32 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



the nearest American city. The gold of British Columbia found its 

 way to the bankers and wholesale dealers of the neighbouring colony 

 and thence to San Francisco. 



To obtain access to the mines of Cariboo, distant some four 

 hundred miles from the head of navigation on the Fraser River, the 

 Colony of British Columbia borrowed about one million dollars, for 

 the construction of the great Cariboo wagon road.' To meet this 

 liability the population of the mainland were heavily taxed and all 

 imports bore large customs duties ; while the benefits were shared with 

 Vancouver Island, which was a free trade colony. The only real 

 industry on the mainland was gold mining; but in the rugged climate 

 of Cariboo it could not be advantageously carried on except during 

 five or six months in the year. The first fall of snow, therefore, saw an 

 annual exodus of miners, who spent the money drawn from the main- 

 land mines in the more salubrious climate of Vancouver Island, or in 

 sunny California, 



From these causes arose a strong feeling in British Columbia, 

 that two changes were absolutely necessary for their prosperity — 

 yea, for their continued existence — a Legislative Assembly to make 

 their laws, and, to administer them, a governor unconnected, in any 

 way, with the colony of Vancouver Island and untrammelled and any 

 interests adverse to their well-being. In 1863, after much agitation, 

 they received a promise that, upon the retirement of Governor Douglas, 

 a separate governor would be granted to them, but, that instead of 

 the Legislative Assembly asked for, they would be given a Legislative 

 Council composed of ofificials and a small number of elected members. 

 The Duke of Newcastle, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, 

 intimated that he had taken this step because of repeated urgent 

 requests and against his own judgment which was inclined to the view 

 that union of the two colonies and not their separation was the proper 

 course to be adopted.^ Frederick Seymour was sent out from England 

 to be the first separate Governor of the Colony of British Columbia. 

 His arrival in 1864 was accepted as an earnest of a new and better 

 state of things. Never was governor received with kinder feelings or 

 more genuine delight. 



Now was seen the spectacle of two separate colonies whose 

 combined population, exclusive of Indians, did not exceed 15,000 and 

 whose total permanent residents were, perhaps, not more than one 



iThe Overland Route, in British Cclumhian, April 11, 1868; Appendix, Lange- 

 vin's Report on British Columbia 1872, pp. 209-210. 



2 Papers relative to the proposed union of British Columbia and Vancouver 

 Island, Part I, p. 1. 



