, 1860-02-17

l
material item in considering the cost Of trans
pOEtAtiOn BY pack mules The country betleSsn
Aess tro p0ints, / Im confident in the belieh ..
az rich in gold miNes a. i the Quesnstte; and
should, and doubtless viii be fully explored and
prospected the coming season. With a comPar-
atiyely small outlay in improving the wagon
routes between points Of steam navigation, am
Of opinion that the cost Of transporting supplies
wouid BE- Iessened 10 such extent as would give
to US much Of the carrying trade, thereby most
directly securing to US . market for the products
Of our valleys for Il Is evident that &c trade
continues BY the way Of Victoria and Fraser
river, nearly the entire amount Of supplies will
as they have been, continue to be purchased in
San Francisco. -a- 4
Il is his opinion that the upper Columbia will
be made navigabIe with steam, but in the event
that that may not be achieved, good wagon
road could be opened between the two points
priests Rapids and the mouth Of the 0kinakane)
at triaing expense. The distance Is shout
100 miles It's then about 65 miles to the mouth
Of simiikAmeen river, and from thence TO the foot
Of lake .Okinakane between 50 and 70 miles
This lake q beautiful sheet Of water for steam
navigation Of 90 or 90 miles. but Is believed TO
b wholly IN British Columbia. N ~.
Touching the route beyond the okinGkAns, We
have the following details; .lryl9 elsgI afsf
Passing OkinakAne some miles the trail forks
with our wagons We followed the Okinakane river
trail, which b very good one, with the excep-
ton of about one mile over drifting sand hills.
The other trail cuts bend in the river, and,
though several miles shorter, would be dimcult
70 travel with wagons Il Is probably about ar
teen miles towheFe they unite On the bank Of the
Fiver-it then follows up, passing several difficult
points, 10 near MTaughlin battle Canon, where
We crossed the river. With the exception Of
one stony point I : good wagon road onward
70 the mouth of Similkameen, distant from Oki-
nakane about sitxy.aEe mileS Paek.trains need
not cross the river, but may continue on 70 the
forks Good camping grounds are found al along
the river. am not advised as to the particular
location Of the newly discovered mines but sup
pose them % Be within twelve Of fifteen miles Of
de forks Of the Simllkameen and Okinakane.
From this point there are several trails which
have been used IN reaching the mines on Frazer
and Quesnelle rivers. The one which we took
In July, 1858, with our wagons, leads northward,
up the valley Of 0kinakane 10 the Great lake.
and along The western shore to ils head; some
times passing through gaps In The mountain
ranges both IN the river and lake sectons-it
then turns eastward and strikes stream called
river. shers Il ar.in divrrres to IA ,,c,if ! NJ
ntefascis Thompsons river abont t,yesfv r,is-
aboVe Fort ThomDson. beS,,nc nc.,lv f;s ~,
Anolhcr tfailLand tRs one irnvelcd -o;n, e,,s
I'D sDrine win n,cL tr.in foIlo.-s ~, ~ Ii
n1k1ne vriIcv Seven a. t,sive ,',;iss ~ I,
cro-lsr Sds. an6 AM ,r,' ~
oIloVr N I1 vSIIef -. sirsS nile ,-hs.;
sr.in 4s. oce "a AZ Ssss:., o' I'm. 9,. u ~ :
iuS ~ ~ sa SSsoo e, ~ w 4osp'slns ssn s
Fort Hope 70 Fort Thompson and New Caledonia /;
probably eighty O. ninety miles south of Fort
4nomP.on' s1c following thls tsil 70 Alexander,
o5, s 'l,s - - ~ N. az xo.s.s .la Z ko..