Latest from Bentinck Arm

The British Colonist, January 15, 1863

From Messrs. McMartin and Wheaton, who arrived here on Tuesday night by canoe, we have received the following intelligence:

They left Bentinck Arm on the nineteenth of Dec., calling at Fort Rupert on the 26th ult., and Nanaimo the tenth inst. At Bentinck Arm, the small pox had committed fearful ravages amongst both natives and white people residing there. The last death among the latter was that of E.C. Foster, a native of Linnes, State of Maine, but lately of St. Paul, Minnesota. He was only 28 years of age and has been in British Columbia since the beginning of 1859, having crossed over from Red River in the winter of 1858. The poor fellow attended upon his friend, Daniel W. Howard, whose death we formerly announced, and fell a victim to his faithfulness. He was ill about eleven days before he died. He and Howard came over with Mr. Wheaton from Alexandria, and were on their way here to winter. About two-thirds of the Indians had died, and their bodies were strewn over the ground as food for the wild animals of the forest. The whole number of whites who were carried off during the season had been three up to the time our informant left.

There were 18 whitemen and one woman [camping?] at Bentinck Arm and 5 white men at New Cliff. Provisions were plenty and cheap; flour selling at $18 a barrel. Mr. McMartin left the mouth of Quesnelle River on the 3rd Nov. and, after crossing the Fraser in company with Mr. George Weaver at Nigger Bar, came a new trail by Black river until they struck the [Klooscars?], an Indian village, where some time previously fully 80 Indians were living, and the only inhabitants were two children — a boy and a girl — who had not been cut off by the small pox. The morning after the travellers arrived, the girl [four words illegible] of the whole number to tell the tale to the [one line illegible]. Messrs. McMartin and Weaver lost no time in getting to Nacoontloon Lake, their provisions running very low, and from Nacoontloon they proceeded on the Bentinck Arm. Mr. Weaver afterwards went back to Fort Alexandria and Mr. McMartin came on here. We believe the latter intends returning to Cariboo in the course of a fortnight by the Lillooet route.