[Untitled]
On this thirteenth day of March, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, personally appeared before me, David Eckstein, Consul of the United States of America for the Province of British Columbia, Dominion of Canada, residing at the port of Victoria, [Page 171] Vancouver Island, William H. Oliver, who, being first duly sworn, states as follows:
My age is forty-eight years; my residence is Victoria, Vancouver Island. I have resided here most of the time since eighteen hundred and fifty-eight. I am a retired merchant. I am acquainted with the route of travel by water, by steamers and sail-vessels, British and American, in making trips from Victoria to the Gulf of Georgia and Fraser River, since the year eighteen hundred and fifty-eight. So far as my knowledge extends, the Canal de Haro has been and now is universally used by all classes of vessels.
In eighteen hundred and fifty-eight, in December, or in January, eighteen hundred and fifty-nine, I went, as a passenger, on the *Hudson Bay Company’s steamer Beaver, from Victoria to “Derby” or “Old Langley,” as it was called, on Fraser River, and passed through the Canal de Haro, in going and returning. At that time and since, the Canal de Haro is the channel generally, and I think exclusively used by British Steamers and others in going to and returning from Fraser River and Gulf of Georgia to Victoria. Masters of vessels, and navigators generally, have expressed the opinion to me repeatedly, that the Canal de Haro was not only a superior channel to any other between the Continent and Vancouver Island, but was the only one used by mariners in passing from Victoria to the Gulf of Georgia and the Fraser River.[93]Affidavits on the canal de Haro.
I have been acquainted with William H. McNeil, formerly Chief Factor in the Hudson Bay Company, personally since 1864, and by reputation since 1858. Since the sixth of the present month I have had a conversation with William H. McNeil, in which I asked him to state at what time the Hudson Bay Company commenced using the Canal de Haro, by steamers and other vessels employed in carrying their fur trade, and the reasons why they had not used it at an earlier day. He stated to me that the Hudson Bay Company commenced using the Canal de Haro, for the above purpose, soon after they established their Trading-post on Vancouver Island, which was, as he said, in eighteen hundred forty-two, or eighteen hundred and forty-three; and that the Company continued to use it, more or less, from that time on.
And, further, that the Hudson Bay Company ascertained the value of the Canal de Haro for purposes of navigation, at the time of their commencing to use it as above stated. He further stated that the reason why the Hudson Bay Company had not used the Canal de Haro previous to establishing their Trading-post on Vancouver Island, was their want of knowledge of its real value for purposes of navigation.
On pressing my inquiries further upon the subject, the said William H. McNeil stated to me distinctly and positively that the Hudson Bay Company navigated the Canal de Haro with their Steamers as early as one thousand eight hundred and forty-two and continued to navigate the said Canal de Haro thereafter exclusively, in carrying on their trade between Victoria and points on the Gulf of Georgia and Fraser River. William H. McNeil has been in the Hudson Bay Company service since 1837.Canal de Haro regularly navigated by vessels of Hudson’s Bay Company since 1842.
[l. s.]