Peter Brown was an HBC servant at the 
Lake Hill sheep station. Several 
correspondence mention his murder in November 1852, apparently by two Indigenous men, one from 
Cowichan and one from 
Nanaimo. 
Douglas describes the discovery of Brown's body in 
this letter, where he also refers to Brown as 
a remarkably well conducted and inoffensive young man.
The two men thought responsible for the murder were eventually caught and, after a
                     hurried trial, executed onboard the 
Beaver. Douglas details the affair in 
this despatch to 
Pakington.