Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Public Offices document
Murchison, Sir Roderick Impey
to Lytton, Sir Edward George Earle Bulwer 31 January 1859, CO 6:30, no. 1127, 299.
Abstract
Public Offices document.
Minutes (3), Other documents (1).
Murchison, of the Royal Geographical Society, requests that Palliser be given passage back to England via the Pacific Coast. A positive by-product of
this route, he argues, is that more of Northern BC will be explored and his group can obtain important mineral reports.
The minutes respond that Palliser has been given permission.
Murchison to Lytton
15 Whitehall Place, S. W.
31 January 1859
Sir
I learn by a letter dated “Fort Edmonton,” Oct. 8, 1858, addressed to myself by Capt. Palliser, that he and his party, who have been exploring the sources of the Saskatchewan River, are most anxious to be permitted to return to England by a western route, and not
to go over the same ground in North America, which they have already traversed. As
President of the Royal Geographical Society, I beg to suggest that this proposal seems
to be fraught with good sense and exhibits such a laudable desire to promote the public
interests as well as Geographical Science, that I hope it will meet with your approbation.
Now that Capt. Palliser and his associates have determined the existence of practicable passes of no great
altitude through the Rocky Mountains, and have penetrated into the valley beyond them, it seem to be of great importance
that we should, through the means of the same efficient explorers, be made acquainted
with the mineral structure and physical geography of the ridges, which separate the
valley of the Columbia and its affluents from that of the Fraser River.
As this
As this operation would determine the capability of communicating between large portions
of British North America and the newly discovered gold region of Fraser River, and possibly make us acquainted with some data of value respecting the Cascade Range and the coast opposite Vancouver Island, and as Capt. Palliser states that such a return expedition will cost less than the journey back through
the United States and Canada I earnestly hope that so very desirable an opportunity
may be taken advantage of.
As this operation would determine the capability of communicating between large portions
of British North America and the newly discovered gold region of Fraser River, and possibly make us acquainted with some data of value respecting the Cascade Range and the coast opposite Vancouver Island, and as Capt. Palliser states that such a return expedition will cost less than the journey back through
the United States and Canada I earnestly hope that so very desirable an opportunity
may be taken advantage of.
I need not remind you that the labours of the North American Expedition for determining
certain details respecting the boundary between the settlements of Great Britain and
the United States lies so far to the south of the proposed route as to afford little
hope that they will throw light on the physical geography of the more northern portions
of British Columbia.
