Daily camera., 1898-04-28
IT BEATS THE KLONDIKE,
Part of British Columbia Where
Gold and Game Abound
A Region That Contains Rich Re.
wards for the Explorer-Much
Gold Has Been
Taken Out.

Lying between the Yukon basin and
Cariboo is vast, untrodden region,
which offers tempting reward fol- thor
ough exploration. The territory is
continuation of that great gold-bearing
belt of which California, Colorado, Ne
ion are sections.
The riches of Cariboo were long ago
unlocked to the world, and soon pros
pcctors will have overrun every part of
The famous Yukon, but the wild noun
tain Businesses of this uneXplored ter
ritory have so far resisted the white
mans entrance, and the great area
stretching between latitudes 81 and 5a
and extending from the Rocky noun
tains on the east to 1913 west longitude,
remain terra incognita.
That streams tributary to the Yukon
Peace river and the Liand, known to be
rich in placer gold, and rivers flowing
through Cariboo and Cassiar, noted for
their gold beds many years ago, all take
their rise on the outskirts of this vast
iCl HUI Noulo iilbiSdlC tllC FiSoSli\S
of mineral wealth in the unknown
field.
This supposition is supported by more
than mere probability. Since 1885 In
dians and half breeds have vaguely
talked of gold ''up in the interior" and
taciturn Cinnamon in ragged clothes
have come down to the coast with bags
containing large and small quantities
Of the precious metal. AS the industri-
Gus celestial has been washing gold in
old placer beds for years, earning a
pittance which the white man would
aot consider worth his labor, the APP
rearance of these uncommunicative
mysterious fellows at Pacific ports ex-
cited little interest until Klondille dis
ooveries aroused every one. Then pros
pectors began to suspect the existence
Of new gold fields south of the Yukon,
and last summer miners ventured along
the margin of the unknown region.
Two men who had been washing
along streams of this outlying district
brought out $4,000 worth of the yel-
low dust. During the summer one pros
pector found nugget worth $40 and in
October large nugget worth $500 was
sent from the northern part of the ter
ritory. Within the past few weeks the
discovery of extensive bodies of fine
milling gold quartz was reported to
the British Columbia minister of mines
by prospectors who left last summer
to explore the southern outskirts. Win
ter had prevented more thorough ex-
ploration, but the veins were said to
be of extraordinary width and were cx-
posed for miles across the country.
Samples of quartz, rich in gold, accom-
panied the report; but so wild and in
accessible is that region these deposits
cannot be worked until the Teslin Lake
Telegraph Creek railway or the Cas-
star Central has been built.
The unopened territory is variously
designated by the names of its differ
ent sections. as the 0mineca, the Peace
river, the Lizard country. Roughly
speaking, it is bounded on the east by
the Rocky mountains, on the west by
the Yukon and the Pacific slope and
on the south by Cariboo. The nearest
point on the Canadian Pacific is almost
COO miles from it's northern limits, but
the Omineca can be reached by way of
the coast, going up the Skrena river and
following fairly clear trail for $50
miles.
Discovery of gold in Omineca caused
great rush northward from Cariboo
and the coast in 1870; but without mod
ern hydraulic appliances the gravel was
difficult to work. When rich diggings
were found in Cassiar, the crowds STAN
peded to the newer field. During the
eight years that followed, at least ST.
100000 in gold was taken from the Omi-
neca by miners satisfied with moderate
returns. The general impression that
the diggings on the southern outskirts
were shallow discouraged exploration
until last fall, and then, when the dis
coveries were announced, the season
had advanced too far for prospecting.
For hundreds of miles north of Omi-
neca is n vast eXpanse absolutely un
known to the white man. 1t lies be-
tween Peace river and the Yukon.
party under Lord Ayonmore is spending
the winter in Lizard country, in order
to be on hand for thorough exploration