lying on sand-spits in the
Fraser. The want of sufficient power in the ma-
chinery of these boats is partly the cause of their
predicament.
A good deal of ice had formed in the lower por-
tion of the Fraser, between its mouth and Langley,
which stopped the navigation of the river for about
ten days, but it is now open again.
Considerable hardship is being suffered in the
upper country from the scarcity of provisions. At
Bridge River, a tributary of the Fraser, the miners
are reduced to horseflesh procured from the Indians
at 1 to 11 dol. the pound, and the severity of the
cold of course increases their sufferings. A few, in
attempting the passage down to Langley in open
boats, are said to have perished from frost bite. So
say current reports ; but although I have spoken
to several persons from the upper country, I cannot
trace the story to an authentic source. Many
have heard, but none have seen, these melancholy
occurrences. Sometimes the victims have become a
prey to cold and sometimes to hunger. No one can
tell which fate befell them.
All accounts, however, go to confirm what I have
heretofore reported in my several letters of the
richness of the upper Fraser River country at and
about the forks of the Fraser and Thompson, Bridge
River, and the co antry bordering on New Caledonia,
far up in the interior. The only drawback is the
difficulty of communication--a difficulty which will
be removed next summer when the Lilooet route is
perfected. The route, which obviates the dangers
of the rapids and removes the delays of the Fraser
River route from the mouth of Harrison River up
to the Forks, will be fully available next summer,
and will enable sufficient stores of provisions to be
thrown into the upper country before the approach
of next winter. The corps of Sappers and Miners
which the home Government has most judiciously
sent out will lend efficient aid towards the opening
up of the interior—a work of the first importance
to the new colony.
One important fact seems clearly established from
the information of returning miners—viz., that the
severity of the winter need not drive the miners
out of the country. From all I can learn the sus-
pension of labour will be short in the upper mining
regions of British Columbia—certainly not longer
than I have seen in the mountainous mining region
of California. All the miners agree that if they had
sufficient provisions they would have remained in
the interior all through the winter, and those now
leaving for California intend to return in the spring.
Batches of them come down here occasionally, some
of whom remain in Victoria for a couple of months,
while others disperse themselves over the neigh
bouring countries of Washington and Oregon, and
others go to California, where they have ties of
various kinds; but nearly all with the avowed in-
tention of returning. In another year a good deal of
this winter migration will be stopped by the com-
faits, employment, and amusements which the rapid
growth of Victoria will afford to the weary miner,
jaded by his summer campaign. No man seeks
amusement with a keener zest ; the theatre and the
dancing saloon have peculiar charms for him.
The majority.of the returned miners are satisfied
with their earnings. On Bridge River many ware
making the enormous sum of 30 dols. a-day each.
Indeed, the abundance of gold in that region is
confirmed by the quantity of dust which comes to
Victoria. I am informed that gold of a finer quality
than any yet found in the lower country has been
lately discovered near the confluence of the Thomp-
son and Fraser and on Bridge River, while we have
abundant evidence of the finding of "coarse" gold
in that region. There is a considerable quantity of
this kind of gold at present in Victoria in the shape
of chunks and flakes of some size, which is the more
valuable (being of a higher ley) than the fine dust,
as it can be washed out without the aid of quick-
silver.

Last night a story flew about the town that
the steamer Panama, which left this port the day
before yesterday, on her way to _San Francisco, had
been lost, with all on board, in the neighbourhood
of Cape Flattery, about 50 miles from Victoria.
There is no confirmation of the tale, and no one
believes it ; but the story and the alarm caused by
it illustrates the great necessity of lighthouses on
the coast of Vancouver's Island, in the Straits of
Fuca, between Cape Flattery—where there is an
American lighthouse—and the harbour of of Esqui-
malt, near Victoria.

This coast has several sunken and some low rocks
jutting out into the straits, which are the terror of
navigators at night. The Panama was detained the
other night on her way to Esquimalt for many hours
in the dark from dread of these rocks. Captain
Richards; of the Plumper, surveyed some of them
lately, and it is to be hoped the proper authorities
will not delay the erection of lighthouses where
they are indispensable, owing to the fast increasing
commerce of this and the neighbouring colony.
Our postal arrangements are, as I said in my last
letter, most unsatisfactory. This letter will be taken
to San Francisco by the Cortez, a by-steamer, but
must lie there till the sth of next month. Corre-
spondence despatched two days ago by the Panama
will fare no better, for she will not be in time to
catch the mail of the 20th. Then the uncertainty of
the steamers is a complete puzzle, while their stay
here varies from a few hours to a day, making it
impossible for men in business to keep up an intelli
gent and useful correspondence.

DECEMBER 25.
The arrival of the mail steamers which ply be-
tween San Francisco and this place is so uncertain
that I think it advisable to avail myself of the op-
portunity afforded by the departure to-day of the
Pacific, one of the private steamers which make an
occasional trip, to forward a letter. When this
letter will leave San Francisco I cannot say—pro-
bably by the same mail which will carry my last
and my next letter.
For the last ten days our climate has exhibited
a most variable character, marked by sudden alter-
nations of frost, thaw, snow, rain, sleet, hail, heavy
gales of wind, mingled withweather
some fine mild -
at short intervals. These changes of temperature
are rendered the more intolerable b
insuffi-
ciency of house accommodation. By the
uildi ngscom-
posed of thin walls of clapboards, not half thick
enough for partitions even, and innocent of fire-
places in most cases, afford an indifferent protec-
tion from cold and wind. Outside, where the air
is invigorating,, and an incentive to exercise, one
doesn't suffer in the least, and every day affords
sufficient tolerable weather to walk about ; but
when one comes home one's miseries commence. Of
a morning the colonist finds the water frozen in his
ewer, which saves him the trouble of consulting
the barometer ; or sees such familiar objects as a
shirt or a towel, which he has hung against the
wall, swinging gracefully in the breeze, blown into
his bedroom through the chinks of the walls, the
badly-fitting windows, and the flimsy calico ceil-
ing, which enables him to study the law of pendu-
losity without the trouble of getting out of bed.
These peculiar incidents of a new country have one
advantage—they banish sloth. "Up and doing"
should be the motto of the pioneer. If he acts up to
it, he will soon overcome the minor inconveniences
of a new settlement. By next winter, when suit-
able homes are built, Victoria will be a pleasant
place enough, for there is abundance of coal and
firewood in the island, to be had at moderate prices,
wherewith to make home comfortable.
Owing to the cold weather ii, the mining coun-
try, mining is generally suspended for the present.
About the middle of February it is expected the
winter will be
beeover, and that miners can resume
their operations throughout the interior, while .in
many places more favoured in point of climate work
can be resumed earlier.
A correspondent of the Victoria Gazette, who
an
has been for some timestillis travelling in the
mineta that
l region, has supplied
paper with seve-
ral coizimunications which have been
ormation
published
here, and from which, as I believe e information
to be reliable, and that it will be usefulse eto
expterrascotnss
intending to emigrate, I will make some
Nis first letter was written at the Lower Fountain,
a place situated many miles—say 50 to 55—beyond
that 114 north-west of—the forks of Thompson
and Fraser Rivers, He reports nothing but what
he has seen and heard in his journey, and the pro-
prietors of the Gazette vouch for his veracity.
In speaking of the country extending for about
200 miles to the northward and westward of the