BRITISH COLUMBIA,

Otago Witness, Issue 554, 12 July 1862, Page 3

BRITISH COLUMBIA,

Our dales from British Columbia are to the 20th of March. The British Colonist gives the following summary of news :•—

"The steamer Maria has made a trip to Harrison River, with freight and passengers. Capt. Irving reports that both the Fraser and Harrison Rivers are lower than he has ever before seen them, and he was compelled to discharge freight at the mouth of Douglas Slough (three miles short of the town), whence it will cost 30 dols. a ton to convey it to Port Douglas.

The Eraser River, above Harrison, remains frozen ; the lakes on the Harrison Lillooet route, ditto. There is no hope expressed of a breakup within ten days, and gloomy forebodings of a late mining season are felt. The steamer Hope, carrying freight, and the Flying Dutchman > empty, have both started up the Frascr to prospect for mi opening thiongh the ice, to Hope and Yak. iiiosl of the miners who left on the Otter rti 'im r t Now Westminster. Many are destitute of the means to pay their way to the diggings. The generally expressed opinion is that they hu\e started too soon.

Mr, Pearson, of Lillooet, came passenger by the Otter, and last night furnished the following import-uit information :— Ily left Liilooet on the

] Oth March, and found the trail in very bad condition. Crossed the 1 lake on ice from 12 to 16 inches thick, with snow four feet deep on a level on all the portages. The travelling is rery, heavy. The merchants of Lillooet charged Mr. Pearson to call afc the Colonist office, and state that there are no provisions at the Flat, except a little flour in the hands of one merchant. They say they' do not wish to see a. single miner there before the 10th of April. It will bo useless for any one to go up before that time, as they cannot be fed, and will have to return. No fresh meat of any kind is to be hud at Lillooet. The snow between Bonaparte and Lillooet is four feet deep. No communication has been had with Cariboo or Williams' Lake for nearly two months. On the lsl of March, Sebaatopo!, Griffin, Caswell, and two others, all miners, left the Flat for Quesnelle river. Frederick Black, the butcher, was to start up on the 20th. The snow is reported very deep. One-third of the pack animals died at the Lillooet and vicinity about the middle of .February. Home of the horses at Seldon Lake had their feet frozen. i

Eraser river is fifteen feet lower this winter than ever before known. Many bars are out.aud miners lire working them and making fine wages. Nothing " big" has been struck, however. Between 200 and .300 Chinamen, who wintered at the Lillooet, have started up to work at Big Bar and other localities. Eleven men had arrived at Lillooet from New "Westminster, by way of the river. They were nineteen days making the journey. Mr, Pearson is bound to Bentinck Arm, where lie left pack animals last fall, and designs packing them through to Port Alexaudria as soon as possible.

George Weaver, who arrived at Victoria on 22nd March, from Cariboo via the coast route, fnrnishes some late news from Cariboo. He left Beaver Lake on the 23th January. The weather had been very cold from the Ist of December up to the date of his leaving — much colder than afc any rime last winter. Not near so much snow fell this winter as in the winter of 1860 61. The mercury congealed on the night of the Ist of December •, on the 25th and 26th January, the mercury congealed before sundown with the sun sinning full upon if ! Two thermometers at Williams' Lake burst from the effects of the cold. Quite a number of men had been frost-bitten. A man named Wilson was frost-bitten at Mud Lake after halt' an hour's exposure. Another, named Ferguson, at the Porks of Quesnelle, while chopping wood, with leathern boots on, had his feet frozen. Flour was worth 45 dols. a hundred at the Porks of Quesnelle, and 30 dols. at Antler Creek. Bacon at Antler was selling at 1 dol. 23 a pound.

Vancouvku Inland Legislature. — The Legislature of Vancouver Island met at Victoria on 18th March. The Estimates which were laid before the Assembly make tho revejue for 1862, £22,863 — or £24 5S less than the revenue of the previous year. — Melbourne Aye.