y houses of any
moment being the pagoda-like buildings erected in 1859 for the
Government, and replaced by the present palatial buildings, of which
there were five. In addition to these I see the residence of Governor
Douglas and Dr. Helmcken, Captain Mouat and City Clerk Leigh. There
was also a good-sized house on Beckley Farm, corner of Menzies
Street, in charge of John Dutnall and wife. Across Menzies Street
there is the cottage now owned and occupied by Mr. Jesse Cowper,
since dead, which was then occupied by John Tait of the Hudson's Bay
Company's service, and who was an enthusiastic volunteer of the white
blanket uniforms of 1861.

[Illustration: Government buildings, 1859-60.]

I see what I think was the residence of W. A. Young, on Superior
Street, who was Colonial Secretary, and whose wife was a daughter of
Chief Justice Cameron. If this is the place I see, it is still
standing, and for years was the residence of the late Andrew J.
Smith. To the right of the Government buildings is an isolated
cottage which I believe is still in the land of the living, being
built of corrugated iron, brought out from England by Captain
Gossett, who in 1859 was colonial treasurer, mention of whom will be
made later on. From Mr. Leigh's residence, which with Captain Mouat's
was on the site of Belleville Street, until you come to St. John
Street, there is a blank. On the corner is the house built and
occupied by Captain Nagle, now occupied by Mr. Redfern, and across
the street another built by James N. Thain and now occupied by Mr.
George Simpson of the customs. From this on to the outer dock I
see three isolated houses, that still remain. The large one was built
and occupied by Mr. Laing of "Laing's Ways," the pioneer shipbuilder;
another by Captain H. McKay, the sealer captain; the third was built
out of the upper works of the wrecked steamer _Major Tomkins_, the
first steamer to run from Olympia to Victoria. She was wrecked off
Macaulay Point in 1856. Mr. Laing bought the upper works and built
this house. Lumber in those days had mostly to be imported from
San Francisco--that is, the wood for fine work. Mr. Muir, of Sooke,
bought the boilers and engines, which he put into a sawmill he built
there, and good service they gave for years. Before the road opposite
the Government grounds, which is now Belleville Street, was reclaimed
from the sea, there was an Indian trail which ran through the woods,
from Laing's Ways, in the dir