Proceedings of Learned Societies. 397 



Vancouver's Island and British Columbia. — Captain Mayne, 

 R.1ST., read a paper on a journey across Vancouver island, from the 

 New Saw Mill settlement, established at the head of the Alberni 

 Canal to Nanaimo, the coal depot of the island. During this journey 

 many difficulties were encountered. At one place snow-covered 

 mountains obstructed the passage, but on the whole the country was 

 found good ; and a road between these settlements would be highly 

 advantageous, to the colony. It was also stated that along the 

 courses of several rivers of the island there are large extents of land 

 fit for ploughing without needing previous clearing. A paper on 

 British Columbia, by Mr. Kelly, was read. It gave a detailed 

 account of the mineral wealth, the extensive gold-fields, splendid 

 forests, and fertile land of this colony. The Fraser River is open 

 to vessels drawing from eighteen to twenty feet at all time of tides ; 

 and after the channels are buoyed and lighthouses erected, it will be 

 navigable as far up as Tale. The great obstacle at present to the 

 development of the wealth of British Columbia is the difficulty of 

 getting emigrants to it from England. Mr. Kelly proposed to make 

 the trade of this colony flow through British territory, via the Ver- 

 milion Pass, Pembina, and the Grand Trunk Canadian Railway. 

 The Vermilion Pass will present little difficulty in road-making, the 

 grade being only 1 in 135. New Westminster might be reached 

 from Portland (Maine) in twenty-five days. Captain Mayne and 

 Dr. Ray both said that, at present, the route by the Rocky Moun- 

 tains was almost impracticable. The passes through the mountains 

 are much encumbered with wood ; and in crossing the prairie ground 

 between the Red River settlement and the Rocky Mountains, game 

 and buffalo are not abundant, and, indeed, not always to be found. 

 In speaking of the richness of the] Cariboo diggings, Captain Mayne 

 said that he had been told of three men, who, after one day's work, 

 took out nearly 195 ounces of gold in nuggets of large size. 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.— May 13. 



Gigantic Pair of Antlers. — Mr. Louis Fraser exhibited a pair 

 of enormous antlers, the property of Lord Powerscourt, who for- 

 warded the following note respecting them : — " This pair of horns 

 was bought for me by the Hon. Julian Fane, at Vienna, about six 

 weeks ago. The history he got with them was that they belonged 

 to a person who lived near Kronstsdt, in Transylvania, and they 

 were sold out of his Schloss (Palace) at his death, and bought 

 by a travelling merchant, who again sold them to a burgher of 

 Vienna, from whom Julian Fane bought them for me. — " Powers- 

 COURT." The weight of this pair of antlers is 741bs. The height 

 in a direct line four feet three inches, but following the curve of 

 the antler, five feet eight inches, the greatest width being five feet 

 five inches, and the number of points on which a cap can be hung, 

 the usual test as to what constitutes a point, is forty-five. These 



