Big Bend Diggings - Richness Confirmed

BIG BEND DIGGINGS – GREAT RICHNESS CONFIRMED! – LATEST PARTICULARS.

            The steamer Enterprise arrived last evening from New Westminster, with 73 passengers and an express.

            There is nothing of interest from Cariboo, while the most gratifying accounts continue to be received from the Big Bend.

            From Mr. Cason (a very intelligent Frenchman), who arrived in this city last evening from the Big Bend diggings, we gather the following reliable information.  Mr. Dason left French Creek on the 19^th ult.  The weather was fine, though rather snowy.  All kinds of work were suspended for the season.

            FRENCH CREEK. – Five or six individuals were to winter on French Creek.  Two men were busy making preparations to put up a sawmill, for Mr. Romano.  The creek has been staked off for a distance of three miles in length.  Out of the numerous companies that prospected on the creek this season, only five were able to reach the bed-rock, viz.: The Discovery Claim, in which a pan of dirt yielded $5 or $6; little work had been done here during the past season.  Francois Grivel, who worked alone on the side of the bank, had been making as high as $500 in one day with a rocker.  Dupuis & Co., adjoining Grivel’s upper boundary line, has been making some big pay during the latter part of the season.  Lafleur & Co., three men in all, in the bed of the creek, had been averaging from 10 to 16 ounces per diem.  Lafleur took down $6,000 as his own share of the profits.  The Munroe Co., four men in number, are reported to have taken $1,500 to the interest, free from expenses.

            The Brabant Co. consisting of four men who have not yet reached the bed rock, have been averaging from one to one and a half ounces to the hand per day.  The Bachelor’s Co. have struck an excellent prospect in the top ground.  Mr. Cason, one of the shareholders in this claim, brought down $4.25 of coarse, flat heavy gold, which he washed out of three pans of dirt from the top gravel.  The gold which was weighed at the kitchen of the Hotel de France, among a numerous crowd, was the means of creating great excitement.  Mr. Cason confirms in every particular the statements published a few days ago by us.  Mr. Cason is of opinion that these new diggings will turn out rich.

            Eight hundred feet below the Discovery claim the Hard Up Cp., have sunk a shaft 30 feet deep from which they obtained most encouraging prospects, although they had not reached the bed rock.

            McCULLOUGH CREEK. – Clement’s Co. on the Discovery claim, consisting of four or five men, were reported to make from 20 to 40 ounces at the depth of seven or eight feet a day, although the bed rock had not been struck.  They found nuggets weighing from $15 to $20 a piece.  This is the only company who got any gold this season, but hopes are entertained of the richness of this creek.  It must be borne in mind that this creek was not discovered until very recently.  McCullough’s Company were however making the necessary preparations to work all the winter.

            CARNES’ CREEK. – Several companies were at work when our informant left.  The Discovery Co. above all are doing very well.

            The following statement of the distances to Big Bend and topography of the diggings which we have taken the trouble to compile, will at the present time be read no doubt with much interest:-

            From Yale to Lytton City, 57 miles; from Lytton to Savana’s Ferry, by taking the wagon road to Cache Creek, 74(?) miles, by the pack trail along Thompson river the distance is fifteen miles shorter.  From Savana’s Ferry to the end of Shuswap Lake – lake and river travel alternately – is 130 miles.  From the end of Shuswap Lake to Kirby’s Place on the Columbia River, 38 miles, over a mountainous trail, at present in bad condition owing to fallen logs and swamps.  As this trail has a good solid bottom, it would not be difficult making a good road at a small cost.  In order to secure the travel as well as traffic this should be done as soon as possible.  The distance then from Kirby’s Place to Downie Creek is one mile up the river; from Downie Creek to Dead Rapids six miles; from Dead Rapids to the mouth of Gold Creek, which in thus ascending empties into the Columbia river on the right hand side, is 15 miles.  Gold Creek is not navigable at its mouth on account of falls.  Two miles above the mouth of Gold Creek is Wilson’s Landing; from this place there is a portage to navigable waters on Gold Creek, of four miles.  Intersecting the four miles of portage are two creeks, one of which is said to be rich.  From this point Gold Creek is navigable for many miles. – A few miles above this point is the tributary called McCullough’s Creek, which is distant from Wilson’s Landing by land eight miles.  Four miles higher up is French Creek, another tributary of Gold Creek, and the most distant of the present discovered auriferous creeks.  Between Kirby’s Place and Gold Creek there are on both sides of the Columbia river numerous creeks not yet prospected, which are supposed to be auriferous.  The total distance by way of the Columbia and Gold Creek to French Creek is 36 miles; this route, however, almost describes a right angle, and is therefore superceded by an Indian trail which exists from Downie Creek to French Creek, and is very little over half the distance.  Descending the river from Kirby’s Place we come at a distance of 12 miles to Carnes Creek.

(From the British Columbian.)

            The steamer Onward, Capt. Irving, arrived from Yale on Monday night with about 60 passengers.  Mr. Romano, of Yale, arrived from the Big Bend on Sunday, having made the trip in five days.  Mr. Romano is in ecstacies about the new gold field, declaring it to be quite as rich as Cariboo, much more extensive, the gold much nearer the surface and, consequently, much more easily got at, while the country is less difficult of access, and possesses a much milder climate.  He brought with him a large quantity of beautiful coarse gold, ranging from $8 nuggets downwards, chiefly taken from French Creek.  Mr. Romano has the most unbounded confidence in the Big Bend country, not only as a mining district, but as an inviting field for the trader, and it is his intention, should the work of placing a steamer upon lakes Kamloops and Shuswap not be gone on with at once, to construct a horse-boat for the accommodation of his own business.

            Amongst the passengers by the Onward on Monday were Mr. Low, formerly foreman of the Baldhead Co., Williams Creek, a Frenchman  from French Creek, and Mr. John Carraher, from McCullough’s Creek.  Mr. Low left Cariboo about two months ago, and went to French Creek, where he took out $3000 in less than five weeks.  The last named gentleman went over to Kootenay last May, and was induced, from reports coming down, to direct his course towards the Big Bend country.  Owing to delays from various causes, and the time occupied in building a boat and organising a party at Colville, he did not get off till October.  Reaching the mouth of Gold Creek, he struck across to McCulloch’s Creek a distance of ten miles, where he found the Clemen’s Company at work, taking out from $16 to $25 per day to the hand.  This company consists of 8 men, viz., John Clemens, John Gallaher, John Hough, James Cunningham, Dick Gilbert, “Brother Dick,” and Thomas ___________.  Mr. Carraher and party set to work to prospect.  They found as high as $6 to the pan, located their claims, and by that time the season was too far advanced and supplies too scanty to justify their remaining, so laying over their claims they left for the season.  Mr. Carraher showed us a sample of the gold from McCulloch’s Creek.  It is in nuggets ranging from $10 downward.  Messrs. McCulloch and Orr had arrived on the creek before he left, and were making preparations for the winter.  They had found excellent prospects on another creek running into Gold Creek lower down, and taking its rise in the same range of mountains as McCulloch’s Creek.  Very little snow had fallen in the Big Bend country, although the snow was four feet deep on the summit in crossing over to Shuswap Lake.  These parties all unite in predicting that the Big Bend country will afford far more extensive and remunerative diggings than Cariboo.