BRITISH COLUMBIA.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3191, 8 October 1867, Page 4

BRITISH COLUMBIA.

The Emigration Commissioners report that 3,953 acres of country land in this colony were sold in the year 1866. In that year about £44,000 were expended in opening and improving t roads ; 109 miles of wagon and sleigh road were opened for traffio in the year, and 375 miles of pack trail, making the extent of road open for traffic at the end of the year 560 miles of wagon and sleigh road and 863 mites of pack trail. Above £7,000 were expended on other public works, among which was a lightship which has been placed on the south sand head at the mouth of the Frazer river, and iron buoys marking the channel from the lightship into the river. It is calculated that British Columbia contains about 280,000 square miles, or 179,200,000 acres, of which up to October, 1866, ©nly about 60,000 acres were settled by white men. The colony is considerably more than double the size of the United Kingdom. The irregular character of the country, broken up as it is by high and rugged mountain ranges, makes it very difficult of exploration ; but it has been ascertained that besides the ralley of the Frazer there is much land available for pasturage on the high plateaux, and at the foot of the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains which form the eastern boundary of the colony. We have advices from Victoria, V.T., to July 16th. The Victoria Morning News of July 14th states that the principal object of Governor Seymour's visit to the North-west coast ia to examine Queen Charlotte Island, which it is said a wealthy American company have offered a large sum of money for, on condition that they obtaiu a, fee simile title to it and a transfer of its sovereignty from Great Britain to the United States. The island abounds in copper and other minerals.

Return op thk " New Island " Expedition. — The schooner Leah returned to San Francisco on the 9ch July from searching for the island reported discovered in longitude 150' 50 W., and latitude 40* 40 N. The search, though extending as far west as 160 degrees and from 30 to 41 north, was unsuccessful, no land being seen. In the immediate viciuity of the reported location of the island a terrific sea was encountered, caused by a soHth-east gale. During the search a tract of discoloured water was found, extending about 250 miles south-east and north-west and about 80 miles wide. Attempts were made to sound, but the sea was so rough that it was not satisfactorily done, and no bottom was found with 150 fathoms line. The water was, however, of a greenish colour, similar to that found between the bar and the Farralones off this port, and it was believed that comparatively shallow soundings could be found in searching in calmer weather. Vast numbers of small birds, like sand-pipero, were seen, some of which, as well as several large birds resembling boobies, alighted on the vessel. Immense quantities of •' Portuguese men-of-war " were seen, the sea at times being literally covered with them, they resembling a sheet on the water and stilling the violence of the waves. Prom the discoloured water and birds seen (which latter are not found any great distance from land), it is believed that an island exists not very remote from the locality visited.