British Columbia.

Work was resumed in 1876 as early as the weather permitted, by Mr. G. M. Dawson, in the neighbourhood of Leech River, Vancouver Island. This river joins the Sooke from the west, about 7 miles from its mouth, and 21 miles from Victoria. Large patches of snow remained in the woods, and in the Leech Valley snow several feet in depth lay on the ground. Gold has been found in paying quantities for about five miles on this river. Some rich spots, Mr. Dawson thinks, yet exist in its neighbourhood, but limited in extent and difficult to find. It is also probable that an auriferous horizon exists on the surface of the true bed rock, and that by hydraulic work, a great part of the cement and benches near the river might be made remunerative. Auriferous veins rich enough to pay for working page 25 may occur, but as yet none have been discovered. The total product so for obtained has been estimated at $100,000.

On the 19th May, Mr. Dawson resumed his explorations in the interior of British Columbia At Quesnel, and northward from it, the climate is moister than further south, and grain may be grown without irrigation The general level of the plateau between Quesnel and the Black-water River, is 850 feet above the Fraser, or 2,660 feet above the sea. Terrace flats cease to appear, and are replaced by low rolling hills and hillocks. Half way between Quesnel and Blackwater Bridge is Goose Lake, 1,950 feet above the Fraser. An irregular hilly and rolling country stretches westward from this lake, and beyond the lake is a gently undulating terrace plateau, with an average elevation of 2,700 feet above the sea. Fires have, parsed extensively and often over this country. Small alders, aspens and scrub pine have come upon the burnt areas, with grass often of good quality and mixed with wild pea and vetch. The vegetation was appreciably behind that of Quesnel, and the land fit for cultivation, very limited in area. From Black-water Bridge, crossing the Telegraph Range, the Eucheniko valley was reached This has a general course of N. 65, W., is wide and flat bottomed, and its southern side thickly timbered, except where lives have run. The northern side is generally open, covered with bunch grass, patches of wild onions, and occasional tufts of sage. There is little arable land, but a considerable area suitable for stock ranges The young grass on the 5th June was well up. Groves of scrub pine were formed in sandy beaches, and the river fringed with dark groves of tall symmetrical black spruces. The valley is a type of many which intersect the northern part of the interior plateau, which must in the aggregate represent a great area of stock growing land the higher plateaus are covered with a thick growth of scrub pine, or where the timber has been burned. grass, with pea, vetch, &c in many places comes up in great abundance. The valley of the Blackwater, north of the Cluscus Lakes, much resembles that of the Eucheniko, but on a larger scale the north slope is covered with bunch grass, vetch, strawberries, &c., and the south pretty thickly timbered. There is abundance of good grazing, and the Indians of Cluscus Lake own a number of horses which live out at all seasons. The river flows somewhat rapidly between long lake-like expansions. It is remarkable that the Black water receives no important tributaries from the north, the plateau seeming to slope north from the brink of its valley. On the upper part of the river the country changes for the worse Broken fragments of basalt strew the surface, and sandy stony soil alternates with swamps, continuing westward the valley of the Uhlghako, a tributary of the Blackwater, was followed 10½ miles to Uhlghako Lake Sixteen miles W.S.W. the Salmon River was reached, the head of the Nechacco, Gatcho Lake being crossed Between this lake and the Salmon, where the general dense forest of scrub pine has been burned, a rank growth of fine grass was found, and some of the swamps were grassy. The Salmon river has only a moderately rapid current, and is not much depressed below the level of the plateau which slopes gently towards it. There were signs of good soil and more congenial climate, and evidence of greater rain fall. South-westward after crossing the Salmon River, the country is stony and barren, woods mostly destroyed by fire and occasional broad swampy meadows affording good feed for animals. At Salmon House the Douglas fir is again seen as a large tree. Lignite of good quality was found on the Kohasganko, a stream flowing from the Tsitsutl range. From a rocky knoll separated from the main slope of this mountain, a magnificent view was obtained. Eleven miles from Mils the Tahyesco River was reached, through valleys which were green with well grown grass, giving very nutritious pasture. Ascending to a height of over 1,000 feet above the sea level, beyond the limit of thick forest growth, the northern brink of the great gorge of the Bella Coola Valley was reached. The country south was broken with rocky hills and one remarkable snowy range. North the surface rises in steps to the summits of the Tsitsuti range. The country is lightly timbered with some grass on the slopes and occasional fine meadows. The immense snow-fall on and immediately east of the coast range reverses the effect which the vicinity of the sea might be expected to produce. It is probable the mountains about Dean Inlet receiving the W. and S.W. winds without intervening high Islands, have a greater rain and snow-fall than usual, even in this range. From the Nacootloon lakes t he country descends gradually to the Salmon River, with dry, sandy, gravelly soil, and frequent swampy meadows with good grass. S. and s. E the whole country appears low and flat, but probably at too great an elevation for agriculture. The river is here at an elevation of 3,419 feet Going N. E., the long southern slope of the Ilgachuz Range was ascended to the height of 5,200 feet. There was good feed for the animals, large snow banks all around, and mosquitoes very troublesome. Going 13 miles to the north, the main stream of the Blackwater was reached, flowing west, and 4½ miles N E from this, th ough a densely wooded country, the Tset-si Lake Thence the course was west again to Gatcho Lake and 7 miles N.W to Qual-Cho Lake, the whole country thickly wooded. The general elevation is about. 3,300 feet, the soil poor, with occasional hay meadows. The Gatcho Lake stream is the N. E. source of the Nechacco. Following this 12 miles Euteakwetachlck Lake was reached. In the river valleys, and along the lakes and ponds, very be beautiful meadows were found, and in the sheltered valleys spruce was found of fair size. The river runs N E. from this lake by the Tooti-a-i or Fawnie's Mountain to Na-tal-kuz Lake, from which the main Nechacco River flows out. The greater part of the south bank is densely timbered. The river is a noble stream 200 feet wide, deep, with strong, steady current and deep blue water. The Ched-a-kuz ko enters it from the south. 4 miles from the lake, with a wide, flat bottomed valley, with pretty meadows East of this the ridges blend into broad sandy flats cover- page 26 ed sparsely with pine trees. The Nechacco flows N.E. & N., the soil improving and timber more heavy to the second great bend, when, for about 5 miles, it flows through a broken, hilly region, and thence in a low level, thickly timbered region to Fraser Lake. The country about Ta-cluck Lake west to Frazer Lake and east down the Nechacco, is level, or gently undulating, and more fertile in appearance than any other on the route. Francois and Fraser Lakes occupy the W. portion of a depression nearly coinciding with the 56th parallel of latitude. The upper part of the Nechacco reaches this from the south, and receiving the stream from the two Lakes flows eastward to the Fraser at Fort George. Fraser Lake is 12 miles long, 2,225 feet above sea level. The Douglas fir again appears in some abundance on the hills about, it. Francois Lake is 57¾ miles long, about 1½ wide, at an elevation of 2,375 feet, lying nearly E. and W Its depth must be great, and the Indians say in mild winters it does not freeze across, The north shore is generally low, and the soil appears to be fertile. The south shore is rougher and pretty heavily timbered, but beyond, the country is less thickly wooded, and presents a fertile and attractive appearance. Judging from the flora it would be suited to the growth of barley, oats and roots, and to the support of stock. Between Fort Fraser and Stewart Lake, little land suited to agriculture occurs on the trail, but the low country to the east is very extensive and appears fertile At Stuart's Lake fine cabbages and other vegetables were growing in Mr. Hamilton's garden, and barley and potatoes for the use of the Fort. At Fort George, at the confluence of the Nechacco with the Fraser, wheat and grain of all kinds can be grown.

The Chilacco Valley forms a great trough in the generally level surface of; the country, about a mile wide, margined by abrupt slopes, and with a very fertile soil The plants indicate a greater rain fall than usual in the interior. The region examined lies between 520 30 and 540 10 N. Lat., and 1220 50 and 1260 40, W. Long., covering some 15,000 square miles of surface.

There is scarcely a stream of any importance in British Columbia that does not yield gold. The probability is, that as the country is opened up, and the cost of labour and supplies reduced, the whole of the Province will be found gold-bearing to some extent, and it will take the first place as the "ining Province of the Dominion." Silver, copper and galena are also found. Coal is also found over a large portion of the Province. Iron, copper and mercury have been found in various places. [unclear: building] stone is in unlimited supply, and marble of good quality has been found in various place-; but as yet the knowledge of the resources of British Columbia is in its infancy.

Mr Robert Bell during the season of 6, was examining the country north of Lake Huron, and ast of Lake Superior The north-east shore of the Georgian Bay was examined in detail The general outline of the coast represents a comparatively abrupt descent from a plateau in the country behind, to the bottom of the Bay in front. The rocks along the coast belong to the Laurentian series, and consist principally of varieties of gneiss. There is a wide broken margin of land and water of very rocky character, and not much good land found near the snore. But the country improves constantly from the Bay towards Lake Nipissing, and there is much good land around Muskoka Lakes and Parry Sound. Five bands of crystalline limestone were traced between the Bay and Lake Nipissing

Going west, the Huronian rocks were first met at Shibapaoning. About three miles north-west of tills place was found a promising deposit of magnetic iron ore. Copper, magnetic iron, antimony and galena were found in the neighbourhood of Echo Lake. The Victoria mine, 8 miles from the mouth of Garden River was visited. Assays of galena ore from this mine gave one, 168½ oz. of silver to the ton, one, twelve two fifths oz., and one, two-sixth oz. The east shore of Lake Superior was followed in detail by boat from Batchawana Bay to Michipicoten. Three or four miles west of this river two exposures of hematite occur.