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Richard Hicks. 7
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On Cornish Bar’ very few claims pay to work with a rocker ;
here again water is being conveyed for sluicing and miners will shortly
be able to work to better advantage. In all operations of fluming and
sluicing, where the dirt only pays a cent to the pan, a man can earn
$10 per day, whereas in a rocker he will not save more than $1, the
gold being fine; it is almost impossible to save it without quicksilver.

Very little mining is doing above Fort Yale up to the Ferry®—
indeed, hardly worth naming ; the spring-time will, however, be better,
the rain and cold driving miners down, together with the high price
of provisions.

On the flat opposite Fort Yale the miners have sunk shafts and
discovered good mining ground; consequently Mr. Wells did not survey
the twenty acre lots for Garden purposes.*° If this flat should prove
rich, I presume Your Excellency will not object to have it worked;
water can be carried up the river in a ditch from below Hill’s Bar.2t

Some Miners commenced sinking a shaft near the Indian house
this side Fort Yale Creek and discovered good diggins of course gold.
I was, however, compelled to stop further progress, otherwise Fort
Yale Town would not exist; much disappointment was manifested by
my interferance. I could not, however, do otherwise.

An immense extent of flat land opposite Strawberry Island?? was
a few days ago discovered to contain rich deposits of the precious
metal, and much excitement was created in consequence. I was down
on this flat on Friday last and was much delighted to find that eighteen
cents to the pan was found at a depth of eight feet. The ditch Company
No. 13 are making every exertion to bring the water on the flat from
the Creek at the head of the flat, it will however take some time to
complete the operation.

I have given Your Excellency some idea of the mining prospects
which cannot be but most gratifying to your feelings, especially with
regard to Prince Albert flat—above the rock named Albert head—
at least one mile of frontage on the river I intend to survey off into
claims of twenty-five feet frontage. Your Excellency will perhaps feel
much surprised at the depth allowed for each claim. The striping of the
top dirt does not pay within eight feet of the surface, it would not pay
men to go to the great expense of fetching in water so long a distance

(18) Cornish Bar, otherwise Murderer’s Bar, about four miles below Hope, on the same, or
ee Govenne ferry at Spuzzum above Yale. This favourable crossing spot had been used by the
Hudson's Bay Company as early as 1848.

(20) See the extracts from letters of Douglas dated September 5, 1858, and November 4, 1858,
in Mr. Brew’s letter of April 23, 1859.

(21) Hill’s Bar was a mile and a half below Yale, on the left or opposite side. It was one

of the earliest discovered, richest, and longest worked bars.
(22) Strawberry Island, about seven Iniles above Hope.