, 1862-04-05
More Gold Mines.

part of the winter, that Nhen returning
with the British Boundary Commission
from the summit of the Rocky mountains,
he was sent by an officer to hunt some
mules which had strayed away from camp
and were supposed to be on Tobacco
creek. He left the trail, which keeps on
the side Of the N ountain some distance from
the creek, and followed down the canon
until he came upon a camp of white men
of some twenty persons. They were men
who had been employed by the American
and British parties on the boundary survey,
and who had got their discharge some time
before. They told him that they were
there for the purpose of hunting game, and
were going to stop there all winter. They
had built some four or five cabins and he
saw ditch which had been opened by the
party, extending along the creek some dis
tance, and also several holes sunk along
the bank. He is but little acquainted with
mining, but thinks that is undoubtedly what
they are doing as there was no game OF
any consequence in that section, and also
from the fact that a small party of them
came into Colyille while he was yet there,
With considerable quantity of coarse gold
and purchased a winters supply of provis-
ions and started back He also says this
party told some persons at Colville that
they were located up the Columbia, and
went by what is known as the ''Boat En-
campment." This is not so. They follow
the trail from Spokane river to the old
missionary fort on the Pen dOreille river,
and thence by the boundary trail to foot of
the Rocky mountains and Tobacco creek.
This creek comes out of the mountains
about thirty miles southeast from the Koo-
tonai village, or the point where the trail
leaves the river of that name, and is one of
the head branches of the Pen d'Oreille-
Having been on this stream and through
that part of the country, we think the ap-
pearances indicate gold bearing region
1t is but short distance from these en-
bryo dlggmgs to the Bitter Root valley,
where gold is positively known to exist in
paying quantities. The Bitter Root is also
a tributary of the Pen d 'Oreille, the eastern
waters of which rise near the source of the
South Saskatchewan. On this latter stream
diggings were discovered (if the Minnesota
papers state the TRUTH some two years ago
by party that started for Oregon. The
st. Paul Pioneer q. Democrat stated that
this party prospected and found gold on the
south waters of the Saskatchewan for dis
tance of three hundred miles, and when
near the eastern base of the Rocky noun
tains the party commenced work, took out
some twelve hundred ounces of gold dust
and returned late in the fall to St. Paul for
provisions. f la
Believing that there are extensive mines
in that region, and considering that there
are fine yallies on both sides of the noun
tains, along the rivers spoken of-with a
thoroughfare from the States, by Fort Ben
ton and Lieut. Mullan' road-we shall not
be surprised if within the next four years,
we have large mining ard agricultural
population extending from Walla Walla to
Fort Benton The climate Of that country
is healthful, and the vallies, SO far as they
have been tested, have proven excellent for
agricultural purposes,