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MKaOCOTT MKHUTION TKT CHART 
 
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 /APPLIED IN/MGE Inc 
 
 1653 Cast Uain Strvct 
 
 Roch«»'«r, N»w Yorh 14609 US* 
 
 (716) *62 - 0300 - Phon* 
 
 (716) 288- M89 - Fok 
 
A^ 
 
 Second Report of Progress 
 
 (»K 
 
 / 
 
 Kxploratiou in the OoDDtry 
 
 h "TVVKKN 
 
 Lake %i. John and James Bay 
 
 Including th*- reRiiin of L«ke Miitiiwini and the baMiia of the Kreat Nottaway and 
 
 Ku|i«rt riv»'r» together with a key plan to auconipany remarks on 
 
 the dilt'erent propoaed railway* between 
 
 (jueboc and James Bay 
 
 MADE rNI>Kl{ INSTHI'CTIONS FUOM THE 
 
 r)EPAr{TMENT OF COLONIZATION 
 
 AND MINKS, QT'EHEC 
 
 IIe\R1 O'Si LLIIA!«, I). L. S. & ('. E. 
 
 Mkm, Can. Soc. Civil Kmiinkerm, ami I>.spk(t<(K ot Sirvkvs. l'. Q. 
 
 i'lilNTEU HY (iliDFAi OF THE LEdlSLATVRK 
 
 QUEBEC 
 
 CHARLES PAOEAl', Pkjm^k to His Most F.m kllkm Maj.wtv ths Kinb. 
 
 1901 
 
1 
 
 
RKrOllT OF KXI'LORATIOXS 
 
 IN TIIK 
 
 LAKE ST JOHN, MISTASSINI AND JAMES 
 BAY REGIONS 
 
 
 To thf Iloiiorahli- Coininis-ioiiiT of 
 
 Colonisation ami Mines, 
 Queltec. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I !i:iV"' till' lioMor to tiulnnit youth" Iblliwiiiir r«'i)(»it \\ii!i .icfom- 
 panyin>? plans and prjlib's of tin- iliirT'iit >.'.tiiMH of .'xploraiory survi-y 
 bctwfiii i.ak.' .St-.foliii anil .Iain Hs May, lou'etluT with ih.isi- ol' part of thi» 
 Mistassiiii and Si-Maiiric ' ri'iri'>ns in il • iiu'l'r iintni ■tiinis tVoin your 
 di'partiUiMit. 
 
 Si'ciioii N'(» 1 sli.iws th-' c-ountry from Robi.v i on laki' St-.Tohu 
 north-westward to a littli- ln-yond thf height of .and bet\V('"n the 
 Sagniuiuy and James Hay waters, lat. IK' 24' N. lon^. 74';i(t' W. 
 
 Section No 2 shows from ther.) to the llnd^on Bay Coanpany's post at 
 Waswanipy. lat. 4it' 3!>' .'.V N. Ion?, "f." :!4' W. 
 
 Section No ;? comprises from Wasvvanipy to laki> Nemiskow on the 
 Rupert river, lat. ol" 20' N. Ion?. 76" 34' W. 
 
 Section .No 4 comprises the 1 >\ver part of thu Rupert rivor, fi im the 
 lake Nemiskow down to its mouth at Rup Tt House on James May. 
 
 Sections Nos 5 to 9 inclusively have already been transmitted with 
 accompanying reports ; with the exception of No 6 A which is hereto 
 attached ; they comprise the following regions ; 
 
 No 5, river du ClifJ from it« mouth or junction with th» Chamou- 
 chouan river northward to b 'yoiid the height of la^id embracing File 
 Axe lake and riv^r a la I'tnlie to the borders of lake Mistassini. 
 
No 6 show* the rt'gion from lako NiraubAO northward to th« H. B. 
 Oo'a post on I '.■■ MistaNsini, including lakes Obatagoman, (<hiboa« 
 gamou, Wahwuuichi, Stc. 
 
 No 6 A ihowH th»' r.-ijjou from lnlc<' Wahwuuichi Wfstwurd to the 
 continence of thu Obaiugoman and C'hiboui^umou wutora. 
 
 No 7 hIiows the region went oi' IuaP Obatagoman, iuclndiug lakes 
 Eau Jaune and Pntqu'ile. 
 
 No 8 sliowa part of Oreat lakn MistaNsitii, from the Nonthuru extru* 
 mity of CnbiNlaclionan Day nnrthward to littln laku Mistaijetiui. 
 
 Sfction No coinpris»'R tin- region of Littlt? Lakf MiHtassini, in -hiding 
 part of till' Porcupini- rivi-r and ItaNiilt lake. 
 
 Section No 10 show* ihHrfifion fromtho hfud ofClrutid lak>' Mistiis- 
 sini south-\Vfstw«.d to I'oonai-hon.iii IJuy. 
 
 Sfction N'o 11 shows thf canoe rnntc viiv t'l • Rupert und Mortin 
 rivers, westward from liik«^ Mistassini to lak ■ \ > uiskiw. 
 
 Si'( lion Nd li; comprixcs the rcirion from the II II Co. post c«ll«'d 
 Kikindaich on thf Si-Maurice northward to lake Ascutscic on thu 
 CluiHii'Uchouan wuterK. 
 
 iSection \o I" >hows the country from the discharge of lake Pics- 
 qu'llt' (shown on ^<'i;tioii No 7). to th; junction of the Obatagoman and 
 Chibou!,'ani<iu waters with the nameless river shown on *iuM No 2 
 surveyed in 18!»7. 
 
 Section No 14 showt the country from lake Witetuugami northward 
 to Lichen lake. 
 
 Section No 1') comprises lakes Waswanipy and i'atikamika and 
 environing country. 
 
 Section No 1(3 compris.'s the main or Groat Nortaway river and chains 
 of laki's from < lull lake northward down to its moutli at tide water on 
 James Bay. 
 
 Two of these sections, viz : \os I'l and 11, ar<- not yet conijileit d, hut 
 they may »er\'- ia the meantime lor the compilation o! ageii.Tal map of 
 the country. 
 
SliCTION No 1. 
 
 S.»..tion No 1 has already bu^Mi d«.orib«d in my report of proirroM of 
 novi'inbfr. 1897. 
 
 SECTION No 2. 
 S..,:tion Xo 2 bei^ins at the di«cl.arff.< of Twc Mand. lake, lat. 49* 
 -4 r»l,l(.iig. 74"8(f W. and elevation 1176 f,..'t above aoa lolol. 
 
 Aoou. 1 mile and a half of rapid river tak.m ua down to another 
 ■mall Ittk.. one mile in lomr«h and a quarter of a mile in width ; the total 
 fallinth.,«tr..tchi«8l. f....t.andthen one mile broken by ohutea and 
 rai.uU takot u« to another oxpanse. where a conniderable-siited branch 
 comes in from the south. 
 
 There is arood loamy soil all alon,? here, and the country is level or 
 gently rollni!?. The rook formation isi^neiss and granite. 
 
 At the diNohar^e ol the latter expanse, I found the lat 40' «' .'J7" 
 and long. U .i-. !«• W., and tl.o elevation Ills feot. above sea l.v.'l. 
 
 Aho.it two inile^ l„.l<)w this, a fair sized stream called river 1) wert 
 conies 111 Irom tli.' lu.rth. 
 
 Th..n.e. i!„. river Hows ;il,ont due west 8J miles to ,•, h,r-er ..xtmase 
 I mil.' in widili and ]\ ni length. 
 
 Il.re lliiroiiiuu rorks are lir.st encountered, rioli ol iv soil and lar-ror 
 tir.iber all aioiiiid. ' " 
 
 Kr.Mn ih.r.Mi.e river Hows north-west about thiee mil.'s to lake 
 iv.«|)atiiatriijsk;i ur Tiimarae lake 
 
 This is a pretty large lake, measuring eleven miles in len^r, , |,v 
 about tonr miles >,i width in the widest part, with ^ neral d.ep ba'V.s and 
 pi<tiires(|ue islands. ' ".iy.s una 
 
 Its altitude is 107.] leet above s.a level and. notwithstanding, thir 
 high elevation the eo.uitry around is well timV-red with spruce, and 
 along he hike shore ash ,s lound in the sheltered vales and lar-e cedar is 
 seen a ong the porta,.- a. th. diseliarg- ofthe lake, sturgeon, pike, dnre 
 ^y tte ish, grey tn.u, aud dilieren. other kinds ofltsh are token there in 
 attiinaanee 
 
 _Th-,.sc!,a,ge of .his lake (lows turbulently northward throu-h a 
 .•■•ooKed valley ior a laUe and a htif, to w.iere it opens into another 
 Jar''e lake. 
 
On thit di».h«ri?.' the total full Ik 33 f.>et. 1ft feet of which U iti the Unit 
 cawiul*' Ih'iv a ffood watiT i>o\T»'r can b»^ h««l, and by damming the 
 diaclmruro ut itn nurrow.'nt jwint 'w)vi» thfl ca».:ad.'. 50 fi-.-t hxad nuiy be 
 had with u auriuco ol" thirty Hquar.' mil<'i« to dnuv from. 
 
 Th.' nfxt Ink.' bt'iow, we .•ulU-d Windy luki', on u.vount of hoin;; 
 held ih-r.- win.l-boand. It Vw» pinill-'l to T»mnr,ic liik«, nearly .-siM and 
 wfst. Il- .'xin'ra.' l.'ns;l'i i- .'iurhl mil.-*. lt« eiiHterly .'ud in narrow. 
 mouHurini? only tn.m \ u> J uuIm in width. foralj<.nt hi»lf it^l.^nffih wh.ue 
 it dis. hiir;/."* norlhward, und thonc w.-»tward it expand-. U. ovr ihroo 
 miU'H in width. Forest lir.'Hliiiv.' don." <<ou«id.'n»bl« duraai?.« around this 
 lake yea-« atjo. bat it in now w.-ll ...vrd wit!i M.'con 1 tfrowtli. 
 
 From itHdis.-htirire 11,0 riviT rnnn north by oaHt about lour mil.-,*, 
 and tht-n turiiH shiir|.ly N..uth-v\.'.Hiw.»rd und runs aliont liv.. mil.'* umid 
 Tupids and .•xp.invs on tli.- lati.^r .ourM.'. appr-M.-hint? n.'iirly to tli.- Wi-«t 
 id of th.> liHt i>i.-ntiou,Ml hik.'. wlw-r.' it turns a-jaiii .sh;uply u.-nl. w.ir.l 
 u., iaft.'rp.issinu'a.hoii rapid. i;ivin-Hix l.-tfall. w- .•nt.'v laU.- linis 
 Cow/i<. '.''.'4 li'i't al)ov-' s-M I'Vfi. 
 
 Thin is u ruriously sliup-d iak.v I'or i h.' lir>l six mil's it ruu> ah.. ,ii 
 norlliMMst and in.-aHur.'s Irom a .jiiarl.-r of u mil" to :i -.ml.- m wi.liii ; 
 th.n it turiiH .sjmri.ly »outh-w.-<t wir.l and llows iil..)ut .Mirl.t niios m llie 
 latttT direction to its discharttiv 
 
 Til.- soil is -rood M Ion.,' h.'..' .\nA i\i" timb-r, wlii.^li i« .hidly uivy 
 Bpru.-.-. is fxrefdiniflv till and al.uud;nil whcr.-iii.' primitiv f.n-st .'\ists. 
 huokini,' northward irom th- hw.-r .'iid ol this l.ik -.a .il.innin-!: <• ..uury 
 moots tho viow ; rich olay soil is s... n all aloni,' th.- sh)r- and a« laras th- 
 ey« oiin roach oasy slop.'s and •^'-ntlo sw.dls ris.' om- abi.v.- an .tlior woU 
 timborod with spriioo, poplar and l>oule<ut or white bindi 
 
 From lako Hras Coupe tho rivor llows soulh-w.'stward pla.-idlv for 
 about three miles, and in the noxt two miles, ther- ar- rapids and falls 
 that v'i^''' '* *"'''^ ditlor.'.Kv of loyol of 20 feet. 
 
 Hero aood .vato. power may be liad also. 
 
 Wo now oomo to tho largest lake of the whole seri-s from th." ii>'ii:l»t 
 of land to lake Waswanipy, moutionod on pair -s 6 and T of my report of 
 Noveinb r l!^'.'" 
 
 It is call.'d by tho Indians. Doda Sa-^aiuan or Father's lak ■ and by 
 others it is oall-d Lnr Rnil* ; bi.t th • latter name is api-ii'd to so ii ^ny 
 
* 
 
 I' 
 
 I 
 
 jolc--. tluil I Imv.. ,|i«..„r.|...l ,f, partin.l „h i.« th.-re in no irroU •(t«iit of 
 hnriir .•..uiitry l,ri>w<^ fh.- Ukiv 
 
 This i, th- ni.mt irr.'ifnliirly «lia|M-<l lak.. iinngiiiable. 
 
 As .n...ifi.......I in .Hid report, il, Lnir I. in ;Ji' M»il,.. .uul rontoar ovor 
 
 two ,m..lr...l mil.... lu .h-.r.., an- ^.-n.-rally w.-ll ti,n», -r^.l vv.ih irr..y 
 
 aii.I l.lM.k.pni.-,. ..r^fcul M/.. un.l qiulity Tamar..-. impUr .uul A»«/mm 
 or.- .|l... 1..U11.1 hur.. in itbr ..l.u |i. ..l..v.,ti.Mi ii '.a* fo.-t nb<.vo «e« 
 
 li'V.'l. 
 
 Th.'hrif..iv,.r.-..m x ui Irom ih.- M.,«tl, „... u ..a-t-rn .-nd U 
 .•IIII..I l)\ 111.. Indian., Mii.l.in..sk.Sib r Kuijl.. F ; . . .iv.T. 
 
 W- ..xph)r.d it for ab.mt lour mil.-s and f..aiid .. H.im..ii..s« of .ountry 
 •il fhr,.«..|.. vi. : 1..V..I or if-.n-ly rollniir l„nd. good loamy .ail. lur-.. .rr/y 
 
 di . .'tioii. 
 
 .)la. u >priu-.., /),W^,i/, „nd p.i.lar ; no mon it lin^ to b. 
 
 «■' 'U III rtiiy 
 
 llomrninfr IVom t!... mouth f tliis riv.-r. ^v • cro.. th.. iak- in a north 
 w.>1..rlv lir ..ti ,n hI. nil liv,. mil,., f. wh-ro it,, w.itor.. ur. .-ontrajtHl to 
 ha, I II mil in uidih. 
 
 Tli.'s.. iiariou-. i.-ad lo th- di- .IiLrsy,. and ..ii,. .mm ima.^'in.. by lookinir 
 at til- ..Ian liMvv Ion- if mitrht tak • th.. most oxp -rl ,.x;.lor -r to lind his 
 wav t,. t,,.. ,|,..,.h .r-,. vvitho.u hivni.? nom ■ o,,.- who kiunv th- war, for 
 
 ou.-\v..nld.ii.tur,,liv think, l.ai h. ..uijot would b,. at tlu, oth.-r end »' 
 th-' liik.'. 
 
 Th.. lak.. h.r.. turns v,.,t.raia an.l atfain .southward, where it widons 
 ontto n..arlytwoiniie.s ■, ..vidth. and about three mil.-.s lur.her ou it 
 turn, av.iin w-tward a- i narrows in to about live chains in width in 
 th- uarn.w-s, , •,, wI.t, M.-r- is a pretty swift eurrent. which gives a 
 sens- ..I r-lief u n,.n we k'low I hat w- have stru-k th' riijht bay at last 
 and that the di.seharife Miust b.. in this direction anyway. 
 
 15ut w.. are not yet at it. a broad expanse two miles in width meets 
 oar view, beautiful slopes of the richest -lav soil are seen on either side 
 well timbered with .s|.ru-e. hnulea,, and poplar ; and after makin? about 
 thr.-- mil,.s ,n a still westerly direction, w,. com- to other muTows and 
 swilt ,urr-nt. Her., th.. .-ountry on the north sid.. has been overrun by 
 hre and is now fov,.n.d with a thick secoinl growth of poplar, bouk u 
 aiui sinu.e. 
 
Boyoiul the last iiu'Utiouod narrows, aiiothor oxpause cxleuds south- 
 ■Wfstwaril a i^ouplf of mik's to where a pretty lirge stream comes in from 
 the south-west, a lul a deep bay extends a couple of miles more in a 
 southerly dirertion, and immediately north of this bay, we come at last to 
 the propi'v (lis( liargi', where there is a fall of -0 feet, which is passed by 
 a portage 1> chains long on the left bank. 
 
 For the mxt fourteen miles followiu!? down stream there is nothing 
 very remarkable. 
 
 The general course is west by north, an<l a succession of rapids and 
 chutes, bays and expanses of no great extent, briuir us to another lake 
 lying about at right angb-s to the general course oi th>' river. Most of the 
 country along here has been overrun by fire some twenty-live or thirty 
 years ago and is now well covered with a second growth of mixed 
 timb'»r. 
 
 The elevation of the last mentioned lake is S80 feet above sea level. 
 It measures four miles in lensjth by from A to ij of a mile in width and 
 about midway up its north-west side the discharge flows off in a south- 
 westerly direction, four miles to another lake (Tongue lake), measuring 
 six miles in length and from half a mile to a mil • and a halt .11 width. 
 
 In the latter four miles there are two chutes and one cascade, giving 
 a total lull of 24 feet. 
 
 The last mentioned lake is bordered by a beautiful gently rolling 
 country, ex<ellent clay soil well limberi-d w ilh large spruce, bouleau and 
 poplar. There is a small round mountain about ■'>*)() feet in height near 
 its north easterly iMid, but ii> every other direction the country is level or 
 gently undulating. 
 
 Following the diseharge of the latter lake, which turns south-east- 
 ward, we soon come to rapid water which, with a chute of ten feet at a 
 sharp bena passed by a short portage on tiie riirht, brings us to a long 
 expanse called Lichen lake, lifteen miles in length, varying from ten 
 chains to over a mile in width and lying in a nearly due westerly direc- 
 tion. 
 
 The country on either side is gently undulating, well timbered clay 
 land. 
 
 About two miles from the westerly end of the latter lake, a fair sized 
 river comes in from the south called Micouhi or Red Willow river. 
 
 There is a canoe route to the old Mekiscan post by this river, which 
 is the discharge of lake Wetetnagami and which will be more fully 
 described farther on. 
 
 iJ 
 
 .-s 
 
Ml 
 'T- 
 
 INDIAN CHAPEL, GRAND LAKE VICTORIA. 
 
 MAKING HAY AT JAMES BAY. 
 
'I 
 
 ft 
 
 I " 
 
 ll 
 
 '' 
 

 -r- 
 
 111 
 
 J- 
 
 Coiitinnini» down stream from the end ot the latter stretch, we tarn 
 northward u conplo of miles to unother largo laki' called Yatotskuan or 
 Rat lake. This is a fint' sheet of water, raeasuriuif about twelve miles in 
 length by from one half a mile to two miles in width, lying in a nearly 
 north-east direi^tion and bordered by a well wooded gv'ntly rolling country. 
 
 Near its north-easterly end, there are two discharges : the first turns 
 due west, while the other continues in a north-easterly direction and 
 flows into Opowakow Sagaigan or Sandy Point lake, forming an island 
 about three miles in length and nearly a mile in width. Lake Opowakow 
 lies nearly paralled to Yatotskuan for about nine miles, but flows in 
 the opposite direction, and is separated from the latter by a long tongue 
 of land that has been burnt over and is now covered with a beautiful 
 second growth of bouleau and poplar. 
 
 At its western end, it expands to about four miles in width, and nearly 
 in the centre of this expanse, there is a large island 2,500 acres in area, of 
 the rich(!st clay soil, covered with a large second growth of poplar and 
 bouleau. 
 
 This island is a great resort for the Indians who inhabit this region. 
 
 All kinds of fish taken in the Xottaway waters are here to be had in 
 abundance, particularly the sturgeon, which is the statf of life of these 
 wandering people. 
 
 Leaving this lake, the riv.T runs north-eastward for about six miles 
 through chutes, rapid« and expanses, giving a total fall of forty feet to the 
 head of the Sturgeon Falls. 
 
 Here the river turns sharply westward and falls in beautiful cascades 
 throush a narrow gorge formed by perpendicular walls of Huronian 
 rocks. 
 
 An excellent water power may be had here of over 30 feet head and 
 a never-failing supply can be held in the large lakes above described, at 
 comparatively small cost. 
 
 Below this fall the river runs northwest- ward about five miles to 
 where it meets the mightier stream coming from the north-east — the 
 united discharges of the Obatagoman, Chibougamou and other large lakes 
 to the north and east which drain the country to the rim of lake 
 Mistassini. 
 
Now we t-mbark on a broad rollinir river whi.-h Hows steadily west- 
 wardJorlmileandahaUwheiiitturn. ^harplv uort), in a ra.-y rapid 
 through whirh your bark i. carried at railway" speed lor another mile, 
 ami then you come calmly to rest in a broa.l expanse, studded with Ion- 
 islands. " 
 
 From here to lake -Waswanipy, a distance ol'2(J miles, descendiiiff, 
 there IS nothing very remarkable in the river or in thecountry on either 
 side. Jhe river keeps its average width of about 10 chains, or 060 feet 
 except in a te^y pla.-es, where it is contracted bv rapids or broadened out 
 by large islands, us shown on the plan 
 
 Most ofthe country h.re has been overrun by lire many years ago 
 and IS now well covered ^vith ,,oplar and boulea>, on the level clay Hats 
 and occasionally >pru<e and Uanksian pine on the drier elevated ridges. 
 
 On approaching lake ^Vaswanipy, the shore, flatten out in level 
 
 ^"^J^^X are covered with a luxuriant growth of blue joint 
 
 ?ompan' '""'"'"' ' '^'"^ ''''''''' ^''"^ ^''' ^''^" Hudson Uay 
 
 ()n one ofthe islands here overlookinirthe lake is siu.a.ed tie II B 
 Co s pos, of \\ asvvanipy. alroa.ly ,l,vsc,ibed in a previous report. 
 
 SIXTION \o ;]. 
 
 FROM WA.s\VAMI>V TO L.\KE .VEMISKOW. 
 
 Forabmit live miles below the dischar-^e oi .ake Waswanipy the 
 river runs due north, spreading out i„ dive., channels throu la l-vo 
 c ayey plain, fonn.ng several lar.e islands well wooded with : nice fi 
 andtamarac. 1 he latter timber is mostly dry from the ravagL o,' thl 
 
 At the end of (he latter distance, the river tarns westward and How, 
 
 nearly due west for a distance of twelv i i ,,. ■ ^^^ 
 
 empties into, lulllake. "'^ ' '"*^' m.les to where it 
 
 On the latl.M- stretch, the current is .roi.erallv swift ..ith i 
 
 shallow rap.l ahou, mi.hvay l,.,ween .h^two laL " """ ' 
 
 The^e lapiils are e.isjly r 
 loaded caiioe.-. 
 
 ong 
 
 ••nu or tracked „r poLnl up with or.liuary 
 
feet 
 
 Th.. total dillcr.'iicc oiievel between Wii 
 
 iiswanipy and Gull lake is 20 
 
 I 
 
 The eountry o„ ..iih.r side is gently rolliug and is -enerallv well 
 timbered w„h .rey and black spr.ce. popLr. .,;,.•. and boul'au ' 
 
 seentnVh .';■" h''"' '-"^r '''''«^«"'Py l-«t. «o'ne dry burnt hills are 
 
 ap 'rt ^ 7 " "■'''*** "'"• ^"* '^'' "- °f b«^"' -«»trv doe« not 
 api'e.ir to l)e oi <rre".t extent. 
 
 r. mil"". 'T '1J' '°;'S»''i<^«»t «heet of water. Its main body is about 
 !••» miles in length and;* to li in width. 
 
 A long peninsula on the west side juts out into the lake. 
 
 vojr!.]"':' 7 ""' '"'"-. ''^"''^' "°*^ '^'''^'''' '^°' °»»'»^ «heKer for 
 r.w.,.<. Cano-s are often wind-bound here for , veral days on their 
 ^vay to and Irom the Company's headquarters at .Fames IJay. 
 
 Along the eastern and northern shores of the lake, the land rises in 
 grn le slop,.s o the richest clay soil, weil wooded vith la ... p uee 
 
 caj p,.(l b} blu,- mountain ]>eaks in the distance. 
 
 Its discharge falls off in a rough, crooked rapid at it.s north-west end 
 
 ::':^T^^T''' r °' •'" ''''''-'' -^ ^-^^ -- .-xte. -.1°': 
 
 eas aul lor .sevn miles varying from half a mile to a mil. and , half in 
 width^ wnen It expands to nearly three miles in width with tvvo 
 larg. bays at either end of the south-..st side of this expanse whUe 
 another arm extends north-westward ibr tweh e miles. ' 
 
 .astern end 'hnr;r"''1 T '' "^^"* ^ ™'l^' «"<i ^^ h= 'Abroad at its south- 
 eastern end, but ,t gradunlly narrows in for about six miles until it is 
 
 calkd oniv a river varying from o to i3 chairs in =dth, and then 
 expands agair into anotherlake about nine miles in len. iyin-^at r ght 
 angles to the course of the last mentioned arm. " ^ 
 
 mostkwTh hi? i;''"'^ "■".'' "'""""^' low, level, clay land timbered 
 mostl> ^^ ,th black spruce and tamarac, excepting on the north side of the 
 1st mentioned lake, where burnt hiils from one to two hundred Met 
 olevat.on, covered w.th second growth ..f bouleau and poplar, meet the 
 view ,a,id horn there. 1 may say that there is neither land noT tmle 
 worth mentioning lor several miles northward. 
 
10 
 
 1; 
 
 \Vo follow np a Bluargish, miultly rivor, about two miles eastward 
 from lhc> lattt meationod lakt>, to whtTc a small stream enters from thu 
 north, whieh stream we follow on a nearly due north course for uhoat 
 sevu miles, in »vhich distanei' we pass throusyn fi\e small ' ikes, and then 
 turn around south-westward, follow. nir the sr.me walTs, and soon come 
 to a lake 1 and J miles in length and from 10 to 40 chains in width, 
 lying close to the summit where a short portage J mile in length over a 
 rough, unworn rocky waste, brings us over the height of land into a bay 
 of a large lake jf the Broad Mack, or ts'vell Hack or Little Nottaway chain 
 of waters. 
 
 This is a peculiar river. It lies parallel to the Rupert river and 
 drains a comparatively narrow basin extending from the western rim of 
 lake Mistassini to James Bay. 
 
 t)u this ordinary travelled route, irom Waswanipy to Rupert House, 
 we pass through several largo lakes on this chain of waters, and where 
 it leave.s the main river, there is only a distance of jj miles to lake 
 i"femiskow. a large expansion of the Rupert river. 
 
 I have not yet given any names to these lakes, for I thiuk they 
 deserve something more specific than "Big lake", 'Pike lake", "Mud 
 lake" etc etc , and as for the river itself it is time that it should be 
 known by some name that would covi^r it from end to end. Uig lake is 
 named Turgeon lake on the general map, and shall be henceforth known 
 under that name. 
 
 At its month, which is on Rupert Bay, midway between Rupert 
 Rouse and head of tide in the great \ottaway, it is called the " Little 
 Nt«taway", and further up, it is called the "Broad Back", and still further 
 np, tii ■ "Swell Back", in fact every family or band of Indians have their 
 own local name for every lake and river and part ot river ; and the 
 burning of •- patch ^o grow blueberries at either end of a lake is enough 
 to have the name changed to lar Bride or lar aux Bluets, otc. 
 
 I therefore respectfully suggest that, as soon as all these plans of 
 surveys aud explorations are compiled and laid down on a uniform scale 
 in appropriate name be given the main river to cover it from its source 
 to its mouth, and the diflFerent large lakes on its water should be given 
 app'opriate names also. 
 
 Starting from the last mentioned watershed, elev.ation T20 feet 
 above sea level, we follow a large bay northward four miles, and theu 
 turn sharply south-west for three miles to the main body of the lake. 
 
 I 
 
I 
 
 HEIGHT OF LAND -PORTAGE BETWEEN SAGUENAV AND JAMES BAY WATERS. 
 
 EAST MAIN FORT H. B. CO. POST. 
 
11 
 
 This is a magnific(.>nt nhcft of water lying in n north cust direction, 
 measuring 18 iniloH on said i-our.-io fron: its westorn bay to ita discharge. 
 
 Another bay extends southward from tho main body, which wo did 
 not exploro and which urobably may extund several miles in that 
 direction. This lake is about livo miles broud in the widest part. 
 
 Along here the soil is good loam, but the country appears rather 
 broken. Some of the lower flats are well covered with blaik .><pruce and 
 bouleau and the drier portions that have been burnt over from time to 
 time are generally covered with a dense growth of small cyprii or 
 Bauksian pine. 
 
 After passing the broad expanse above mentioned the lake narrows 
 into an average width of half a mile and runs for about lour miles 
 through a broken hilly country and again widens out to about three 
 miles in width, where it divides into two large bays, forming two dis- 
 charges that enclose an island three miles in length and over a mile in 
 width. 
 
 The eastern discharge is the one generally followed. 
 
 A splendid water power can be had here, for the water falls rapidly 
 from the lake in a succession of cascades that are passed by a short 
 portage on the right. 
 
 About a mile and a half below the confluence of the said two 
 discharges, the river expands again to over a quarter of a mile in width. 
 
 Here a pretty large stream, much larger than the one we followed, 
 down, comes in from thi> east called tho Kaitisequaus. 
 
 The country around here is poor and broken and looks as if it had 
 been repeatedly burnt over. 
 
 From the junction of said river, an expanse from a quarter to halt a 
 mile in width extends northward for a couple of miles and then narrows 
 to about six chains in width for another couple of miles until it opens 
 into Long lake. 
 
 This is a fine sheet of Water measuring 22 miles on our canoe route, 
 lying in a north-east direction and from where we strike it a large bay 
 or, more properly speaking, the main body of the lake, continues south- 
 westwardly as far as we could see. 
 
This snut h'Wfi«t(>rn part wi> hud no time to survpy us the '<i-aaoii was 
 too lurntlvauivd ; wi' thonifht it inoro udvisablf to try and rouch th<' bay 
 aM^Booii AN positibit). 
 
 Th country along lifrt- on fitht-r sid»' is more or li'ss broken by hills 
 that runjf." from 2'iO to 80<> fwt in hciglit and arc iri-nt-rally covort'd with 
 a dtiiM' growth ot'middlc siz.-d sprucu, cxceptin!,' on tho dry burnt knolls, 
 where small ii,prr* is chifUy found. 
 
 Near the lowt-r end of this lako, uuotht-r large river comes in from 
 the east, which the Indians say, drains the c<mntry n^ar to lake Mistati- 
 ■ini 
 
 Ihe river now puts on a majestic appearance ; its increased volume 
 of water is at once visible in the narrows that occur hulf a mile farther 
 down. 
 
 There is, immediately below these narrows, another crooked expanse, 
 a bay of which extends north-eastward that we did not survey, but 
 following down the main body we come to u portage on the left batik 20 
 chains in length which passes a chute 13 feet in height. 
 
 Jlere a very tine water power can be had, for by placing a dam at 
 the liead of this chute, twenty-live feet head may be itad and the whole 
 surface of the lake, 25 miles in lenu'th, would .serve as a reservoir. 
 
 An approximate measurenient of the river section and flow here gives 
 liie diM-harge in the neigliborhood of l,0()0.<i()0 cubic feet per minute, 
 wliich, with a head of 20 fi-et, would give over 37,500 horse power. 
 
 lielow this chute the river llow.s on a westerly course for ai)out 
 seventeen (17) miles to where it empties into an arm of a very larg.? lake 
 known to the H. B. Co. only by the name of Big hike, now lake 
 Turgeon. 
 
 In the latter stretch of river, there are several expanses from \ to ' 
 of a mile in width, and between these there are a number of cascades and 
 rapids, seven in all, giving a total fah of 44 feet. The first six of these 
 rapids can be run with half loaded canoes, but in the last, on approach- 
 ing tlie lake, there is a cascade five feet in height which is passed by a 
 portage 8 chains in length on the riirht bank. 
 
 In the larter .stretch there atv 4 consid»'rable sized tributary streams, 
 one from the north ami three from the south. 
 
 The first is from the south and is called tlie PasciU'tiick of Moultin"' 
 riv.T. .Vt it,s luouth it app,-ais ti. avera-v I chain and a half in width 
 and is said to drain several irood siz 'd lake.-:. 
 
18 
 
 I 
 
 The ni'xt. about a mile and ii half furthor down, rorafs in iVoin tho 
 north and in cullod by thf IndianN tho IVaitantnan-Sibouor Cano.- Hidden 
 river, and avi-rages about one chain in width. 
 
 The Indiiinn May that the boot birch bark for ian<K'» anywhere in thi» 
 region is found along this river. 
 
 The other two Ntreams eome ii; from th-' south close together about 
 four miles farther down. 
 
 The iirst is about Haifa ehain and the other over a chain in width. 
 
 The formation here is chiefly lluroiiian, with liirge veins of bhieish 
 white quart/. 
 
 I took a few specimens of the different rocks as often as time would 
 permit in passing ul«.»<r, particularly wlieii anything reiaurkuble was seen 
 in the [)oitages. 
 
 We are now fairly liiuiiilicd on lake Tiirgeon. 
 
 This is th'> liiiifcst sheet of wntcr so f.. known in our province north 
 of the hi'ight of hind and w.'vt of hike Mistassini. 
 
 its extreme lensrth, from north-cusi to south-west, is (31J) thirtv one 
 and half miles, and its width, from .south-east to north-west, is about 18 
 miles. 
 
 It lies between the paralj.'ls of .■)0" 41' 40' and ol' 0;;' ,^0' north lati- 
 tudes and 70" 44' and TT" Iti' west longitudes and its elevation is (Jl-J feet 
 above sea level. 
 
 By these dimensions, it would appear to be larger than lake St John 
 but still it does not contain so great a body of water, bcMug mostly 
 made up of large bays, peninsulas, points and islands, and like "the latter 
 lake its waters are generally very shallow. 
 
 In fact, most of the lakes of the James Bay slope and Labrador peuin- 
 .sula are surprisingly shallow in proportion to their extent. 
 
 One of my assistants who had been with Mr A. P. Low. told me 
 that the latter gentleman having discovered a very large lake in the 
 interior and wishing to ascertain its depth in about thedeepest part, tied 
 together all the trackin-r lines he hal and put on a couple of axe's for 
 additional weight on ' unding lead, and paddled out several miles 
 
14 
 
 to tho oentTO of the lake, and, to hU alter aatoniihm>mt, vihen he threvr 
 out hii K'od. it rt>a(;htHl tho bottom at only twelro (12) feot. TL .e are ax- 
 o«>ptioii, orcnurii«%a8 in MiHtauiui and Wahwauichi, (Jhibotftimou and 
 aomo other northern laken \vnere we find dtx'p water, bat the majoritf of 
 thfin iin* Nliallow. 
 
 Hut to coin«» hank to the lako here, I ^id not find more than 30 feet 
 in d.'pth anywhero, and in tht^ broad expaus** croiBed by us, from where 
 vrn .•uitTi'd ih.> main body ol th<! hik" to the central portaijt', a clear sheet 
 of water n.'arly sis mili'N broatl, w.* found bottom with tho paddlea 
 nearly nil the wav arroms; of course, in the broad expaitso near the Houth- 
 em <'ud thcr.' may be some parts much deeper, but this I had no time 
 to asciTtain. 
 
 The low swampy portave across the central tonqruo or peninsula of 
 the l:ik\ l>y whirh a shorteiiiii!» of over twenty one miles in the canoe 
 ton:.' is mailc. i.s one i.f the meanest, nastiest, wettest and dirtiest holes 
 that evi'r a ••!iii>iian put foot on. 
 
 Til ' <!i tan. ,> ncross is only a mile and a quarter, an 1, as y iruides 
 s.ii.l. WIS Hilly a jnil". I si irted with my instrumiMits alieid of ilu) men 
 v\\} ri.iir 1 > !• a h the oilier end in time to lak- an observation belore iho 
 sun w ouiil ^T^•\ loo low. 
 
 1 was mis i:en, liow.'V.T, for between lio^r^ini,' knee de.'i> in mud 
 and jiunpino- IVoin one nii/u'er-lieail to anotln-r, and softly erawiin"^ mv 
 w;iy i>v 'i- sliakin'j- hoirs. \i: . ilie snn had ;,'one too far down befor • 1 <ould 
 reach 'lie nihiT si.lf oi iind a place .solid eiKmijh to plant an iiislrnni nt ; 
 and nof.viilistaiidiinr tlmi 111.' tliennometer was within one dejjr,',' of tho 
 freoziii'jr point on tliat eahn sunny evening of the inth September 181I7, 
 til" nio>.([uit(>es, sand-llies and every other kind of Hies, seemed to wel- 
 come <inr arrival in th.'ir quiet al)o<le with an attention and ener^^y that 
 only the Hies of tlie East Main eoast could rival. 
 
 The lo:ule,l .niioes of llii- 1[. 15. Company briirade a^enerully make the 
 round unless in very niifivorable windy weather when they are some- 
 
 tiiiiis ril)li!T,.(l t(, i;ik.' the porta'je. 
 
 Th.- .■ouiiliv ■nouud this like is <^iuierally level except at the S'.iitli 
 end wh.'ri' isf)late(l hills and knolls risi- .some two or three hundred feet 
 ail .V ■ ih • l..v,.l .-! i.'i.- l:..ke. Thesoil is a '_;or>d brownish -l.-.y and .s<-i-nis 
 t.i li.-^" ill lii-y slop 's we>(wai(l. w '11 eovered with bhiek and yrey spruce 
 taiiiara •. ew. • 
 
15 
 
 From tliH i>n:l ol' tho |H>rtngi> thx c»Dot> roate lesda uorth through the 
 middle channel ahont six laileH to the northern extrt^tnity of the large 
 ialand on thf l«lt, and thcnc»', tho river Howm north-eastward 2) 
 mileH with a steady enrrent until we eoine to the upper jumping portage. 
 
 This is a sfood well beaten portage, Afteen chains i : '. 'Ugth on the 
 left bank, by which the upper jumping chute is passed. 
 
 The diti'ercnee ol bv.-i there in only ten I'eet, but with u dam at the 
 head of the chute, a <;ootl water poWer can be had, eunvertinif the vu^t 
 surface of (he biaf lake into a never lailinir resiTVoir. 
 
 About seventy ^•hain^< further down we come to the lower jumping 
 portatfi", a ifood well beaten portaire alxmt the same lentrth a-* the upper 
 one ami on the sann- side ol the river, but the fall here is twice as sjreat 
 as at the upper portuare. 
 
 Anolhi-r inairnilii .nt water power can be had here: in fait I believ 
 that tie banks are suiri.Mfnily hiifh to admit ol a dam beiiiy built here 
 at miimI r;iti' ((ol tliat Woub' lloml back the wat.-r and .'Ifaci' i!i.. olli.r 
 «luit>' and liavt< till' ns.Tve ol' ilic ]!)■; lake to draw Iroiii, with more 
 than double ihe hea>' of water to work witb. The elevation ot H'\rr lake 
 is tilJ feel and that of t lie ,,)ot ojijie lower jiimpin'r.hule .')7t! le.i.sothat 
 
 a head of 40 feel can be had with a llow of at least l.OOD.HOO ellbje f,.et of 
 
 water per minute, yivinv iver 7'>,0<>u liors.- power with never failinir head. 
 
 Heiow the chute the rive) nvis rapidly northward for about a mile 
 to where it opens out inio a bro; ; expansi-. a mile in width, andtlien 
 turns westwards in u son of crooked lake { tr, ■} of a mile in width. 
 
 The country here seems i" have l»een burnt over some thirlv vara 
 airi> and is now coveri'd with a tliick i^rowtii of poplar, f-niilt-ninwid < i/pris. 
 About six ip'les below, the hist mentioned portau:e we come to a prettv 
 larirc lake lyinir X. E. and ,S. W. nearly at riirht an-'li's to the lieneral 
 course of the river. 
 
 We purveyed the south-west shore of this lake throuL'hout and part 
 of the easterly shore, but had not time to f.diow tiieureat bay noriii- 
 «'asi ward, where a second discharu-e Hows olf lormiug an island several 
 liundred acres in area. 
 
 The elevation ol tiie lake IS i")",') fe.'t al)i.ves-a lev.-l and at ils western 
 dischtirje, a portai^e one mile in leni|th on the west side parses -•hules 
 and rapids thai srive a fall of 40 fi;,^t. 
 
16 
 
 At the foot of this portago, the river expands again to J of a mile in 
 width and extends due north two miles, growing gradually narrower 
 until, at its junction with the other diccharge, the united waters flow 
 due west, and from this point we enter the long portage to cross to the 
 Rupert river. 
 
 This portage is 31 miles iu length, the longest on the whole route. 
 
 Thf lirst stag.' is partly through swampy land and then wo ascend 
 on dry, sandy, rocky ridges. 
 
 Tht' summit is 115 feet above the level of the Uroad Uack, or Little 
 Nottaway, and from th.-n- a doscnt of 50 feet in a little less than a mile, 
 tak.'s us to a small lab' alx.ut 1 mile and a half in length, a fe.'der of lh.» 
 Rupert river. 
 
 ]5oth soil and tiutlxT are worthless all along this portage, and on 
 approachiiiir the Rup-rt the (Huiiitry ha^ been repeatedly overrun by fire 
 aiul !•< <-(.vereil witii only a small se,!oud <rrowth of black spruce and 
 cypns with s.mi' small >tunle«l poplar and boal.au. 
 
 Froui I hi' tool ol the last meiili.)i\ed lake a porta'u'e of lialf a mile on 
 the l.li liaiid t;ik's us lo lake Xemiskow, a larg • .'xp 111 siou of theliupert 
 river ; .-levalioll. ■)4'.l fe.'t above sea level. 
 
 W.' liad not till! • to survey this lak.', so we simply took i;i the por- 
 tion of it shown on the plan as we went along. 
 
 The eanoe rout.* skirts the -vest shore of the lake In.m point to point 
 for a distune.' of about seven miles, and then follows down a small dis- 
 charii-e for about 4A mile.s to where an easy portage of about 15 ciiaiiis on 
 the iefi bank (noss.-s a long narrow point, and we come at once to the 
 main discharge, the broad, wild, rapid rolling llupert river. 
 
 SliCTlON No 4. 
 
 About half a mile above the last mentioned portage, I found by 
 astronomical observation the latitude to be 51" '1-i' 30" .V. and lo„gitude 
 
 77 ' 00' west. 
 
 The Uuperl is only about twelve chains in width where we embark 
 at the foot of the last intMitioii'd pina'^^-, l)utitsoon widens out to nearly 
 a mile in width and the imp''t,i .siiy of the ciirr-nl ihroim'li the narrow 
 
17 
 
 part above mentioned is felt for nearly a couple oi miles eddying and 
 bubbling through this expanse. 
 
 Below this, the river averages half a mile in width for over six miles 
 on a west-by-south course and then turns sharply north-westward through 
 a deep narrowjirortre about a mile in length and then due west six miles 
 varyins from lifteen to forty chains in width. 
 
 For the last four miles there are two channels, erabracinir an island 
 4i*miles in length and over 1 mile and a half in width, as far as we could 
 see from the south'channel which is considerably the largest. 
 
 There is good clay soil all along here and for a couple olmiles below, 
 where the river is divided again by another large island, and 2Jraile8 
 further on, there is a third channel, forming another island over two 
 miles in length. 
 
 The CDiintry here is low and marshy, and on the last mentioned 
 islmds and river shores, lavers of peat from 5 to 10 feet in depth cover 
 the clay banks on cither ^ide. 
 
 Below these islands the river Hows calmly west for I mile and a half 
 and then turns sharply southward in racy rapids until we turn oil" from 
 the main river into live muuth of a fair sized branch t*) the right where 
 we come to the head of t!ic oatmeal [lortage. 
 
 This i>oilagc is threo quarters of a mile in length through a rolling 
 country cnver<d with second growth. 
 
 The total lall in the river here is sixty feet nearly in one majestic 
 chute. 
 
 Taking t!ie How of the Rupert here to be :5, 000,000 cubic feet pjr 
 minute, as approximately measured, with this head of (10 teet, it would 
 give ."i3it,81S horse power. 
 
 Uelow thi- portau:e I lie river hroid mis out to over a mile in width 
 and then Haws oircilmly for about thr.' ■ miles to where we arrive at the 
 White lieaver poitage. 
 
 Here the river turns shar|>ly southward and forces its way through 
 a narrow gorge cvver ■\ .■h'nr chute H feet in hoiu'lit. 
 
 Over liiO,00'> hoi'.^e power is .ivailiiiie ueie. llelow tlie chute, the 
 river soon exi);uuls e.i.iw inl uito i biy ii 'arly a mile in depth and ovsr 
 
18 
 
 half a mil.' in width, and thon Hows 'vpstward about nin<> miles botwoen 
 low hanks of brownish blue day, wliich soon rise to a height of Irora 50 
 to 60 fi'ft above the level of the river. 
 
 Several good sized creeks fall into tlio river from both sides along 
 this stretch and along the valleys of tliese creeks, there is an abundance 
 of irood simice. The soil appears to ]).■ of excellent quality all along 
 here. 
 
 We are now at the head of the four portages. The lirst on the left 
 about a mile in length, passing a chute and rapids that give SJ feet fall 
 and from there, we huv, barely time to cross the riv r. when we come to 
 the second portage, which is about half a mile in length, givingasudden 
 drop of 63 feet, offering upwards of n40,<.00 liorsc power. 
 
 P'rom the foot oi this portage we only can go about f of a mile to the 
 next portaire, whit'h is a!.so on tlie right nearly a mile and a Ii;ilf in lenirth, 
 passing a el)Ute and rapids, giving a total fall of 80 feet, about 4,)3,000 
 horse |)owcr. 
 
 From this portage Ave run nearly a mile throuiih a brc>;ul expanse to 
 the last of the four portages which is on the h It bank. 
 
 This portage is sliort. there is no chnte here, but the rapids are too 
 roU!jh to be run with > dinnry rano''s. 
 
 It will be se-n by relVrrinir to th'' plans and i)ronie!< of the river here 
 that there is rather a suddiMi'drop in thestreain andtlie couiiiry bordering 
 it on either side for the last live iiiile.s. 
 
 At the head of the lirsl of ilu' four portages t!ic elevation of the 
 water is 312 f'et above sim 1( v.-l, and down at the font ol the List 
 mentioned portage the elevation is only U - f> et, uiviii;;' a total tall of 
 180 feet. 
 
 We have now before us a stretch of live miles of b-antiful nver, with 
 rich clay banks and no atones on either side, and well limbered with 
 large spruce, poplar aiul Imulenu. 
 
 At the end of this stretch, we come to another portage 1 mile and a 
 quarter in length, giving a full of 74 feet. 
 
 There is a remavkiible change here in both s<)il and tiinlicr : a poor 
 sandy cypres country throughout the entire lengthofihis portage. Hdow 
 this, however, the countrv chanires again and the rivev li(,\vs ( :;'m!y I'ue 
 ■west for seven miles bctw -en clay banks tiiat ri.«e fiom 4o t<i t>0 leei al>ove 
 the level of the water. 
 
 I 
 
19 
 
 Many landslides are seen in this stretch and the country is well 
 timbered with sprnce, poplar and bonleau. At th-^ end of the seren mil. 
 stretch ,a.t mentioned, th. rirer turns sharply northward and spreads 
 oat into two channels, enclosiuff an island about 100 acres in extent. 
 
 The .-anoe route follows the smallest chann.-! which i. on the west 
 side and we soon com. to a porta-e on the left bank i of a .aile in length, 
 giving a difference of level of 14 feet. 
 
 Below this port„,.e, th. river turns due west again and flows on 
 calmly for another s .v.m, mil.s, iu which ,tret.-h there ar.s.vera' islands 
 
 tu7ny ■: ''*'• u'" ■^'""' '^ '' '"'''''"'" "'■ P-'^ *>""^ three t<v 
 
 Jour teet de.-p ovenying the banks on oit'ier side. 
 
 The route now follow., th ■ south-r.. diannel where the river divides 
 around a lari^n. island, at tho loot o( which ther.- is a short porta<.e. 
 eight cha.ns ,n leno.th and. after de.s.viuling the river about a mile, ^e 
 come lo allot iicr .short porta^'-e on the riiht. 
 
 From the foot of the last m.ntionecl portag... about tuo mil.'s of .-aim 
 r.v.r. n.arly a niil. in width, brini;- us to .he h.a.l of .Sm ,ky 11:11 portag.- 
 
 This porta:,... J mile and a half in length, is M>parat.d in two by ., 
 Sinai I lak.. which is situat .1 ab ,ut midway t.-tween rith -r end. 
 
 Wc .•a.np.d at this iak- and 1 fou,ul by astronoMii.-al obs -rvati..,. th ■ 
 Intitud- to I- .5r' '2:r 4-." X and lonnitud • 7S' M-.' r,0" W. 
 
 The poituire IS on the r.irlv * auk aa,l a coi.sidorabie portiou of it is 
 
 cu int.. the stc.;p day bank.s or st.vp side hills that lise from ,0 to 50 
 li'ct above the river 
 
 The totd fall here is .-.2 fe -t, This h. .d. with the increase! How of 
 wat .r, -ives over .300,00(1 horse-power 
 
 Hudson Bay ( ompai.y s crews lor ca.eh.u.v th-ir supplies of li.sh for winter 
 Th« «ea trout and white fish ascend as far as here and are tak -n in 
 
 From here the nver Hows broad, calm and majestic for nine mile. 
 
 "u^s"::;" ' 'r/'" """■* "•^*'^' ^^-'^'^^'^ ^^^^ ^•^--">' -> wuhTar: 
 
 crnoer '''"'"''''" "■"^'''•"'^"''" 'he right with sm,:!, 
 
20 
 
 At ordinary high tidos h.-re, there is about ten i'.'.-t diffmMice of level 
 from head to ioot, hut in exlr.in- hi^'h tides, when the bay waters are 
 driven southwards by stronjr northern gales, the high tides eliminate these 
 rapids. 
 
 From the foot of these rapids to the Hudson 15ay Company's po^t of 
 Rupert House the distance is two and a haU' miles ami th-i river expands 
 to over a mile in width. 
 
 The laud on either side from the Smoky Hill portage to tide water is 
 excellent .lay soil, free from st ones, level and well timbered with grey and 
 black spruce of good size and (luality, as far as can be seen from the river. 
 
 About midway down I saw some spruce stumps over two feet in 
 diameter that were'cut by the H. B. Vo., and down close to tide water at the 
 moittii of ilu; river on the north side I saw several spruce trees imin 18 
 inches tu two feet in diamet.-r and sixty to ninety feet in iufht. 
 
 This completes the report of exploration of 1897 lioui lake St John 
 to tide vvater at James Bay. 
 
 >ince then the whole coast line of the province, as far north as East 
 Main Fort, has been surveyed by me and will be reported on in due time 
 as soon as the i)lans &c., of same an- completed. 
 
 SliCTION No 5. 
 
 RIVEli DU CHEF 
 
 The river >/n Chef -vhere it joins the Chamouchouan river 84 miles 
 from lake St-.Tohn, and 'M'-) feet above sea level, is by far the largest 
 branch of tliat great artery. 
 
 Properly speaking, the liver du Chef and the river Nestaskano, 
 should be , ailed the Cliamouchouan, or ,\shuapmouclioimn or tlie MooSe 
 river, to give tie- literal translation from the native Indian, the place 
 where the Moose feed. 
 
 The river (In Chef is nearly twice the .^izc of the branch that drains 
 lakes Chain..nc!.ouan and Nikaub.Hi ; and the \esta-kano is twice the 
 size of the braivch that drains ('anoe and l"ile-Axe lakes. 
 
 Startiiiu' lr"!u ilie ( 'h-mi(inehonaii Fork^. a stieteli of a little ov t l\\ 
 miles on a north cimrse a majestic river, varyiim- in width iVom ten 
 twenty chains, brings us to Rnpi'le LOrignnl wliere a portag.> of abr, 
 
SI 
 
 t 
 
 fifteen chiiius on the wotst biiuk brings us past tho rapids tlie difforence 
 of level being about ten feet. 
 
 From liere we have a <',oraparatively level stretch for about eleven 
 mih-s to the mouth of the river Azianui', where thi e! vation is 047 feet 
 above sea level. 
 
 Tile river Azianne is a considerable sizeu stream, coming in from 
 the east : it is ted by some forty lakes 
 
 It branches into three fair-sized streams about ten miles from its 
 mouth, and each stream is sufliciently large to carry canoes a considerable 
 distance inland 
 
 About half a mile above the mouth of the Azianne river, we come 
 to tlie rapids of the same name, which are passed by a portage of aboat 
 five chains on the west bank. The total difference of level here is about 
 six feet. 
 
 About a mile above these rapids, we come to the cypres portage on 
 the east bank, near the head of which comes in the river Dote from the 
 west side. 
 
 My guides informed that there are eiglit fuir-sized lakes drained by 
 the latter river. 
 
 On this servile, I engaged men wiio knew the country for miles on 
 either side, who had b -en bini here and live by hunting. 
 
 At night by the civinp-tire, after plotting each day's work, I used to 
 get them to trace ajiproximat ly the adjacent laktis, rivers and portages, 
 as shown by dottel iies on the ai'C )mpauyiug plan s^ct. Xo 5. 
 
 About 2]t mi oud the mnith of the Dirf, the rivjr dii Chef 
 
 makes -.1 -harii hini, uth-westwar<l, iiud here I i'ouud the latitude to be 
 49 •'•2' l.V N'. and lo igitude "3" "21' W, and the elevation above sea level 
 980 feet 
 
 Two miles above this point w.' comi^ to the Bauleau rapids, but 
 before reaching tliem, We turned northvvar 1 through a chain of lakes and 
 portages that make a short cut to meet t'le rivc'r again sev 'ral miles 
 farther up as shown on the plan. 
 
 The distance by this short cut is only three miles, while the distance 
 around by the river is over nine miles. 
 
22 
 
 Then- an* spiM-klod tmut in thi- small lak "s on this route but th -i-e are 
 uoiif in thi' riviT. 
 
 JliiU'u mile iihovf where we meet the river iieain briiii;s us to Big 
 
 Pike hiiy, a sort of hiuroon on the west side, and oii the mime level as the 
 
 river here. ]0.')4 feet above nva level. Thin bay is the Indians' relut^e for 
 
 Ush food. Pike and mascalonsje are 1 1 ii here in plenty at all s-asons 
 
 weiirhing from 10 to 3"i lbs eaeh 
 
 This is also the country for bears. My guides told me that an Indian 
 family niimtd MeAb. e killed 18 bears here one sprinp without moving 
 CTinj) ; and thit iive other Indian families eame and eamped beside hiia, 
 and helped to eat the meat, and while there they caught 18 more, .md 
 went down to the post with their .'i'i bear skins and other furs as soon as 
 the ice went oH" 
 
 Otter, heaver, mink, marten and other fur-bearing animals tro 
 plentiful in this region also. 
 
 Th.y say that, a good hunter an always make his two dollars a day 
 on an avenge on these wa'i'is and soa,' tim-s double and treble tiiat 
 araouni ; llierefore it can be easily imagined how independent those 
 fellows may feel, and how dilfieult it may be sometimes to get them to 
 work as tliey iiave to do, in ascendinir these rapid rivers and porta'^es 
 heavily l;i<' n. 
 
 About a mile and a lialf al)ove j'ike Bay we come to the main river 
 forks or oonlluence of the Nestaskano rivr with ilie File-.Vxe and Canoe 
 lake waters, -JH miles from the mouth of the Chef river and 10(J0 feet 
 
 aboVt^ sea level. 
 
 Tlie X.-.staskaiK. is a muL'nili.vnt riv.r averaging ,ibout JM'i feet in 
 widili, Willi d 'ep water and .steady current as far as we followed it. The 
 Indians >ay liiat it drains an immense baiiu .si;ietching lar beyond the 
 parallel of lake .Mistassini 
 
 As above stated it slionld he ealled the main riv.-r Ghamouchouan, 
 fori! is by lar tiie lari--esl of all its hianclies at this distance, IIG miles 
 from lake .-^t ,Iohn. 
 
 The easiest route enin-r to Mista.ssini follows up this river a couple 
 of miles In-yond the forks, to the (/,v,Wr M,re portage, where a slu.rt 
 carry of about twenty chains, thioue-h a level l,ruk-, takes us into a small 
 lake, or rather a su.cessiou of ponds that connect with the other branch 
 about :!i miles above tiie forks. 
 
28 
 
 Th»'iice, up to thu Little Uruiidt! Mere a difttance of lOJ miles, there 
 18 very littlis worthy of rciixiirk, the ('((iiiitrv i»oks poor ou eithur side, 
 level str.'ttjhc's of Wiiti-r with o.v-asioHul r;i.>ids iti!it <rive a ditft^reuce of 
 level of ui'ii'ty let, brinafiii'^ the elevation of tlio latter poiut to 1105 feet 
 above si'a level. 
 
 Hu'in^ eiinap.'d at this p»iut, I lnund by a m 'uii of ob<i'rvatioua of 
 the Sim and stir-<. tlie hititul- to b « 4't' 47' il" iiiul lou^'itud > IV 34" W. 
 and the luairiietio variation IK' 45' W. 
 
 From here up to the rivi-r Petite Menle forks, a <listance of about 7J 
 miles, the river runs nearly north and sontii, and then runs nrarly due 
 west for 5 J miles. 
 
 In the neiahborhood of the latter forks, thi' country has bet^n lately 
 overrun by lire and the soil is so poor and sandy that it can liardly grow 
 blue-berries. 
 
 Some small witliered black spruce and ri/pris and stunt.-d blue- 
 berry bushes and swamp tea is all tiiat can be seen. 
 
 .\t tlie west end of tlie latter stretch there are two portages separated 
 by a small rivi-r and a level stretch of live chains. 
 
 Tlie as^ijreiiatc l.iifftli of these portaurjs is about 1 mil* and a half 
 overcoming 4.') fe-t ditlerence of level. 
 
 From there up to lak ' Bon'mmmi;. a distanc of ab;)iit 9 mil"s, the 
 river lies ai::iiu nearly north and south, but before reachiuii tlie lake we 
 pass over tlie swampy port ige nbout a mile in lenoftii overcoming a differ- 
 ence of level ol ;)8 feet. 
 
 Lake Bonhommt-, or Old \Lin lake, is simply an exp.insiou of this 
 river ; it is ol Circular form and measures about half a mile in diameter, 
 its elevation is l:i:io feet above sea level. 
 
 From lak>^ Lonhnmine up to Canoe lake, the distaiict> is oj miles and 
 the dillereiice ol level To feet, oO feet of which is overcome by the Bou* 
 homme portM'jre on the west bank as shown on the plan. 
 
 Lake (/f.< Cnnols is a peculiarly shaped lake, m fasuriug about seven 
 miles ill leiigtli. ami three mil"s in width in the widest part but, be.ng 
 a make up of islands, j)oinis and hidden bays, it is dilficult to get a view 
 of any considerable portion of it from any one poiut. 
 
24 
 
 Its t'l.'Viition is 140.") Ifct abovi' ko:i l.vcl. aiul tht? surrouiidini,' oouii- 
 try is geii.riiUy l-'vol ami Wfll tiiubor.-d with hia.k spriK-'". 
 
 From the npp.T oiul of Caiio.- lak'- ..we asrewl bj' a rapid ruiusiug 
 Btream ;iiid a .oiipl.- of portair<'8 to u sm^ll lake givinij a rise ol"3.» ft'i't iu 
 lee>8 than a mili-. 
 
 This small lak.> is about a mih- and a quuitt-r in l.-nirth, aud from its 
 northiTii I'lid an t-axy poria'^'i* of liftccu <h;iii»x inkcs u.s to Loou lake 
 ■where the elevaticm is 1450 feet above sea level. 
 
 Loon lake is u fair si/rd sheet of water and dotted with some 
 pieturesque islands. 
 
 Its extreme length is 4J miles and width about one mile. 
 
 From a bay on its west side a portajre of about 20 chains takos us 
 into File Axe lake, the last and largest lake on this eliaiii of waters, mea- 
 suring ten miles in length by live miles in width iu th" widest part, 
 surveyed, by us and its elevation above sea level is 1470 feet. 
 
 A long bay extends eastward from its north eastern end, which the 
 Indians say is as long as the part I surveyed. 
 
 The country here a.s far as ean be seen from the lake is rolling and 
 hilly, and where not overrun by lire is well timb.-red with hi lek spruce 
 aud rijiin'i. 
 
 Immediately at the iiortli end of this lake we come to the height of 
 land, or sunnuit iietween the Sagm-uay and .Tami'.s l>:iy waters. 
 
 The high''.-i Mimmit olthe porlanc is only 30 feet above the level of 
 the water and l,.)Uii feet above sea h-vel. 
 
 MISTASSINI WATlillS. 
 
 Lake Travers, the first lak i tlie Uupert river waters met with on 
 
 this route, is a nice sheet of water -JJ miles in length by about 2.') chains 
 in width. It disiharges westward Irom itsnorthen end into Perch river, 
 a tributary of Lake Mintassini. 
 
 We portage from lake Travers into another small lake, and then 
 another portage, half a mile in length, takes us to the Perch river, which 
 ■we descend about six miles, and then cross over by the long portage, a 
 
'it> 
 
 W>'11 bi'utcu tniil. thnm:,'!! n tlry roUiiis,' rp/ini i«»uiitry J of a inilf in 
 I'Uifth, \vhi<h briiitjs us t.) I'uhistuehouan buy, an arm of (rrand Lake 
 MiiiiUMsini. 
 
 TluT." is iiothiuu; rumarkiiblf in the <ouiitry fii'iu thf hfighl oflaudto 
 lakf Mistassini, with tliis .'xc<'|>ti.m tliat thion!|hoiu th.' ..luiitry drained 
 by the ChamdUihoUiiii, th<' nxk formation is all j,'Ufiss and <,'raiiit«', while 
 ■bortiy aft.T crossins? the h.'is^ht of land, sedimentary roeks are seen oa 
 the lower jtart of the Perch river i<nd alons? the lust ra.'niion.-d portage. 
 The distanee from the summit to t^abistachouan bay by our eanoe route is 
 about 8 miles and the dill'ereneo ot level 300 feet, whi<h brinies the eleva- 
 tion of G-raud Lake Mi»tassini to be 1,200 f.-et above sea level. 
 
 We follow Cabistachouan bay westward for three miles, and then 
 
 cross over the toncfue which separates it from Abatagush bay by a level 
 
 porta!,'e ;50 ehains in length and then descend the latter bay northward 
 
 about live miles to reach the Hudson Bay Company's post on Grand 
 
 Lake Mistassini. 
 
 SliCTION Xo 6. 
 
 We went southward from the Hudson Bay Company^ post through 
 Sassikan and Abatagush bays. The former does not appear to have ever 
 been surveyed, and as Mr Lemoine had followed the east «hore of the 
 latter bay, my check on his work on closing with him at tie south end 
 of the bay insures a correct map of both sides. 
 
 The ehorti'st canoe distance from the H. B. Co. post to the southern 
 extremity of Abatai,msh bay of lake MiNtassini is li'.\ miles, and the dis- 
 tance from there to laka Wahwanichi is about four miles. 
 
 Lake Wahwanichi takes its nam' from the mossy mountains, that 
 border the hike. Wokwna means rock weed, and Achi mountain ; the weed 
 or lichens are used us un article of food by the Indian.-^. 
 
 It is a magnificent sheet of water meaRuring twenty miles in length 
 and from one to three miles in width. It lies nearly parallel to the divid- 
 ing ridge or height of land, viz, N. E. iS: S. W. 
 
 Its elevation is 123f> feet above sea level, and 39 feet above Mistassini. 
 
 This is considered one of the best lakes for fishing of any on the 
 northern slope. One of our Indians with only half a not out one night, 
 caught ninety seven trout, from 3 to 9 lbs weight. Of course, all kinds of 
 fish that are found in Mistassini lake are taken in this lake also, for there 
 
 i 
 
 it 
 
 i 
 
se 
 
 is uo chut.» sufBci.'iitljr high to prerei-t th.'in from <;oinc I'l m oiif Inki- to 
 the otli.T. Thf <ouutry hortL-rinif th.- Ink.-, piirti.ularly on th.' north w.'Kt 
 aide. In niih.'v nuinvitiiii?. Fon'st liros huv.- uw-pt ovi-r thi- irr.-iit.-r part 
 of it intiiiy vrtirsjn?.). ami it is now partly ov.Tsrrowa with poplar, boa- 
 lean and l)la k upruoo. 
 
 On th.' no.th-Wfst sido tho laud ih gern'rally more roni,'h and hrok.'U 
 than on the south-east, and near th.- north .-nd bare raoHvcoT.T.-d moun- 
 tains ri«i' from 300 u) .'lOO ioft abow the K'v.'l of thf lake. 
 
 About tho raiddlo of th.- luk- a porta;?.- b-ads w.-stward to th.- Notta- 
 way waters, and at the south end another route leads southward, throui^h 
 a .'hain of lak-s and portages, a dis'an.u of about livo miles to a bay of 
 lake Chiboui,'amou, ne,.r Juggl.-r's mountain. 
 
 There is ail elevation of on.- hundred f.et in the first portage in a 
 distan.-.'of half a mile to the first lake where the elevation is i:J30 f.-et 
 above si-a level. 
 
 The dividin^' ridg.- here between the Rupert river aud Xotiaway 
 waters is 1350 feet above sea level. 
 
 rSturireon abound in the Nottaway waters, but there are non.- in the 
 Mistassiiii or Rupert waters. 
 
 On the last port.isre near th.' shore of lak.- Chilwug.m.' i I lound by 
 solar olo-Tvatiou tliat th.- de.lination of th.' niiurnetie n-'edl.- \\,i> l'"'t!' 00, 
 caused of e.turs.' by the proximity of b.'ds ol ma.4:n.li«! iron : 
 
 The noniial variation here should b." about 20" W. 
 
 The .ountry J'* h "isi^^ of magnetic iron, aud the roi?ks are red from 
 the (l.'.-.>mi)osiug pyrites. 
 
 11. -r.' there is a remarkable jr.'yser-like spring of pure elear euld water 
 that seems to boil up int.'rmittingly 
 
 .lusri'ler's mountain not far distant, from its fortress-like summit, 
 •was suppos.'d by the nati".' Indians to l)e the dwelling place of the 
 Mat.liiinanitou. and tu.y b.-li'Ved that this boiling spring throbbed in 
 conn.Mtiou with th.- plicid or turbulent feeling or disposition of the 
 great master of the raeuntain. 
 
 Even at this date the half-l)r.'eds of Lake St John an- superstitious 
 reffarding this, and would rath.r go thirsty than partake of its waters. 
 
27 
 
 Liiki' Chihoat^iimoa in a inagiiiKrciit Nh«>>>t of \vul<-r, moavuring 
 i'ightt'cti mill's in l«-iiifth hy nix iiiilcH in width. 
 
 It is Nlmlili'il all ovt>r with ht>auiiful iNlands, and 111- land rist'ii in 
 easy slopi-s all around excfjii at th<' north <'nd whiTf thf Vermilion, 
 Sont'Vt'r and ,lua;t(l«'r mountuihH rise I'rora 300 to TiOO I'ffl uIm»v»' thf U*Tol 
 of thw laki'. 
 
 A lew bnrly t't'darsbordiT its dhort's ht-re and th"r>', and ou 8orat> of 
 thf islands and i-asy slopes of the mainland, fair sized black and lfr«y 
 ■prni'i' ari' loand. 
 
 The lake is HAS feet !ilK)ve sea level or MS feet lower than Inko 
 "Wahwanichi. It diseharires by two outlets into anothi-r lake near its 
 northern end, forminjjone of the main branches of tlie Nottaway river. 
 
 At i'.s southeri" end, a slnsrffish creek and a chain of lakes and 
 portaures. coveriuir a distance of eiijht miles in a sonth-wi-sierly direction, 
 brinirs us to lake Obataufonian ; and on this stretch there is little to be 
 seen, but burnt iiills covered with second j»rowth of ooulean and popla' 
 and o(rcasion:il . himps of s|>rune and larch, in the lr»\v bottoms. 
 
 OBATAGttMAN 
 
 Obatauroman in the most bewilderinir lake imaijiiiable : its length 
 on till- canoe routi- is about fouvieeii luiles. but it stretches out into ho 
 manv bavs. aims and nooks and is dotted with so many islands and 
 points etc, tiiul it is not uncommon lor the Indian hunters themselveB to 
 be lost for days in its intricate waters. 
 
 l!s elevation is 1120 leit above sea I'Vel and 32 feet below the level 
 of lake Chibouiiamou. 
 
 At one place near its center i wo lonir points close in and lea v>' bet weon 
 only a narrow passaire a coiiple of chains wide. 
 
 After i>a8sinsi: through these narrows, we surveyedone route through 
 the islands and aimtlier around tlie southern shore until we came to the 
 inlet which we I'ollowed for about live miles to the lieight of land 
 between the Nottaway and Sasynenay waters, wliicii we found to be 1275 
 feet above sea level. 
 
 On the latter stretch there are seven portaaes, and unless in high 
 water part of the str-'am cannot lloat more than htilf loided canoes, some 
 of the portages are only short lumps, and the longest is not over j of a mile 
 in lencrth. 
 
About l.M cliuiiiH I'list ol' thi- Hiumuit, w.' com.- lo u Hiaal! i> uul wliifh 
 di»<hur«.^ into a lake ii.arly u mil.- imi a halliu l.iiu:lh uml Uilt a mil« 
 in wi.lili aiul from thero u portaur-' of ah.mi iola mil.- lak.> us into 
 Whitflisli lak.-. 
 
 Til.' -ouutry w>v«tt of Wliit.'lisli lak.- i^ ralli.-r mouutaiiiou>. 
 
 Th.' loll^'.'!*t urm of th-- lak-- l.'a<ls soiitli about ^ mil-* au<l th»> 
 shorter arm «'ast 1 mil« and n half 
 
 From th.-r.' a .|imrt.-r of a mil.' porta-,'.- followiny; tb.- di^.-hargi' from 
 the »hort.-r arm tak.-s uh into llran.-h lak.- 2A mil.-s in l.-ui^th 
 
 At tb.' .liHchar)?." of tliis lake I waw Hom»' v.-ry liu^ sprnoe. Th.-ro is 
 good loamy noil hiT.- oVi-rlyini? rich clay bottoms, but the el.-vation b-ing 
 llti4 f.'.'t abovo 8»'a l.'V.-l in this latitude. 4!«' 80' N .th.' climati- .annot he 
 expeeti-d to be very favorablf. 
 
 Continuini? down tlif disfhar!?.' w.- pass throuufh Bovcral nmall rapids 
 (all of which w.- ran with half loaled .anofw) we pass through several 
 expanses, the largest three of which ar- called respectively Obamis.atcie, 
 Rush, and Gordon lakes, and enter lake Nikaubau at seven uiiL-.s from 
 Bran.'h lak.-. 
 
 iiuk.- Nikaubau is a line sh.-et of wat.-r, measuring oj miles in length 
 and C in width. 
 
 Its elevation is ll'iO feet abov.' sea lev.'l. 
 
 At its soutliern end come in the unit.-d waters of lak- As.uts. i.- and 
 lake \em.-ujish wher.- I closed on my survey of 1H.»7. as sh.uvu by the 
 accompany ina; plans No 1 and No t>. 
 
 Th.- .-nviri>ns of lak.- Nikaubau show a i,'.)<;'i. lotmy soil uiul are 
 ly W--11 timb -red with spruce, boul-au and poplar. 
 
 SHCTION No 6-A. 
 
 Section 6-A, comprises from lake Wahw.michi westwarJ to tlie 
 confluence of the Chibougomou and Obatogoman waters. 
 
 On leaving lake Wahwanichi a portage 70 ohs in length in a N. W. 
 direction over th.i height of land separating the water- oftli.- Rnpert, 
 from those of the Nottaway, brings us to a small lake or pond about 20 
 chains in h-ngth. 
 
29 
 
 Followiiiff it« «lim-lmrs;.' ilironi^h a dwarany *nd rocky pountry for 
 n cliHtiiiiiv of iiliout *l iiiiluK, vv girriv<- ill a Uk*- iix'iMUriuv two miUit in 
 li'U^ilt by I mill* in wiiUli : tli<- likko N^mrtiM iir-' tf<M«>rally iuvt'l uiid wull 
 woodfd with liliu-k i»pru<<'. 
 
 From tilt* h'-ad of this hik>- w« tarn to th« rif^ht lor atxitit I'l chs to 
 taki> itM <lis< liiir!;'. TIumi u «lri'ti'li of mxiki'il river of H luilivs thruugii 
 ini>!tlly \vorlhl<'>'s 'oumry, brmi^H us to th«) K.ii\viisi»|''\vaii F(>rk». 
 
 Thi' foniitry h-r"- h;is n ht'tt4'r appcanincf. jfood iovel i-lay soil gtMie* 
 riiUy Will covi-n-tl with hlmk xpriUM' HVi'mirius? 10 imht's in rliainctor. 
 
 • " iiiii'nar oil I'or H miics 'il'slow tiirrfiit through a louiny coiiMtry 
 «'hi''ll> .viMnlfd Willi hliick spriu'i- wi> arrive at thf jiim tioii of th« 
 ♦ 'hibuu'Diuoii rivtT ••omiii'.' in nn the h'Tl ; it is iihoiit ih<' saini- si/,' us 
 til.' oiii' we f.illowiMl down ;iiid will \>' morf liiUv <leiH' ribod liirtli'T on. 
 
 1 
 
 FoiluwiiiLr t'inir uiiii '(1 WMt.rs lor ; luilf witiiout rapidn wr arriv.- at 
 
 Ku> 
 
 l.ti-li Ilk" is no inisnoiiifv lor its npp'r I'lil is tor h mi'.' rhoked 
 with rush, s, soin- ot'lii-'n unMiiirini; 14 I'l-i'i in lt'nj,'th. 
 
 litis is ail exiiiliMit plaii- lor du''k Nliootini? ; wo shot IH bi'_' black 
 ducks ill <;oini: throuf^h. 
 
 (.'oiitinuini^ on th<' north sid>' of t!u> likt* for a distance of ? tuilt» we 
 coiiif to a ]) lint wln-n- th" II. 15. Co. oiicf had a tradiii;; post, but tluTe 
 is no \>'sti!»i' of it now ; tin- j>oiiit is all ••ovt-rod with boulfan from one to 
 two fi'i't in diann'tcr. 
 
 1 li.' distanii' from Iuti- to tii" lowi-r end of the lake is about t» miles 
 •stiidd.'d with baiitifnl islands and iT'-ntly risiiij; .sliores, well timbered 
 with spriiit", poplar ainl boul 'au. 
 
 From h'Mv down t > I.,ul>! linsh lako thf distant' is miles through 
 i>«-iu'ially low ami .van j y ''oniitry mo^^tly wood-'d with black spruce. 
 
 iiiitl.' IJn.-h iakf .. '■ iiiil''s in liMitrth with an avi-.-age widt!: uf A 
 mill'. Til • lounirv aroiinil h<'r.' is higher and well eoveretl with blaek 
 and w'ui.' spnici'. iionl. mi. pupjar and good sized eedar arouml the lake 
 shor.'s, cxeepi iiiir :i lew b .iiu !>;>i>ii.s anil h:iiv hills on ihe S. ii. .shuve 
 
 o])pll^itl■ ill'' middle tit' til'' hik''. 
 
30 
 
 Continuing down the discliarj?!' oi' Little Rnsli lake for a distance ol 
 30 ell'*, we come to a portasje on the right passinsf a chute 10 feet in 
 heiglit and M) chs further down lake Oimniska coin-'s in view. 
 
 Luke Op.iiniska or (Sandy Beacli lake) is a Sne sheet of water measur- 
 ing 12 miles in lenijtli ;ind from 2 to 3 miles in width in its widest parts. 
 The country to tlie south near the head of the lake is Well timbered with 
 tall black spruce, bouleau and poplar. The land rises towards the lower 
 en<l and some bare hills tliat were visited by lire years asjo ar- seen in 
 the distance. Tiie country to the north is lower and better timbered with 
 black and wliit*^ spiuc and large cedar all around the lake shores. 
 
 On I'Mvinir Like Opamiska we mak' a portage of IJ chs to the lelt 
 p^issiug a strong rapid, giviiiir a total fall of :.0 feet. 
 
 \ distance nl ',* miles from this portage brings us to a shar|) bend in 
 the rivi r wliere there is ii very strong curre .t, and Iroui here two more 
 miles hrinir us to lake .\lik\v;isash 
 
 Lake >.iik\v:is:isli oilRed Sucker lake) i.s rather a pretty shi'ct of 
 water; iior<lercil on iis west shore witii high rockey liilis. muu • ol 
 tlcni risiiiir :>■<>' f'ei above the level o! the lake. The cisi shur • is gene- 
 rail v low or gejiily rising land wooded with black si>nice. 
 
 I'voiii lake Mikwasash. a «li>taiici' of t wo miles takes us to a portaije 
 4(1 (lis lu lengili on the rigiit of a rapid and c.iiuie giving a total lall o| 20 
 
 le.l. 
 
 Tiie CMunlrv iiere is mostly all a r.illingold hriil.i:. 
 
 CoiitimiitiLr down for a distance of 1 mil's, w' • com ■ to ami; 'i t i'miic 
 giving a fall of 8.\ i'eei whii'h is p iss 'd l)y a p )rtag • I clis in 1 'nirl h on the 
 right hank. 
 
 Three (|nart<'rs of a mile below t'lis chute w.' leave this river by a 
 portaire on th(> rigiit 2.") chs in length wiiicli tak"s us to a larger stream 
 coming from the north. 
 
 doing down about tin ciis wit h swill water we meet the riv er wt» 
 had dcsci'n<led, and from this point down to ih" forks ofthe Obatagom an 
 rivci- tile distan -t' is •_'« miles throuLr'.i a liH-e! sandv i>lain : the country 
 has been ove.ruu by lire some ;{ i year-i :iLro, and is now i-over.d wit;i a 
 thick growth of po|>lar, ii//iris, lir an 1 b ml -an. 
 
r*i >'• 
 
 ol 
 
 DISCHARGE OF LAKE CHIBOUCAMOU 
 
 "'^f^ I'rom lake (^hibouiramou a portiviji' 7 <'hs in lougth tiiki's ixs down to 
 
 lako Dorr with 2') iot-t difi't-ronce of k'v«'l. 
 
 l.:\k>' /'("•/ is a Vt'ry pictni(>s(iuc sheet of water moasurini; I'l milos in 
 i.Miutli '>y "'i- to two niilos in width ; it is hordoTcd to the sonth and 
 W'.'st )iy til y (slop.-s. In the north and east mountains creep np from '-'00 
 .' CfU (',•..». above the level of the lake, 'fhe lonntry all amnnd is u'ene- 
 rally well wooded with blaek si)ru('e. houleau and poplar averairini; one 
 foot in diaineli'r. 
 
 On leaving lak-- Dure a si\iU\\ of river two mils in lenj^tli brinifs 
 as to a rapid ;;ivinii^ a fall ol ■'■ feel and within a few chains wo arrive at 
 a iTooked lake a))oni t! miles in lenu'th by an avera^i' width of "20 rhs. 
 
 Till' country here is low and !ienerallv swampy, wli w. od>'d \\ ith 
 blai'k -pruce, ami poi)lar. on the dry ridyi's. 
 
 ( loinfT down a slreti'h "f riV'-r in whicli their is a small rapid we 
 arriv>' at ;;.nollier lak>' two miles in l-'mrth by iOchs in width. Follow iner 
 its discharu'c lor :ibout ;{ miles, w'l' ifo throuiih a burnt rocky swampy 
 country, and reach a lake measuring about 8 mill's in circamferencc. 
 
 .As yoii will sec l)v the p|;in I here is a short cut from this lake back 
 to lake Don which 1 surveyed as a clieiU on the survey ofthe roundabout 
 water way Just (h'scribed. 
 
 (.)ii the stream which we loUowed up, there is a remarkably lav!i(^ 
 lieaver dam; it measures l.')(l |,.ct in leniilh and from S to 10 feet in heiiith. 
 Otter and beaver appi'ar to b' ith'iitiful here ar.d will likely In; so I'or a 
 l<Mijr time to come. The ciiuiitry i.-. worthless; nothin;^ to be seen biit 
 hii;;]! roi'Uy ridu'cs with barren swanip> between. 
 
 lleturniiiii to the lake we left to survey this short cut, we followed 
 down its discharire in a Westerly direction, runninj^ three very stronjif 
 rapi<ls whii'h •jive a total fill of 40 feet, in a distanceof one mile; thence 
 till chains to the Bonth brinirs lis to a lake one mile in length by ten 
 chains in w idth. 
 
 The lountry all around is hav and thickly covered with black si>raee. 
 
 Continuiii'jT down by the discharsre lorn disi.nii-e ot 10 chains we 
 I'oiiie to another lake measuring tliree miles in lenulh with two bay^ one 
 to the N. E. and the oth r to the .">. W. of the lake each measurin}" i.bout 
 
a mile and ii half in d.-pth Tlic country all around the lakes is well 
 woodi'd with black spruce. 
 
 On leiivin<-tliislak.'\ve.om.'t.)ii rapid, •,'iviiig a fall of 10 f.>.«t. which 
 cau he run with ordinary small .auors and 10 chains fitrtlier on we enter 
 lake Assinihaslats (or blocked by stone). 
 
 L;ik- Assuiibastats in.vj^nr.'s inile^ in Icnirtli by annverai?.' widihof20 
 chains ae country to the \. W. of the lake is mostly all a rollin? old 
 bruli, to the S. \l. it is generally low and w<'il covered with black spruce 
 and bouleau, excepting near its discharge where rocky burnt hills rise 
 4011 foet above the level of thi' lake. 
 
 Then going down for three quarters of a mile of slow current we 
 arrive at another lake which is also about !• miles in length with an 
 avcr;ige width of "20 chains. 
 
 The .•ountrv on the N'. W. side is generally rocky and raoniitaiuous, 
 near ilie head of the lake but lowers gently towards the foot, th.- low 
 l;nid beina" covered witii bnnieau and poplar from 12 to 18 inches in 
 diam.-t-r. The country on the S. \V sid.> i> lughand rolling and incr.'ases 
 in liejiiht tow-irds the di,eh;irire. I yvniiig a Ijcautiful cluiin of mountains, 
 some having an elevation of tJOO feet above the level of the lake. 
 
 From here to tlie forks of the Kawasagewau river, 12 miles in dis- 
 tance, tlie river runs throngh a generally low country tliickly covered 
 with black spruce. 
 
 Sl'X'TlON No 7. 
 OBATAGOMAN WATERS 
 
 Leavinir the canoe route on lake Obatairoman about four miles from 
 the narrows, we follow the western arm of the lake down to its discharge, 
 a distance of about .V^ miles, where there is a chute giving about tJ feet 
 fall; and alwut ten ehuins lurther down there is a small rapid giving a 
 fall of two feet, and from thence a crooked lake extends northward, about 
 six mii"s. and tluMi I urns sharply westward 21 miles to the )iarrows. 
 
 At this poini lob-eived the latitude to be I'.l' ;3:"'20"N. 
 
 1),\ olid ihe>e ii:iriow.> another bewildering hik' sirotcli's out with 
 aiiii> '.: \'\ ii(\.- '11 ve,y -ide. ;ind dott 'd witii coiiiiiless islands :w siiowu 
 (,11 ill ■ ;e . ^iiiipaiiving i)hiiis. 
 
33 
 
 ni'loii' I'uviuj; f^»url).'c, I rci' iv('<l I'roin Mr (rauviii, Superiiiti'iicleat 
 of .Siirv.'V^, 11 phiu of part ol' l.'iis likr luado hy Mr C. E. Lemoiiif, 1'. L. S., 
 aud I foiiiul that win'ro tint g.Mitletnau terminati'd his work, a channel 
 wliich he took to }>;■ the discheirg.', was only an arm of th" lake. 
 
 It really looked likf a river but ou following it eastward a couple of 
 miles, ! fo'iud tluit it divided again into two other arms, aud at the head 
 of each, streams Uowed in instead of out. 
 
 lietuniing w.' found another arm stretching northward which we 
 followed f I r about a mile, until we eame on the real discharge, which 
 turns around westward, and alter a run of about three miles ou the lattt-r 
 course, passing several rapids and one chute of 'J feet fall, we came to 
 another lake G'> feet below the level of Obatagomau, and 1,000 feet above 
 sea level 
 
 This lake winds crookedly westward for about live miles, varying 
 from •') to 'lO cliains in width, and then expands into a grand sheet of 
 water four mile.s in length, and one mile and a lialf in width, forming a 
 large /jroyyw'^/e on the east>'rly side. 
 
 From about tlie middle ot the we^i.-rly side ofthislak.-. th" di. -harge 
 Hows rapidly tluough rocky islands giving a fall of three feet in a dis- 
 tance of a couple of chains, and then a calm steady river about three 
 chains in width and .i t.) 10 feet in depth Hows northwestward, with a 
 current of abi)Ut two mil's p'v hnw lor a 'ouple of miles to the |)oint 
 where we terminated our survey in that direction. 
 
 At this point I found the latitude to be 49" 41" 40" N. aud longitude 
 74'4 '' o'l W. and el.-vation ab,)ve sea level lOo') feet. 
 
 Here ! blazed s -ve al trees on the right b.iuK and marked the date, 
 the latitude and my name thiri'on. 
 
 The country is rather poor looking- ar.und here ; the (^hief timb^'r is 
 rypris and black spruce of iiii'.Mior quality ; part of this rc^^ion has been 
 lately overrun by lire. 
 
 There is .some good spru.' • ou the i>land aud lake shores below Oba- 
 tagomau. 
 
 The rock formation is ihielly gneiss aud granites but some of the 
 islands an? i)artly i'om[>(»sed "f magii'tie iron, particularly around where 
 Mr Lnnoine terminated his work ; the variation rang<!s fiom to 60" W. 
 S 
 
84 
 
 SECTION No 8. 
 
 PART OF GRAND LAKK MlSTASSINI 
 
 We surveyed the weist shore of Cabistachouan bay from the last 
 mentioned portage, a distance of about seven miles, to where another 
 portage of quarter of a mile thra^'h low swampy ground takes us into 
 Abatagush bay, a couple of miles beyond tlie II. 15. Co's. post, and having 
 surveyed the bay around to connect at the pofst with my former work, 
 we continued over throrgh the loi g portag.' to Pouachuan IJay and 
 thence up said bay aboui six miles to where another porta>re of about 
 hall a mile takes us back again into Abatagush bay about s miles north 
 of thi' II. B. Co's post as shown on the plan, section No 8. 
 
 The country here is level or g.'utly rolling and fairly well timbered 
 with black and grey spruce, bouleau. poplar, larch, etc. 
 
 Returning to the post we xrveyed up the west shore of the long 
 mainland point that separates Abatagush bay from the main body of the 
 lake as far as the Big Narrows, a distance of about 15 miles, and thence 
 followed the east shore a distance of twenty miles, to where a chain of 
 small lakes and portages taKes us into Mistassinis or Little Mistassini 
 lake. 
 
 There is a general samencas in the country all along here .-—easy 
 slopes covered mostly with spruce, bouleau and poplar, and a soil well 
 worthy of cultivation if the climcue were suitablt . 
 
 The dist^^ace from the big lake into Mistassinis or Little Mistassini 
 by t ':!)., chain of lakes and portages, is five miles. 
 
 The land is very poor in this direction on nearing Littl.' Mista.ssini, 
 and the unworn rocks and crags that cover the surfac except in the 
 marshy holes and ponds, are of a iliiity nature and the timb.-r appears 
 small and stunted; and still in th ■ midst of this poverty-stri.kiMi n^gion 
 I was surprised to see several large Mid b.'autiful Scotch thistles, bloominir 
 most fragrantly, a fit .'mblem of ihe hardy race, that can generally thrive 
 well on any soil or in any climate. 
 
 SECTION No 0. 
 Lake Mistassinis or Little Mistassini is no small sheet of vvacei. 
 
 We followed it for 44 miles, from the last mentioned portage to its 
 most northern bay. 
 
.1» 
 
 L 
 
 C5 
 
 Near the middle it narrows to less than a quarter of a mile, and then 
 widens out in the direction of its dischargo by the Temiscaraie river into 
 ihe big lake, whore it attains a width of nearly six miles. 
 
 The land on th • west side is gonerary low r.nd level and fairly well 
 timbered with black and grey spruce. 
 
 The land on the east side rises gradually from the lake shore to an 
 elevation of 300 feet or .0, except near the upper end looking eastward, 
 whore the blue heads of mountains some tiMi or fifteen miles distant rise 
 over a thousanu feet above the level of the lake. 
 
 Some of the islands in this lak« look like broken walls of cut stone ; 
 the layers are of equal thicKness, lie nearly horizontal and are squarely 
 broken in sections of nearly equal length. 
 
 Quartz reins containing beautiful crystals are seen at many points 
 along the shore. I took several specimens, hoping to find some showing 
 of gold, but failed to fii d any indication of the precious metal. 
 
 Some good looking slopes of land aie seen here and there but, as 
 before stated, climatic conditions may debar the hope of cultivating any 
 part of this region. 
 
 All kinds offish found in inland Labrador peninsula waters are fotind 
 in abundance in this lake, with the exception of the ouananiche and 
 sturgeon. 
 
 Grey trout from five to fifty pounds weight are here in inexhaustible 
 quantities : speckled trout, 'ore, &c., are taken in quantities also. 
 
 Deer of every kind are scarce or I might say wanting in this region 
 
 One would naturally thinK that iua coun'ry like this where the clioices 
 food for the moose and oaribon is found in abundance, mossy barrens 
 and rooky escarpments eovered with lioheus, &c. &o.. and with c-oarcely a 
 soul to every liundred square miles to disturb them, those animals should 
 be found in herds, and still I did not see a single one, nor hardly any 
 traces of their existence. 
 
 Mink, otter, lynx, marten an I different other fur-bearing animals are 
 plentiful here, and diflFeront kinds of duck and other waterfowl are also 
 numerous. 
 
 The mean of different tests of the temperature of the water in this 
 lake on the 16th September w.is 55" Fah. taken at depths of from 1 to 
 
S'5 
 
 SO fi'.'t. Till' wntci is (liuk iiivt'iii^li in <-f)l«r ami clfMi-.T tli;>!i Mini dl l.ikf 
 St Jollll 
 
 L aviiiL;' till' must northeru buy ul' ihis hike a short poKagi- <<! ii liitK' 
 loss than a (jaarttT of a mile taki's xxn over the dividiim' riili^i" to a smal) 
 lake 15 chains across, and elfvatcil 15 ti'ct al)ov<> Mistassinis. 
 
 This little lake discharges by its northi-rn cud into anothfr small 
 lake about J of a mile in length and 5 to 15 chains in width, lying nearly 
 east and \ve*«t, and discharging at its eastern extremity where there is a 
 short portage on the left bank, and then a sluggisli little stream l)arely 
 floats tlie canoes into lake Clair. 
 
 Lake Clair is exactly on the same level as Mistassinis 12')0 I'eet ai>(>ve 
 sea level. It is a very pieturesrjue lake abi)Ut 3^ miles in length ain! one 
 mile and three quarters in width. 
 
 BASALT COLUMNS 
 
 Its south western shore resemblfi at a distanci- th<' ruins of some dis- 
 mantled fortress. Ou closer obs.Tvatioii I found that a L'r>'at part of theshore 
 line was composed of immense columns of bas!ilt. standing out as bold 
 and regular as if they were a work of art. 
 
 In some places tln'v were hexagonal and in others quadrangular and 
 going westward from tiiere thi' laki' shore is eonii>ns'd of vi'rv fiiii'lv and 
 smoothly stratified slaty stone whirli the Indian us. ■ for wli.'tstones. 1 
 brought home some specimens and tliey make fxi'i'lh-nt razor liom-s. 
 
 li ever railway communication could b.' had to tliis loca'ity these 
 quarri''s would be valuable. 
 
 U.'Sfi'nding the discharare of this lake, a crooki'<l str.-am some tw.'Uty 
 feet in width, winds through low swampy •rrouMil for a distance of fifty 
 chain>^ to anoth.-r lake about 2} miles in l.'ugth and } ol a mile in width. 
 
 Tiie country around lier.' is lev 'I or <r'iitly rolling and is timbi'rcd 
 mostly with black spruce, cy|>reKsaiid larch. 
 
 I'ollowing down the disihargc uf t'lis lake about six miles iua nortli 
 easterly direction, througli a rather poor lookin<r valley, Wf come to a 
 small hiki' or expansi', where anothiT river comes in from the e^st, and 
 theiKc their united waters wind northward 21 miles to join the Sikawako 
 Sibee or Porcupine River, at an elevation of 1230 feet above sea level. 
 
37 
 
 A short diNtancu above the forks, Porcupine moantain ri'ars its head 
 about 900 feel above the level ol" the river bed on the west side as shown 
 on the plan. 
 
 The country here has a very poor and de.>olate aspect, as far as I could 
 see on either sid*- ; the soil is poor, cold grey sand, and the only timber 
 small black spruce and cypris. 
 
 The Porcnpin- river here is about throe chaiu'^ in width and 6 to 20 
 feet in depth vvith a current of about I'i miles per hour. 
 
 On following it down about six miles in a westerly direction, in 
 which distance we pass through three small rapids, another fair sized 
 river comes in from the north. 
 
 Below tliis the united waters liow placidly, with the exception of 
 two rapids, which we ran with half loaded canoes, into the extreme 
 north east end of (Iraud Lake Mistassiui, u distance of six miles. 
 
 On this latter stretch, some fair sized blaik lud grey spruce ari> seen, 
 par icularly on the south side. 
 
 SECTION No 10. 
 
 URAND LAKK MISTASSINI 
 
 From till' mouth of the Porcupine River, w-" followed southwest- 
 wardly along the tongue that separates the upper part of the lake into 
 two bays for a distanof of twenty on' miles, as shown on plan No 10. 
 
 About six miles Irom our startins point on this stretch we pass the 
 mouth of ih'' Poponapinan Sibes- or Silting River, on the right, a fair 
 sized river having an average width of -\ ciiaius. 
 
 The country along here is very level, rising with an easy slopt from 
 the lake shore. 
 
 About six miles further on, or 12 miles from our starting point, the 
 lake shore is composed of pure hard blue limestone in thin layers, and 
 both the main shore and the islands are well timbered with large black 
 and grey spiuce. 
 
 On looking bick from a mile or two bej'ond here, high ranges of 
 mountains are seen tro:n N. oO' to N. t>i) E. about 20 miles otf. 
 
88 
 
 rortupiiu' mountain must be thi' bi'giuniug of this rang*-, anil it is 
 neeJlfss to say that unless miiieral.s of ucouomio value may Ik- I'ouud 
 there, there is uothiiiij else worth lookinsf for in that region ami it will 
 always remain the home of the otter, the beaver, the bear an porcupine, 
 for the few scattered luJiaus that roaiii over this wild waste are not sutfl- 
 cieutly numerous to disturb tlieir peaceful abode or diminish their 
 number. 
 
 Continuing south-westward some bix miles or 21 miles from ouf 
 Btartiu'.' point, we come to the end of the tongue as above meutioued. 
 
 Here we were delayed by contrary winds ; it blew a pretty strong 
 gale from the south west, and on att>.-mi)ting to cross over to the main 
 westi-rn shore one of our canoes swamped, and we were obliged to 
 return and camp on the point for the night. 
 
 The swell tliut rolls up here in a strong south west rale is too much 
 for any ordinary sized canoe. 
 
 I improved the tim ■ here, hnv.'Ver, by taking' rep -at 'd astronomical 
 obaerv.iiiuns, th ■ lujau of winch i,'ive th ■ latitude 51' It' 40"' N. and 
 longitude 7b" •;' 4V' \V. 
 
 We crossed over from the point to the nearest land on the west shore, 
 a distance of live miles, and thence followed the said west shore for a 
 distance of fifty miles, passing- on tliis stretch, the discharge of th.- lake 
 or head of the Kui)ert river, and the i»ortage to the same whijh takes iu 
 about nine miles further down. 
 
 In this neighborhood the lake is so crow J. -d with islands that oue 
 rarely gets a glimpse of its main body or of the opposite shore. 
 
 Our courses and distances were checked by several astronomical 
 observations as shown on the plan. 
 
 Then' is nothing very remarkable iu the country along here. I went 
 on shore in a 1 -w i)laces, and penetrated the country more or less inland. 
 
 The soil is fairly good loam, level or gently rolling, aud covered with 
 moss from one to two feet deep. 
 
 Thi- wiiole country along here seems well timbered with fair sized 
 black and grey spruce, excepting some burnt patches which are growa 
 up with poplar and bouleau. 
 
3f- 
 
 Abcut twonty miles sonth of the Rupert portaije w crosa.'J over to 
 a lonif ishiiiJ, which lies outside of ami dosj to the point or tongue of 
 laud that sep. rati-s Ponacliuau bay Iroin Abatuj^ush bay as sh >wii oa 
 plan; and thtMue southward along the ".vestern side of said tongue, or 
 peninsula, until \v los -d on our former work at the end of the long 
 portage 
 
 In following down the latter stretch, a splendid view is had of the 
 opposite side, or country west of the lake, which s.'oms to rise in gentle 
 swells far inland, alternately covered with conifi'rous and deciduoas trees 
 of varyini]f color, f^rininL' a most delii^htful landscap ■, which we fully 
 enjoyed on a calm clear Si'pteinb-r day, particularly after braving a storm 
 of hail, snow and rain the day before. 
 
 Looking south, however, the aspect is not so eucourairing; for like at 
 the north en I m >nutain ra!i'».'s aj*;) -ar to ris • one abjve another, and 
 brok 11 spurs show up h-re and there over a space of nearly ninety 
 degre 's or from south nearly to west ; but fioni west to north the country 
 is level or gently rolling as above stated. 
 
 The temp -rature of the water in the lak''hereonthe 24th ofSi'ptembor 
 was 45" 00' and that of the atmosphere :>0' Fahreuiieit. 
 
 There are splendid quarries on some of the islands and points along 
 this shore and in soim? places, b.)ld blulfs ris ? from the water's edge 50 to 
 100 feet p 'rp^Midicular, composed ciiielly of cherty limestone, evenly 
 stratified from one to two feet in thickness. 
 
 Along this shore and down among the islands, about three miles 
 north of the end of the long portage, is considered the best fishing ground 
 on the lake. 
 
 Here the Hudson Bay Company's men salt some 300 barrels every 
 year ; and such solid fisli are the grey trout here that only one pound of 
 salt is required to keep 47 lbs of fish in good condition for the whole 
 year. 
 
 In the waters of the St Lawrence slope the tuuiuli or large grey 
 trout are generally soft and llabby, as compared with the speckb^d trout, 
 but in the Mista-ssini waters the large grey trout are considered far 
 superior to the bru ik trout. Oar grey trout have whitish IIl'sIi, while 
 their is a solid reddish flesh, much resembling the sea trout in color and 
 flavor 
 
40 
 
 The lake is aituiilly swarininur with lish i)i'<lillfr«'iit kiiidN : jjrr«y luul 
 »p»'ikK'(! trout, dore, pik", wlu;cli«h /«//■ exirllfticf ami « knid of lii»h th«7 
 c;ili the Mnriii which as tloscly ri'si'!nl)lt'.» the rod lish as the ouaiiuiiicho 
 does thf sulir-oii. 
 
 More dcailsri'jrardinir this r.-gii.n inuy bt'jfivfu as noon aKsertioiiN Xos 
 1" and 1 1 an- f(»mplftod ; but in tlic in<-antim» owinir to the cxajrtr'rati'd 
 accounts tliat have b vu '.'oini,' thf rounds oflhf press inCanadu and lh« 
 Uuii-d Statfs and even in Kranot- r.'irardiiiif this ai)pnri'ntly juystirious 
 lakf, it may be Wi'li to say h.Tf tliat the extn-nic h-nirth of tlio porlion 
 survived by me, that is, from the w.'stern end (.lih.' IV.nachotiui or long 
 portape to the m<.uth oftlit' l'oreui)in.- river at tlie head or nortli-eastern 
 extremity of the lake, measured in a straiirlit iin.', i.s S.' niile> ; and tiie 
 distance from said portaije continued in nearly the same strai^^ht line to 
 the south western extremity of the lake. ai meMs)ired by MrC i:. Lemoine 
 P. L. S.and .heoked by Mr Irus. I.'infret <liau-,'hlsmaii of the department 
 and myself is 1« miles, which ijives a total lenu'ili of 100 miles in a 
 direei Hue from one .'xtremity to the other. The distance fn.in tiie 
 80Ut!i,ri, .xiiemity of Abatnirusli bay t.. the sai 1 \v. stern end of the 
 ron;.e!.,.u;n. portasre is 1.1 miles ,.s surveyed by us. Mr L..,„oin-' shows 
 river which he sny.s may aver,i<rea .-hiin in width c.iininir intr. th • south 
 -.estern extremity of i!,e lak-', and froni wh'it 1 liave seen of Mr L .luoine's 
 work i:,ken in conneeti,,n Willi our surv-v, I may safely vay that the 
 lenuihof (Irai.d Lake Mi.stassjni cannot be !■ ss than one hundred nor 
 more than 101 miles 
 
 lis u-idtl, in the bi-oal.st part, tli;,t is, rp„a ih- Iv'upen river p,.fta..,'e 
 to i.f .Miih east eni .shore a little ab .ve I :, ■ j, jrla,- to Little L.k ■ Mistas- 
 siiiioM acours.. at ri-ht aii-lestoii). M,.i,.r.il trei„l of the lake, js MJ 
 mil's, but the avera-e width ol the unit, l.odv of i he lake is iml over 
 tw.'lve miles a,s !|iven by Mr Low, 
 
 1 (ind MrLow-sd-scriptionofihehtk.. an 1 euvir.ns true and correct 
 
 in every respect. He di.l not survey the whole lake ; h- only con-inued 
 
 the work that had been commenced by Messrs Richardson and McOuat 
 
 and the somhern extremity of the lake was never surveved by any one 
 exceptinir Mr Lemoine. ' 
 
 Althongh the lake falls far short of the dimensions a.scribed to it 
 
 by the hunters whom Mr IJi.n.ell ..let on his wav there, and in 
 
 whom he appears to have hud a little too much coniid.n.V b.lh as re-r.^ds 
 
 heir walking capacity and their ideas of geography, it i. still a verv'large 
 
41 
 
 HuHt is not only r.'grtrJiiifir the si/' '•; tho lukf tliut we liav<' had 
 miHlt>&(liui; rt'portN ; tin* iliinatf tiiul cupabilitii-Hdrtln' Louiitry huve bof n 
 tlie Nubjcct ol jn(ir»' mtIoum tni!«rt'pri>.st>iitati(iti, as you will hl'« by the 
 followiiii? i-xtraot irom u r.'j»ort ol'u (■.•l.'bmti'd Fn-n. hiiiau named Aiidri 
 M.. Iiuud, wiiich apiiL>ar<-d in the bulletin ol the Auiericun (>e(>i;raphioal 
 Society in 18SS. 
 
 " In the neijyhborhood of llndHon Uay and the j^reut Luke °. '.itituttitini 
 " the trt-es whii.h some di-jyrees furtlii-r south form the mihhs of the forest 
 " hiiVf almost eniir.-ly disappeared in tliis latitude in eonseqnemv of the 
 " severity of the winters an.l liie -teriliiy ol the soil. 
 
 " Tin coontry is cut up I.y thousands of lakes and covered with 
 *' enormoiis roeks [liled one on the to|) of the otiier, which are often car- 
 " p'ted with large lichens of .1 blaek eolor, and whieliinoreasetlie sombre 
 " aspeet of these desert uud almost uiiinhabitahle reu-ions. 
 
 It i> in ihe spaces bet .veea the roiks lliat one linds a fw pines 
 '* (pinus ruperlis) whieli attain an altitude of lliree f' -t, and even at this 
 ■small liei-jht sliow si>rns of deoav. 
 
 "However 1;V1 miles further smith this tree ai quires a better and 
 "stron<,'er jriowth, hut it never rises higher thanei-iht or ten f-et." 
 
 Mr. Miehaud (claims to h:ive v:one up to Mistassiiii rii Lake St. John 
 and dest-.'iided the Rupert river to within a short dista.ic' of .1 unes Uay 
 and r.turned by the same route. In the intere>t of the pn ice it is 
 time that such reports should cease. 
 
 I do not under-taud how any man could have made such a report 
 Certainly there are lots of spruce trees around lake Mislassini that 
 measure between one and two f.-et in diameter, and Mr Miller assured 
 me that he cut one tiiat measured lii feet in diameter on the &tump. Spruce 
 trees from one to two feet in diameter are found at intervals all the way 
 froiu lak • Mistassi li to James Bay. 
 
 In the environs of lik • Mistassini th' soil is good, but the season is 
 so short and subject to early frost that I do not think farming would 
 ev r succe.'d th.Te. Mr Miller raises good potatoes and cabbasres, etc. but 
 like most II IJ. C .'-i m mi his fjrt.' is not iu the agricultural liuj. 
 
4S 
 
 SECTION No 11. 
 
 .S'l tioii No II ciiiliraii's th*? i aii.> • r (iiii- lr<»iu tiruud Liik"' Mistii»>iiii 
 vin iln' liiiiiiTt ami Mnrtcii rivers u> tin- wvstorii «'!itl nl' l:ik • Ni-minkow 
 coiun'ctiiiif tluT' witli sfciioii No :1 oil tin- iimtc Iroiu Wu^wanipy to 
 
 UupiTt I[i>U.so. 
 
 •Stiirtini; Iroiii th<- i>iirtiii^<' whicli rrosHCM Iroiii (iraiul Lak<' Mistassiiii 
 to itN ilisclitirgi' (tho KupiTt rivii) w>' lollinv its waliTs ui-atly tluf south- 
 Wi>t tor about iwciity-livi' uiili> in a ilir<( t liiii- and ovor «•'» milos by 
 tlif livtT wliioh Hpri'utU and turii> in ••vry <liv.( tion. 
 
 Tiii'uot' it turns ufurly uouili-wst, and \vt« i'i)lli>w lli«- main rivfr in 
 that dir.'itioii lor about nix iniU'i to laki- Miskitt'iiuu, svli<r ■ \v>' Itavo 
 tlu' main rivor and I'ollow a iliain ol' iaki-s Icadinir nito tb«' v tUcy of tho 
 Marti-n rivt-r. Thou wo lollow th«' latt<r rivor for a distanif of about ou8 
 hundri'd miles in a u^-Micral w.-siiily dir.'olion to wluro W" meet th* 
 Hupirt river again thus avoidiui,' s,'\ 'lal rapids, .hul's and portagi-s on 
 tho main rivi-r. About nine mil>'> Ijdow or west ot ihn toulluoiieo of the 
 Mart-n and Kupt rl rivori wo uoui'' to t!i ' oastorn ond of lake \on»i.<koW 
 and thenee throuifh said lak ■ ab.mt l'^ miles m>ro on the sime westerly 
 course tiirouifli said lake N ■mi>k<)\v to wliere we coinie.t with our 
 surviy from Waswanipy al)ove desnilu'd 
 
 As stated in my report of the ilth iJi. ember 1898, the work horo was 
 done by one of my assistants, whil>' I was oeeu; d on the oilier seetious 
 above mentioned ; und as all the details availabli? are olearly shown on 
 the plan it is needless to lengthen this report l)y repeating thoin : sulHce 
 to say that tho greater part of this extensive section appears tu be well 
 covered with groy and blaek spruce. A good eountrv for pulp-wood, 
 fish and fur-bearing animals. 
 
 S1:CTIUN No 12, 
 
 The most northern Hudson IJay Company's post on the St Maurice 
 waters, called Ivikindatch, is situated on a point jutting out in tho lake of 
 the same name, 1200 feet abovosea level, and is the rendezvous of all the 
 Indians inhabiting the country bjrderingon the height of land from Lake 
 Mistassini souih-westward to ih • tKtaw.i and Mekiscan waters. 
 
 Starting from this point, about a mile in a north-westerly direction 
 brings us to the head of the lake, and then wo ascend a sluggish stream 
 from 3 to 4 chains in width lor a mile and a half to the site of the old H. 
 D. Co's post and cemotery. 
 
 Above this point, "h J river widens out in channels and lagoons, 
 covering a valley nearly a mile in width and two and a half miles 
 
^3 
 
 in U-ngth, afn-r which th.-ro i» a level »tr»tch aJ>out eight iniii'* in * 
 north- wi-st.-rly <lir.'ctii.ii h.foiv n uohin-,' lakt" Cuntidt'Wttsti'n.ti nioe sh'vt 
 ol" wut.T ni.iisuriiii; ipu mil. s in li-njjih l.y two and a hull miles in width 
 in thf wid'-Kt purt ; neur itsdistharg,'. the river Caslur .Voir, a i-onsiderable 
 81 1 »tr<'iun, lonu's in from the north. 
 
 'ihf country around is ar-nemlly rollinsf sandy s-oil and fairly well 
 timb.r.'d with mid<lliiig siz.-d black and grey si)ru' •■, poplar and bouleaa. 
 
 Thr.-e small rapids and a stretch of lake-like river. 2^ miles in length 
 s 'parates iak- t'antidf waUen IVoiu lake Ivapinnitokimac 121J feet aboTe 
 sea level. 
 
 We only .surveyed the north end of this lake. There is a samenew 
 of country all along h.re : rolling saudy laud, mixed middle-sized timber, 
 mostly spruo' and < ypress 
 
 We follow this laki ibout four miles on the canoe route, and after 
 ast'.-udingsomi' siuall rapids I hat givf an elevation of 8 feet, we come to 
 lak" .Vsaw.'vv isenain or .Sandy lieuch lake, li-^O feet above sea level. 
 
 This is thi- largest sheet of water on the whole St Maurice route, 
 m-asiiniig sixteen miles in length, hv Irom half a mile to two miles in 
 width. 
 
 It lies in a nearly uort' and south direction, and from the southern 
 end the canoe r.-ute to the old Mekisoan post leads otF westward. 
 
 Near its north<rn end tiie main river comes in from the west, which 
 we ascended for about three miles, as shown on the plan. Returning t<y 
 the lake, we ascended to its extreme northern end, where a portage of 
 about thirty chains takes us to lake Memicasisioui 1245 feet above sea 
 level. 
 
 This is an irregularly shaped lake, measuring about six miles in 
 length, with winding bays from one to two miles in width; and from 
 its northern 'iid a stretch of nine miles through portages, crooked streams 
 and small lakes and ponds, we come to Clear Water lake, the last lake 
 on this branch of the St Maurice waters. 
 
 Clear Water lake is about .ji miles in length, narrow at either end, 
 and spreading out to over two miles in width in the middle. 
 
 The surrounding country is poor, worthless, sandy, gravelly soil, 
 covered »vith scrubby spruce and cypress. 
 
44 
 
 From its north-oastem end a porta?*' of 55 »;!iai»8 in an easterly 
 direction takes us over the height of land to a small lake of the Nottavvay 
 waters. 
 
 The summit of this portage is 1375 feet above sea level, that is, 175 
 feet above the lowest summit between tlie C'lamouchonan and Nottaway 
 waters in the vicinity of Luke Ascatscie. 
 
 After crossing th.' small lake of th- Nottaway waters above mentioned 
 the portage route takes us back au'aiii over th ? height of land on to lake 
 St John waters. 
 
 This is rather an interesting country to the geologist. 
 
 The portage is about a mile in l.-ngtli and • '>out midway it skirts a 
 small pond on tiie right, which lias no outlcMand follows a ridge of well- 
 worn rounded bou ders an 1 gravel that appears like an abandoned railway 
 dum;) several chains in l-iigth. 
 
 The summit is only \y>l l-"t abov.- sea l<'vel, and thence we rapidly 
 descend to lake Xonnaulin, the tirst lake on the Chamouchouau chain 
 of Saguen ly waters, 1l']"> feet above sea level. 
 
 Tliis lake is six mil's long, and ai tlie upper end spreads out in bays 
 and marsh's and is a g'li.'r.vl in ik -u.> of islands, noik-* and bights; in 
 the middle, it narrows into a f'W 'iiiiisiii wi<llh for over hiU'amile and 
 tlien widens out to nearly a mile in width. 
 
 About half a mile north of th.' discharge a good portage, about a 
 quarter of a mile in length, leads due east across a long point to avoid 
 rapids tliat give a fall of ten icet. 
 
 B'1)W this ponag- th'! riv.^r widens out again, and for threo miles it 
 averages from J to } of a mile in width, and from there an easy current 
 for another tiiree miles takes us uort!iward to the Foam Falls Chute. 
 
 These are picturesque falls. They start in jumps and cascades and 
 then ill one decided p erpeiidicular leap of 211 feet fall into the lak ' b.dow 
 giving a total differeu<'e of level of '2>t feet. 
 
 Tiiey are passed l)y a Well b?aten portage on the riLflit about four 
 chains in length. 
 
 Although the drainage area is <omparatively small, owing to 'he fre- 
 quent rains and fogs or mists hovering her.', the water at ordinary summer 
 
 ^l^k 
 
Invt'l ff;iv« with current iin't.r ami upproximut.- m,':isnr.'m(.nt()ls cliouol 
 river between six and sfvcn himdr.d hor^,' power with obtiiinal)Ii' 4<' fW>t 
 h.ad. 
 
 15elow thf Foam Falisjako Kapt-akivducton open.s out in a bountiful 
 broad .shoet six raihvs in leni^nh and over two iniK-s in width in the widest 
 part. 
 
 The country on either side is generally rolling, sandy land, timbered 
 mostly with black sj-ruce, tamarac and cypress. 
 
 From this hike down to lake .\s.atseie, a distance of five miles, the 
 river flows witl; a slow, steady liardly perceptible (rurrent, except in the 
 last turn to the riglit where there is a slight rapid, giving a fall of about 
 two feet. 
 
 Lake Ascatscie, described in a former report, is one of the largest, if not 
 the largest lake on the C'ham.)iuhout,n chain of waters. It discharges 
 by its northern end nearly opposite tlie entrance of the Foam Falls river 
 and continues in a northward course until it meets the discharge of lakes 
 Nem igoss and Xemengis, where their united waters turn eastward and 
 flow calmly into lake Nikaubau. 
 
 Lak.' Ascatscie is 1189 feet above sea level, but, notwithstanding this 
 elevation, the country around is closely timb,Mvd with fair-sized spruce. 
 
 SliCTlOX No 13. 
 
 This is the continuation of seition No 7 and comprises from the 
 discharge of lake rre.squ'ile down to where the united discharges of 
 lakes Obat-igoman and Chebougamou meet the unnam-d branch of the 
 Noltaway explored by us in 18!t7. shown by .section No L'of these surveys. 
 
 This river, the discharge of lake Obatagoman, after leaving lake 
 Presqu'ile, Hows due west a distance of lifteen miles in a direc" line, 
 but nearly thirty miles, by following the sinuosities of the stream. 
 
 The greater part of the land along its course seems low and swampy 
 and timbered only with small black spruce, with some n/,>r,s on the drier 
 knolls. 
 
 At the end of the latter distanc -, it meets another river of nearly 
 ecinal si/e coming from the south aud from there the course is due north 
 for six miles. 
 
46 
 
 Along the latter stretch, there is an immensity of oxci'llent taraarac 
 for railway ties, etc , but it has been all killed by the saw liy. If it could 
 be utilized at once the ti nber is still good, but being so inaccessible, it is 
 likely to waste and rot there. 
 
 Five fair sized streams join the river in the latter stretch and at its 
 end a river a chain wide and three feet dee'), with sluggish current, comes 
 in from the east. 
 
 From there the course turns again westward for aboui twi'lve miles, 
 to where it touches the north side of a lake about three miles in length 
 and half a mile in width, and iowr miles further down, it touches the 
 north side of another lake of rounded form about a mile and a half in 
 diameter. 
 
 The expression that a river touches a lake may seem odd, but it 
 cannot be described otherwise, for in both cases the river flows into the 
 lakes and immediately the discharge flows cut again, as shown on the 
 plan. 
 
 Before reaching these lakes, we pass through several rnpids that give 
 a total fall of 60 feet. 
 
 The same level, poor, sandy, swampy land, covered with small spruce, 
 cypre%, poplar and bonleau, borders the river on either side all along 
 
 After passing through the lakes above mentioned the river put« on 
 a more majestic appearance and then rapidly falls off westw.ird again for 
 about six miles, to where it meets the discharge of lake Chibougamou. 
 The total fall in this stretch is -30 feet. 
 
 The Chibougamou river is by far the largest stream of the two ; it 
 falls in rapidly from the north, but their united waters now flow on, 
 keeping the same westward course with many rough rapids, all of which 
 we ran until we came \o the portage on thi' right ; the first and only 
 portage we made on this river since wi' left lake Presqu'll<'. 
 
 The distance from the last mentioned forks to this portage is 1 ) miles 
 and the total fall 5*? feet. 
 
 The soil and timber seem to improve as we descend, but on the 
 lower part of this stretch the country has been overrun by fire some 
 years ago and is now covered with a dense growth of spruce, bouleau 
 and cypres. 
 
 ^".'"aci 
 
47 
 
 Properly speaking, the portage here is over half a mile in leneth and 
 overcomes a fall of 54 feet ; but we ran most of the rupids and only 
 por!aged the canoes some five or six chains. 
 
 A splendid water power of over sixty feet head mav be had here and 
 an approximate measurement of the flow of water, then at a very low 
 stage, gave over ten thousand horse power. 
 
 From the foot of this portage, the river continues on the same courses 
 nearly due west, until it meets the other brai.ch, where we closed on out 
 work of 1897, about twelve miles further down. 
 
 On this latter stretch, both soil and timber considerably improve • 
 fine flats of rich clay soil are seen on either side, covered with larire 
 poplar, spruce and boulean. ° 
 
 The average fnll in the river here is about f jur feet to the mile the 
 foot of the portage being 74G feet above sea level. ' 
 
 The general rock formation all along here is gneiss and granite 
 witliout indications of any mineral, except iron. 
 
 The rem lining portion of these waters has been described in section 
 No 2, but It may be well to remark before closing with the section that 
 It 18 one of the easiest, if not the easiest canoe route between Lake St 
 John and Jam , Bay. 
 
 Only three short portages on the whole route from lake Obata-oman 
 to Waswampy, a distance of nearly two hundred miles by water." 
 
 SKCTIOX Xo 14. 
 
 The plan accompanying my report of .■xploratiou in 18!)4 shows the 
 discharge of lak- Wetetnagami as if flowing into lake PakKamika ac- 
 cording to the information given me by the Waswanipv guides l' bad 
 ^vIth meon that expedition ; but in 1S!»7, on my exploration from Lake 
 bt John through that country, I <lisoovered that the waters of Wetetna- 
 gami, instead of discharging westward, followed a north-.-asterly course 
 and, after pas.sing through a prettv large lake, finally emptied into Lichen 
 
 1 wa.s anxious to make this connection, and last year the opportunitv 
 offered, when I sent one of my assi.tant.s in charge of supplies to Was- 
 wanipy via the old Mekiscan post ; I had him to do this work and the 
 accompanying plan No 14 is the result of his operations 
 
48 
 
 Oa the lii-t iiailOr tli.' (list;ino<' IVoin Wi'ti-tiiagMiui lake dowiiwiirds 
 tho foniitry i-^ vitl.'ily worthless. 
 
 Nothiim- hut J)uriit hills and .rairs can be secii o' oithcr side ; imt, 
 on the IdwiT half there is a deeid 'd iinprovenient : s,'ood clay Hats, w.-U 
 tiuiher'd with WLek and s,'rey sprue.-, tauuirae, houleau, poplar, \'e., 
 btreteh away IVoiii the river as far as the eye can reaeh on eithiT side. 
 
 Lake Nieobi, a fine sheet (li water, nine or ten miles ii-. length and 
 Wideninif out to about three miles in width in the middle, is passed 
 throush on this route. Only an approximati' sketch of this lake is given ; 
 it may extend much further eastward than shown ou the plan. 
 
 The eauoe route passes on the left ol lar^'o islands that intercept the 
 view of the opposite shore. 
 
 li 'low these islands the lake narrows in to only a few chains in widths 
 but before reaching; the discharge it expands ai^ain and appears to extend 
 far towards the north-i'ast. 
 
 l"ollowi:ig the discharge of lake Nieobi down four miles, wo come 
 to Lichen lake, a long narrow sheet of Water lying at right angles to our 
 cour.se or ni'arly east and west. 
 
 This lake i> .tescrib d in my report of s 'clion No i' of 18!t7. 
 
 The rock I'ormation around lake Wetetiiagami is mostly gneiss of a 
 pinkisli red <olor ; immense bloi-ks of granite are also s<'en rising high 
 abi>ve the uen-ral level, but around lake Nieobi and between tliere and 
 Lichen lake outcroppings of lluronian rocks are now and again met with. 
 
 >i:('TI()N No 15. 
 
 While waiting Sr supplies from U'.ii)ert House last y.-ar, b-fore lol- 
 lowin'.' down the m liii Noilaway river, I surveyed lak 's Wasw.inipy and 
 rakeianiika. 
 
 The.>,c lakes W'Tc partly sketched in on my ivaci surv.y of ;S!»4, l)nt 
 their form and extent was so vaiiuely u'iven l)y the uuid'> 1 ilieiihad 
 that when the opportunity oll'er.'d I seiz.d ii at once to put all doubt out 
 of the question r>".iar<liiig the same. 
 
 Begiuninu: at the llnd>uii liav Comi'aiiy's jh>st, .Nifuai.-d „ii an i.sland 
 at the uortheni extremity of tlie lake, lat 4!i" 3',t' .".5" ,N., Ion. 7ti';;4' \V., 
 we followed the western or right linnd shor ■ .iroiind until we "'ame to the 
 
49 
 
 pcrtasi- which 'rossos the isthmus which joins the large central pres- 
 qu'ilo to the main shon, aud measurinsr across said portage, we coa- 
 tiuued our survey lo the extreme north eastern eud oi the lake. 
 
 Here a river, about a chain and a hall' in width, comes in from the east, 
 ■which I called Isroff river, lor a hunter named Isroff, an old servant of 
 the Hudson Bay (.' ,mpany. has built a house and shed and made a clear- 
 ing of a couple of acres of land close by its mouth. 
 
 Some fine timber, chiefly grey spruc", is seen all along here ; I saw 
 some that measured over seven feet in circumference at four feet from the 
 ground. 
 
 Following back along the southern shore of the lake, the land is rough 
 and poor for the first four miles, and looking up the valley south-east- 
 ward, the country is not very inviting, but on approaching the Metabot- 
 chouau portage, there i-, a decided change. 
 
 No better land can be found iu any part of the Dominion than that 
 on either side of said portage, and I may sav that the whol.' area between 
 lake Waswanipy and lake Paketamika is equally good. 
 
 A riuh blueish grey, clay soil, covered with fro.u six inches to afoot of 
 yellow loam or vegetable mould, was seen on every side. 
 
 The timber here is large and of exceedingly tall growth ; spruce trees 
 measuring about two feet in diameter generaflv run from To to 80 feet in 
 height. 
 
 The portage is a little over a mile aud a quarter in length aud over- 
 comes rapids and cas. ades that give a total fall of a J feet. 
 
 Here, an excellent water power can b- had, for the banks on either 
 side of the stream are high aud a dam placed anvwher • below the head 
 of the portage .-ould easily Hood the waters back to above the level of 
 laki- Patekamika and thus have that gr-at bodv of water as a reservoir 
 to draw from. 
 
 ^The elevation of lake Waswanipy is OSO feet above sea level and that 
 of Paketamika 744 ; a head of 70 feet may b- had here, whicli, with the 
 minimum How of water of about 200 feet p-r second, would give over 
 l.oOO horse power. 
 
 Lake Patekamika is a fine sheet of water, measuring seventeen miles 
 lu length by about four miles in wid'.h in the widest part. 
 4 
 
50 
 
 It lies uoarly north-east and south-west, and noaring its north 
 eastern end there are numerous large islands 
 
 Near Mount Wabiuomi an arm of the lake stretches south westward 
 
 about four miles. 
 
 There are some excellent Hats and gentle swells, well timbered with 
 large spruce, fir, bouleau, tamarae, poplar, &c , all around this lake. 
 
 Returning Irom here, we scaled the eastern shore of lake Waswanipy 
 right around to our starting point at the Hudson Bay Company's post. 
 
 At its most ea.stern extremity, a small river comes in from the east 
 and from there a trail leads right through to Liehen lake. 
 
 The fish of lake Waswanipy are the mainstay of the Indians and 
 Hudson Bay Company's men of that locality. The white fish are exeeed 
 ingly large and of most delicious llavor. but the Indians prefer the sturi^eou 
 to any other fish, and here they get them in plenty, also large trout, pike, 
 pickerel, i*tc. 
 
 Moose and caribou are scarcer than one would expeit in such a r.'gion 
 so little hunted and there are no small red deer in that direction ; but, for 
 fur-bfaring animals, "Waswanipy is considered one of the best posts that 
 the Hudson Bay Company have on the northern slope. 
 
 SECTION No 16. 
 
 (Report of tlie River Nottaway from tlie discliarge of (lull Lake to its 
 motttli at tide- water on James Bay.) 
 
 Starting from Uull lake, 000 feet above sea level, thi- discliarge draws 
 olf north-westward and swe-ps around to w-st in a strong rougli rapid- 
 ha fa mile in length, giving a fall of six feet, and tU '11 runs in a north- 
 erly direction one mile and a half amid r.ipids and expans-s; then turns 
 north-east where it falls olf in a racy rapids nearly a mile in lengtli, giving 
 a total tall of ^0 leet since we left Gull lake, distance 3J miles. 
 
 Tiie country on eitlier side is level or gently sloping clay land tim- 
 bered mostly with grey and black spruce, bouleau and poplar. 
 
 The river now broadens out and sweeps around westward varying 
 from 1 to i a mile in width lor u distance of six miles, when it opens 
 into a bay of a pretty large lake. 
 
H. B. CO. POST, LAKE MISTASSINI. 
 
 WINTER PACKET FROM RUPERT HOUSE TO MOOSE FACTORY. 
 
ilMi 
 
51 
 
 Tliis lake measuros over sixtfen miles from t-ast to west, and its main 
 body in about lour tniU's wide iu the broadest part. 
 
 Xear its westerly cud, apart from the bay by which we enter the lake, 
 there are three other bays extending eastward or east by south. 
 
 The first measures a mile in depth, the second t'lree miles, aud the 
 last or most southerly measures five mil.-s iu depth; aud from the south- 
 eastern extremity of the latter bay, measurinsy uorth westward to the 
 discharge, the distance is nine miles nearly at right angles to the general 
 lie of the lake. 
 
 The country around here is level or gently rolling clay land and 
 fairly well timb-red witli mixed spruce, poplar and bouleau, but south 
 of the lake, hills, from two to three hundred feet in elevation, are seen not 
 far off. 
 
 At the discharge of this laki-, an excellent water power can be had : 
 th.-re is a full of 15 feet and by dammiug the river at its head a full of 
 probably thirty feet can bi- had, whieh with a How of 1,500,000 cubic feet 
 per minute,— the m-an of thr-e dilf-r-ut approxiraite measurements - 
 would give aliont fi5.00') available hjrsepow-r. 
 
 IJelow this chute the river runs north-we.t for a mile and a half and 
 th'n turns north-east for abjut the sam; distance when it suddenly 
 turns south W'.t ward, and e.nuiuu -s for over a mile and a half ou the 
 latter eourse until it turn* agvin northwvrd, opjuJug i uto an arm of 
 lake Mitagami 615 feet above sea level. 
 
 Lak- Matagami is a uiaguidoeut sheet of water; its extreme length 
 from east to west is twenty-four uiil.'s, aud from one to tliree miles wide, 
 excepting at its westerly .'ud, where it broad.-ns out to about six miles in 
 width, aud encloses several beautiful islands. 
 
 Near its .south-westerly .-ud the broad majestic Mekisein river 
 described iu luy report of May ISlta, comes iu from tlie south. 
 
 South of the lake and east of the Mekiscan a range of mountains 
 parallel to tiie lake ri.ses from five to six hundred feet above its level- 
 in every other direction the laud is level or g.-utly rolling and well 
 timbered with spruce, fir, bouleau and poplar. 
 
 The soil is a ri.li browuish clay lud outcroppiugs of Huronian rocks 
 are se.!u here and there along the lake shore. 
 
«! 
 
 N™r ,h,. I.U.. ... ,h.. i„k.. ,1,.. « ;";-vr.l:ru,"u ■'.":;-. 
 
 C:,.r ::"'..:! .'..:.' -ii' a ,.i, ,■ •.„„>. ..r ,k,. 
 
 lake 
 
 of it has .,...,. ov..rrnn ».y iir. ami - -^ ;;''': ^ ^..^ „,.a bla.k 
 growth ol houl.-au and poplar. nit.TniixM. uitl. >..pii u g . 
 
 """T,...soil is a good..luy.y l.Knn amUr.v fro.u s„.u..s a. f.r as We 
 could s.M. in.iu o.-.asi..nal runs niad.- inland. 
 
 from ont' to four mib's iit width. 
 
 For twelvo mil.-s this lak- li.. du. north, and at ^J^^}^^^ 
 
 .distance expands north and .as.. ^^^T;' ^[^l^l^riL. 
 circu.ufor.nco, and whouco it turns da.' ^^.^>t mx 
 thr.v miles north-westward to its dischariT". 
 
 The .ountry on cither side all ..? - K-vel or gently rolling clay 
 land^'inlmbirodwithblaek and oy spruce, houleau, poplar and lar.h. 
 ^•ith c/z/oVs here and there on the uricr knolls. 
 
 Ab..ut,hrecmilesaV.ove the discharge a pre„y large, muddy rivev 
 comes m tinm the south- west. 
 
 ri..,li-m> ui... were to tueel usher.- with 
 Whi!- w.iiiMig on ii party nt In.li.ut-. \\ '". 
 suppli s, w -Mirveyed .hi- river up some twenty mile-. 
 
 At lour miles iV..m i,s mou.h i. op-us in.o a h .au.ifnl lake lour mile« 
 iu lenuth .nd from one .nd a harto -ii m.les m wulth. 
 
 ,, , ,!,. ,„i th.. -une sluggish, muddy river loads 
 
 whi.:h extends south westward s •veil and halt miles. 
 
58 
 
 r. 
 
 AuothtT iirm <'Xt*'ii(Is iji'jrlj' diit* wost whi'h Wi'siirvcyi'd about Tmr 
 mill's ill th:»t Jir.ctiou, at th.' .iilDr which dictum- • th ■ v.iil'jr s.'tiiacil to 
 opi'u southwiird in buys and morassfs. 
 
 Thf oouiitry around hi-n" is low mid swampy and i,'.'U«'rally fov.-ii'd 
 with black Mpruce uud tiimara .«. ThiTi* ar.' no stones uiid th • water is so 
 muddy that t vcn the fish can hardly s.'.- through it. 
 
 Thfsf wiit.-rs an- alive with tish : in ifoinij up and down the rivr my 
 Indians killed several lari^.! pike anddoro withth.-ir puildles : they did not 
 appear to see us or move until touched by the canoe or paddles, and thea 
 they jumped deau out of th.- water asif tryini^ to s.m- what was the matter. 
 
 Along the lower part of t\v river there an- some most inviting flats 
 of clay land covered with lar-^e poplar and bouleau, 
 
 A little over two miles b-low ih • mouth of this riv r, another ;food 
 sized stream comes in from the wst. W'c fnllowed it up a couple of 
 miles !o where it forked into two ne.irly equal sized branches, and findings 
 these too much encumbcri'd with fallen timber and tlie water being rather 
 low for cino'iui.' we desisted. 
 
 Returning to the di... irge of the lake vin the main river, a fierce 
 rolling rapid runs otf in a nearly straight line due north-west, giving 
 twenty feet fall in a distance of .J miles. 
 
 Below this, the river spreads out to over half a mile in width, for a 
 mile and a half still north-westward, and thence becomes coutracted 
 again for about a mile on a due north course, to where it forks around a 
 large island, the eastern channel broadening out to over half a mile iu 
 width. 
 
 The country on either side is level or gently rolling clay laud 
 timbered chiefly with black spruce and taraarac. 
 
 B-low tlie island the river rolls rapi lly nortli-westward for five miles 
 falling ten feet in said distanc > and tlien flows plaL-iJly three miles on a 
 due westerly course. 
 
 At the end of the latter dista!H-e, a 14001 siz^'d stream falls in from tlie 
 south; and tlie main river turning due nortli receives tlirse other fair 
 sized creeks on the west side in a distune,' of two mi'es. 
 
 At the end of the litter distance the entire river passes through a 
 narrow gorge n t a hundred yards iu width. The fall here is ten'fe't, 
 
54 
 
 Sat by damming the river over thirty fe«>t hfud cau be euily had, whioh 
 WJuld give over 1*50,000 uvailublo hors.> power 
 
 ThiM muat bo a wild lookinir Hpot duriu:; apriiig rri'»h< to, for the 
 !,nr«'Bt Vwlume of water choked up in thi^ narrow gor_"'. rais.s its li'V»'l 
 upward* .'t' tWt-Mily live ffi-t, an st'cu by 'hf driftwood •fuUiTi'd along 
 I- thor side ubove the rhut*'. 
 
 H<I<'w thit* 'hnte the river turn- . a«t h\ north iu a broad oxpuusi' 
 o iT a mill' in lenj^tli and tin-., 'urus* northward agiiin in a suoco^sion of 
 . 1 »id» that i,'ive nnothir ten ffii jiill in a «' -iiiurf of u m'\\» uid a half. 
 
 \ . , liow at an flcvati<i'i of 'iltf fi-ct above sen lev! ; the e.iuntry 
 oil ■'! iu'rsjde is still level or gently rollini; <riay hind, free from stones 
 iiK. t tirly well eovered with spru-e iiud tama'ae. with ooeasional patehcs 
 ■ ;f ' uileiiu and poplar. 
 
 riu« river now broadens out to over a mile in width, and einloses a 
 couple of large islands and runs in a north-westerly direction t.ir seven 
 miles, and then runs uortii-eastward for two miles falliu-r !•> feet iu the 
 distance of nine miles. 
 
 Thi' river now run.s north-west for four miles, in a .series of raey mpids, 
 giving another Iti feet fall in the latter ('istano.-. 
 
 We now turn sharply to the right and soon come to a euscade. Tivinjj 
 ten feet liill. whiehis passed by a portage twelve chains long a the right 
 bank. 
 
 This cascade can bi' run with large II. 15 Co. canoes at ordinary low 
 water. 
 
 Bi'low tlie last mentioned portag. the river lalLs swiftly in a series 
 of rough rapids for three miles on a V. X. M oours- until ueccineto 
 another portage on the left 22 chains ; ti length, passing a wild chute and 
 cascade that i;ive a fall of :{(i feet. 
 
 .\t the head of this chute, the banks are high and rockv— solid 
 granite on either side— therefore .'tO feet head u be easily had with a 
 flow of, say, 3,000,000 cubic feet per minute, which would give 275, 00<* 
 available horse power. 
 
 It will be se.u by i'le aecompaiiyinz profii. and the red hgures on 
 the plan tiiat we l.ave been falling rapidly for the last 2> miles ;- -I mean 
 rapidly, in comparison with other parts <,f tiie rv r, our total fall ii that 
 
I 
 
 •* 1 
 
 I 
 
 m 
 
 !• 
 
 65 
 
 (liitBiicu h 'iiiu I-J5 f«»iit. and the land on eUh<>r j»ld ' k •«•[>* ah>Bt the »am« 
 el«>vation all uloii^ iib.)Vi' the riwr b >il, thort'Turtf tlj t; is n gratiual tlape 
 of fivf fotft to tiiL' iniK' t'ulliug towanU the north. 
 
 Th« coaiitry hiTo appcarx to havi> bfcn burnt ov.-r i»om« fifty yoara 
 ago, und in now thickly <ovcr.-d with a Hcoond jjrowth of 8[irace and 
 tii'nura"', with soin • scitti'rinij boul.'au, pjplar and ry/* -i on the dritfr 
 ridgt'B. 
 
 Th«' rock forntiitinn i.s ohicjly ijraiiiti' in the river l<id, and the aame 
 l»nd clay Hoil is scon on t»itlit?r nido all alonaf. 
 
 It'dow the ia>^t menlionod port.isf thf river wid-ns oat to ufarly a 
 mill- in width, llow« northu ird for ihrfe miles, and tln-n Hows broad 
 and rn;iJi\stiL' lor seven iniljs in a noi ihw"stei! v direction, averaging J of 
 a mile in width and encLiiini; gome h . iifnl islands. 
 
 ' *ne of these isiiiudM, at th« lower end of the latter stretch, measures 
 tw ' miles in lengil nid over a iirle in width in tli ■ widest part. There 
 are pmcti trees over two leet diameter on this island. 
 
 The same level clay land o -red thickly wi' black and gr. v spruce 
 is seen all alo>i<,' on I; >th sides. 
 
 We are now down to an eh ration i>f only 400 fet»t tbov ■ sea level at 
 the large island last above raeutioued, and from there the river runs in 
 a dne forth-wep- course for te miles, and in this stretch we fall 180 
 feet or an aver.ii; >f 18 feet to tli mile, tlie laud on eith.r side coutin- 
 uiuL to slop- eveiii to the north west all along. 
 
 ugh rapids and two Ii":»vy casca les, thai are passed 
 M-ks on tlie right side as shown on the plan. 
 
 There ire several 
 T)y portagi ig over tli 
 
 Several ^ il wa powers could be had here, but they will never 
 bkelvb. li-.iized. or ..t tue lOwer end of this str'tch there is a 8l>< r fall 
 ot seven feet, jri . ing a' •)at 400,000 available horse power. 
 
 Til iver here divides into two channels and the portage is on the 
 isl id ihe western channel is dry at low water. 
 
 \V.' are now down to only 150 feet above tiu' level and the lands on 
 ither side seem to fall evenly with th • river bjd, the sam • 1 
 ban' ^ continuing all along well covered with spruce and tam ■ 
 
 rrum the loot of th>' iast mmtioned chute the river tur: 
 tmd i V nil that course for over ten "iles in a series of 
 
 m 
 
56 
 
 rapids ; and, the river b.-d bein-sc broad, one has to maintain a sharp look 
 out to keep in the main channel, whi.-h ns th.- river lowers is conti- 
 nually changing from sid.' to side, leaving shoals and gravel bars, through 
 wluch the water oozes off, leaving your canoe often high and dry in mid 
 channe and you are left to choose whetlier to portage ahead or back up 
 and seek more water elsewhere. 
 
 The same level clay laud covered with black spruce and tamarac is 
 seen ou both sides ah aloiiff. 
 
 The river now turus again north west and continues nenrly on that 
 course to its mouth a distance of twenty five miles. 
 
 There are several wild rapids, but no chute on this stretch and the 
 river broadens out to from half a mile to a .nile in width and encloses 
 several low islands. 
 
 The banks are never more than from ten to tlurty fct above the level 
 of the river and the country on ..itlu-r sid. is level day soil covered witn 
 spruce, taraarac, bouleuu and poi.lar. 
 
 About half way down this stretch the Kitchi-aomu, a pr.>tty lar-e 
 nyer, conies in from the south west, and it appear, that a canoe rou'tc 
 follows this river to r.ach the head waters of the rivers flowing into 
 Hanuah Iky. ' 
 
 About two miles below the mouth of th.- Kitchigaoma, the Xottaway 
 spreads out into four channels enclosing 'hree large islands. 
 
 Some of these channels are dry at low water, and the dreadful havoc 
 made by the mighty river during spring freshets leaves nothing but the 
 largest boulders and granite crags to meet the eye when th. Hoods draiu 
 
 The fall here is about ten fe.-t to the mile for three miles, and the 
 wafer appears as if simply spilled over the surface of the land for 
 abr.ve the islands the bed of the river is nearly ou a level with'the 
 surrounding country. 
 
 One can imagine what :, wond-rful sight this must be during 
 spring l,v.shet.s, when th- How of water must b. over twentv miliou 
 cubic ieet • 
 
 a galloping sea of I 
 in width. 
 
 per minute, roaring and iumblin<r<l 
 
 own this brou'l rockv waste. 
 
 i. 
 
 bam sevnil nKJ-sin length and from one to two mil 
 
 es 
 
SCENE ON THE JACQUES-CARTIER RIVER ABOVE LAKE ST. JOHN RA.LWAV BRIDGE, 
 SHOWING HEAD OF MOUNT ISONONTOUAN. ■""U«t, 
 
 PAPATI, 
 
 GRAND CHIEF OF THE UPPLR OTTAWA INDIANS. 
 
llBlliiailiHH 
 
57 
 
 Below this the river narrows iu, still rolling on in racy rapids and 
 bubbling «ddies a distance of five miles to where it passes through the 
 narrow gorge near tid !-wat«r whore th > total width of the river is less 
 than a thousand feet a^i described in ray report of the 29th of November 
 1897. 
 
 GEOLOGY 
 
 In making a hurried survey like this over so great an extent of 
 country, only a very superficial knowledge of the geological formation 
 CO lid be obtained ; but having given some copies of plans of my surv.>y8 
 to the late Dr Dawson, he kindly offer.-d to give rae any plans or other 
 information I might r-quiro from his d^partin-ut in r?turu. 
 
 I had written that gentleman a day or two before his untimely death 
 asking for certain notes and plans, and a I'w days aft.-r I received an 
 answer from Dr Bell, acting dir 'ctor, statin'^ that the geological map of 
 the oiiitry in question was not yet printed, but if I would go to Ottawa 
 he would be most happy to show m • the originals and giv> me any other 
 information he could regarding the geology of the country. 
 
 Accordingly I went there and met both Dr Bell and Mr A. P. 
 Low, and was most kindly received by them. 
 
 Here is what Dr Bell says : 
 
 The whole country is underlaid with Archean rocks : these are 
 ('■vided into the Laurentian and Huronian which constitute the base of 
 uineral bearing rocks iu Canada east of the rocky mountains. 
 
 The largest lluronian belt so far known is the one which Dr Bell 
 has called the " Great Belt. " 
 
 It nins continuously from the eastern side of Lake Superior all the 
 way to the southern extremity of Grand Lake Mistassiui. 
 
 One of the greatest expansions of this belt lies within the region 
 under description. 
 
 If we draw a straight line due north from the northern extremity of 
 Grand Lak' V'ictoria, it will be found to pass over Huronian ucks for a 
 distance of nbout 100 miles or to a point slightly beyond lake Matagami. 
 
 Dr B"ll r.'gard< th* lluronian rocks of this region as very promising 
 ii3 a gt'n :-ral way fo: metalliferou-i ures, especially ^*old, copp.-r, iron and 
 nickel. Veins were seen in various localities ; some of them carrying cop- 
 per and in one cas^ trace-* of gold. 
 
•58 
 
 Owing to the larg>^( amount of purely topographical and geological 
 work which Dr Bell was obliged to accomplish in so iimiv -d a time he 
 could not s»ive much attention to prospecting for minerals: still he 
 regards the indications as very favorable. 
 
 In iddition to the great belt Dr Bell discovered smaller nr-'as ot 
 Hnrouian rocks oil tiie Broad Back river, just east of the bi;^ Lake, and 
 another on the lower pari of the great Nottaway river. 
 
 Mr X. P. liovv says : 
 
 The I'astern extension of the IIuroni;in b -It carrit s copper at lake 
 €hibougaraou and the granites of lake Obatagoman may carry gold. 
 
 The Ilurouiau rocks show up again at the north end of Lake Mistas- 
 sini, :nid continue eastward to beyond tlie ManieoUAgau river. 
 
 The basalts found by the writer north of Little Lak-? Mistassini are 
 part of this belt. 
 
 Mr Low says that h" caught tommy cols n -ar the mouth of the 
 East Main river and rod-fisli have been taken further north iu .Tames or 
 Hudson Bay, but it requires m)re investigation to find whether they may 
 be fouud in paying quantities or not. 
 
 Sea run brook trout are taken in the mouths of all the rivers and 
 excellent large whitefish also. 
 
 Further north in Hudson Bay, the .\retic trout, a very excellent fish, 
 are taken in abundance by the Hudson Biy comp.iny and are sold, salted 
 in Loudon for nearly the same price as salmon. 
 
 The writer while taking observations for latitude on an island uear 
 ihe mouth of the East Main rivi'r s;»w a numbjr of large porpoises, or 
 white whales as tliey are called there, playing all ar.mnd. 
 
 Mr Low says ihat spruce for pulp wood is seen along the Kast Main 
 river all the way up, and that areas of the same wood extend b -youd the 
 northern limit of the province of (iuebjc. 
 
 He also says that New Quebec will be found better than New Ontario 
 for agricultural purposes, and that no doubt rich minerals will hi found 
 in the northern areas of our province as well as iu Ontario. 
 
 The new plan they are now abont publishing is made on a scale of 
 ten miles to an inch which together with their accompanying detailed 
 reports will no doubt throw new light on the mineral resources of that 
 region. 
 
 The following meteorological table kindly prepared for me by the 
 Director of the Meteorological Bureau of Toronto will give a fair idea of 
 Jimatic conditions. 
 
 •/J 
 I 
 
 si 
 
JUL 
 
MONTHLY AND ANNUAL TKMPBIlATUUIilS, UAINFALL AND SNOWF 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 ■6 
 
 : 1 
 
 
 3J 
 
 1 X 
 
 : S 
 
 
 : 
 
 Jani'aky 
 
 i! 5 
 
 KEIIKt-AKV 
 
 -0-2 
 
 Makch 
 
 12'J 
 
 Al'KIl 
 
 33 4 
 
 May 
 
 46 3 
 
 Jink 
 
 r.5 
 
 Jri.Y. 
 
 (i6-2 
 
 AiiiinT 
 
 5!»-9 
 
 .SRrTKMBKIl 
 
 51-7 
 
 OCTIIBKR 
 
 42 -2 
 
 NoVKMBBK 
 
 22 (i 
 
 Dki'K.MIIKK 
 
 , 5-4 
 
 Ybau 
 
 32 5 
 
 WiNTRR. 
 
 TKMl'KRATrRK. 
 
 a 
 
 2-7 
 
 7-0 
 
 3-2 
 
 12 it 
 
 13 8 
 
 21 4 
 
 34-4 
 
 33-7 
 
 47 2 
 
 46-7 
 
 6"(i 
 
 55-7 
 
 fi4-7 
 
 62 7 
 
 61-6 
 
 09-5 
 
 52 'J 
 
 51 2 
 
 43 
 
 42-8 
 
 24!» 
 
 29-3 
 
 8 9 
 
 171 
 
 
 32 5 ! 340 I 3<i 7 
 
 4-7 
 59 
 181 
 38-9 
 49-4 
 681 
 63 5 
 <-.0-7 
 62 4 
 44-2 
 20 -9 
 11-3 
 
 36-2 
 
 c 
 s 
 
 10 
 -l-fi 
 10-7 
 40H 
 03-5 
 (i2.1 
 
 ma 
 
 63.8 
 55-7 
 42ti 
 21 3 
 C-8 
 
 35-2 
 
 St MMEK 
 
 J.iiiuiiiy to MHrch 
 
 3.2 
 
 68.9 
 
 6 6 
 
 59 • 
 
 140 9-6 
 
 .">7 H .<>S-.I 
 
 3-4 
 
 a 
 js 
 t 
 < 
 
 3 
 
 8-8 
 
 13-3 
 
 142 
 
 «-7 
 
 160 
 
 17-5 
 
 17-6 
 
 24-7 
 
 25-6 
 
 37 1 
 
 43-3 
 
 42 7 
 
 47 9 
 
 55-6 
 
 54.8 
 
 55-5 
 
 65-2 
 
 64 -3 
 
 62 
 
 69 9 
 
 69.4 
 
 (!l)-9 
 
 67 ■ 6 
 
 67 
 
 54 I 
 
 , 59.2 
 
 58- 1 
 
 44-9 
 
 1 48.8 
 
 49-5 
 
 28-2 
 
 1 32 4 
 
 , 33 1 
 
 13 7 
 
 ; 18-7 
 
 1 20-5 
 
 Il>. III. I III 
 
 II 4 
 
 15 :> I 
 
 23 .■> ' 
 
 at*'.". ' 
 
 6(1 s 
 
 6(1 t 
 6(i H 
 fill It 
 5.> 2 
 41) 1 
 30 :i 
 
 i:r. 
 
 9 4 
 13 2 
 29-9 
 113 ' 2 
 \\\ . 6 
 .J2.5 
 ,".6 8 
 uri 4 
 4»0 
 41 1 
 :!9 
 17 2 
 
 no 
 
 R 
 
 R 
 013 
 2- 15 
 2 13 
 
 2 07 
 
 3 19 
 2-22 
 0-83 
 37 
 
 R 
 
 R 
 R 
 R 
 
 006 
 75 
 
 85 
 
 1 01 
 53 
 57 
 0-58 
 22 
 OOR 
 
 07 
 0(K< 
 47 
 29 
 
 2 
 1 
 0-6: 
 
 60 
 48 
 60 
 76 
 45 
 37 
 80 
 
 I 
 
 36-5 j 42 9 j 43 1 40(1 ?,', \ !l3 09 ' 4-«5 |l8-58 
 
 22 
 
 110 180 19 1 1« H ' 14-5 ' R K i 67 
 
 CI -9 ! 590 
 
 5-5 , (!4-8 y.i i< 53 7 , 748 ! 2- 11 880 ill 
 
 R and S in the colu.i ns fur rain and mow »ii»iiify th.it the a iioui 
 
 It w»i t .. siiihII (ii mpanuri*. 
 
 r;™ ,,J^l^^X°l''^\''.;^;\'''',*'^^'^'^"'g*-\'»"^^ ..M.n.l, f.T the «ii nm„tha 
 
 Rimouski : and that Ahittiin, although Bitiiatod near tlio liuJRht ..f land, ix 7' WHr.;.,., tlinii M.mm,. Fa.:l..iy, 8" w.,rinrf 
 
 i^ 
 
 1 
 
58| 
 
 SNOWFALL DKIilVKl) FROM TUF yi;AK iStT TO TlIK YKAK I'.tO • INt'LrSIVE 
 
 
 PwMNKAM, 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 u' 
 
 < 
 
 -i 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 .0 
 
 SNOWFALL. 
 
 
 
 1^ 
 1 
 
 
 ii 
 
 ! 
 
 = i =f 
 
 a "Z 
 
 5 ^ 
 
 1 
 
 hm 
 < 
 
 t ; 
 
 1 
 
 6 
 
 i 
 
 1 i . 
 
 ! 1 I 
 
 5r 
 
 t • 1 
 
 a ; 
 
 1 *■ 1 
 
 < 
 S 
 
 . 1 
 1 
 
 i ! 
 
 1 
 
 ,„. 1 
 
 Uu , III. 1 III. 
 
 1 ' 1 
 
 1 
 
 In. ! 
 
 III. III. 
 
 llr 
 
 li.. 
 
 In. 
 
 
 
 In. 
 
 In. 
 
 1 : 
 
 In. 1 In. 1 
 
 In. 
 
 i„. 
 
 
 
 In. 
 
 In. 
 
 07 
 
 0-24 i O-Ol 14 ' 
 
 OTiO 
 
 1 24 71 
 
 17 ' 
 
 
 18-7 
 
 29 
 
 13 2 
 
 11 3 1 0-1 
 
 20 4 
 
 .37 6 
 
 23-1 
 
 19-8 
 
 0(K< 
 
 13 ' R (10 ! 
 
 f.'.t 
 
 1 11 1 Jii 
 
 :,\ 
 
 
 13-9 
 
 20 6 
 
 13 3 
 
 7 5 6 2 
 
 17-5 
 
 25-9 
 
 26 3 
 
 lti-6 
 
 47 
 
 0-2H 1 00« OOH ' 
 
 l-2!» 
 
 1(W 7S 
 
 (1 41 
 
 
 30-5 
 
 42-6 
 
 8-8 
 
 12-2 6-2 ' 
 
 27 4 
 
 28-7 
 
 29-9 
 
 27-5 
 
 29 
 
 OKU !!» (1 IC. 
 
 0!t!t 
 
 l-Hii 1 4tl 
 
 1 53 
 
 
 0-8 
 
 9-9 
 
 4-2 
 
 1-3 2-0 
 
 10 
 
 1 1'5 
 
 2 2 
 
 4-4 
 
 1«0 
 
 2:'.2 ! iia 2 22 1 
 
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 * Tlia Bniiw fall has not been me«si>re<l. 
 
 nix nmiithn nf Runinicr, May to October inclnsive, Mhokc KhcIitt '« aliout ono drgreu warmer ttiint O.iihougie and 21' warmor than 
 , 8" Wiinncr that) OiilhiiMsio, T w.iriiii'r tlimi P^'ft Arthur, and -.'S wRrint>r than Kimoutki. 
 
 H. OSrLLIVAN, C. E. 
 
 (L'ortilicii ocirect) 
 
 R. F. SHErARD. 
 
 Director. 
 Dominion Met'l. Service. 
 
 '^'■-st^ 
 

 il 
 
 !! 
 
 i\. 
 
»0 
 
 * 
 
 The Honorable Commissioner of 
 
 C'olouizution and Mines, 
 
 Quebi'c. 
 Sir, 
 
 I have the honor to transmit you a dnpliiut<' of phm and report 
 which I have addressed to the Hon. Commissioner of Lands, Forests and 
 Fisheries regardini; a portion of the Jam<'s I'ay territory, whioh it may 
 be advisable to have rec^ided in your de;>artmi'nt. 
 
 I have thi' hono' to be. 
 Sir, 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 HKXRY OSULLIVAX, 
 1). L. S. \- M Can. Hoc. C. E. 
 
 Insp. of Surveys, P. Q. 
 
 To the Honorable Commissioner of 
 
 Landis, Forests and Fisheries, 
 Qui'bec. 
 Sir, 
 
 The enclosed dossier No 7l'13-l!t00 of your d«'partmeut re the par- 
 chase of Middlfboro Island and lands opposite on botli sides of the liittle 
 Nottaway or Bro.vd-bai-k River on Rupert Bay, was ref-rr.'d to me by E. 
 E. Tache, Esq., .\ssistant Commissioner, with request that I should report 
 to you on the situation and value of the premises, with any other 
 information that I could give for your guidance regarding the same. 
 
 In order that you may clearly understand the situation I have pre- 
 pared the accompanying plan or map on a scale of forty chains to aa 
 inch, showing the coast line of Rupert Bay from the mouth of the Notta- 
 way river to the Poutiac on the east, and the west coast as far north as 
 the mouth of the Shebish river. 
 
 I may say at the outset that any attempt at setting a value or stipu- 
 lated price on the property asked for by Mrlremniil can beon'y problem- 
 atical or speculative as matters stand at present. 
 
 Certainly the situation is one of the most inviting on the whole coast ; 
 but until such time as railwav communication is had with some poiut 
 
♦50 
 
 V'l 
 
 on Tiitinv* Bay, tho Tf>.onrtt'>* of ull thit hanin innst ri'inain dormant and 
 ot" littlf valno to any one. 
 
 The only air.'«8 at pn'sojit (if I .xrept tli.- voyagtnr'i* ounof) In via 
 Hudson Straits anil from all wo can K-aru from liifiit Miani G.mlon's reports 
 made for th«' Dominion Oovfrnrnvit and from tlv r.-foris of tlic llmlsoa 
 Bay Company and inquiry ainn .; its ofBcr!*, »Scc , thoso straitH an' only 
 navigahlf about thro,' months of tho Vi'iir and if wo tako into ac(3oaQt tho 
 various obstaelos and dan*? ts to whiohtlio navi'.»ationof that far northorn 
 ro^jion is oxpos'd w* miy oouflud' thai tli; n ivi!».iu>u of llu Isou straits 
 is t'oramorcially impra tirablo at any >*oa«on. 
 
 Wo nln^t Mot infer from this, howovor, that th.it ^'rl•at northern slope 
 of our proviiioo is v.iluoloss. ():i th" ivmtrary, vi'-w-'d from another and 
 a mor" practical standp lint. th-- objo.tions above m-ntionod sliould be 
 the sti'ppini,' stoin's wh Toby thos- north'rn wiKl lands may b«' more 
 adv;uita<T'ou»ly develnp.J by us as will b' b-tter 'xplaiaod further on. 
 
 SUUVKY 
 
 In aecordanre with my instruetioiis IV'iin tii- DopirMnont of (.'do- 
 nizaliou lud Mines. I iiav' surveyed and lak -u the levels of the O-reat 
 Nottawav river rinm its -ouree to its mouth ; and on the llupert river 
 from Ink' Nomi>k..,v i> lid- water ; but <mi th" i<ittle Noitaway I only 
 ni'asured the portion of it travers vl by as i>;i our canoe DUte from Was- 
 wanipy to ilup -ri House and at its month, from Middleboro Island up to 
 the first rapids at the point mark-d .\ on t!i.' acoompanying plan. 
 
 The party I left at Unpert Hay durins th ; winter of 1807-8, surveyed 
 the river some ten or iw.'lve miles fiirth -r up, but they did not take any 
 levels. 
 
 However, iVom wliat 1 hive s 'en of the river 1 b,'lieve that a good 
 water power can h^ had i;lo> • to ijil '-wat-'r, which is exe 'ptional around 
 James Ba^. 
 
 On the llupert river tlu-re is no chance of a water power below 
 Smoky Hill p(»rtage which i< twdve miles from its mouth at nujiert 
 House. 
 
 There is a small rai>id near the IIul>oii 15 ly ' "o's p )st at Rupert 
 House whicli is more or l">s eliminate 1 at hi'.^'i til', aid th'iic up to 
 Smoky Hill it i all smooth running wali'r. 
 
 / 
 
Ul 
 
 On tin- I'outiuc uiul I'liiHt Main rivers, »■> watT powT «•*'! 1' • 'iud 
 anywliTc ufur tli'- coa^t ; iiml <ni tin- ILiiiiiah IJiy riv rs im r.ipids oci-ur 
 witliiii tw'Uty lailex Irom tUcir m<>iilli^ ; whil.' tui tli'* Mo is.' uiid Missa* 
 uabii- riviT.-. no wat 'r-in>\v is <aii b • liail wii'iiu '>iu> liuiidt'il mil s I'rom 
 
 tht' COilHt. 
 
 Oil tilt' (ir-ut Nottaway tU.T' an" rapids ii.'ar liJi'-wit-r, but uo 
 chuto, and to st mu t!i • ll'jw if tli it .'iMrui > i- river with any l<ind of a 
 dam that fould n-sist th • ii'i'-li.nv-* tl irini^ lin-iu'^ an I aiuif.nn frcslu'ts 
 would bfuo i-asy task. 
 
 Althoujfh the LittK' Nottaway app'ars small in compari-on with the 
 Gn-at Nottaway and llupi-rt rivers, ly in : idost' on lithor side, it is no 
 iasignilii.-unt stream. 
 
 It takes itw rise n-ar lake Mistassini, aiiJ after drainiusr several larije 
 lakes, . om -s within seven i lil-s of the Rup 'rt near lake Xi-miskovv aud 
 then runs parallel to the la fer from iiier« to its mouth, a distance of eighty 
 miles. 
 
 On the portion of it traversed by our »anoe route above meutioned 
 from Waswauipy to Rupert House, the first lake we come to measures 17 
 miles in lenirth, with an expansion of about eight miles in widthui right 
 angles to the line of route. 
 
 The second lake we come to is called Long Lake and measures twenty 
 five miles in length and varies from a quarter of a mile to two and a hall 
 miles ui width ; and the third lake we come to is one of the lar'^jest ou 
 the whole northern slop-, measuring .12 miles iu length by about IS miles 
 in width. 
 
 IJut in the :att'-r lake there are sev<'ral lar^re islands and peninsulas, 
 which considerably l"»eu the water ar^ a : oilierwise it would be lait^er 
 than lak" St .Tohn. 
 
 I did not take any actual measurem •nt> to determine thi' How of the 
 liittl.' Xotlawayal its iiDUtli, it b 'iiiL' th-ii coiisid 'red only of secondary 
 imp >;■; i:ioe ; but, judgiu'/ bv tiie size ol the river compar 'd with the 
 Gr Mt Xottaway and Kapert rivers wIitc careful measurements w -re 
 taken, I shoiil.l say tiiat its How must be at least l..'>'iO.OOi» cubic feet per 
 miuiiti' at oulin.uy low water ; and with the great lakes above men- 
 tioned to serv^, as reservoirs it is n eedl-ss to say that a steady How miy be 
 maintained there the whol- y. ur rounj. 
 
«2 
 
 As will »).' M'en l.v tlw ii.'.,.mi.,ui\ ii»n pUn or map lli^ mouth ot tU,- 
 I iitl- Noltuwuv i't Mio-tu.lvanta-.-ou*ly Mtuuted lor l-xI.'UMT.' palp nidu-- 
 tri.-. ; thf for..«t pr.>liut« olfU> l.iids drain 'd by ih- difforoiU l.»rg.. ru-r* 
 fuUiiiff into the hay .-an hi" so .tiHily oonoutrutud there. 
 
 Tli.ro i» a world of sprn- • on the Or.at Nottawuy and it-s tribiUarion 
 and iron, the loot ol th.' laM ...pids on that riv-r. rafts ol any siz.- .'an bo 
 Hoali'd down to Mi.kdl.horo Islan.l with any ontiroin? tide. 
 
 Last Hnininer we mad- li^ van of at leant fonrteen milen, with loaded 
 tano..,, on the ebb tide, in ^ li< ar-< and a half. 
 
 In lik.' manner tl. may he bron!,'ht froi. the ,«-uth.s of tK ,« 
 
 r,.utiae and Uup Tt riv ah tli- in-omint^ lide. 
 
 Th TiJ i< :in iia a'jusity .1 pulp w.>jd ou all tiie* > rtv-.-rs 
 
 Spue • from on • to i w . f- t in diam>ter is -vn all th- w ly from the 
 height of land to .laiufs Bay 
 
 I hav.">.-en>pru.' fully iw,. {••■•t india-.n'ter ri-,'!!! .It 'h.' mouth of 
 the liupTt riv.r. and th- llu l-.u iiiy ni.-n tell m<> ihat th.' h-st spru o 
 th'-y '-'''l i?* "It •'' ' ron'iac river. 
 
 Tie' land ask.-d for on .m. li >id.' oi th" Litth' Nottaw .v or IJroad Ihi'k 
 is oxeelUMii .lav >oil. all alon? th- riv-r : lu fa t all th- . iud hord-ring 
 Rup. n 15uy isex.-.-ll.-nt -lav s..ii, and n-. ^ton" can he se. anywli-'re 
 then-, .xe.'ptiii!;- in th- riv-r I. 'K at th ' r.ipid^ and .. x-asioii .1 h.-uldera 
 and limestone llasfs .-ealter-d alou',' tii- sea shore. 
 
 Mi.ldleh.ro Island measures ii- irlv three mil -s in len-th by a little 
 ov.-r a mil- in width in th.; wil -st piri, an I .-oiitains an ar-a of abnit 
 1500 a.r-s. 
 
 At th- sou luTii -lid it ri-s boldly from the wat-r. an.l is well 
 wo,.,l • I with sprue-, o'l-rinir s— ur- -.ji-lt-r fr.)m ih - ndlini,' su-lls of the 
 orivat h.y iliat sw-ep down with tii- north wind ov -v n Mily i thousand 
 u,il-s uf unhrok -n s-a ; hut th- n..;'th -ni end llaiiens o.it in lov m.rshy 
 land .lid is alw .ys cov-r-d by ordinary hiurh tid-s. 
 
 Til.' .-hanu'l s -,)araiin'4: it iVo:n th- in lin s!!..:-- i:, a dr -p narrow 
 cr-ek, slu',','ish audmuldy, m asurin--only fr.):a aquarter to hall a -h ,iii 
 in width. 
 
srA-,<IN<j M i< »t Bl;^ I HT M 1\J^L. 
 
 
 LATUQue, ON THE RIVER ST. MAURICE. 
 
68 
 
 The Indiau hixutiTs and voyasfenrs take advaiUa!»e of this channel, 
 and ffo as far as the siiininit, which is about opposite the middle of this 
 island, with the rising tide ; and then wait for the falling tide to coutinae 
 on their route, having the advantage of going witii the current either 
 way. 
 
 By dredging this channel, which would b' an easy matter, it being 
 all alluvial cla>ey bottom, th\? sidi's could be raised above the level of 
 hiffh tide and thus form wliarves on eitiier side. 
 
 Vessels of sufTicieut drauglit for th«' nr. vigiitiou of James and Hudson 
 bays can come here at any ordinary liiijli tide.aiulsafelyanchoriu the mouth 
 of the Little Xottavay, in the siiclter of Middlcboro Island, where I 
 found from 15 to 20 feet of wati-r at low tide. 
 
 Rupert Bay is in general very sliallow, but according to Captain 
 Taylor, wlio lias navigat<'d I liese waters for tlie Hudson Bay Company, 
 tor upwards of twenty y-ar.-, there is a deep channel extending froia Stag 
 Hock southward to Middlel)oro Island. 
 
 Vesst'Is trom Moosi- Factory and otlier posts on Hitdson and James 
 Hay, bound for Kupert IIousi', generally li<' in shelter of Stag Rock to 
 wait for liigli tide to cross ihe bir at tlie mouth of liie Kupert river. 
 
 (iAMH AND FISH 
 
 Tlie environs of Midcileboro Island an' p:ir cirellence the choice hun- 
 ting grounds of tlie llud>on Bay ollicers and men of the Ruper* Bay 
 district. 
 
 Here, wild geese, wavies, duck, snipe, plover and diflerent other 
 kinds of water fowl are found in countless numl)ers ; 1 have seen wavies 
 (a kind of small geese) ri.se in sucli dense Hocks that the opposite shore 
 was eclipsed by tiiem. 
 
 Trout and whitelisli are taken in tjuantities l)y Indians at the mouth 
 ..f the Mttle Nottaway and are smoked tor to )d lev thetuselvcs and their 
 dogs during winter. 
 
 Notwithstandinii' the diirereiii reports to the contrary, th.' resources 
 uf thit vast region an- not unworthy of the attention of the Gov-riimeut 
 ind tliey cannot forever remain sliut out fruin the commercial world. 
 
 The foiest wealth of the great areas drained by the mighty rivers 
 llowing into Hudson and Jam.'s Bay lan alone be developed by utilizing 
 the natural water courses. 
 
 I 
 
64 
 
 Th'' wlml.' mill othiT fish.'ri.'s oftluu gri'iit inland sea, 3')0,000 square 
 mik's HI t•xt^•llt, the various indiratioiis of iiiin.Tals, mor-- o: Ics-s pmuii- 
 noiit throughout th<' outin- n-gioii. must coon t or latt-r cull i'ur ilirwt 
 railway lonuuiinicatioM ; mid wh.n \vc .oiisidor that th- toiithoru t-xtre- 
 raity ol .Taiu.'s ISay may b>' touchfil by the siiorlfsl and best pn.oticablo 
 trauscoutiiu'iitul lino ol' railway available on our coutiuout, when-by the 
 combiii.'d Inns lor .'oiunicnial nlalioii>b<'lw«'.'ii luirope and the Ori.'Mtal 
 einpin's, mav be short^Mud Iroiu livi' huudrfd t > a thousand miles, and 
 tho irradi's reduce 1 to oui' half of those of any other line, we may take it 
 for irranted that sooner or later tiie iron horse will awaken the solitudes 
 of Kupert's 15ay. 
 
 With this development in view, a irlam'.- at the general map of the 
 countrv will show at one.- thi- advantageous position of our province, 
 and particularly of our sliipping ports lor the future trade of that region. 
 
 Every vear adds to the demand for larger oeeau freight carrying 
 vessels, and of course they will seek the best port on the shortest route, 
 which against all odds must ultimately be Quebec. 
 
 Quet>ec must have its counterpart som 'where on th- shores of Jmues 
 Bay. and po>sibly the very territory asked for by I lie Albany River Pulp 
 Companv, may in the not far distant future become the site of a growing 
 city 
 
 This is not simply a question of lo -ul interest ; it may involve ques- 
 tions of the highest imperial interest, and therefore in mr humble opinion 
 it would be injudicious for the (lovernmeut to alienate any such pro- 
 miui-nt i)ortion of our nortiiem seabo.ird for any prii-e cr consideration 
 that could likely be oblaiue<l lor it at present. 
 
 Tie- whole huinhly submii'.ed. 
 
 I hav ■ the h >u <r to he 
 
 Sir, 
 Your ciheJieni -•■rvaiii, 
 
 hi;xi;y '>'si ij.iv.vn, 
 
 li. L. .^^ \- M. Can. Soc (". !•: 
 
 Inspector of Surveys, 1'. (J. 
 
 L II". ■-■'>ili Mi\. l''"'". 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 s 
 
 I 
 
 65 
 
 To the Honorable A. TuROKON, 
 
 Commissiouer of Colon izatiou and Miuos, 
 Quebec. 
 
 Sir. 
 
 I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th 
 ultimo, stating that it was your intention to put all the returns available 
 of my exploratory surveys of the Lake St lohu, Mistassini and James 
 Bay regions before the House during thi' pn-sent session of the Legislature, 
 and asking in addition to the same that I should give you my appre* 
 ciatiou of the most feasible and advantageous route for railway communi- 
 cation between Quebec and James Bay. 
 
 The different plans and profiles with accompanying reports trans- 
 mitted ht-rewith, togeth>*r with those transmitted in November IH'M, June, 
 1899, and August IHOO, oomplete th ■ whole series from section No I to No 
 16 inclusively, giving the gon jral topography, resources and capabilities 
 of the country, and it only remains now to add a few remarks on the 
 different proposed routes for a railway line or lines to develop that vast 
 inaccessible region. 
 
 Many routes have been suggested and more or less advocated to 
 reach James and Hudson Bay. at least seviii in the province of Quebec 
 and probably as many more fiom Ontario. 
 
 In 1897 the Quebec and James Cay liy Company's charter was 
 extended and fontirmed by Dominion Vet of I'arliain -nt, for a railway 
 from some point on the (iuebio & Lake S» John Railway to Jam .'s Bay, 
 and it appears by till* press that other companies are now applying for 
 charters starting Iroui points w-st of Qnebeo even as far west as lake 
 Temiseaminguc to rcaeh .lunies iJay also. 
 
 Having had oc -asion to examine niore or b'ss durins; the last twenty 
 years the country traversed by the ditlerent proposed routes. I have 
 prepared a table of di.-tances of the s' ven possible lines which is here- 
 with submitted, giving the number of miles of railway already in opera- 
 tion that may be u.sed, and the numb r of miles to be built lo re.ich James 
 Bay by each route. 
 
 Where no surveys have be n made, the distances are obtained bv 
 measuring on the plan and adding 10 per cent for eurvature in each c^ise. 
 
 In my report of progress of the 2!>th November, in speaking of the 
 route from Iloborval to James Bay, I said that this would bj the most 
 5 
 
OS 
 
 advantageous ronte in the interest of the province for the development 
 of the newly acquired territory north of the heijjht of land, for, while 
 other proposed routes only skirted its western border, this loute triivcrses 
 it through its centre, and I also said that the loc itiou of this line 
 should bj chosen with a view of its hjcominaf, in the perhaps not far 
 distant future, part «f the b,>st and shortest transcontinental railway for 
 trade between Europe, the Great North West and Oriental empires. 
 
 Ha ! Ha ' Bay, Roberval, the southern extremity of James IJay, 
 Norway House near the northern extremity of lake Winnipeg and 
 the Peace river valley are nearly in the sam • straight line and the pass 
 thnnxgh the Rocky Mountains at the head of th ■ Peace river being more, 
 than two thousand live hundred I'eet Iowit than the summit of the 
 Canadian Pacific Railway through said mouitains, it is needless to say 
 that ere Iowj: the ffrtilc valley of th^ Peac river will eciio to thf whistle 
 of th> railway euijine and then will follow the building of the best 
 possible liuf for its outlet to EuropiMii markets whirh unquestionably 
 must pass through the points above meutioned 
 
 The only objection is tli it owing to the oatIv freezing of the Sague- 
 uay river ami its ri'inaining too long i"-bniiulin spring, the season is 
 too short ill Ha' Ha' H ly and the >;iui • arguments militate against the 
 port ot Montreal aUo. 
 
 It ea 
 
 can be safely lelied on thai tlio ^hipping season at the port of 
 Quebec will Ite always at lea>t two months longer tlian I'rom either td 
 the aliovt' mentioned ports. 
 
 ICveii at this nioui'Mit tli ■ |)ort i>! <Jai*l)c is d.-ur ol ice anil ilnring 
 the mouth oi [•'•!>ruiry lasi. Mr .I>hn Tliom lias be.ii sliipjiing tinib t 
 from ill ' \. mis.' Hasin lo lii • Mp|)i)sii,' ^i(le of i!i' rivcr and up to t!ie site 
 of t!ie ii.'W brid;:-.- on ill" St Liwrcii e with his or linary tug boats and 
 liiiliiefs without t!i' least (lilficiilty. 
 
 1 take it that Ml spit' of all opp.si'iou t^iii'b'c imisl hecoine the 
 principal shipi)iiiir i> >rt of ih ' St I-a\vreii ee and that the fut ure transcon- 
 tiiii'iital imperial Iriink railway of t li' l));iiiiiion must pass close to, or 
 touch the south rn exircnntv i>\' .Iiines liiy. and I !i ive there|'o:e tak' u 
 these points as terininaU lor tli' a •c(»iii[>anyiiiLr table ot distances. I 
 will now endeavor to uive an ouiliiic of each route in numerical order 
 from east to west as sIkiwm hy ill ■ r'd liiiei on the accompanying Key 
 plan 
 
tJ7 
 
 Route No 1 follows the Q. & L. St John Ry, from Quebec to 
 Roberval 192 miles and thence via the Chamouchouau and Nottaway 
 valleys to Juines Hay. 
 
 This route \v;i8 surveyed and rejwrted on by rae in 1897 from 
 Roberval to Waswanipi and thence via little Nottaway and lakeNamuska 
 to Rupert House. The portion of the great Nottaway from Gull lake to 
 James Bay was only surveyed in 1890 and the description of that sectioa 
 is gJven iu the reports transmitted herewith. 
 
 With the exception of a few miles along th > Chamouchouau river, 
 there is no diificulty in getting a good line on this route. Quebec & L tke 
 St Ji.hn summit 1A36 feet ; Lake fJt John & .lames Bay summit liOO feet 
 above s.'a levl Total distance, 62-J miles, 430 to build. 
 
 Route No 2 follows the Quebec and Lake St John railway about 77 
 miles to the mouth ofth" river Jeannotte. Thence follows the Jeannotte 
 and Algonquin valleys westward toLatuqu-; thence following th.' St 
 Maurice to its source and westward over thi- hrijrht of land to the old 
 M.kis.an H. H. Co. Po^t and down the Mekis, an valley to lake Mataijarai 
 and thence direct to Jann's IJay. 
 
 I surveyed th" .leaunotte and .Algonquin waters and traversed from 
 tijere to the St Mauri.-e b 'low l.atuque iu 181M-2 and in 180!> I followed 
 the St Mauruv valley l-om |,:,tu(iue to Kikiudat.!. il. B. Co. Post and 
 thence over th,- h.i'jrht of la.id ; au.l the r.'-.-ion !.-t\veeu the Mekiscaa 
 pr ■ .iii.l .liiiii^'.s Biy was .■xiil..red by m ■ in l-^.'M and 18 "It. 
 
 1 do not .ipi.r.'h-na any tr(.ul)le in o-,.ttiuo- a „.,,od railway line all 
 over thi> r..ut,.. with Ih ■ ex.'.plion p.ihai)s ..fpart ot th>' distaure b.'tween 
 the AI-.Miquin wai.Ts an! La!U(|u.'. .My iin,' pass 'd tliroiisvh lake 
 AVayairaiaack and ilie lali from th.-re to the St Maurice i^i ton sudden to 
 over.ome willi ordinary lirad.'s but 1 think that by keeping farther north 
 towards tii>' month ..rth,' Bistoimais riv.-r betterirrouud and easier grades 
 mty b' had. T.ie hi-li vsi Mini.irt '.fihislin' \v..uld b- b.'tw.'eii 1300 and 
 1 OO f'.t abov.' sea l.'V.-l. Tni.il di^tanci", .">.J7 miles. 4S0 to build. M.J. 
 <;. Sro»t. s.-creiary and ma lair -r. ol tlicQ. and L.St J and Great .Vortheru 
 railways inlornis nie tliai tli-y intend b lildinga new lin • from St Rav- 
 uiond to St Tliei-b' or St Tit.- which will siiorlea the road and avoid the 
 objectionable grades on th- lin.- vit Kiviere a Pierre, and that in con- 
 tinuation of this a good line witii .-a.sy grades has been explored from St 
 Tiiccle to Latuque on the St Maurice. 
 
4% 
 
 RonU> Mo :l follow:* th.' <) .Sc I.. St John Ry. the Gn-at Xorthorn 
 and C. P. Ky to Gniiid PiK-.s, tb-iio- wx the St Maiiri.o aud Mattawan 
 rivers to the 80urco of the latter stream, th uc- i-ia hikes Uaskutoiiff, 
 Kakebonea and Grand Lake Virtoria, and then (n.T th- height of land 
 direct to Jaine.s Bay 
 
 In 1H8>. I surveyed this part of the St Mauri. >■ and the Mattawan 
 river from its month to the township of Hrassarti, near its sonree, and 
 found no dilfi.ulty in s^ottins a irood railway line through there: hut I 
 never erossed from the source of the Mattawu'i to lake Haskatoug. 
 However, from what I eould see in followinjr the Rouge and Lievro 
 rivers, I daresay a good line may he had then 
 
 In !*< •l--2-:^4. I surveyed lake I'.askatong aud the Gatineau and .lean 
 de Terre waters, through, to lake Kakehonga, and all the Ottawa waters 
 between there and Grand Lake Victoria, and then .e over the height of 
 land to the Mekis "an valley. 
 
 Taken as a whole, a comparatively easy line can be had throughout 
 this seetioii and owinir to the enormous distance that timb.T would have 
 to b>' driven in following the Ottawa waters, a rail. vay through here 
 would secure a . laiaiense lumber trafUc T.irt of this line would likely 
 be l'..ll,)we(l l.y the (J iV Lake Huron projected Railwav. 
 
 The hiirhest summit on this line i> only 1"00 feet above >.'a level, the 
 total distance i'>A') mil-'s. '>i'> lo builil 
 
 Rout." No 4 f.illows ih' (". v. Ry to St Martin'- .Iiiueiion n.ar 
 Montre:il and ihen.-e to St .leroun' :iiid l.ab.'lle. or via <i iV Lak- >I .lohn 
 and (lieat Northern to .-^t .!.• ..iii'and C 1*. Ry to !..ab 'll'. ili ii.- • cVi Xomi- 
 nin'_ni' an<l Mainwaki an! u;> ih'> D'^.'it and Tomuu»>in'' valley- to 
 lake Kakeliuii^'a. 
 
 Kroin lake Kakehoiica ili • rmite i< th- sam ■ as ront- N.> :{. r»'twe.>ii 
 ls8ii a"d IS'.t4 1 mad' a e iiiiiiiiiou- -urvey from Lal>"ll" lo lak' Kak ■- 
 
 boiiij-a Mid althoiiL'h tli uiiiry i> hilly I'roin the R^xiu lo th" (Jatineau, 
 
 I think thai a lairlv Lrood line can \>- iiad. I'roia Ma;iiwaki westward 
 no Iroubl ■ lic'd ti • appichc'iditl on this rouie. 
 
 lliu-he>t suniiiiii JftOO feci, total di-i.iiicc 727 miles, H^ to Imild. 
 
 Rout" X.. ', follow- th" *', !' !,'y to Hull and ihellce by the 
 Gatineau Vailev K'ailwav lo Giac"ll"l(l and theii<-e to Maniwaki. From 
 Maniwaki W"stwar.l it is the sam" as route \o b Ilighesi jumuiil 
 lOUO feet, total tliblance 7^u miles, 4-0 to build. 
 
LUMBERING IN THE UPPER OTTAWA. 
 
 I 
 
 CHUTE. NEAR LAKE WAHWANACHI. 
 
61 
 
 Route No tl follows the C. P. Ry to Hull aiul Ottawa, thence by the 
 P. iV P. Ry to Fort Coulontfo, thence by the valley of the Conlonge river 
 to Grand Lukf Victoria and from there westward it in the same us route 
 No.'). 
 
 In 18l)3-t, I cxplor.d the C'oiilonjye rivi. from its mouth to its source 
 and also the couutry bctw<M'u there and Grand Lake Victoria and with 
 the exception of a f'W rocky points juttini; out here and there tilontf said 
 river, an easy line can b.- had there also, ilis^hest suminit 1000 feet, 
 total di tance 810 miles, 440 to build. 
 
 Uoiite \(i T fuU.iws the ('. 1'. Ky froui Quebec to Mattawa and 
 thence to (I'Tdnn Trek at the foot kI lake Temisc iininifue. thence along 
 River and lake des l^uin/.e to lake Abittibi and thenci' direct to James 
 Iky. 
 
 I followed ti»i.s route from llordou Creek ti> Abittibi iu 18'.>!) and had 
 previously surveyed most of the country on the Quebec side from 
 Mflttawa to lake des tjuinze and I must say that the region east of lake 
 Temiscaniingue is not an easy country to build a railway throusfh ; but 
 from lake des Qiiinze to lake Abittibi tiiere will be uodilR ulty. I cannot 
 say what the country may be like trom lake Abittibi dire«t to Ha nnah 
 I5ay, but on the route traversed by my party from Rupert llous*' to lake 
 Abittibi in l^'.'H no in.xurmonntable obstacles were encountered any 
 where. 
 
 1 have followed the Abittibi river from its mouth on the Moose river 
 about 20 miles above Moose Factory to its source and I am afraid that if 
 ever a railway i~ Imili in the direction of lake Abittibi, it would likely 
 follow the river valley Iroiii there to Moose Factory which would be 
 wholly out>ide of the limits of the province of (Quebec and therefore 
 unde^ierviiiir of iini<h ati.'ntiuii from ns. 
 
 The liiirliesi suiiiiiiii on this line is about "50 fvet and i'oUowing the 
 direct line from l;ike \l)itti!)i to Hannah Bay th'' total distance from 
 Quebec is lOOo miles. 3.V2 to liuild. 
 
 Reviewiiii;- the ililiereiit routes above desi ri'ied, route Xo 1 asacaloui- 
 zatioii roa.l take-, liisi place, liut ;i> part of i. future transcontinental 
 railwav svsiein, ilv i i>la.e niiist lie siveii to route Xo 2, and for the deve- 
 lopment of luiuberiiiL,' industries, lirst i)lac.' must be. iriven tt) loute No 2 
 also. 
 
Tlifi - Imt ujiM.i!icl It'll, r liiiiliiT ill til'' Si Mauri..' liuNiii tliiiii in 
 that ■'( III'' t'liiuiioii.li.Miiiu an.! I>y i"i!<>\viii'_r <l<>\vn iln' M.'ki».im riv.r 
 t(il;ik.' MaiiiLMiiii, ill til.' liiiilcr .)!' ill.' Nutiaw.iy l(a>iii irav.rs.'d l»y rout.' 
 No 1 .111 li ll'.at • I ..r (liiv'ii (l.'wii ami laj.;. .1 l>y r >ut.' No - at lli.'.sai«l 
 lak.' Malaizaiiii. 
 
 Til.' ( lij f .ilij.'. lioii'. :.> roiii' - Nos ', t, ■'). •> aii<l 7, apart I'r.ini ili.'ir 
 iii.T .as.'d I'l^iaii..', is tlia' tli.v i>a«- t -" i ir \v.>l to .1 v. l.'p ill'' r^ ><mr.-.'S 
 of :iiiv 1 'ill 11 w.irtli >|>.'akiiiir ol I'M tli. IIiuImhi l!ay «-l.>i>.' williiiitlu' 
 liniii.> ..r.nir |>r.>vin.-.'. 
 
 ill il -tai;, ■• rout." N." 2 lias ili.- a.h aiiiau-.' ov.-r all lli.' olli.'i'.s iw 
 
 foll.Ws 
 
 IJ.iui" \i> 2 is 
 
 I'l.'l 
 
 mil 
 
 '■^ 
 
 s' 
 
 iM't'' 
 
 • tliaii N'. 
 
 . 1 
 
 m;! 
 
 
 
 
 
 '• 
 
 • t 
 
 170 
 
 
 
 
 " 
 
 " 
 
 4 
 
 -'-':'. 
 
 
 
 
 
 ti 
 
 ."i 
 
 .!■'>'■'> 
 
 
 
 
 '• 
 
 It 
 
 1) 
 
 1 \.'. 
 
 •' 
 
 
 
 
 •' 
 
 t 
 
 Oft' itirs '. if til ' iim li I ilk"l "I' !'■ •Itr'akiiiu' sl.-uu rs .'ouM k'"'ii tli.- 
 Sai>-ii.'iiay il.'ar a I'.'W HI iiil'is l(i!i'^-. U.ml" N" 1 .'.nil iiiu ■.! t. I la ' ihil 
 Hay w.'iil'l lak' tii<t i>la-'' a- r.'u ir.U .li^iaii. ■■ aii.l liav' tli.' .loiihl.' 
 ailvaiiia:,'.' >>{' iiaviii'.' I w'o - '.tji.iii -.'Jn It ■■■ .ni.l lla ' lla ' I! ly or Cliif utimi 
 iiisi 'a.l ol Hilly oil ' mil I II • oUj.' li III i!(l.' siiiii nils l>'i\v 'ii (^ii 'li ■■ ami 
 Lak.' Si .loliii woiiM I).' av.ii.l'.l lor ill.' <ir:viir_' of !i"avv I'r. iirlns Imt 
 owiu'^ to its ■r.'oirraplii. al |i.i.>ili(iii. no point ii.'ar lla I lla' bay can .'V.'r 
 bt'.'oiii'' III >iiiporiiim for w st hoiiU'l Iriiixiit ami trains .1 'liv.'riii'.' ihf 
 br.'a.l-iuir> of til'' No'tli-\V"st ill. -v. ini'^lit ofi.'ii li iv.' t.i r.'lnrn .'inpty. 
 
 1 si'.' 1)/ til.- rr.'-silii! ill ■ I (iitario t lov.'rii'ii lit iiit 'inl-^ piishin!» a 
 railway nortli'AMr.l from Toro.iio in vi w 'if r.'a.'liimi .lain.'s Day and no 
 doubt th'V will, nnl"ss w' .an tak.' lli" I'ld fmni <ia -I).'.'. 
 
 Oil" tliiiiir is ir'rtain tliat no railway will ever r.'ai'li .laii.'s Hay 
 williDUt substantial aid lioni both l.ioal ami f.'d.'ral :.'ov.rnini'n;s and thf 
 sp.'.ial advanta._''.'S of tli.' lo.'ation of liii.s N.is 1 vS: -J in \ i.".v of th-ir 
 bi'iiiir .•oniinu.'d to the I'a. iti.' as ab>vi' iiidi.at.'d should .iirst substantial 
 aiil iroin tho (lov'rnin.'iit offin-at Itrilain also. Th>' C. 1* Ity following 
 Fo 'dose to th" Unitt'd Stat.'s fronti.T, mifjht in las." of ho^tiliti.-s bi'tWi.n 
 (irt'.it Hritain and our southt'rn miijhb.iurs b.- brok«u up in a doz.'ii pla'es, 
 whilt' tli-f direct line froin Qii.-b'c to tht* IVu.iJ llivcr and tln'nf' to th.^i 
 
71 
 
 oriitiui; A 
 
 Ptttilic .on>t wonld I).' Irom L'")0 to HOO mil.'s from thf I'r.jiUier. f. 
 uaf' inland bakhon,. to ihi- country. 
 
 No Hii-h ars^uni.Mitx :i-< th.- lilt r can »».• hn.uifht in favor of the 
 
 P'"!""*'''' ' "* rr.Mii Tor. 111., and Saull St Muri.- to r.-iu-h Jam -h Bay : on 
 
 th.'...ntr:»ry. th.s.' linos \v..uld liiv.'ili' t.-nd.Mi.y t'j div.rt to N.-w-Vork 
 thft ad.' that should n ituially .oin ; I., f'anadia'i Torti. It .x!i .uM not 
 bi' I'nrjfoit.'n thai at Toronto you ar.- ».(ill n.Mrly as lar inland as J m. -s 
 I'.uy il-.M". :;:Js mii.-s Ironi Moutfai, ov.t »U'I niil.-s Ironi X.-vv-York and 
 upw.ird f)f :, H) i,ii|,.s from <iul)'.' on ih.- shortcut p.stili!.' rout- h-tW'.'U 
 Toronto and ih" iMin.i.iMn njark Is and as lor snpplyinif th.- N.-vv-York 
 intrk ts with any i.iodu.l oj ih.- .lain-s or Undson Hav n-irinn, tho 
 
 disi 
 
 tn '.' vn 
 
 lit 
 
 and tin- >|n«'l»i' Central and C'fiitral Vonno it 
 
 Uail\vay> woiilcl h ■ al.out nn >liort ns any line that can lh« had mu Toronto. 
 
 TaM.' sho\\ iiii; disiiiii, . .. l,y ih.' diir-r.-nt r.iti'.s I'roui (im-b-.-tt 
 ooniini.ii point at souiIi.tm .xliviniiv of .Tmn.-s Ijay. 
 
 lUiilt. To build T<.tal. 
 
 ^ 
 
 Xo 1 <iul),-'. 11.'. .val, Wa.u-mi 
 
 .lames I'liv. 
 
 py 
 
 aii'l 
 
 No 2 (in.bfc, iiiv.T .leannott •, Lai 
 
 N. 
 
 o •. 
 
 Kik'-iidal< 
 .hiHU's l!av. 
 Qil.'l 
 
 M.'kisiin, Matairinii 
 
 IHjU. 
 
 and 
 
 ) '>■. < ir.iu 
 
 1 I'il. 
 
 Mm 
 
 IW I 
 
 Ki 
 
 V'T, 
 
 Lakes IJasikaioiiir, K:tk'biini^a, 'rraml 
 Lake Vii luria. Mekisean riv.r and James 
 
 15ay 
 
 \o » <iud>-.'. Mtiitril. St J rom •, Labellt 
 
 Ms 
 
 Kakeb 
 
 (irand L.ik 
 
 laniwaki, isakehonira, 
 Vietoria, James I!ay 
 
 No", (iuebee. Hull. Ottawa, Manirtjki, Kak ' 
 l>on!;a, < irand lake Victoria, Mekiscan 
 riv.-r iV James Hay 
 
 No (I <in'i).'e. Ottawa. Iliver Coulonir ■, (rrand 
 lake \'i. loria, M.'kis.'an river and James 
 Hay 
 
 No 7 (iueb.'f, Ottawa, .Niattawa, Teinisc a- 
 minijue, Abittibi and James I.iv 
 
 1:l 
 
 77 
 
 93 
 
 4:J0 
 
 -180 
 
 >45 
 
 tJi'2 
 
 tUO 
 
 •-'49 1 
 
 i 
 
 478 
 
 727 
 
 :^IjO 
 
 420 
 
 780 
 
 370 
 
 440 
 
 810 
 
 154 S 
 
 352 
 
 1000 
 
 ?• 
 
 In I'onidusion I would respeetfally refer the reader to a speech 
 delivered in the House of Commons, Ottawa, a few days w^o by Mr. 
 Charlton M. P. for E. Norfolk, (.hitario, wher- in among other tilings he 
 
MKROCOrr MSOUITION TBT OMIT 
 
 (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 
 
 A 
 
 i /APPLIED IM.'CE Inc 
 
 1653 Cosl Moin SIreal 
 
 Rocheslvr. N«« Vorh 1*609 USA 
 
 (716) *82 - 0300 - Phone 
 
 (716) 288-5969 -Fan 
 
12 
 
 1 
 
 disapproves of sinking money to dig a hole in the bottom of lake St 
 Peter while we have a natural port 100 miles n.urer the seaboard where 
 the largest ships in the world c;ui ride safely at anchor. 
 
 The whole humbly submitted. 
 
 I have the honor tn be 
 Sir, 
 Your obedii'ut Servt, 
 
 IIKXKY O'SULLIVAN 
 
 I) L. S. Mem. Can. Soc. C. K. 
 lusp. of Surveys, V. Q 
 
 Lorette, P. Q.. 19th Mar.h, 1901. 
 
 M' 
 
78 
 
 
 Honorable Adkf.ard TuR<tEON, 
 
 Minister of Cnlonization and Mines, 
 
 Quebec. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 ??ince the above was written the debate on the transportation ques- 
 tion was continued in tlie House of Commons at Ottawa, in the course of 
 which, much vduable information was elicited, therefore in accordance 
 with tlie followinsj pavai^raph of a lett(!r .iddressed to me and bearini? date 
 the fitli of February last, containing amoi.g other remarks the followiu!?: 
 *' C'e rapport k mon avis, devra coiitenir ile forts arguments en faveur du 
 trace par Quebec, et il importerait de n'en pas trop retarder la publica- 
 tion, .si le "t'ourrier du Canada," No du 81 Janvier queje vous envoie est 
 Men renseigne, (sigiie) S. Dufault, Assistant-Comraissaire." Of course the 
 object of the letter above mentioned was that 1 should explain in my 
 report the advantages offered by a railway from Quebec rather than from 
 Toronto or any other western point, for the develojiment cf our northern 
 territory under description in the foregoing pages; but as that develop- 
 ment is so intimately roniiect.'d with the development of the port- of 
 Quebec, as will be fully understood furth -ron, I may be allowed to make 
 a few quotations from the Ottawa Hansard of th.' idth April last, and 
 offer a few remarks on this all important transportation question. 
 
 In the course of the debite. Honorable Chas Fitzpatrick. Solicitor 
 General and m -inber for the eouuty of Quob.'c. spoke as follows : 
 
 " I want to say here that I with all other Canadians believe in the 
 future prosperity of Montreal. I. in c.mxmou with all otner Canadians, 
 cannot help realizing that Montreid is the grett eommereial metropolis of 
 this Dominion, and that no harm ean come of the city of Montreil that 
 does not r.'salt in hirui to th ' wliole Dominion of Canadi hlverything 
 that can further tin- progress of that great city is near and dear to us all. 
 Hut, Mr Sp 'ik"r. w>' d ) not advain- • ourcuise by sliurtmg our eyes to 
 the fact that the jiort >>[' Montreal iiis limitations. Up to the present time 
 the port of Montreal has b.'iMi tr.-ati'd as th • national port of Canada ; yet 
 90 per cent of our products go lioui Montreal to the American seaboard 
 to be carrii'd thence across the water to liurope. We cannot overlook that 
 
74 
 
 fact. Wf must r.'aliz.- tlmt up to th" pn'.N'Ut time, lor oil.- n'asoii or 
 another. Molltr.^•^l has n<n iii,t th- dcinuiids iiiiul • upon it ; and th.- n'snlt 
 has hfcii tliiit Moiitri'al has n U h.'.'U ouriiatioiial i) )rt, liiit tiial Torilaud, 
 Boston, and Vcw York hav h ■en our national j>ort> " ■ ' 
 
 •■ It is idle to shut our .'V'- to i li -s • I'l.Ms. Tlh'a. th.- i-on litious ar.' 
 such tliat you raunot ^r •! to that rity vi-ss.'N su •'! as you slioull hav- if 
 vou lui'aii to conipi'tc witli rortlaiid. i>o>ton and Nrw V..rk 
 
 Now, 1 am not goiny to i.avr my own opinion i<n lliat snl)i.<t ; I 
 am ar'iinir to <^\\ to l!i • ilou.-- th.' oi)ini(.n d' Mr > fud, uni' of tlir most 
 proinincnt .stt'amshii> imii in Montreal, and one wlio lias lnvii id.Mitili.'d 
 with thi> stfamshii) hr.sin.ss th''r ■ i'-n- many vtvirs. What do w.' lind Mr 
 Ill-lord sayinif in a hti.-r writt.Mi io tlic Cloh' of tin' :2yril of March last ? 
 He gay : " 
 
 " At iiKiiiy |iiiiiit-. lictwixn .Mi.uticiil .imi (,Jiii'l)i <.-, ^inil tlioi' tlir lacjst il.tiimMiiusDiifs 
 •' wlK'it; tlif iiiriiMit is stroin^i'>t, tli<' ship (•liimiii I is only .■50( fopt wide, witli a mi imIIiiI 
 " clt-iilii (it tHciity-.-t'Vfn fi-ft, wliiili, li iwcvir, is nut at tiiipi's to liL-(li'|icn(icil u|iiiii owiii^' 
 " t<i liduldfrs ,111(1 oilici' ipi|ic.lrii(nts iji tlic cliMhiicl. Tlic i-iiri'i'Mt (ill .iliridst tlic (•ntii(^ 
 '• ruiitc l)(t«(^eii M.'tria' .unl On, lin- is swilt, ,il places cxccciiintiiy tdrtiKnis. ainl :i 
 " stc.iiiH-r ^lilinu fi'ii-- .\!iiiU" ■; witii ,i lull (.ari; • is in c'liis'.int (1 iii^cr, inviii': li her 
 " iii.-iliility Id auiliMi at iiny ■■ i '\.r nar'niu pail> iif t 1k' ii\ i'|- slioiiM >lii iiici't t'dij', .sti>i-ii or 
 '• SHOW, or any ai-cidi-iit <r,;, \n- ' . lur ma. Iiinciy. lur-iiis'' she can nah ahclior safciv tniin 
 " litfi- l)ow, ami not liavin.' iomi,, |,, >\mi:l: uitli the (.iirifnl. woiil I certainly i;o a-liore, 
 '•ami if iiioi-e than ;!oil feet in l.-n^fli coniii co hplftdy 'ijock tlir cliannel for", il ni.iy 1«-, 
 '•an unknown pel inl. It tni-lit, in.leed. .iccuf tli.it tlie only way to get i id .if muIi .an 
 •• olistriiction witli .-i \e,sil, ^.ly .'iijO feet Ioiil;. niii^lil 'le the lilowiiii; up of the \es,el.' 
 
 ■■ Th Ti'lbro you hiv.- to r.-aliz ■ th ii 1 ■ i Inn,' to Mouir.'al you have a 
 channel that is not (juit-^ -27 f-d d •■■;), and that doos n )t excci'd -10 ) foe't 
 in width I do not say thit th ■ p ■o;)l.' of this ouiitry iniy not I) • will- 
 ing to make a ..•liiau ■! (>iiabli:iaf a •»- «ss(3l dr.iwi ig :;il I," 4 to g.t t a Mon- 
 treal —not only to d.ed(,f • out the ch inii'l, hat to wid 'U aad straighten it ; 
 but if the pcDplc of this country ar.' prepared to do ih.u, l"t them rjalizc 
 beforehand wliat it in.^ans. liealize that if you an; •^•na<j: to dig a ch inntd 
 betW(.''n (Quebec iind Montreal, it must accominodiiti' v.vssids whicli. if 
 you are to compel' with Xew Yo.k and Itoston, will draw 33 feet of 
 water. In winter, lor instanc, you have your o-.^od; at M> Ureal; whit 
 will you do with them ? Vou cannot keep th.nn ther ; ; you must get 
 them out of Moiitr.'al to the market in Kurope. How ari' you going to 
 reach that market ? " 
 
 Many interesting speeches were made pro and ron, but th'! whole 
 <iebat(» boiled down miirht b- put in i nutshell a« follows: 
 
76 
 
 If the natural ;iJ\':inti!».-s offr.Ml by thi' port of Queb.'c, nr<j appre- 
 ciated as tln'V >!ioul(l 1> • by ih- p'.>pK' oT i.'uiiad.i, th' bulk of th<' trade 
 of onr country, and a ^n.^t put ol'th.; I iiiti-.l Stato:*, with the I'Mroppan 
 mark. 'ts will r>!l.» V ill.' Sunt Lawr •uo." rout.'. ■! if not it will goby 
 N. w York, r.uston and I'ort'and. 
 
 Ni'W Yolk is now di'.? lyin^' h t iiarbor to a d -ptli of forty feet, with 
 a I'liiinn '1 2, "0 f • ■! wid-to th • o,).';i si-a Th'- .'.stini it.'d cost on the 
 start was §10,000,00 i but ,n ill prob.ibiliiy it will t.ost $Ji>,000,000 b-fore 
 it is finislu'd. 
 
 Our s )Uth -rn n"ii;!il) >i< ar..' n )t alru'd to sp''nd inoiu^y for i)io de- 
 VflopiniMt of tht'ir coiniry. Last s.'ssion thi^ Uiiiti'd States fonurrcss 
 voti' I iilly millions of iloUar.s '!«i'iO,o.i i, i.nij, fur river and harbor iniprove- 
 niftits. 
 
 Kvid-'Mtly W' ni'isi b-stir ours Iv.-s if w.- want to keep p»c«« with 
 Ihcni. 
 
 It w I- said dnrin;;' the debate tht! the channel from Quebec to 
 Mo:!tre;il Would 1)-' dre{l'_ d tn a depth ol thirty feet and a width of six 
 hundred I -et at an esliinii.il eo-t of t ivo million dollars. 
 
 1 an afraid thai lik • New York ihi> lirsi estimate is rath'r low 
 
 As a ineinb -r of th- Canadian Sieieiy of Civil Enii'ineers I am not 
 afraid t'( risk my r -pai iPon in saying thii to mik' an<l maintain a 
 channel iKji f,.ot wide and ;;0 feet d -ei) clear of (distruetim b-lwcn 
 Qu>'bee and Moiitr.-al ii will eost duubli' that amount, 
 
 r>nt this is noi ihe (pie^ii.iu wheili-r it is to cost two or f.ur millions, 
 the question is ^v'll it b • am;il • wii 'u doU'J ? 
 
 I say i)Ositiv''ly no ! 
 
 Unless we hav" a d pth of 40 f'et. with th • increasini:? demand for 
 largi'r o.ean lr<'iif!it-carryinii' vessels, w • eannot ooinpet- with the port of 
 New York, and thrf trib' will ij;o there n twithstandin;^ our shortening 
 of ilistanci . 
 
 At a meeiimf called at the suirgestion of Hon. Mr DobtU and held at 
 the Quebec Harbor Commissioners rooms a few days ago, attended by our 
 most trustworthy pilots and other men of experience, it was admitted on 
 all sides, that it would only cost a fille. comparatively speaking, to have 
 a 40 foot chinnel of ample width from Quebec to the ocean at low tide. 
 
It is uoedK'ss to say that a 40 font .•h..ir.jt»l between Quebec and 
 Montreal is i.npractifablo. 
 
 Queboc has Ihrof mih's along hor rivt-r fronl with a dt'pth of 40 foot 
 and upwards whiTc no public money was ex fr spent, in i'aot we hare 
 ten miles or more From Fointi' a ("arey to Cap Rouge and beyond, iac-'ig 
 the main channel where the depth is t'n.m tiO to loO feet. Of course the 
 same can be had on the l^evis or opposite sid«', and if more is re(|uired, 
 the St CMiarles Valley might be easily dredgeil, with frcii-'ht sheds v,u 
 either side ; thus olfering within ii r.idiU'^ of live mil '•< -.b " I ty miles 
 of available frontage, in I'aet the capabilities of Queb.-r as a shipping port 
 are unlimitei'. 
 
 llefetring iigain to tiie hansard above tnenlion-d we find that, at 
 certain sasons, vi-ssels of over :J") ft 'I in. draught are not allowed to 
 leave the |)ort of Montreal. 
 
 We i.ave now loading at the Commission ts Wharf, Queb.'c, the ss. 
 " Indian " of the Leyland Lin.', and as she is booked to sail about the 
 beginniiiir of June with the largest cargo that ever went down the St 
 Lawrence the following notes kindly given me by her commander, 
 captain Henry I'aniel may be of interest : 
 
 Total length '>00 ft. 
 
 Width •')7 " 
 
 l>ei)th 43 " 
 
 Carryinir lapaeiiy 13.3.>'. tons. 
 
 Average speed lo.iied, 12 knots or about 14 statute miles per hour. 
 
 Total crew including c;iptaiu •"»•') men. 
 
 Comi)are this with the " Mexican ", another of said Company's ships 
 that loaded heie a lew d.iys ago. 
 
 Capacity o.OOO tons. 
 
 Number of Clew •>'• men. 
 
 The cai)acily of ll," Indian is over 2J times that of the ?slex=can and 
 it only retjuivcs live haiuls more to run Ik r. 
 
 It will thus be seen that u here these oc." m monster;! ea!i go no small 
 craft <-an co'ripete with thein. This accounts for the lov.ering of cost of 
 transport fro i Xe\v York to Liverpool from $8. 40 pe> ton in 1871, to 
 $2.40 per tor in 1S'.)8. 
 
1) 
 
 77 
 
 Where the " Indian" is now loadinj? therj in 31 feet of water at low 
 tide, and the captain suys that they will load her to 30 ft draufrht ut stern 
 and 28 ft drauarht at h-jw. About 1.^,0)0 tons of cargo. 
 
 The Indian was built ut Belfast, Ireland, lat-t year (1900) and the 
 Mexican was bniiiat Harrow in > ,rnt'ss,Kn!,'land,about 1892. The M«xican 
 cost-* ilSS.OOO and the Indian i;99,000. 
 
 The horsepower of the InJian is 3000 
 
 Mexican 1800 
 Draught of Indian 30 ft 
 
 " Mexican 25 ft .5 in' 
 iilpeed of Indian i2 knots loaded 
 "Mexican 10 " 
 
 The Mexican burns 37 tons of c^al per day and the Indian 58. 
 
 The '• Oreat Kastern " measured ti92 feet long 83 ft broad and 24 feet 
 deep. 
 
 Evidently modern ship building guided by the experience of the 
 past calls for vessels of deeper draught. 
 
 The White Star line has now the ss. Celtic about to sail from 
 Belfast and the Ruiiic on the stock.s there, of 34 f.ei draught each, and 
 carryinii capacity 18OO11 lons ; about 2 00 tons more than the Crreat 
 Eastern. 
 
 These two ships are about 4000 tons bigger than the Oceanic their 
 last new mail and passenger ship, and the Cymric, a freight vessel, and 
 carrying lOii first class passeuger.s a.s well, launched about t>ightccn 
 mouths agi), and were the wonders of llie worl.l at the time 
 
 It has unf.irtunately been th<' rule to m-asure th" capacity of the 
 St Lawrence route by what can be done at Montreal, and this is why 
 said route is only -onsidered available for sx or .seven mouths of the 
 year while it is well known that we h.iv.j at least nine montiis if not all 
 year roun 1 navigation from Quebec. Certainly when the pi. r> of the new 
 brid<'<', now in course of eonstructiini over the St Liawrence river are 
 built there will be no trouble ill keeping our port open all winter, and 
 the prol)lem of winter navigation in the gulf ot St ..awreiue may be 
 solved in the near future also. 
 
 Our fi.^t Atlantic service has be. mi hansriiis- lire for a doz -n years or 
 more and many reasons have b.-eu given tor ilie delay. l)Ut if I may 
 venture to speak the truth, the chief reason is that vesselsof the ueoessary 
 capacity canu.'t go to Montreal. I'ossibly we may have to wait until the 
 channel is deepened ! 
 
78 
 
 Thi' Iwo million dollar e^timatw Tor lliat purpi.*.- in in my opinion 
 only tlu> Hinall end ot'th." wedcr.', and lor <in'bL'0 it is iin unfortunvte 
 Wfdi?.', its smull end diverts the curr.-ut «»!' tradi' of our country tovwirds 
 thi) Unittul Statt's ports, and its but end block ■« the Saint Luwr.'nce route- 
 Some will Nay '• Where is the use of tiilkuiir of fjuobec > you tanuot 
 get the Ireiglit there elf., etc." 
 
 What is there to hinder th> .anal b.iats aud r.iihvays from bringing 
 freight to Qu-jbei- as well as to Montreal ( 
 
 Surely it is not the ditfer.iice of 1(30 milis ..n sutli l-vel railway lines 
 Hs we have on botli sides of the Saint Lawrence, that would make freight 
 trains loaded in the w'.'st, and alter eoverinvr Ihaunands i>f miles of rougher 
 roadways <top short before reachini,' Quebec. 
 
 I et the railways and canal boats hive th'- savings that would be 
 made liy th ' <• eaii sce.nm^rs making tliree or four trips more of a season 
 from Qu bee, an I it would make a miifhty big paying freight rate on 
 thtir liii's between Quebec and .Monir-al. 
 
 The sailiiiL; enift of th' wli.le atlanti.' sea biard, and of the world 
 for that matter, can come to Qii -U.' ■ wilii uiifarled sheets, b \t they inust 
 be towed to .Montreal 
 
 I ap;v'al to tli'' r -pr.'s Miiaiiv.'s ..f t!i ■ Dinniiiion at larg.', from Halifax 
 to VaiKouver. to t-';.' au imp ir; i.ii view of tlie matter, and ih.'y must 
 derid'' ill favor 
 
 Y,.s, let lb- vreiie.' r'>nti' b ■ impr-.v.' ' and i'iiuii)p •(! on the 
 
 sani.' s.-a!.' as t \v \- k. whiili ciu I) • <lone at coinpMrativfly 
 
 small I o>i fioii '^11 ■r).'c III t' M.'caii, and willi a .^liori •!! wj: of >ix or 
 ^evl■n liiuidr.d itiiU-s in our lavor, rv-'ii 'h.' ureat city of N'W York, 
 which tlie iiMie i.aus are proud :o .all ihi- • lluli"or tlu' world, shall 
 not l.uii: <ini> rip lis iii ili' rai'.' fir >up,i!yiii'4 the ■•iirop mm mark ts 
 witli ill ■ brcadstnllN ol our .ountry. 
 
 l'i>s<i})ly soiii ■ (jf ill.' ah )V' re.aark< ni ly !»• .•.)nsi ler-d a too wide 
 diirr.sM..ii fnv.n th orliiiary ILdd or scop.- o| a r.'i)ort lik" this; but the 
 dev.'lopm.-nt ol'tli.' firevi ami luin.'ral w.mUIi of ilu' north Tn r."j-inis of 
 our province, und r d-'siriptioii, [■> so iniimat.'ly coiun'ct'd with and 
 dep.'ii(l"nt on tin' dev elopni'Mit ..f ih.- port ofQu.^b'.- thit .said arguments 
 cannot be consiJ.red as whollv out of pla e. TIkt.- are in th ■ Province of 
 Quebec, north of the St Lawr.'ii.'.- and the Ottawa, roughly sp.'akiug, 
 about •28'>,00*l sijuarc nii!''s of nns.-ttled lands. 
 
79 
 
 Draw a line north westwar 1 from Qm-Wr at riifht angler to the 
 if.'n.'ral courie ofthj St Luvrenotf from Moiitrfiil to H.-lliHle, and it will 
 »>.' found thiU mori. than !wo thirds of thiw ami lies .-n.st ofsu.h line and 
 less th:ui on.' third west of it : th.'r foro any shippini^ point «ituaed at 
 any disliinee w.'st of Qu.-b.-c is m) much th.' mor.- out of ih.- way. 
 
 T.)-d!iy a goodly portion of tin- pulp products of the lumbering 
 r.'srion«ofthHSaint-Mauric., an- shipp-d westward to Montreal, thcnco 
 southward to Xcw York and thenc eastward to Liverpool and London. 
 Mow mucli more miglit the s^overnment realize for the timber on the 
 stump if the products were shipped dir. ctiv from Quebec? Even the 
 cheese aud butter of the Luke St John and Sa-ruenav districts are sent 
 westward to Montreal, to ba shipped in the same n,uud about way. 
 
 Tnless the axiom is wronj? that tlie value of raw material in the 
 held where it is found, is wh it it can b. .old for in the market less .-..st 
 ol production and delivery. I think it In-comes the duty of our local 
 gov. rinn.'ut to wat.h with inter.'st the oscillations of this transportation 
 qu'stion. 
 
 The thousands of square uiilo of spru vered lands extending 
 
 from the settlem.„ts skirtiuir the Haint Liwrene northwarl to James 
 Hay. and to th' norl hern limit of the province at Kasi Main Kiver are 
 
 amon^r the most valu.ble of the ass-ts of • iaeial Government, 'and 
 
 lor ilieir developnient no stone should b' left untur.i,.d to .secure the best, 
 shortest, and cheapest means of transport. 
 
 This is pn.l.al.ly the l;,st re,,„rt I may have t'-e honor of addre.ssin<r 
 youuMnydnef for in an.th -r mouth -ur dep.irtm -nt of colonization 
 and .nin..s will be .b.l.she.l a,,! I xvill have to serve under a new master. 
 
 .\llow me before conchidiii- to sincerely thank you for the manv 
 a.tsol kiii.liie-s which I have reeeive.l at vonr liands, and for the o-onc- 
 rousconlidence with which I have b -en favored ever since vou became 
 hciiil ul the dei)art!neiit. 
 
 Trustin- that I have not b-en unworthy of thai ooniidence, 
 I have the hoiior to bf, 
 S;r, 
 Vour obedient servant, 
 
 HKXRY OSULLIVAN, 
 D. L. S. & C. E. 
 
 Inspector of Surveys, i'. Q. 
 Mem Can. Soe. C. E, 
 
 Glen«,'aritl', :.9th May. litOl. 
 
> 
 
 ADDKNDA 
 
 IJi'U'iii'liiiLr ifi'" dfi'dijiui,' if th>' ihuiiihl tii'lu'i'i'ii <Jiifli!'i' \\\\>\ Moii- 
 ir>>:il. iiiiMitioiit'd nil p!i<;>' T'l, I '.vInIi tn say thtit if suid ('hiiiinttl is 
 Hiraiuhtt'ii'-d, liroiiil'iied and det-pfiH'tl, as prrjpdscrl iii ordiT to compi-to 
 wilh th< I nif'd Maitn porln, its i'll<'i t> iii. , li. .s<rii>a> in lowiT ly tho 
 wtitcr ill thi' piirt nt Montn-al 
 
 \\ \s wi'U known lliai a>< ordinir as tlir iinintryaloni.' tin' Si LHwrt'iiCf, 
 Wv'Hiwaid toils soiirr". liMi.ui-s I'li'ar.d ml s.'ttl"d, tin- surplus wiitiT 
 Ijo.vsotl lastt^r ill spriiii.' , and tin- im r-'asi'd aiiioniii of .'vaporation ill 
 suniiini, dut' to till' >ainf 'viust'. tui,'«'tlii'i with tin d.-frnion of u jjf.odly 
 poiti 'U oT its w itiTs by tin' Cliiiaun 'Mnai, wliicli accordinu' to ('li''vali<T 
 IJailiairiTf is ti<)0,<M)o t uliir tcct per luiiiuti', or in<»r«' tliiin tlirt'f p'T t-t'iit ol 
 ilic ls,()!iti.ni)0 I'uhic fii't il.iwiiiirovfi Niagara, has inadf a vt-ry pi-rcptible 
 ditiiTi'iiciv in Mif How ol that miifhty riviT, in tlry siMsoiig now, towards 
 what il nsi'd to 1)1' 111 yi'ars •.'■oiif hv 
 
 Tims it mialit happi-n that afti r millions would havi' hccn spoilt on 
 •■niaiu-iiiir thi' I'lianU' ! lli'- Montv-jil wliarvi's would h'' iiiarfis<ibli' lor 
 !in\ kind of stji <roiii r \ --'I.-, ami tin' who!.- haihoi' Would hav to h' 
 ilui;" "Ut ai»am or ■!>■ i il i a woald haV'' to !> • huilt. 
 
 This is :i pu'sth ii i il ill -\\ oinnioii should 1«' Wfll W'mhi'd by 
 iht* lii'_di">i ' nsiih.'criht' aiiih 
 serious I'xpi'iiditurc of pnhlif !. 
 
 ics h, ihi' Dominion, hd'on' any t'lirthi-r 
 ii'V 1^ made thenon. 
 
 il we want to iMinp.i- ' 
 li.v>imiiu!» ' 
 
 As alrt'udy s;iid i he i.u . 
 with any ordinary How ol iid 
 liv> ly sp'akiiiLT, to lix t'l.' ••h;! 
 lowest staire of tide. 
 
 h r ^ ;i.'Hs we should h.'trin by the 
 
 — II. til.' W<ni'l eali I'onie to Queln'C 
 
 I would only ..»st a trifle lompara- 
 
 - • that they iniijhi i -me and iro at the 
 
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 MAP 
 
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 UME ST. Ja«H TO JAMES BAY 
 
 VIA 
 
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