80 The Fraser River Mines.

would make a very excellent Revenue Officer; he has got the highest
character for integrity and would, I have no doubt, perform the duties
with diligence and fidelity.

I believe that excisable wares are smuggled into Fort Laugh** and
Fort Hope; they are then shipped up the river without permits, with
fictitious bills of sale, as if they had been purchased within the Colony
at Hope or Langly from parties who had passed them through the
Customs and paid duty on them. In order to prevent this discription
of fraud, I mean to write to the Revenue Officers at Fort Hope and
Fort Langly to post up notices announcing that excisable wares con-
veyed through the country in quantities over a certain weight or bulk
without a permit were liable to be seized and confiscated.

I understand that the examination of wares and the granting of
permits are very loosely done at Fort Langly. I believe it would be
an immense advantage to the public service if, without removing
Mr. Bevis,** an active officer of higher position of tone were placed
over him.

There are no mining operations going on; everything is covered
with snow and frozen hard. There are, though, some symptoms of
a thaw this day.

There are many complaints here of the irregularity and uncertainty
of the Mails. Merchants rather send their letters by Bellors** express
at the cost of half a dollar than put it in the post at a cost of 5 cents
and remain in uncertainty when it would reach its destination. All
persons would gladly pay 10 cents colonial postage if the mails were
despatched and delivered regularly, and if 10 cents were charged on
all letters taken by the Express Company a revenue might be created
which would enable the mails to be sent by special boats. At present
they may remain at any stage on the route for days awaiting an oppor-
tunity of sending them on, and then they are entrusted to the first
trustworthy person passing the way willing to be troubled with them.
I think if a contract be not entered into that the mails might be
carried by Indians more cheaply and expeditiously and as safely as
by white men. If they are carried by contract the contractor ought to
be bound to time, otherwise he will weigh down his boat with freight
and move along at the rate of a dredging-machine. The chief of the
Indians at Fort Yale, for a trial, offered to convey the mails to Fort

(43) Langley. Many devices for smuggling liquor were employed. i
of liquor were fastened to drifting timber to becearned up with trertiae iat pe ee’
(44) William Henry Bevis, Revenue Officer at Langley and later also Postmaster.
(45) William T. Ballou’s Pioneer Fraser River Express. See note (13) to Judge Begbie’s
correspondence, ante, p. 25, and also note (82) to Hicks’s correspondence, ante, p. 12.