Victoria--The Rush there from California--Contrast to San Francisco under similar Circumstances--The Assiniboines see the Wonders of Victoria--Start for Cariboo--Mr. O’B. and The Assiniboine are Reconciled--The former re-establishes his Faith--Farewell to the Assiniboine Family--Salmon in Harrison River--The Lakes--Mr. O’B.’s Triumph--Lilloet--Miners’ Slang--The “Stage” to Soda Creek--Johnny the Driver--Pavilion Mountain--The “Rattlesnake Grade”--The Chasm--Way-side Houses on the Road to the Mines--We meet a Fortunate Miner--The Farming Land of the Colony--The Steamer--Frequent Cocktails--The Mouth of Quesnelle--The Trail to William’s Creek--A Hard Journey--Dead Horses--Cameron Town, William’s Creek 351 CHAPTER XIX. William’s Creek, Cariboo--The Discoverers--The Position and Nature of the Gold Country--Geological Features-- The Cariboo District--Hunting the Gold up the Fraser to Cariboo--Conjectured Position of the Auriferous Quartz Veins--Various kinds of Gold--Drawbacks to Mining in Cariboo--The Cause of its Uncertainty--Extraordinary Richness of the Diggings--“The Way the Money Goes”-- Miners’ Eccentricities--Our Quarters at Cusheon’s-- Price of Provisions--The Circulating Medium--Down in the Mines--Profits and Expenses--The “Judge”-- Our Farewell Dinner--The Company--Dr. B----l waxes Eloquent--Dr. B----k’s Noble Sentiments--The Evening’s Entertainment--Dr. B----l retires, but is heard of again-- General Confusion--The Party breaks up--Leave Cariboo-- Boating down the Fraser--Camping Out--William’s Lake-- Catastrophe on the River--The Express Wagon--Difficulties on the Way--The Express-man Prophesies his own Fate--The Road beyond Lytton--A Break-down--Furious Drive into Yale--Victoria once more 364 CHAPTER XX. Nanaimo and San Juan--Resources of British Columbia and Vancouver Island--Minerals--Timber--Abundance of Fish-- Different kinds of Salmon--The Hoolicans, and the Indian Method of Taking them--Pasturage--The Bunch-grass: its Peculiarities and Drawbacks--Scarcity of Farming Land--Different Localities--Land in Vancouver Island-- Contrast between California and British Columbia--Gross Misrepresentations of the Latter--Necessity for the Saskatchewan as an Agricultural Supplement--Advantages of a Route across the Continent--The Americans before us-- The Difficulties less by the British Route--Communication with China and Japan by this Line--The Shorter Distance-- The Time now come for the Fall of the Last Great Monopoly-- The North-West Passage by Sea, and that by Land--The Last News of Mr. O’B.--Conclusion 385 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.