Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 22.djvu/182



172 ANDREW FISH

that he was, immediately began to exercise his offices upon the Indians and is said to have baptized until exhausted. Douglas gave aid but had also other work to do ; a site for the fort must be selected and material for its erection gathered. The "Beaver" went north for the other part of the expedition, leaving those on the spot to prepare timbers, dig a well and so forth. She was back on the first of June and the work was pushed ahead. In another three months stockades, bastions, store, and dwelling houses were ready. Supplies came from Vancouver and the new community was fairly launched. Roderick Finlayson took command in 1844, and was practi- cally ruler of the island. As an example of the economy of Douglas and the ingenuity of Finlayson it is recorded that Fort Camosun was built without a single nail; nothing but wooden pegs were used. As to the name, it was changed from Camosun to Albert, honoring the Queen's consort, but soon afterwards it became Victoria, whether from fresh access of patriotism or not I am unable to say. Cattle was taken from the mainland ; ground was broken by primitive ploughs ; ships from England began to arrive; whalers called, and presently British naval vessels used it as a station.

Only the regular business of abrading post was carried on for 'some years, but a change took place after the discovery of gold in California in 1848. As a supply depot for mines Victoria got some of the overflow business of San Francisco; also some of the miners preferred to spend the winter in this less expensive and less riotous place. These facts affected the economic situation in that it not only brought more business but provided gold as a medium of exchange. It also caused great excitement and unrest among the population. Finlay- son 6 gives us an illuminating picture of the coming of the strangers into this somewhat primitive society.

"These rough-looking miners landed here from their ves- sels, which entered the harbor early in 1849. I took them first to be pirates, and ordered our men to prepare for action. I, however, entered into conversation with them,

6 See Bancroft p. 181.