Permit me to apologize for the liberty which I as a stranger take
in addressing you; Having however in pursuance of an in=tentionintention to
emigrate to Vancou=ver'sVancouver's Island, agreed to purchase a certain quantity of
land from the Hudson's Bay Company, & having engaged labourers at the
rate of 6 for every hundred acres purchased, who are to be sent out in a
vessel chartered by the Hudson's Bay Company on the 30th instant, I
shall feel much obliged if you will be kind enough to inform me whether
the island is so far made over to the Hudson's Bay Company as to justify
my purchasing land from them, & being at the expence (for I am to be at
the sole expence) of sending out emigrants to cultivate that land. The
price paid for land is £1 pr acre, nine tenths of which Sir J. Pelly
informed me would be spent on the colony for its benefit, he further
fixed a charge of 2/6 pr ton on such coal as should be exported by
Colonists, also a charge of 10/ pr load on whatever Wood should be
exported, allowing colonists the use of whatever wood they re=quiredrequired for
domestic purposes.
He further gave me the appoint=mentappointment of Surveyor of the island, lea=vingleaving salary amts of surveys to be made &c. to be fixed on arrival
in the island. Sir J. Pelly also informed me that the island sd at
present be governed by a governor & ten councillors, one of which
councillors, he gave me to understand he had appoint=edappointed me, as also a
magistrate, justice of the peace &c. May I take the liberty of
enquiring from you as under Secretary for the Colonies, whether it is in
the powers of the Governor of the Hudson's Bay Compy to make all
these appointments, conditions &c, concerning the sale of land in
Vancouver's island, & whether I as a private indi=vidualindividual anxious to go
out to that part of the world, should apply myself to the Hudson's Bay
Company or to Her Majesty's Government.