, 1858-04-16
Frun DE Fra1ur River Cold Mlnssl
Lais RtllnGl, and COuhrmntOry Tldlngs /!

By the arrival at GDDISGS wharf, at
this place. on Tuesday morning. Of the
Steamer Sea Birl-Capt. CoSSER-from
the different way-pOrts on the waters o.
Puget Sound, we have been placed ia pos
session Of several letters. fully eonhrmatOry
Of the nattering intelligence heretofore re
eeived and pablished by Us, concerning the
gold region in the vicinity Of Frnzer's river
II appears that on Sunday, the It'll
inst, several gontlemen returned to Belling
ham Bay. direct from Frazer's river, who
report that there Is gold in abundance there,
and that Il Is easily obtained; that the In-
dians are friendly. aud provisions at Fort
Langley cheap. This party. it seems, came
down for the purpose Of obtaining tools
and goods, and dintend returning immediate
y. Amongst the number was Mr.. WASH
BuRx. Of the firm Of Washburn, & Co.,
Merchants at Port Townsend. 1t is re-
ported. however, that provisions in the
mines sareexlremely high-aOur being worth
81 90 per pint, and the same for sugar,
coffee, &c. A report has been in circula-
ton that Il was the design Of the Hudson's
Bay Company to place their Steamer Olter
on Frazer's river, to form q blockade
against American trading vessels furnishing
supplies for the miners-thus securing for
Victoria, Forts Langley and Hope, the ex-
elusive furnishing and forwarding monopo-
y. This report, however, we have not
heard repeated during the past week. Let
ters have been received here, ut Whatcom
and other places, substantially corrobora-
ting the above. and parties are constantly
organizing and starting up.
In another column will be found the pro-
ceedings Of Road Meeting held at What
com, Bellingham Bay. on the 4th inst, by
which It will be seen that the citizens in
that quarter are determined to open com
munieaiion with the mining region through
"Uncle Sans" territory. instead Of being
dependent for that purpose on Frazer's riv.
sr, and the caprice Of the H. B. Co.'s al,
thorilies. When this road is completed.
tae miner can have el0ioe as to his route
thither. 0aePressai Inconvenience to which
the land route will be subjected. will arise
from the scarcity Of pack-auimals in the
vicinity Of the new road, and in fact
throughout the northern counties. This is
Adiliculty. however, that will be overcome
whenever the demand for transportation
shall become urgent.
Accompanying the proceedings Of the
Road Meeting referred to, we received a
letter from HENRY RoEDER. Esq, Of What
CON. e gentleman Of undOubted veracity,
well and iAvorably known TO most Of our
citizens as the first white American citizen
who settled on Bellingham Bay,) from
which we take the liberty Of extracting the
following information concerning the pro-
posed new road aud other matters conuec-
ted Herewith.
At the date Of Mr.. RS letter-April
6ih-$5O0 had been subscribed towards
opening the road, and the work upon It had
been commenced by strong party of men.
II is most likely that at this time, persons
can easily make their way over the road
on foot, and Mr.. R. has no doubt but that
It will be ready for travel by pack-animals
through to the mines. by the first of May.
He has been over the route twice, and says
that at distance Of l2 or IL miles from
Whateom, the KnOok-sack prairies are
reached, which are admirably adapted to a
fne large settlement, but remain unoccubied
Tor want Of ingress aud egress. Proceed
Ing onward about 10 miles, on a well loca-
ted and beaten Indian trail, the Sumass
prairie is reached, which extends nearly to
the banks Of Frazer's riVer-abOut 8 miles
IN length-2O miles above Fort Langley,
and about Is miles from the mouth of Fra
Eer's river. At this point, at the mouth Of
the CbeleWhiek river, the road nierseets
the Hadson's Bay Brigade trail-being the
starting point Of the same, leading to Fort
Hope distance of Is or 20 miles. II
the above figures give the correct distance
between Bellingham Bay and Fort Hope,
Il Is but little over fifty miles, and but
eighty or ninety miles to the mines; where
IS. by the way of Frazer's river, il is one
ASndrsf aud ffty mules from BeLii4gAam Bay
70 Fort Hope
A considerable quantity of the products
Of the mines has already been disbursed in
the settlements for supplies. tools, &c, aud
1t Is represented that almost every Indian
on Frazsrs river has his buckskin purse
with from one 10 six inches Of dust therein
Paraone atarfiner "a. a.