s which belong to the
territory. The largest are Vancouver's Island, and Queen Charlotte
Island, both of which enjoy a mild and salubrious climate, with a soil
well adapted to agriculture. They have also an abundance of fine fish
in their waters. Coal of a very good quality is found there close by
the surface, and they also contain numerous veins of valuable minerals.

All the rivers abound in salmon of the finest quality, which run twice a
year, beginning in May and October, and appear inexhaustible. In Fraser
River, the salmon are very numerous. The bays and inlets abound with
several kinds of salmon, sturgeon, cod, carp, sole, flounders, perch,
herring, and eels; also with shell-fish--crabs, oysters, etcetera.
Whales and sea otters in numbers are found along the coast, and are
frequently captured by Indians, in and at the mouth of the Straits of
Juan de Fuca.

Game abounds in the western section, such as elk, deer, antelopes,
bears, wolves, foxes, musk-rats, martins. And in the spring and fall,
the rivers are covered with geese, ducks, and other water-fowl. Towards
the Rocky Mountains buffaloes are found in great numbers.

From the advantages this country possesses, it bids fair to have an
extensive commerce, on advantageous terms, with most parts of the
Pacific. It is well calculated to produce the following staple
commodities,--furs, salted beef and pork, grain, flour, wool, hides,
tallow, timber, and coals. And in return for these--sugars, coffee, and
other tropical productions may be obtained at the Sandwich Islands.
Advantages that in time must become of immense importance.

Those districts of British America west of the lakes which by soil and
climate are suitable for settlement, may be thus enumerated:--

Vancouver's Island 16,200 square miles.

Fraser and Thomson Rivers 60,000 ditto

Sources of the Upper Columbia 20,000 ditto

Athabasca District 50,000 ditto

Saskatchewan, Red River, Assineboin, etcetera. 360,000 ditto

506,200

Under these geographical divisions we propose to give the results of a
parliamentary investigation (just published) into the affairs of the
Hudson's Bay Company, so far as they are descriptive of the foregoing
districts:--

VANCOUVER'S ISLAND.

This island is fertile, well timbered, finely diversified by
intersecting mountain ranges, and small prairies, with extensive coal
fields, compared by one witness to the West Riding of Yorkshire coal,
and fortunate in