THE WEST SHORE.
273
B
THE PROVINCE OP BRITISH COLUMBIA.
HITISIJ COLUMBIA is a Province of tlio Dominion
of Canada, and is the only dependency of the
British Crown bordering the Pacific Ocean on the west
coast of America. No other momber of that great con
federation lias resources sj rich, varied and inexhausti
ble; a climate so healthful, invigorating and agreoablo; a
coast line so magnificent, abounding in excellent harbors,
Bafe entrances to navigable streams and long stretches of
inland Bea, or sheltered gulfs, sounds, bays and iulets;
such a wealth of eoonomio and precious metals, timbor,
coal and fish; none for which Nature has done so much
and man so little. Now comparatively easy of aeeosB
from the great centers of population aud soon, by the
completion of the great Canadian Pucifio Railway, to be
rendered even more so British Columbia stands with
doors wide open, inviting the eutorprising capitalist, the
enlightened farmer, the skilled artisan, tho frugal and
industrious laborer, and all who understand the uso of
hands and brains, to enter and participate in the work of
developing her dormant resources, increase her budding
industries, and make for themselves homes where thoy
may enjoy the comforts, and, in time, even the luxuries,
of life. Nor is this invitation extended simply to tho
subjects of Great Britain alone, for the intelligent, indus
trious and law-abiding of every nation will meet with a
cordial reception, and will find his rights of person and
property as well, and often better, protected as thoy were
in his native land. Citizenship, with all its rights, privi
leges and honors, is conferred upon the deserving of
every race, those who declare their allegiance to her
Majesty, the Queen of England, aud conform to the lib
end laws of naturalization. Desirable as this is for the
mutual welfare of the individual and tho Provinco, it is
by no means necessary, full and complete security of
property and person and protection in tho transaction of
business being accorded to all.
The Province has tho gonorol shape of a parallelo-
gram, 769 miles long and 500 broad, containing a super
ficial area of 350,000 square miles. The llocky Mouu
tains, the great " backbone of the continent," form the
e istern boundary, separating it from tho remainder of
Caniula, and the Pacific Ocoan bounds it on tho went,
s.ive for a distance of about 300 miles on the extreme
north, where the Alaska possessions of the United States
internose between it and the sea. Its southern limit is
the forty-ninth parallel, which forms the international
boundary line between the Province and the United
States, and the northern is tho sixtieth parallel The
general surface of the country is mountainous aud broken,
consisting of short mountain ranges, detached groujw of
mountains, elevated plateaus and many valleys of various
extent Running parallel with the Rocky Mountains,
and in many places scarcely distinguishable from them,
are mosses of mountains, and along the coast lien a high
range BBually indicated as s continuation of tlie Cascade,
but, in fact, a northern extension of the great Coast
Range. Lying between these two, and extending as far
north as latitude 53 30 degrees, is an irregular belt of
olovatod plateau. Beyond this the mountains, exocnt
those bordering tho coast, decrease in height, and before
the limit of tho Province is reached tho land has a gentle
sloiw towards tho Arotio Oooan, Peace River and other
streams of tho Arctio watershed finding their sources
there. Such are the gonoral foatures of tho interior
high mountain ridges on tho oast and west, unclosing a
high plateau, down tho center of which Hows tho Frasor
River, its general course being south until almost to tho
international line, whoro it turns sharply to tho west and
enters tho ocean. Tho other great streams of the interior
are Thompson River, entering tho Frasor from tho east,
and the Okauagan, Columbia and Kootoimy, tho last two
having vory eccentric courses. ' Tho Columbia rises
almost iu tho extrome southeastern comer, sweeps north
erly around tho upper end of tho Selkirk Range, and
then flows directly south betweeu tho Selkirk aud Gold
mountains into tho United States, Tho Kootoimy has its
source iu tho samo region as tho Columbia, makes a long
sweep to the south, crossing the boundary lino, and, re
turning again, discharges its waters into the Columbia.
Ono peculiarity of this region is that nearly every stream ,
of consequence has iU origin in, or passes through, ono
or more long, narrow lakes, consisting in many places of
simply a broadening of the river, and at others a well
defined lake of oousideruble area. Such are Shuswap
Lake, whence Hows tho Thompson, and Lake Kainloos,
through which tho samo stream passes; also Upper ami
Lower Columbia and Upper and Lower Arrow lakes
along the courso of tho Columbia, ami Lakos Kootoimy
and Okauagan, features of the streams thus christened.
Lakes aud water courses abouud from ono end of tho
Provinco to tho other, many of them navigable by steam
ers of a light draught for great distances.
Tho coast lino is tho most wonderful in tho world.
Tho mountains border closely upon the sea, tho shore
being indented by a multitude of bay and inlets and
fringed by countless small islands, between which run
tortuous, but safe and navigable, channels. Outside of
these, and protecting these inland channels for nearly
the entire length of tho coast, are a series of large
islands, tho greatest and most southerly of which is that
of Vancouver, on which Victoria is situated lit refer
ring to this peculiarity the Earl of DulTcriu, at that time
Oovernor-Ooneral of Canada, said, in a euh delivered
at Victoria ou tho 10th of September, 1870: "Such a
spocUiclo as iU coast line present is not to 1m paralleled
by any country in tho world. Day after day, for a whole
week, in a vessel of nearly 2,000 tons, we threaded an
interminable labyrinth of watery lanes and reaches that
wound endlessly in and out of a network of islands, pro
montories and peninsulas for thousands of miles, un
rutllod by tho slightest swell from the adjoining wwun,
and presenting at every turn an ever-shiftiug combina
tion of rock, verdure, forest, glacier and snowcapped
mountain of unrivaled grandeur and beauty. When it is
remembered that this wonderful ystom of navigation,,
equally well adaptod to the largest lino of lmtt!e-liip and
the frailest canoe, fringes the entire aoubourd of your