Handbook to the new Gold-fields | Page 7

wharf at 35 dollars per M, which was the ruling price. At Victoria, on the 21st June, a Frenchman landed from the steamer Surprise, who came on board at Fort Langley with twenty-seven pounds weight of gold on his person, which we saw and lifted. Another passenger, whom we know, states that there are six hundred persons within eight miles of Fort Hope, who are averaging per man an ounce and a half of gold per day minimum to six and a half ounces per day maximum. The largest sums seem to be taken out at Sailor's Bar, five miles above Fort Hope. The lowest depth as yet reached by miners is fifteen inches; these mere surface scratches producing often 200 dollars per day. At Fort Hope, potatoes were selling at 6 dollars per bag; bacon, 75 cents per pound; crackers, 30 cents. From Fort Hope to Fort Thompson the road is good, with the exception of twenty miles. For 20 dollars, the steamers will take miners from Victoria to the diggings at Fort Hope, and for three or four dollars more an Indian will accompany you to Fort Yale. Bowen, steward of the Surprise, says that about a hundred Indians usually ran after him to obtain little sweet cakes, which he traded off four or five for 1 dollar in gold dust. Sugar at Fort Langley, 1 dollar 50 cents per pound; lumber, 1 dollar 50 cents per foot; tea and coffee, 1 dollar per pound; pierced iron for rockers, 8 dollars; plain sheets, 2 dollars each; five pounds of quicksilver sold for 40 dollars--10 dollars per pound was the ordinary price. The actual ground prospected and ascertained to be highly auriferous extends to three hundred and fifty miles from the mouth of Fraser River. One hundred miles of Thompson River has been prospected, and found to be rich, south-east of Fraser River. The same will apply to all the tributaries of Thompson River. A large extent of auriferous quartz has been discovered ten miles from Fort Hope. Exceedingly rich quartz veins have been found on Harrison River.
The most astounding facts have yet to be divulged. A river emptying into the Gulf of Georgia, not a hundred miles north of Fraser River hitherto supposed to contain no gold, has proved fabulously rich. An Indian arrived at Victoria from this locality, having twenty-three pounds weight of pure gold, obtained solely by his own labour, in less than twenty days. In confirmation of our figures, and being short of space, we append the following statistics, derived from an official and authentic source of the strictest reliability. We deem the above facts sufficient to cause an exodus of a far more alarming character, and of higher proportions as to number, than any hitherto known in history. Suffice it to say, that the present furore is well founded; that it holds out busy times, high prices, speculations, contracts, and employments of a thousand kinds.
Fountain's Diggings (Fraser River, at 51 degrees 30 minutes north), month of June 1858.
Five rockers worked by half-breed Canadians.
+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+ |June | 1.| 2.| 3.| 4.| 5.| +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ | |dollars|dollars|dollars|dollars|dollars| +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ | 1| 38| 50| 42| 40| 50| +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ | 2| 40| 51| 38| 29| 51| +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ | 3| 41| 53| 39| 51| 52| +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ | 4| 28| 55| 18| 33| 56| +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ | 5| 32| 60| 54| 54| 53| +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ | 6| 64| 62| 39| 58| 55| +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ | 7| 52| 58| 48| 52| 64| +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ |Total | 295| 385| 268| 327| 381| +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ |Average| 42.14| 55.50| 38.70| 46.72| 54.40| +=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+
A highly reliable correspondent sends the following from San Francisco, under date 5th July:--
The emigration for Fraser River has gone on for months with no signs of growing less. The best means of judging what grounds there are for the belief in the existence of gold in large quantities on its banks, is by letters received from persons who are engaged in mining. It is worthy of note that there is no discrepancy between the accounts given by different individuals, all their statements agreeing. The mines are reported to be exceedingly rich, and yielding large returns to those engaged in digging. The river is very high, and miners have been driven from several of the most lucrative bars until the water subsides. Mr Hill, from whom Hill's Bar took its name, is mining some distance above that point. He and six hands were making from an ounce to an ounce and a-half of gold dust a day to each man. For three weeks prior to the freshet, Mr Hill and one man averaged one hundred to one hundred and fifty dollars a day. The freshet, however drove him off for the time being. Mr E.R. Collins, who has spent some time in the Fraser River gold region, and who brought