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A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THOSE PARTS OF THE DISTRICTS BEST ADAPTED TO AORICULTURAL PURPOSES Pr,p<,red under Tnxtrwtwns from the Commissioner of Crmvn Lands. PRINTED BY WARWICK & SONS, 26 and 28 FRONT STREET WEST 1886. 4 'Y th w <;1] hi so ill tl R V T a ia fi s T is s THE COUNTRY NORTH OV THE MATTAWA RIVER AND LAKE NIPISSING. Lakes, River.s' and Agricultural CapahilitwH. Oil the north bank of the Mattawa a range of hills, of no great elevation, runs nearly the whole way from Trout Lake to the mouth, and between their base and the margin of the water there are good mixed wood flats, with elm, ash, maple, and a few oaks ; but the slopes produce soft woods chiefly, the prevailing species being red pine. To the north of Upper Trout Lake there is an extensive spread of flat hardwood country running in an cast and west direction, pos8<;ssing a good soil, consisting of loam in some places and clay in others, and the timber, in a great measure, composed of black birch, maple and basswood. Associited with this tract is another, at the distance of Ave miles on the west side of Seven League Lake, on the Ottawa, between the ^lattawa River and Lake Temiscaming, running in a south- westerly course to the vicinity of the Mattawa, and icaehing as high as the Galere on Lake Temiscaming, thougli it is not there much nearer -he lake than it approaches the river lower down. Lake Temiscaming, a magnificent stretch of na\igab]e water, the largest and deepest on the wiiole course of the Ottawa, extends seventy- five miles without any obstruction to vessels of the largest tonnage. It consists of three lakes, the lower, middle and upper, connected by narrow straits. The Upper Lake extends from Fort Temiscaming to the " Head." This beautiful sheet of water has all the characteristics of a true lake. It is from six to eight miles wide, indented with deep bays, bold promontories, steep cliffs and low banks, and is studdel with picturesque islands, two of which are of considerable size. The Montreal River, its largest tributary, as regards both extent and volume, takes its source at the northern height of land, flows for about sixty miles in an easterly direction, and sixty miles more south-easterly, and disciiarges into Middle Lake by several mouths. Tho River Blanche, which derives its name from the white or turbid colour of its water, diHcharftos into Lake Ten.iHcaniing at its "Head," and is navigable for twenty-five miles. The area of the clay land drained by this river has been estimated to be between nOO and 600 square miles, equivalent to twelve townships of fifty square miles, or 32,000 acres each! This is the largest area of land lit for settlement, in one unbroken clay block, in the unsettled portion of Ontario. The limit southward of this tract of good level country is associated with a change occurring in the .,uality of the rock formations of the dis- trict in the vicinity of the mouth of the Montreal River on the right side of the lake, and a few miles higher up on the left. The unbroken mono- tony of the hard syenitic gneiss, constituting so much of the banks of the lake and main river further down, here ceases : a more distinctly stratified set of rocks, of a less crystalline and more easily disintegratmg character, presents itself. The ranges of the hills b.-come more determinate, the valleys wider, and many of them are occupied by clay lands. At its very extrenrity both sides of the lake present a favourable aspect ; good strati- lied limestone there makes its appearance, constituting the large islands already mentioned, and the promontory separating the east and west bays. Its escarpment does not exceed 100 feet, and it runs northward into the interior with an even continuity of height, which can be followed by the eye for miles. The marshes, arising from the sediment deposited by the Blanche and other rivers at their mouth.s, are extensive, and produce an abundant supply of good meadow hay. The general character of the country south and east of Lake Tama- gamingue is undulating but not very broken. This lake is a fine sheet of very clear water, abounding with bass, pickerel, pike, and salmon trout, and filled with islands. The scenery is beautiful, resembling that of the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence. This lake has two outlets, one flowing south into the Sturgeon River, which empties into Lake Nipissing, and the other flowing north into the Montreal River, which discharges into Lake Temiscaming. Numerous lakes, of various sizes, are dotted^at intervals over this country. Otter Tail Creek is the principal stream falling intu the Ottawa. Throughout the whole of tliis region there is good clay soil along the flats of the rivers and creeks ; generally, however, a sandy loam prevails. 5 After travfAi'siiiji; tlio TowiiHliip of Widditicid, on tli" iiorth-i'ivat hIioiv of Lake Nipissini,', the land desoondH ;,'niduully to the iiortli, sliowiiif^ a level country of hardwood tinilicr, with here and tliere some rock, and generally a good loamy Hoil. Tinning east, between townships 17 and IH,* (hi the nineteenth mile from tiie boundary of Springer, the country is flat in some place;;, Imt generally undulating, with fair soil. From the twenty-tirst to the forty, fourth mile on this line, there in a good tract of country with rolling land and good soil, tit for farming purposes, the timber being chiefly nuiph! and bluck birch, of large growth mid ifodd i|uality, with some good scattering pine. Tiie Township of Widdifleld (No, 17) is nearly all good hardwood land, and is by far the best township in thisst^ction of the country. Finer hardwood bush i.s rarely seen. There are a f(>w bass-wood trees, iron, wood in some places, aad a grove of beech on the cast boundary, a few miles north of Trout Lake. Townships 22, 23, 27 and 28, contain a large percentage of good land, with considerable pine. Townships 1, 5, S), 13 and 18 also contain a fair percentage of good land, with very little pine. The tind)er is chiefly balsam, spruce, birch, with occasional patches of hardwood. The Jocko lliver runs eastward through a tine tract of country to the River Ottawa. Sturgeon Eiver, emp >:.Lg into Lake Nipissing, is a fine deep stream, having an average breadth of six chains to the first fall, about six miles from its mouth. The Veuve, or Widow River, empties into Lake Nipissing, about four miles west of Sturgeon River. Lake Nipissing lies inunediately above the 4Gth parallel of latitudf;, and across the 80th of longitude. In form it is very irregular, Init has an extreme length, east and west, of about forty miles, and a maxnnum breadth, north and south, of about twenty miles. Its area in round num- bers is about 300 square miles. •These numbers have reference to an exploration made by the Department of Crown Lands in 1882, and are applied to towiiships lyiiiir east nf the Township of Springer and the Indian Reserve, which, with the exception of NVidditield, have been outlined, but not surveyed or named. rh.,. northerly shores of the lake an, low, generally of Hat ru.-k and sand, an.I tho water shoal upon a Handy hotton>. Its waters pass out intr> French Kiver by thiuo distinct outI.,t.s through myriads of islands The French River, though sonu.(in.es n.er«ing into one vast lake Ih throughout tho greater part of its length, divided i,>to two „,ain chann.'u Fron. Its entrance on Georgian Jiay to its outlet on Lak. Nipissiu,, the dis" ta..ce 13 ahout forty n.iles, and the navigation is ol.structed l.y 'falls a,,,! rap.ds. The scenery of the Thousand Isles of tho St. Lawrence is tan.e and uninteresting as compared with the endless variety of ishin.l and Lay granite elili; and deep sombre delilo, which mark tho character of the beautiful, solitary French River. HEIGHTS ABOVE TH J SEA. The height of the surface of Lake Temiscaming at its head above the waters of the St. Lawrence at Three Rivers, which is about the highest point affected by the action of the tides, is 612 feet. The level of the Mattawa, at its junction with the Ottawa, is 519 feet 5 inches. The height of tho surface of Upper Trout Lake, the source of the Mattawa, is 690 feet, and of the height of land between it and the Vase Rivei- on the canoe portage, is 7 1 4 feet 5 inches. The fall from the height of land to the River Vas., at the end of the portage ,s 22 feet 11 inches, and from this point to Lake xXipissin. the fall 18 26 feet 6 inches, which makes the height of Lake Nipissing above the waters of the St. Lawrence at Three Rivers, 665 feet. The ascertained height of the surface of Lake Huron above the sea. according to the Michigan surveyors, is 578 feet. NORTH SHORE OF LAKE HriiOX. Rivers, AiiricuUural CojmhilUies, Timber, He. Six principal rivers, besides several of inferior note, flow through this country. The principal are the Thessalon, the Mississaga, the Serpent the Spanish, the White Fish, and the Wahnapitae, of which the mouths' are from fifteen to tiiirty miles apart, The Mississaga and the Spanish are the largest two. the reported length of the former being 120 and of the latter 200 miles. sea. In the valleys of all the principal streatiiH there are exteiiHive Hats of rich and deep soil, producing maple, oak, elm, birch and basswood, besides occasional groves of both red and white pine of large size. From Sault Ste. Mario to Root River, the suifaco is generally hivel, with a slight iiieliiiation to the (vxstwanl, or towards (iarden Rivca' ; the soil is here a fine sandy loam, and the subsoil a reddish l>liie clay. Root River, flowing south-easterly, is a small stream, emptying into the Ht. Mary River on the westerly side of Little Lake George ; it is shallow, with clear water, rapid current, and gravel bottom. The soil on both sides of the riv(M' is good. Northward of the river for six miles, the surface is gently undulating, broken hero and there by the rock ridges prev' .ujly described, the soil and timber being the sa'iio as on the south side. In rear of this, a valley of seven or eight miles in width extends east- ward to the high land surrounding Echo Lake, and westward to the Gros Gap Range at the Foot of Lake Superior, its regularity br oken here and there by similar ranges of rock. Garden River, flowing southerly and south-westerly, empties into the St. Mary River a short distance eastward of Little Lake George. It is a fine stream, having a general width of abo it th-eo chains. Hero, wheat' oats, maize, potatops, and grass, grow luxuriantly. The soil on the V)anks of this iiver, and for a considerable distance inland on either side is of the best quality, being a fine rich sandy loam, and the timber is large and thrifty. The valley, entered northward from Root River, is again seen presenting the same appearance, and stretching eastward to the high land surrounding Echo Luke. Through each of these valleys there usually flows a pretty brook of clear water, taking its rise from one or other of the picturesque little lakes which lie on each side of the watershed. To the east of Echo Lake, and northward of the limestone point on the east side, there is a tract of fine land, heavily timbered with maple, elm and bircV, interspersed at intervals with groves of hemlock and a few pines, with cedars in the hollows and swa'ups. The Thcssalon R-.ver, with its chain of lakes and mill-sites, flowing from the north-west, empties into Lake Huron about twelve miles eastward of the Bruce Mines. The land on the margin of the river is of good (|uality and heavily pme Ks also scattered througi. this section ' ^' ''"'^' ''""^ .^.o.r;:r:::^ ::::----- ^^ '- ^- ^^^- 1,. co..^. of the chain T ^ ^"'^ ''''' ^'■°'" ^^^^rt Lake, the second , being deep and nd, and the timber principally hardwood Aorth and east from Lake Deception, the third of the series H extensu-e tracts of excellent land, timbered chieily vthhr.^od '■'':, '" tracts extend eastward to thp at;. • , Jiardwood ; these ™.« 0, the co^eofUk: 2" "'''"■ '"" =°"""™'-" *" "■'""" '- aid oi Pomt il,es»l„„ „, „t ^s entrance into the lake a |m,„ 1 , nawgafo,, s, however, ,„,,e,|e.| („„,. „,;,,, f„„, '"' ™..ge, crossing the river, f„„„a a fc.ll of five feet. At the mouth of the river the land is low «„,! s,va„,„v but fl, , n»e, gradually, a„d at the distance „£ one and a hJ Zf ' , r'i «.« ;.anl..s on Wth sides are high, and the sl^.d " 'it Z ! u^ t black .„.Mvhu: ash, a'd :::,;* '"""'• "''"■ "°'"- ^p--. '»'»■«. Between the northerly li,„it of the Indian Reserve and Little White K.ver, a south-west «„wi„g tributary of the Mississa,., there i 1 tic WW.?,, ir*""'" '"''"' "' '"' ''"'-"»'• North :r„Lt Wh te l>,ver there ,s a flne block of land extending nearlv to the G, md Portage, .„d stretching to the eastward for a considerable 'dis'a,"e ente?L.1'fH,f r"; '°™"'^ "■" '"*" ""'" »' "■« '"J.an Reserve, Lake Hn.on about tour miles east of the Mis,,issaga. ' Serpent llivor enpties into a deep bay or inlet of Lake Huron about twenty-five miles east of the Mississaga. The bay into which it empties is uni;urpassed as a harbour. At the mouth of the river, on the west- erly side, the land is of good quality, but low and level. Ascending the river the scene in lugged and rough, the rock ranges running close to the margin of the stream and parallel to it. In rear, however, on both sides some valleys of good hardwood land are meet with, more particularly on the west, being a continuation of the -.alleys from the east bank of the Mississaga. Spanish River, which is navigable for thirty miles to craft not drawing over five feet, falls into an e.xt- sive and beautiful bay, land-locked by islands and projecting points fiu . the main land, the communication to the eastward being through a narrow but deep channel, called the Petit Detroit, between the southern extremity of the peninsula and the eastern end of Aird Island. From the Petit Detroit to La Olochc the outline of the coast is irregular, being indented by deep bays and coves, which in -some parts are perfectly land-locked by groups of long, low and narrow islands running parallel with tlie main shore, and affording excellent places of shelter for all classes of vessels under almost any circumstances. The hills bordering on Spanish River seldom attain a heidit over 300 feet, but the banks of the river itself are frequently bold, precipitous and rocky. At the great fall a picturesque and imposing ruggedness prevails. A ridge of smoothly polished bare rock rises in rounded knolls, so steep in places, as to ])e inaccessible, obstructing the south-eastern flow of the river and splitting it into two parts, of which one turns a little to the northward of east, while the other is deflectod to a precisely opposite course. Tlie latter, after running above a quarter of a mile, is thrown in a beautiful cascade over a precipice thirty feet high, and then turning abruptly to the eastward rushes violently for thirty chains in that direction, falling in a vertical sheet over three successive steps of five f..et each, wlnm it is again united to the other division of the stream in a wide pool of nearly still water. Much of the country for some distance back from the north side of the river is flat or rolling land, and is almost everywhere covered with a lux- uriant growth of red and white pine. The extent and value of the pine forest in this region, the facility otTered by the river for navigation, the water-power to be found on the 10 ^ s'^o't small and sometimes rapid streams of fla ;::,"iit;::";"'f"r *-- «-''™ -^ -^e,.* t.ao. ...d z;; ''°""' """ =™* ^»^*" °f *« fl"3 «™ >"w, -t VenL iorn:. "hch, flowmg gene,.,,^ south-^esterly, »„,.tic» into Of the vZI^r' ""'" °"' °' ^""'-''* I""'- T1.0 '-„ks coil and ,°b H , """"" " ™'^ '""""« Warance both ..regards InlanJ tT , ""■ P"""'!'""" 5f« ""d thriftv ^ardw„„d prevail,, „l„,e „alt, elm, and white ash being abundant spok*! " ™""'-"' " ""''*" '"™ "^ "■- »- '«'"' above waters edge ,vthb,rch, poplar, nmple and oa':, „„.l take, its name from the pecnlmrly bo„„tif„| „,„„ „t ,j,„ fo,i„^, ;„ „,^ ^^^^__^^^ Orain, root crops and 'ndian oorn tlonrish hero to perfection On the south side of the height of land, and coming down in son,. marKed, hk„ ,h„t fo, „ ,„„ j^,,_^y^ ,,.^^^^^_^^ Those are not generally very deep, one, esnlt of which is that the water heated by the sun's rays become., n.noh warn.er throughout than the 1 of I^kes Huron and Sur,»rior. The climate of a wi.'e belt „£ lerritor,^ 1 aZ°:;t ',":"""' "^ "" ™ '- """- °' ^■"= ■■— - a'° - -^ ot the cultivation of many of the most valuable kinds of Iruit. Kast of the Bruce Mines, in the valley, of the Thessalon and Mississaga iil for raising- ity that -t is ile or less of stances from reams. arable tracts 3d and large re low, wet water and tupties into sasu hiancli The banks 1 as regards I subsoil of 1 ardwood. appearance ce most of lake above red to the name from 11 in some before re- of lakes, the water the water rritory is ir. a'l and ' to admit lississaga n Rivers, all kinds of crops flourish well. Spring wheat grows from lour to five feet high and thir-k on the ground, yielding from twenty-five to thirty bushels to the acre. The oat crop ic remarkably good, and y-.Ms fron) fifty to seventy bushels per acre. In this section of the country there is a good opening for stock raising, and stock farms with large clearances can be had at reasonable rates. LAKE SUPERIOR REGION. Jiivers, Soil, Timber, Agriclutural Capabilities. Between Salter's Lake Huron base line and the Goulais River, a distance of ten miles, there is a large proportion of good rolling land, occasionally broken by hills of trap rock, heavily timbered with maple, birch, balsam, spruce and some pine. The soil is a sandy loam, changing to rich clay loam in the valleys. The Goulais River flows in a south-westerly direction through a valley varying from one and a-half to three miles in width, and empties itself into the bay of the same name. It is navigable for small boats for abouL twenty miles. For the first twelve or fifteen miles from its mouth the banks vary from five to twelve feet in height, and are in general of clay or gravel. The soil in the valley of the river is of excellent quality, giving growth to large maple, birch, elm, ash, and softwood trees. Leaving the Goulais River and proceeding north, the country for some miles resembles that just described. Hills are seen in some places from 300 to 600 feet in height, with greenstone, trap and gneiss appearing on their summits in ragged cliffs ; while their flanks and the intervening valleys shew good loamy well timbered soil. On approaching Lake Superior, the country, generally, is mountainous and barren. Between Point Corbeau, on the north shore of Batchawaung Bay and Mamainse, there is a fine tract of richly- wooded land of some miles in width, and of a rich productive loam, giving growth to large maple, birch, oak, etc. Batchawaung Bay affords a constant supply of the finest trout and white fish. The surface of the countiy between Batchawaung Bay and Montreal River, though a good deal broken, contains in some places low hills and 12 valleys of yood soil I'l ♦ • i »— ■So,,es.„clo,,„,„,,,i„„,^ J;"'™' •" 1-isl.l, flort,„ a„^jh l*«l. «nd balsam. '"• *" f '*™''"'S <i">b"- Leing spruL, ^--ts;:;;:!!,^:::;-:-:;;™-;. <» -pee.., ..„, „„,„ " I'tll. wc« of «„M, i,„„ Lake .Sune „ , "■"" °°'' '" " ""™''»" Mo..„,a, River. The „„aUer *ea If I "' '""" '° ""' """'■ »' well a. i„ e,e-y „«.»,. „art „« U e lI s ,„ n ""' ""■ "«"=• - well .atered by , J„„ a,„, aL, .t I"" - "'' '■'" """'""^ " excellent fish. *"'"='' •"""»■" "'"".v varieties of The second river in noint nf ..- '■' «- "ichipiece,,. itisiia r:,;::' : "r"' ""--' -' ^^'^ ^-p--. in the interior. It ]„, been f„'r „ "^ '■'"°''' ''"•' '"''"" ■" "« ''« Hudso„Wiay,o„,p.„,wZs , a?..'"" "" "^ """" "^ "«' -. the princiH Z.^, ^^^2^7^:^ '""" '"*°"'' "^'^ The Hudson\s Bay Co.nnn ' • < "'"Pany is at its mouth. R.vers, and passes through a fine "^.i °' "" ''"""P'""'™ "d Agawa »ap.e, birch, balsam and s^aee, a n !l LdT"' "'" '""''"" "'" lakes. *^ ' """WM by numerous streams and .enii:: j;:rz:^:v::irr ^ '"^^^^^^ ^°^ --y ™^'- -^^ a banks, which ...e .eneraUv of , 1^"' '"^ ''"^ "''^^ ''^ ^^dth. Th. generally of day, and low, rise in son,e places to 70 or "*-»f»imf.!»iJs^,.',lj| , uiaple, an ;ed over this ^11 lakes, and ittle south of 3ion of wild ing through '!• tlie most itii. Afaple 3ing spruce, rout, flows ix direction e north of I' wJiicli it ">" feet in •-•liange in Jlere, as ountry is fieties of Superior, i rise far by the )n's Bay, ■ mouth. B. Marie ' Agawa 5d witli ms and with a ■ The 70 or 13 80 feet. There are nmny points on this river of rich clay soil givin. gn>wth to en. hirch, poplar, and black ash of large si.e. lu ^!:2 of bricks or hne pottery, may l,e got in abundance. The Neepigon Biver, the largest on the north shore of Lake Superior takes Its nsein Lake Neepigon, flows through several smaller lakes, and empties Itself through a wide deep channel into Neepigon Bay A the eastern side of its entrance, bold precipitous greenstone cliffs, severa hundred feet in height, overlie a red soft rock of a soapy structu e, ThTh >s used in the manufacture of pipes. In the valleys between the e cl fl' and on he west side of the rive, there is excellent soil heavily timbe d Ihe water of this river is beautifully clear, and swarms wiLpeckled trout, weighing fron. one to twelve pounds. About 30 miles up, Lake b-e ir ;: '^T-- T' '^'° ' ''' -^^^^^ -length and eOm^les in and contain m abundance flsh of every variety taken in Lake Superior on tl" ''\f ^^'^°" '^°""*''^ '"^^ '-g-* tract of good land appears to be on the south-western side of the lake. From the .Xonwaten River north wardtothePagitchigama, a distance of flfty miles, the country is ot paratively level, and the soil generally fertile. This tract is rep'r eZd as continuing nearly to the Eiver Winnipeg, and becoming more gene^ level in receding from Lake Neepigon. The rivers entering in th s part of Lake Neepigon, as far as examined, were found to flow with tortuou courses between muddy banks of clay, overspread with fine sand. There is a considerable area of good land around the bottom of South and Memtyre's Bays, and on the peninsulas east of the latter Day, Gull Bay. ^rom the mouth to the first rapid on the Poshkokagan the loamy banks of the river are from twenty to thirty feet high. The iiv Ka^n tot, a . ,0 crooked that by following its windings from the mouth to he portage leading to Chief's Bays, the distance is estimated to be u ly thirty miles, although it is only nine miles in a straight course. Oi both sides the country is level, and the soil sandy, supporting a growth T^:Ta:d f r ''' ""'" ''''-' ''-'' '-^' «« 'v reputed fires Ihe land is free from stones, and very little labour would be necessary to make it ready for the plough. ^ The Kaministiquia, the only river on the Canadian side of Lake Superior navigable for large vessels for any distance from its mouth, flows 1 + into Thunder JJaj- at i'ort Willi,.,,,. p„,. ,,„. ., ,,, course, it wind, tl,ro„gh a rich v«ll,.v of ,1 , ""'"' °' '" Township, of Nccbint and Pa ,„ '° ' '" "" """'' "' *« 'o for., L in ....u,;z:,irh"cr '.::"" ;7r r «- and pine, with a thick nndorbrush of lowering shrubs'' ' """" to .e«. one to doubt the feasibiiit, c^S; iTtlrel';:" '" "^ "°~ J::rr:oro;\r^,i:; rjrriir r-''-^'"^ '- the Pic River and LakP V«. • ^'"^ '^"P«''ior, between xMver and Lake Neepirron, is comparatively level ^vUh .S0.1, generally dry, hut in places interrupted bv .Zl '^""^^ rocky ridges. The sand is underlaid 1 ,^li!u I ^'^T' "^"' ^°" occasionally con.es to the surface. ' ' "^°""' ^'^^^ ^^^'-'' The drift, which has come from the nmfl, „ *. i . . and boulders of the paleozoic l^^l^r:^;: r v'^ ^T direction. These are washed out and .xpo ed in b r , f '" *''"* along rivers and brooks, especially at rapTdslnd U ^''"' "'^' burning into lime. Th fossils wh h Tb " P'°" ^'''"'^'''^ ^°'- and indicate tlH. Niagara formL:''^' ^' ''""'''^ '"' "^^^*^^ «"^^^«^^ In going from Lake Superior, through this country to tb„ n . the Albany Rive, no difference is observed in the charac'ter of tr ' tation, which may be accounted fn. ^ ., ''"'^'^^'^ter of the vege- «outhern p„t, tojther ^^ T' o* \ :rri„rr°v' *• »erts upon ,t. Oats and barle, are sucLsfui ^ I, t .t ""Tr .o.etijofhar.esti„r:::ir;d:r;;ir;:sr:r^^^^^^^^ ifAINY EIVER, AND RAINY LAKE, LAKE OF THE WOODS AND RAT PORTAGE. This luost iu,porta„t section of the Province lies between the height of l.nd west of La.e Superior and the Winnipeg River. In its ^ aspect ,t ,s a hilly and broken country, intersected by rapid ^.0^^ w.de.pre.d lakes. The hills, however, do not rise to ay geat eZil liles of its itre of the ? from five ■ch, spruce ' scarcely the flora which lias , Ijtweeii ■1 a sandy and low ty which I pebbles in that kos, and ;able for silicified 'alley of le vetife- of the superior ig Lake thrive rost up )ODS, ight of eneral rs and ation, 1.) and there are several tine alluvial valleys, the ...ost extensive of wl,i,.l, is that of Rainy River. The lakes and rivers present long reaches of navij^able water, the prin- cipal of which, extending from Fort Frances to the western extren.ity of Lac Plat, is 158 miles in length. Dense forests cover the whole of this region, and the most valuable kinds of wood are seen in various places and m considerable quantities. Elm is found on Rainy River, and white'pine is abundant on the waters which flow towards Rainy Lake On the Sageinaga River, and on the Seine and Maligne, there are extensive forests of red and white pine. Occasional white pine appears in the beautiful valley of Rainy River, and on the islands in the Lake of tI,o Woods. The approach to Fort Frances is very beautiful. As we near the outlet of Rainy Lake, and enter Rainy River, the right bank appears very much like a park, the trees standing far apart, and having the rounded tops of those seen in open grounds. Blue oak and balsam poplar, witli a few aspen, are the principal forest trees. These line the bank, and for two miles after leaving the lake, we glide down between walls of living -a-een until we reach the Fort, which is beautifully situated on the right blnk of Rainy River, immediately below the Falls. All sorts of grlin can be raised here, as well as all kinds of garden vegetables. Barley, th- ^e feet high, and oats over that, show there is nothing in the climatl or soil to prevent a luxuriant growth. The length of the river is about eighty miles The right, or Canadian bank, for the whole distance, is covered with a heavy growth of forest trees, shrubs, climbing vines, and beautiful flov/ers The forest trees consist of oak, elm, ash, birch, busswood, balsam, spruce, aspcn, balsam poplar, and white and red pine r.ear the Lake of the Woods' The whole flora of this region indicates a climate very like that of the old settled parts of Ontario, and the luxuriance of the vegetation shews that the soil is of the very best quality. The name of Alberton has been given to the settlement at Fort Frances. Of the lakes in this section, the Lake of the Woods is the most extensive From Lac Plat, which may be regarded as its western extremity, to White Fish Lake, which is a somewhat .similar extension in uu opposite direction the distance is not far short of 100 miles, and from the mouth of Rainy 16 Rive,-, at the entran,. „f the lake, to it. outlet at Hat Ponaje, i„ l„t 4r . north, a„d lo„s. 04- ,r »est, the distance i. a,,,,,. „, J, '^ „„ , '^ .ha a, „,ethe.. H oceupie, an a-ea of a„„„t ,i»tee„ h„„<,„,., ...L, L .s,nte.pe„ed with i,l.„*, „„ ,o.. „, „hieh the ,„. ,„ ,' It ' ZIhT '""'.■"•"="'°™'' -^ I-- -- known it fail, H wo ,,1 he oftl„.slake. rsland„»e ,„ continuou. clusters, and in every variety of shut ■„ soon ag.,„ ,t opens out, and through Ion,- vista, a glance il obta,ned of an ocean-like expanse, where the water. n,.et the horil,. CLIMATE, AGRIOULTURAL RESOUWJKS .STOCK RAISING, Etc. efth''''w"t°!,"'V"'°"°' "•"''"" '""" '^'" Nipissing to the Lake , 7r ! T "" "' """' '' *™'"-''"^ '- »■■ •" -rls.. than i a the Cty „f Ottawa. Only i„ one locality between these two pi the snow found generally so deep as at this city, nau,ely i„ the h,,!. d , neighhourheod of Lake SapeHor, where the L apper to aT „ ^ :!r:;:„!::r"' " *= ""-^- -'■ '■■ — » - The clhaate of the territory north of the height of land is one of xtrena ,. The wrnters are cold-thc tcnperature tailing s„,uo.i„„, l' low a, forty degrees hslow .ere of Fahronheifs ther„,o„,eter, and oecas io^ aU r.s,ug .n s„„„„er to ninety degrees in the shade on the coast of James' Bay. The n,ean temperature of the summer at Moose Factory is ahont Sixty degrees. "^ """"k In going northward, from the height of land to James' Hay, the climate does not appear to get worse, but rather hotter. This „,ay he due to the constant d,mmut,en in the elevation mere than eounterhalaneing for the tncreased lat.tude, since in these northern regions a change in altitude affec s the c .mate much more than the same amount of ^ang. tu d affect ,t m place, further south. The water of Jan,..- Hav may also ,, , a favourable i„«„enee, the hulk of it being made up i„ the !„: Z 17 of warm river wator, wliioh uccumulates in tho head of the bay, and pushes the cold .sea water further north. I'lie i,'i cater proportion of day to night during th(( summer months may he another cause ot' the comparative warmtli of this region. The rainfall at Moose Factory forms no criterion as to what it is on the southern hi^'hiands, whei'e, without lieing too wet, there is sufficient rain ami dew to support the must luxuriant vegetation. The snow fall at Moose Factory is n(jt nearly as heavy as it is south of Lake Nipissing and French Kiver. The following tal)ies of tcniperatnre anil rainfall at Port Arthur and Moose Factory are taken from the report of the Meteorological service of Canada, for the year ending .'Jlst Deeemher, 1881. PORT AKTHTI!. issi Mkhu ti'iiijierature nf tlii' i several iiioiitiis. I Highest tenipeiiituri' In uucli j month. I Lowest teinpi'ratiiiH in imuIi iMDnth. Haiiifall in inclics in lacii month. >> C s P fl ^ ►^ . 'r^ 1 1 ■fid i; >* si 1 1 1^ ^ ^ !^ ' t I ^ IMull \ O'.'i 10-7 2r)-,s;iiL'.")0- 1 ."ifi.">](>7-l (;4'4 53-7 40 (i 22il'21'3 i i I i I ! 1 ^ i 2!)S38-4 45Tj71-8|70«;80-7 3«G|2r)'4 ,S8-(i 85 '0 12'0| 3-ll20-2|2<)oi43-2 72-3 6'J-8-K)-.S42'K I 0-00 Nninber of days on whicl rain fell in each month ;h ) ! • r ° 0-00i000l0'7(>3'23'l.74 3| 101 8 38'0l330 15 -31 13 '3 2.71 ! I 2'97 7:iSi2-0«il-00 li)-4 000 <i| 15 5! 21 I I I i is MdOSK KACIORV IM.S1, Mi'ilii t.'iii|)ciatiiie of fhu sevunil iiioiitliH. j Hijfh.'Mt tHiiipcratuif ill ciich lllDIltll. j Li)Wt'.st teiM|i('i-iit,iiri. ill each 'i I — y'2o \\m-rA4'> inoiith. j i 47'4«4-0(10-8 ' I I r,(J-H7!C0 83'0|!H)r):>W5l7(j« sinaao 14-3 irit HO ri-2r,20;;«7 1 I Rainfall ni iiK'lii'^ in f.wU ) ', ' montli. J-{0-^:Oa0 010 0.1.!|0-.Vi;v5.S Nlllul).-]' (,f ,l,iy. ,,11 Wllicli \ 1 ' rain fell i„ ,.hi;Ii nionth. }■ " 1 :i ."), H 14 14 oyfiHj4ir) ;wa,Mr>o 12 r. aici 222 I i I'i' i:«| iri ow'ooo Agricultrual operations have l.een ve.y Ii,„ited north of the height of and. rt ,,s only at the fu,-trading posts of the Hudson's Hay Oo.^.any that any attempt has been nK Je to cultivate the soil. ' Farming and gardening h.ve I.eon successfully carried on hy the ofH.-ers of the Company at their posts on Lakes Mattaga.ni and Missinil.i. At the latter, sprmg wheat has l.een found to ripen well. At Moose Factory although the soil is a cold, wet clay, with a level, undrained surface, farm and garden produce, in considerable variety, are raised every yePr Oats harley, beans, peas, turnips, beets, carrot, cabbage, onions, tomatoes etc ' are grown w.thout any more c.re th,.n is re,p.i....d in other parts o^ 1 jinada. ' Wheat may be successfully grown where the soil is suitable in ail that p.trt of th:s temtory lying to the south of the Hftieth parallel of latitude Then.ean ten.peratureof the sununer south of that parallel is sufficient to npen tins ce.-eal. Indeed wheat has been grown at Abbitibbe House Plyng Post, and New Brunswick, on or ab3ut the forty-niuth para!i,.| and' at Lac .>,eul. between the tiftieth and fifty-tirst parallel. Indian cora . s a 10 morn d-licHt. plant th.u. whoal, l.as con.o (o .naturity ..t O.sMal.ursli Houho, oil l^ik(^.St. .Joseph, north of the Ht'ty-lirHt |.anill..|. iJaWey, oats, rye, peas and l.euns sucrood woll. Th.. invariahlo ex.-H- lenceof the oropB of th,. Windsor h,.au and th. kidn.,v-l,..an .t Moo.s« Factory is surpri.sinj(. The vetch grows wild .vorywher... l.ut nowh.Mv is it so ul.undaat as on the coast of Junius' Hay. Th.,v is prol.al.ly n., food plant that is likMy t,. I.,- of n.ore in.portance to the inlml.itMnts of this territory than th.- potato. There is none the <mlt,vation of which has been so sucoesHful in every part. Tin- titnes, ».oth ot soil and oli.nate for its growth has l.-en estal.lishe.l beyond dispute \V hether viewed in reference to si.o, r.uantity or quality, the crops at Moose Factory an.l Matawagannn.u. (L'.iO n.iles further south), will con.pare favourably with those in the best potato-^rowin,, distri..ts in Ontario Peaty soil ,s particularly well suited to the .rowth of potatoes. Then- are «ulhons of acres of peat n.osses in this territory, very extensive areas of wh.ch can be easily reclaimed, an.l when the country is settled and means of transport provided, hundreds of thousands of tons of potatoes n.ay be grown an.l sent away to supply the wants of other countries, The titness of the .soil and clinuUe for the growth of root .rops will «mke the breeding of cattle an.l .lairy husbandry in.portant resources of this territory. An.ong these crops the turnip is entitled to a place in tl... front rank. The carrot, beet, and parsnip can also be grown. Cabbages, spinach, lettuce, mustard, cre,ss, and radishes, are grown with- out any ch hculty. Rhubarb also grows well. The cauliHowe: appears to be one of the surest crops at Moose Factory, and is s etimes ready for t table as early as the fi.st of August. Whatever doubts exist as to the agricultural value of the country north of the he,ght of land in respect to its grain-growing ..apabiliti., there ca be none ,n regard to its fitness to produce the more important roots and gr sses. ^om the height of land northward to the coa' t of James' By nothing on te north shor- . of Lake Huron or .Snp.Hor can exceed tlu- luxunance of the native grasse.s. Cows and oxen are kept at all the pH^ cpal i,osts, and they are invariably found to be healthy and in fine 'on- 20 lUh tii a good ovideiue .,t tl... s.Un.i.iity of tlw. dimafc, and i«p««rtur.'. At Moos., Factory, where soiuo sixty lu-.u! t'xcfillont'd of arc foiistautly kept, a certain nmnl.-r an- siau-htrnvd .,v»,ry full, ,i,ul an, .luito fat, altliou«Ii then taken "ttraiglit fnmi tin, yrans. Th- only fruits il.u appear t.. 1„. ,.ultiv,it.'d ii. tin, ward.... ur.. th.. red and hlack current and ranpL.Try. Tl... r.-il .urr.nt ih renmrkably prolific. The struwlK.rry iin.l -...,M.|„.,ry ini-ht I- rai.s...l with little trouhl.., for they are found «rowint: wil.l in many placs, and nouher on- ( .tifuily or of fintM- quality than ..n tl,.. coast. The Imeklel-rry, or l.lu.h-rry is found in great profuwion fn.ni tlw Ion- portages to the heiirht ..f la,,.], (n.leed it may he said to al.oun.l from the c-oast of Ihulson's May to the shor.-s of Lakes IFuron and Superior. it is nowher.- in gr..at..r profu...ioM or ..f fnwr quality than on tin, height of lanti it.self. Then- is another uiM tiruit which may he notie...!. This is a hush or tr.'e not uidike the wild ..herry in appearance.* North of the height of land, it attains a height in some plue-s of t.'n or twelve f..et, hut is .ren- eruily .ihout six feet. The fruit grows singly, not in l.un.d.es or' clusters on the tree. It is an ..l.long or pear shape, larger than the hlueherrv, hut smaller than th.- grap... Wlmn ripe it is of a purple or hiue color. " 'ft is sw.M-t.,r and has more llavor than the huckleberry, an.l is preferred by the nativ.'s to it. It is to be found all the way from Jame.s' l^ay to Lake Huron, l..ut nowhere in greater perfection than on the Mattagami River. The fruit is not only pleasant and wholesome, but the juice would niake aii e>"eUent wine, and the tree is worthy of cultivation and a place in our orchards and gardens. •This is |„„l,al,|y .\.H,.I;inchier.SHngiiin.,,., ., variety „f~th,. Ciuiudian Mi',\h