No. 143

Since my last report of the 12th Instant, nothing of much
importance has occurred respecting the Colony of British Columbia.

2. Mr Begbie returned yesterday from Fraser's River, after
visiting all the settlements as far as the Fountain. The country
appears by his report to be every where quiet.

3. The Indian population have suffered much privation of
food, in consequence of the dearth of fish and their natural
improvidence, but the white Miners were well supplied, though
provisions were selling at a high price, caused chiefly, by the
distance from the sea, and the heavy expense of transport.

4. The snow was still lying deep in many parts of the road,
when Mr Begbie left the Upper Fraser. The Miners were however
beginning their labors, and were moving into the upper country
in great numbers.

5. The accounts from the mining Bars below Fort Yale are most
satisfactory. Mr Perrier late Justice of the Peace, who arrived
lately from that part of the country, has given me much interesting
information, respecting the earnings of the miners, of which I
will proceed to give a synopsis for your information.
Hill's Bar on which he holds a mining claim, is yielding more gold
than at any former time. The receipts of the companies who supply
water for sluicing, amount to 1,200 dollars a week, and four men
took out of one mining claim the large amount of 4,000 dollars
worth of gold dust in six consecutive working days. Prince
Albert's Flat, yields from 5 to 12 dollars a day to the man.
Emory's Bar was nearly deserted, in consequence of the rush of
miners to the upper country. Texas and Victoria Bars are yielding
fair wages, and even as far down, and below Fort Hope, the miners
are doing remarkably well, for the season. The Bars are now
generally deserted for bank diggings, above the highest level of
the River, and Mr Perrier is satisfied that all the table lands
between Forts Yale and Hope in the valley of Fraser's River are
auriferous, and will yield large wages to the industrious miner.
Those diggings are yet but imperfectly prospected, and little known,
but wherever explorations have been made, a highly auriferous
stratum, varying from 3 to 4 feet in thickness, has been discovered,
about 8 feet below the surface, and my informant further adds that
the surface mould itself contains enough of gold to cover all the
expenses of its washing and removal.

6. The Royal Engineers and Royal Marines have been all safely
landed at Queensborough, where they are now stationed, and Colonel
Moody is also at that place, making arrangements for their
comfortable accommodation and directing the Surveys of Public Land,
and other affairs connected with his department.

Several numbers of the Victoria Gazette, as per margin

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herewith forwarded for your information.