No. 95

In my Report on British Columbia of the 9th of October
last, marked "Separate", I had the honor to inform Your Grace
of

the dispatch of an exploratory party from Douglas, under
the charge of Dr Forbes of Her Majesty's Ship "Topaze", to
examine, especially with reference to its mineral character,
the country bordering on Harrison Lake and River.

I have now the honor of forwarding the valuable and
highly interesting Report of that gentleman, who lately
returned to this

place with his party, in good health.

His researches, carried on under many difficulties
inseparable from the country, were prosecuted with a very
creditable degree of activity and vigour, and have been
eminently successful in elucidating the true mineral value
of the District, the whole of which he believes to be
metalliferous, and the greater portion of it

argentiferous.

He found and examined many argentiferous veins, and
he observes that he has not the least doubt that there is
abundance of silver in those formations, but it can only be
reached by an outlay of capital and steady persevering mining operations.

He has also from various indications been led to believe
that in

many of the metalliferous veins described in his
Report, deep mining will develope gold.

Dr Forbes recommends that encouragement should be given
to Companies for the purpose of working silver mines, and
thinks they cannot be worked advantageously by individual enterprise
or exertion, a suggestion which meets with my warmest approval.

I trust that Dr Forbes' able Report may have the effect
of attracting public attention in England to the Mineral
wealth of British Columbia, and to the facilities it presents
for the profitable investment of capital.