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Lea diagrammes auivants illustrent Ie mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 To A ] Ottav alogy The great refer of til the i have To Alonzo Wright, Esy., M.P., tfec, &c. Sir, — I have the honor to dedicate to you, as member of Parliatnent for Ottawa County, the annexed pamphlet, shewing the geolojry and miner- alogy of the rich territory comprised within the said County of Ottawa. The ancient Province of Quebec has nowhere within its boundaries greater sources of wealth, than in the county to which this pamphlet refers, and, if by your kind acceptance of this dedication, the attention of the (4overnment and the public generally is more closely dniwn to the importance of the subjects herein referred to, the object which I have had in view will have been accomplished. I have the honor to be. Sir, Your obedient servant, J. Ml'KUAV MITCllKLL, C.K. (Yl ICiKNTLKMi; 1 h) k.f the Pi liiionilog) lortli to >'. [)ttiiwa jiiK To IIIK P OTTAAVA \' OATINKAr VALLEY RAILWAY AMt O'lTAVVA COLOXI/ATIO.V UaII/.VAV, Office of the Engineer-in-Chief, ICiKNU.KMKX, 1 have the honor to transmit for the information and guidance if the nircctonitos, the accoinpanyin<,' reports relative to the geology, ^niiienilogy and general features of Otts'.wa County and the territory lorth t<» .lames' l>ay, with a view to the ultimate extension of the [)ttawa and (Tatinoau Valley Railway to that latitude. 1 have the honor to bo, (lentlemen. Your obedient servant, J. Ml'RRAY MITCHELL, EiKjIno'r-in- (Jh ief. To TlIK PhKSIOKNT and DiKlXTOUS O. cfc G. V. and O. C. liaUways, Ottairii. mn 005275 w OTTAWA COUNTY. ItF? l=leso-u.rces anci Oap>alollitles. Exactly wliiit iiiva of country in (•oniproliciuli'tl uiulor tlio iil)(»ve titk", caiiiiiit as yot lie HtattMl. Its iinrflioni limit lias not lioeii (U'tor- niined hy actual survey, and may, perhaps, he placed at the south-west ! shore uf St. .lames" l>ay, or else at the simthern lioundarv line of \]h' Hudson's I'.ay Company's territory, ut the height of land. If \vc ^ivo 14,<>0(t s(juare miles as its contents, we shall, ])erhaps, lie near — certaiidy 'inside of — the mark for this last ^•uppo.sitiorl for the northern Iioundary, Altliouith it is the county which has paid flu; ijreatest revenue to the I Provincial treasury, it ha^^, so far, received very little in return. As yetipiitea lariic portion of it has not even l»een surveyed for settlement. Its natural wealth has heeii the cause of much id" this ncfjlect. 'J'lio millions of dollars worth of lundier its forests containc I, has iieen coiiscrvcil for the enrichiiiir of three or four firms, whose oidy care ha^ heeii the liarrin;^ out of settlers, who miifht intrude upon their tindier limits, and a steady resistance to all iniprovuiuents whiIacos. Wherever it is possible tor the ])roduoeto he brought to market, and for necessities to he purchased without restiiotious (tf "truck" or barter, pnisperity is invariably the rule. The Townships of Lochaber, IJucknigham, Templeton, Ilidl, Eardley and West \\ akefiild may be cited as proofs of what I assert. There is no reason why the Townships of Egan and KeiiBington. for instance, should not be as ttpulent and prosperous as any of these, had they the same advantages of trav(d. The soil is said to be oijually good, probably better, and the land generally is not so rough. When the length of tlu' journey to market ha* been reduced from four days to as many hours, we nii'y e.\pect the natural richness of the land to declare itself. At present these more northerly townships produce for sale oidy hay, oats and potatoes, as these products always sell in the shanties. Very little wheat is grown there, although a late /V/r of the distri<'t declared that sixty bushels lu:d been reaped for one bushel sown. There is no rotation of crops, and the little farms are robbed of the material which should 1 e returned to them in the form of manure. Wliat wonder if tlic inhabitants of this eiul of the County are few, when the virtual riders there are men whose interests (dash so ileeidedlv with those of the settlers. But the lack of inhabitants is a Hot an luiniitigiitcd evil. In order to work the land it must first l)o tlioronjflil.v clcurcd of trt^i's. and as pini' is almost tlic onh' innrki'ti»l)Ic lunilicr, owing to the iiiipossiliilitv ol' Moating the lii'uvier hardwoods, tho iniiplc, oak. hntternut, hirch, heech, hasswood, chn, itc, fire rolled into hoaps and burnt out of the way. When tho railways are cuni- l)h'ted, all these woods, now so largely used for ornaniuntal and other purposes, will he of very great value, owing to tho Huddon fiiihn'e of the supply of Iilaek walnut. IMaek hirch. the only eatisfac- tniv suhstitute, has almost doiiMed in value during the pant few months, lliid the land heen cleared hefore railway comninnieation with the trade centrcj wa.- estaolishcd, alt the hirch and other hard- woods must have heen burnt, and thousands of dollars lost to tho coimtry. Kvery Township has some of these woods, and many of them iiave immense tracts of birch, oak and manle of fine growth and ijiialiry. Suiiii nothing but the inere Itrush need be (h'Stroyed, as the (lemaiid for firewood in Hull and < >ttawa will provide a ready market for everything el>e. We may reasunably expect also that the (Jatineau. Aux Lievres ami smaller rivers will be found to furnish advantageous sites for mills ami factories, fur the turning out of wooden-wares and implements. Of lale years (inite an important and lucrative trade has sprung up in paper pulp. The whitest and most fiiimus woods are chosen and taken to the mill in short lengtiis; then, havins^ been freed from knots and bark, the 1, hicks are brought into contact with rapidly-revolving, coaise millstones, and by degrees ground into minute fragments. Sometimes the wooil is reduced to pulp by a more complicated ])roces.s, nece-.-itatiiig a very high pressure of .steam, but the former is the connnoner and probably cheaper sy.stein. With this article Ottawa County could furiii>li the whole paper trade for yearh to come. The woods at ])resent looked U])on as most useless, such as white birch. poplars and soft maple, are just what the business recpiires, and will doubtless be seen to have a reid value, when the attention of mamifae- turers has been attracted to this district. (Jn the line of the liuebec Central Uailway. the extension of the S. K. T. S: K. li.ll., a good tradt- is (lone in short logs of spruce and bal.sani. which are manufactured into ])!ickiiig eases for the English market. There is n<» rea.son why the (iatincau line ano 'iranches shoidd not bring thousands of feet of such material to the factories — ^at the present time tlu-re is an actual demand in Ottawa for an utdimited number of shingles for shipment to tin- I'liited States. Cellar shingles .sell for ^2.7r> ; pine for s.'i.Oo per thousand. This price offers so fair a profit, that a gentleman of my ac(piaintaiice is actually fitting up a small steam nn'll for the manufae- lure of shingles dm-ing the winter, and expects to nuike money by it, though the shingles when made will be carted to Ottawa, a distance of over tin miles. What then would his profits he. were the projected railway com]>lete(W And any mnnber of such mills couhl be kept in operation in the County, so far as the raw material is concerned. Then ihcre is no reason why hendock bark, which sells at from four to eight dollars per cord ; and oak bark, much more valuable to the tanner, should not be .sent out of the Comity, so soon as means of carriage have been ])rovided. Taking these and other similar facts into consideration, I feel sure that the woods of the country are yet to yield ^uch piijfits as will agreeably surprise those who fancy the bush worse than vali.oless, after the pine and fencing cedar has becii taken away. it first 1)0 unrkotublo luiihvooils, arc rolled arc com- luntal and 10 8uddcn ly satisfac- past low nuiiication tlier hard- lost to tho 1 many of rowtli and ;i'^\, ;is tilt' . per nan of my e maimfae- mey by it, listanco of D projected be kept in ned. Then Mir to eight the tanner, of carriage facts into yet to yield bnsh worse taken away. TAa at present situated, however, wo can scarcely woiidor at tho intagouism shown by tho farmers to the trees. iJe knows that jnst t'horo the bush is thickest, a))d tho wood hirgest, he will find his best land. So with no market near, no means nf conveying tho timber to lown, what wonder if he cho|)s the trees, rolls the h>gs into heaps, and dostro^'s them by tire. Invariably the first year's cro|» reimburses him for his trouble. Tho writer has seen oat and wheat straw seven feet hij,h on now land, though the seed was only scratched into tho gminid iwith a heavy harrow, indeed the crops thrown olf by tho farms in this Icountry are, as a rule, wundorfully good. That the soil is rich, geiier- [ally speaking, is proved theoretically l»y the presence in great (piantity of crystalline limestone ; practically by tho immense growth of tho ti'Mber; A'n jjnniKnit, 1 might monition the fact that the huge pino Iboard, exhibited at the (treat Kxhibition, England, was cut from a [tree found upon a well-known "limit" in this County. True, a goo bushels — oot crops are always most successful. Tho ai'ablo land varies from ight loaiii to heavy clay ; from Avarm sandy to black muck. iVnd then the hills are of very great service to the farmer. As soon as the snow leaves them in tho spring, they are covered with sweet succulent grass, than which n(»thing could be better for cattle and sheep. In fact for stock-raising the district could scarcely l»e excelled. The *•. (I//, each). lint then the buyer had to drive the tlock from .'?0 to HO miles to the nearest railway station. For sheep there is no sale at all ; for beef the maiiiiger of one of tho great lumber iirnis is ollering this autumn !f2 pjr cwt., though even ill Ottawa it at present sells at from 4jf cents to 7 cents per pound, live weight— already some of the more wide-awake farmers are prepar- ing to participate in the cattle export trade. Stock is being improved, wintering capacity increa.sed, anil herds enlarged. It is felt that a share in this, the best paying of all the export trades, of right belongs to the (\)unty. though the lack of steam commnnicatioii with the soa- ])orts has heretofore prevented farmers from taking part in it. There are now some of the finest Durhams the world has produced, on the larger farms along the Gatineau Kiver. and the gratles obtained by tho anion of these and tho hardy, well-lmilt cows of the country, will latisfy even the fastidious taste of tho English butcher. In short, as boon as tho road to a fair market is openeil, there can be no doubt lint liat the inherent pen japabilities of the soil will be broiiglit out, much to lie advantage of tho farmer and the prosperity of the country But if all this were not the case, there would still bo most power pf' I ■ till I'oiisoiis for coiiHiilcriiii; tliis tlio mt)St valuable county in the I'rovini'e. 'I'lii' iiiincnils its mokrt contiiiii will certainly ^ive it a turctnoHt |tuHiti(iii, I'vi'U in tlm coiinlry ItoaHtin^ the niincH of St. .loscpli, ISfiiiici', ( 'a|Hltoii.Tlii'tfiire and tiiii- san fi verdict upon the wealth of the County, limiting it to the mere surface indications, is to do it an injustice. I'erhaps it is eipially rash to argui' from the seen to the unseen, but we may certainly hold that a jilain " laiilt" dui's not of necessitv im]»ly the absolute loss, mineralo- ogically speaking, of the vein, riieii the result of all exploratit ,i: OUf must be taken merely as comprehending the irmphii/iil wealth of the rock.-. Tiie remainder will not be manitest until " leads" have been labo!iou^lv followed; " itreaks" in veins looked up, and what Colorado miners term a "i)an rock," discovered in every instance ; and then the nunii'rous detached besiuned immense proportions, and is iiou steadily on the increase. .\or can tlii> be wondered at, when the Wonderful productiveness of Canadian apatite is taken into considi-ia tion. A sani]ile taken almost at random — from a liea|» on the wharf landing — of the High Uock Mine, Portland, gave on analysis. Sll.T^^.") tridasic phosphate. The product of another mine in Ihickinghaiu gave 41 .HSO pliosjdi iric acid, equal to 80.t5S2/ tribasic l)luispliate of lime, .\ccordiiig to the otHcial report of the Analyst to the (loverimient (Jeological Survey, this is about the average yield of the apatite in this country. I give, in a note, a full report (»f the analyses in two cases, taken from the lleport of the (Jeological Survey for 1877-78. For comparison's sake I may state that the well known mine of white(() apatite, at Kstramadura, Spain, yi'dded but 75.('»(»l/ tulittrie phosphate; that of Staflel, (Tcrmany, but 75. 27*^^, and the specimens analysed were, I understand, .selected with some care. So much for the quality of the apatite. As far as quantity is concerned, ■Ma 9 \o antioxt'd roport Hi)OiikH for itself, of tie Hiirfuco intliciitiotiH of tlic ['ownshipH t'MiiiiiiuMl. Iiiforinatioii Iiuh hocn rccoivcd respect ini; liinds tliu north of Di^uloNv, wliicli Icadt) iiio to statu that those who iield liat th*> a]mtite gnuhiallv tiecreascd in vohiine northwards, were must krolmhly not aito^* 'her in the ri^ht. l''<»r inHtunee. in Nortli IMake a [ein lias been discovered running ahont N.K. and S.W., which affords |.\ceilent exhildts of phosphate. It is there associated with pvroxene liul small tpnintities of dark mica, the enveloping rock being mist- lolonrcd -jiuiss. and occasionally Hesh-colonred calc spar. At the north Mid of the I'emiichar^on Lake, an npright rock of tilted strutii displays heautiful vein of the vitreous dark-i(reen ai)atite. 1 have seen a pltecimon ohtaincd 40 miles above the Desert \ il!a<;e, on the (iatincati. jrystalline and evidently extracted from a dejiosit of some extent. I'Voin lumbermen wli<» have travelled miles beymd the prospectoi-s' lortbern limit, I have heard of nameless rock-ltonnd lakes, whose sides sxbibit green apatite in veins of varying wi per toll. I»ut at present the lack of direct rail comimmica- kioii with deep water navigation, presents an almost insurmountable liarrier to the development of the phosphate industry. T!ie trou' le Hid expense of handling such heavy material over country rn.ids, iii ,i h»cky. m vered, and »• 'H doubtless receive the attention j deserves, ii soon as t ' (ratineau .ain line has been constructed. II the Ist iiange of A ^vin, near 'lie river, a peculiar hard galena r 10 has been found. Of loss valiiiibie iiiiiierals, the Ulue Sea district, iiv r.(»ucliette, affords a considcral)le dei)osit of pyrites in mass. Tliis slioidd l)e tliorou; alK)ve a decimal. A gentleman on the Fjjper (tatineaii, who possesses magnificent beds of fine dose-grained limestone in Northfield Township, was offered S'J.'i.") perfo.»t for many tons of the marble delivered in Ottawa, but conld not iieee])t the offer, owing to .he length and difficulties ()f the road. I sent specimens of a (U'posit of coarser marble to a leading stone-worker in Afontreal. and was assured by him, that a well-stocked (jnarry of such material was a very valuable proj)erty. The ouantity at that place is unbounded : a 'stratagrai)hicar' geologist declared it to be an outcrop of the marble belt which turns up at Arnprior, and has become of such vahie there. I'lom a ui'ighbouring Towr.ship I was shewn specimejis of a green-veined anir.l Calcium 3-80:3 Magnesia "loS .\lumina •70.') St'Siniioxide of Iron .... •i'-*.') Alkalies '. Iiisolnble residue "370 1 = 89-682 Tribasic Phosphate of Lime. 2= 7-131 Fluoride of Calcium. 3= 0-40(J Chloride of (^alcium. 4= (»-S40 Carbonate of Lime. Specimen from seventh range of Portland, where exposed veiiu; measured twenty feel across : Ph.wphurie Aeid' 41-13!) Fluorine- 3-S(>3 Chl..nne' -l^r.^ Carbonic Acid' "2-J3 l.ime 4!t-3;;:. Calcium 4-l!t.-> Magnesia r -IHi Alumina ■.")*!»» Ses(piioxide of Iron . . '"i^ Alkalies '. Insoluble residue Of)** 0U-8S4 l = S'.»-81n Trib»sic Phosphate of Lime. 2— 7-5»2'J Fluoride <»f Caleium. 3= 0-3.')8 Chloride of Calei)mi. 4~ C-.')(t7 Carbonate of Lime. 12 THE GATlXEAr VALLEY {Route of the Ottaica miles, the northern 1)oun 8IC0TTK, the most northerly of these, very Httle is known. Pine of excellent (luality is found there in j^reat iilnindance, so that these four townships remain as yet in the hands of the lumbermen. Hard wood, such as maple, oak, birch and beech, attains a large size there, but is at present of no value, owing to the ditKculties of transportation. The size and quality of the timber gives unmistakable proof of the richness of the soil beneath, and as the land is on the whole vory flat, it will become of great value as soon as farmers settle upon it. At present the total number of the inhabitants of these townships does not exceed 300. Excellent specimens of phosphate of lime have been found there, and it is probable that large deposits of this mineral will be discovered when the verdiu'e which at present hides the rocks is removed by the settlers, (lood veins of merchantable asbestos have been reported, but did not come under my notice. Following a southerly direction the next township reached is MAMWAKI. V This township is destined to be one of the most important, from an agricultural point of view, in the whole (tatineau district. It has an acreage of 4r>,0(»0 acres, of which 35,0(iO a(;res in tillable land of tiie greatest value, the soil being genendly a rich black loam. Of the remaining lO.ouit acres .s,()nO would form excellent pastures for sheep. The land is level, is gently rolling as a rule, though somewha* broken to the south by stray ridges. Scarcely a fourth part of the township has been cleared as yet. a considerable imrtion of it having l)cen retained iiy the (iovernment as an Imliaii reserve. The uncleared portion is thickly covered with fine timber, principally i)ine, cedar, oak and birch. Owing to the impossibility of conveying the heavier, though more valnablo kinds to a market by water, lumbermen have heretofore contented themselves with the best specimens of pine cedar only. The liardwood yet remains, thei'efore, and will doubtless make a rich harvest for the bunber merchant as s(jon as he is furnished with the means of removing it. TUK Vir.l.AOE nl. DKSKRT is alrcaily a place of some importance, and as the present terminus of the line will probably soon swell into a town of considemble proportions. It is situated just at the coiifbience of the Rivers Desert and (iatineati, and is the jtrincipal trading post for the Iiidians and trapi»ers north of this point. it already has streets properly laid out, hotels, stores, a Koman Catholic granite church cai)able of seating :i,(iOO people, convent, etc. In the garden attached to the .sicristy. the Ilev. Father rrevost, the local Superior of the order of Christian brothers, has succeeded in raising castor oil plants in such abundance as to enable him to manu- facture oil from the seeds. The sorghum sugar cane has also been found to grow there to advantage. The Hev. Suj)erior is a true lover of his country, as evidenced i>y his desire to develope all tf her resources, and as such, showed the members of the survey every [Missible kindness, recognizing fully the greater importance to the district of the work in which they were engaged. The liust census gives the number of families in the township as O.^o, including settled Indians. Geologi- cally speaking not much is officially known of Maniwaki. The rock is princi[>ally cither a prophyritie, grauite or primary limestone. A whito u crystaline limestone — considered an almost infallible sign of the best agricultural land — was found in close proximity to small beds of apatite. Upon tlie third range near Messrs. Ihunilton's farm, a good promising exhibit of argentiferous galena was noticed in a boulder fragment. The percentage of silvi-r would. 1 feel certain, enable this ore to be worked to good advantage, provided a sutKcientlj large vein were dis- covered. Upon the second range iron sand has jjcen found, the percentage of iron being very high. Hematite iron ore abounds in this and adjoining townships. Of . UI.AKK, (;AMi:UOIf AND HINCKS, three of the townshijjs on tiie east side of the (latincau, I know very little, the ra|)id i)rogress of the survey leaving a visit to them quite out of the (piestion. Frum specimens procured for me by kind friends, I should say that (^ameron and Blake will well repay the atrcntion of mineralogists. An ore obtained from Thirty-one Mile Lake contains copper, with a percentage of silver, almost if not quite equal to the surface indication of the world-favoured Mount Ih'ttss mine of Colorado. Magnetic iron ore of the same quality as that worked to such advantage at Templeton is found there, and I have also seen good specimens of apatite brought from the sair.e district. I am afraid I must disbelieve the many stories current amongst the country people regarding the dis- coveries of gold in these ayiiig ((uantities on the Nortlitield farm. There is a good deal of bircii in Houchette, anil as this is now one of the most valualile wooils it will be rapidly dis|)osed of as soon as the (Jatineau Valley Kailway lias lu-conie a realitv. The population is. say 450, the assessment, being at present .S-l'J,<»(»0. WKIOIIT is at present a most important t(»wnship. It has an area of 4'^.000 acres; jt of it is jjood arabi;! land. The soil is a loam with occasi(»nal licds of day. Several large f.irni;* have, by the use of moilcni ma- cliiiiery, been brinight into an excellent state of culfivation and mIII repay the care bestowed upon them. Wheat of a sample ditbcult to be surpassed is grown there, while roots attain the larg(>st size. The ])opulati(»n is about l,tlO(», consisting principally of farmers ot the lietter class The village of A'ictoria has already been properly laid out and has a Roman Catholic (^hurcli. Court House, agriciiltuial t'X- hii)ition buildings. Its inhabitants number ujiwards of 2 the finest cereal and root crop.*". It has iiiit mucli rock and very little valuable mineral at the front. To the west iron abounds, and small deposits of phosphate have been dis- covered, (iold in small (juantities has been noticed by mend)ers of the ireologicd survey. The townshij) is well settled by a most energetic lot of wiU-todo farmers. Of WAKKFIEU) AND HULL it is (juite imnecessary for me to say much. Both townships have for n)any years been well cleared and found to contain excellent farming lands. (Tcologically they are well known, having been thoroughly explored by well known experts. Vast (piantities of phosphate are found there, and a number of mines are at ])rcsent in operation. I must not close this report witlniut reference to the class of horned cattle the country contains. The influence c»f the lai-ge depot farms has been felt in this direction, the presence of thoroughbred animals of the Durham and Ayrshire breeds having had a most beiieflcial effect upon all the cattle, coiisecpuMitly tli'>re is to be found there just the kind of stock the export trade reipiires— the broad, deep, short-legged beeves which at once take the eye of the British butcher. Taking this fact in connection with the grazing f.;c'ilities of the whole valley, we cannttt doubt but that in a short time a most lucrative trade will spring up, pri>vided the means of rapid and easy transportation are at hand. The farms of Alonzo Wright, Esq.. M.P., Hamilton Bro.s., IIoss l?ros.. Hall At Co., (iibnours, Luke lleney in Aylwin, and otic -s, for extent, fertility and general comlition, are ecjual to any on this continent. The root and other crops in most years have been superior and have always been ecpial to those raised on the hest lands in other portions of the Dominion of Canada. As might have been exj)ected from the nature of the country, the Gatineau River and most of the streams running into it offer many most advantageous sites for mills and factories. As the number of timber shoots upon the main river and its larger tributaries testify, we need go back but a very short dist;ince to And natural falls, with a head of water capable of furnishing motive power to mills of the largest size. I 17 THE ATTX UEYRES VALLEY. (Route of the Ottawa Colon ir^ation Hail way.) (iKNKUAI, Nound termed "guano" ordinarily sold, have arrived at beyond the experimenting point, and the demand appeai-s to be even now very much greater than the sup])ly. As an illustration of personal experience, I may state that in my posituMi as Chief of the Scientitic Commissi(»n in Mexico, I was mdueed to study the action of phosphates on tobacco lands, I can demonstrate to those interested in agricultural pureuits that apatite is of m ti 18 infinite more value hk ii fertilizer. clieni)er. ami its efleets nioi-c pernm- ncnt or Instill^;. In Ottawa (!ounty some eonipanies are vigorously at work at the south end of the (Vninty, viz., in Tenipleton, Buckiiigh .1 i and Tortland, and the richest and most importtint in workinj; are known as,— tlio " bonanza," in Kast Portland, the property of W. A Allan, Kscj ; the '• High Rock," owned hy Messrs. riekforil. Mcintosh Ar Co., and the ''Emerald," owned hy Messrs. Murray and Allan. In connexion with the development of the phosphate mining of tliir. County, the party iiavo received much valualtle information from Mr. W. A. Allan (now residing in Ottawa! who may be said to he the pioneer in ph(»sphates in tin's country, and is probably m(»re conversant with the various townships and their resources than any other gentleman, inasmuch as lie has, for a period of eight years, employed his own experts in ])rospecting for niineral ; hence his exprrience and information is regarded of first importance, and of greatest value. In spite of the drawback of being compelled to haul the mineral over several miles of country roads, and under every conceivable draw- back, this industry gave employment last winter to th(»usands of men. and fully three liundred teams, and ])robably yielded its ])romoters rich returns. I'poii the o])ening of navigation, a steamer, for the purpose of )wiMg imrujes on the Aux Lievres, was very successfully run by tiie l)roprietors of the " High Uoek" Mines, aiid s<»uu' l>(Uii»i» to iir»,tK)0 tons mined and shipped during the season. South-east of tlie County, that is. in the townships of l.ochaber. Mulgrave. Derry and Huckingham. are iimiu'iise deposits of plumbago. The material is of superior erliaps, ever brought to light in any country M'as observed. Jasper also abounds in Denholm, which likewise contains some heavy veins of phosphate, and both llinckB and Denholm are rich in asbestos, of a fibre in most cases longer than that of the " Thetford " Mine, which mine, furnished with railway communication, is now being worked to much good purpose in the eastern t«|)c('tiM«!; \va> liirii nimed oil titeiulily (liiriiifj tlu' nioiitlis of Ortobor, Noveinlicr and part of Deceiiilier. In caiTyiii/; on work of tliis kind in a tliiiily-settlcd I'oiintry. and esjiecially lati' in tlio antnnin, many delays and ditticnitifs were to he cxpecti'd ; Imt we have lii'i'ii siii<;iilarly well aidod, liotli l»y the opi'n weatlier, and l>y very many residents of the County, who one and ail appear to ooiisider the interests of the Company identical with tlieir own. In particular we are indehted to the intellij^eiif-e and perseverance of our fi;uide. Mr. C^harles lii^elow, an old and respected resident of Huckins^hani Township, and well ac of the lands in the different ranges in their order from south to north. When "show,s" on dirt'erent lots or ranges are ^ven to belong to the same apatite belt, such connection is mentioucU incidentally in the narrative. TOWNSIIII* OF P.OVVMAN. IvANoK VII. — On lots 2 and 8 there are some well-detined slutws of green, highly crystalline apatite. The leads in most eases run in four places. The gage-rock is mo.stly fehlspathic. with some little (piartzose gi.eiss, and very little mica. In crossing hits 4. T) and 6 apatite is seen to crop out here and there all along, until lot 7 is reached, where there are two wcll-delincd shows, the gage-rock being ((iiartzosc gneiss, intermixed with orthoclaso and pyro.xeiie. Next on lot s, orthodase and pyroxene still continuing. 2t apntito wari Htnick in oiglit pLicet), in uiio place tlicrr Kcitig u wuli- (leHnud loud riiiining Hoiitli. Hcru there are two Hinall lakeH on top of tliu niountaiiiri, all around which apatite cati he found. There i» n belt of apatite-hearing rockn running acroHni the went ends of the lotn from lot U to lot 18. About l»»t l.'l, and extending for 11 dintanco of about two lots in a heavy belt of crvbtallino linieHtoiie, underlining fcldspathic gnei88, nniall j)iecert of apatite wore found, together with bands of pyroxene and mica through the rockn. The rockrt on the east ends of therte lotH (9 to 18) are all apparently apatite- Iteariiig, and that mineral wan found there in live or six placen. Near the centre of lots 18 and 1*.>, there Ix what is Known as the "McKen/ie Mine." This was very closely examined. On a belt of rock iicaring north-east from the mine forone-fonrthof amile, and about fifty or sixty feet high, the mineral apatite shows right uj* to the top in two distinct places very strong, and in a well-deiine(I shape, the veins iinpearing to Iwur north-east, and dipping at an angle of about 80'^. 'I licre have been some tons of phosphate taken from this place, but the mine has been left in very poor shape. The gage-rock is t'cldspathic gneiss, with some pyroxene, mica, and very ])ure calc spar. The ai)atite is a rich green, say from 85 to 88 yniv cent., highly crvstalline, but as depth is attained becoming more granular. These l(»ts are apparently of very great >alue, and should not i»e disposed of ill their present shape, because the "show" could, at small expense, be opened out so as to exhibit very heavilv. A mountain about two hundred feet high runs north-west on the west ends of lots 20, 21 and 22. Apatite shows on this mountain in ten distinct places, beginning at about fifty feet from the bottom and extending right to the top. The apatite is highlv crvstalliiie, with ' i^ ther ightly-colored pyroxene and mica; irraiiied leldspathic gneiss. Some one lias boeii iiere aiui ■ • Half very close- fired SolllO of thc>e lots shots, but they have not worked in the iiest place is fine land, bearing good timlK-r. . Following north along west ends of lots as far as lot H2, there is ' good land, level enough for farming purposes, and bearing fine timber. Apatite was found on lot 34, nenr the edge of White Fish Lake, and if this lot were prospected more closely, the mineral would probably lie found in larger fjuantities. From lot 5(i to lot .^S the rocks appear to be very rich in apatite, but a dose inspection of these lot* was not made. 11ax<;k VI. — On lot 4 there is a well-defined show. On lot ."». Slid to be owned by Mr. Robertson, of ( Utawa, there ai"e two good shows. On west end of lot <• there is another very good show, ('art of each of these three lots is good land, bearing tine cedar. Here and there along the top of mountain, from lot to lot 10, tho rocks are partly mixed witii a[»atite: on the top the sediment is so deep that we were unable to get at the solid mineral, but it appeai-s to drop down through here to Range V., and the feldsjiathic and (luartzose gneiss is rich — apatite appearing here and there all through. On these lots there is a belt of rock running north-east for about one mile, tho average height being about two hundred feet, all ((uartzose gneiss, intermixed in some cases with orthoclase and specks of apatite. In lots 15, 10 and 17 there is some fine flat farming land, covered with large (piantities of good pine and cedar. From lot 18 to lot 24 apatite was not found in paying quantitie.- ; but the rocks on 19, 2<» and '21 oo j;ive siic'li imlicatioiiH tliiit tliciv cniiiiot lie Imt lii-iivv pliospliiitu, ouii- >i(K'riiiij tlie pnul (^liowr*. On tlu-nu lofH flu'iv are liirijij (iiiaiititii'H of jrtMid hliick ciak, ami on tnp of iiioiiiitaiii, iiiitiMK-liiMl h\ liiiiihoniii'ii, sDiiie tiiir piiio, al.M) Hoiiic ^uiKi tarriiiii;^' latnl There in apatite on lots 24. 'J. 'i anil 'J(i ; on lut 2.'> in three tlintinet places. On west ends »»f lilts 2.'5. 24 an 1 2."). apa'iit*' was Tu'ind with pynixeiie and mica on a helt of rocks hearing: nearly cast and west, with an averag*' heii;ht of aliont twenty feet. The y:a"e-rock in some cases llesh-coloretl spar. The apatiti- can he seen in many places (fonr ot thcM' Iteinjj very strong shttws) to;;ether witli the head-wall, it dips at ahout 'M north-east. In the centre of the«e U»ts apatite was fouiul in ei^^ht phu-es, the wall-rock Iteiiij; very rich nnoaccons j^nciss ; hut on account of tiie depth of the sedinient. tlu' oxti-nt of the apatite-heariiiL' rocks was not ascertained. There tlu' ".ni^'e-rock appears to dip or shift into (puirtzosi' <;neiss, the apatite slij^htly mixed alonjrside of pyroxene and nuca : formini^ what is, without douht. a very ^i'ood formation. The land of ahout naif of these lots is irood, and heurs plenty of j»ine. cedar and taniarae. The apatite appears to cross the south halvo of Uanj^es V., \'l. and \'I1. in three tlistinct holts— (1) It strike^ Hrst from lot .'! on Uanire \'II.. to lot 4 on Uanj^fc \'l. ("2) Tlu' next >tronj; place i> lots l.'l or 14, Kanjic \'I.. and from that it stei)s down to IJanjre V., making: >tronjr for Scalier Lake. «;]) Then from Uaii-ic VII., lots IS, l!t, 20 and 21, it steps down in direction ea.-t north-east mh IJan^'e \'l.. lots 2.'S, 24 and 25, still keepinj;: down throu;;h Uaii^re V., at hack of Lake Itonjje. From lot 2.'» to lot lio the averaj^e half of each lot is, good laiul. Kroiii lot .']i> to I'rovisioii Lake the land is partly roujjh with some very good timher, the rocks, nio>tly fehUpathio ami ipiart/.ose gneiss with heds of pyroxeiu- and mica, showing out here and there. From Provision Lakt' to lot ."is the apatite >tep» down >tronger, and near the nurtli end of Saiilochs Lake it appears to crop out strong and heavy, and in coiitiiuious veins of uniform width of ."• feet. liAMii; \'.- ( >n lots upposed to he owned hy private individuals, and openings have heeii made; hut we were unahle to ascertain the exact numhcr> of the lot.-, hut we helieve it to he all (iovernment laml. Lrom \>t iJj to lot 22 apatite will he found m many places showing up strong and in good shape. There are some vei-y heavy deposits on l(»ts 2. 20 and 27. and thence extending to Croche Lake. .Vround here the gneiss rock ap|K'ars twisteil and contorted in many ways, and in some places somewhat discolored, approaching to rust. Heavy deposits of apatite lie around or near here. From Croche Lake to the end of the township on this range the land is level, good for farming purposes and heavily covered with timher — the .soil generally extremely rich. IvAN(.K l\'. -On this range the formation is such that phosiduite cannot he found in paying (juantities up ar> far as lot .">(>, except that judging from the run of the apatite in Kange \'., something ndght he expected hetween lots 2!> and 3S on the west ends of the lots. From 50 to 5S is a continuation of the fertile vallev descrihed in Uaiige V. iiiii~(i'i«'i\ii iiii\ii fiuiiiiim (ii'i(iii«.7 II 1 till Ki'iiiii lot 4s til lot M iH a ('niitiniiiitioi l«' v.illt'V, low liilU honlcriii;; .... iiANt.i: II,- .Xpiitito wiirt t'o All tlic jjiim? rock iii'otiiitl Ik'Iv in rmiii loi •t-' M> loi, .1.-1 iM ii ciiiii iiiiiiiiioll of tlu* lll(OVlMIU'Iltioll('i lorliU' V.illt'V, low IiIIIh honlcriii;; it rich in tin; iiiiiicral. liANoi: II,- Apiitito wiirt t'oiititl ill iimiiv pliiccs on lots 51 to .'>8. ' ' in iiiiciiccoUH jrnciss. intersected licro .111 till ^n^i: ii'i-i\ tiiiMiiiii iii-ii 1" liiniii"l-iiur^ l^in'l^:*, I ll ll'l ?*ui I IMl iUTf mil tlicrc with hciivy hcds or liiin* of i)yro\cnc, iiiicii iii"' hijriily iciitcd liornhlcndc, mixed with tine sunipio of verv liij;lily ciystaljine ii-eiiiolite, the tirst of this mineral we have Hceii in tlii.t towiiHliii). In some jtlaeeH iron pyrites can he seen, also the lirst we have .seen in this lowiisliin; and same siyns of the mineral sphere. Tliesi- lots will turn out well, a.s the minerals are very dark co|ure(|. have heeii hiw:hly heated, and the she, Is of the seams are tihroiis. There has lieeii a ^'reat commotion here, and in thri-e plac.'s stands have lieeii made liy the coiillictin;; upheaval of minerals. |{.\N(.h I.Owinj; to the iidiltration made hy the minerals in IJanifc II, - .iiie of the apaiite-lieariiiij rock has jutted out into the hack parts of loi - ."il to .'■»7 of Uaiiire I; in some places it may he fiiiiiid sfroiii.'. hii' if doe«. not appear to crop mit near the river. This .iwn>hip is well arraniicd for drawiiiu' the miiiei'al from the mines, many level planes intersecfin;; it. ^.mod roads eoiild he easily made, and in some case> shanty roads already exist. The land, in this township, is td" a very j;iiod ipiality for fariiiiii;r purposes, with the exception of the strip aloiit.' the river, which is very poor, heiii;; soiiiewhal li,outh-east side of the mountain, and low down near the level land, underneath as it were, this rusty feldspathie ijueiss, hands; iff calc spar and crystalline limestone, heariii";; east and we.st, is visihio. A .stronj^ show c(MiI(I prohahly ho found here, although .some of the 'I 24 mica lias nither a silvorv appcaraiiet'. FarlluT wt'fst is all upatite-bear I ing i-oclvs, until the hack of the rook is rea<'lie»l ; these lots are of ipa lot iimloiibtcd valne. Lots 27 and 28 are just below the rapids on the Aux Lievres, and we have a water power of inagnitnde. On the opposite side in the township of Wells, the foot of the rapids is closed in by a hii?h range of hills. Lots 22 and 2-5 afford the best facilities, for landings and sites, there l)ciiig a trail from tliem out to the Government road. Lots 2!t and ;50. Kange IL together with lots 2!) and JJO, Range L in the township of Wells, embrace the rapid " De Croche." Tlie fall here is about twelve or fifteen feet, affording another verv valuable wiitcr power. Lots 44 and 45. Range III. together with lots 44 and 45. Range A of Wells, contain the Irociuoir liapids. which extend for about two liiindred and tiftv vards along the river v. itli a fall of about twelve feet. There are numerous water powers of lesser magnitude. Hard- wood ill aliundaiice. IIam.k III. — We struck apatite in rather a faint shape on lot 14. Keeping west and south-west, to White Fish Lake, the rock;' are all iipatitc-lioaring, but the sediment is deep, and only in places can the rock be seen. Ex|)lorations will undoubtedly pay here. From lot 1 to lot 12, the land is level, good for farming, and has vt-ry tine timber. With lefeieiice to Ranges 11 and III from lot 25 to .'55, between Liic-cau and the river, on lot JU, Range 11. a view "i ;:'.lc spar was found, a little di'^colored. highly erystalline and |>.ire. The vein i.» about (1110 foot wide, with eight inches of same sub.-jtance on head wall sidi'. Iieavily mixed with mica of a very dark and sooty appearance. This vein or lead runs due east and dips about north-east, say 3.'), and can be traced many hundreds of feet down to the lake, and out to the river. These ca!e spar veins are imjwitant at all times as leads for many niineials, so from such indications as these, we struck south- west. Xear the centre of lot. 25 and 2 heads dijv j)iiig west at about SO". .>«licwing that the drift or current from east t<» west, was shar|> and far underground, leaving little or no chance for us to get at the a|)atite, although the rocks have an apatite-bearing api)earaiK'e. (iettiiig back into the west ends of lots on Range III. we struck due north across lots to 'VA, finding only jiockets of apatite, the rocks continuing much the same. The current lies here at a greater (!e])th than any which has been yet observed in the Ottawa locality, and until by means of diamond drills, series of li(»Ies have been put down, to from six hundre>i, no ])art of which has been travelled minutely, lint on which we believe phosphate can be found in good (jnantity, tlie indications being good. TOWNSIIII* OF WKLLS. We next prospected from lot 8. Range II., up the west side of River des Ours, to lot 1!^, and from l'-\ crossed over to 18. Near the centre of lots 15 and 10, Range III., the apatite crops out strong in over twenty places, there being some magniticent shows in well- iJcHued veins. The gage-rock is feld.-pathie gneiss, very much discolored with rust, partly oxide of iron and magnesia, but as depth is reached the rust will disappear from the apatite. The apatite here is of a I)right blueish color, liighly crystalline and very tine (say SS per cent.) The ri(l";e or licit of rocks is verv hii'h. much contorted, twiste in bed of river there is crystalline limestone in heavy beds for iibout one-tpiarter mile north-west, the tnountain rising very abruptly. Here (piartzose gneiss in bands dipping partly north, say tifty feet high, and here and there heavy beds or bands of pyroxene and mica mixed. Then for one-half mile west the gneiss begins to show rust .mil feldspathic, and the apatite cro]>s out well, and as we have said iicfore, strong and in grand shape down into a small lake, and still going west for half a mile more the gneiss is black from great heat, and is mixed with ttninnaline compact and massive : tremolite. liorn- iilciid and we thiid< some s|)lieiie. This bi'iiigs us down to Range II. In many place.: .■•icks partly phosphate were fonml along top of mountain. In one pliice there is a loo.se stone —.say ten tons in weight — partly (piartzose gneiss, which, singular to say does not appear to belong to this formation. l'"rom here the a|iatit(! appears to dip and strike right a<'ro.-s the river to Rigelow, lots 7, >> and '.K Range 1. On lots S and 1», Range II. of Wells, there is not much, if any, apatite; but fronting as they do, the two rivers, we consider they must become valuable for haiding and wharfage. Some of these apatite-bearing rocks were first found liy lumbeimen. There is a series of rapids on the Des Ouis River, extending for about three hundred yards through the lots recommended, the total fall being prtiliably about sixteen feet. This would give a first-class water power, in fact ivt one point a head of ten feet could be very 26 easily maiiitiiiiied tin- wliole yenr. All kiiKli< of hardwood abound. At tlie north-east and sonth-ea^t sides of two of Mr. James MactJalHsV kts we partly ovcrhanled two very large apatite-hearing mountains, and dug up ten or fifteen pounds of that mineral. The gage-rock all an»und here is feldsi>atliit' gneiss, with he ivy heds or hands of pyroxene, and half mica and apatite mixed, showing out in every eonceival)le shape on surface, and much charged with rust. VVc riuiy say that what Me saw here, if properly worked, will be found to be a mine of wealth, and will satisfy any reasonable mining operator. To conclude, thi^ township, as far as our information goes, we lu'lit'V*' that |»hosphate mav Itc fouiul crossing from lots Ui, 17 and is. Kangc 1. of this township into i'igelow, and that it can be seen near the ItauK of the river Au\ I.icvres. but m»' are unable to give detinite information. Tlie eastern side of this township should be further explored and tiioroiighly ; and if apatite is found there in paying ijuantities, the exi)lorations should then be pushed still lurther eastward, to find, if possible, the whole length of this belt. As far as we have seen in Wells, up to lot :{♦> the land is only fair for farming purposes, but al)0ve that it beoonu'S heavier and more fertile, as we near the end of the township. I (iK,M.UM. .NuTl> ON 1 M K A I'ATn K-UKAUIM. ]>i:i.lS ANIi ll(M KS IN in I. < hTAWA 1{K(.I(»N'. From a mining point, what we term a l>elt. is a current which must have travelled from east to we^st. and in so doing, where heavy walls or dikes <»f gneiss were met with the apatite made for the surface in con- junction with other minerals, until a clearance had been effecied. These surface shows are the mines t>i the present day. In some cases the mineral took side spurts off this belt, both north and south, until the clearance above mentioned was effected. In travelling through nowmaii. from west to t'ast. these belts are found to strike strongly from Range A II into Denludm in the follow- ing places : From lots 2 aiul 8 ; from lots 7 and 8 ; from lots IS, 10, 2<> and "_*1. There is also a belt striking across from lots 24 and 2r». and farther north-east, in IJange VII. up to White Fish Lake, the land being nearly level, and in the line of the belt, the mineral must have ilipjH'd below, ami our explorations teml to prove this theory. .\giiin from ints A and I>. Range V of Iiowman, rmation, and we regret that we have not been enabled, for want of tinui, to put them to ii real te.-t this fall, however, a pai't}' should be sent out in the spring to extend the amount of information already ol)tained. In eonelnsion we would say that leining cajMtalists should procure diamond drills and start a series of borings in the various townships and at ililferent angles, so as to arrive at as it were the average thicK- ness as well as the dej)th of the veins of these great phosphate belts in Ottawa County. This is neeessary in sueli an enterprising and pro- ui'issive age i>s the present, if we wish to fully develoj) this braneh of industry to obtain good returns for the amounts of capital invested. In the methods of mining great improvements can yet be made. The anti(|uated methods shouid be laid aside, and steam drills, batteries, anu eompressiMl air, when ;e(|uired. should be brought into use. (Mie steam drill will, in good hands, in an oi)en pit, do the work of fully eighteen men, and in a drift much more. We are of opinion that little protit will accrue to the individual enterprise. There are thousands of lots upon which ])hosphate exists, but the great mines are few, and can only l»e successinlly worked by ciiinpanies having approved and modern appliances, including for development with certain results, the diamoinl drills, { the tiiwnshii)s above mentioneil, will prove of gieat interest, the indications noticed by some of our party and the reports current, tend to mark tliat region even more prominently as the phosphate region jKir LireU'/icc, but it is more than likely that the mineral will lie found at greater depth, and with geni'rally less mountainon> and ordinary sur- face indication. In resuming these exploratioiif next year, the riiwu>hips of Deidiolm, Ilincks Cameron and I'lake northward should lie taki'M up, and for the reasons hereinbefore outlined. lii'fore concluding \\v woidd impress upon you the iniporraiiee and value of tin- timber in the district \ isited. eoiMprising inaplo, iM'dar, taniarac. oaks, hi'iulock. beech, liircli. ba>s\\(Pod and the usual liint's. In the area traver-cd at lei,-t •_' or : |)urpoM's may be had. anelvi's create a large The lakes visited are teiMiiing with iish. am marten, and large and small game a|>pear to lie [ilentiful. 1 miilioii ties tor railway I'or tri'>tliiig. culvi'i'ting, The hemlock and oak and profitable bii^iucs,-. mink, muskrat, lieaver. M -s I«V 28 OTTAWA C[TY AND .FAMES' BAY. Tlio Ottawa and (Jatiucau A'alluv Kailroad Comjiany, in addition to tlie I'arly c'diistnictiini of tlieir main line, liave in conteniiyJation tlie proscention of an oxtonsivc i'Xi)l(>ratnrv survey from tlie Desert Kiver. the present terminns of the road, to James' I Jay. the distance from Ottawa U) the iJay l>y the Ilnrrieanaw iiiver route being about 450 HHJes. anil aeknowledged to be not only the most direct, but easiest of construction, whilst traversing" a line of country full of valuable minerals of a hijjhly merchantable character, aiid offering an inviting iield for the cajiitalist and farmer, secttnttawa, IMuskoka and Algoina district:., is almost uid»roken by lakes, and oidy occasionally by rocks ; and that south and south-west of .lames' Hay, at some distance iidand, a fertile belt, well adapte(; for agriculture exist>, which, when the mineral and forest weaith of the comiti'v is being turned to account, will be an inviting field for the farmer. CoAI. AND IKON MIM;<. It is exceedingly gratifying to learn from Prof. UelTs recently published report, th.it around .lame>" IJay and up to tlu' eastern side of Ilmlson liay lie great deposits- of iron and coal. m> close together that with the cheap water freights which the region may atfi'rd, the flistrict along .lames" Lay may yet become ancrtiier Pennsylvania. Prof. Pell, after rt'ferring to the soil, climate and forests of the district, says : ''Minerals may, however, become in the future the greatest of the resources of the shores of Ihidson Pay. Little direct search has yet bei'U made for the valuable minerals of these regions. In IST.'* I found a large deposit of rich ironstone on the Mattagand Kiver. In 1S77 inexhaustibU' supplies of good mangaidferous iron ore were dis- covered on the islands near the Past Main coast (that is the coast along the eastern shore of -lames' and Hudson J'ays^ and prondsing ([uantities of galena around IJichwood (iidf and also near Whale Iiiver. Traces of gold, silver, molybdenum ami copper were likewisf; noted on the 29 Epst Main coast. Ligoite M'as met with on the Missinaipi (a branch of tlic Moose), fiiypsum on the Moose, and petroleuni-hearinfj; liniCHtO'iO on the Altittihi River (another tribntary of tlie Moose).'' Anotlier oxpU>rer. roferrinijf to the great iron, coal and other minerals of the !U'ighborhood of James' Bay, says : " 1 have no hesitation in prononncing this district the richest mineral region in the Dominion ; perliaps on the continent." Anthracite and iron are found along tiie rivers south of .liinies' Bay, a gigantic outcropping, containing ovm- 25 ju'r cent, of pure iron ore, dispjivying itself along the Moose, and a niiignctic island oil the Abittibi, rendering the survciyor's compass useless. To Ontario this immense nnneral wealth is likely to yet prove an important factor in her prosperity, particularly as Moose Kort is only 5(10 miles t'rom Toronto, and on the completion of the connecting link the Calendar, near Lake Nipissing, a Moo.se Factory |]ranch over .'JoO miles long, from neir Nipissitig, or a branch only 2av or in its drainam' basin includes, accordinfi to i'rof. Bell, the spruce ( two feet or more in diameter i. the tamarac, balsam, poplar (luxurian), Banksian pine, silver fir, arbor vitic, elm, white pine and red pine, and of lesser importance the poplar, mountain ash and mountain maple. As James' Bay is as near to Liverpool ,is is likely to be developed some day. the ipiestion arises, - are climate conditions >nrticiently favorable for the agricnlture which will be necessary to >ustai!i the large population which may flock to .lames" J>ay territory? i'rof. Bell, who has spent thirteen >ninmers around Hudson Bay. tliiidimilar ( fleet ; casual experiments in wln'at-growing have succeeded at some localities. Moose Factory, at the extreme north of the Moose drainage basin, is in latitude al .lS .S i is higher than that of many parts of the best wheat-growing lands of the North-West, and less than four degrees colder than that of Winnijieg— a ditVerence ehieliv percei)tible in early spring. The southern part of the .lames' Bay district is further south than Manitoba, and (»ii the same latitude as districts in (Quebec, where wheat and even Indian corn are grown every year. The "fertile belt" of the district is a gently undulating plain, with a sandy loam soil, and lies in the same latitude as Winnipeg. m i I 30 If wheat in Manitoba is an aHsured snceoss every year, it is rcastmaltle to snppose il.ut .'anios' Bay district, with its large area of fertile soil, cannot be without asn. As excessive tcmiteratures as Moose I'ort kntiws. are recorded in the colder settled ])arts of Ontario. TUK XORTM WINDS OK Sl'KINfJ. In March occasional temperatures of 4.-1 to Hd above zero indicate the approach of spring. In the early ])art of April the ground becomes bare. l)Ut the weather is exceedingly disagreeable and variable until near the ndddle of May. cold wiixlsand warm winds rapidly alternating. This is due to the fact that .lames' I'ay being exceedingly siiallow. ex- cept in the deep central portio'i. freezes almost over its whole width - l'i(> miles— and iioi'thward to its junction with the deep open waters «if Hudson r>ay. presenting in this rcspeet an analogy to the northern end of the Caspian Sea. The ice in spring remains and melts in the liay. and the cold air arising from it is drawn southward by the greater heat of the Moose Jiiver i)asin. North winds are thus the prevalent winds during .Xjiril, May and June. In this respeet the immediate neigh- bourhood of the bay reseiubles Cape I'.reton. ami several other parts of the ^Maritime I'rovinces where spring is retarded to i.n almost similar degree I»y the cttid winds from the icy current flowing down the coasts. In May Moose Factory is4 degree> cooler than I'rinci' .Vrthur's Lantl ing, but inland, where the cold iiortli winds lave lost their force. tlii> month, like the rest of the sj)ring. is warmer. (Jardening at the I*"ort begins about the middle of May. and the last severe night frosts occur before the month is over, and temperatures of nearly S<»' in the slia warm as liftv and a iiiiiKlred miles inland, and are cooler in .liine, July and A'^ust than at Wiiinipejr, and in many parts of the North-West, l»ut warmer than at other S'ortli- Western district, or at K(linhur;.'li. Scotland. Tlie fo!!owin.di London, Fnyland i)K<;. 54.0 58.8 .'>♦!.(> 5S . 7 UI'.I ;. (\'2 . 57.0 5S.7 Kcl. 58.5 5(! , 8 liK.i.. 58.2 5!t . (] 57. -J till Wick. Scotland .54 II Truro, N.S Friiice Arthur's !,andin . 8 (Kl.i) 71.0 ♦K > . 8 tll.C. »- »•) . < ' i 7 . 5 Wiiid.->or "0.7 rilK T.IMIT OK I'KOKITAIU.E WIIKAr KAKMI.\<;. Wheat reijuires for its ripeiiiiiir in Scotland a mean tempcr.itiirc for three months of at least 55 dci;recs. and in the interior of continents .\ temperature a few dci^rci-s hii^lier, .so as to counter balance thcetfccts of the chillier-niirhts occasionally expcrience(l inland. It would, there- fore, appear that altlioiiirh wheat would easily ripen and produce a ifood crop .«ome years at Moose Fort, the mean teiiipi'iMtiirc of the place miirht render it a rather ))recarion8 and not vt-ry protital.h,' crop. Moose Factory, however, is siirroinded by a low, wet. cold, clayey soil, and exposed as well to the cold winds from the bay. I'eyond doubt the inlands valleys witli their warmer soil have a teinperatiire in many localities as fav(.urable for wheat growiiii; as some parts of Kiiirland and Scotland, where it is a staple croji. OATS AM. UAUI.V ( KKTAI.N ( Uol'S. The average temperature rei|uired for wheat is at least tivedeirrees irreater than is re(piired for barley and oat.s. The.sc crops succeed far up the Mackenzie river, beyond the Arctic circle in ^Jorway, and in the iiortlu rn counties of Scotland, where the summer mean is only 52 to 54 , and the month of June is sometimes as low as 48', or G lower. ■mpi :I2 tlmii iit iMilow* Factorv. Outs iippuar t<» 1k' aHiseiibitivo to frubt ats wliuat, ami it it can I)0 shown tliat tlie climato of Moose; Factory coiuparuH will in exemption fiotii frosts with localities where oats snceeed well, the fjeneral lii^'li temperature of the summer months will jjuarantee the fiill success of the oat and harley crops in the James' liny rcjfion where- ever a proper style of farminjr is pursued. (dNTINVorS KXKMI'TION KKOM FKOST. Tiikiii^ the averaffe dates of the occurrence of the last temperature (»f .'lli in sprinir and tlie tirst fall to the freezinjj point in the close of summer, we timl the folh;win;r to lie the averajre i^eriods cd' continuous exemption from Mack frost for the three years 1878-80; — Last 32 dej,'. l-'irst •.V2 \'2 .."» wac iviidicd in dl«- tiirts wlii'iv wheat isa staple crop, while in the north of Scutland hard ii'iists are ^onietinies known in inidsnniiner, thon;.di oats and harley are iiiiiwn extensively. The facts stated prove that for at least oats and liiiilcv the climate of even the northern part of Mie vast Moose Kiver li;i.>in is adiniraldysuitaltle, and thev indicate that even wheat cidtivation iiiiiy lie found ])ractiealile on warmer soils inland. Hot waves are as fretpient and almost as intense as at Turunto. The a\eraj;e hijrhest in May is 7;'* , in .July SS , in Oclnljer 74 . The iiMTiiji'e hijihest in Toronto in .Inly is only tM , and in October is «is , <ar-frost at ^^oosc Factory occurs not till alxuit the ;»tii of Sep- I'lnlier, aval the first fjennine frost not till the end of the month, or ■ |iiite as late as in most part> of Ontario. In <)<:tolK'r the days are ::( nial. and occasionally decidedly warm, and tin- nijrht-frosts at the iiid of f\io ..lonth not so severe as at Winnipeg;. The l>e;jiniiin<; of November is nsually nnhl, but as the month wears on towards the iiiiildle, winter sets in with .snows, sometimes heavy, and the ther- iimmett'r dips towards zero. Itefore the month is Over the rivi-r is umer.dly frozciU, and tin- winter, which is much bri actually up to 81 S, or higher than has been known in a Toronto ( >('tober in forty yeaiv. The followin}^ table shows the mean temperature of autumn : — Moo.-e Fort, Winnipejr, I'.attleford, I'ort Macleod, I'ort Caluary, Fort Fdmonton, I>iinvefi;an, Toronto, NV indsor. Sept. |)K(i. ;5 years .'iS.D .3' " 50 8 2 " , 4t;.l» 3 " j 54 <; 18S0 1 47.2 18S(» i .58 4 188(» I 4ti.(; 3 years { 5i).l 3*" ! 62.0 ( )ct. IIKO. 4i.;5 ;58.it 33 , 2 40. It 3«i.l 41.2 :5!>.3 4!».7 53.0 No\ i)i:o. 2I.S 21.3 li>.8 27.2 20.5 ID.O 34.1 36.0 I \h' »l Tim li^nn's pri'Hciitril fiiiniKli uiH>i|iiiv(»ciil toBtiniuiiv to tin- nuitiil»ility of till! climato of iiiiich of tlu' .linnet' |5iiy (liMtiict \^>r hailiv, outs, iiiitl various otlior staplo fmps. If casual I'xpi'riiiieiits at some points liavo failt'd, tlic cause may Ik- found in i<;noran(T or c'arL'K'ssiii'«is in i-oiwliu'tinj; tliein. Ofscvi'ial hninlrt'il farmers at Kdmontoii. only a fi'W took tlu' prci'aiition to sow their wheat early in the spring; of ISS] ; these reaped ;,'ood crops in jjood eonilition and comparatively early. althoUfj;h the summer was cold. wet. and liackwani : the others mot practical farmers) who allowed their opportunities to >lip liy unimproved. Iiae who p(v-.r|)one ploughing; or sowin;; a fortidujht or so later than it can tir>t he done, i.UAIN AMI AI.I, ini: \ Ki.KTAUI.KS (iUoWN. The evidi'iu'c of the ajrricidtural capacity of tlu) .lanu's' I'ay «'ountry, derived from actual cultivation is necessarily wvy uu'aj^re. hut i> on the whole encourai^in^'. \V heat sncceids at Lake Temi^-ca- miuirue. near the south-<'asteru hord »'!•■ I'rof. r.ell. when three hundred miles north of Lake Nipissinj.'. was surprised hy finding a Stotcli faruK r settled there for sevi'ral years, installed comfay traders and ndians. The farnu'r had sowed wheat one year for an experiment. 1' and It rij)ei:cd wi As tl lerc was no mi 11. w 1 heat ?ay. ad not attemp te, and heaiis succeeded well, "althougii eX{>osed to the chilling winds which came from the ice on the l>ay." In another hook he siys :- "Sown wheat has stood the winter frosts and grown very well the >umnier following, and Mack cherries also have grown md home fruit.'' Mr. Edward Thompson, for three years stjrgeon at xM o( »se Fort, savs he has seen far IIKTTKK UAKI.KV AND oAlS M MOOSK UIVKU than he over saw in the Orkneys, hut tlu; quantity sown was small. "There was grcmiul enough hroke for corn (grain t. hut never any eiicoiiragmont given for sowing it. l»ut the reverse, the (ioveruor for- hidding it for no other reason than that if corn (grain) had heeu sown, a colony would soon liave heou erected there." Prof. Bell, in the latest of his reports which has come to hand, speaks very highly of the country for grazing and dairying, liesides its cultivated grasses it. ])roduces in .some parts, particularly on the south-west and western shores of the Hay, near Fort .Vlhany, ♦10 miles further north than Moose Factory, immense (jnantities of wild hay. At Moose Factory oats, harley, heans, peas, turnips, heets. carrots, eahhages, and onions 86 ,ur I'liltivatud with i)erfL'('t ouhl', while uvoii tliu troiHcal toiiiuli* »ii('ciH'(l»*. Art the Hoil ami |>e<'iiliai' nxposuro of Moo.se Kaftory an- Miit'iivniiral)le, tJiL" fact of thin Hiiccuhs auj»iirs well for the future aj^ri- niltiiral developmetit of the moie southern coniitry inland. Tiiat all ilic tloni is the same as th.it around (^ueltec is cited Uy j'rof. I'.cll as a l>iniif of the mildness of the climate. I'inally, Mr. Alonzo Wrijfht, M.W, who is, perhaps, more (!oiiv( r- smt with all these facts than any other j;»'MtIeman in ('atiada, has stated lii« \ lews very aitly in respect of this iiortliern rejjiou — indul;;inj; in iin theories— in his speeches in I'ui. lament; tlu; hoiioraldc Mieiiilicr i|i«tin«!tly says there is a territory there IlKVM.Mi Thi: UKliiMT oK LANH, i-,i|ialtlc of atiordinjj homes for millions of people; and Thomas Kci'lcr. Ks(j„ C.K., ;rives it as his opinion that the mineral resources of the ilistrist as a whole ar«' the most promising of any portion of Canada. Therefore under these and all the circinnstances herein set lurtli. 1 respectfully sidtmit tlu! sanu- for the earnest consideration of I lie //nci-r-inC7ii)j', i'.ii: a. ]'. d: O. C. Jiitllirmjs, OnAWA. Pec. .'». l>Si. 1