OF GOLD AT QUEEN CHARLOTTE’S ISLAND. “9

and to work the gold; a person acquainted with the Indians should head the
expedition, and have an interpreter. ‘The natives on the west or outside of the
island are great marauders, and prey on distant tribes, take many prisoners,
and make slaves of them.

“T hope you will be satisfied with the reasons I have given for leaving the
diggings, and not remaining there so long as youwished. The voyage, however,
has done some good; we have ascertained that gold is to be found by blasting
to pay for working it.

“The best or purest gold is to be found deep down in the rock ; we, however,
had no time or chance to get at it, as we were obliged to leave, as stated
before. -
\ “JT remain, &c.

“James Douglas, Esq.” (signed) “IW. H. M‘ Neill.”

Mr. Douglas writes on the 24th November 1851, that the “Exact,” an
American schooner arrived at Victoria on the 23d November 1851, en route
for Queen Charlotte’s Island, with 32 passengers, all Americans, and on the
28th December states, that the American sloop “ Georgiana” was lately
wrecked on Queen Charlotte’s Island, with 22 American gold hunters on board ;
that the natives plundered the people, but spared their lives, and that an
American vessel had sailed from Nisqually to rescue them from the Indians,
at the expense of the United States.

Another American vessel, the ““ Damanscove,” arrived at Mitchell’s Harbour,
but the sight of the Indians frightened them off, and no one landed.

On the 18th March 1852, Mr. Douglas writes, that he is fitting out an expe-
dition to Queen Charlotte’s Island to go in the brigantine “ Recovery,”
consisting of five officers and 40 men, under charge of Chief Trader Kennedy,
with the following instructions :

“¢ Dear Sir, “Fort Victoria, 18 March 1852.

“The objects for which the expedition, placed by the Board of Management
under your command, has been fitted out, have been so frequently and closely
discussed in our personal conferences, that it is merely necessary to remark
here, that those objects are all connected with the exploration of Queen
Charlotte’s Island for the present purpose of gold digging, and the ultimate
object of establishing a commercial post, when the situation best adapted for
that purpose has been ascertained.

“ The expedition consists of the brigantine “ Recovery,
seamen, making, with the officers, a total force of 45 persons.

“ You will receive herewith a copy of the agreement entered into with the
men, which, you will observe, gives you a wide jurisdiction, and full power to
regulate all matters connected with the security and good government of the

arty.
E «The principal difficulty apprehended in the present expedition is the oppo-
sition of the natives, who being averse to the working of the mines will throw
every possible obstacle in your way.

“ The first object to which we think your attention should be directed after
your arrival in Mitchell Harbour, is a friendly arrangement with the natives
for working the mine, as the policy of the company and the voice of humanity
are equally enlisted in behalf of conciliatory measures. We therefore beg to
impress upon your mind our earnest wish that all your intercourse with the
natives should be marked by a spirit of kindness and forbearance, and that pos-
session of the mines should be secured without bloodshed.

“ Among the various plans suggested by our experience of Indian character,
there is none that holds out a greater prospect of success than the following,
which is briefly as follows :—

«The Indians of Gold Harbour having repeatedly, both to Mr. Work and

”

42 landsmen and

yourself, agreed to surrender the district about Gold Harbour into our hands |

for the purpose of building a trading post, you will accept the surrender on
those terms, in addition to a reasonable amount of compensation by way of pur-
chase-money. That being effected, let a strong breastwork of rough logs be
thrown up around the mine, and warn the Indians that they are not to enter
the enclosure without leave. Sentinels should be placed in sufficient numbers
to enforce obedience and to keep the Indians from trespassing. Under the pro-

788—I. B tection