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"I"". 'I "» I m H «l iil> W»«—1 H I»I M» I ' I ■! , lllji iM H iiilll I I , 1 H) _ 
 
MORTIMER SCO LITH OTTAWA. ONT 
 
 DOMINION OF CANADA.-OUTLINE MAP St 
 
 ( To illustrate papa 
 
.INE MAP SHEWING THE LARGER UNEXPLORED AREAS, 1890. 
 
 illustrate paper by George M, Dawson.) 
 
.'; 
 
 ■ 
 
 ■d 
 
 ON SOMR 
 
 Tf on rea( 
 to the Ottaw 
 it to he my i 
 of the unexj)' 
 any suoh int( 
 or notliing in 
 ready to picti 
 deep in Catl 
 removed fron 
 attention to t 
 
 Fortuna 
 tendency of o 
 and open to e: 
 small world i 
 impelled by i 
 dangers met ^ 
 closely follow 
 not long after 
 It is, therefor 
 from any otht 
 government f 
 purpose in ad( 
 show cause, if 
 of Canada as i 
 
 What I 1 
 into remarks ( 
 areas to whic 
 manner, I beli 
 
 It is ver) 
 extent elsewht 
 that explorati( 
 tiling of the pi 
 
ON some; op the larger unexplored regions of 
 
 CANADA. 
 
 (Uy O. M, Diwson, D.S., Assoc, R.S.M., F.G.S., F.R.S.C) 
 
 (Read 7th March, 1890.) 
 Tf on reading the title of the paper which I had promised to contribute 
 to the Ottawa Field Naturalista' Clul», anyone whould have Buppoaed 
 it to be my intention to endeavour to doHcribe or forooaat the character 
 of the unexplored areas itientioned, I must, in the first place disclaim 
 any suoh intention, The very existence of large regions of which little 
 or nothing is known, is of course stimulating to a fertile imagination, 
 ready to picture to itself undiscovered " golden cities a thousand leagues 
 deep in Cathay," but such unscientific use of the imagination is far 
 removed from the position of sober seriousness, in which I ask your 
 attention to the facts which I have to present. 
 
 Fortunately, or unfortunately as we may happen to regard it, the 
 tendency of our time is all in the direction of laying bare to inspection 
 and open to exploitation, all parts, however remote, of this comparatively 
 small world in which we live, and though the explorer hiniself may be 
 impelled by a certain romanticism in overcoming difficulties or even 
 dangers met with in the execution of his task, his steps are surely and 
 closely followed by the ti-ader, the lumberer, or the agriculturist, and 
 not long after these comes the builder of railways with his iron road. 
 It is, therefore, rather from the point of view of practical utility than 
 from any other, that an appeal must be made to the public or to the 
 government for the further extension of explorations, and my main 
 l)urpose in addressing you to-night is to make such an appeal, and to 
 show cause, if possible, for the ex})loration of such considerable portions 
 of Canada as still remain almost or altogether unmapped. 
 
 What I have to say, in fact, on this subject, resolves itself chiefly 
 into remarks on the map exhibited here, upon which the unexplored 
 areas to which I am about to refer, are clearly depicted in such a 
 manner, I believe, as almost to speak for themselves. 
 
 It is very commonly supposed, even in Canada, but to a greater 
 extent elsewhere, that all parts of the Dominion are now so well known 
 tliat exploration, in the true sense of the term, may be considered as a 
 tjliing of the past. This depends largely upon the fact that the mans of 
 
 y 
 
i 
 
 F loib- .i^z-7 
 
 tho country f^eiiprally oxiitnined are upon n vpry small srnlc, and tliat upon 
 such maps no vast areas ypt remain upon wlilcli rivers, lakes, mountains 
 or otlior features aro not depicted. If, liowevei-, wo take tlio trouble to 
 enquire more closely into this, and consiilt perhaps one of tlio gooj^ra- 
 phers whose name may appear on the face of the map which wo have 
 examined, asking such awkward questions as may occur to us on the 
 sources of information for this region or that, we may prohahlv hy him 
 be referred to another and older ma]), and so on till we find in the end 
 that the whole topograjdiical fahric of large parts of all those maps 
 rests upon information of the vagtiest kind. 
 
 Of most of the large areas marked upon the map here shown, this 
 is absolutely ti'ue, and the interests of knowledge with respect to 
 these would be ])ot*'r subserved if such areas were loft entirely blank, 
 or, at least, if all the geograjthical features drawn upon them appeared 
 in broken lines, in such a way as to show that none of them ai-e certain. 
 In other regions, the main geographical outlines, such ai? the courses of 
 the larger rivers, are indicated ai)proxiniateIy. witli such accuracy as 
 may be possible from accounts or itineraries derived fioni travellers or 
 from officers of the Hudson Bay Com)>any ; or from the desci-iptions or 
 rough sketches of Indians or other ])ersons by whom the region has 
 been traversed, but who have been unprovided with instruments of any 
 kind and whose knowledge of the country has been incidentally 
 obtained. 
 
 There is, in the case of such partially explored regions, more 
 excuse for the delineation of the main features on our maps, as these 
 may be useful in imparting general information of a more or less 
 inexact kind. We can scarcely, however, admit that such regions have 
 been explored in any true sense of that term, while they are certainly 
 unsurveyed, and very little confidence can be placed in maps of this 
 kind as guides in travel. When, ten years ago, I struck across from 
 Fort McLeod, on the west side of the Rockv Mountains, with the pur- 
 pose of reaching Fort Dunvegan on the Peace, through a country 
 densely forested and without trails or tracks of any kind, I had so 
 much confidence in the existing maps of that region as to assume that 
 Dunvegan was at least approximately correct in position on them. As 
 often as possible I took observations for latitude, and each night 
 
worked out our poHltion l»y latitiulo hikI doparture, till at a certain 
 point I was iiluMit to turn off to tlie north of tlio lino proviouHly fol- 
 lowed with th(- confident anticipation of (indinj^ Dimvcgun. Just hare, 
 very fortunately, \\t) fill in witii soino Indians, and tliou<(h our means 
 of cointnunioatini; with thr-ni wen; very imperfect, wo gathered enough 
 to lead UH to accept tlu! giiidanco of one of tiiem, who promised to load 
 us to the fort, hut took an entirely dillerent din'ction from that T had 
 proposed taking. Ho was right, but Dunvegan ]»roved to be, as shown 
 on the mai)s, nearly forty miles west of its real position. Fortunately 
 no very great importance attached to our reaching Dunvegan on a given 
 day, but non(^ the less, this practical experience proved to me very 
 conclusively the desirability of showing features in broken lines, or 
 otherwise indicating their uncertainty when they have not been 
 properly lixed. 
 
 It must be confcssod, however, tliat most of the travellers ordi- 
 narily to be fo\uul in these unexplorinl regions, being Indians or 
 hunters, traders and others travelling under the guidance of Indians 
 do not dejjfind on the latitudes cr longitudes of places, or on the respec- 
 tive bearings of one place fiom another. The Indians follow routes with 
 which tliey have been familiar since childhood, or when beyond 
 the boundaries of their own particular region of country, go by land- 
 marks, such as mountains, lak(;s and rivers which have been described to 
 them by their neighbours. Their memory in this respect is remarkable, 
 but it must V)e remembered that among their piincipal subjects of con- 
 versation when sitting about the camp-lire are the distances in day's 
 journeys from place to place, the routes which they have followed or 
 have known others to follow, the difTiculties to be encountered on these, 
 the j)oints at which food of different kinds may be obtained, and the 
 features which strike them as Ijeing remarkable in the country 
 traversed. Returning, however, from this digression, which began 
 \vith the statement that accurate maps of such regions as are at present 
 merely traversed by traders and Indians, are not imperative from the 
 ])oint of view of such travellers, it may with confidence be affirmed that 
 such maps and the explorations upon which they ar« based, are 
 absolutely essential to civilized society, to show in the first place what 
 the natural resources of these regions are and how they may be 
 
 19?09o 
 
 II 
 
 
utilized, in tlio Hocontl by w!. .t liighwiiys such rugions may bo most 
 euHily reached. 
 
 A glance at the map will hIiow, that while many of the larger 
 iinex|dored areas may be allirnied tu Vw. to thu north of thu limit of 
 pro table agriculture, cousiderablo regions sitiutted to tin; south of this 
 limit still await examination. Large districts, u^ain, in which no 
 farmer will ever voluntarily .settle, may allbnl timber which the world 
 will be glad to get when tin; wliito i)ino of our nearer forests shall 
 become more nearly exhausted, while with resj)ect to laincral resources, 
 it is j)robable that in the grand aggregate the value of these which 
 exist in the unexplored regions will be found, area for area, to bo equal 
 to those of the known regions, comparing each particular geological 
 formation with its nearest re p re.se ntati' On the grounds alone, 
 therefore, of geograjihical knowledge, and of the di-scovery and 
 definition of the reserv(!S of the country in timber and minerals, the 
 exploration of all these unknown or little-known regions may bo amply 
 justified. 
 
 Taking a line drawn north and south in the longiiude of the lied 
 River valley, which is, as nearly as may be, the •entre of Canada from 
 east to west, it may confidently be stated that by far the larger part of 
 the country in which agricultural settlement is possible lies to the west, 
 while the great bulk of the actual poi)ulation lies to the east of this 
 line. Looking to this grand fundamental fact, I believe it may safely 
 be affirmed that some members of this aiulience will live to see the day 
 when these conditions with res]te3t to population will be boldly reversed 
 and in which the greater number of our representatives in Parliament 
 gathering here will come from this great western region. 
 
 This disposition of the cultivable lanu depends partly upon the 
 physical characteristics of the country, and in part on its climatic con- 
 ditions. Beyond Winnipeg, and stretching therefrom to the west and 
 north-west, is the great area of prairie, plain and plateau which, wider 
 near the forty-ninth parallel than elsewhere on the continent, runs on 
 in one form or other, though with diminishing width, to the Arctic 
 Ocean. This is, generally speaking, an alluvial region, and one of 
 fertile soils. Very fortunately, and as though by a beneficient pro- 
 vision of nature, the climatic features favour the utilization of this belt. 
 
lU lUOSt 
 
 ) larger 
 limit of 
 1 of iliiH 
 hicli no 
 e world 
 atH HliiiU 
 jHourcos, 
 which 
 l)ti e([uul 
 oologiciil 
 lu alouo, 
 ery and 
 3rals, the 
 bo ami»ly 
 
 tho Red 
 ada from 
 31" part of 
 the west, 
 ist of this 
 lay safely 
 !e the day 
 f reversed 
 arliaiuent 
 
 upon the 
 matic con- 
 west and 
 lich, wider 
 it, runs on 
 the Arctic 
 nd one of 
 icient pro- 
 )f this belt. 
 
 Tho summer iHotlicnnalH, wliidi carry with them tho pnsHiliility of 
 ripoiiiii^ crops, trcnil fai' to tlic nvrth. 
 
 Let UH traf(>, fur uxaiiipio, and as a rough and ready indox of tho 
 northorn limit ot practicaldo agrioidturo of any kind, that isotliormal 
 line which rcpn^fcntsa moan tomporaturo of GO" Fanadioit in thomontli 
 of July. TaHsing ti 'ou^^h tho Houtlioi-n part of N(!\vfoundlaiMl and 
 touching tho island of A.ticoHti, this lino runs to tho north ond of 
 Mistassini Liiko, and thonce crossos Hudson r»ay, striking tho west 
 shore a short distaneo north of York Factory. Tlionco it runs west- 
 ward, skirting tho north ond of lloindoor Lake, and then honding to the 
 north -wost, crossos Ontat Slave Lako, and touches tht; sotithorn 
 oxtroniity of (Jroat I»oar Lake. From this point it resumes a westward 
 cour.so and crossoH tho Yukon Kiver a considoral)lo distance to tho 
 north of tho confluonco of the Polly and Lowos, turning south again 
 almost on the oast line of Alaska. Wo need not, however, further 
 follow its course, as owing to peculiar climatic conditions on tho West 
 Coast, it coasos there to bo any criterion as to the conditions of agri- 
 culture. 
 
 Tho character of much of t western interior country is such, that 
 its exj>loration and survey is comparatively easy, and it will boolservod 
 that hoiii tho larger unknown regions are to ho found only far ,o the 
 northv ard, leaving in the more rugged and inhospitable eastern region 
 vast islands of unexplored country in much moiv- southern latitudes. 
 
 It may bo said, in fact, that comparatively little of the region 
 capable, so far as climate goes, of producing wheat is now altogether 
 unknown ; but it may be adilod, that increasing as tho world now 
 is in popuhition, its people cannot much longer expect to find wheat- 
 growing lands unoccupied in large blocks. Tho time is within measurable 
 distance when lands with a fertile soil thoufjli'moro t)r less riirorou^ 
 climate, in which only b.irley, oits, hem[), flax and other hardy 
 crops can l)e matured, will be in demand, and we are far from having 
 acquired oven a good general knowledge of these lands in Canada. 
 
 For many of the unexplored regions marked upon this map, how- 
 ever, we can in i-eason apj)eal only to their possible or i>resumable 
 mineral wealth as an incentive to their exploration, and if some of them 
 should prove wholly or in great part barren when such explora- 
 
tion shall have been carried out, it will not be without utility to 
 acquire even tliis negative information, and write upon them in 
 charactei'S as large as need be, " No thoroughfare." 
 
 I will now ask your further attention for a few moments while I 
 run over and make some remarks in detail on the various unexploi-ed 
 areas as indicated on the map. It must first, however, be explained in 
 what man the unexplored areas referred to have been outlined. All 
 lines, such as those of rivers, chains of lakes or other travelled routes, 
 along which reasonably satisfactory explorations have been made and of 
 which fairly accurate route-maj^s are in existence, are given an approx- 
 imate average width of about fifty miles, or twenty-five miles on each 
 side of the explorer's or surveyoi i track. The known lines are thus 
 arbitrarily assimied to be wide belts of explored country, and that 
 ■which is referred to as unexplored, comprises merely the intervening 
 tracts. By this mode of definition, the unexplored regions are reduced 
 to minimum dimensions. Neither are any comparitively small tracts of 
 country lying between explored routes included in my enumera- 
 tion, in which the least area mentioned is one of 7,500 square miles ; 
 nor are the Arctic islands, lying to the north of the continent, referred 
 to. Because of the empirical mode in which the unexplored areas have 
 thus been delineated, it has not been attempted to estimate with more 
 than api)rt)xiniate acctiracy the number of square miles contained in 
 each, my purpose being merely to render apparent the great dimensions 
 of these areas. 
 
 In enumerating these areas, I shall not refer to the vaiious e^plor- 
 ations and lines of survey by which they are defined and separated one 
 from anothei', as this would involve mention of nearly all the explorer^ 
 who have traversed the northern part of the continent. 1 shall, how- 
 ever, note such excursions as have been made into or across the regions 
 which are characterized as unexplored. 
 
 Beginning, then, in the extreme north-west of the Dominion, we 
 _find these areas to be as follows : — 
 
 1. Area between the eastern boundary of Alaska, the Porcupine 
 tRiver and the Arctic coast, 9,500 square miles, or somewhat smaller 
 ithan Belgium. This area lies entirely within the Arctic circle. 
 
 'ft 
 
M 
 
 2. Area wet of tlie Lewes ami Yukon rivers ami extending to 
 the boundary of Alaska, 32,000 square miles, or somewhat larger than 
 Ireland. This country includes the head-waters of the White and pro- 
 bably of the Tanani rivers, and, being comparatively low and sheltered 
 from the sea by one of tli(! highest mountain ranges on the continent, 
 the St, Ellas Alps, doubtless possesses some remarkable peculiarities of 
 climate. 
 
 3. Area between the Lewes, Polly and Stikine rivers and to the 
 east of the Coast Ranges, 27,000 srpiare miles, or nearly as large as 
 Scotland. This has l)oen penetrated only by a few "prospectors'" from 
 whom, and fi'om Indians, the courses of I'ivers shown on my maps pub- 
 lished in connection with the Yukon Expedition Rei)oit are derived. 
 It lies on the direct line of the metalliferous belt of the Cordillera, and 
 its low lands are capable of producing hardy crops. 
 
 4. Area between the Pelly iind Mackenzie Rivers, 100,000 square 
 miles, or about twice the siz(^ of Englai\d. This l)elongs partly to the 
 Yukon basiTi and partly to that of the Mackenzie, and includes nearly 
 600 ndles in length of the main Rocky Mountain Range. Many years 
 ago, Mr. A. K. Tsbister ])enetrate(l the northern part of this area for 
 some distance on the line of the Peel River,* but, owing to the manner 
 in which he had to travel, but little accuracy can be attributed to his 
 sketch of that river. Abbe Petitot also made a short journey into its 
 northern part from the Mackenzie River side, but with these excep- 
 tions, no published information exists respecting it. 
 
 5. Area between Great Bear Lake and the Arctic coast, 50,000 
 square miles, or about equal to England in size. Nearly all to the 
 north of the Arctic ciicle. 
 
 6. Area between Great Bear Lake, the Mackenzie and the western 
 part of Great Slave Lake, 35,000 square ndles, or larger than Portugal. 
 With rt- spect to this region and that last mentioned, it must Ije ex[)lained 
 that I have felt some doubt whether they should be characterized 
 as unexplored on. the basis previously explained as that which is g(!ner- 
 ally applied. Between 1857 and 18G5, Mr. R. Macfarlane, of the 
 
 •Some account cf Vkc\ River, North America, jy A. K. Isbister, Jouni. Roy. 
 Geog. Sec, vol. XV., 1845, p. 332. 
 
8 
 
 Hudson Bay Compuny, carried out au intelligent and valuable examina- 
 tion of part of the region north of Great Bear Lake, some results of 
 which have lately been published,* and in both of these areas, between 
 18G4 and 1871, the indefatiguable missionary, Abbe Petitot, made 
 numerous journeys, of which he subsocjuontly publiohod an account.f 
 As Petitots's instruments consisted merely of a comi)ass, and a 
 watch which he rated by the meridian jjassage of the sun, it must be 
 assumed that his mapping of the country does not possess any great 
 accuracy. His work, however, considering the ditficulties under which 
 it was performed, is deserving of all praise, and his several descriptions 
 of the character of the country traversed are most valuable. It does 
 not -vpijcar from his account of these regions that they are likely to 
 prove of great utility to civilized man, except as fur preserves, or possi- 
 bly from the minerals which they may contain. He writes : " Oe pays 
 est compose de contrces silenciei.i-es coiiime le tombeau, des plaines vasles 
 comme des departemeuts, des steppes glace.-: plus affreirx que ceux de la 
 SiLeiie, de forcts clieiivos, rabougries comme on n'en voit que dans le 
 voisinagc des glaciers du Nord." 
 
 7. Area between Stikine and Liard rivers to the norih and Skeena 
 and Peace rivers to the south, 81,000 square miles, or more than twice 
 as large as Newfoundland. This includes a ])ortion of tlie western 
 Cordillera, aird, between the Liard and Peace river s,a large tract of the 
 interior plateau region of the continent, parts of which, there is reason 
 to believe, consist of good agricultural land. Its westerrr extremity 
 was crossed in 18GG and 1867 by tli3 exploratory survey of th. 
 Western Union or Collins' Telegraph Company, then engaged in an 
 attempt to connect the North Anrerican and Eui'opean telegraph sys- 
 tems through Asia. No details of thrs part of their exploration have, 
 however, been published, and if we may judge from other parts of 
 their line, since clu oked, the survey made was of too rough a character 
 to possess much geographical value. 
 
 8. Area between Peace, Athabasca and Loon rivers, 7,500 square 
 miles, or about half as large as Switzerland. 
 
 f 
 
 •Canadian Eccord of Science, Jan., 1890. 
 
 tBulIetiu de la Societe de Geogvapliie, Tom x, 1875. 
 
1 
 
 9. Area south-east of Athabuscii Lake, 35,000 rtijuaie miles. This 
 again may lie compared in extent to Portugal. 
 
 10. Area east of the Coppermine River and west of Batlnirst 
 Inlet, 7,r)00 square miles. This again may be compiired to half the 
 area of Switzerland. 
 
 11. Area between the Arctic coast and Back's River, 31,000 
 square miles or about equal to Ireland. 
 
 12. Area surrounded by Back's Rivu-, Great 81a ve Jiako, Atha- 
 Vjasca Lake, Hatchet and Reinde v lakes, Churchill River, and the 
 west coast of Hudson Bay, 178,000 square miles. Much larger than 
 Great Britain and Ireland, and somewhat larger than Sweden. The 
 lakes and rivers shown in this great legion de])eud entirely on the 
 result of the thiee journeys made by Hcarne in 17G9-1772.* Hearne 
 really wandered through jiarts of this region in com[)any with Indians 
 whom he was unable to control, his ultimate object (which he at length 
 accompli.shed) being to leach the Coppermine River, in order to ascertain 
 for the Hudson Bay Company, whether it was possible to utilize the 
 native copper found there. Not even roughly approximate accuracy 
 can be assigned to his geographical work. Referring to the 
 position of the mouth of the Coppermine, he writes: — "The latitude 
 may be depended upon to within 20 miles at the utmost." In reality 
 it afterwards proved to be 200 miles too far north. This country 
 includes the great "barren grounds" of the continent, and is the prin- 
 cipal winter resort of the musk ox as well as of great herds of caribou. 
 Hearne's general characterization of it is not very encouraging, Init 
 certainly we shall know more about it. He writes: — "The land 
 throughout the whole track of country is scarcely anything but one 
 solid mass of rocks and stones, and in most parts very hilly, particularly 
 to the westward, among the woods." The extreme north-eastern 
 extremity of this region was also crossed by Lieut. Schwatka in the 
 course of his remarkable journey to King-William Land, but hia 
 geographical results possess little value, f 
 
 *A .Tourney from Priuce of W'lles Fort, in Hudson Bay, to the Northern 
 Ocean, 1796. 
 
 tSchwatka's Search by H. W. Gilder, 
 
mmmm 
 
 10 
 
 13. Aroii bctweou Sovorn and Attiiwiipishkiic rivurs and the coast 
 of Hudson Day, 22,000 stjuaru miles, or largei- than Nova Scotia. 
 Several lakes and rivers art! shown upon the ina))s in this rc^i^ion in 
 practically identical foini since Arrowsniith's niiip of 1850, but I have 
 been unable to ascertain the origin of the information. 
 
 14. Ai'oa between Trout Luke, Lac Seul and the xVll.'any Kiver, 
 15,000 srjuaro nn'e-, or al out half the sizj of Scotland. 
 
 15. Area to the south and east of James Bay, 35,000 square miles, 
 which also may ho compared to the area <if Portugal. This region is 
 the nearest of those which still remain unexplored to large centres of 
 population. It is probable that much of it consists of low land which 
 may afford merchantable timber. 
 
 IG. Area comprising almost the entire interior of the Labrador 
 peninsula or North-east Territory, 289,000 square miles. This is piore 
 than equal to twice the area of Great Britain and Ireland, with an 
 added area (,'qual to that of Newfoundland. Several lines of exjiloration 
 and survey have been carried for a. certain distance into the interior of 
 this great peninsula, among which may be mentioned those of Professor 
 Hind, ]\Ir. A. P. Low and Mr. li. F.HoIuk;.* The limits of the unexplored 
 area have been drawn so as to exclude all these. The area regarded as 
 still unexplored has, however, it is true, bec^n ti'aversed in several 
 directions at different times by officers of the Hudson Bay Company, 
 particularly on routes leading from the vicinity of INIingan on the Gulf 
 of St. Lawrence to the head of Hamilton Inlet, and thence to Ungava 
 Bay. These routes have also, according to Mr. Holme, Ijeen travelled 
 by a missionary, Pcre Lacasse ; but the only published information 
 which 1 have be(>n abl(> to find is contained in a bjok written by J. 
 M'Lean.f and in a brief account of a journey by liev. E. J. Peck. j. Mr. 
 M' Lean made several journeys and established trading ]iosts between 
 LTnguva and Hamilton Inlet in the vears 1838-181:1, while Mr. Peck 
 
 * Explorations in Lalirador, 1863, Aniuiiil Report Geol. Surv. Can., 1887-88, 
 Part .1. I'lw. lioyal Gcog. Soc, 1888. Ott. iSTat. Vol. IV. 
 
 tNotes of a twonty-five years' service in the Hudson's Bay Territory. Loudon, 
 1849. 
 
 +Cliurch Missionary lutelligeuccr, Jiuie 1886. Proe. Hoy. Geog. Sec, 1S87, 
 p. 192. 
 
 1 
 
11 
 
 crossed from Little Wliale River, on Hudson Bsry, to Ungava in 1884. 
 Sometliinij may he j^atlierod as to th(! general nature of the country 
 along certain lines, from the accounts given by these gentlemen, but there 
 is little of a really satisfactory character, while neither has made any 
 attempt to fix positions or delincati' the features of the region on the 
 map. In all probability this entire region consists of a rocky jOateau 
 or hilly tract of rounded ai'chiean i-ocks, highest on the north-east side 
 and to the south, and sloping giadually dovvn to low land towards 
 Ungava Bay. It is known to be moi'o or less wooiled, and in some 
 places with timber of fair growth, but if it shoidd be ))Ossessed of any 
 real value, this may probably lie in its nietallift'rous deposits. In this 
 tract of country particularly there is reason to hope that ores like those 
 of Tilt Cove, in Newfoundland, or those of Sudl)ury, in Ontario, may 
 occur. 
 
 To sum up briefly, in conclusion, what has been said as to the 
 larger unexplox'ed areas of Canada, it may be stated that while the 
 entire ar(;a of the Dominion is computed at 3,470,257 stjuare miles 
 about 954,000 square miles of the continent, alone, exclusive 
 of the inhospitable detached Arctic portions, is for all ])ractical pur- 
 po.ses entirely unknown. In this estimate the area of the unexplored 
 country is reduced to a minimiuu by the mode of definition employed. 
 Probably we shoidd be much nearer the mark in assuming it as about 
 one million square miles, or between one-third aiul out; fourth of the 
 whole. Till this great aggregate of unknown territory shall have been 
 subjected to examination, or at least till it has been broken up and 
 traversed in many directions by exploratory and survey lines, we must 
 all feel that it stands as a cei'tain re[iroac'h to our want of enterprise 
 and of a justifiable curiosity. In oulin-, however, to properly ascertain 
 and make known the natural resources of the great tracts lying beyond 
 the borders of civilization, sucli explorations and surveys as are under- 
 taken must be of a truly scitsntidc character. Tlie explorer or surveyor 
 must possess some knowledge of gcjology and botany, as well as such 
 scientific training as mav enable him to make intelligent and accurate 
 observations of any natural features or })henomena with which he 
 may come in contact. He must not consider that his duty con- 
 sists merely in the perfunctory measuring of lines and the de- 
 
12 
 
 linoation of rivers, lakes im<l mountains. An explorer or surveyor 
 properly e nipped for his work need never return empty handed. 
 Should ho be obli/^'otl to report that some particular district possesses 
 no economic value whatever, besides that of serving as a receiver of 
 rain and a reservoir to feed certain river-systems, his notes should con- 
 tain scientific observations ou geology, botany, climatology and similar 
 subjects which may alone be sutHcieut to justify the oxj)enditure 
 incurred. 
 
 DATE DUE 
 
 A fine of live ccius will he charged for each 
 (lav overdue. 
 
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