Page:Letters to Mrs. F. F. Victor, 1878-83.djvu/10

 family at Caithness where his father was a schoolmaster. Wm Glen Rae who died where San Francisco now is, in charge of the Cos business there, was with us in 40 at Vancouver. He afterwards went to Stikine when he left Jno McLoughlin was left in charge—too young & hot headed for such a service. In reference to the Co's letter Books, I was astonished in '65 to find almost every letter received at Vancouver for so many years carefully preserved & were being duplicated at Victoria.

In answer to your 1st Query. I think the wheat business was not very profitable or desirable, except in so far as it enabled the Company to gather in a good deal of old debt—there was but very little money in the Country till 1849 & but little wheat. We used some times to supplement the wheat by purchasing in California to complete the contract with the Russians. I think the Russians only took about 500 Tons a year. The Islands took but comparatively little flour & the people here were too generally impecunious to buy much.

Dr [Wim. J .] Bailey so well known at Champoeg—the husband of "Ruth Rover" the Miss [Margaret] Smith that came with [David] Leslie & [H. K. W.] Perkins is one of the persons I think alluded to by J K Townsend—I haven't his work.

3rd. I think the Company kept up their post at Vancvr till '61. I can't confidently state the duration of each Chief Factors residence at Vancr. The abandonment took place after Dugald McTavish left for Victoria. J. A. Graham was in charge—Mr [A. G.] Dallas, son in law of Sir James Douglas ordered it—he was personally on a visit to Vancouver, he was two or three days with me at the Old Company farm at the Cowlitz prior to his going to Vancouver—he asked me what I thought of his paying a visit to [Gen. W. S.] Harney. I recommended it of course—he was a very gentlemanly man but had but little energy—he came to Victoria to supercede Douglas if required—had the necessary power of Attorney which I believe he never presented—he was also the head of the P. S. A. [Puget Sound Agricultural] Association. By the way I had the prospectus published in London by the Com-