CHAPTER XVIII. 



Tictoria — The Eush there from California—Contrast to San Francisco 

 under Similar Circumstances— The Assiniboines see the Wonder? 

 of Victoria — Start for Cariboo--^Mr. O'B. and the Assiniboine are 

 Reconciled — The Former re-establishes his Faith— Farewell to the 

 Assiniboine Family — Salmon in Harrison River — The Lakes — 

 Mr. O'B.'s Triumph— Lilloet— Miners' Slang— The " Stage" to 

 Soda Creek — Johnny the Driver — Pavilion Mountain — The Rattle- 

 snake Grade — The Chasm-— "Wayside Houses on the Road to the 

 Mines — We meet a Fortunate Miner — The Farming Land of the 

 Colony — The Steamer— Frequent Cocktails— The Mouth of 

 Quesnelle — The Trail to William's Creek — A Hard Journey — Dead 

 Horses — Cameron Town, William's Creek. 



YiCTORiA is very beautifully situated on the shores of 

 a small rocky bay — an indentation in tlie promontory 

 whicli is formed by tlie sweeping round of tbe sea 

 into the land-locked harbour of Esquimalt. The site 

 was originally chosen by Sir James (then Mr.) 

 Douglas, Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company's 

 territories west of the Rocky Mountains, for the 

 establishment of head- quarters, in place of Fort 

 Vancouver, when Oregon passed^ into the possession 

 of the United States in the year 1844. Fourteen 

 years afterwards, when the news of the discovery of 

 gold on the Fraser caused such excitement in Cali- 

 fornia, the only buildings were the Company's Fort, 

 and one or two houses inhabited by their employes. 

 In the course of a few weeks 30,000 people were 

 collected there, waiting for the flooded Fraser to 



