New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-04-22
Gold on Queen Charlotte's Island.

A correspondent OF Inc courier ana
Enquirer gives a glowing description of discoveries
of Gold on Queen Charottes Island which in his opn
ion will put California in the back ground He writes
under date of San Francisco, March 49,:
A discovery has lately been made of several new
Quartz Leads on Queen CharlOte's Island which prove
IN he immensely rich. Gold has been known TO exist
ON the island for some time but the precise locality
never known until was discovered by the BRUSH
schooner Una, belonging to the Hudson Bay Company
She her boat on shore for wood Inc boats crew
landed al the foot of large Quartz Lead which they
traced back about threequarters OF mile from the
beach The earth the foot of the lead attracted the
attention of Of the party, who had been working
In the California mines they washed out pan OF 1t
and found very rich, yielding nearly sixty dollars
During this operation one OF the men knocked oil a
piece OF quartz with his AK and laid bare large vein OF
gold Finding two natural crevices in the rock, they
charged these with gunpowder and blew them off The
effects were amazing In less than hour they secured
$4,000 worth of gold and quartz lnermlxed and might
have secured much larger amount but for the mpru-
deDce of the Captain who in his eagerness to secure
some of the large pieces gave the Indians who attract
cd by the noise of the blasts had collected about them
to the number of 1000 more silver dollar for each
large piece of gold The Indians, although ignorant OF
the value OF the gold, were accustomed to the use OF
silver from trading with the Hudsons Bay Company
After receiving few dollars, they attacked the white
men, and drove them of to their vessel which being
small and they only mastering twenty-five in number,
were unable to resist and obliged to get under
weigh and leave the harbOr.
In proceeding to Victoria for assistance they were
wrecked near Cape Flattery, and remained for two
months prisoners to the Indians from whence they were
rescued by the schooner Susan Stges and were car.
ried with the gold to Olympia. Several vessels fitted
out Immediately from Victoria, Olympia and Portland,
and from this place large number are preparing TO
start shall sail for the Island Saturday, the 2lst
inst in the clipper brig Topic carrying eight guns and
one hundred men fully armed and equipped-each
man carrying rifle Colts revolver, bowie-kne, and
his own mining tools-the vessel carrying five months
provision drills blasting powder blacksmith FORGE &c.
She will be followed in few days by the ships Vancou-
YER Arson; banks Volane, Powhatan; brigs Palermo,
Glencoe, and schooners Merchantmen and Sturges.
The island is about 240 miles in length and from 20
to 100 in BREADTH with beautiful soil and climate The
coasts abound with excellent harbors and large quan
ties of fish-cod hahbut &c The island is well sup
piled with game and trout and salmon
It has population of from 1000 to 10000 Indians who
lead rowing e always moving in large bodies from one
part of the Island to another They ine athletic
race very intelligent and well acquainted with theuse OF
firearms being supplied with them by the Hudsons Bay
Company They are great thieves and very treacher
ous rendering it necessary for vessel to be well armed
and manned, to prevent being cut off by them.
The gold this island bids fair to throw California in
the shade The island is nomnay British possession
but is not inhabited by single white man. If these
new mines should hold out equal to their first promise
an immense emigration of Calitornans will take place,
nothing will keep Yankee enterprise back when a
pile is to be made. The Indians will be forced to
to the main land which is only eighty miles dis
from the coast of the island The Hudsons Bay
Company have been of the value Of the island for
some time, and have been trying to get exclusive
grant of it, but do think it will be allowed them