No. 71

With reference to my despatches mentioned in the Margin,

*

I have now much pleasure in laying before you the very interesting
Account furnished by Mr Arthur Birch, the Colonial Secretary, of
his visit to the Kootenay Gold Mines.

2. It is with particular satisfaction that I call your
attention to Mr Birch's account of the Admirable manner in which
Mr Haynes has performed the very difficult duties imposed upon
him. As but little work is performed in our Gold mines during
the winter I have, as stated in my despatch No. 70 of the 24th
Instant, appointed Mr Haynes to be a member of the Legislative
Council. His knowledge of the new diggings will prove very
valuable to us. Mr Young who acted with Mr Haynes at Osooyos
will take his place on the Kootenay until relieved by Mr Cox,
whom I have appointed, subject to your pleasure, to be police
Magistrate and Assistant Gold Commissioner of the District.

3. The Mining Laws of this Colony have been framed mainly
on the recommendation of a Board sitting in Cariboo. Our
Ordinances have been enacted to meet the particular circumstances
growing out of each successive discovery of Gold in that district,
and are now a crude mass which I propose to reduce into shape
during the next Legislative Session. Adapted to the peculiar
wants of Cariboo, they will probably be found to require little
change as regards that district, but Kootenay will require special
legislation of its own. In Cariboo the richest "leads" are found
at an average of from 70 to 90 feet below the surface of the
ground and thus a large capital is required to work them. At
Kootenay both the rich leads on the Bed rock and the lighter
ores are found to be but little buried. The whole question
shall engage my earnest attention.

4. We have set on foot four exploring expeditions to discover
the best way of connecting the newly discovered mines with New
Westminster, so as to get a fair portion of the trade into
English hands. Mr Jenkins, late of the Royal Engineers, was
despatched by Mr Birch from the Kootenay to reach the Fraser
at Lytton by way of the Upper Columbia, Arrow Lakes and the
Shushwap. He descended the river from its parent Lakes and
found it navigable for 180 miles for Steamers of a moderate
draught of water. At the great bend where the stream passes
round the Northern extremity of the Selkirk Range, I regret to
find that a Series of rapids of a total length of nearly 66
miles occurs in which no Steamer could live. Mr Jenkins however
discovered a pass in the Selkirk Mountains where a road of 36
miles might be made by which the falls and rapids of the Columbia
would be avoided.

5. The exploring party I sent out under Mr Turner, as
reported in the 4th paragraph of my despatch No. 59 of 7th
of October, had reached the Columbia by way of Thompson River and
Kamloops and Shushwap Lakes. They found these two large bodies
of water and the connecting river, perfectly adapted to steam
navigation. When last I heard from Mr Turner he was constructing
Canoes to ascend the Columbia, but we are now aware that unfortunately
the loop in the river is not navigable. The party finding that
resource fail them will probably explore more thoroughly the pass
already discovered by Mr Jenkins.

6. The certainty that steam navigation can be established
for 120 miles between the Thompson and the Columbia, and that
the latter river fails to be any Service to us for 60 miles, has
induced me to accept the services of Captain Houghton, late of
the 20th Regiment, and a small party to explore the Southern
bend of the river connecting the two great Lakes to the head of
Lake Okanagan. From this latter point he will proceed nearly
due East towards the Kootenay, through a pass which he has
observed in the Gold Range. Finally Mr Jenkins has been sent back
to examine a line of Country from Statapoosten across the Grande
Prairie; spoken highly of in Mr Birch's report. You will see
that we are using every means of making the new discoveries
profitable to the Colony. The trail opened by the Hudson's Bay
Company is, in Mr Birch's opinion likely to remain unserviceable.

7. In addition to his having performed the objects of his
mission perfectly satisfactorily and furnished a most useful
report, Mr Birch has done a service to the Colony at considerable
personal risk in bringing about seventy five pounds weight (75 lbs) of
Gold, received as Taxes on the Kootenay, from the Rocky Mountains
to New Westminster.