*

I send the names of the specimens; those marked with a are on the first page. Several of these, viz. 5*, 8*, 9*, and 13* contain gold, although I do not find gold in Nos. 6*, 10*, and 14*. I believe the vein from which the specimens were taken does contain it. I have not found gold in any of the specimens from No. 1 to 43 without a * on page No. 2.

To the Secretary,

Hudson's Bay House.

Page 1.

I have, &c.

JAMES TENNANT.

No. 1*.

2*.

3*.

Dark coloured compact limestone, with veins of calcareous

spar.

Veins of quartz partly crystallised, in which no gold is to be seen.

Serpentine.

4*A. Quartz crystallized.

4*B. Clay slate, or killas.

4*c. Clay slate, with minute crystals of iron pyrites, and veins

5*.

6*D.

6*E.

7*.

of quartz..

Part of quartz vein, with particles of gold disseminated.
Clay slate, containing crystals of iron pyrites, and veins of
quartz.
Clay slate.

Dark coloured limestone rock, with calcareous spar,
similar to No. 1.

refer to the Prize Essay on the Manufacture of Salt, by Mr. H. Owen Huskisson, which obtained the Society's medal; Parliamentary Report on the subject in 1836; Fownes's Chemistry; and Ure's Dictionary of Arts and Manufactures; also, Utah and the Mormons, by Ferris. The American Patent Office Reports of 1857 (vol. Agricultural) contain an interesting article on the manufacture of salt from brine springs, as practised in America, copied from the Illinois Journals.-J. D. P.

8*.

9*.

Part of a vein of quartz imperfectly crystallised, containing gold.

Clay slate, with small crystals of iron pyrites and veins of quartz partly crystallised, the latter containing a small quantity of gold.

10*. Clay slate, with numerous small crystals of iron pyrites, and veins of quartz crystallised.

11*. Clay slate; this with Nos. 4, 6, 9, 10, 13, and 14 contains much silica.

12*. Serpentine.

13*. Clay slate, containing numerous small crystals of iron pyrites and veins of quartz; in the latter particles of gold are distributed.

14*. Quartz, partly crystallised, containing a small quantity of auriferous iron pyrites.

(Signed)

JAMES TENNANT.

THE PACIFIC SQUADRON.

NAVAL STATION.

(From The Times Correspondent, June 26, 1860.)

Ir is true, that if all that is required for a naval station be so much water for so many ships to float and to anchor in, and so many acres of ground for docks in a wilderness, these essentials are obtainable in Burrard's Inlet, which is about five miles across country from New Westminster. But, as the naval station placed in that locality involves the navigation of a portion of the Straits of Fuca, of the whole of the Canal de Haro (under the guns of the American batteries if San Juan be given up), together with the crossing of the Gulf of Georgia, often a tempestuous sea, as well as the other inland waters which intervene between Burrard's Inlet and Esquimalt and the ocean, all of which navigation would be an addition to a voyage long enough already, and which would be avoided by leaving the squadron to rendezvous at Esquimalt, where the ships now lie, most competent judges prefer Esquimalt for the head-quarters of the squadron. Esquimalt is near the ocean, easily accessible by day and night now that a lighthouse is placed at its entrance. It has good anchorage in Royal Bay, just outside, where a fleet could ride. Besides these conveniences, it possesses great facilities for fortifications over every other harbour in the Pacific

M

Ocean. It could be made impregnable at less cost than any other harbour in these seas could be rendered partially secure; and it is well situated for supplying ships to defend the entrance into the Straits of Fuca-a measure to the accomplishment of which "Port San Juan," situated on Vancouver's Island, near the entrance, possesses important facilities in having a good harbour three miles long, and capable of anchoring a fleet in safety. From this port one or two ships could blockade the entrance, and make Fuca's Straits a British lake, while Esquimalt is close at hand to afford supplies and all necessary assistance.

While these are some of the advantages of Esquimalt, let us glance at the disadvantages and inconveniencies of making Burrard's Inlet the head-quarters.

The tedious navigation to and fro between Esquimalt and the inlet I have already mentioned. There is also the additional expense of provisioning the squadron. At Victoria the men-of-war get all they want, and at Esquimalt itself there is a bakery which supplies them with biscuit. The Admiral's communications with England would be delayed considerably if he were on the coast of British Columbia. Shut up in the inlet the squadron would be out of the way, and distant from the points in the Straits of Fuca where its services must always be most needed. Vancouver's Island will be the point of attack, if an attack is made on one of these colonies by any hostile power, as it must be secured to make the continent tenable if taken, so that if Burrard's Inlet were made the naval station it would involve this anomaly, that while the headquarters were over there, the ships would always be stationed here. The naval station must be at Esquimalt.

HORSE-RACING IN CALIFORNIA.

From Bell's Life, July 1st., 1860.

Sacramento Races (Contreville Course).

First day, Tuesday, April 24.—A purse of 800 dollars, for all ages;
Metairie Club weights; heats, one mile.

H. Peyton's gr. f. Susy Hawkins, by Jack Hawkins out of Lola
Montez, by Gray Eagle, 2 yrs.

M. Morison's ro. f. Kate Mitchell, by Ned Murray, dam

2 yrs.

J. Merritt's (A. F. Grigsby's) b. c. Billy Hood, by Imp. Lawyer,

dam

1 1

2 dis

3 dis

Second day, April 25.- A purse of 600 dollars, free for all ages;
Metairie Club weights; heats, two miles.

N. Coomb's ch. h. Billy Cheatham, by Cracker out of Lucy, by
Mingo, 6 yrs.

E. S. Lathrop's (W. M. Williamson's) b. m. Bonny Belle, by Bel-
mont out of Liz Givens, by Imp. Langford, 6 yrs.

1 1

2 2

Third day, April 26.-Great Match for 10,000 dollars (four mile heats), between the Californian-bred colt Langford and the Kentucky-bred colt Ashland.

E. S. Lathrop's ch. c. Langford, by Belmont out of

Liz Givens, by Imp. Langford, 4 yrs, 100 lb. up. W. Pierce 1 1

Hon. N. Coomb's b. h. Ashland, by Imp. Glencoe

out of Mary Bell, by Sea Gull, 5 yrs., 110 lb. up. J. Williams 2 dr

Fourth day, April 27.-The Proprietors' purse of 300 dollars; free for all ages; heats, one mile; best three in five.

Capt. H. Peyton's gr. f. Susy Hawkins, 2 yrs. (pedigree, &c. as above)

E. S. Lathrop's (W. M. Williamson's) b. m. Bonnie Belle, 6 yrs. (pedigree as above)

Time, 1: 511-1: 52-1: 50.

1 1 1

2 2 2

LAW OF LAND SALES IN THE COLONIES.

As the law itself is short, and to intending settlers particularly interesting, it is inserted here, omitting the preamble :

1. That from and after the date hereof, (January 4th, 1860,) British subjects and aliens who shall take the oath of allegiance to Her Majesty and her successors, may acquire unoccupied and unreserved, and unsurveyed Crown land in British Columbia (not being the site of an existent or proposed town, or auriferous land available

for mining purposes, or an Indian Reserve or Settlement,) in fee simple, under the following conditions.

2. The person desiring to acquire any particular plot of land of the character aforesaid, shall enter into possession thereof and record his claim to any quantity not exceeding 160 acres thereof, with the magistrate residing nearest thereto, paying to the said magistrate the sum of eight shillings for recording such claim. Such piece of land shall be of a rectangular form, and the shortest side of the rectangle shall be at least two-thirds of the longest side. The claimant shall give the best possible description thereof to the magistrate with whom his claim is recorded, together with a rough plan thereof, and identify the plot in question by placing at the corners of the land four posts, and by stating in his description any other land marks on the said 160 acres, which he may consider of a noticeable character.

3. Whenever the Government survey shall extend to the land claimed, the claimant who has recorded his claim as aforesaid, or his heirs, or in case of the grant of certificate of improvement hereinafter mentioned, the assigns of such claimant shall, if he or they shall have been in continuous occupation of the same land from the date of the record aforesaid, be entitled to purchase the land so pre-empted at such rate as may, for the time being, be fixed by the Government of British Columbia, not exceeding the sum of ten shillings per acre. 4. No interest in any plot of land acquired as aforesaid, shall before payment of the purchase money, be capable of passing to a purchaser unless the vendor shall have obtained a certificate from the nearest magistrate that he has made permanent improvements on the said plot to the value of ten shillings per acre.

5. Upon payment of the purchase money, a conveyance of the land purchased shall be executed in favour of the purchaser, reserving the precious minerals, with a right to enter and work the same in favour of the Crown, its assigns and licencees.

6. Priority of title shall be obtained by the person first in оссираtion, who shall first record his claim in manner aforesaid.

7. Any person authorised to acquire land under the provisions of this Proclamation, may purchase in addition to the land pre-empted, in manner aforesaid, any number of acres not otherwise appropriated, at such rate as may be fixed by the Government, at the time when such land shall come to be surveyed, not to exceed ten shillings per acre; five shillings to be paid down, and the residue at the time of

survey.

8. In the event of the Crown, its assigns or licencees, availing itself, or themselves, of the reservation mentioned in clause 5, a reasonable compensation for the waste and damage done, shall be paid by the person entering and working, to the person whose land