New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-07-29
Wild Speculation in Town Lots
eFFecr UPON CALis osNIA.
The Long and the Short Of IL.
THE FIRST TRIP Up FRASER RIyER-FULL
ACCOUNT OF THE JOURNEY.


san FGANcI,co, June %, 1888.
10 pursuance Of promise, l seai you my notes OF
tIsyo." for publication. During the twsnyfour hours
which have esP1ed since my arrival here, | hsve been
talked bosrse in answering iuestiors, and my head
actually aches with mertsl effort. tryng to meet the
demsI is OF friends. / hops shsA bs relieved row
that get in PRINT.
Whst state as fscts fsc.s and my spscula,.ons
ere perhaps, reliable anj BODY 20, be the effect
OF whs, ssy here elsewhere to dsnp the asdor to
excite the zeal Of intending engrsns, am rot Tesp,n
iible 90 rot pretend to tell the price of provisions;
who keeps TIE best hotel! Of the operations Of and
speculatoIs in town ols; whether either Of the cities
Belipgbsm Bay, or y:cturs, or Esquimsit. or Tow
send will be the future mstopohs OF all the country on
Puget Sound or which of the trails The bsst. DO
not pretend to say whether there vii be cities Fla
ser River co not pr ,tend that there are fabulous
smouuts Of gold there, eQuslirg the gores Of Monte
Cristo, but do assert, that almost every saw
there early in june had beg Of the precious dust.
The s.sat problem as 20 the extent of the gold isd
IS yet to De solved. Many Of tas old traders there.
ana they best qualified to Judge say thst gold will
be uIc ioI more than GO miles into the interior, aud
that We in California have only began at the little ead
of the great surierous region.
No effort has yet been made TO prospect anywhere
except the bars OF the river; but then again, per
contIs it is possible that on the sans area, where
about 800 white men land that Is as large az the mum
Der was en- the lst o, June) could each secure Dag
Of COLO fifty times three hundred could not.
| LEFT here On the = of May last, on board the
steaue Surprise Thomas Huntingdon commander Tor
Fot Victoria. and, without any particular ircidelt
except a north wtst gale Of wind for 80 hours, got
there in lust four days from the time OF leaving the
Heads.
But for this gale off Cape Mendocno and Crescent
City, we should have made the quickest trip on
record The distance is $50 milss Durrg the gale
we were put back at least "a hours. Toe Surprise
behaved chsrmngly and Is easier IN sea way, than
any ship have ever been on board OF.
Nay 3l-Itis o'clock in the evening, and still day
light the sun Just dipping below the horizon Day
begins again a. 3 clock in the morning. The sights
nave seen To- dsythe wodiers of nature along tbs
iron bound coastthe sltrsnce to the STRAIT. OF Juaa
dc Fuca-Tattoosh lslsnd-the megnihcens sunset,
and this beautiful sheet Of water, VIII marx DrSht
Ppot in memory forever.
From the mouth of the Columbia to the Straits the
dstarce is about 1870 miles, and ran It in thirteen
hours.
JuIe IA beautiful morning. the sun chimes out
gorously, tipprg the sn0w capped mountains across
The Straits wth all the gorgeous coors OF the ranbo "
the cir Is balmy and dehghtiul. AT a. M, hayiog
visited Victoria, we around TO EsquimIt, bssue-
iul hsrbor with water suiioen, to accommodate the
Lsvsthap, bat Of limited capacity for tiset. IL. H.
chains. Ats O'Clock we put oil f,r tjellingh Am Bay
- miles across Puget Sourd, all the way running
amid an archipelago of M 1t enchanting beauty.
This morIiJg the grand old hills on the Aneric An
on Alp with their white tops gitterng in the sun
light Ii effect the eye and on The mind ~ss Truly
impressive Of the majesty OF nature II was glorious
sight.
am. saw AR. Nudgett, Mr.. Eobets, Mr.. Gling'
ham and other Cslfon ars all in the gsrb Of honest
MIXERS, ana all highly eated at their success in cell
ing goods. In the crowd, say about 900 persons,
mostly living in huts and tents saw many familiar
iaces. That trail will be got through from here to
Thompsons River don't doubt but 1t will take time
aud a large cum Of money. Whether this 10 the mole
practicable route or whether it will DO through the
Snoquslmoo Pass, the Matches Pass, starting from
Seilacoom, is matter, yet, of uncertainty Tne dis
by either route is greater than by the iyer and
It is doubtful at bes. whether they eau compete when
completed, II ever they are.
" went down into the very bowels of the earth by
the Coal Company's slope, passing through many
vei1s and several rocms diped with TIE officers At
the gsrriscr, under command Ct Capt. Picket; Col.
Jessup aro Dir. WEIGH were also OF the party.
wHATCOM AND sEHoNE.
The City of Whatcom is named after the county,
and contains exactly IS houses including the block
houle. formerly fort, aud now barring a sign
medical oice.' Sehome, named after the Old chief
OF the trbe has ID houses, such as they are. Inc
last town has the advantage Of the other 10 having
deep water ara a wharf at which steamers can lie,
vnen il is completed. The last pier was sunk the DAY
lett. 1t is fact, worthy Of note, that MI. Town-
seLd the contractor, hes dozen men q. work on TINS
wharf, at ~ 30 per day and board.
There is q mud fiat of half mile IN front Oh inc
Whstcom town at low tide. This Hat has all been
stsked eff in lots by the presumption claimants The
two toxps are about tire efourths OF mile apart.
The Coal Compsnys works, OF whcl T.. L. Fizhugh
is agent, about midway between. The Coal ConPsny
have surk slope q. an angle OF 49, about 30 feet,
t goirg deeper, and ,s they 90 the coal grows pst-
ter. 1hs is the most pleassnt position on the whole
boy ard the host is given to hospitality, az every
body can attest who has ever VISITED his open nou e
Whatcom is located below the bank At the north end
Of the bite, and Sehome on the r.. ). T.. sds OIL u
On the bank. On the xest side il the United states
military pest at present gsrThoned wih oniy snge
company, under the command Of Lieut.. Howeiu, 10
the absence Of Capt. Picket. Thereis much jealousy
between the settlers in these two towns bat you nave
Only TO name Victoria when they unite In csininop
to display their na.e and fear Of tne lvahy ~
that place az the point for change oil uansI ioui
10 ryer boats No boa. CT airy description Is now a.
lowed 10 pare TITO Faser River exeep; soc goes otec'
fom British port Still, 80 long az there are passen-
gers q. the cities Of Besghsn Bay 'oi Fraser hver
The sesmb oa's VIII go iof then. "a we 'p
Bay for Fort Hope via Victoria. she would isaye
there sgs;n on the I'D and Victoria on the G5d for
Fort Hope On her last TIP tae Surprise eft tns fsI
ans at Esquinsult, on Friday, the ioh, at ec.cck,
and reached Fo, Hope Saturday, the l9tn eiI there
Sunday moIrog tee -Uth, anchored 81 evening a. %
mouth of tie riyer outside the seven mile long sand
head to the Gulf CT Georgis III Monday, Elsti start
ed at early daylight, ran over TO NanSnoS ~ ln's'
took on beard Goals and came down to Nictons, ID
riles. a. o'clock p. m, arriving Just before INC
Steamship Panama sailed fer San FRANCISCO.
June Having cot coal We ran to Port rownsena
In four hours ard thence 10 Victoria IN three nours
more-about ) niles, say twenty more iaan the dree'
route.
yANCOUyER's ISLAND.
The colony of Vancouvers Islard - entirely u inc
controtf TIE Hud.on's BsyIC Comp any Gov. Donglas
sat its head assisted BY Councn Q. hss H. Az,
.embly of seven, four Of whom are "paeenen: Inc
other three Dr. Helmkin, the Governors SOLE Aw,
skinner ard Yates), being in minority, carry no
point. Tie Collector of the Port receives % saa.y
IN the for Clearance Of yessels and Tor permits 70