Colonial Despatches

Mr Hawes. An official Letter will be sent by the F.O. to the effect of Lord Palmerston's minute; but as papers cannot be laid after tomorrow & time presses I send you the volume sent us by the F.O. to enable you to decide what portions of Lt Vavasour's report of the 1 March|46 should be communicated to Parlt in pursuance of Mr Christy's motion.

Mr Blackwood
The passage marked appears to me all that relates to V.C. Island in this report, & if so, all that need be given?

Mr Hawes.
I wish to observe in sending this return on to you that we are still without the answer from the Foreign Office to the question proposed to them a few days ago as to the production of Lt Warre's and Vavasour's report — mentioned at P. 4._. Tho' every endeavor has been made to procure Lord Palmerston's decision. If these Officer's report be given to the House of Commons in compliance with Mr Christy's motion, it should, I suppose, be equally communicated to the House of Lords _ : but Lord Grey's direction on 1671 is to present only the papers given to the Ho: of Commons. I therefore wish to be informed whether Lt Warre's report is, or is not to be given to the Ho: of Lords _ : & whether we are to wait for Lord Palmerston's ansr or not. The matter presses as papers cannot be presented after Tuesday next.

Page 3. I should have thought Extracts might be given — Shall the Return wait for these Extracts?

This must come over now & in the mean time the Report or Extracts may be obtained from the F.O

Draft, Colonial Office to H.U. Addington, Foreign Office, 23 August 1848, asking to be furnished with the report by Lieutenant Vavasour requested in the House of Commons Order of 16 August.

Enclosure headed: "Extract from a Report by Lieutenants Warre & Vavasour" dated 26 October 1845,2 including a census of "the Indian Tribes in the Oregon Territory from Lat 42o to Lat 54o[…]."

Enclosure headed: "Extract of a Report from Lieutenant Vavasour to Col.l Holloway, dated 1 March 1846," for the House of Commons. Transcribed below.

“Fort Victoria is situated on the southern end of Vancouver Island in the small harbour of Cammusan, the entrance to which is rather intricate. The fort is a square enclosure of 100 yards, surrounded by cedar pickets 20 feet in height, having two octagonal Bastions, containing each six 6 In iron guns at the N. E. and S.W. angles, the buildings are made of squared timber, eight in number, forming three sides of an oblong. This fort has lately been established, it is badly situated with regard to water and position, which latter has been chosen for its agricultural advantages only about 3 miles distant and nearly connected by a small inlet, is the Squimal harbour, which is very commodious and accessible at all times, offering a much better position and having also the advantage of a supply of water in the vicinity.

This This is the leest built of the Company’s Forts, it requires loopholing, and a platform, or gallery, to enable men to fire over the pickets, a ditch might be cut round it, but the rock appears on the surface in many places.

There is plenty of timber of every description on Vancouver Island, as also limestone, which could be transported to Nisqually, or other places in the Territory where it may be hereafter deemed necessary to form permanent works, Barracks, &c”