Colonial Despatches

The recent dreadful massacre of a Road party in British Columbia by the Chilcoaten Indians has naturally given rise in the Colony under your Government to the same feelings with which the intelligence was received in BritishColumbia Columbia. I think it well therefore to convey to you the caution which on the first receipt of the melancholy tidings I expressed to Governor Seymour.

One of the consequences of such an occurrence is to give rise to a spirit of retaliation, which may easily be carried beyond the limits of law, of Justice,or or of policy. I am satisfied it will be your care to moderate any tendency of this nature, and so to avert the risk which would otherwise result that an isolated outrage might be converted into a Tribal War. I need not impress upon you what the experience of every civilized Community settled in the neighbourhoodof of savage races so abundantly demonstrates, that the utmost vigilance is requisite to avert these dangers whenever unprovoked aggression has given rise to the necessity for just and salutary chastisement.