Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Douglas, Sir James to Lytton, Sir Edward George Earle Bulwer 3 November 1858, CO 60:1, no. 528, 331.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (5), Other documents (1).
Douglas offers “remarks” on the subject of establishing a seaport town in British Columbia. He recommends one at the mouth of the Fraser River but laments that there is no convenient harbour there for shipping. Douglas suggests incorporating Vancouver Island into British Columbia and making Esquimalt Harbour the “Port of Entry to sea going vessels.”
The minutes recommend sending Douglas’s report to the Admiralty for observations.
Enclosed is Merivale to the Admiralty forwarding a copy of the despatch for consideration.
No. 9
1. I have the honor of submitting the following remarks on
the subject of establishing a sea-port Town for the Colony of
British Columbia.
2. The Colony of British Columbia possesses an extent of
about 500 miles ofsea
sea coast, stretching from the point where the
49th parallel of Latitude first strikes the sea coast to the
line of the Russian Possessions in Portland Canal.
sea coast, stretching from the point where the
49th parallel of Latitude first strikes the sea coast to the
line of the Russian Possessions in Portland Canal.
3. That circumstance obviously suggests the necessity of
establishing in British Columbia for the convenience of trade
more than one seaport Town, where vessels may enter with cargoes
of foreign goods.
4. One sea-port town, and that of the greatest present importance
should be established at the entrance of Frasers River, and another
in some convenient andaccessible
accessible harbour, on the Coast of British
Columbia north of Vancouvers Island.
accessible harbour, on the Coast of British
Columbia north of Vancouvers Island.
5. There is unfortunately no convenient harbour for shipping
at or in the near vicinity of Fraser's River, that is to say
between the boundary of the United States in the 49th parallel
of latitude to Point Grey, at the entrance of Burrard Canal.
6. Extensive sand banks, sweeping five miles from the land
into the Gulf of Georgia, and reaching from Point Roberts to
Point Grey, form an open unsheltered anchorage, but there is no
harbour on that section of the coast.
7. The ship channelinto
into Frasers River, winds in a somewhat
tortuous and narrow passage through those sands, and has a depth
of water sufficient for vessels drawing 18 feet.
into Frasers River, winds in a somewhat
tortuous and narrow passage through those sands, and has a depth
of water sufficient for vessels drawing 18 feet.
8. Beyond the sands the river increases in depth and the
current in force and velocity. The banks for the first ten miles
are low being only a few feet above the water level, and there is
a wide extent of wet marshy country on both banks of the River,
intersected by creeks and covered with sedge willows and coarse
grass.
9. The low wet District passed, the country presents a new
aspect beingmore
more elevated and covered with Pines and other forest
trees.
more elevated and covered with Pines and other forest
trees.
10. That is the point where the sea port Town can be established
to the greatest advantage, and for this reason that it is accessible
to sailing vessels, which owing to the lofty banks on both sides of
the River, beyond that point, can rarely depend upon a fair wind, or
ascend further without using the warp, or by the help of steam.
11. The "Port of Entry" for all ships entering Fraser's River for
trade, should be established somewhere about that point, known as
H.B.C. Tree, 1
the first explorers of the River having marked a
tree with those letters, and the pointhas
has ever since retained this
name, while for the convenience of general trade, and to prevent
the risk and delay consequent on entering the River, a Customs
House Officer might be stationed at Point Roberts, or at some more
convenient point on the sea coast, outside of Fraser's River, to
enter ships bound to other Ports in the Gulf of Georgia, north of
Fraser's River.
has ever since retained this
name, while for the convenience of general trade, and to prevent
the risk and delay consequent on entering the River, a Customs
House Officer might be stationed at Point Roberts, or at some more
convenient point on the sea coast, outside of Fraser's River, to
enter ships bound to other Ports in the Gulf of Georgia, north of
Fraser's River.
12. The accompanying Chart shewing the character of the country
near the mouth of Fraser's River, and the point where it is here
proposed to place the sea-port Town, will be found useful for
reference.
I
13. I would propose another plan which is however open to
adoption only, should Vancouver's Island be incorporated with British
Columbia,
2
and this is that the safe and accessible harbour of Esquimalt
Vancouver's Island should be made the Port of Entry to sea going
vessels for both Colonies, leaving the navigation of the Gulf of
Georgia and other inland waters for a class of steam vessels
calculated to do the work with safety and despatch. This latter
plan is very popular with the property holders of Vancouvers Island,
who are generally desirous of having the sea port Town of British
Columbia at Esquimaltor
or Victoria, where it now is, but if that
plan should appear objectionable to Her Majesty's Government, then
there will remain the alternative of selecting the point before
described, about ten miles from Point Pelly
3
up Fraser's River,
where the land is level, dry and otherwise well adapted as a town
location.
or Victoria, where it now is, but if that
plan should appear objectionable to Her Majesty's Government, then
there will remain the alternative of selecting the point before
described, about ten miles from Point Pelly
3
up Fraser's River,
where the land is level, dry and otherwise well adapted as a town
location.
14. One of those two places will I apprehend have to be adopted
in fixing upon the site of the sea port Town of British Columbia.
With reference to the accompanying
Chart.
4
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Merivale
A Copy of this Despatch might be sent to the Admiralty with a request for any observations which they may have to offer on the practicability of the Govrs suggestions? We should send a Copy or tracing of the annexed plan as it explains the Despatch?
A Copy of this Despatch might be sent to the Admiralty with a request for any observations which they may have to offer on the practicability of the Govrs suggestions? We should send a Copy or tracing of the annexed plan as it explains the Despatch?
It seems to me of so much consequence to arrive at a right decision
on this point that I sd be inclined also to send a copy of this
to the Bd of Trade and to request their opinion & advice
(as well as that of the Admiralty) at their earliest convenience.
I suppose that a port of entry will be likely to create a large
commercial town & perhaps a capital for the Colony—and if so it's
removal from the Sea coast to the distance of ten
miles appears
at first sight questionable. Again the channel seems to be from
the annexed tracing somewhat intricate, if indeed it is sufficiently
wide. This is not very favourable to a large marine traffic. The
line of coast is sandy—if any reliance can be placed on the Map,
from Cape Grey to Cape Roberts. This again raises further ground
for consideration before any decision is come to. At the same
time it is clear that our reply to the Govr should go out with
as little delay as possible, and under any circumstances much must
be trusted to his discretion.
miles appears
at first sight questionable. Again the channel seems to be from
the annexed tracing somewhat intricate, if indeed it is sufficiently
wide. This is not very favourable to a large marine traffic. The
line of coast is sandy—if any reliance can be placed on the Map,
from Cape Grey to Cape Roberts. This again raises further ground
for consideration before any decision is come to. At the same
time it is clear that our reply to the Govr should go out with
as little delay as possible, and under any circumstances much must
be trusted to his discretion.
C
Janyy 18
Other documents included in the file
Merivale to Admiralty, 26 January 1859, forwarding copy of the
despatch for consideration.
Minutes by CO staff
With reference to Sir Ed: Lytton's Minute is it intended that the
Desp: should be referred to the Brd of Trade?
Not that I see.
Footnotes
- The sketch has been removed from the file but appears as a Plan of Part of Fraser's River, Shewing the Character of the Ground from the Entrance to the Site of Old Fort Langley, in Papers Relative to the Affairs of British Columbia, Part II, following p. 93. Right one?? The sketch shows the HBC tree situated on the south side of the main arm ?? of the Fraser River, south-east of present-day Annacis Island. James McMillan, a chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, marked the tree with the initials HBC in 1824.
- = VI to join BC
Section 6 of the Act to Provide for the Government of British
Columbia stipulated that no part of Vancouver Island was to be included
in British Columbia but that the imperial government could, by Order in
Council,
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 British Columbia . . . annex the said Island to British Columbia. . . .
The act expired in 1864?? - The sketch shows Point Pelly situated on the Fraser River near the present site of Steveston. It was named for Sir John Henry Pelly, governor of the Hudson's Bay Company from 1822 to 1852. Plan of Part of Fraser's River, ibid.; see also John T. Walbran, British Columbia Coast Names, 1592-1906 (Ottawa: Geographic Board of Canada, 1909), p. 377.
- Plan of Part of Fraser's River, ibid. Same thing??