I have nothing of importance to communicate respecting this colony,
as all communication is stopped with the Northern part of the Island, and the want of force has prevented me from going there myself to
enquire into the late disturbances.
Some complaints of Indian outrages have reached me from Soke, about
thirty miles from Victoria where a gentleman of the name of Grant, late in Her Majesty's service has a small settlement. He complains of want
of protection, which owing to the distance at which he is located cannot
be afforded him; he informs me that he was anxious to settle near
Victoria, but was not allowed to do so by the Hudson's Bay Company who have appropriated all the available land in the neighbourhood.
Future settlers will labour under the same disadvantages viz.
being dispersed at considerable distances from each other and from the
establishment, as well as being exposed to the depredations of the
Indians, which no means are afforded me of checking.
I would beg to press on your Lordships consideration, the necessity
of protecting this colony by a garrison, of regular troops, in
preference to a body of pensioners, for as the principal service that
they would be called on to perform would be to repress and over-awe the
natives a moveable force would be necessary, and I think that Marines
would be better calculated for the duty than troops of the line. Two
companies would be sufficient of which a detachment would be stationed
at Fort Rupert, and the remainder near Victoria. A cantonment might
easily be formed on the plains near Esquimalt Harbour, and as timber is
abundant there, the troops if landed in the spring could easily complete
their own barracks before the rainy season which does not commence till
October. The expense of maintaining a garrison would be inconsiderable,
and there are ample funds for the purpose, as the Hudson's Bay Company
has still in their hands the price of the lands they have taken in their
own name and that of the Puget Sound Association. Should your Lordship
decide on placing such a garrison, I would recommend that an engineer
officer should be sent, beforehand to select such sites for barracks &c
as might be most convenient.