22 CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY

duce is grown and where information and advice, at certain seasons ac-
companied by samples of grain produce, etc., are available to any settler
in the province absolutely free.

Nicola. This fertile valley, through which the Nicola River flows
for some 60 miles from Nicola Lake to the Thompson River has been for
many years the centre of a cattle breeding industry, and of later years
lands have been brought under irrigation, and planted as orchards. Its
prospects have always been associated, however, with minerals, more
especially coal which was known to practically underlie the whole valley.
The opening of the Nicola Valley Railway from Spence’s Bridge through
the towns of Lower Nicola, Merritt, and Nicola with probable extension
to Penticton, has enabled a very rapid development in this respect.

The towns already named by no means exhaust the list. Other points
are Salmon Arm, on the southern extremity of the Shuswap Lake, Shuswap,
Savonas, Pennys and Spence’s Bridge. At each of these rapid development
is taking place under private enterprise, while at Kamloops and Pennys
companies have made large investments in land which is being placed
on the market in large and small blocks, in a wild state, and also planted

as orchards, etc. 2
LILLOOET

is at present a large pastoral country, with land capable of development
on the same lines as the Thompson Valley. Railway communication
is the one thing needed to aid in this respect and also to enable placer,
hydraulic and quartz mining to be carried on to their full extent.

WESTMINSTER

justifiably considered one of the richest agricultural districts of the pro-
vince, includes all the fertile valley of the Lower Fraser. The climate
is mild in winter with a copious rainfall, but little frost and practically
no snow. A great deal of land in the Fraser Valley has been reclaimed
by dyking, the rich alluvial soil justifying the necessarily heavy outlay.

CARIBOO AND CASSIAR.

The great northern districts of Cariboo and Cassiar are practically
unexplored and undeveloped, although in the early days parts of them were
invaded by a great army of placer miners, who recovered about $50,000,000
in gold from the creeks and benches. Hydraulic mining on a large scale
is being carried on by several wealthy companies at different points in the
district with fair success, and individual miners and dredging companies
are doing well in Atlin. Recently large deposits of gold and silver quartz
“were found on Portland Canal and on Windy Arm, which give promise
of rich returns. Large coal measures have been located on the Telqua
River and at other points, and copper ore is found in many localities.
The country is lightly timbered and promises to become an important
cattle-raising and agricultural district, as there are many fertile valleys,
which even now, despite the absence of railways, are attracting settlers.
In the southern part of Cariboo, along the main wagon road from Ashcroft,
on the Canadian Pacific Railway, are several flourishing ranches, that
produce abundant crops of grain and vegetables which, with the cattle
raised, find a ready market in the mining camps.

COMOX.

_ The northern part of Vancouver Island and part of the opposite
mainland is known as Comox District. The mainland portion of Comox