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Show vUnM la llrlllih Col.ml.la. Tho first authenticated dlscorery of gold In Htvtlsh Columbia, according to Dr, a. M. Hanson, occurred at Mitchell, Mitch-ell, or Uotd Harbor, on tho west roast of Queen Charlotte Island, In 1851, a nugget weighing sovcrsl ounces having been accidentally picked up by an Indian In-dian woman on tho seashore This nugget wus brought to Kort Simpson, and coming Into tha possession of the officer In chargo of tho Hudson Hay company's post at that place, was forwarded for-warded by him to tho company s head-quarters head-quarters at Victoria, An expedition was at onco fitted out and, proceeding to tbo spot, succeeded la locating a qucrtz vein seven Inches wide, "reported "report-ed to contain 25 per cent gold In somo places." The find wss worked for some months and then abandoned, tho narrow nar-row vein entirely giving out; no other Indications of mineral wcro ever found on tho Island, notwithstanding that this extraordinary llttlo soatn of quartz had yielded In tbo few weoks It waa worked, a value of SIO.OOO on tho word of ono authority, or $75,000 on that of another About tho iam tlmo coal, which hod been discovered on Vancouver Island as far back ai 18SS, began to bo mined In earnest at Nanalmo llnglneerlng Mtgatlno. |