Handbook to the new Gold-fields Part 7

PRICES OF PROVISIONS, ETCETERA, AT THE GOLD FIELDS.

The following tariff of charges, collected by the _Times'_ correspondent, is now only valuable in a historical point of view, as, under the healthy compet.i.tion of the Californian merchants, prices have already found their own level:--

"Canoes are very scarce; the price has risen from 50 dollars and 80 dollars to 100 dollars each. Many parties have built light boats for themselves, but they did not answer."

"We have got up, but we had a hard time coming."

"Jordan is a hard road to travel; lost all our outfit, except flour.

Our canoe was capsized in the falls, and was broken to pieces. Six other canoes capsized and smashed the same day near the same place.

Poor whites and two Indians belonging to these six canoes drowned."

Provisions high up the river are exorbitant of course, as they can only be brought up in canoes requiring long "portages." Here's the tariff at Sailor's Bar and other Bars:--"Flour, 100 dollars a-barrel, worth in San Francisco 11 to 12 dollars; mola.s.ses, 6 dollars a-gallon; pork, 1 dollar per pound; ham, 1 dollar 25 cents per pound; tea at one place, 1 dollar per pound, but at another, 4 dollars; sugar, 2 dollars per pound; beans, 1 dollar per pound; picks, 6 dollars; and shovels, 2 dollars each.

There were no fresh provisions." I should have been greatly surprised to hear that there had been.

"At Fort Hope there was nothing to be had but dried salmon."

"At Fort Langley plenty of black flour at 9 dollars a-hundred, and salt salmon, four for 1 dollar." What lively visions of scurvy these provisions conjure up! The acme of extravagance was not arrived at, however, until the poor miner came to purchase auxiliaries to his rocker. At Sailor's Bar "rocker irons were at an ounce of gold each (16 dollars), and at Hill's Bar, 30 dollars each." This "iron" is simply a plate of thin sheet-iron, measuring 18 inches by 20 inches, perforated with round holes to let the loose dirt pa.s.s through. I priced one of them, out of curiosity, at a carpenter's shop in San Francisco this morning--2 and a half dollars. In England this thing would be worth 2 shillings. At Sailor's Bar it would be worth 3 pounds, 4 shillings, and at Hill's Bar it would fetch 6 pounds. Quicksilver was also outrageously high, but not being of such prime necessity as "rocker irons," didn't come up to their standard of value. At one place it was sold at 10 dollars per pound; but at Fort Langley a man bought one pound, paying 15 dollars for it, and had to carry it a great distance.

The price in San Francisco is 60 cents the pound (half-a-crown), and on Fraser's River, 3 pounds. "Nails brought, from 1 dollar to 1 dollar 50 cents per pound. One lot of a dozen pounds brought 3 dollars, or two bits a-nail," which, being interpreted into Queen's English, means 1 shilling a-nail! These are some of the outgoings which tax the miner's earnings in a new unpeopled country; but these are not his only drawbacks. "There being no boards to be had, we had perforce to go in the woods and fell and hew out our lumber to make a rocker," causing much loss of time. Then came the hunt for nails and for the indispensable perforated "iron," which cost so much. But worst of all the ills of the miner's life in New Caledonia are the jealousy and audacious thieving of the Indians, "who are nowise particular, in seizing on the dirt of the miners."

"The whites" being in the minority, and the Indians being a fierce athletic set of rascals, "suffered much annoyance and insult" without retaliating. What a trial to the temper of Oregon men who used to shoot all Indians who came within range of their rifle as vermin in California in 1848 and 1849!

The difficulties of access to the mines will soon be ameliorated, as small steamers are to be put on the river, to ply as far up as the rapids will permit them; but as to the Indian difficulties, it is much to be feared they will increase until a military force is sent into the country to overawe them. The prices of provisions and of mining tools and other necessaries will soon be regulated by the compet.i.tion of the San Francisco merchants, and the miners will not be long subjected to exorbitant rates. They have a vast advantage in the proximity of San Francisco, abounding, as it does, in supplies for all their wants. When I recall our early troubles and victimisings, I almost cease to pity the victims of the "rocker irons," at 6 pounds a-plate. In 1849 I paid 1 dollar 50 cents for the simple luxury of a fresh egg. I might have had one laid on the Atlantic board, or in Chile or the Sandwich Islands, for less, it is true; but these required French cookery to "disguise" their true state and condition, and I being then "fresh" myself was somewhat particular. Even this did not cap the climax, for I paid a sum in American currency equal to 16 pounds sterling for a pair of boots the day I was burnt out by the first fire--in the same year. And such a pair! They were navvy's boots, and worth in England about 15 shillings.

The New Caledonians must not complain, for we have endured more (and survived it too) than they are likely to suffer.

TABLE OF DISTANCES FROM VICTORIA (VANCOUVER'S ISLAND) TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE MINES.

The estimates may be relied upon as very nearly correct.

+===================================================+========+ Miles. +---------------------------------------------------+--------+ To mouth of Fraser River across the Gulf of Georgia 90 +---------------------------------------------------+--------+ To Fort Langley (HBC posts on Fraser River) 25 to 30 +---------------------------------------------------+--------+ To Fort Hope (HBC posts on Fraser River) 67 +---------------------------------------------------+--------+ To Fort Yale (HBC posts on Fraser River) 12 +===================================================+========+

Steam navigation is established throughout. The steamer _Surprise_ performed the trip from Victoria to Fort Hope in twenty-four hours; her return trip occupied fifteen and a-half hours running time.

THE BILL FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES.

A Bill to provide, until the thirty-first day of December, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, for the government of New Caledonia.

Whereas divers of Her Majesty's subjects and others have, by the licence and consent of Her Majesty, resorted to and settled on certain wild and unoccupied territories on the north-west coast of North America, commonly known by the designation of New Caledonia, and the islands adjacent, for mining and other purposes; and it is desirable to make some temporary provision for the civil government of such territories until permanent settlements shall be thereupon established, and the number of colonists increased: Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal and Commons, in this present Parliament a.s.sembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:--

I. New Caledonia shall, for the purposes of this Act, be held to comprise all such territories within the dominions of Her Majesty as are bounded to the south by the frontier of the United States of America, to the east by the watershed between the streams which flow into the Pacific Ocean, and those which flow into the Atlantic and icy oceans, to the north by the 55th parallel of north lat.i.tude, and to the west by the Pacific Ocean, and shall include Queen Charlotte's Island and all other islands adjacent to the said territories, except as hereinafter excepted.

II. It shall be lawful for Her Majesty, by any order or orders to be by her from time to time made, with the advice of her Privy Council, to make, ordain, or establish, and (subject to such conditions or restrictions as to her shall seem meet) to authorise and empower such officer as she may from time to time appoint to administer the government of New Caledonia, to make provision for the administration of justice therein, and generally to make, ordain, and establish all such laws, inst.i.tutions, and ordinances, as may be necessary for the peace, order, and good government of Her Majesty's subjects and others therein; provided that all such orders in council, and all laws and ordinances so to be made as aforesaid, shall be laid before both houses of Parliament as soon as conveniently may be after the making and enactment thereof respectively.

III. Provided always, that it shall be lawful for Her Majesty, so soon as she may deem it convenient by any such order in Council as aforesaid, to const.i.tute or authorise and empower such officer to const.i.tute a Legislature to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of New Caledonia, such Legislature to consist of the Governor and a Council, or Council and a.s.sembly, to be composed of such and so many persons, and to be appointed or elected such manner and in for such periods, and subject to such regulations, as to Her Majesty may seem expedient.

IV. And whereas an Act was pa.s.sed in the forty-third year of King George the Third, ent.i.tled "An Act for extending the jurisdiction of the courts of justice in the Provinces of Lower and Upper Canada to the trial and punishment of persons guilty of crimes and offences within certain parts of North America adjoining to the said Provinces:" And whereas by an Act pa.s.sed in the second year of King George the Fourth, ent.i.tled "An Act for regulating the fur trade, and establishing a criminal and civil jurisdiction, within certain parts of North America,"

it was enacted, that from and after the pa.s.sing of that Act the courts of judicature then existing or which might be thereafter established in the Province of Upper Canada, should have the same civil jurisdiction, power, and authority, within the Indian territories and other parts of America not within the limits of either of the Provinces of Lower or Upper Canada or any civil government of the United States, as the said courts had or were invested with within the limits of the said Provinces of Upper or Lower Canada respectively, and that every contract, agreement, debt liability, and demand made, entered into, incurred, or arising within the said Indian territories and other parts of America, and every wrong and injury to the person or to property committed or done within the same, should be, and be deemed to be, of the same nature, and be cognisable, and be tried in the same manner, and subject to the same consequences in all respects, as if the same had been made, entered into, incurred, arisen, committed, or done within the said Province of Upper Canada; and in the same Acts are contained provisions for giving force, authority, and effect within the said Indian territories and other parts of America to the process and acts of the said Courts of Upper Canada; and it was thereby also enacted, that it should be lawful for His Majesty, if he should deem it convenient so to do, to issue a commission, or commissions, to any person or persons to be and act as justices of the peace within such parts of America as aforesaid, as well within any territories theretofore granted to the company of adventurers of England trading to the Hudson's Bay as within the Indian territories of such other parts of America as aforesaid; and it was further enacted, that it should be lawful for His Majesty, from time to time, by any commission under the great seal, to authorise and empower any such persons so appointed justices of the peace as aforesaid to sit and hold courts of record for the trial of criminal offences and misdemeanours, and also of civil causes, and it should be lawful for His Majesty to order, direct, and authorise the appointment of proper officers to act in aid of such courts and justices within the jurisdiction a.s.signed to such courts and justices in any such commission, provided that such courts should not try any offender upon any charge or indictment for any felony made the subject of capital punishment, or for any offence, or pa.s.sing sentence affecting the life of any offender, or adjudge or cause any offender to suffer, capital punishment or transportation, or take cognisance of or try any civil action or suit in which the cause, of such suit or action should exceed in value the amount or sum of two hundred pounds, and in every case of any offence subjecting the person committing the same to capital punishment or transportation, the court, or any judge of any such court, or any justice or justices of the peace before whom any such offender should be brought, should commit such offender to safe custody, and cause such offender to be sent in such custody for trial in the court of the Province of Upper Canada.

From and after the proclamation of this Act in New Caledonia the said Act of the forty-third year of King George the Third, and the said recited provisions of the said Act of the second year of King George the Fourth, and the provisions contained in such Act for giving force, authority, and effect within the Indian territories and other parts of America to the process and acts of the said courts of Upper Canada, shall cease to have force in and to be applicable to New Caledonia.

V. Provided always, that all judgments given in any civil suit in New Caledonia shall be subject to appeal to Her Majesty in Council, in the manner, and subject to the regulations in and subject to which appeals are now brought from the civil courts of Canada, and to such further or other regulations as Her Majesty, with the advice of her Privy Council, shall from time to time appoint.

VI. No part of the colony of Vancouver's Island, as at present established, shall be comprised within New Caledonia, for the purpose of this Act; but it shall be lawful for Her Majesty, her heirs and successors, on receiving at any time during the continuance of this Act, a joint address from the two houses of the Legislature of Vancouver's Island, praying for the incorporation of that island with New Caledonia, by order to be made as aforesaid, with the advice of her Privy Council, to annex the said island to New Caledonia, subject to such conditions and regulations, as to Her Majesty shall seem expedient; and thereupon, and from the date of the publication of such order, in the said island, or such other date as may be fixed in such order, the provisions of this Act shall be held to apply to Vancouver's Island.

VII. In the construction of this Act the term "Governor" shall mean the person for the time being lawfully administering the government of New Caledonia.

VIII. This Act shall continue in force until the thirty-first day of December, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, and thenceforth to the end of the then next session of Parliament.