The Sun. — 1862-02-07 (London, England)

DEC. 4. T have to-day procured a return of the assays of Cariboo geld, made throughout the season by Messrs. Marchand and Co., assayers in Victoria, which gives the highest and the lowest quality and. the average of the dust they have assayed. The highest, which was from Pavis's Creek, is 918 fine, value per ounce 18 dols. 97c. 64. The lowest, which came from Williams's Creek, is 810 fine, value per ounce 16 dols. 74c. 42. Average of all Cariboo dust, 854 fine, value 17 dols. 65c. 37. I could quote instances in which larger sums than I have stated have been earned, and in which a fortune was extracted in a few weeks by the labour of half a dozen men —that is- a competency to each of them—from a very few feet square of ground; but it is idle further to multiply cases. I have stated sufficient facts to justify the conclusions that Cariboo is unrivalled for the wealth it produces to individual labour, in a short period ; in the large proportion of men who have beensuccessful—that is to say, those who in one short season have made fortunes, those who have made considerable amounts, and those who have earned high wages; and, finally, for the universal satisfaction of the miners with their past earnings, and their confidence in the future. Victoria is the mart of commerce for British Columbia and Vancouver Island. Here are all the merchants and other business establishments ' and here naturally should the assay-cffice be placed. Had it been so, nearly all the gold which now goes in dust to San Francisco would be converted into bars on the spot—a circumstance which would greatly facilitate general business, and which to the success of banking business is absolutely essential. I could prove the injury done to general commerce by the misplacement of this Government office, and shall do so in another letter, but at present need only remark further that the absurdity of putting the assay-office at New Westminster is as great and as palpable as it would be to place the Bank of England or the Clearing-house at Gravesend. It ought to have been in the Victoria, and this co,Jony ought to pay its cost of erection. Here it would leave-a profit. There, in the wilderness, it leaves a loss. We have in harbour her Majesty's ship Topaze, Captain the Hon. John W. S. Spencer, and the surveying vessel the Hecate, Captain Richards, returned from San Francisco, repaired ; also, two gunboats permanently stationed here. A gentleman holding a high office in these parts made this remark to me lately :—" We owe to a foreign Government our protection from the Indians. We owe our lives —the people of 'Washington Territory and Oregon do—to the English Government administered by Governor Douglas. Did he not restrain them by his moral influence, we should all be murdered, sir, every man of us. But," he added, what I knew to be correct, "do you suppose I would dare to admit this fact to our people ? Why, they would be ready to Lynch me if I did. They fancy that a few dozens of them—Hoosiers and Pikecounties, &c., would whip' all the Indians on the coast and the Britishera into the bargain. No, no—you mustn't tell our people these things, They won't stand to hear them," I agreed with the Judge, and trusted I should not see the day whenebrie e "people" should have proof of the truth in a manner m practical than agreeable.