newspapers were launched: the “Victoria Gazette,"’
“Vancouver Island's Gazette,’ and the ‘’British Col-
onist."” Out of the four early newspapers started in
1858, only one, the “British Colonist,’ has survived,
being published even today, under the briefer title
of “Colonist” in Victoria. This newspaper has now
enjoyed the confidence of the Victoria public for
seventy-five years and much credit is due it for the
able manner in whch news, even though difficult
to obtain in the early days, was disseminated. The
“Colonist’’ also has one of the most complete libra-
ries dealing in early historical data relative to British
Columbia as its information is first-hand.

As it has been stated before, the ‘’Colonist’’ em-
ployed Mgr. Demers’ press to carry out the production
end of the paper until 1862, when it pioneered the
printing industry by installing the first cylinder press
in British Columbia, and in 1876 added the use of
steam power to drive its machinery.

It was with the press and type cases of Mgr. Demers
that the ‘‘Colonist’’ was launched in December, 1858,
and was founded by Amor de Cosmos, a Nova
Scotian, who later played an important part in the
political affairs of British Columbia. By the end of
1859 the “Colonist’’ had witnessed the failure of its
two contemporaries and was itself harassed by many

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