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V
r
REPORT
ON r
THE
Winnipeg aqd Hpd^oi]'? Baij ^'^
AM)
I
STEAMSHIP COMPANY.
W. MURDOCH, C. E.
1
{
Mm\xip\q, ^an.:
TIMES STEAM BOOK AND JOp PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT.
A-DllSSi.
T(j
(\m)
9.nso
REPORT
UN II IK
Winnipeg aqd [lud^oi]'^ Baij I(ailwaij \^.^. (Jo.
l!V
W. .MrRDOOll C. E.
WiNMl'Kfi, .MimitoLa, May 2Sfcli, ISS4.
To Hugh Sitiiekland, Ksc^, iM. I'.,
President Winnipeg & Hu<lson Bay Railway and SteHni.sliip Co.
Sir, — T licrt'witli sul)iiiit the following report to accompany a state-
ment of the linancial hasis of the VV. *r H. B. It'y ds; S.S. Co.
The Dominion (Jo\ernment of Canada, in pursuance of their declared
policy have decided to grant but one charter for a railway from this
])oint to Hudson's Bay, they refused to grant, during last session, a char-
ter to the \Vinni])eg, San Francisco an<l H. B. R'y, and the Montreal
Com])any now dissolviMl in accordance with section 12 of the Act of
incorporation, which took eti'ect on the twelfth day of May, 1S(S4. Youi'
company have now the oidy ehartei" in existence, and therefore, most
\aluable, having no coujpetitoi-s and guaranteed against any. Jn
addition to tlui main line they have the valuable bivinch from a
point noi'th of Lake Witniipegoosis, westward to the Canadian
Pacific Railway, thi'ough a tine country unsurpassed for timber and
minerals, which adds much to the value of the charter, from thi^ all-im-
portant fact that the products of the West will then be carried by the
shortest route to the seal)oard and will be a remunei'ativc additional
source of reveime to the main line.
The geographical position of \Vinni])eg, tlu; initial point of railway
and the entrepot to the great North-West, is, as nearly as possible, half
wav fi"<mi the Atlantic to the Pacific, beinif about l.2<S.'i miles fi'om each
in a straight line, and only .5i)3 miles from the head of navigation for
ocean steamshii)s on the Xelson River via railway 88 miles from its
mouth above where it empties into Hudson's Bay, at which place, which is
known as Limestone Falls, there is a ftasin three miles in width capable
of holding the British navy, having a depth of (10 feet or more water,
wliere vessels could remain with entire safety winter and suuuuer.
fil
»«-,i i iti l iBi »^ I
/
4 Till', W. AND II. I». II. ANI> S. CO.
I*nl)lic <.|»iiii(»ii is so well sniisficil us to tin- iiincticuliilit y of lliiilsr)ir.s
Stiuils I'oi- stt'Miii iwivi;^oition tliiit I slwill do no moir iIdiii (|iiotc for your
iiifoiiiiat ion, tilt' (•(>iii|»iirutivr (li.sliiiiccs to Ms fi|tool.
Kioin WiiiMipf^' to Moiitn-iil, ritt ( .'liicjii^o. . . . 1 ,70:{ milo.
" rhiAWM.nmU' 1,410 "
.Moiitnal to Liv.Ti.ool 2,!)!>() "
Or, 11 Lotiil on till' liist-MuiiitMl I'outc of 4,n!K'{ "
Aiii| II toiul ovrf till' s('(;on<l-niiiiii'"l route <»f .. 4. !•'{() '
TIk! distmicc from WiniiijM'u- to liivfr] I lun Mincstoiif Fulls is
.'J, 017 milts, ()!• M:{ milts shorter tlmii tin liortcst, mid l,()7<'t miles
slioi'tei' tlmii tlie longest I'out*!, Iiimest(jn(! I'. .,s, oti tlie Nelson Kivei', is
.'H miles farther to Liverpool tluin Montt'efd. iiiiil I'l miles nearer than
New York. This Jidvjintn^-e in ilistiince of course npplies to the I'acitic
tratje, Hritish ( 'olinnhia nnti .lii|)mi liein^ iKiiirer, '"/'< liim<;stont! Fnlls, liy
I. II 7 mil(\s than rlci Monti'eal, and 2,1. 'Ul miles neiirerthnn /•/'/ New York.
hVom fiimestone Falls t(» LiverjK ol there; wonid he SS miles more of
Wiitei' Ciirri.'iL.^e tlmn to (Ihurchill iiarhoin', which mejins 122 ndles of
railwa\' constiuetion save,<l, as wtdl as its o))enition for all time to come.
The North-W(!storn States Wfadd In; l)enefit<;d n(!arly as mnch jis
.Miiiiititliii, and the same us our North-West 'i'ei'ritori(;s, jumI are now
lu'i'-ent in tin \v M'dtatioti for the constiMiction of the Hu<lson's Jjiiv
Iwiilwiiy, which wouhl In; in direct commuMicntion with waterways r/a
l!e<l l'i\i'r and Lnkt; \Vinni»-e^f to Sea, l^dls, on the Nelson, whicli is
{"■actieally thf heail of na\i;^Htion on Lake Winnipeg', un<l distant hy
*t'r .'i.')2 miles from \Viiuii|ie;,^ Through this chainiel will fliAv the
,ain traile of Minnesota anil Dakota, now estima.te<l at |.'),()0(),()()0
li\ishels for export annually. From Sea Falls tliere wouhl otdy he rail-
way carria^t' 241 miles to Liniestttne Falls, the licad of naxij^ation
on the .Nelson Rivei- dui'inj^' sunnner, anil hy railway to Wiiniipetf in
winter.
The products of th(; (Ji-eat Saskatchewan valley from the West would
he t laiisftired at (Irand Raj)ids, to and from hlnropc;, rin, the iviilway,
and also the Western hrancli line connecting- with tlu; ('ariadian I'acilic,
llailway would join tin; main lint; at thi.s im[)ortant junction, which
iiaiur(; has j^iven a watei' pow(;r for maiiufacturinn pui'poses unsurpasseil.
The length of tin; (irand llapiils is nearly three miles, anti the fall in
that tlistanee 44 feet. Lookini;' foi-ward to tin; time when the imnn'iise
|ir(idM(!tive area of tin; Saskatchewan \alley shall ponr its^-oldcn harvest
of ^rain down the channel of that mi<,dity riv(;r, in tlie steamlK)at and
hari^n- lines of tin; future, corn'eyin;;- it,s ' heat to th<; s(;a,lM)ai'<l., is not this
point destiin'tl to hecom(; a Canadian Mirnieaj)olis f It retpiires no
|»rophetic eye to set' in the near fntiu'c tin; d(;velopmont of tliis ma<fni-
iicent water power, and the huildin^' up Ly its iiii;ans of a, city that nuiy
ri\al any upon this contin(;nt, witli a, harhour in ("ross Lake, the hanks
of winch are suited for tin; constmiction of twenty miles of wharves
and hundri'ds of (;le\atoi-s, where flcMits of f»ar<fes could li(; safely out of
the cini'eiit, ami the shif)pinif of the rivf.'i', and of Lak(! Winnipeg,', find
theii' carn'oes, it is not dit}i(;rdt to conceive, that the wilderne.ss of tlie
present may he soon transferreil into the city of th'; futurt;,
TIIK W. AND II, I!, n. AM) S. CO.
oui' own I'oinl, iiv»»iiliii<^f \l\y•^^' oiitlnys in trmisport. tioii n\i-v otIiiT i<»»uls,
to liiini^ iiHii, tfc. in Tor cdii^t riicl ion, liivsiilcs tin- <^rvni j^uin in )uiyinL,'
costs o|' t liinsjtortjition on our own short lin<! to oui'st-Ucs, instfiui of
ovrr u InrLfi- >nl<lition)iI IciiliIIi of line to Forci'ai cornonitioiiM, rln
New N'ork or Montnal, vvliidi I coinjiutr wonM lie ut loist, Imll' ii,
iriiliion "lollars siiAcd.
iriillion <lollai-s siiAcd.
'I'liis is the slioi'trst |tossilp|f route, Mini til'' clit'HjM'st to construct and
opciratc, licinir coniiiioii (o nil |»oints vvliicli will In- sri-vcd liy the coin-
](|('tc(||inc, namely, tlic (Jreiit SaskatcJiewim SteMnilioaf Service, from
tlie Ixocky Moniitain.; ami inter\eiiiii:^- enuntry to (Iraml llajiids, tlieiiee
liy tramway (n<»\\' in o|iiiHtinii Id \,i\kr Winnipeg-; tlienee liy steamer to
Sea Kails; until I'lat ]ioi(i(iii nl' railway lietwecn Sea ["'nils tind (ii'aiid
li,aj)iils is completeil. < unstrnelion slnadd Ix't^in at all aAaiialiio points
on the main line when the surveys are compleUfd.j
hVoni the south, until the railway is con-^tructcd lietween (Jrand
:.!.. I \\r. : M c....:..i.i i .'
dealers lieic to purchase fi'orn ( Jreat liritain, /■/'/ tins short I'outc, hir^^e
'piantitics of jj;(.>ods which nr*' now pur('hase(| in tlie Cnited States, (;on-
se(|uently increasing P.ritish mainifactures while d(n"loping tliis fertile
country, at the same time not forgettinu; the advantaj^^es of this railwfiy
as a niilitaiy road over any i'(»nte on the. continent, which is oltvious
to all.
To contijuie, let us examine the special eust-hound i^^rain tai-ill" of the
( 'anadian Pacific llailway. From (Irenfell to Port Artliui-, a <listaiice of
714 miles, tlieir rate is .'{'S cents ])er 100 poutxls or 2H S-IO cents |ier
laishel. Now, it is to he ]jresunietl tliat this tariHi" is ]ire|»;ired liy
expericjiced hands, t<j cover not only op(;rHting expenses, hut the inter-
est on ca))ital expenditure.
Take the same rate per mile, it ,i,n\<'s I !) cents as the cost of tian.s-
portinj^f a hushel hy all rail I'oute to Liniest</ne I'alls. Oonirast. this
with the cost of reachine^ the sea by othei* routes : —
Ivontc 1.- Winnipeg to Montreal, all rail 40c per hu.s.
" 2.— " ' " I't. Arthur, " '• -^5 ,S-IO "
Ft. Arthur to Montreal by hojit j *"
.'{. — VViiniipeir to Duluth, all rail \ „.. ^. .q „
iJuluth to Montivjiil, boat j '
V. -
irrri^ij
i
(>
I hi: w. .\\i> II. I'., i;. .\m> s. «'<».
ftr a s.iviiiy; mi fiicli million luislicls .sliijiicil I'ui N«lMin
Over rouU' I,.. I" -Jl ciits )mt l.u.l.rl, or. ..Sl'jO.OOO 00
" 2," .M-|()i-fnt> pcrlaishrl.or. . (is.ooo oo
" " :}, " U G-10 " " " . . 14(i,000 00
I'lUl, wliilc coiitrnstitiL,' our all rail route witli tlifir mil ami wahr
idiilc w r Mif lioiiii;' oiirsfUcs MM iiijusticr. hiiriii;,^ tin- tinif tlicy can
ii>r tlicir waltT route \vr cmi use ours, 'rukinj,' fclu^ tjistance tVoni
\Viiini|)('«.; to Sea Kails at :{")2 miles it is estimateil tliat liy water cai'i-
i;i'.^,' a MUsliel nl' 'j^viuu couM I'C delivered oil the cars at the head of
iia\ ij,iitioii I'or I'oiir cents ; to this add ( anadiaii Pacific Uailway larill'
rates I'ortheiJH miles from thence to liiiiiestoncKallsand welia\e 7 7-10
ceiii.s |ier hiishel, or atotal of I I 7-10 ceiitsjierhushel.makinuasaviimovcr
rotUe two of I \ .'{-10 cents |)er liushel an<lo\ tT mute three of 21 11-10 cents
]) r la. silt 1. Now, if we cannot coiii]iete with sucli dillereiu'es in taritl',
Mild |iriyinn' ojieratin;^' expenses, in what position must the o]i|)osine'
lines lie placed >
It would lij premature and injudicicius for \no to indicate what 1
think this carrying tradecan lie (Idiie for, althounh 1 feel confident the
alio\e lii^ures are in excess of what will lie reipiired to make the i'oa.(l n
financial success. I content my.self, thcr(>fore, with the basis of the
( 'anadian Pacific Railway taritl', supposing;- that no one will he hardy
onou;nh to controvert such liigh authority.
COST.
On consulting' the accompanying plans, shewing' tl»e line tlie road
is to traverse, 1 have classitieil the difi'eiviit sections, between points
marked tliei-eon, in comparison with the known cost of railways alreaily
constructed in a similar country, and therefore assume my estimate to be
ajiproximately correct, witli a margin rather over than under the
actual cost.
The free land <;'rant by Order-in-Council dated the 7th May, 1S.S4,
embraces in the Province of Manitoba, (5,400 acres per mile of line, and
outside to the seaboard, includini; botli the Nelson and Churchill har-
bors, 12,S00 acres per mile of voi\'\, together with the branch line fi'om
the west, which will lie selected either alonu; the lin<^ of railway oi'
elsewhere, as nuiy be ari'anyed between the (iovernment and Company
on chissitication of the lands to be taken, which is an im])ortant as.set.
No better security for the invi-stment of ca|iital can be obtained than
the bonds issued upon lands inidei- the above conditions. Aside
from the free land grant the value of the charter is so important
for the successful development of this ciiuntry, and the euor.nous
amount of varied products to be transported over it, \vould alone
justify its construction, and I am safi' in stating that it will ])rove a
most protitable security to all investors in its bond.s ; indeed so popular
is the undertaking in the North-West aud in the adjoining States that
numerous public meetings have been held throughout this country and
atrross the line in Minne.sota and J)akota, shewing the people are a unit
in demanding the charter from the Dominion Government, and it is a
TIIK W, M> II. II. It. \NI» s. (•(».
matter of (M»ii;,'ratul)iti<in with tin- j)ulili( ut lui'^c timt a diartt r i.s
nlituiiii'd l»y tin- present Cniiipany lor .so protituMe ainl so inipitrtaiit an
undertakin'' in tlie \ ital interi-sts of tliis cuunti'V.
l»KSC|{||'T|o\ (»r ron.NTItY
throuj^h wliicli line pa-<Nes, accordin*^ to Mr. Adrian Neison, C'. K. and
explorer.
From \\'inni[»e;^r to ( Jrand Uapids the distance \>y the railway line
is 2.'{S nnles ; there is .')() per cent, of Nti. 1 (piality laml, the halanee is
c(piaily ;;()od liy easy drainaj^'e, euttinn' heaver dams which eau.s*' llood-
inj.; in [)laces, and there is 40 per cent, of the timher, composed of spruce
and tamarac, merchuntalile and lit for saw-nnll purposes, which is now
heinu- n)anufactui'ed \>y mill operators from Nvinnipe;^^; an<l innned-
iatel}' to the West of thi' liille Up to I'elienn Kivel' there is a productive
fainiing' counti'}' second to none in the North-West. At (ii'and Rapids
there is plenty of gravel for liallast. The spot stdected for crossint;' the
(ireat Saskatchewan i.s at the Head of the Kcpids where tw(t islands
divide the channel called lloeher llou^e, and the hanks are 20 feet in
heieht. 'J'here is plenty of stone here of a suitalile description for hiidn'e
purj)oseH, anil any ipiantity of cedar for ties. Thi' hriilge will he .some
700 ft'ct loiin-. At this point to tlu; west and tributary to the railway
a>i li sourci' of re\"enue, is the linesL spruce tindier in Canada, avera^ini;-
Hfty million feet li. M., per fifty stpiare miles of area, within fifty nules,
which will he Itrouu'ht to the railway ''"' the Saskatchewan lliver.
From the Saskatchewan! we shall receive hoth hituminous and
anthracite coal, brought in iairges from the mines, .say 1,000 nnles of
rivei" navigation, at a cost of not more than l^.']. 50 per ton, add!:52..jO iov
tran.sfer and I'ailway cliargcs, and 82.00 per ton at the nunes, and coal
should he laid down in Winnipeg from this .soince at 87.00 per ton
just one-half of its present price. Kioni the terminal point on Hmlson's
|-}ay we shall receive dii'ect from Furope, without delav or lioudini-'
formalities, the meiH^handise tliat dril»liles more or less slowly o\ er the
lines to the south. Tliis tratiic with immigrant moveahles will fully
occupy the .southward hound trains during that part of th»! 3'ear when
such carriage may he looked for; the sea fisheries will supjtly the south
as fai' as (/hicago, and the various industries o|)ened up on ilud.son's
IJay will give their (piota to .s(j|ve the (jUestion of an all year round pay-
ing trallic, together with the fisheries of Lake Winnii)eg ahounding in
tlu! finest white fish in the world heside laki' trout, 200 tons of which
were ,s)upj)ed to Chicago this last season, and with railway facilities this
iuilustry will increa.se, ami he a .source of I'eveiuu' t(» the road.
From Crand Rapids to Sea Falls we immediately enter the Huronian
formation, winch continues to the we^t branch of the Nelson Rivei'; there
is twenty-five per cent of tindier land, and the balance is of second
and thinl (juality ; between the east an<l west bianch the land is sandy
and level, and coutiiuies as far as the end of section U as .set'n on plans ;
here we ero.ss the height of laml, which is hardly perci'i)tible being a
watershed twenty feet aci'oss an<l five feet high.
The bridging here i.s important : the main channel is 100 fei't wide,
with 20 feet of water, and the approaches of thret'-(piai'ters of a mile
long will be in about f(jur feet of water.
1
I
■^pw^^y^^wmwri
r
8
Tin: W. .\M> M. II. II. V.M>
('•»,
Tlif Mast IJiniwli will r«'i|iiirc tlircc ln-idj^'i-s, fiicli OOO I't'i-t loii;i. Ilock
roiindiitinns ill an a\iTai,o' oi' (i t'crt of \vat(!r; \H I'ct-t nliovi' wiittT lr\ul.
I'ViHii Sta l''ulls ii> l''n\ Kivt'T tinrc is i'l per ct'iit. of No, I Uuul, "2!)
per ('('lit. of No. "J, lialaiicc of No. .'{ tlif Intttr i"((iiiiiii;^r ilraiiiii^'c
wliicli liciiMT iliiiiis lia\c HooiI».'(|. On somk^ portions, spliu^^niiin moss, to
tlif tifptli of two ft'ct, coscrs tilt' ;;ronnil liUi- a Mankct, on top of wliidi
ri|)(' struwiH'rrics hit foiinij in profusion. I'.iirniiiL;' tlic iiios.s, and
ciittiii;^' tlu' liraNcr dams would tMictnally ri't'laiiii tlio.sc lands,
Kox llivcr will n'(|nirc (wo Inid^cs, one of 100 ft'ct, and one uf 400
feet. The liaiiUs arc 00 feet liij^di. Tlic i-ountiy lirtwrm tlif aliovc
j)oints, with tin- cxfcption of tin* first tliirty-li\t' miles, is <f()od level
land, and is liea\ ily eover.'d witli tinilier fr«)iii the Nelson Kiver sotith
and eastward \'<>v 2.'»0 miles, eimsistint;' of spruce, Norway pine and
lianksian piiic, and will yield 2(^0()0,000 feet per fifty s(|uare miles of
area. Oxford Mouse is sixty miles .south-east from the railway line, and
is situated on n stiff clayey .soil, which lure produces harleyand all kinds
of Ljanlen venetahles in perfection. This locality is reiiiarkalile for its
abundance of wild '■■ooselierries, acres of L;'r(>iinil in some i)laces heinef
covered with i;oosel terry hushes. The laiul to the north of the lake,
opposite to Oxford I louse, rises to an elevation of aliout 200 feet, and
a|)|>ears to he hiirlier than any other ground in this part of the country.
I was inforiiied that it consists entirely of soil, underlaid hy di'ift mate-
rials, no rock croppinji,^ up in the vicinity.
From Kox River to Limestone Kails, a distance of sixty miles, tliis
portion is coverc(l with moss three feet deep, caused liy heavers dammin^f
the small watei'ways of the country, which may he easily removed in
tlie fall of tlie year, and reclaim this poiiion of tlio country. The spruce
timber lyiM<f on the ^rftiind is of an average siz(^ of Hour barrels in
diameter, showine' that the Lir<»"ii<l must be rich to iiroduce a <:rowth of
such si/e ; the trees lie in thousamls, causi'd by the water remaining
on the surface, from the action of beavorf., as tlio country lies liigli
ahove tlie main liver and tributaiMes.
The banks of the IS'el.son are 2>S.S feet above the rivei-, and a level
country on both sides. At this point the Nelson is three miles wide,
with a dt^pth of watt-r over (JO feet ; and on the .south hank it slopes
back for a mile extendini^' along the shore, with coulees leading parallel
to the banks, ailbrding facilities for the railway to reach the head of
navigation, and ei'os.sing with a 700 ft. bridge at Limestone Kails, a few
feet above the water.
From Limestone Kails to Port Nelson is an open country ; along the
river there is no timber, and is easy foi' railway construction, with an
average fall of l\\ feet jier mile.
At Seal an<l Gillarn Islands, according to Adrian Neison, (\E. and
Explorer, the banks there are 1 1 1 feet high, and the rivei- has a depth of
28 feet of water, and only 200 feet of dredging is retpiired at the
Islands to give a continuous shii) channel to Limestone Kails.
NELSON UIVEU AND HARHOl'R.
The Nelson is the great trunk river which di.scharues all the waters
which hav(> been gathered into Lake Winnipeg from every point of the
I,
liitfli
IIIK VV. AMI II. 11. I(. ,\M» s. «(», !l
cuinp/iMs, mid lias n volimi |iiii) to nliniit fuiir tiims fluit nl' tlii' <)ttii\vii
at tlif ('a|iitiil (if tlif Doiiiiiiioii. Its li'H^^tli is alioiit KM) milr^, in uliich
• li.staiict' it lias a ilcsciiit *>\' 7I<> I'l'tt I'lom tin >iiit'a(i' til* Lake W iMiii|i»';^.
If \Vf mill tlif li'ti'^'tli <if tilt' Sask/itclu'Waii In that uf tlu' Nelson, wo
simll liiiNf II tdtni nf I ,.■[()<) iiiilis fiMiii tlif > iii-ff nf till- foriiur in thf
Uocky Moiintaiiis to tlif inoiitli of tlif liittfr at llii<lsiiir.> Un.y.
Tlic Nflsciii may I'f ascfiiilftl liy lar;,^' rivfr Mtfanifi's to u distu'iff t»f
iilioiit fij^lity iiiilf.s ffdiii tlif sfM, iiccortliii;^' to .soiiinliiij^s nitulu liy I'n)-
fuHsor llfll. I If also says in liis if port of Is7!>-<S0 : -
" Most of its fstiiury luiroiiifs dry at low tid<', Itut a cliamifl runs
through it iifar tlif cfiitrf, as far as tlif Inwid of tidf wati-r. I soiindfil
this clianiifl in a nunihfr of placfs, in ISJH, 7'> mid MO, and altlii«Ui;li
mi avcrat^'f df|tth of about two fathoms at inr water was found, con-
tinuous soundiuf's throuffhout mi;;ht 'avf shown intfnuiitions (»r shaU
loWfP watfi' in sonif iihicfs. As statfU in )irf\ ioiis ifports, tlific is a
sfftion at thf head of tidf, or liftwcfii thf tidal |Hirtion an<l thf r(!;,nilar
inland fhannfl of thf I'ivcr, in which not moiH' than 10 ft'ot of vvatfr
was found. This may fxtfiid for aliout two mllfs ahovf, ahovc which
an apparent continuous chanufl, with a depth of ahout '20 ffet, accordin*^
to our soundiiij^s, extends to the l(»s\ est liiiiifstoiif Kapid, which is the tirst
hrcak in the naviirahlc part, and is bftwcfii K) and .')() milfs from the
head of tiilf, or from 70 to HO from the ojifii sea. Jf thf section rffern-d
to were dffpfiifd, steamers coining; in from the st'tx mii^ht enter this part
of the river and liiid jierfect shelter, or e\'en proceed np the stream
to any point hehnv the rapid refeireil to. In continuation of the chan-
ntd runnintj: down the estuary, a "lead" of deepei- water extends into
the Bay, ami forms thf " North Uixcr," or " York Roads, " with fxcellcnt
anchorage. The tides at the mouth of tlit^ Xtdson river amount to 15
feet."
Sir Thomas Button's Journal, 1GI2 : — "After which time, came on
the new winter, with much stormy weather, as he was constrained to
winter there, in a small i-ile or creek on the north side of a river in lati-
tude 57", 10', which river he named Poi"t Nelson, after the name of his
ma.ster (whom he biirieil there), puttiii;^^ his small ship in the foremost
and barraeadoe both of them (with piles of tiire and earth ), from stormo
of snow, ice, raino, floods, or what else mie;ht fall."
Ellis states that the Nelson is six miles wide at the entrance, with
a very j^ood channel about a mile liroad, and from five to fifteen
fathoms deep.
Robson made extensive soundings (jf the Nelson River, and [aililished
a plan of about 40 miles length of it and the Hayes' River. He gives
excellent depths up as far as Flamboro Head, a distance of 20
miles from the mouth. Above here arf two isljinds, (Jillam and Heal
Ishind, where Robson .says .ships could lie in safety summer or winter.
In 1782, La PtM'ouse, the Frendi Admiral, with a seventy-four-gun
liiie-of-battle .ship, and two frigates of thirty-six guns each, anchored at
the mouth of Nelson River, not finding sufficient water in Hayes' River.
He landed 250 men, mortars, guns, and provisions for eight days.
Certainly these were large-sized vessels to be in these waters, and it
proves that the French considered the taking of the forts a matter of
10
Tin; U-. AM) M. i;. it. anI) s. <(>.
iliipfjrtJilK'c, )i,(i'l ;il o llint, t.lii' uii},*'!' »it, till' riioiltli of t.lic Nelson sva.H
of II, iri)(>i\ f|(;|)t,ll.
A line to ( 'liuif'liill from I/iuH'storw l'"fi,ll.s vvoul<l run over Ixiren Ijitxl
(•ofri|(OMf(| of 'rrii\i-\ )i,ri(| lioul'lcrs, \ivi-Hfi\\,\i]<r no cii'rinfcrin!' (Iif[ifiilt,i«-,-,.
I r^ ' I O O ^^
At, I'oit Ni'|.-,ori ;iliiin<ln.rifV' of jintlndcit"', lual oiii li" ildi viic(| from
IjUU^ Ishui'l on t'lc cfnt shore of Hii'lsfj/i's I'fiy, "s well in li;^nite from
Moose riv(;r for moti\e, inunnfjicturin;^ iiii'l 'lomestie |»iir|)Ose.M.
The fuel is invnliuil.l'' for otxrdtini' the roiul, luivin''' it so e|(>se, jit
....
huri'l ; iilso pitriflenm foi' liihicntiti"' the rnJi.e,hinerv »iri'l rolliri"' stor-k nri'l
li;^litin;^ purposes is foiui'l in the, virginity.
Iron in immens< (piontities e.xists in sij^ht on .Munslield IsliUKl >iri<l Jit
many other points on t he ~,|ir,re of the l»ay, l>e.-^ii|es most v>i,ln(ilp|e min-
eniis oriumerute.d in tJiis report which I need riot foirtif'ultiri/e now. Suf-
fice, it to .sjiy th»i,t the minerals jire sf) Jiliiindjint, »ui(| diversified in chji-
ni,f;f/er, endir<i.f;in^'; (ill the preeious metnls n,s well us all mitiernJs f"or eeo-
iiomie. purposes foiuid in other pficts of the, world, Ji.re all e.entere'l in the
victinity <)\' Hudson's liny.
Where in t.he wi'le worM e;iii \,f found ;/re;it,er iiiduei^nKMits or a,
richer country for a railwav todevelopeor hef.t.er securit,y for the invest-
ment than in this railwa\', wdiich is desi;itied t,o de\elope these, illiniit-
af>le Hisources, Miid 'dve emiilovment to millions of the hu'iiaii race Jind
»i.H a, na,tura,j consctpmrice., inunen-ie rel,urrrs of profit to the r-ompa,ny,
therefiv insurin^f re;.Milar puvuient of ititerest to hondholders.
r;i,I.MATK OF IIIDSON ll.W, KTe.
1 her-ewith a.ttafh (^xtt.'u-ts fivjm a, [laper oti " Northern \Va,te.rs," l»y
Oharhvs N. I»e|| |'!-^(|., ji. va,lua,hle dof-ument pcrtainiii;^ t,r) " fludson's l»ay
a,n I Straits," their resources in minerals, fisheries, timher, fur.s, ^aine,
otiier [uoduet-,, iVc.
"The countrii-s ahout the |',;iy )i re c»i [ta hie of ;^M'e>it improvement, the
la,nds southward ati'l we^twafd of tlie lioy a,re in ;.'ood elimates, erjual in
their si'vei'dj hi.titudes to those, in y\-^ia and Europe, ;i,nd the clima,te
improves farthur within land."*
" It is va,stly colder at I'oi't ^ /hurehill than a few lea'_(Ue,S Up the river
amon;^ the woods, where the fti,et,or'v's men liver] comforta.M .■ in huts or
tents H.II the winter, huiitin;^', -iho'jtiuL^f and fi-.hin',^ the whole .-^eji^on."-!-
Iioh^on, hohhs, I'jilis, llejirne a,nd other writers .stiitc that when
Kuropea.ns have once li\ed in the ('ountry a.hout the Hay, that they ui'e
never content to li\e out of it a^oiin, and thi-. fact is pioved in our own
l'ro\inc<! f\ivy da,y, the ejinuit.e durin^f the winter months iit, \'ork
is fiut veiy little colder- than a,t \\'in(iipe'_f, ji.nd during' the •^l^llmer it is
warmei- their than iti this ]'ri>\\ii(:i:.
oi'i.\i.\{; A.si) ( i,((siN(; oi' NAVi(;A'i lo.v.
Summary of the op<'nin^^ an<l clo^in;^f of Hjiye,, llivei', (jpposite V'ork
Factory for various yen is from iSlif) to I HHO, fu-cordin;^; to repoj-t of .\Ir.
Wood, f /oveinmetit, Meteoroloffical Ol)Serv<;r a.t V'ork l''a,ctorv.
It'itiHon, pftRC '12. IJlolilw, |)ii«i! !i').
It. AM) S. ( o.
11
iit,s or
wlun
• •v IICC
r Mwri
Voik
I- it is
huh of
( 'iii.-ii iiif.
>C(l'llllil|
V
l|f)\'C|l|lll'
• IS
m;
24
28
24
If)
20
27
ITi
20
I III, VV. AM) II. i;.
hiilr (,f
( }lii'(i I iiif.
\K\() .\h.v 17
\K\:> n ■ 24
ISM) M 12
IS4:» 22
iH.'.o ., :{|
IS.-.f) .. 21
ISfiO n 18
ISC') k;
I.S70 .. II
IS7.-. .. !!♦
ISSO ., 20
Tlif rifi)i(|s 1(1' thr; lliulsoMs lifiv ' i /ii I |)ji 11 y , (IS |irf.,sc(itf(| to iIm-
f Jovfrniiifnt; in ISS(), A\uw t.iuit. t,li<. IIjivm' |{.iv<.c, ut, Yotk l''act.ory, IVii-
iiM fi.v ci'd;^'*. of W.\\ji'nxH w>i.H open on thi- |.')tli of .\lfi,\'. Onlv onci- in tin-
.").■» y<'"ts flid it nuriain cioM^fl till tlu' <-n(| of Mny or lirsf of .fiinc. ( )rifM'
(\\\ IH7H; tlic, civcc cjo-^crl ji.h cai'ly fn tlic .'{I'l of Noscnilicr, lnif, the wviw
',VJ^• clositi}.^ lor ');{ yducM \V)i,H uliout tin. 20t,li of .Novi'mlicr. It must ln'
l)orn«: in miri'l tlitit tlx' Hfiycs' i.-s hnf, n, .Htn>ill livir in cornioirison with
its rififlihor', tlio Nelson, wliifli is (listtmt fi'r)in it >i.t V'ock ii,l)f»nt six
miles. Tlif Nelson f,lf)S*.s much hi.tcc tlifiri doe-, the Ihiyes, if infl«;«;<l it
cnri he, -,)ii(| it clojurs fit (ill.
It is intecestin"', then, to note the eoniiijiii-ion hetween the oneniri"' of
the, haihoi's of Yor'k fi.n'l .Monfreji!, thou'^h »i, fortnight i-^ here i^iven
fi.;r(i.inHt York to eleju- the river arnl ,'in e<|iial time in t.lie fall wlx^n
if!e lii'\t forms : -
f)p"'nin^ <)f hfirlior .
(/lf)sinL'' ')! luu'hor .
Mo II I, red I.
1st .May.
2')th of .Nov.
York
1st .lime,
lOth Nov,
Tliis jiroves con.clusively that iJie h;ii l.or at York i,. open ;in'l ejeiu
of ice for fi\(; mm'I a lia,lf-montlis of tie yar, aiel tluit ves,-.eK eoiiM
apj)i'oa,eli (locks hetween the^e dati-i. At a port on .Nth,on lliver these
dates Wfjuld he extended.
TAl!l,(; or 'li:M(T.i;|(i!r:.
The .\Ieterol ordeal Defiartment,, at Toiofito, liave kindly ;.dveri me
riia.ny .stati.stics of their stations at York ari'l .Moo-ic, and ji few exti'fictH
from them arc f^iven herewith, though it is impossihle to make, many f;om-
tjarisons, as the returns IVir some monfhs of either summer or winter
iiav(r not heen made to the head olliee.
12 TIIK W. AND II, l:. I!. AM) S. Cd.
Lowest tt'iiipcratiMT on ;i)iy dii y <!iii-i!ii;- \vnv.
Maiiitolia. Moose. York.
l''~'7(i — 44 f);{
l'^77, -47 —4;-,
i>'^7.s -_s(; -:]:, .^m]
Ih7!» -.-)() ---4-)
'■"^W --44 --.S9 —40
l«'^l, --40 -.:W ■— H!)
Hi^licst tciiipcrntui-c on any day duriiin- yctiv.
iManitoha,. iMoosr. York
1<'^7(J !)7 ;){)'
l''^7«, !).S i)2 loi;
is7i), !):} .s4
I'SSO !)0 .S7
INN I, W.i 91
The mean arruigc tciiipcrature for several iiiontlis at Moose.
1S7.S. 1871). ]MSO. LSSl.
May, 47 40 40 48
•^"11'-, o7 50 .")') 47
•'^ily, ul GO 59 04
Aujrnst, 08 58 55 01
Septeiiiliei' 52 49 52 52
October, 41 45 .S8 38
The ine((n acevwje temperatui-e for several months at York.
1870. 1878. 1882.
May, 88 88 85
J^iiH>, 40 05 52
July, 57 74 08
August, 50 59 55
Septenil)e]-, 40 88 49
October, 20 22 28
The me(i)i arenujo temperature for se\-eral months at Winnipeg-.
1870. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1881.
May, ,58 :i■^ 48 53 55 57
J">i^', 00 57 05 04 .58 02
J '•!}'. 07 08 70 08 00 09
August 04 04 07 04 02 00
September, . . 58 50 52 51 h'l 51
Octol'er, .... 87 89 80 44 88 84
From July to (^ctol)er the temperatui-e at Moose and Wiiniipe.r is
very mueh alike. In Septend.ef and Octolter, Moose has the best
of it.
It \yill be understood that the readings for York and Moose ai'e taken
at the forts, whicli are on tide water, and have been described as most
THK W. AND H. I!. \{. AND S. CO.
13
l.LVSt
exposed, but tliey give us u fair idea of w lint tlie fliiiuvtc is al)Out the
Bay, as fa»' noi'tli as N'oi'k or ( !liiirc'liill.
Tlie fact (jf the watci' in tlie I'ivcrs I'ushino- down licfoi'c tlio ice is
broken up at iowci' K^ncIs, proves that the eliniatc iidand is more genial,
and this is the ease with all the rivers Howing into the Hay.
According to IJallantyne, Ncgetation in the valley of Hiiyes' Kiver,
tliirty rnih's fi-oni its mouth, on the 'I'Avd .lunc, \v;is found hy him t(j l)e
ill an a<lvancedstatf, the trees liring coNtred with foliage, ami on the
2')th June hr. described the Hill llivcr : " Along its gentle sloping banks
the country was teeming with scgetalile and ainmal life."*
E. S. Abitheson, i\ K., under date Keh. 4tli, lhS4, writes me in reply
to my (juestion as to how he stooil the eold at the mouth of the Nelson
River, when survi'viug it, during the winter of 181S2-S.S, as follows: — " I
found the climate much milder than I had expected. In Novembei' we
built our shanty in five or six <lays and eommence(l woi'k,and for nearly
four months we sle[)t out without tents, and there were not more tluui
ten days, during that time, in which we had to remain in camp through
inclemency of the weather. When you take into consifU'ration the
exposed place in which we were working, \ i/., on the Nelson River aiitl
the sea coast, you can I'est assuri'd that the cold would not prevent men
or machinery from working farther inland."
"In summer, when tlie wind is about west-.south-west, it becomes
sultry, and if it happens to blow fresh, it comes in hot gusts, as if it blew
from a fire, and the hardest gusts bring the greatest lieat ; but this is
not the case when the wind blows from any other point.""!'
This was written in 1752 as a proof tliat a genial and hospitable
region lay in that direction, for it must be ex))lained that at that date
nothing was known of the interior to the S(nitli-Avest of York Factory.
It is most likely that the " chinook " or warm winds from the PaciKc
may reach even as far east as the Ba}', and produce tlie " hot gusts "
mentioned by Robson. We know that for a certainty a genisd and hos-
pitable region does exi.st in the position indicated by him.
" I took the temperature of the sea upwards of twenty times during
our voyage (about 550 miles north of Moose on the east main coast),
which extended over the greater jiart of July, August and September,
and found it to average •)'{ Fah. I also noted the teiiqierature of the
rivers we visiteil, and found that the average of five of them was QV Fall.
We bathed in the water almost daily, and found the temperature agree-
able. We .saw no ice, with the exception of a little " bay ice " at the
commencement of our journey, which had been driven into the neigh-
borhood of the mouth of Moose River, after northerly winds had pre-
vailed for many days. There was very little rain, and only two or three
days of fo^. A\'erage temperature of the sea at three to four feet below
surface for trials during three months was 58 ', and of the air (j'IV . These
observations were taken at various hours between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.";]:
In the autumn of the same year (1864) the schooner Martin arrived
at Moose Factory from Vork with a portion of the cargo of the Pvince
Arthur, about the end of October. She reached Moose Factory just in
time to be hauled up out of the fast forming ice." (Letter of Charles
b
■Halliini.viu''8 Iliulson's Hiiy.
! Dr. Ik'll, I8V7.
t Uobsun, ptiKC It.
■A
14
THE \V. AND II. li. I{. AM) S. CO.
Horetzky, lak'lv in the Hudson's Bay Company's sorvico, to Col. Dennis,
4th Nov., 1878.)
" In regard to tlie country for a/^riculture, the country that I have
spoken of, soutli and south-west of James' Bay, lies in the latitude of
Cornwall and Devonshire, in Knuiand, and southward of that, it is in
the same latitude as the northeijy pai'ts of France ; and while these
countries enjoy exceptionally fnvorahle conditions, there is no peculai'lity
of clinuite that would mak(^ the district 1 have referi'e(l to, worsen than
the average of the face of the earth in those latit\ides, and, therefore, I
think it is likely to he of value for agi-iculture, as far as climate is con-
cerned.
"The temperatur(( helow th(^ inmiediate surface of Lake Superior is
89 Fah. ; alony;' the east .shore of Hudson's Bay it averaj^^ed .')."}' iu the
suunner months.
" What is the liahility to .suunner frosts in the coimtry around Hud-
son's Bay i In the larger area of agi-icultuj-al land .south and .south-
west of James' Hay, I think not Acry great. In 1.S77, on my homeward
journey, 1 left Moose Factoiy on tht> 1st of OctoluM', and at that time all
the tender plants — the tobacco plant, castor oil hean, coi.nnon heans,
cucumbers, bolsams and other tender plants — were perfectly green, stand-
ing in the open air ; and probjibly remained .so for some time aftei- I left
as we had no frost. And at the posts of the Hudson's Bay Coiupany,
inland, they are not often troid)led with early autuuni frosts.*
" How ai)0ut late frosts in tlie spring :* No late frosts in the spi-ing,
I think the sowing is done on an average at the same time as in corres-
ponding latitudes in Lower (-anada. I have spoken of the .southern re-
gion. Furthur to the north west, at Norway House, in 1879, tluy had
a frost in the latter part of Scptendjci', which Itlighted tlu' tender plants
and it was remai"ke<l as the first that had occui-red there in thirty-four
years. Wheat ri{)ens perfectly every year in that region.
"Where is that!* About twenty uiiles down the Ntdsou river from
the noi'th vud of Lake Winnipeg. The climate there, I think, is as good
as in Manitoba on account of certain favorable conditions.
" Moo.se Factory enjoys the most favorable climate on the Bay. Vou
are there away from the iiiHuence of the open .sea. .lame.s' Bay is far
s(mth,and comparative! v narrow, and the water is wju-mer than at York
Factory."t
Ellis mentions that in the .spring of 1747, "the ice in Hayes' river
gave way on the Kith May, Hoating gently to si'a. On the .')th .huit^
ninteen bark canoes, laden with furs, passed down on their way to York
Factory, and on the next day, smenty more," — a clear proof that the
river.s, inland, had 1>een open at least a fortnight or three weeks previ-
ously.:J:
Prof. Hind, in the course of liis evidence :—" Wi^ must bear in mind
that ice is often found in the lakes near the water-shed, west of Lake
Superior, about the middle of May, and Lake Winnipeg is .soniethnes im-
passible at its northern extremity during the first week of June. From
the.se comparsions it will be seen that the climate of the Nelson Rivei"
Hi'c 'I'lible of iiudii <nrr(i)/c iit AIoosc;, for i-'cptciiibcr of various years, on page 4!*.
t Or. Hell beloiH' Uouye of (Juiiinioim (.'olonizaliou Cominiltee,
} KUis, pa^e 209.
valh
line,
with
..f th
whol
of tl
lyin;j
than
(.f t
and
Day
THK W. AM) II. I!. 1!. AND S, CO.
V,
)I, Dennis,
lat I liavc
ati ti uU' of
at, it is ill
liilc those
)eculai'litv
orse than
lorofore, 1
ite is con-
npei'ior is
')8 in the
mid Hud-
nd soutli-
loiiu'ward
it time all
ion l)oans,
vn, staiid-
t'tci- I \vh
Company,
lie sprin<^-,
in corres-
thcrn rc-
ihf.y had
er plants
rty-t'onr
viT from
s as muni
iay is far
at York
'cs' river
")t]i June
to York
that the
<s pre\ i-
in mind
of Lake
pmes im-
From
)n Rivei'
111.
valley is of nn excfptionnlly faxoralile chMractcr away from the coast
line. It can scarcely excite surprise that there should he a iai'i^e tract
with a good climate and great <l(!pth of soil of (h'ift clays in the vicinity
of the valley of the Xelson River, for it is the lowest portion of the
whole hasin of Lake \Vinnij)eg, and is coiise(|nently under tlie influence
of the drainage waters fi-om tliret; hundi'eil thousand sipiare miles of land
lying altogether to the south of the narrow depression, not, perhaps, more
than forty miles broad, through which the Nelson River finds its vvay.§
SLNS HKLATIVE INTENSITY.
I'l'of. Kind gives us some very valuable data, respecting the influence
of the sun during the long th\ys experienced in these northern regions,
aiiil J give a table prepared l»y him : —
TaI![,e showing tlu! Sun's Relative Intensity, and the Length of the
Day in Latitudes 40 N. .')() N. and (iO N.
liiititiulo 10 \.
Latitude 50' N.
Siiu'a Lcii^rth j Sun's
Intensity ofl)a.v. ! Intensity
Louk'th
of (lay.
1.S.4I)
77
14.30
14.1(>
h:\
1 .").!()
14 .-{S
.S7
lo.no
I4.,-)0
S!)
i(;.()s
14.4(i
Ml
ii;.()4
I4.:u
S()
i.-..-fc
14. OS
SI
l."..04
i:i.:{(i
74
14. IS
i:^.(i-j
tl.')
I.S.-JS
1 •.'.■-'•_'
.'iS
i--'.:vj
11.14
47
ll..S(i
l.iitllii(le()0°N.
.Sun's
liOnt^tli
InicHHlty
of Day.
70
ir..44
7!t
l(i.r)(i
S")
17.r)6
ss
hS.'JS
ss
KS.IS
S4
17.4'2
71
ifi.;i8
()«
ir>.-j4
•"'7
14. OS
40
l'J-4(i
:{(i
ll.'Jti
"The conditions refjuired for the adaptation of a certain tirea to agri-
cultural purposes, apart from altitude above the sea and the character
of the soil, are g(!nerally reduced to two, namely, the mean temperature
of about UO days, as during the summer or growing months, and the
<legree of humidity during that period.
" There are, however, two other conditions which exercise a \ ery
great intluence ufjon vegt'table growth tlircnighout an area extending
over many hundred miles to the north. These are the measui'c of the
sun's intensity as regards light an<l heat, and the duration of the lengtli
of the day. As we move from Manitoba say in lat. 50 to Peace lliver
in lat. .")G (or York in 57 ), this im[)ortant fact has to be noticed, that
the lensxth of the day in summer increases in a ^•reater ratio than the
sun's intensity of li<:'ht and heat dimini.'>hes. Jt is not heat only which
affects the <>TOwth of vegetation, it is also the duration of solar li'dit in
the day. The longer the tlay the greater the total amount of heat and
light which will be received by vegetables."
§ Hind's Report,
li
#
10
THi; w. AM) II. n. I!. AND s. CO.
Look at tlie table and you will see that in lat. 40 the sun's intensity
is 88, on May 31st, the day beinj,' 14 hours .'18 minutes Ion;,'. ]n lat. ">0
the sun's relative intensity of li^ht and heat on tlu; same <lay is 87 , but
the day is 15 hours and oO minutes lony-. In lat. (H) the sun's intensity
on th(; 'list May is I'epi'esente*! by 8'), but the day is 17 hours 2() minutes
long. The day is widely diH'ercnt in hjii^th, and the heat antl light have
a loiiu'er time to aet on vcixt'tatioii luidcr the moi'e noi't]i''rn meridians.
In eonncction with the atnjve table, a eomparisoii oi' it with the
meteorological tables given in this n'[)ort, will pi'o\e higldy interesting.
EXroSED POSITION (iF FORTS, VEfJKTATlo.V, STOCK, KTC.
" The pi-esent situation of the Pi-ince of Wales Fort, on Churchill
River, is vastly cold, and, foi- that reason, very inconvenient, as are all
the (^thur factories in the J>ay, all the othi'rs being fixed with a view
only to profit, and this alone for profit and strength, and therefor(
surrounded on all sides, without an}' .shelter, by fro/en sea and rivei',
exposed to all storms, being vastly coMer than a few leagues up the
river amongst the wo(jds, wdiere the factor}' 's men lived comfoi'talily in
huts and tents all the wintei", hunting, shooting and lishing the whole
season. When the cold contimied at York Fort, and there was ice in
the river, four leagues above tliey bad a fine spi-ing, all the trees iti
liloom and \ei'y wai'm we;itber. At present the factories of Moose and
Alltany are situated very iudiai)pily, being i)laciMl in the swamp, at tht^
mouths of the I'ivei's, for the Company's aim being trade, they don't
regard the soil, nsjiect, or situjition ^\•||ere they fix them, pro\ ideil they
are upon navig.dile )'i\(-rs wberi' their .^iii])s can .-qjijiojieh them and the
natives cmii come in their canoes."*
It is liUelv, for the ab(jve reMsons, that reporls !'-(.'nei'all\' hearil iiivi
such a misei'able account of the ))ri\ations and hai'dships men suH'er
unihu" when living at the iiadiiig posts Mbout the \y.\y, \\ hether of the
French or Fnglish.
Moose and York Factories are, however, not so much exposed but
that they can grow plenty of vegetables for theii* own. use, as is assured
us by all who have visited these places. ]))•. Bell "was told at Moose, in
1875, that the previous year they cropped 1,700 bu.shelsof good potatoes.
He also saw oats, barley, beans, peas, turnips, beets, carrots, cabl)ages,
and onions grown thei'e.
MINERALS.
The Geological Reports of 1870-80 give very encouraging prospects
of the- likelihood of valuabh^ minerals being found about the Bay. 1
i[Uote from the n^ports of the above mimed yeai-s.
" Minerals nuiy, however, become in future the greatest of the
I'osources of the Hudson's Bay. Little direct .search has, as yet, been
made for the valuable minei'als of these regions. In 1875 I found a
large deposit of rich ironstone on the Mattagami River. In 1877 inex-
hausta lie supplies of good nmnganif«M'ous iron ore were discovered on
■ l)ol)bs, page o,").
TIIK \V. ANI> II. li. U. AM) S. Co.
17
intt'iisit}'
n hit. ■)()
s 87 , but
intensity
I ininntos
;4lit have
I'll linns,
with the
•iv.stinLT.
Uhuirliill
s are all
I a view
therefore
nd rivei',
S up till'
ii'tably in
!ie wliolc
fis ice in
trees \\\
loose and
ip, at the
liey don't
(led they
1 and (he
fird u'ivi
n suH'ei'
of the
josed but
assni'ed
Moose, in
:)otatoe,«.
abbages,
)rospects
Bay. 1
t of tlie
-et, been
found a
77 inex-
^ ered on
the islands near the i-a.-^t main toast, and proinisin^' i|uantities of ealena
aiound Richmond Clulf, and also near Little Whale River, whore a small
amount had pi'eviously known to exist. Traces of gold, silver, molyb-
denum and copi)er w<'re likewist; noted on the east nwun coast. Ijignite
was met with on the Missinabi, gypsum on the Moose, and petroleum -
bearing limestone on the Abittilii Itiver. Small <|uantities of anthracite
and various ornanujntal .i,on(\s, and some rare minerals were collected in
the course of our explorations aiountl the iJay. Soapstone is abundant
not far from Moscpiito Bay, on the east side, an<I iron pyi-ites between
(Jhurchill and Mari)le Island on the west. Good building stones, clay and
limestones, exist on both sides of the Bay. A cargo of mica is said to
have been taken from Chesterfield Inlet to New York, ami valuable
deposits of ]>lund)aga are rejiorted to occur on the noi'th side of Hudson's
Strait."
Many of the navigators of tlie past centuiy mention tlie tinding of
minerals.
In answer to the (piestion asked ly the Select Standing C'onnnitte*-
on Immigration and (bloni/ation (jf the Hous(> of Conujions, Ottawa,
4th April, IScS-S, in a general way, in the Hudson's Bay tei'i-itories, " are
there many useful minerals r' Dr. Im-H's answer was : — " As far as we
know tluri' are, but very little seai'cli lias been nuide there. 1 can, how-
ever, mention luniiennis minerals which are ali'eady known to exist.
They embrace iron, as hematite, magnetite, clay, ironstone and rich niag-
niferous iron ore on the east main coast, copjier in its nati\e state nnd in
various combinations; lead, silvi'r, gold, molydeum, fuitimony, manga-
nese, chormium, phospat(.' of lime, jfide, chiTsophras, agate, cornelian,
malachite, jasper, serpentine', jet, lazulite, petroleum, asphalt, peat, antli
racite, bituminous coal, lignite, limestone, granite sandstone, and san<l
for glass-making, moidding sand, clays, merls, ochres, gypsum, iron
pyrites, salt, medicinal waters, sheet micfl, soapstfme and plumbago.
Hiese are all known to oecui', many in various parts of the territory, and
most of them certainly well worth looking after."
Many years ago, Sir dolin Ricliardson was convinced that it would
not be long before the value of the mines of Hudson's Bay territory
would far surpass that of the fur trade.
Mr. Dickson, formerly in the service of the Company, thus n^feu's to
tlie mineral deposits on the shores of the Bay:—" At a c*?rtain point on
tht! cast coast of James' Bay tliero is a vein of magnetic iron, so exten-
sive" that, when examined by a practical English minci', in ISOo, it was
pronounced by that gentleman to be one of the nwjst valuable veins of
ore in existence. Plumbago, in a \mvv state, is also to lie found in the
same locality ; and at this place is the commencement on the sea coast
of a range of mineral-bearing rocks, which extend along the mainland,
and among the islands near the sea shore, for a distance of GOO miles,
with a width of from 50 to 200 miles or more^ into the interior of the
country. * * * At certain points on this range a partial
examination has been made, showing that galena, iron, and copper are
procurable in almost unlimited quantititis, and during a thirteen years'
residence at various parts on the east coast, 1 had ample opportunities of
examining both its geological and mineralogical formations at a great
many points, Vioth in James' and Hudson's Bay, and have no hesitation
IS
TIIK \V. \M> II. i:. li. ANI> S. Co.
in statin*^' that I lidicvr it to Ik- the; must vtilimWIc miiu'ial ic^iuii in tlio
I )()inininii, pcrliMps on tlic ( 'ontiiu'iifc."
Mr. lloHnian, ('licmist of the ( Jcolo^^rinil Survey of Caniida, analy/««l
a HpcciiiK'n <»F imtliracitc, from liori;;' l.slan<l, on tlw cast ronsi witli tlio
followin;;' rt-sulL : *
Fixed cjirlK.n !>4-!t|
V'olnlilr cniiilpiistililc iiifiMcr \'2'.^
Wiiter :! !:>
Asli {)■:]:>
lOOOO
Mr. HoH'iiian reporte<l alsotlie coniposition of the Moose lli\ cr lii^nite,
as follows: — "A {)iece of tliis li^fiiitc, iiiiiiieise(| in water for ovei- three
• lays, remained a])pai-ently unaMected ; it had not disintej^rated, nor
imparted any eoloratian to the water.
This specimen havin<f Ix'cii kept in the lah(»i"atory for montlis, maybe
re;^fai"ded as liavinj,' Ikicti th<»i-on^ddy aii'-di'ied.
Two proximate analyses hy slow and fast eokintf ;^ave : —
Fixed eurhon \WXt 44():)
Volatile coinl.iistil>le matt.'r M'l-.SO 4|-:!!)
Water I 174 1174
Ash 2S4 2-S4
spi
tre
wl
el'»
me
of
of
to
wl
Dri
lull
lOOOO
lOOOO
TIMI'.KIJ.
"Some of the timher found in the country wliieli sends its waters
\nto .lauies' Hay may prove to l»e (jf valuer foi- export. AmoiiL;- the
kin<ls whieli it produces nuiy })e mentioned white, red and ])ite]i ))ine,
hlaek and white spruce, ])alsam, larch, white cedar and white hireh. The
iniiiK-rous rivers which convei'i;!' towards tlie head of dames' Hay ofl'ei-
facilities for "drivint^^ " tindKU- to points at which it may lie slii[)ped l»y
sea-iTomii; v(;sseis.
In fnhlition to the above list, in another report. Dr. Bell o'ivcs the fol-
lowing!; kinds of trees: — White elm, mountain luaple, pi^-con cherry, moun-
tain ash or I'owan, nreen willow, cotton-ti'ce, cypress.
On th(>, heatl waters of the Moose Iliver, white pine is ahnndant and
of "food size, lied piiH! also exists, and extends rather further noi-th
than the white. Tlu'U th(>ro is "Jack jjiiie," or " C/ypress," or more prf)-
perly Banksian pine, whi<-li, th()u,<j;h not a tindier tree in its southern
extension, hecouKis so in the northern reeion, which is its home. In the
.Mhany re^'ion, I have .seen lar^'e e-voves of this tree, (juitc ditlerent from
the ordinary scruhhy variety, and from which one or two very oood .saw
logs might he cut. 1'hen there is tamai'ac of good growth, and white
•OcoloKical Survey, 1876, page 42;},
K
,>
IIIK \V. AND II. i;. It. ANIJ S. CO.
10
on ill tli(»
Himly /,(•(!
with tlin
• I
10
r lii.|fMit<',
cr time
di'(\, ii(»i'
, may \)v.
Ill:,
.)
!l
4
4
I)
^ watci's
»liH' tlir
li pine,
1. The
Jty otrci'
){»('(! hy
tlicff)]-
, iiioun-
uit and
r nortli
re prf)-
)utlicni
III th(;
it from
)0(1 saw
whito
spruec ccflar in tiic soiitlicni |tMit, a n'l'fut "hul of white l>iich, ami other
trees, which will .soiuo day he vahiahjr.
In th(! country, hctwccn the ii|t|)fr jfaits of ti.e Xclson ftnd Churcliill,
wlicrc the ;:;i<'cn woods, like spnicc or tamara(! occic, the nroiirnl is co\ -
(•red with moss and is apt to Im' wet. When that is hiirnt oil", [tophir
^row.s up and the hind is dry.
"If the navii-iition of lluds(»n's \\n\ hccomcs practicalih-, it sccnis to
ni«', if tlicn- is much tiudtcr in that locality, it will he n. \;duahle item
of ('X[)ort. IV-rhiips you can tell us what the extent of the tindier resources
of these ri\eis that fall into Hudson's I'.ay are -whethi'r there is likely
to he a lar^M! export of timlier from that region:' The Moose |{i\er,
which is j)erhaps the most Niduahle for timher, has some perha[)s, twenty
|»i'ineipal hranches that spreiid out ami cover a trans\(;rse area of more
thfui 201) miles fi'om the iiei^hlKa-lux- . of the Ottawa westwanl, to
heyond Michipicoteii Nnlley. These join to^f'ther .ind form se\ei-)d tine
kir<.(e streams runnine northward paralhd tii each othei', nnd they unite
to fi'oui the Moose, which falls into the h(;a,d of .James' liay. The south-
ern parts of theses streams are cloth(Ml with white and red pine, and, as
you ^o northward, you ha\e ^ood cedar, s|»ruce and tamurac and iIks
l>anksian pine, 'i'lie southei-n hranches of the AJliany also aflo)'<l \alu-
aV>le tindier ; hut northward of that, I do not think you coid<l say the
tinilter would he \alualile for export counuercially, as lon;^r as we Iia\e
th(> other ri\'ei's to fall hack upon. As to the lindtsof tindter tfenerally,
I liave paid a e<v)d deal attention to the sidtject of scientitic; foiestinij,
and liave pi'ej)ared maps .showing th(! northern limit (jf every tree that
occurs in C^ajiada. The most nortliei'u species is the spruce, the limit of
winch runs from Seal rivei* north of < 'hurchill to the mouth of the
Mackeii/ic rive)-, or in a noi'th-westward direction ; and on tlx- other
side of the May, from Jlichmond (»ulf up to IJneava Wny in Hudson's
Hay and Straits, and down to the Straits of HelK' Isle. The whole
country to the .southward of tliat line is wooded."
" ^'ou speak of that heini^' the norlhei'n limit. Vov a coiisideraMe
flistance south of that the tindier would not he UHMchantahle :" No. It,
is .scruhhy, hut it hecomes lare-er as you n'o south and westward. In my
last repoi't then^ is a, map showini;- the iioi-thern limits of thirty of the
princi[)al ti'ces. We have ahout sixty species of tiudter trees east «jf the
Uo(;ky Moimtaius and tlnrty west."
Sir ( }ef>. Sim]).son testitie<l that the tinder ahout dames' Jiay was
"small stunted pines."
Dr. Rae, at the .same time, said that ahout Moose Factoi-y, on dames'
Bay : — " There are pine wooils. It is well-wooded. Thei-e are extensive
forests. Ahout two, or two-aml-fidiall' feet in diameter is alxnit the
largest 1 have seen."*
(JEXKUAI, KISFIEHIKS.
Besides the whale, cod and .salmon fishei-i(!s, the ■vraters of Hud.son's
Hay, and tlu; rivers falling into it, contain many excellent oil-proihicing
and edihle fish.
HeariK^ says he saw the walrus in such numhei's, on the .seashore
north of Churchill, "That the whole heach seennMl to l)e in motion," and
so
TMK W. AND II. II. n. .\NI» S. CO.
lie uIho snys, " sral.s of variouH .sizos ainl colours arr coiunion inmost
parts of IIikIsou's Hny, Imt most mimcrons to the north." " Sea unicorns
an; also Unowii to fivi|Ut'nt the Hay an«l Strait." " White wluilcs (por-
])oiHcs) arc also vrry pltntiful in those phiccs."
Dr. licll reports' timliiin- the pike, perch, herrinjf, whiteHsh, <frnylinj,'.
sea trout, scnipin and caplin, I.esidcs pike, pickerel, carp, chiih and sju'ckletl
trout ill their proprr waters. White porpoise ahountl, and the walrus
and narwhal arc killed in considcnihlo !Uiiiil»ers.
Dohhs iiiciitions tilt! same list of ti.sh as jriven ahove, and states tluit
I'kOOO " tish lar^-erthan mackerel "are taken at Alhany in a season for
tlie winter's sup|)ly.
l''ox speaks of the j^a'eat store of tisli to he foun<l.
Heariie enumerates " mu.ssels, crahs, startishes, whilks, periwinkles,
cockles, scallojis, and many otlier kinds, which are found on the beaches
in j^ViMxi plenty."
'I'he whitelish abound in some of the rivers, and are, at places, caught
in winter throuj^h lioles cut in the ic<;.
an
th
W(
B(
SALMON FISIIEUIKS.
It is not o('iierally known that large (piantities of salnum arc taken
in Hudson's Bay and Strait, and from one or two of the rivers of the
Hudson's Strait, a c()nsi<leralile number of barrels, in a salted condition,
are ex|)orte(l every year by the Hudson's Bay (V)mpany.
Dr. iJell caught a specimen of salmon, attaining a weight of about 10
lbs., on the east coast of the IJay. He found the Indians fishing with
gill nets, set in about two fathoms of water. They were taking tliem in
considerable numbers, the tish liaving a strong resemblance to the com-
mon salmon (S. Solar) in outline, fins, head and mouth, and the flesh the
the same color and flavor. The average si/c is however smaller, the
largest wdiich they saw during the summer weighing only about 10 llis.,
but many were nt'arly as heavy. They were caught all along the east-
ern coast. The Indians also kille<l them wdth spears (like those uscmI by
tlie Mic-Mac Indians), in the mouths of .small rivers, and in the shallow
arms of the sea.
According to Hearno, the season for .salmon in the neighborhood of
the Cliurchill River begins at the latter pai't of .Iiuu! and ends about tlie
middle or latter pai't of August. This writer states that in .some years
salmon are so plentiful near Cliurchill River, that he has known upwards
of two hundred tine fish taken out of four small nets in one tide, within
a (|uart(M' of a mile of the fort.
I'rof. H. Y. Hind .says : — " If Fiearnc^ be correct in his statement, that
the sea.son begins the latter ])art of June, it is a fortnight or three week.s
earlier than the season for salmon on the Labrador coast."
At the Moravian Mission Stations, Hopedali' and Nain, on the Lab-
rador, and not more than three hundi-ed miles north-west of the Straits
of Belle Isle, the salmon are always expected at the fir.st spi-ing tide
after the Kith of July, and the cod generally appi'oacli the coast about
th(> same time as the salmon. Indeed, it should be stated, if Hearne's
statciinent be correct, the commencement of the ti.shing sea.son on the
north-west coast of Hudson's Bay is as early a.s at any part of the Lab-
rador coast, north-west of Hamilton Inlet,
k
TIIK W. AN'I» II. II. It. AMI S. CO.
21
II in tno.st
n uiiicortiH
lilies (por-
1 1 spock'lt'd
ilie wulni.s
states that
soa.son for
■riwinklos,
le beaches
cs, caught
arc taken
'vrs of the
condition,
' about 10
liin^f with
1^ th<'in in
coni-
thc
• tlcsh the
iiallcr, tlie
ut 10 Iks.,
' the cast-
e u.sod by
ic .shallow
3rhood of
about tlie
)Mie years
1 upward.s
le, within
nent, that
'ec week.s
the Lab-
lie Straits
)rinfj tide
a,st about
Hoarne's
m on tlie
the Lab-
Mc. K. S. iNbitliicsou, ( '. Iv, who spent \n>t wiiitrr ut N'oi-k Factory
and on the Nel.son Kiver in en<finei'r w<trk fur a railroad cu ni pa ny, states
that Hearne is piufectly (correct aliuutthe abundance.
This, in the future, will lie of ^i-cat impdrtancf to the markets in this
I'rovince and to the south. A lai';4e ninnber of carlouils of whitetish
and other kinds, are now beiny' sent smith and east as far as Chicago
and even to Mutfalo, the lisli j^oin;,' I'roni hakes Winnipeg and .Nbmitoba.
ThesiMuarkets enn he supplieil with salmon fi-om Hudson's iJay, ihi'ec
weeks eai'li(>r than from the Northern bal>radoi'.
When tilt! imlians and fur traders are tishin;;' for .salmon, on the coast
of ilud.son's May, tiorth of the' Nel.son Kiver, the entire coast of Lab-
rador, flurintf an a\era;j;e of years, is blocked liy ice, from the Straits of
Belle Isle to Cape ('l.udleij.;h, and is inacces.sil)k; to lisheriiicn.
This fact is a most important one.
Kllis mentions tindin«'' iilentv of salmon at the mouth of the Nel-
son Ri\'er.
"Salmon are in some sea.sons very mniu-rous on the north-west side
of Hudson's Bay, jiartieularly at Knajip's IJay and Whale Cove. At the
latter place I once found them so plentiful, that had we liecn jnovidecl
with a sulHcient nmiilter of nets, casks, and salt, vvi' niii;lit sotai have
loaded the vessels with them."
The steamer Dldini, owneil by the liudsiju's Hay Coinpany, is a
i-efri^'erator \essel, and is re^idarly iti the trade to I'n^ava Hay.
She takes cargoes of fresh salmon to Kn^iand, wiiert! it is sttld for from
Is. nd. to 2s. (jd. per pound. Some of hei- car^o has been reshi[)ped on
to Australia..
Th(! Ke\-. M. Harvey, of St. John's, Newfoinidland, writes me as
follows: — " We have here a lleet of o\ er twenty line si'aling sti'anieis. At
present they are laid up for the most part for nine or t(!n months of the
year, as remitnerative (miploymeiit caniu^t be found for them, when the
seal Hshery is over. These wouM make ,i s|ilendid lleet foi' the na\i!^-a-
tion of Hudson's Hay, wh' -h could be easily carried on duriuL;' four
months of the year. They are about M){) to ()•')() tons burthen, ami their
service could be ha<l cliea[). It wotild be a y'ood |)la!i to charter acoupU;
of them for experimental purpo.ses. Xot more than three oi" four have
been cru.shod durino- the 20 years which lia\-e elapsed since the introduc-
tion of steamers in the .seal tishery. Tlu'se were lost by beini;- "nip|»ed "
in the heavy arctic ice through which tluiy ploui^h their way in sijarch
of .seals."
The Rev. M. Harvey is the author of tlie works on Newfoinidland.
These vessels might ])v used in the salmon trade : and. as salt has
been fouiul in large (|uantities close to solium of the streams which llow
into Lake Winiii|)eg, it would seem as ii a prolitalile and extensive
trade is awaiting develo]mient in that res|)ect alone. Both fie.sh and
salted salmon may yet rank amongst the heaxiest exports of Hiid-
.son's Bay.
WHALING.
Before a Committee of the Briti.sli House of Commons, Dr. Rae, in
answer to a ((ucstion : — "Do you suppose there would be a sutlicient
quantity of fish of that kind (whales) to support a settlement { " testi-
22
TiiK w. ASH II. II. It. .x.vn s. <<>.
H«'<l :— " I think not. Wlnii 1 vvnnt in lM4()-7. I saw a ^'ood many
whiilcs. Wlicn I went in lMr).*l-4, 1 saw only one or two small (»n<'.s."
H«'t'or(' tiic same Committer, Captain J)avi«l IKnl, who commamh'd
coastini,' vrsst'ls, in answi-r to the (jucstion : — " What arc thi- caj)al>ilitii'.s
of Hudson's May with n-^^'anl to wha'in;,', answered : — " I have l>een j^'oin^j
there for the hi.st 22 years and have nevei- seen a wlude h>it once, that
wa.« la.st year, I saw one whah'." "Assuminj; that there are whales there,
is the state of th»' sea, with regard tc^ ice, sucli that whalinj; can he car-
ried on in it r' " No, I do not helieve that it could. I do not helievo
myself that wliales will ever ^'o amongst i<"e."
Ml'. A. Ishister, witness hefoie the same Connuittee, statecl : — " Tn
Hudsoii's May itself, there an* also very j^ood facilities for the whale and
seal fishery. It was stated the other day, 1 think, liy one of the com-
manders of the coasting,' ships, that he had seeti no whales 1 I liai»])en to
liave a hook he.-e containin;,' an ot!icinl report, laid before I'arlinment, of
the imports from Hudson's May for ten years, from \7-i>^ to IT-fH, in
which it is stated that the Company importe(l in the year 17+7, as many
as I,:{I4 whal(! tins, which of course represented more than (iOO whales.
It does not say whether they were hlack or white wlwdes."
It would .s(>em in the li<,^ht of later evidence, that Mr. Ishister was
coiTect in his statement, and that Dr. Rae and ('apt. Herd did not seem
to know much about the extent of the whale fishery, although the latter
had saile(l in those waters for 22 years.
For half a century, at least, the north-western part of Hudson's May
has he(!n re<:jularly frefpiented hy a larj^e nundu-r of American whalers,
and, I am told, hy whalers from 1/undee and other Scotch ports.
An inspection of the rejtoi't of the United States Commissioner of fi.sli
and fisheries for icS7r)-7t) fortunntely <fives u.s some information a.s to tlie
extent of the whale fi,shin<; in Hutlson's May, That report shows tliat
between the vears I (SO I an<l l>S74', American whalei-s nwule about r)0
voyai,'es, "living an average of rather more than four xe.ssels for each
year, and the avenige catch arnuudly amounte(l in \alue to 1*124,000
worth of that fisli. The total of the eleven years' catch amctunting to
.Sl,S7l,02:i.26, there being 22,241 gallons sperm oil, 804,2(1.') gallons whale
oil, .S!)U,729 pounds of whalebone. It is also to be remend)ered that the
returns submitted are those of very recent date. In all the early history
of American whale fishery, Davis' Strait wtis a favorite whaling ground,
and ves.sels appear to have gone into Hudson's May, and out again into
Davis' Strait, but the record of tlieir catch are given as being generally
ma<le in Davis' Strait
T'hc presence of so many wliales in Hudson's Bay suggest conclusions
as to the supply of food for this enormous marine, mannnal."
The (luestion has been asked, Where do the whales come from that
are found in the noi-th-western part of the Bay ? I happened to meet
with a rather peculiar passage in a scientific work lately publi.slied.
During the years 1862-GG-(i(S-70-7l the bark i47i,s6Hr/W).s, sailing from
New Bedford, Mass., whaled in Hudson's Bay, being lost there in the lat-
ter year. From the book referred to I copy the following : — " The daily
papers have lately referred in brief terms to the recent capture of a
whale in the Artie Ocean, with a harpoon embedded in its flesh. The
whale in (juestion was taken by the ship Cornelius Hmdand, off Point
TIIK \V. \\|» II. li. II. AND S. «•(>,
t\
Hiirrow, tile MortlirrniiioMt vh\h' oI' Aliusku, iitnl oft'ilic iiiuiMluMil of North
AiiU'ricii. Tin- luu|MMiii was nuirkt'tl "A. (}." n't'crriii;,', as was .snpno.st'd
U) t\u' s]\\\i A iiHt'I (lihhn, <)\' \{\v Ht'dt'oril, wliifli Iihm luin i-nj^iii^tMl for
tt'H or twi'lvf ynirs in tlic wluilf tislicry. ('ascs havf ln-forr occmi'jmI of
whales h('ini^M'a|it(ir('il at C'iiiiiht'rltiii<l liilt-t with hnriiooiis in thi'tii that
must of have ln'cii iiistrt«'tl in th«' Artie Oi-raii, Imt this is said to l»e tht>
first installer aiithmtieatetl in which tlie inovciiifnt of the whale was in
the oi>j>osite ilireetion."
'liiis would look as tliouj,di whales entered Hudson's liay hy itH su-
veral eiitranees. and went out aj^ain as in the otiur whalini,' ;frounds.
In a letter to nie reeeixcd a few <lays aLfo from a whnlinj.; eiiptain in
New Hedfor<l, it is stated that whalers eon u into the Hay from Fox
Channel.
Koli.son, llearne, Dolths jiiid KIlis, as well as ther early writers on
Hudson's liay, eoiistaiitly i-efcr to the presenee of Klaek whales in the
hay as well as the swarms uf "white whales" whieh alKHind all over
tho May proper.
I have not on luuitl (tlioiitifh T have sent for them) tlie statistics
showing the ((uantities and value of the oil, whaleltoiie, etc., taken from
the liay to (Jrt'at Hritain liy the whalers fi-om Dundee and other ports,
hut 1 am informed on ;^ood authority that the amount is very lari^e.
An American wlmlin^' captain states that he saw a whaling vessel from
Dundee.
Elli.s says that at one place in the northern part of the Hay : " Fox
saw no less than forty whfiles at one time, and it is a thinj,' out of (|ues-
tion, that all sorts ot fish, hut more especially tlie larj^^er sorts, .sea-uni-
C(jrns and whales, are found in gi-eat numbers in these northern parts."
I givt' several extracts from American whalers under another head-
\u^, which show tho dates at lengtli of tlie whaling season in the Bay
proper.
One captain reports, on the litth May, that he got ready for whaling
and cut the .ship out of the winter's ice.
Several others say that they coine out when the seanon is over, or up
to November 1st.
Sir Edward Parry reports having seen Idack whales in Fox Channel,
and his crew killed one on the 1st August, 1SS2.
Fox Channel has two connections with Hudson's Bay, one on each
side of Southampton, and whales can range in and out through these as
well as through Hudson's Strait.
" My comfort is, that the (piantity of whales and .sea-niors that place
affordeth, will, when whale-oil comes into reijuest, drive the merchant to
send the mariner to visit the Isle of Brooke-Cobham."
Fox predicted exactly what has conu> to pass, for at Marble Island is
the chief whaling ground of the Americans, who now have an average
of at least four vessels, each year, at that place.
It is therefore positively proved that the whaling grounds of the
Bay are exceedingly valuable, and a source of profit to our American
cousins.
It may be inteiesting to some to know that the whalers wintering in
Hudson's Bay are in sizi; from the Fmhel, of !>.') tons, to the Northern
Light, of 513 tons.
24
Tin; W. ANI> II. I!. I!. AM) S. ( ( ».
4
The Pioneer, in 1(SG4, left lionic on the 4tli .Iimc and n'tunied 18th
Scptciiilicr, saiHc year, witli l,'?!)l ])an'('ls oil and 22, ()')() pounds of
whah'bono. Her cargo sold for ."^loO.OOO. Tliat same year the value of
pai'o'oes taken out of the Bay aniountcMl to i*427,(!.S8.86.
The above tioures are from the n port of the United States Com-
niissionei- of Fishei'ies, and are tlicrcfore aeeuratc
I niHV say that se\i'ral times I have hiiard the statement made tliat
th.' vahu' of" the catch of tlie years l8!)l-74 was $l(),()()0,()U(). This is
wildh' absurd, the tigui-es being, according Co the reports for tliose years,
$l,.S7'l,()2.S..S(>.
Inaccurati! ([notations are as impolitic as tliey are absurd and niis-
leaduio-.
COD FISIf.
Little seems to bt; known as to the extent of waters in Hudson's
Bay, whi-re tlie cod is to be found. Dr. iJell says the Bishop of Moosonee
informed him that lie had heanl of a few "I'eal" cod having been cauglit
neai" AVhale lii\'er on the east main, when; the watiir is (h.'ep, and J)r.
|-5ell himself has seen plenty of rock cod taken at various places on tliO
east coast of .lames" Bay. He says: — "There appears to be no reason
wliy tlie common cod should not lie foiiml in Hudson's Hay. Tlie contli-
tions as to temi)ei'ature, depth of water, etc., are favoi'able, and its food,
es[)ecially tlu' ca])lin, is aoundant. Tlie latitudes of the prolific fishing-
grounds of the Atlantic coast of Laln'ador are the same as those of
Hudson's Bay. The ([Uestion whether or not ('od-lishing grounds are to
be found in this gi-eat Bay is so important that it deserves a thorough
trial."
Hearne, in a foot note, r<'marks : — •" In the fall of 1708, a tine rock
cod was drove on slioi'e in a high gale of wind, and was eaten at the
goverjior's table, but 1 never heard of one being caught with a hook, nor
even saw an entire iish in those parts, their jawbones are, howevcir,
fre(iui'ntly found on the shores. Kepling (caplin) in scmie years, resort
to the shores near Chui'chill lliver in such multitudes to spawMi, and such
niimliers of them are left dry among the rocks as at times to be (juite
ortensive."
" In 1877, cod and caplin were taken in abundance by Newfoundland
craft in the vicinity of Heliion, not far from the entrance to Hudson's
Straits, about the ir)th of August. That the caplin occurs in inuuense
s'.ioals in northern Hudson's Bay has long since been noticed by Hearne
and othei's. This fish is also in altundance on the coast of south Green-
land, but the point to which s))ecial attt'ution is directcfd, as regards the
m(_)vement of the salmon, the capliji and the cod, is the broad fact that
the season in noith(>i'n Hudson's Bay is so much earlier and so niucli
longer than on the Atlantic coasts of northern Labrador, where the fish-
ing interests have assumeil such imposing })roportions. Hearne tells us
that the salmon lishing at Churchill begins in the latter part of June ;
he also mentions the occurrence on that coast of innumerable shoals of
caplin coming in shoi'c to sjiawn as soon as the ice leaves the coast.
(Jenerally the caplin precede the cod and salmon (m the Newfoundland
coast. It is not likely that the habits of this fish have chanixed under
snuilar conditions in Hudson's Bay.
•ncd IStli
onnds of
i value of
tes Com-
liidc til at
This is
ose years,
and mis-
Hudson's
Moosonee
'U caught
and Dr.
;i.'s on tlio
10 reason
he condi-
1 its food,
.' tishino--
those of
uls are to
thorough
Hne rock
n at the
look, nor
however,
rs. resort
andsueli
be (|uite
nindland
Hudson's
ininienbe
Hearne
1 Green-
>-ards the
"act til at
so much
the tish-
! tells us
jf June ;
hoals of
lie coast,
lundland
d under
'I'lIK \V. AM> II. I!. 1!. AM) S. Co.
2r,
" Hearne could scarcely have made us a hi'tter enumeiation of tlie
general foo<l of the cod than he has given us in his narrative, and the
only conclusion which suggests itself in relation to his remarks upon the
cod, is, that this lish not being an article of comiPierce in Hudson's Bay,
lias never yet been sought for there. When the food of the cod is stated
to be in great abundance, it is more than [irobable that tlu' voracious fish
will be relatively abundant. "•)•
" When we ha<l run almost across the Bay, and were got near some
banks to tlie northward of Churchill lliver, the captain expressed his
regret that they were not tried for coil ; for it seeiiKMl hii.hly probable,
he said, that there was almost as many to be taken there as at Nuw-
foundlaiK
MIMTAUY.
It does not seem to be generally known that on three occasions
bodies of British regular troops have been lirought from England in sail-
ing vessels through Hudson's Strait and Bay, landed at York Factory,
and proceeded by the usual water route to this city.
In 184G, a wing of the Gtli Foot, a detachment of Artillery, and a
detachment of Royal Engineers numbering 3iS'3 persons, including 18
officers, 329 men, 17 women and IS) '^•hildren, arrived at York Factory on
the 7tli August, and after a stay then of eleven days, pi-oceeded to Fort
Garry, which they reached in thirty days tinu' without any casualty.
The troops carried with them one nine-pounder and three six-
pounders, and left twenty-four guns at York, to be forwarded after
them.
These troops returnetl by the same route, in 184S, and a s([uad of 70
pensioners took their place that same fall, and these were again followed
by a like number in summer of 1849.
Some of these soldiers and their descendants are amongst our most
respected and worthy fellow-townsmen.
IMMIGRATION.
It must not be lost sight of that nearly all the early white .settlers
of this Province and the many settlements of the Nortliwest, came in via
the Hudson's Bay. Lord Selkirk, in 1811, siMit out the tirst detachment
others followed, and the first au'rieulturists who raised the grain which has
since beconu' so famous for its (luality, experienced the delays incidental
to the long passage in sailing ships.
Since that day, it is not to much to say, that thousands have travel-
led by the same route, in perfect safety.
This fact cannot be denied, and the statement <if it speaks volumes
in favor of the safe naxigation of our northern waters.
We have, in the veiy heart of our Dominion, an immeiise inland sea
which never freezes, it is connecteil with the Atlantic Ocean by a wide
passage which never fre(;/es over, and is ojx'ii for navigation for at least
live or six months, if not during the whole year. This great body of
salt water has emptying into it a large nunibi'r of rivers, many e'' them
' Sainuel Heuriio, 17'JG
t Hiiul'a Ueporl.
; Kobauii, pai^e 20,
26
TllK W. AM) II. IS. It. AM)
to.
H
navioatinnable for lar<fe river steamers for loii^ tlistanees inUuul, tlu'V
are well stocked witli tlie tincst o(lil)le lisli, and in some places their
banks are clotlied with tiiuln'r, much of which is valualtle for export.
Tlie ishuids of the Bay, and many localities on the mainland are rich in
mineral hearinu' rocks and foi-ms of coal. The noi'thin-n waters are fre-
<|iu'nte(| by schools of whale which are already aJlbrding a bountiful
liarvest to the entei'prisim;' whalers. At ;dl points in the j.fi"eat I>ay, por-
poises abound, whicli supply hides and oil. Furs are ol)tained fi'om the
full list of fur-b(>arin^f animals fre([uenting' the adjacent country. Ijar^U'
j^'aine supports, in a great measure, tlie Indian population. Feathered
f.(ame is so plentiful, that at a single ])ost, •'■}(),()00 geese are killeil in the
autunni, as the yeai's su])]ily. Vegetabh's are I'aised at all the forts in the
south(,'ru part, and at some of tliose in the north. Hor.ses, cattle, etc.,
are kept, and abun<lance of fodder is found for them. At least thi'ee
liarboivs ai'e fre([uented by ships, and for 274 years sailing vessels of all
(lesci'iptions, froiu the piiniace of 20 tons to the 74-gun man-of-war, have
aiicli(»red in them after ])nssing through tlie Strait and across the Bay.
British regular troops anil iiiMuigrants have .sailed througli the Strait and
landed at thesi." liarltoi-s.
Should we not, as Canadians, anxious for tlie full ih-\'elopment of
tlie great natural i-esources of our country, take wliat nature olU.'i's so
freel}', and make use of her bountiful gifts.
Wf
ca
in(
Hi
th
ab
an
rei
ha
be,l
W(
ta
nu
SOLTRCKS or HEVKNIE.
1st.— Transportation of grain from Manitoba, the N. W. Territories,
Minnesota and Dakota (in the l-nited States); tliesc two states akme
liave ir),0()(),0()() busliels of wlieat available for export aniuially at pre-
sent, and taking Manitoba and the North-West at 5,000,000 bushels
more, available for export on the completion of the line, we reasonai)ly
calculate on 20,000,000 laishels of wheat to ship to Euiope ; this would
make ')0,00() car loads of 400 bushels or 24,000 pounds ^(^(7/, equivalent
to train loads of 28 cars per train, dailj' throughout the year, and the
(piantity will surely and steadily increase, liearing in mind that this is
only one of many sources of revenue.
2nd. — ^Passengers' and settlers' effects and mails from and to luirope :
viz.: all importations from Europe for this North-West country, which
is at present very large and will increase yearly.
8rd. — Transportation of railway iron, rails, etc. It niay be fairly
as.sumed that all the rails and fastenings will bci brought from Eui'ope
viii this route, and as railwav construction is only beuinninu' in this
c;)untry, large and increasing (piantities for many years must come v'ui
this railway, not only for construction but also for renewals, also loco-
motives, etc., on account of the enormous saving which will be effected
in transpo^'tation as against the Atlantic Ports.
4th. — Timber alone, existing along the line of railway and country
tributai-y to it will be a large source of revenue to the road ; this will
find a market in England and also for local pru'poses. The (piantity of
available timber tributary to the road is safely estimated by experts at
2G billions of feet board measure, which, taken at 7,000 feet per car,
I
THE W, AND il. r. U. AM) S. CO.
27
and, tlu-y
aces their
1)1* export,
re I'ich in
•s are fre-
boinitit'ul
IJay, por-
tVoMi the
f. Large
^'eatliored
'il in the
irts in tlie
ivttle, etc.,
iast three
sels of all
war, have
; the Bay.
■itrait and
[)nn'nt of
I oti'er.s so
prritovies,
.es alone
y at pre-
bushels
asonahly
is would
uivalent
and the
t this is
Europe :
which
fairly
I Kurope
in tliis
■onie v'm
Iso loeo-
L'tieeted
country
this will
itity of
perts at
per car,
would take sixty years to ship at the rate of eight trains of twenty-four
cars each per diem, running *^00 days in the year.
oth. — Coal for local consumption and manvifacturing purposes,
6th. — Transportation of cattle. Cattle and sht'(>p are an important
industry in the North-West Territories, and also in AFontana, in the
Unitetl States. They can he di"iven to the Ci'and Rapids, and fatten on
the way throuiih a e(juntrv ahoundintr i'l the freshest i^rasses, with
ahundance of water; consiMjuently, they liave no suffering or shrinkage,
and they are worth more there than at the port of Montreal, for that
i-eason, for shipment to Europe, and with the great advantage of only
having railway transit of twenty-four lunirs' duration. Horses from the
liest imported p]nglish an.d American Itreeds are heing raistMl on the
western ranches for supplying the European mai'kets, gi'eat care heing
taken Ijy the breeders to select tlu' best strains of two different kinds,
many ranehei's making the industry a specialty, sparing no expen.se to
attain suitable stock foi- the pi'oduction of ract^rs, hunters, cavalry,
carriage and fai'm animals.
7th. — Transportation of all kinds of salted, fresh and canned tish to
supply southern, western, and ea.stern markets; this industry will in2reasti
very rapidly soon after the consti'uction of the railway, and will inchule
all products arising from the tisheries, such as oil, porpoise hides for
leather, etc.
8th. — Iron ore for local manufactures, lead, gypsum, petroleum,
moulding sand, building stone, etc.
Oth. — Agi'icultural products for shipment, sucli as cheese, butter, tal-
low, hides, frozen fresh l)eef, etc.
10th. — Jjocal passengers and way freight, arising out of building new
towns, including plant and supplies engaged in the mining, lumbering
and tisheries industries, and the trafKc arising out of tourists to the
sea coast.
11. — The available assets of the Company are:
Free grant of G,li)5,200 acres of land on the main line
alone, at !?! '. i?(),195,200 00
Timber on Company's reserve, 2,000,000, at *1 per M 2,000,000 00
SH,1 95,200 00
The estimated receipts on timber, lumber and grain alone, tributary to
the roavl nett, shews a safe annual revenue of JS per cent, on the total
cost. In addition to this, there will be largt' and increasing I'eceipts from
Ib^ transport of jjas.sengers, coal, live stock, lish, fui's, minerals, etc., etc.,
which cannot be accurately estimated on until the road is opened for
tratftc.
The railways in the; United States to the south of us have reaped
the best harvest from these swamp lands : tirst, a crop of ties ; .seconil,
telegraph poles ; third, fence posts ; fourtli, fence rails ; fifth, hop poles ;
estimated at i?200 per acre nett on timber alone.
The Great Saskatchewan river is entirely tributary to the Hudson's
Bay Railway, and not to the C. P. R., and it is settling up fast. The
28
TlIK W. AND II.
CO.
branch lino will be a very lar^t; tributary source of revenue to tlie main
line, and the Canadian Pacific Uaiivvay and its Itranchcs west, south and
south-west of Winnipeg, are all tributary to the Hudson's Bay Railway,
it bein<^ the shortest road to the sea; no corporation, howi'ver powerful,
can coerce the channels of comnierce, and the outlet is via Hudson's
When the monopoly clause cxpiri's, and forei^ni railways can cross
the boundary line, the carrying railway trade of a large radius of this
Western continent will find its seaport at Hudson's Bay, and over this
road.
With the above sources from which a revenue is to be derived, and a
country rapidly filling up, with an Agricultural and Mining population,
combined with the fact which should be strongly impressed upon intend-
ing emigrants, that the Great North-West has now the only extensive
fertile areas of farmin<r lands available for settlement on this continent,
the United States having disposed of nearly all of their Agricultural
lands.
1
j
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RAILWAY.
The first consideration in building the railway is perfect location or
alignment, consistoit witli tapping the important points whci-e revenue
is to be derived from, keeping curvature at a mininnnn, and the grades
as easy as the country will admit of, and Vmilding the railway bank as
high as the snow-fall is deep, in order to have perfect operation through-
out the year.
DISTANCES.
The main line distances will be as follows : —
11
From. To Miles.
Winnipeg Little Saskatchewan 14i)
Little Saskatchewan. .Grand Rapids 89
Grand Rapids Sea Falls 114
Sea Falls Fox Rivt^r 181
Fox River Limestone Falls (jO
-)9.S
Limestone Falls to Liverpool .S024
Winnipeg to Liverpool .SG 17
RIGHT OF WAV.
The i-ight of way, or ground enclosed by the Company's fences, is 9!)
feet wide or 1^, Gunter's chains, containing 12 acres per mile, excepting
at ternnnal points whcsre greater widths are re((uired for erecting shops
and working yards, etc., also at way stations, and at the end of divisions,
in almost all cas"\s the lands will be free to the Coinpany, thus reducing
the cost of construction.
) tlie main
south and
,' Railway,
powerful,
Hudson's
can cross
us of this
over this
ved, and a
lopulation,
on intend -
extensive
continent,
••ricultural
ocation or
e revenue
the o'rades
r bank as
!i through-
Ules.
I4i)
89
114
181
(iO
J24
iuces, is 9!)
excepting;-
;ing' shops
■ divisions,
s reducing
THE W. AND It. 15. U. AND S. CO.
29
It is advisable to huild the line of railway aside fi'oni the centre to
allow for constructing a double track which nuiy be required nnich ear-
lier than at present anticipateil.
GUADINfS.
The banks to be 1 2 feet wide at formation level with slopi's one and
one-half to one, and the cuttings to be 22 feet wide at formation ; slopes
in earth cuttings one and one-half to one, in nx'k one-fourth to one.
GUAUIENTS.
The gradients of the railway ascending northerly not to exceed
26-40 per mile with the traffic and ascending southei-ly 52-80 per mile
so as to give the greatest carrying capacity.
CUllVATURE.
Curvature will be reduced to a minimum in all cases, and not to
exceed a 4-0 curve or a less radius than 1438 feet on the main line.
BRIDGING.
The bridging of rivers of 100 feet span and upwards are intended
for permanent structures of the most approved Truss pattern with
masonery substructures built wide enough to admit of a double track
when retpiired ; culverts and small waterways to be built of timber to
adnut of rapid construction, to be replaced l)y permanent structures
without impeding traffic hereafter.
GUAGE.
To be standard guage of 4 feet, 8^, in. between rails,
RAILS AND FASTENINfiS.
Road to be laid with steel rails of approve<l section and ((uality
weighing 56 per yard, and fastened with tishplates or splices of steel
with four l)olts and nuts to each joint.
TIES OR SLEEPERS.
Of the best available tind)er (dght feet long not less than six inches
face and six inches thick to be laid two feet centres or 2,640 per mile.
SWITCHES AND FROGS.
To be of the best working patterns in use. Standard— 1 in 9.
i\()
Tlir, W. AND II. It. U. .\NM) S. CO.
KIIMN(}S.
i
4
20 mile.s of .siding.s are allowcl at tlie two ends of the road ; two to
three, as may he recjuired, at the eiul.s of divisions, and one mile at eucli
way station.
HAIJ.ASTIXU.
2,000 ciihic yards has licen allowed throughout hoth for siding and
main line.
FKN(;iN(J.
Posts to be eight feet long and not less than four inches in diameter
at the small end, to be placed 16! feet apart, and the right of way to be
enclosed with tive strands of bai'b wint fastened securely to each post.
TKLK(il{AI'll IJ.NE.
Would re([uire 82 posts pel- mile throughout, witli ordinary gauge of
wire, instruments and batteries.
WATER STATIONS AM) (UAL SHEDS.
To be about 15 miles apart.
SECTION HOUSES.
One to each five miles of railway for maintenance purpo.ses are
required to keep workmen togetlier so that they and their lorries and
tools may at all times be immediately available for services re(|uired
from them. At unimportant points these houses could be used for way
stations until such times as business increases sufficient to warrant the
erection of regular stations.
WAY STATIONS.
Cond)ined for passengers and freight purposes, with dwelling for
agent overhead, will be built at first only at those points where
fuel and water is necessary, and afterwards at a distance of ten
miles apart as the traffic developes, and at all divisional points suitable
buildings will be erected as the recpiirements of traffic demands. At
terminal points where the general offices are establislied, buildings will
be erected capable of accommodating all the start' of the various depart-
ments engaged in operating the railway, with freight sheds, engine
houses, turn-tables, etc.
ELEVATORS.
At Sea Falls and Limestone Falls, elevators will be built of sufficient
capacity to accommodate the traffic.
i<l ; two to
ile at eaeli
siding and
I diameter
way to bo
ich post.
r gauge of
TICK W. AND II. I!. I!. AND S. CO. 31
I >CKS AND WHARVES,
of .suitable dimon.sions will be required at Sea Falls and Linicstonr, Falls.
LOCOMOTIVflS AND UOLI.ING STOCK.
Locomotive engines, both for passenger and freight service, must be
of the strongest and best tyi)es speeially constructed for tliis cli; late
and water, from designs furnished from, and adapted to the requirements
of this country.
The rolling stock to be of the best manufacture in use, and inter-
changeable in their [jarts.
The following detailed statement of cost of construction is an-ived at
upon the surveys an<l explorations of Mr. Adrian Neison, C. E. and
Explorer, and Mr. Baync, C. E., J)r. Bell, of the Geological Survey,
and from other reliable sources.
The estimatetl cost may be reduced by having less sidinf>-s, l)allast,
rolling stock, stations, etc., and only furnish as the railway trathe
develops.
rposes are
)rries and
s re(|uired
d for way
arrant the
elling for
ts where
!e of ten
,s suitable
iinds. At
dings will
IS depart-
s, engine
sufficient
■i
!
f\
82
TlIK W. AND II. n. H. AND S. CO.
CONSTRUCTION.
classikic:ation.
RKllITOl' WAY
!•!) ft. wide, 12 iicrcs per niitc
LAND—
For Shops and Stations, Winnipcj;. . . .
CLEARING—
7,1 10 acres, less ])etweeii Winnipeg and
Selkirk, 'MiO acns
CLOSE CUTTING—
One-quarter chain wide for 50,3 miles. .
GRADING— 10,000 cubic yards per mile—
Sidings, 104 miles, e<|ual
Main Line, 507 miles, e(|ual
Of Rock Section, 88 miles, equal
Off-take — Ditches and cutting Beaver dams
QUANTITIES.
BRIDGING
Tressels, Road Crossinj^s, Cattle Guards,
('ulverts
TIES— 2,640 per mile
Main Line
Sidinf^s
KAILS — 88 tons per mile, 5(i lbs. [ler yard
Main Line
Sidings
NO.
7,110
200
(i,750
1,180
1,040,000
5,0.")0,(HK)
88
100
593
1,505,520
274,500
FISH PLATES "Tiirec tons pur mil.',
16 lbs. per pair — I
Main Line |
Sidings '
BOLTS AND NUTS— One ion per mile,
5 lbs. per joint -
Main Line
Sidings
SPIKES Three tons per mile, ^4 x 5',^
Main Line
SIDINGS
POINTS, CROSSINGS \ S\V1TC1II;S
Complete
TRACK LAN'ING Distributing Ties -
Main I,ine . . .
Sidings
BALLASTING— 2,000 cul)ic yards per mile
Main Line
Siilings
TELEGRAPH LINE-Complcte
FENCINC]— Complete-
Four Strands Barb Wire
SECTION HOUSES— Five miles apart-
I'MTS.
Acres.
RATES.
cub. yds.
miles.
tics.
20
•J/c
UC.
$10,000
1,000
52,184
9,152
Ions.
1,780
312
11
11
5!»3
104
11
11
1,770
312
11
1 1
300
.sets.
503
104
miles.
It
1,186,000
208,000
cub. yds.
1 1
593
miles.
593
11
120
1,000
25c
$ 30
30
35
35
60
60
,50
50
110
325
325
40c
40c
215
700
1,000
COST.
Free.
$ 500 $ 100,000
135,120
17,790
280,800
1 ,.363,500
1,408,000
100,000
1,086,514
503,000
.301,380
68,640
1,565,.'S20
274,.")G0
62,265
10,920
35,, 580
6,240
88,9.50
15,600
33,000
192,725
33,800
474,400
83,200
127,495
415,100
120,000
COST.
Flee.
$ lOO.OOO
135,120
17,790
280,800
1 ,;?6;},r)00
1,408,000
100,000
1,086,514
593,000
301,380
68,640
1,565,520
274,560
62,265
10,920
35,580
6,240
88,950
15,600
33,000
192,725
33,800
474,400
83,200
127,495
415,100
120,000
TlIK W. AND H. 11. n. AND S. CO.
CONSTRUCTION. Continwd.
33
CLASSIFICATK^N.
STATIONS AND OFFICKS—
1 WinniiM j^ Depot and (lencr.il Ofilc-fs. .. ,
I Little Sask.Ttchcwan division terniiniis
1 (irand Kapids •'
1 Sea Falls •«
I Fox River '•
I Limestone I'alls "
54 Way Stations, 10 miles apart, (a $3,000 . .
FKKICHT SHEDS-
Winnipeg , ,
Little Saskatchewan .
(irand Rapids
Sea Falls
Fox River
Limestone Falls. . . .
COAL SIIKDS -
Winnipeg;
Little Saskatchewan
Grand Rapids
.Sea I'alls
Fox River
Limestone Falls
At Way Stations 40 (a>. $2,000
WATKR TANKS, COMl'LKTE—
Winnipeg, capacity 60,000
Little Saskatchewan, " 40,000
(irand Rapids, "
Sea Falls,
Fox River, "
Limestone Falls, " 60,000
W.iy Staf'ns, " 40,000
MACHINE AND WORK SHOPS
Winnijieg
Little Saskatchewan
Grand Rapids
.Sea Falls
Fox River
Limestone Falls
gal
1
•K) Oi $4,000.
EN(;iNE AND ROL'M) IIOUSES-
Winnipeg
Little .Saskatchewan
CJrand Rapids
.Sea l<"alls
Fox River
Limestone Falls
TURN-TABLES—
Winnipeg
Little Saskatchcw an
Grand Rapids
Sea Falls
Fox River
Limestone Falls . . .
COST.
KtO.OOO
6,000
6,(M)0
6,000
6,(K)0
25,(M)0
162,000
30,000
;t,oo()
3,0(K)
3,00<)
3.000
30,000
15.000
5,000
5,(MK)
5.000
5,000
15,000
80,000
$10,000
4,000
4,000
4.000
4,000
10.000
160,000
2(M),000
10,000
10,000
10,000
10,000
200,000
Oil net/ fonmrd | $1 ,322,000
60,000
20,000
20,000
20,000
20,000
(iO,000
3,500
1,.-)00
1,500
1,,-)00
I.. 500
3,.-)00
311,000
72,000
1.30,000
$19(),000
400,00
200,000
13,000
•M
TIIK \V. AM) If. It. K. AM) S. CO.
rims'najcTum.—Goiuimmi.
CL.\SSIKK ATkJN.
CU.^T.
lirOHg/lt J'oi -('(III/.
SiniNdS (Cost inrludeil on sheet No. 1.)-
WiniiipfK .JO ,„i|es
Little Saskatchewan 'j >•
( irand Kapids ;} ><
.Sea Falls ,'j ••
Fox River -j •»
Limestone Falls 'jo <•
(JRALX KLFVATORS-
At Limestone Falls . . .
101 miles,
DKKI)(;iN(;--
At Seal Island, Nelson RiviT -
],4()8,()0()cul.icyds. at *J.">c .
DRFIKIINC MACniNKRV—
() (lred^;cs complete at $4"), 000 .
DOCKS AND WHARVFS
Limestone Falls ;«)"x,SO\L'()(»0'
Sea Falls
KNGINEKRINO AND MISCKI.LANFOUS-
iVJ.S miles ni $2,000.
Engineering -h.urveys, etc.
" Instn;' nts and Outfits.
Organization office Furniture, Stalionery, Printing, Rents, Fuel.
Lighting ami Taxes, Cieneral Superintendancc and Law
Expenses
TRAIN SERVICE—
During Tracklaying and Ballasting
COFFER DAMS-
For Bridging.
-'«J7,000
•JO.CK)
INCIDENTALS-
5 per cent, on construction ($14,'J.^S,0I9)
Total
$i,:{-ji',()Oo
1,000,000
avi.ooo
'■270,000
'2S7,0OO
1,I8<),{K)0
r.77,!)'20
iir.,000
71 1, <».">!
14,044,579
Tot.i
ST.
$i,:i'Jv.',(!(j()
i,noo,(X)0
a.'.2,ooo
ilTO.OOO
'2S7,000
I,l8(i,000
577,1)20
iin.noo
71 I, (Ml
14,044,579
THh W. AM) II. It. U. AND S. ((»
K<^UII\MKXT.
nn
nKsckii'iiuN.
l.tH().M( )TIVKS
CARS-
Ii"X ....
Flat '..'..'.'.'.'.
I'assiTiacr, ist cl.-i.ss. . . .
•-'ii.l cla.ss . .
Slfciiiiiu
Mail .... .......'.','
''■li^^fiKt-' and Kxi)rc.ss . ,
.Stock
I\('fii(.;crali(r . , .
Il.iml ".'.'.'.".
Lorry or Rul.hlc '.
Iron <
Iii-ipuction or Vcloripeck-
Wruckin),' with craiiu , .
No.
100
2,000
I.UOC
SO
.'10
30
10
10
10
«()
l(!
140
141)
12
<i
3
SCALES -
Truck 100,000 ca|)ai.ity
S|.;CT[()\ TOOLS
STATION 1-(R\ISIII\GS
Total eiiuipiinjiit . . .
Ratk.
$10,000
0(10
1(1(1
2,000
0,000
4, COO
i2,;ioo
4,000
2,.'.0()
.".00
1,000
70
r.o
(iO
100
1,000
.sets 2,r,oo
120
00
100
300
.\ MOUNT.
$1,000,000
1,200,000
4(M»,(»00
100,000
1. so, 000
120,000
1 2.-., 000
40,(M)0
2.".,t)(»0
.so.ooo
10,0(M)
!>,S00
7,000
720
600
n.ooo
l.''.,000
12,000
18,000
$.'{,3.'itJ,120
RECAI'ITULATION.
Construction
E(juii)mcnt . , . .
Cirand total
$14,t)44,r.00
3,.S50,120
Tot.il cost ])cr mile
"itlioiit equipment.^
$18,300,700
$;5o,o()o
25,202
I hiU'o tile honor to lie. Sir,
Your oljodient Servant,
WILLIAM AIURDOCH, C. E.