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THE CANADA PACIFIC RAILWAYlTECESS VRY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR RESOURCES. I m PRINTBU AT THE .^(TCrKlSrAL PRINTING HOUSE, ST. CATHARINES, ONT. 1874. E TJ P L A N" r> . •i. OUR NORTHERN EMPIRE. HOW TO REACH OUR VAST POSSESSIONS. THE DIFFERENT ROUTES ANALYZED AND DESCRIBED. THE CANADA PACIFIC RAILWAY NECESSARY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR RESOURCES. PRINTED AT THE JOURNAL PRINTING HOUSE, ST. CATHARINES, ONT. 1874. SUMMARY OF CONTENTS. i Manitoba. Rivers. Drainage. Timber . Hudson Bay Company.. Old Settlewents. Half Breeds. Civilized Indians. Grasshoppers. Ontario Settlers. Winters. Spriny. Harvest. Autumn. Crops. Yield. Stock. Cattle. Horses. Prairies. Marshes Meadows. Land Hills. Hay. Climate. New Settlers on Old Prairies, Water. Forests. Illinois 26 years ago. compared tvith the Northwest. System of living. Homestead Grants. St. Lawrence Lakt System. Hupland Lake System and Rivers. Hudson Bay. Fish. Way to reach the Northietst. IN ANSWER TO QTE8TIONS UY INTEKDINO IM- MIGBANTa. Manitoba is the first Canadian jm'o- vince to the eastward of the Rocky Moun- tains, and hes about 400 miles West by Noith from Thunder Bay, on Lake Superior, north-west side. The following are its boundaries: On the east, by the meridian of 96° west; south, by Minne- sota and Dacotah; west, by the meridian of 99°; and north by the parallel of o0°35\ It contains about 9,000,000 acres. A portion of the province is covered by the southern parts of Lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba. BIVER8 AND DRAINAGE. The eastern part of Manitoba is drained by the " Red River of the north" and its tributaries. This river enters the province from the south, about 40 miles west of the eastern boundary, and, after a course of V12 miles through the province, emptys into the south-west angle of Lake Winni- peg. From the lake, the I'iver i» navi- gable sothward to Fort Garry, 50 miles, where it is 900 feet wide, and thenc« south to the Liternational boundai'y, (55 miles, and further lOO miles to Moorhead. By the windings of the stream the dis- tance :s over 800 miles. From the east the country descends towards this stream at the rate of about 9 feet in the mile; from the west the faU is less. The south- west, West, and central portions are drained by a tributary of the Red river, the Assiimiboine, which enters the pro- vince from the west at f»0° north, thence its course is eastwaid to its confluence with the Red river at Fort Garrv. The descent from the southwest to the Assin- niboina is considerable. A low ridge which runs westerly from Red river to that boundary of the province divides the water-shed between the Assirmiboine and the lakes of the north. The country de- scends each way about 5 feet to the mile. The prairies and wild meadows extend to the horizon, being only occasionally inter- runted by park-like poplar bhuTs, generally on the north ; but sometimes on the south by wooded fringes of the Assinniboine. JVorth of the dividing ridge numerous / 4 nmall limo houl.lon cover the surface, but none are fuiiiid towards the south. Wood, timbkb and railwats. Except n ligiit growth Rlonji^ the eastern boundary, (much of which has he.'ti de- stroyed by recent fires,) and poplar groves on tlie north, with an occasional ])Oplar hlutf on the prairies, ami a mixed growth which t'ringvs the margins of some utreams, such a* the lied and Aasinniboine river*, the hest of which has been cut and Hoated down the rivers to the old settlements, Manitoba and most of the country to the west of it may bo re- garded as prairie, destitute of the tim- ber essential to the cheap and successful establishment of large settlements, and the c mstruction of railroads, on a scale neces- sary to develop the resources oi the country; but such supplies can be found north of Lake Superior east of the 94th meridian, to the west of which there is but very little pine. The same is the case to the) east of the Rocky Mountains, and to the north of the Saskatchewan. On neither the British nor the American side is there a goo(' supply of railway tie tim- ber. The ties for the Dacotah section of the Northern Pacific Railway are taken from the ejist side of the Mississippi river, east of 94°. By constructing a road from Lake Superior to the main line of tlie Canada Pacific Railway, thence east and west, Ottawa could be reached in four y«ars and Manitoba in two years. In the westward direction the road could be constructed and completed at the rate of 300 miles a year. Thus the Capital of the Dominion and the valley of the Sas- katchewan could have railway communi- cation inside of four years. Although the vast country lying contiguous to the Saskatchewan valley and south thereof to the west of Manitoba, is, like that province, destitute of the necessary quantity of tim- ber, yet the Dominion possesses as much or more timber than the remainder of North America. The great sub-arctic j)ine forests north of the Saskatchewan, extending far down the Pei'.ce and McKeii- zie rivcru, thence to the west of the Rocky Mountains and north of Lakes Superior and Huron as well as on the French, Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers, will furnish an amazing amount of timber. This territory (with New Brunswick,) constitutes an area of over 1,700,000 square miles, producing evergreen trees, principally pine. Besides her forests, the Saskatchewan hashercoa! and iron bods extending over 200 miles along the stream. U[)on the Pacific lie the coal deposits of Vancouver Island. OCCUPATION AND SETTU'MENT. The settlement of Rupert't Land was CDmmenced on Hudson's bay by the company of that name in 1610, ten years before the Puritans landed at Plymouth ; and, while they and their descemlants have had incessant wars with the aborigines, who to this day, thirst for the blood and hunger for the scalps of our southern neighbors, the Hudson Bay company have not only lived on amicable terms with the Indian, but have trained and civilize*! him, over an area as large as that of the United States. Many find fault with and com- plain of this company ; but where, in ancient or modern history do we find a com{)any or a government who, without force or oppression, have tamed and civi- lized half a continent of wild aborigines? It is to be hoped that every true subject of the Empire will, in the future, contri- bute his influence towards \\ie sam^i worthy object, viz: that of treating the Indians justly and kindly as our prede- cessors have done in tlie northwestern country. About the year 1812 the Hudson's Bay company established sever- al colonies o.*" agriculturists on the Red river, (now the centre of Manitoba,) which have increased, (in most cases by ; I the acctisaion of Iiidimi half ureeds^ to the state of very important sctlleni'MiU, oi'oupyiiiQ; about Ui(J miles of the shores of the Red aiiiimil>oine rivH';». The half hreods are of French, Scotch and iMijllish extr/iotion, and are cilizens of which any nation should feel proud. The ditferent(;lasae8 are settled sejiarately ; and there is also a settlement of pure-blooded Indians, who have comfortable houses, and arc, for the most part, engaged in agriculture. Consitiering the isolation of ihese citizens, their success has been most remarkable. Their farms, buildings, churches, schools, cemeteries and all the other a[>purtetiances of civilized life com- pare favorably with those of eastern settlements, and, in many cases surpass them. CULTIVATION, These settlers have in many instances cultivated iheir farms, for more than 50 yeare, without 'he aid of fertilizers, and have harvested from 30 to 50 bushels per acre of spring wheal. Roots and other staples are equally good crops, except when devastated by grasshopper, a cir- cum.>tancc which has occurred about six times since 1812. The soil is rich to a fault, and barnyard manure was disposod of by dumping itintothe river until, two yeare ago, when the Local Legislature prohibit ed the practice. I think that this im- mense fertihty is one of the highest recommendations to the northwest terri- tory. The grasshopper is an occasional vinitJint to all the country west of 94° from the Rio Grande to the McKenzie river. It resembles the small specimens of the same genu^ seen in the province of Quebec, but is stronger, brighter colored, and very nimble. It has two pairs of wings, and is of very different habits. In August the first indication of its approach is a sort of humming noise in the upper atmosphere. Boon specks are visible in the air, like dust in the sun beam, and sparkle like diainoiid«, being as ))lenti- ful .IS grains of sand upon the sea shore. If black clounds pass l)etween thenj and the sun, large deta 'limenls of them settle to the surface of the earth, sometimes covering large areas. There they bur- row ami ('.epowit their eggs, about an inch beneath the surface, and (lisaj)pear. The your.g are first seen early in the following May and soon begui to cat ravenously, grow rapidly, and, when about 40 days old, commence travelling, (as if by con- certed signal,) to some point of the com-, pa3s, anil, by a procesi of hoi>ping and trotting attain a surprising degree of speed. They hop about 30 inches. The trot, (which is performed as if the insfcts were running for dear life,) is nearly 13 inches. This mode of travel is continued until a favorable wind arises, when they take wing and disappear as mysteriously as they came. The new settlers believe that if every farmer sowed as usual, in the season threatened with grasshoppers, the loss of each would be but slight; while, according to the prevaihng custom, only one or two in n place plant or sow. All the grasshoppei-s concentrate upon this spot and devour its products. They do but little harm to the prairie grass even when they are numerous. Mr. McKenxie, formerly of Paisley, Ont, who hves 70 miles west of Fort Garry, Mr. McRae, of White Wood River, 20 miles further west, from Ashfield, Ont. , Mr. Correy, and Mr. Ferguson, 0( the same place, and many other farmers who moved from Ontario, and who have seen three winters in the west, state that the winters in Manitoba are pleasanter and much less severe on stock than those of Ontario. Snow, which is light and drifts but little, disappears about the 10th of March, leaving no frost in the ground. Wheat sowing begins the first weeli in April; hay making and harvesting is iin'shed by the end of August Frosty 7 6 nights return in September and are fol- lowed by a deliytful Autiinin. Winter sets in in the hitter part of October and continues without thaws until Maroh, when the»pnnf;f\veutlieropeJis rapidly. Thecoun- trv is free from chill», fevers, a{>'ueand simi- lar local malailie-'., there bi-itii; n: ' malarious exlmltations from which such diseases could possibly etnanate. Wheat, sown on the newly broken prairie lands, yields from 35 to 40 bushels per acre. Potatoes, roots, garden plants, &c. , are produced in (piaiitity and quality which cannot be excelled by anv country in America. For the past three years wheat has always been in demand at $1 .50 per bushel, and other staples in ])roportion. Fences are generally built of poplar poles, which last for many years if " barked " on one side. The blooded stock imported many years since by the Hudson Bay Company hsis greatly improved the native horse, which is small but good, p.nd well adapted to the wants of the country. CLIMATl. &C. From the Gulf-stream of the Atlantic the temperature gradually lowers until the ridge which separates the sources of the Mississippi from the water sheds of the northwest is reached. Tiiere the cold is intense. Thence the temperature rises, especially in a westerly direction, along the valley of the Saskatchewan and Peace rivers, falling and rising with the Rocky Mountains, to the Pacific coast north of Vancouver Island. From the^ llocky Mountains, along the Saskat- chewan valley, for a distance of hundreds of miles eastward, north of the parallel of 60° and over an area of many thousand square miles, the climate is so favorable for wintering stock that the Indians and hunters travel hundreds of miles to reuvjii it and find abundance of feed for the whole winter. These indispensable facts fully sustain Blodgett, an eminent Ameiican authority, respecting the ch- mate an*mimf 100 acres each. "Any person who is the head of h family, or has attained the age of 21 years, and is a citizen by birth or naturali- zation, shall, u'ter the firat day of May, 1871, be entitled to be entered for a quarter section of tlif> unappropriated lands for the purpose of securing a home- stead right in respect thereof. " " No person can purchase more than 640 acres from the Crown. Each section is entitled to 20 acres of ihe nearest un- appropriated timber land, at the same price; (at present $1 per acre.") HOW TO BEACH MANITOUA. First, proceed by railway to Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul. Thence by the Northern Pacific Railroad Junction via Brainerd and Morehead, after reaching which place the route is by steamer or stage to Fort Garry. Second, (in summer,) if economy be an object, go by steamer to Thunder Bay on Lake Superior, and thence by tho Dawson route to Manitoba, principally in steamers, steam transports, and by port- ages, over which teams and loaded wagons can pass without breaking bulk. As this rou is new and*comparatively unknown, a d passes for 450 miles through a wilderness of dense forests, lakes, rivers and cascades, inhabited only by Indians, a more detailed description may be acceptable. THE BOUTE TO THE NORTHWEST. Lake Superior may be regarded as the wmmmm i 8 setiboavd of the No"thwest Territories. It is of itself a o-reat inland Sea, and by means of tiio Canals of the Dominion, an^s available, or susoeptildo of being made so, K8 lines of communication with the vast unpeOjiled Territorif's which have fallen to the lot of the Dominion must, in the first instance, be sought for and any In- fomiation regarding these from travellers or others will, doubtless, be acceptable to Canadians. In looking for a route to the interior, ill any country, regard must be had to i\ harbor which, if such can be found, should l^ in a place naturally gafe and easy of access from the sea on one side, and prac- ticable as a starting point to roads on the other. These conditions seem to be met with at Thunder Bay, formerly the grand em- porium of the Fur Comp.. .'.^s, and now the starting point of the road to Manitoba — commonly known as the " Dawson Route. " The magnificent Bay is well sheltered, having the peninsula with the high pro- montory of Thunder Cape to the east, Pie Island to the south, and further out Isle Royale guarding it from the surge of the great Lake. The Bay itself is, how- ever, of such dimensions that a surf rather uncomfortable to small boats sometimes * rises within it; but at Prince Arthur'* Landing, the place from which the road 8tartp, perfect shelter has been obtained by means of |b fine dock recently con- structed by the Domimon Government. Ibunder Bay, however, has a rival in Nipegon Bay, a land-locked sheet of water at the northern extremity of Lake Supe- vior, which has also been spoken of ss a starting point for a route to the West. It is claimed for it that it is completely sheltered, as it no dOubt is, but it is I objected to, on the other harxd, that it is shallow (the Fatje Flat of the Voyageurs) so intricate as to be imoracticable of navi- gation to sailing vessels without the aid of a Tug, an J so completely land-locked as to assume the characterof a small inland lake, freezing a month earlier than Thund- er Bay is the fall, and remjtining a fort- night or three weeks longer covert .1 with ice in the spring. Last spring was an unusually coKl one, and it 13 claimed for Thunder Bay that it was open the first week in May, while Mipegon was locked up with ice till the 2iJrd. The Steamers, it is said, navigateThund- er Bay all through November, while Ni- pegon B ay is closed with the first cold weather — and finally, that i bunder Bay is easy of access to sailing vessels at all times. Ou the other hand, it is claimed for Nipegon Bay, that it is 30 m les further east, and that the Railroad route fiom it to Manitoba is no longer than from Thund- er Bay. There is a diversity of opinion as to the best route for the main line — some advocate the Lake shores to Nipe- gon Bay, others the same line continued to TiiUiiddr Bay, while a third favor the route to the north of those in question, along the English River and Lake water system, stretching east and west between Lake Nipegon and old Fort Garry at the head of deep water on the Red River, 30 miles irom Lake Winnipeg, and thence west to the southwest angle of Lake Manitoba ; others mariners, (fee, frona Ottawa to the Geoigian Bay, thence by boat to Thunder Bay, and by rail straight to Garry. Thunder Ba*^ has, at least, an advant- age in the fact tuat it has warm advocates in the population of Prince Arthur's Land- ing, who do not fail to sound its praises . while Nipegon Bay still reposes amidst unbroken forests in the silence of nature. A little to the west of Prince Arthur's Landing is the Valley of the Kamicisti- I f d inion giiia, where there is saitl to be a great (lefil of agricullinvil hiinl, .anf fifteen miles with acomuioda- tion for the teamstoi-s and travellers. The land on some })oints of this road is re- markably good, and to judge from the crops in the little clearing already piade, would prove very productive on cultiva- tion. SHEBANOOWAN LAKE. On this lake a sieam tug, with a barge and a number of boats, is mainlainefl for the conveyance of passengeis and freight. The tug has a run of twenty miles be- tween Shebandowan and Kasl;al)orive Stations, at both of which places there is good accommodation for emigrants. Kashaborive Portage is a well gravelled road three quarters of a mile in length, leading from Shebandowan to ' KASHABORIVE t.aKE, a smooth stretch of nine miles, anrl the last on the eastern slope of the water- shed. On this Lal^e a tug and barge are also maintiiined. ■; --|-r;- ■ HEIGHT OF LAND carrying place or portage, is one mile in length, and leads from the lake last men- tioned to Lac dfcs Milles Lacs, a largo sheet of water tribulaiy to the Winnipeg. This lake sends bays and arms in every direction, and it is (|uit*i be*vildering from the number of islands with which it is ' everywhere .studded. There seems to be abundance of fine timb.ir in the country about Lac des Milles Lacs, and the natives report extensive groves on the beine, the river by which it sends its waters to Rainy Lake. On this lake tlu^ tug has a run of twenty-one miles to B aril Portage, a carry- ing '/lace only sixteen chains in length. BARIL LAKE, the next of the water-stretches, is eight miles in length. A tug and barge are placed upon it for the transport of passen- gers and freight to Brule Portage, twenty- one chains long, where comfortable houses have been constructed for the accommo- dation of emigrants. WINDEGOOSTIGOON LAKE, fourteen miles in length, stretches between B rule and French Portages, at which latter place, in order to facilitate naviga- tion, a drain has^ been built. A tug, v\ith a number of boats traverse the lake daily, carrying passengers, rtages, and, it is said, there are exten- sive groves of these v»oods inlanil. aTUKGEON LAKE, IR navigable for a distance of ^eventeea miles between Deux Kivieres and the Mailgne, having been rendered so by means of a dam. At Island Portage, also, it is j)roposed to budd a dam, a luost important work, which, when com- pleted, will raise the waters oftheMaligne River to a height suflieient to make navi- gation of slack water between the dam last mentioned and Island Portisge. At present there are some rapids and ripples which render it necessary to maintam a considerable force of voyageurs. When the dam above mentioned is completed, steam will be used here as upon all the other sections. NEyUAQUON LAKE OK LAC LA CROIX Island Portage above referred to is only rifty yards "-i length. Baggage is passed over it on a ~l;de. Lac la Croix, a line sheet of wnter studded with islands, is rapidly passed over by means of a tug and barge. The great new portage or, as it called, the yec^uaquou, leading from Lac la Croix to Namuekan Lake, is three miles in length. By the opening of this port- age, the long and difficult detour by the Loon River has been avoided, and full twenty inilea in distance saved. ^. ^t-.-, NAMUEKAN LAKB* This is a line sheet of water full of ishuids and on it a barge and tugs are always in readiness for the conveyance of passen- gers and freight between Nequatiuon ^nd Kettle Falls at the head of liainv Lake. The portage at K^utle Falls is short and the fall only eight feet Arrived at BAINY LAKE, a handsome and powerful steamer is in readiness to carry passengerr- to Fort Francis, a distance of forty-seven miles. Rainy Lake is a fiMe sheet of water ex- tending I's arms far to the north and east and receiving numerous tribuUiries from various directions, the principle of which are Siurgeon River, the Seine and the Manitou. The aggregate area drained I by these rivers in not short of fifty thou- j sand square miles, and in many ^)aits of ! this extensive region there are valuable I forests of pine, which will, no doubt, prove inviting to the lumbermen, a class of pioneers who have hitherto shown themselves the most valuable in opening the wild lands of the Dominion to settlement. FORT FRANCIS, once a grand emporium of the fur trade and still the chief rendezvous of a power- ful tribe of Ljdians, is, from its aatural advantages, likely soon to become a place of great importance. The falls immedia- tely in fro' ' of the Hudson Bay Com- pany's PVit present nnhniited water power and the ground is naturally well adapted for mill sites. Perhaps the day is not distant when these falls may rival the Chaudiere on the Ottawa in the number of mills they set in motion. BAINY RIVER. From Fort Francis to the Lake of the Woods the navigation is unbroken, and on either side of this magnificent stream, the lartd is of a (quality not to be surpassed, covered, in general, with heavy forests, but presenting in Pome places openings and cleared lands which had evidently been cultivated at some remote period. In these openings are occasional mounds, i which, here as elsewhere, show the wide 11 I period. range of ountry whieli must have been occupier) by the niousid builders. The htuds O.I Ivjiiny River iire, without doubt, well ndapted for cultivation, and petlle- inents eatablishetl here would form an excellent stepping stone to the prairie lands further to the west. From the mouth of the Rainy River to the north- w«.'st angle of the Lake of the Woods, the dist:ince is al>out fifty miles, making with the Rainy River a stretch of one hundred and thirty miles of navigable water. Navigation, however, extends to Rat Portage, some thirty or lorl.y miles to the north of the northwest angle. From Rat Portage, by the winding of Winnipeg River, the distance to Lake Winnipeg is ;ibout one hundred and fifty miles, Winnipeg River consists of a series of lakes with rapids and short portagea be- tween them, and might, it is said, be rendered navigable at a moderate outlay. From the northwest angle to Fort Garry by the road is ninety-five miles, the first seventy miles being through a wood- ed country, and the baluncrt through prai- i-ie. Such is the " Dawson Route" in its general feature;-,. Fiist, a road of forty- five miles leading from Thunder Bay to Shebandowan Lake; then a series of navigalile sections with short portagts between them, covering a distance of some three hundred and twenty miles; and lastly, u load cf ninety-five miles over a level country, from the Lake of the Woods to Fort Garry. The value of this line of communica- tion, even in its present state, affording as it does, the means of access through British Territory to the North West, can- not be over-estimated. Much has been done but a great deal still remains to be accomplished. Those only who have been accustomed to carrying on opera- tions in new countries can appreciate the difficulties which must have been en- countered in opening a line of four hundred and fifty miles through a wilder- ntV**s of forests and lakes; but, to those who have thouglit of the future of the vast regions which have fallen to the in- herithuce of the Dominion, it will appear but H verv moderate beginning. There is nothing more striking, in travcllino- over the Diiwsou route, than the evident care which has been taken, to apply and distribute com])ari44 100 ... V 32 liles ... 6 45 $19 27 rail . .$12 81 13 00 riiles M • • 23 65 item icific IS on vith- six iieiit- nmer a run when letl. $49 46 Freight charges on ton of freight on summer route, Montreal to Thunder Bay, water $ 6 00 Thunder Bay to Fort Garry, rail, 473 miles at $3 per ton par 100 miles 14 19 $19 19 ROUTE MC 4. Passengei-s. Montreal, Ottawa, Pembroke, Georgian Bay, Sault St Marie, Lake Superior, Thunder Ba), Fort Garry. Montreal to Pembroke, rail 200 miles, 3 cents $ 6 00 Pembroke to Georgian Bay, 210 miles, 5 cents 10 60 Georgian Bay Steamers to Thund- er Bay 12 00 Thunder Bay, rail 473 miles, 6 cents _ 23 66 The railroad from Pembina, like the North Pacific and Thunder B ay railroads, terminates on a lake and has no connection for six months out of twelve, consequent- ly 2-5th8 has to be added to their rates, as has been done in the case of the other two lines. $52 15 $52 15 Freight per ton by this route from Montreal to Georgian Bay, 410 miles. Montreal to Pembroke, $2 per 100 miles . $ Pembroke to Georgian Bay 210 miles, at $3 per 100 miles Georgian Bay to Thunder Bay, boats Thunder Bay to Garry, 473 miles rail, at $3 per 100 miles 4 00 6 30 2 oa 14 19 $25 49 BOUTB NO 4. ■_ Continuous winter and summer. Continuous railroad from Montreal to Manitoba, 1200 miles. Pas- senger rates, 3 cents. . . . ., $36 00 Freight at $2 per ton per 100 miles 24 00 BOUTB NO. 1. Suppose three-quarters take tbe water route in summer to Du- luth, Glendin, Pembina, to Garry, and one-fourth during the winter the Chicago, St Paul and Ranter, the average per ton will be T $25 33 RODTR NO. 2, Suppose three-quarters take the water route in summer to Thund- er Bay, and rail from there to Manitoba, and the remaining quarter during the winter via Chicago, St Paul and Pembina, the charge will be per ton $25 27 aouTK N*. 3. Suppose as in the above cases, three -quarters pass on the Ot- tawa, Georgian Bay, Sault St Marie and Thunder Bay R. R, to Garry, and one-quarter through the United Stjites in winter the charges will be . . . . $30 74 Thus it will be seen that building a railroad 473 miles from Thunder Bay to Fort Garry, at a cost of about $50,000 per mile, equal to about $23,650,000, (interest at at 5 per cent would be $1,- 182,500,) would make a saving of only 6 cents per ton, and inci ease to the country the amount of the annual interest on the cost of the road equal to $3. 86 per ton over and above that of the American line. Supposing 1,000 tons, pass on the route daily, the loss — in round numbers — would be $1,158,000 per annum, and we would u liave nothiiii!; to show for the loss but a summer route. It will be obseivetl that cost of trans- portation oti the Ottawa, Georgian Bay, 8ault St. Marie and Thunder Bjiy rail and water routes exceeds that of all the other routes by $5.44 per ton, which would amount annually — supposing only 1,000 tons to be moved daily — to a loss of $1,- 032,000, to say nothing of the cost and interest of building 683 nr.iles of riiilroad — namely, 210 miles west of Pembrooke, and 473 miles west of Thunder Bay, at about $50,000 per mile, to 134,150,000, to which add the interest on this amount, at 5 per cent. $1,707,500 and the extra cost of freight of $1,632,000, miaking a net loss annually of $3,339,400, besides the loss on passenger fares, to get nothing but a summer route. HODTB NO. 4, Continuous railroad from Montreal to Manitoba by the bfest Canadian route. Freightpert'Mi per 100 miles $24 00 Being $6.74 cents per ton less than on the water and rail six months route No. 4, making an anr.ual sav- ing on 1,000 tens per day of $2,022,000 ; to this am't add the interest on the cost of building the railroad. on route No. 3 _.l, 632,000 00 $3,624, 00 00 Supposing the through railroad to be 1,200 miles long, costing $50,000 per mile, $60,000,000; interest on the same at 5 per cent, equals only $3,000,000. And supposing we consider this a local question, we would make a saving of of $664,000 annually, besides having a continujus hne in our own country, and making nearly half of the connection from ocean to ocean. The two pieces of rail- road contemplated on b'oute No. 3 can- not be used to advantage in a through line, and will consequently be lost to the country. But the Government and people of bhe British Empire are deeply interested, and desirous of connecting their far extended Empire by the shortest and most practic- ablo route. This route is from the west coa^t of Great Britain across the Atlantic Ocean, on a westerly course, to the east coast of British America; and thence westerly across British America to the east shore of the Pacific Ocean; and from thence by the Pacific Ocean to Calcutta, Sidney, China, Japan, Ac, &c. The advantages of this route are nation- al as well as local, and present many im- portant advantages. Ist — It will connect over 200,000,000 British subjects with the seat and centre of the Empire, by the shortest and cheap- est route on the globe, and connect by the shortest route the Empires of China and Japan—with 500,000,000 of industri- ous people — with the commercial metrop- olis of the Dominion and of the Empire, and thus secure the trade and travel of a people whose trade has enriched every nation who has had the fortune to secure it, both in ancient and modern times. 2i)d — Much of the vast annual expendi- tures for transit on other lines would bo disbursed on the new route, enriching the ownei-s and country through which it passes, and would open up for the settle- ment and occupation of the now over crowded Agriculturists of the Empire, the most fertile and largest unoccupied dis- trict in North America, from winch the bread supplies of the artizans and operatives of the Empire would jome, and in turn would furnish a home market for the products of their industry, and thua distribute among the industrious classes of the Empire millions sent abroad an- nually to purchase the food which the country does not produce. 3rd — It would annihilate the hopes of 15 at to the )le of ihe ;8ted, and extended it practic- 1 the west J Athmtic 3 the east id thence ca to the and from Calcutta, internal traitors who aim at the dissolu- ^ tion of the Empire. 4th — And would render the nation in- dependent of external rivals or foes. — I The route has an abundance of coal at each end and the centre, with open harbors the year round on either ocean. Homer, Ont, Sept. 23rd, 1874 • I CORRECTIONS. "White wood"8hould be "white mud." " 1,000,000" square miles should ha '700,000 miles." REFERENCES. For history and details, see- Sir Alex. McKei.zie's " North West Travels" ; Simp- son's "North West Travels"; Butler's "Lone Land"; Spence "On Manitdba" ; Grant's *.' Oceac to Ocean" ; and Dennis' Reports. are nation- many ira- 10,000,000 and centre and cheap- :onnect by ! of China of industri- ;ial metrop- le Empire, travel of a ched every le to secure ti times. Lial expendi- 3 would bo [iriching the li which it r the settle- e now over Empire, the ccupied dis- n winch the rtizans and Id ::ome, and 3 market for ■y, and thut trious classes i abroad an- ] which the the hopes of