Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Douglas, Sir James to Stanley, Lord Edward Henry 27 August 1858, CO 60:1, no. 10343, 129.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (4), Enclosures (untranscribed) (2).
Douglas gives an “alarming report” of the murder of “42 miners by Indigenous peoples of Fraser’s River.” He acknowledges a contradicting report that only two men were killed but nevertheless
requisitioned men from Hawkins, Prevost and Montresor’s contingents to “form a force of 33 officers and men to proceed [with him] to the
scene of the disaster.”
The minutes indicate a need for the Admiralty to keep vessels at Vancouver Island for the protection of “life & property.”
No. 35
1. Since I last addressed you on the 19th of
Instant,
1
an alarming report reached this place of the murder of 42 miners
by Indigenous peoples of Fraser's
River,
2
and I in consequence, made a requisition on Major Hawkins, Her Majesty's
Commissioner for determining the Land Boundary; for an officer and ten
men, and for an equal force respectively on Captain Prevost of Her
Majesty's Ship "Satellite" and Captain Montresor of Her Majesty's
Ship "Calypso," so as toform
form a force of 33 officers and men to
proceed with me to the scene of the disaster.
form a force of 33 officers and men to
proceed with me to the scene of the disaster.
2. That alarming report has since been contradicted in a
despatch from Mr
Hicks,
3
Her Majesty's Sub Commissioner of Crown Lands, for the district of Fort
Yale, who states, that two men only were killed by Indigenous men, instead
of the larger number previously reported. I am nevertheless preparing
for an excursion to Fraser's River, with a small military force of 35
men, composed of 15 sappers and miners furnished by Major Hawkins, and
Lieutenant Jones with 20 marines, kindly furnished by Captain Prevost of
Her Majesty's Ship "Satellite."
3. Major Hawkins has decided on accompanying me toFraser's
Fraser's
Hawkins, Maj. John S.escorts governor to Fraser River
River Fraser's
River Fraser's
Hawkins, Maj. John S.escorts governor to Fraser River
River, and will command the military force.
Fraser's
Hawkins, Maj. John S.escorts governor to Fraser River
River Fraser's
River Fraser's
Hawkins, Maj. John S.escorts governor to Fraser River
River, and will command the military force.
4. The object I have in view by undertaking that journey is the
enforcement of such laws as may be found necessary for the maintenance of
peace and good order among the motely population of foreigners, now
assembled in Frasers River, and also practically to assert the rights of
the Crown, by introducing the levying of a Licence duty on persons
digging for gold, in order to raise a revenue for the defence and
protection of the Country.
5. The military force is absurdly small for such an occasion,
but I shall use everyexertion
exertion in my power to accomplish the
great object in view, and to assert the rights of my Country, in
hopes that early measures will be taken by Her Majesty's Government,
to relieve the country from its present perilous state.
exertion in my power to accomplish the
great object in view, and to assert the rights of my Country, in
hopes that early measures will be taken by Her Majesty's Government,
to relieve the country from its present perilous state.
6. I transmit for your information the requisition I made on
Captain Montresor and his reply thereto.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Elliot
Major Hawkins and his party of Sappers & Miners are rendering the Governor good service. Communicate to the Foreign Office as he is under their orders—and send a copy to the Admiralty with reference to the aid rendered by Captn Prevost of the Satellite.
Major Hawkins and his party of Sappers & Miners are rendering the Governor good service. Communicate to the Foreign Office as he is under their orders—and send a copy to the Admiralty with reference to the aid rendered by Captn Prevost of the Satellite.
Acknowledge approving the Governors measures?
Matters are evidently in a critical state but not so bad
as they have been represented. Approve?
C
Oct 12
I have given verbal instructions on this to Mr Blackwood.
EBL
Oct 26
Write to the Admiralty enclosing extracts from the
Despatch asking for Naval
force
4
& shewing that the Satellite & Plumper are not there to support Civil
Authority & that the Calypso was perfectly useless for that purpose & had
left [december cmoniesty?] That as yet the only practical effect of my
strong & urgent request on the 26th of June is the information that on the 28th Augt Admiral Baines will leave Callao for Vancouver.
Observe that I must again impress upon the Admiralty the imperative
necessity of keeping at Vancouver for the present 2 vessels of sufficient
force to protect life & property. And that I am sure it will
be a source
of lasting regret to their Lordships—& it will be a cause of great &
severe Parliamentary censure upon the Naval Authorities of England if any
inactivation or lukewarmness in the protection of so valuable a part of
H.M. Dominions after the repeated & urgent representations which had been
sent from this office should produce there evils which might so probably
ensue & of which their Lordships were so carefully warned.
be a source
of lasting regret to their Lordships—& it will be a cause of great &
severe Parliamentary censure upon the Naval Authorities of England if any
inactivation or lukewarmness in the protection of so valuable a part of
H.M. Dominions after the repeated & urgent representations which had been
sent from this office should produce there evils which might so probably
ensue & of which their Lordships were so carefully warned.
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Douglas to Captain Montresor, 24 August 1858,
requisitioning one officer and ten marines from H.M.S.
Calypso.
Montresor to Douglas, 24 August 1858, stating he must
return to sea and had advised Captain Prevost accordingly.
Footnotes
- = Douglas to Stanley, 19 June 1858, No. 28, 7832, CO 305/9, p. 116.
- = Indigenous-settler conflict. In mid-August 1858, reports arrived in Victoria of trouble between Indigenous groups and miners in the Fraser River area, and a party of 194 men left for the interior the week of 20 August to investigate the situation. The Gazette (27 August 1858) reported that Indigenous men had massacred forty-two of the men in the party but retracted the story the next day and stated that the men who began firing upon the settlers at the camp had been stopped by other Indigenous men. Two settlers in the party were killed and two others wounded, before quiet was restored. Gazette, 20, 25, 26?? and 27 August 1858.
- Colonial Secretary's correspondence, PABC ?? Howay?? Cf. Douglas to Lytton, 9 November 1858, No. 30, 549, CO 60/1, p. 400.
- A draft of despatch appears in Douglas to Labouchere, 8 May 1858, No. 19, 6113, CO 60/1, p. 10.
- This minute by Lytton has been crossed out and the preceeding page removed from the file by Colonial Office staff before the volume was bound and paginated.