Smith, to be a pleasant elderly gen leman, who was pleased to assist me in any way. Thus his rifle once I was able to have my trunks forward by the Customs officer free of duty, thereby saving con siderable expense. Capt. Baldwin, of the Pacific Whaling Co., to whom I had letters, was not at his office, and consequently I had to wait until today before seeing him. May 11th '08 Dr. Bismiller, Pres. of the Pacific Whaling Co., was at the station with a friend, and con sequently there was no room for me. He was affected to come in an hour, 13 & tele- graphed for me to await his return in Victoria. No wishing to remain idle, I packed up a few collecting instruments, and took the train for Shawnigan Lake. This is a beautiful body of water on the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway, some twenty-six miles from Victoria. The country surrounding the lake is mountainous, the hills reaching a height of 1000 feet, and covered with con- iferous forest. There are very fine decid- uous trees, the forest being mostly composed of pines, firs & hemlock. Deer are plentiful, bear are some-