Doctor Charles Forbes was a medical doctor who lead a mineral survey of
Harrison Lake and
Harrison River in
1860 aboard the
Topaze. His survey sought to discover whether the rumours of copper and silver in the region
were founded.
1 Forbes discovered that the district was in fact rich with both minerals, and, according
to
James Douglas, he recommended that
encouragement should be given to Companies for the purpose of working silver mines,
[as] they cannot be worked advantageously by individual enterprise.
2