Murdoch to Rogers (Permanent Under-Secretary)

I have the honor to report, for the information of the
Duke of Newcastle, that our attention having been called to
advertisements in the public Papers of a Company formed for
the purpose of forwarding Emigrants through Canada overland
to British Columbia, we thought it our duty to make some
enquiry on the subject. We accordingly requested an interview
with the Secretary of the Company and on Saturday the 18th
instant Coll Sleigh, who appears to have been actively
engaged in getting up the Company, called upon us with the
Company's Broker.

2. Coll Sleigh stated that the Company had undertaken
the project of forwarding Emigrants overland to British Columbia
very much on the information derived from Governor Douglas' despatches and from
Mr Pemberton's "VanCouvers Island and British Columbia."
The despatch from Governor Douglas to which he principally referred is that of 18th Octr 1859
in which it is said that the experiment of a land journey from the
Red River to British Columbia had been repeatedly made by parties
of Red River people—and that it had been stated that the whole
distance from Lytton to Red River, with the exception of the
Coutannais pass, might be safely travelled by Carts.

3. Coll Sleigh stated that arrangements had been
already made at St. Pauls, through which the Emigrants will
pass on their way to Red River, to provide the necessary stores of food, horses and carts for the journey across the Saskatchewan
Country and in answer to the objection that great hardship and
exposure might be encountered on that journey he alleged, that
the party would be accompanied by a number of Indians as Guides
and Assistants; and that it would consist exclusively of Men in
the prime of life, many of whom had been in Australia and America,
and all were accustomed to horses and firearms—that there would
not be a single old man, woman or child with them—and that
accordingly they might be safely trusted to take care of
themselves. At our request Coll Sleigh has since put in writing the
main points of what he stated to us, a copy of which I enclose.

4. It appears to me that if, as we are assured, the party
going out is composed exclusively of young men accustomed to a
Country life, it is not necessary that the Government should
interfere in the matter. No doubt some hardships will be
encountered—but none greater than is encountered every day by
persons of adventurous disposition—and none that men of courage
& resource may not safely face. For their own credit and
advantage the Company will probably form its first parties of
the materials specified by Colonel Sleigh—and if they succeed
in opening and rendering safe the overland journey to B. Columbia,
there cannot be a doubt that an essential service will thereby be
rendered to that Colony—and the connection between it and the
Mother Country be materially strengthened. All therefore that will
be necessary, as it appears to me, is to watch the proceedings
of the Company to see that their engagements with their Emigrants
are carried out in good faith, and I would submit that the
attention of the Governors of Canada and B. Columbia should be
called to that point. The portion of the Company's operations
carried on in this Country will be comparatively unimportant.

5. I enclose a Copy of the prospectus of the Company with
the names of the Directors &c, and the Copy of a Notice issued
by them. I have only to add that Coll Sleigh is the same
Gentleman who in 1857 was connected with a scheme for a
Military Colony in New Brunswick on which a report was made from
this Office on 8th June of that year.
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