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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1884)
276 THE WEST SHORE. drift deposits of clay and sand, over which, for the most part, there lies a brownish-black surfuce soil, varying from tiro to four feet in thicknoss, and coatuiiuiig u huge proportion' of vegetable matter. In the Oowichan and Comox districts, as well as many other localities, rich loams appear. Owing to the necessary shortness and rapid descent of the streams, there are but few acres of alluvial bottom lands, though here and there small tracts exist The soil generally is very fertile. When properly cultivated the average yield per acre of cereals is 25 bunliols of wheut, CO of oats, 40 of Chevalier barley and CO of rough barley. Rye, buckwheat, corn, hops (in cer tain places), beans, peas, potatoes, melons and garden vegetables produce abundantly. All fruits of the tem perato zone thrive and bear prolifically. Cattle in small bands do well and support themselves the year round by crazing upon the edible plants and crass of the more thinly wooded districts, and browsing on the tender brush and the nutritious lichens which hang from the tro branches. Little care is required, except to provide . ii shelter whore a dry bod may be found by the animals during the rainy weather. Vancouver Island cannot, however, be termod a stock couutry, since the land is more valuable for agricultural purges. The quality of Ixwf, mutton and pork is equal to that produced in England Attention might bo called to the various soctions of the island upon which Hottlemonts can be advantageously made. The Allwrni District lies 130 miles above Vic toria. The arable jwrtiou is eight by four and one-half miloH in dimensions. There are a score of settlers there now, and a hundred more could find gxd locations. Salmon Rivor, sixty milos further north, has much desir able land ojxm for occupation and purchase. There are also the Cowichan, Saanich, Chomainus and Sominoes districts, all on the oast side. On the west Bide practi cally no settlements have Ixwn made, though along the multitude of bays and inlets there are many acres of valu able land, besides which lumber, fish and coal are there in abundance. The chief drawback is a lack of sufficient communication with Victoria, which will probably be obviated in tho near future by the establishment of a regular steamer route. Duriug the next decade Vancou ver Island will settle up rapidly, and the close of that loriod will boo a continuous line of flourishing settle ments encircling tho island, with extended railway and steamer transportation routes linking them together. Victoria, tho chief city and seat of government of the Province, is situated at tho southeastern extremity of the island, and occupies a commanding commercial inwition. Tho harbor of tho city proper offers accommodation only for vtvwels drawing eighteen feet of water and under, but improvement are contiuually being mode, and the adjacent and supplementary harbor of Esquimalt sup. plioa all that may bo lacking hero. A fine macadamized road connect the two iwrta, along which also is stretched a telephone line. These porta aro by no means strangers to deep water craft from tho four comers of tho world and whoa tho completion of tho groat Canadian Paoifio Railway shall furnish a new trans-American route for the commerce of Asia. and Australia, vessels from every Tucific port will fiiid their way hither, and the flags of every maritime nation will be seen floating from the masthead of ships lying at anchor in the Royal Roads, just without the entrance to Esquimalt The universal verdict of travelers is that Victoria is the most pleasing and delightful city on the Pacific Coast There are several which are larger, possess more imposing structures, and are more noisy and bustling, exhibiting in its widest scope that general spirit of "rush" which is so dominant in the American character; but none so charming in all its adjuncts and surround ing, so delightful as a place of residence or so attractive to visitors. Not that there is no business transacted there, for an examination of her commercial enterprises will show them to be numerous and extensive; but there is a pleasant absence of that hurly-burly which attends the transaction of business on the American side, and that general restlessness which seems 1 pervade even the loungers on the streets. The avenues of the city furnish most excellent drives, while splendid roads have been constructed in every direction, leading through the most charming of scenery and to many elevated points, whence views of the Straits of Fuca and the white-capped Olympic Range, on the one hand, vie in pictureBqueness with the island-dotted Gulf of Georgia and its back ground of Cascade Mountains. The Gorge, reached by a charming drive from the city, is but one of the many attractive spots frequented by natives and visitors. From the time the Hudson's Bay Company first established a post here, Victoria has been the general supply point for the whole Province of British Columbia. She sprang suddenly into great commercial activity in 1858, when the endless throng of miners poured into the Eraser River gold fields, 30,000 of whom wintered in and around the city. When, as the excitement abated, the greater portion of them departed, and the tented city vanished like the camp of a moving army, it was demon strated that a city had been founded which was destined to live, to grow with the Province, and to become metro politan as the resources of tho surrounding region were developed. From that time its history has been one of steady progress. Population has increased, business has expanded and property values have Bteadily ascended. The steamer lines of the Province all center in Victoria, whence they reach all the coast ports where sufficient settlements have been made, and penetrate far into the interior by ascending the Fraser River. The trade of all this extended region centers in the metropolis, and in creases annually as the tributary settlements and indus- tries expand. The business portion of the city is, in the main, well built of Btoue and brick, numerous substantial edifices testifying to the solid character of its commercial enter prises. The numerous public buildings are also of superior character, some of them displaying much taste and architectural skilL The Government buildings, on James' Bay, aro five in number, and are constructed of