House and Garden 
the pelagic sealing vessels, lying in the harbor, 
waiting for the annual trip to the Northern Pacific 
and Behring Sea. Millions of dollars have been 
brought to this city yearly through these sealing 
vessels and Victoria is the greatest center of the 
industry. In January a fleet of vessels leaves with 
white and Indian hunters for a cruise of nine months 
or so, and they always come home treasure laden. 
Undoubtedly the chief charm to Vancouver 
Island lies in her forests, her Douglas fir, spruce, 
cedar, hemlock and balsam. Some of this is used for 
pulp purposes and many large mills give employ¬ 
ment to artisans. Trees twelve feet in diameter 
are common and often the topmost branches spread 
two hundred feet from Mother Earth. Some of 
these magnificent trees are in Victoria’s parks 
and surrounding drives, for the outskirts of this 
town are a good index of the island’s resources. 
Very conspicuous is the Scotch broom plant, whose 
golden glow strikes a distinct note in the landscape, 
all the more interesting because the immense quanti¬ 
ties of the shrubs are said to have come from one 
tiny plant, brought over from the “ Auld Countrie” a 
few years ago. 
There is much coal upon Vancouver Island, and 
this is worked in the vicinity of Nanaimo, Lady¬ 
smith and Cumberland. Generally it is bitumi¬ 
nous and a large industry has sprung up in these 
places, which are also interested in herring fisheries. 
The waters around the island abound in whales, 
and the giant sulphur and sperm are plentiful. A 
profitable whaling industry has just been estab¬ 
lished with the village of Sechart as headquarters. 
Reduction works have been started, a specially 
equipped steamer fitted out and the business is 
lucrative and growing. 
To add to her resources, Vancouver Island 
possesses three of the best harbors in the world, 
that of Victoria, without rock or shoal, Barclay 
Sound and Quatseenough Sound. Any of these are 
nearer than any other Western port to Yokohama, 
and if a railroad is ever built from the mainland 
a tremendous amount of Oriental traffic will go 
that way. Many contend the time is not far distant 
when an unbroken line of railway will reach across the 
water space between the island and the mainland. 
Seven bridges would be required and two of 
them would be 1000 feet in length, but by using 
the series of islands that almost block the channel 
at Bute Inlet, it can be accomplished. It would 
be a great undertaking but undoubtedly will be 
accomplished. Vancouver Island already has local 
railroads leading inland, and a large ferry system, 
and the amount of trans-Pacific commerce that would 
turn toward this prolific island cannot be estimated. 
The city of Vancouver is now the terminus of 
the trans-Atlantic railroad, but beyond is a city 
on an island capable of sustaining a good sized 
nation from its own wealth. It is safe to predict 
that beautiful as Victoria now is, in years to come 
she will not only be chosen as the home of the 
prosperous on account of her picturesque setting, 
but will become the outlet for a trade little dreamed 
of now because the island’s resources have not 
been fully developed. With mining, smelting, agri¬ 
culture, fishing, dairying and ship-building, Vic¬ 
toria, already an industrial and commercial center, 
will be more clearly recognized as the gateway to 
the Pacific. She will always be one of the most 
picturesquely situated cities on this continent, on 
an island of ever varied scenery, and blessed by 
Nature with such a profusion of resources that 
there is yet a wealth of forest, mines and field 
to be discovered by the world at large. 
Provincial Museum—Victoria 
8 
