[howay] the raison D'ETRE OF FORTS YALE AND HOPE 63 



Company, but if that cannot be accomplished without inconvenience, 

 why there is nothing in the character of the road or state of the 

 Indians to hinder the march of the Interior Brigades to the Depot in 

 separate divisions. There is a strong impression on my mind, that 

 the mountains between the Horseguard and Fort Hope, will be found 

 impassable for horses, until the snow is nearly all gone, though many 

 experienced persons are of a different opinion and suppose the snow 

 will be compact enough to support loaded horses. If not we shall be 

 in a manner forced to resort to the Kequeloose road, for the outcoming 

 Brigade ; as the final alternative to establish a Depot for the interior 

 at Fort Hope, which the Brigades may always manage to reach by 

 the 10th and leave by the 25th of July, a season sufficiently early for 

 their return in good time. The reasons for and against these plans 

 will occur to your own mind, except perhaps the present scarcity of 

 men and difficulty of procuring recruits, to perform the transport 

 from Langley — and other indispensable Depot work which is now 

 done by the Interior men. I think that difficulty will prove fatal 

 to any attempt to relieve the interior of any part of the transport 

 work, without taking into consideration the heavy expense it will 

 bring upon the trade, in maintaining an extra number of men to 

 attend to it. 



Enough on that subject for the present, let us turn to something 

 else. The winter has been rather more severe than usual in this 

 quarter; but we are now making rapid strides towards a more genial 

 season. The California excitement continues as strong as ever, in 

 this quarter, to the great injury of the country. The benefit derived 

 from the gold discovery is confined to the few, the detriment to the 

 million . A great part of the city of San Francisco was lately destroyed 

 by fire and the city of Sacramento was laid waste by water, the site 

 being below the high water level of the River. A scarcity was appre- 

 hended in that country but provisions are now abundant and cheap. 



Her Majesty's Sloop "Driver" arrived here on the 11th inst. with 

 His Excellency Richard Blanshard, Esqre., Governor of Vancouver 

 Island, on board. Mr. Blanshard has neither Secretary nor Troops, 

 being accompanied by a single body servant. I have not had time to 

 become much acquainted, but I may say that his quiet gentlemanly 

 manner is prepossessing. 



He has not yet entered upon his Executive duties, further than 

 reading his Commission to the assembled states of the Colony. Capt. 

 Grant is still the only colonist upon the Island. Dodd, Sangster, and 

 other parties in the Company's service, wish to become settlers ; but 

 are scared at the high price charged for land say £l Sterling per acre. 



