Referring to Mr. Higgins' most interesting account of the killing of
the noted Indian chieftain, "Captain Jack," at the Victoria jail in
the year 1860--the result of this shooting was to set the Indians
over on the reserve wild with excitement, which condition was aided
by a plentiful supply of infernal firewater obtained from the
notorious wholesale joint at the end of the Johnson Street bridge.
They immediately decided to start in their canoes up along the
straits toward Saanich, calling at the many farms and wreaking their
vengeance upon the settlers. A man was sent out from the fort on
horseback to warn the farmers. At the Uplands Farm at Cadboro Bay,
where the late William Leigh and family were residing, there were
some seventeen people--men, women and children. When the warning came
a hasty consultation was had, Mr. Leigh being away on business, as to
whether it would be best to load up the wagons and all move in to the
fort, or to barricade the house and run chances of being burned out,
or to hide away in the forest behind the farm. The latter course was
finally decided upon, and with a supply of blankets, mats and wraps,
for protection against the cold, a movement was made down into a
heavily wooded ravine about half a mile back of the farm, where,
hidden under the spreading branches of a large pine, the party made
themselves as comfortable as they could, the women and children
huddled close under the tree and the men and elder boys mounting
guard on the outer edge. Some of them were perched in the lower
branches with whatever arms they had been able to secure, principally
old Hudson Bay flintlock muskets.
It was very dark and gloomy in the ravine, which was heavily timbered
with a pine forest, and the concealed partly expected that at any
time the Indians might arrive and fire the farm buildings, and
perhaps search for them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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