70 The Fraser River Mines. ace a edd RTL NT ERNIE BREE NH UNE ROL IA SSRN IES

scurvy’® and several of them would probably have perished if they had not been attended to and supplied with medicines by Doctor Fifer.

Doctor Fifer?® seeks no remuneration for his attendance, but he applies to the Government for payment for the medicines he supplied, which are costly to him and of great value at Fort Yale.

A man named Brown, a prisoner in Fort Yale Gaol, is suffering from an attack of scurvey and I had to request Doctor Fifer to attend to him.

I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient Servant, (Signed) C. Brew, Chief Inspector of Police, Ass. Chief Gold Commissioner.

Lieut. Governor Moody, etc., Victoria, V.I.

British CoLuMBIA, Fort YALE, 19th February, 1859.

Str,—I have the honor to state that in obedience to the orders contained in the accompanying letter of the Colonial Secretary,?” dated the 18th ult., I called on Captain Whannell? to furnish me with the specific charges which he had to prefer against Mr. Hicks, Assist. Gold Commissioner. Captain Whannell transmitted to me the annexed letter of the 8th inst. and on the 12th inst. he handed me his charges against Mr. Hicks, for his denial or admission and explanation. Mr. Hicks generally denied the charges and he applied to have a public investigation into them;”° to this I refused to accede, as I knew that by complying with the request I would only afford an opportunity for a display of disapprobation on the part of Mr. Hicks’s supporters for the present towards Captain Whannell and any friends he may have in attendance.

Mr. Hicks had not decided on when he would be ready to meet the charges up to the date on which I received a communication from

: ates) This is eloquent upon the conditions under which the miners were living during that winter.

(26) See note (47) to Judge Begbie’s correspondence, ante, p. 36.

(27) William A. G. Young, provisionally appointed by Douglas in November, 1858, and approved by Lytton in March, 1859. At the time of his appointment Mr. Young was secretary to the British Boundary Commission. Previous thereto he had been in the Royal Nayy and had Served as secretary to several flag officers upon different foreign stations.

(28) P. B. Whannell, the resident magistrate at Yale.

(29) ‘* Captain ’’ Whannell’s charges and accompanying letters and Mr. Hicks’s request for a public investigation are appended to this letter.