Sir:

Under letters of licence for exploring upon Lake Superior…in 1845 a Mr. W. Metcalfe, my brothers,…. Jones and myself joined in fitting out an expedition to carry out the intentions in those letters specified.

In the month of May 1846, we had made discoveries upon the island of Michipicoten and in the month of July following, I made a written report to the Government of such discoveries whereupon the prescribed granting of land was assigned to 4 persons of our company upon the usual condition. We were the first and only party that gave any attention to the exploration of that island and no other discoveries of any mineral veins have been made there since that period up to the present time, save those which have been made by us.

In October 1846 we were induced to unite with the Quebec Company under written articles of agreement…the Company as equivalent for the expenses…incurred by us in carrying out our explorations…were bound to advance the sum of 3000 pounds toward…developing the occurrences of our discoveries. We had expended a considerable amount in opening the veins upon the south shore, that being more readily accessible than the north parts of the island. We urged the Quebec Company to locate [on] the north shore and commence operations there but without success….some of our party withdrew from that Company and we continued operation…at our own cost and it was in consequence of this that the attention of the Quebec Company was then directed to the island  during the summer of 1848…

The Quebec Company offered the island for sale thus attempting to deprive us of the benefits which our enterprise was entitled to. The remaining portion of the original explorers withdrew from the Company and we continued on our own…In 1850, the Quebec Company sent an agent to England and again sought to sell the whole island based solely on the information which they had obtained through our explorations. That summer two gentlemen arrived from England to examine the veins… 

…Mr. Metcalfe shortly thereafter followed to England with specimens from the veins and we now only require to show an unquestioned right to work these mines when we will obtain the necessary capital to do so. It was with this view that on the 29th of September 1850, I had drafted a [memorandum] to his excellency the Governor General [proposing] to have confirmed to me a certain lease made [to me] by the Indian Chiefs or otherwise be permitted to work these mines upon the Island of Michipicoten. And again upon the 10th day of February 1851, I made a similar application to the Honourable W. Price, then Commissioner of Crown Lands. He told me that the Quebec Company will lay claim to the location but that the Government would declare forfeited all locations where the terms had not been complied with and that I had better keep to myself any knowledge of the particular localities which I deemed valuable until then and that then would be the time to make application for them…

I take the liberty of enclosing to you a letter …. [ the enclosed letter is from the American mining entrepreneur W. Palmer. The letter states that Mr. Bonner of the Quebec Company has sold his Michipicoten Island interests to an American Company; the Occae Mining Company. The letter requests Macdonell’s assistance in locating the copper veins.] 

…[is it] just or fair that W. Bonner should obtain from the Government a right to explore…for speculation in a foreign country to the exclusion of a British subject whose energy and enterprise first attracted the attention of his country [as to] the resources of mineral wealth…[?]

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