Judge Begbie. 33

the 4th ulto., intending to return immediately to Victoria, after having
arranged one or two matters connected with the detail of judicial busi-
ness which seemed to require my personal presence.

Immediately on the arrival of the “ Beaver” at Langley, Capt.
Grant, R.E., commanding the detachment there,** waited on the
Lieut. Govr., who shortly afterwards summoned me to consult upon a
very alarming letter received some days previously by Capt. Grant from
Captn. Whannell, the resident J.P. at Yale, which letter from the state
of communications could not have been answered earlier, or only by one
day earlier, the steamer “ Enterprise ”®® having been at Captn. Grant’s
instance delayed 12 hours to await the arrival of His Excellency Col.
Moody. With the terms of Captn. Whannell’s letter I believe Your
Excellency is acquainted.

The reputation of Edward McGowan,” a citizen of the United
States named in such letter as a leader of the alleged outrages, being
very notorious, I agreed with the Lieut. Govr. that as a military com-
mander thus summoned by a magistrate generally reputed to have con-
siderable personal courage, there could be but one course to follow—
viz., to proceed to the scene of action: and, owing to the deficiency of
police constables on the river, to proceed accompanied by as many of
the detachment as could be conveniently spared. This was accordingly
done; but for particulars I beg to refer to the Lieut. Govr’s report to
Your Excellency. I may add that although some canoes had arrived
from the upper part of the river since Captn Whannell’s letter, there
had been no further communication from him: and there was a loose
report that he and a constable had been murdered by the mob.

4. The Lieut. Govr. left on the same night at 11 p.m., accompanied
by Captn. Grant and, I believe, 24 sappers: and myself, His E. having
requested me to accompany him. The frost wch had already set in two
days froze the river fast in our rear the next day: and having diminished
the supply of water in the river the rapids were so shoal that we could
not pass up: and we were reduced to a state of inactivity and to allow
ourselves to be frozen up in a creek about 8 miles above Harrison R.

5. While lying here we were informed by the enterprise of Mr.
Ogilvy, a gentleman in charge of the Hudson’s Bay settlement at Hope-
town, who volunteers to the Lieut. Govr. to undertake in very severe
weather to take a letter express to Capt. Whannell and also reconnoitre
generally the state of affairs, that a disturbance and outrage of a very

(38) See notes (9) and (10) on Judge Begbie’s correspondence, ante, p. 25.
(39) See note (11) on Judge Begbie’s correspondence, ante, p. 25.
(40) For a short sketch of the career of this notorious character see introduction.