Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress with the Annual Message of the President, December 2, 1872, Part II, Volume V

Affidavit of Charles M. Bradshaw.

United States of America, Territory of Washington, ss:

I, Charles M. Bradshaw, of the City of Port Townsend, County of Jefferson, in said Territory, do solemnly declare upon oath that I am a native-born citizen of the United States, aged forty years; that I came to Washington Territory, then included in the Territory of Oregon, in November, 1852. In March, 1853, I went to Dungeness, on the South side of the Straits of Fuca, in Clallam County, Washington Territory—and took up a Donation Claim—fronting upon the Harbor which is but an indentation in said Straits of Juan de Fuca, where I continued to reside until some time in 1867.

From my house, without the weather was very hazy or foggy, I had an unobstructed view to the entrance of Victoria Harbor, the shore of Vancouver Island, the entrance to Canal de Haro, the shore of San Juan Island, and the entrance of Rosario Straits. Between 1853 and 1855 there were no steamers in those localities, except those belonging to the Hudson Bay Company, at Victoria, Vancouver Island, or British vessels of war, and the sight of a vessel propelled by steam was a novelty, and always attracted my attention. It was not an unfrequent occurrence to see a steamer leaving Victoria Harbor, passing around Trial Island, and disappear up de Haro *Straits, on its way to the Gulf of Georgia, and the trading-posts to the North. The Steamers referred to by me were without any doubt the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Steamers Beaver and Otter, and I have no hes itancy in declaring at this time to have been one or the other or both of those vessels. I have yet to see the first Steamer or Sailing vessel come out of Victoria Harbor and go into Rosario Straits. After 1855, at times there were American Steamers making trips between Olympia, Washington Territory, and Victoria.[95]Affidavits on the canal de Haro.

In the spring and summer of 1858 I made a number of trips to Fraser’s River from Victoria, and returned from there to Victoria, each time going through Haro Channel and returning the same way. On two of those trips to Fraser’s River, I was accompanied by from forty to fifty small boats and canoes, many of which boats piloted by Indians, and old Hudson Bay Company bargemen, and discharged servants. In every one of those trips no other route was proposed than through Haro Straits. At that time, and ever since, the Haro Channel was the recognized route of travel from Victoria to the Gulf of Georgia, and to the main-land of British Columbia at and above the mouth of the Fraser’s River. All the Steamers to and from Victoria used that Channel, and none other was spoken of or used either for sailing Vessels or Steamers.

Since 1858, I speak from positive knowledge, the Canal de Haro has been exclusively used in the navigation and commerce between Victoria on Vancouver’s Island, and British Columbia, and the Northern Coast.

CHARLES M. BRADSHAW.

Territory of Washington, County of Thurston, ss:

Before me, Joseph N. Houghton, Clerk of the Supreme Court of said Territory, came Charles M. Bradshaw, who, being first duly sworn, did depose and say that he had carefully read the foregoing statement, and knew the contents thereof; that the same had been dictated by him; and that so much thereof as was stated from his own knowledge was true, and so much thereof as was stated on information he verily believes to be true.

Witness my hand and the seal of said Court this 16th day of March, A. D. 1872.

[seal.]

JOSEPH N. HOUGHTON, Clerk Supreme Court, Washington Territory.