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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont film6s en comm9n9ant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparattra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols -^ signifie "A SUIVRE". le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film^s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film^ d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 I THE NORTH-WEST OF CANADA : BEiXG Jl brirf $kctd) of \i)t Horfd-Ulfstmi lifgions, AND A TPwKATISE ON THE fUTUI^E J^ESOURCES OF THE poUNTRY. JK; Br CHARLES HORETZKY. '-°^+iiQf^^*> -o •■ t ■■ giiavvtt : PRINTED AT THE OFFICE OF A. 8. WOODBURN, ELGIN STREET. IQ73. THE "NORTH-WEST "OF THE DOMINION. Now that the subject of emij^ration is beginning to attract the attention it deserves, a brief but comprehensive description of the immense territories inhabited at pi'esent by a compara- tively few nomadic Indian tribes, will not be out of place, and may assist the eft'orts of our Emigration Agents in Great Britain and on the Continent of Europe, where the great majority of the population is yet in ignorance regarding the vast resources recently acquired by Canada by the transfer of the Hudson's Bay territories. Before the acquisition of those immense regions, and the confederation of the Atlantic Provinces and British Columbia, Canada represented but an insignificant portion of the North Auicrican Continent; now her flag waves proudly over its best northern half, and she may justly claim possession of an empire rivalinor in size and resources that of her southern neiij-hbour. The regions recently under the control of the Hudson's Bay Company, coujprise a vast area : they embrace that portion of tlie co?itinent lying nortii of old Canada, the United States, and British Columbia, and extend from east to west for a dis- tance of three thousand miles, while from the shores of the Antic Sea to the 4'.)th parallel, they cover a breadth of about fourteen hundred miles, and include an area of nearl}' two and a quarter millions of square miles. Of (jourse, a very large poi'tion of this territorj^ is valueless for agriculture, still, the incalculable mineral ^'ealtli which doubtless lies hidden beneath the vast unexplored and otheiwise worthless tracts lying in the northernmost parts of the Domin- ion, must ultimately prove of immense value. Leaving out of the question those parts of British North America comprising old Canada and the Atlantic Provinces, the Dominion may be divided into five distinct sections, viz : The Arctic Basin, Hudson's Bay, the Central Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and lastly, though b}'^ no means least, the Pacific Slope. THE AUCTK^ BASIN" i» bounded on the west by the Roeky Mountains whicli, from a point in the vicinity of Jasper House, form a distinct and vcU- d(3tined boundary line northward, as far as the Arctic Sea. An imaginary lino from the same ))oint (Jasper House), northeasterly to Lake Wollaston, and pa^t it to the edge of the Silurian Basin of Hudson's Bay, will sufficiently mark the southern boundarj', while thence to the head of Chesterfield Inlet, the eastern line of demarcation may be readily traced on any good map. The Arctic Basin is drained by three great rivers : the Mackenzie (which, by its main feeder the Peace, also draws oft' a vast quantity of water from the western slo})es of the Rocky Mountains), the Coppermine, and Back's Great Fish River. Nine-tenths of this great basin is a barren and inhospitable wilderness; the eastern and smaller half lying on the granite rocks of the Laurentian system ; the south-western extremity, however, which rests upon a more recent formation, presents tliG iinest '^hiV^ of territory in the British North-West. Of this comparatively small section watered by the Peace and Smoky rivers, I shall speak anon; in the meantime we shall proceed to a brief description of HUDSON'S BAY. The basin of this u'reat inland sea, from Fort Churchill round to its southern extremity, and north again to the East Main river, is of Silurian formation, ai-d tiie low margin, whicl; is a distinct characteristic of the coast line within the limits just described, is covered with vast deposits of drift and boulders. Northwards from the East Main river the forma dun changes, and the primary rocks of the Laurentian system, thence to the Hudson's Straits, present a frowning barrier to the icy waters of the nortliern sea. Of that portion of the territories comprised within the Labrador Peninsula, and drained by rivers flowing westward into Hudson's Bay, 'so of the country adjacent to, and situated south and west of James' Bay, watered by the Abitibbi, Moose, and Albany rivers, little can be said, for in general the land is HI f Sr ^4 ot'tlic most inhospitable nature, and totally unfitted for culti- vation, partly owing to the severity of the climate, and partly to the poor and swampy nature of the soil. Wheat crops have never been raised at any of the Fur Company's posts bordering on the Bay, but vegetables succeed well at Rupert's House and Moose Factory ; at the latter place especially, where the rich alluvial islands, upon one of which the factory is situated, offer a soil as rich as that of Red River, but the intense cold of winter and short duration of the summer interpose an effectual barrier to the cultivation of cereals. The whole country around the shores of James' Bay, at the southern extremity of which is situated Moose Factory, is very slightly elevated above the sea level, and presents a vast and irreclaimable swamp covered with a thick, and sometimes stunted forest of spruce and tamarac, which find an insecure hold in the suit and moss-covered surface. The low fringe of Silurian formation which encircles James' T>ay exten(l> back in a soutlerlv direction for seventy-five miles or thereabouts, until, above the Cla}" Falle on the Abitibbi River, the "Otter's," (a series of cascades formed by the sudden dip and disappearance of the Laurentian rocks) are encountered ; from this point southwards to the head waters of the Ottawa River, the country presents the appearance of a Canadian forest, but is <>;enerailv level to within some fortv miles of the height of land, when it is much cut up by picturesque lakes, and is considerablj' broken. The season of navigation in llndson^s Bay is extremely short, being only of three oi four months duration, and usUtvlly ]»egins about 1st July, and closes towards the end of October, a period barely sufficient to permit the coasting craft of the Fur Company to perlorm more than four trips from the Great and Little Whale Rivers (on the Eastmain Coast, and in about latitude 5t:)J° north) to Moose Factory and back. During the month of July there is generally a great southerly drift of ice fioes down the bay, a circumstance which renders navigation extremely hazardous. Two ships annually visit Hudson's Bay. They usually arrive about the middle of August, and bring the bulk of the 6 supplies reqiiiriito for the Intlian trade of tlic nortlieni imd southern cleptirtiiients of Ru])ert's Land. Tlie coast line of Oaines' Bay, and tlie sea bottom for nmnv miles from the shore are strewn with drift boulders, and the extreme fiarness of the land causes an extraordinary shoaliness of the water, wliicli, at a distance of twenty and twenty-five miles from the shore, has a depth of from live to six fathoms only. The expense and trouble attendi:ig the navigation of the solitary barque which visits Moose Factory once a year are, from this cause, almost incredible. The London ship, after having ])assed into James' Bay, has to rely chiefly upon soundings, and on reaching the "outer sh-ip hole," twenty-five miles from the Factory, the point selected for the lightening of the cargo before the bar can be crossed, land is nowhere visible. In c^onsequence of this dearth of landmarks, a beacon has been erected on the coast some eighteen miles north of the factory. This solitary beacon, a mast of great height, strongly stayed, and surmounted by a globular cage, twelve feet in diameter, has, of course, a known bearing from the outer anchorage, and in conjunction with the soundings, and a range ot buoys and beacons stretching for many miles towards tlie " inner ship hole" at the mouth of the Moose itiver, is the only indication by which tiie vessel's position is known. Tlie consequences of a heavy gale from tlie nortliward with such a shallow sea to leeward when the ship is yet too deep to cross the bar ot the river, may be easily imagined, and an anxious period, during which all the available coasting craft are busily employed in lightening the cargo, is usually passed. Once the ship's draught is sufficiently reduced to enable her to take the bar, a sloop is there stationed, and at the instant of high water a signal from that vessel con- veys the intelligence to the anxious captain that he may now venture to scrape over the bar, whiciihe hastens to do, provided the wind be fair. More than half a score miles of intricate navigation bring the vessel to the inner anchorage which is safe, but of very small extent. At this point (nine miles from the '■>?- »' Vi I has Factory) tlio cargo is disci iari::;e(i into small vessels rnd taken up to the Factory. This event of the London ship's arrival is the one exciting theme to the tew white residents in James' I>ay, and is always looked forward to with great interest. Immediately after tlie departure of the vessel with the furs of the Department, the buoys and beacons between the inner and outer anchorage, are caretully taken up and stored away at the Factory until the ensuing season, when they are again placed in their positions. Of course it is needless to remark that all this work is occasioned bv the ice, which covers the sea for manv miles out duriiiir the •• ' t,' n winter. This description of the coast is ap])licable to the whole of James' Bay, and I believe tliat at York Factory, at the mouth of the Nelson River, similar drawbacks occur. These circumstances preclude the possibility of ever forming good ports on Hudson's Bay, a scheme whicli has often been urged by enthusiasts who, not only wish to establish ports of entry in those inhospitable regions, but also desiro to open up by railway communication, the very worst lands cf the Dominion, viz. : those lying between tlie Bay and Lake Superior, The pressing political necessity la- a line of route through British territory available for the Can.^da Pacific, can be the only incentive for the disbursement of millions of dollars on the construction of a road which, between Mattawa and Fort Garry, must pass through several hundred miles of the least attractive lands on the continent. The writer has crossed the country alluded to on various occasions, both by canoe and on snowshoes, and is in a position to make the foregoing asseriions. The waters of Hudson's Bay are as unproductive as the dismal swamps they touch, for neither salmon nor any other valuable and edible fish is to be found. Seals and white porpoise are, or at least, have been, tolerably plentiful in the northern waters : but the latter, like the rabbits inland, would seem to migrate occasionally, and of late years they have disappeared entirely, the once valuable fisheries of Great and Little Whale Rivers being now quite unproductiv^e. In James' Bay vast salt marshes covered with luxuriant hay 8 extend for miles along the low lands bordering on the sea, and aiford excellent feed for cattle, numbers of vbich are lie of this plateau the North and South Saskatchewaus were j)robably independent riverH emptying their waters ato the great hay formed by the Eagh;, Thickwood and Thunder Breeding hills. The second period of subsidence left a well defined coast line v.'hich may be traced from the Pembina mountain where an escarpment, tw(» hundred and fifty feet above the praiiie below, indicates the ancient coast. The edge of this plateau sweeps northwesterly to the Assiniboine and the Riding Moun- tains, which doubtless were formerly connected with the Duck, Porcupine and Basqubi Hills, all elevated to the full height of the level, say sixteen hundred feet. About twenty sniles below Fort a la Corne on the Main (Saskatchewan, the banks of that stream become suddenly reduced from their usual elevation to one very sl'ghtly raised above the river, thus marking the eastern edge of the plateau. This depression of the banks may likely offer an eligible localiiy for the crossing place of the Canada Pacific if the present Gov- ernment of the Dominion elect to push that line by Lac la Biche and the Peace Jliver, The third and most recent level is that of the country around Lake Winnipeg and other .ikes in its vicinity, as also of the low Bwampy land west of Lake Manitoba. According to Dr. Hector this level in the vicinity of Red River Settlement is composed of argillaceous marl. Underlying this is a bed of ■^tiff clay. The upper layers of this deposit contain vegetable remains, and the whole marks a fresh water deposit indicating a time when the Winnipeg group of lakes covered a much more extended area tlian at present. The Province of Manitoba, as originally laid out, is but of small extent, and is included within the 96° and 99° of west longitude, while it stretches northwards from the 49th parallel to latitude 50^°, This area contains about fourteen thousand square miles, and includes much of the most fertile land of the northwest. The provincial surveys have, however, been very much extended westwards, and incoming settlers will always find B 1 surveyed lands in qnantity sufficient for their immediate wants. The lands are generally laid out in square townships, irea- during six miles on a side ; those arc again subdivided into sections of six hundred and forty acres. Free grants of quarter sections (one liundred and sixty acres) are given to each h&na Jide settler. Land inay also be purchased at the uniform rate of one dollar per acre. Settlers on prairie lots are also entitled to a wood lot of twenty aores in the nearest localit3\ Such are, I think, the regulations at present in force, with regard to the sale of lands within the Province of Manito'ia. Within the greater portion of the Province the land is of the very finest quality, and the yield soniething enormous. Splendid harvests of both grain and green crops are generally obtained. Spring wheat is harvested at the rate of from thirty to forty bushels per acre, barley averages fifty bushels, and oats from sixty to seventy-five '^ushels per acre. The fertility of the soil is so great in certain localities that beets, carrots, and other vegetables grow to an enormous size. Potatoes generally return immense crops which compare favorably with those grown in any part of Canada. Good markets for farm produce are readily obtained, for the country as yet produces barely more than suificient for home consumption. During the past summer (1873), the prices of grains were as follows : Wheat, ^1.50 per bushel ; Oats, $l/,)0 ; Barley, $1.25, and Potatoes 75c. per bushel. Oattle thrive T*emarkab\y well in Manitoba, and are very numerous. Horses and cattle, nothwitnstanding the severity of the winter mont..?, may generally winter out, although it is better to house them. The natural pasturages of Manitoba are almost unlimited, while the nutritious character of the grasses enable both horses and oattle to thrive and fatten. Sheep would also, doubtless, do remarkably well in the western country ; but the Province being, generally speaking, of a very level and uniform charae'er, the more rolling country found to the westward would answer better for sheep farming, - -'= •- .- ^.. > .-^ ■ ■i'. 11 The great disadvantages under which settlers labor are, the scarcity of wood and good fresh water. There can be no doubt at all as to the great want of wood, and very few years will eh.pse ere coal must form the staple fuel of the country. Fortunately, that mineral is to be found in enormous quantities in the valley of the Saskatchewan. It has also been discovered in the Souris River, at the Roche Percee, about two liundred and tifty miles west south-west from Fort Garry, and may there be obtained within a very few feet of the surface. In localities far removed from large streams, the boring of artesian wells will probably result in the satisfactory solution of the water question. The climate of Manitoba is remarkably salubrious. During the winter season the atmosphere is verj- dry, and from this cause, the low temperature which usually obtains, seldom produces any inconvenience. Tn summer, the heat is often iiitonse, and is much tlio more felt owing to the great want of timber. Thunder and rain storms are of frequent occurrence, the Ibrmer often extremely severe. Immediately west ot the Province, the valley of the Assiniboine and its tributaries present some of the very finest land for settlement. For a description of those fertile and beautiful tracts of country, I shall quote from Professor Hinds' interesting work. Speaking of the areas fit for settlement, he says: — Valley of the Asslniholne. — " Issuing from the Duck moun- tains are numerous streams which meander through a beautiful and fertile country. This area may be said to commence at the " Two Creeks," ten miles from Fort Pelly, thence on to " Pine Creek," fifteen miles further. The vegetation is everywhere luxuriant and beautiful, from the great abundance of rose bushes, vetches, and gaudy wild tiowers of many species. After passing '' Pine Creek," the trail to Shell river pu»'sue8 a circuitous route through a country of equal richness and fertility. Shell river is forty-two miles from Pine Creek, and in its valley bidaII oak appear, with balsam, poplar, and aspen, 12 covering a thick undergrowth of raspberry, currant, rose, and dogwood bushes. Between Shell river and Birdstuil river, a distance of thirty- nine miles, t"i)e country is level and often marshy, with numerous ponds and small lakes, but where the soil is dry, the herbage is very luxuriant, and groves of aspen thirty feet high vary the monotony of the plain. Between the trail and the Assiniboine, the soil is light, and almost invariably as the river is approached, it partakes of a sandy and gravelly nature, with boulders strewn over its surface. The flanks of the Riding mountain are covered with a dense growth of aspen and po])lar, and cut by nnmerous small rivulets. From Birdstail river to the little Saskatchewan, or Rapid river, a distance of thirty-three miles, the same kind of soil, timber, and vegetation prevail. About one hundred miles from its mouth, the Rapid river issues from the densely wooded flanks of the Riding mountain through a narrow excavated valley fllled with balsam po|)lar, and an undergrowth of cherry and dogwoc^d, with roses, convolvuii, vetches, and various creepers. The slopes are covered with poplar eighteen inches in diamater. Descending the river, groves of poplar and spruce show themselves, with thick forests of aspen and balsam poplar covering the terrace on either hand. The river is heie fortv leet wide, with a verv rapid current. Before it makes its easterly bend, the ash leaved maple shows itself in groves, and on both sides is an open undulating country, attractive and fertile, with clumps ot young trees springing up in all directions. The region drained by the Rapid river continues beautiful and rich until within twenty-five miles of the Assiniboine, so that it may with propriety be stated, that for a distance of seventy- five miles this river meanders through a country admirably adapted for settlement. Ponds and lakes are numerous ; wild fowl in great numbers breed on their borders, and the waters of the Rapid river abound in fish. It will probably become important as a moans of con- veying to the settlements on the Assiniboine and Red River supplies of lumber from its valley and the Riding mountain. Bi 13 and of a ine, so 4? .Vl X.-' From the Rapid river to White Miia river the distance is thirtj-tliree miles, and the country continues to preserve the same general character with respect to fertility and fitness for settlement which has now been traced out for a space of 164 miles. White Mud river flows into Lake Manitoba at its south- western extremitv. This river drains an extensive area of the richest prairie land, similar in all respects to the White Horse Plain on the Assiniboine, or the rich wastes on Red River. W hite Mud river is connected with the Praiiic Portai'e by an excellent dry road, the crossing place being eighteen miles from the Portage. The river banks are well timbered with oak, elm, ash. m?,p]e, aspen, and balsam poplar. The soil on its banks and far on either side is of the finest qualit3\ Valley of the Saskateftewan. — 1st. The country between the Lumpy Hill of the woods and Fort k la Corne, including the Valley of Long Creek and the region west of it, bounded by the South Branch and the main Saskatchewan. This area may contain about 600,000 acres of land of the first quality. 2nd. The valley of Carrot river and the country included between it and the main Saskatchewan, bounded on the south by the Birch Hill range. Thero is a narrow strip on the Great river, about five miles broad, where the soil is light and of an indifferent quality. Tiie area of available land probably does not exceed 3,000,000 acres. 3rd. The country about the Moose Woods on the South Branch. 4th. The Touchwood Hill range. 5th. The Pheasant Hill and the File Hill. The aggregate area of these fertile districts may be stated to extend over 500,000 acres. Assuming that the prairies of Rod River and the Assiniboine east of Prairie Portage contain an available area of 1,500,000 acres of fertile soil, the total quantity of arable land included c "Hi ft 14 between Red River and the Moose Woods on the south branch of the Saskatchewan, will be as follows : — Acre». Red River and Assiniboine prairies, east of Portage . . 1,500,000 Eastern watershed of Assiniboine and Riviere Sale , . . 3,500,000 Long Creek and Forks of the Saskatchewan 600,000 Be ween Carrot river and the Main Saskatchewan.. . . 3,000,000 Touchwood Hill range, Moose Woods, &c , . 500,000 Mouse river, Q'Appele river, White Sand river 1,000,000 Headwaters of Assiniboine ard Swan river valley . .. 1,000,000 Total area of arable land of first quality 11,100,000 Of land fit for grazing purposes, the area is much more considerable, and may be assumed equal in extent to the above estimate of arable land." The foregoing short description of *' areas fit for settleinent " will be seen to include the lands east of the Forks of the Saskatchewan, and the South Branch as far as Moose Woods only. Large fertile tracts are to be found near Carleton and alonir th.e North Branch for r.janv uiiles of its course. Also at and in the vicinity of the Eagle hills, and the elbow of the North Saskatchewan. Between the S(»uth Saskatchewan and Battle River (the hirgest southern tributary of the north branch), there is a very extensive area of semi desert country, devoid of wood, and of btiantv herbatijc. This barren tract extends westWHi'd from the edge of the first prairie steppe marked by the Eagle Hills and Thunder Breeding Hills, and it almost reaches the Hand Hills and south elbow of the Battle River, enclosinj; an arid retfion perha]is 7000 square miles in extent. Along the North Saskatchewan and Battle River there is, liowever, much fine land, which is also tolerably wooded. The semicircular area included between the 53rd parallel of latitude and the North Saskatchewan, also contains some beautiful and fertile country, generally of an undulating nature, but sometimes much broken, and, as a rule, very scantily clothed with timber. Within this zone, localities favorable for farming occur, more especially in the northern part, v/here the Hay Lakes, Beaver Hills and Lakes, also the Egg Hills, all situated within fifty miles of Edmonton^ otfer a tine field for settlement 15 •egion m arallel i some jatnre, M lothed rming ' Hay tuated 1 ement and stock-raising, Tliose localities possess much rich soil, and a luxuriant pasturage ; but the hilly and exposed prairies wh.ich occupy the larger and southern portion of this section present by no means an inviting aspect for permanent settlement. Wood is extremely scarce ; water occasionally wanting, and when found, is too often brackish. The country north of the N^orth Saskatchewan in point of fertility, compares favorably with any to the south of the same river, and is much better timbered. From Fort a la Corne, west north-westerly towards Lac la Biche, the land is of good quality and generally well wooded, besides being watered by numerous lakes abounding in fisii. The climate of this section of the country is fnlly as mild a«« Hiat of the more open tracts to the south, and there is every reason to think that the stream of emigration will naturally follow in this direction. Two powerful i-easons point to this conclusion : Emigrants will, cceteins paribus^ most naturally seek to locate their homes where wood and water are to be found in suthcient quantities. Proximity to the line of the great inter- oceanic highway' will be another desideratum, and many causes point to the probable selection of a northern route for the binding link between British Columbia and the Eastern Provinces. The Saskatchewan valley will however always oifer induce- ments to intending settlers, and no doubt, in the future, Edmonton will become the nucleus of one of the secondary towns of the north-west. The Red Deer, Bow and Belly rivers drain a beautiful and most fertile region, but its great distance from known centres and the unsatisfactory' state of Indian affairs in that quarter may possibly retard for some time, the settlement of this inviting country. West of Edmonton and the upper part of the north Saskatchewan, the country is swampy and densely timbered, offering but poor inducements to the emigrant. In fact, the North Saskatchewan River, from the 114° of west longtitude, ia Ihe boundary between the fertile belt and the swampy wilder- 16 'f I UQin wl)ich intervenes between that river and the Rocky Mountains. Lac la Biche situated in 111^'^ west longtitnde, and about seventy miles due north of the North Satjkatchewan, is a magni- ficent sheet of water abounding in fish, and is surrounded by a finely timbered country. Tlie Roman Catiiolic Mission has there established a flourishing station, where fanning is carried on with great success. "Wheat is cultivated, and that staple is &.ui)plied by this establishment to many other outlying posts of the mission. About one hundred and soventy miles west from Lac la Biche is situated a Hudson's Bay Go's Post, near the western extremity of Lesser Slave Lake, a large body of water, seventy miles in length, and also teeming with the finest fish. For this distance, (one hundred and seventy miles), a dense forest of tamarac, spruce and poplar interposes the only obstacle to wheeled vehicles between Fort Garry and the beautiful and ferule country drained hy the Peace and Smoky Ewers, " This south-western section of the Arctic Basi7i,^^ presents without exception, the finest grazing and agricultural portion of the North-West territories, and piobably comprehends an area equal in extent to Manitoba, and may bo, exceeds that Province in size. Immense quantities of coal lie beneath tl>e rich uplands of this beautiful country, which is also sufficiently timbered to meet all the necessities of the pioneers of civilization. The climate of that portion of the Peace River country, lying between the parallels of 55° and 56^° north latitude, and between the 116° meridian and the Rocky Mountains, is extremely salubrious, the winters being dry and temperature moderate. Althouga Dunvegan, a Post of ^the Hudson's Bay Com- pany's, situated upon the Peace River, is, about thirteen degrees of latitude north of Toronto, yet, during the open season, the mean temperatures of those two places do not vary by more than a degree of Fahrenheit. ,. th m 17 <> This extraordinary mildness of climate mut,t be ascribed t the position of this piece of country vvhicli lies immediately to leeward of the sheltering peaks of the Ruck}' Mountains. The westerly vapour-laden winds of the Pacific, before reaching the eastern slopes of the mountains, lose, hy precipi- tation, a great portion of their moisture, and being divested of their vapour screen, permit both solar and terrestial radiation to take place more freely in the regions immediately to leeward. Certainly in point of climate, and depth of snow during the winter months, the Peace River country is much superior to the Saskatchewan country ; for, in the former, snow never packs, and rarely attains a depth greater than twenty-four inches. From careful observations made by Professor Macoun in the fall of 1872, the vegetation, grasses, wild fruits and timber of this favored region, indicate a climate nearly as warm as that of Belleville, in Ontario. Here, then, lies a field for the emigrant which might be reached from Red River bv wheeled vehicles, did not the one hundred and seventy miles of forest, iritervening between Lesser Slave Lake Post and Lac la Biehe, present a serious obstacle. As matters now stand, unless the round about and expensive oanoe route of the Hudson's Bay Company were made use of, that veritable " Garden of Eden " still remains beyond the reach of the white man. Of course, to travellers journeying through the country, with few or no impediment, as aid the writer, there is no difficulty whatever ; but tlie emigrant who leaves }urt Grarry with all his worldly goods packed in carts, and is besides encumbered witii a family, and must sc^k an economical mode of travel, cannot think of attempting to penetrate further north than Lac la Biche, to which, however, easy access is now to be had from the Red River Settlement. The probability that the route of tlie Canada Pacific Rail- way will be directed through the Peace River country, offers the only solution to the diHicultyj and presents a key to this beautiful country. As soon as the route is located and the forest cleared for die railway line, a very trilling addittonal expense would enable 11 ,! IS Vi a road, passnble for the Red River cart, to be cut ont. In fact, 8uch must be done in order to carrj' on the work of constrnetlon, for a good cart road must accompany tlie railway line for obvious reasons. The post of Lesser Slave Lake beinc? once reached, the difficulty of getting to the Smoky River, sixty or seventy miles distant, would be trifling, and that point arrived at, the vast and fertile region south of the Peace River, would be within the emigrant s grasp. To reach the Peace River by any route other than that described (which will keep to the north of Lesser Slave Lake)^ would be impossible, for the route followed by the writer, from Fort Assiniboine to Lesser Slave Lake, is almost impracticable, excepting for pack trains. That a passage through or over the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, via the Peace River country, can be found, is nearly certain ; either by a pass, to which attention has already been drawn, or, failing that, by a route following the valley of the Peace River, which, although extremely circuitous, and in all likelihood, difficult of construction, nevertheless, passes ihroxtgh the Roekfij Mountain Range at cm devation not exceeding dxteen m' eight n hundred feet above sea level. Two very cogent reasons may be given for the proposition to take the Canada Pacific Railway by and through the Peace River country. Such a route, although perhaps a trifle longer than one by the Tete Janive Cache pass, would open up the finest region of the North-west, and would render it unnecessary to approach the Frazer River ; both considerations of no mean importance. The snow difficulty would also be, in a great measure, avoided by that route, and in the whole distance from Fort Garry to a point in the vicinity of Quesnel, the construction of heavy bridges would be required onli/ at the main Sctskatchewan (say twenty mites below Fort a la Corne),a^ the River Athabasca,, the Smoky River, and the south branch of the Peace. Many other powerful arguments might be adduced in favor of this northern route, but as we do not purpose entering into* the railway question, its further discussion may be deferred. ^^BR 19 w". P.K But we have spoken of only a very limited portion of the Pence River country. From what is known of the territory lying north of the Peace up to Fort Liard in latitude 60'=', the fitness for agriculture of the triangular area bounded by the Peace River as far as latitude 00°, the Rocky Mountains, and the parallel of 60° may be safely assumed. At Fort Liard wheat has been grown, while barley, oat?;^ and potatoes generally yield fair returns. From Dunvegan on the Peace Kiver, to Great Slave Lake is only a distance of three hundred and fifty miles in air line. The country intervening is of an eas} character and partly ])rairie. From Portage des Noyes on the Slavf River, to Fort Simpson, the Mackenzie river presents a s[)lendid stream navi- gable for vessels of considerable burden, say schooners of one hundred tons or so. From Fort Simpson to the sea, the Mackenzie will float the largest frigate. The Mackenzie river country abounds in coal, and the Arctic Sea at the mouth of that magnificent stream, harbours within its depths, cetecea yielding the finest oil, and in the pursuit of which our American neighbours send fleets of many vessels. Here then is yet another field for Canadian enterprise. Tlie Canada Paicific once built, and passing within three hun- dred and fifty nules of the Mackenzie River M'ould help to build up a trad« in oil and coal, of no insignificant proportions ; for the construction of a branch line from the vicinity of Dunvegau to the Mackenzie would not be difficult. But the Athabasca might be utilized for purposes of trans, portation, and by the help of a short line of road from the uppermost to the lowermost rapids in the Slave River, a distance -of, say sixty miles, cratt of moderate size could ascend the Athabaska to the crossing place of the Canada Pacific Railroad, and by this route bring the products of the Arctic Seas and the minerals of the Mackenzie River district to the cars. By some, these speculations may be thought chimerical^ but tlie Canada Pacific Kaili'oad itself is by many classed among 20 I- 1 'id h (i; MiH rlie delusions of the day, and if tlio one 1*0 feasible, wliy not tlic other? Why sliould not the Dominion of Canada, like Russia, pos!*e88 an Areliangel ? At Fort Simpson in latitude 64° 32' north, situated at the junction of the River ot tlio Mountains vvith the Mackenzie, and •- ut seven hundred miles from the sea, a town may eventually spring up where fleets of small fishincr vessels will he fitted out for the prosecution of the rich whale fisheries at the mouth of this great river. If it pays the Americans to send out large fleets through Behring's Straits for the same object, how much more profitable would it not be, (supposing the Canada Pacific Railway completed to Lac la Biche, even) to convey the Arctic products by the route indicated. Such an accession to the traflic of the Inter-oceanic rail- road would be highly profitable. T commend the scheme to the consideration of the Hon. John Young, the originator of many commercial enterprises, and one well qualified to judge as to the feasibility of such a channel of communication. The value of the exports of Archangel, twenty -five years ago, was nearly one million and-ahalf sterling; her products were, timber, iron, flax, hemp and tallow. Her situation is much fi rther north than Fort Simpson, her seasons sli )rter, and the navigation of her waters more precarious than that of the Mackenzie River. Archangel can boast but of one good month in the year, i. e. from 15th July to 15th August; her shortest day is of only three hours duration. The region south of Fort Simpson is quite capable of pro- ducing the grain, tar, tallow, etc., enurairated among the exports of the Russian port, besides the coal, oil, and ivory of the Lower Mackenzie. A fleet of steam vessels could leave Fort Simpson in the beginning of June, and reaching the Arctic in a few days, com- mence the fisiieries, and return about the end of September. 21 Tlie branch road of three hundred and fifty miles would connect with the Canada Pa'^ific near the Peace River, or the interrupted route, via Lake and River Athabasca, miglitbe used for the same purpose. Iiniuediately west of the Peace River country, THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS interpose their hoary summits, but nature has formed a naviga- ble channel of communication through their rocky walls, in the upper portion of the Peace River, which flows smoothly and almost uninterruptedly for many miles over beds of limestone exhibiting fossils of the carboniferous period. The low altitude at which the Peace River flows through the Rockv Mountains is certainlv a most wonderful phenome- non, and at first would naturally lead to the belief that there is an easy solution to the passage of tl:e Mountains. That river can certainly be navigated with ease, especially in the autumn months, but its valley dues not present a very good route for wheeled vehicles or a railroad. I shall not here enter into a description of this pass, buttlie reader, if desirous to learn more is referred to a work now in the press, iiiid shortly to be published, entitled '* Westward, by the Peace to the i^icitic," wherein the subject is more fully discussed. Althous-h the Rockv Mountains do not afford land fit for cultivation, they contain minerals such as gold and silver, and doubtless at no very remote period they will become vast mining centres, and will atford a wide Held for enterprise. It will be here unnecessary to speak of British Columbia; the resources of that rich Province have been already tested by other writers, and the comprehensive report of the late Minister of Public Works, Mr. Langevin, has quite exhausted the subject. The capabilities of British Columbia can be summed up in a few words. Her gold mines have proved to be among the richest on tl.>e Pacific Slopes of the Continent ; while the new mining regions of the Upper Branches of the Peace River promise fair to attain a golden celebrity. D 4- 22 Her salmon fisheries, lmn])erin<; eHpabilities, and cattle ranches will soon give her a prominence amonj^ the many rich Provinces of the Dominion, while the vast beds of coal which underlie not only Vanconver Island, hut a irrcat portion of the mainland, will nltinmtely serve to build up a Newcastle en the Pucitic. Already the Californians have found out the superiority of the Nanaimo coal over that of tiieir own territory, and American shipping now exports large quantities of the mineral to San Francisco, The Islands of Queen Charlotte adjacent to the northern coast of British Columbia, are also of great imj)ortance, and <;ontain coal, copper and gold, and thitherward the hardy gold seekers have already began to extend their operations. The greater portion of British Columbia is yet unexplored and the parts now known are excessively mountainous, the narrow and generally confined valleys ;done offering workable arable lands. Vast tracts of country, especially in the northern parts of the Province, are utterly useless unless lor their mineral wealth which is ])robably unlimited. When we compare the beautiful regions of the Central Plains, and the Peace lliver east of the mountains, with this western province, the conviction is reluctantly forced upon the mind that it cannot honestl}' be held up to the Emigrant as a field for Agriculture. However, the Dominion ])osse8ses else- where unlimited tracts of rich country which, for years to come will absorb the irresistible flow of emigration, while on the other hand, the growth of manufacturing establishments, arising out of the rich mineral wealth of the Pacific Slope, will build r -- British Columbia, and enable her to maintain a foremost "^ong the provinces of the great Dominion. # OUR GREAT IS'ORnVEST. BY CHAELK8 IlORKiZKY. The followimj extract from the " Ottawa Citizen " of Mt/i Octoher last (1873) may prove of interest^ and elucidate tfie scheme or propo»itio)i for taking the Canada Pacific Road hy a northern route : At the present juncture, wlien tlie Cnnada Pacific Railway rtcandal is occupying the attention of lejj^islators and tlie pnhlic ij^enerally, it may not be amiss to offer some remarks upon the route or routes avuilablo for the very important higliway des- tined not only to bring the remote shores of the Dominion within easy reach, but also to open up the vast and now unoccu- pied lands of the North West. That the route across the Rockv Mountains via THE TETE JAUNE CACHE will be finally adopted, or if chosen, that it will fulfil the conditions requisite to jneet the emergency of the case, is not the general belief. Against the selection of tl: it route, there appear to be two rather powerful arguments; first, the difficilty of reaching the P>ute Inlet from the Tete Jaune Cache, and, secondly, the inadaptat.ion of the section of country east of the Rocky Moun- tains crossed by that line, for successful and permanent settlement. In order to reach this momentous question without circum- locution, w^e shall at once enter into a comparison between the route projected via the Tete Jaune Cache pass and ONE PROPOSED BY THE WRITER, by way of Lac la Biche and the Peace river, crossing the Rocky Mountain range either by a supposed practicable and low pass, situated in about latitude 55^ N., or, through the comparatively low gap in the Rocky Mountains by which the great Peace river finds its way from the British Columbian slopes at an 24 ■f 1 ■1; elevation of about 1,600 feet above sea level, to tlic eastern side of the range. Before suing further, let us premise that Bute Inlet is the point on the Pacific coast which it is most desirable for tlie line to reach in order at some future and not far distant period to brin^ Vancouver Island and Victoria into direct communication witii tlie interior of the continent. Taking It for granted that a practicable route does exist from the Teie Jaune Caclie i the North Frazer and Fort George to Bute Inlet (a distance of 450 miles) or from tli3 Tete Jaune Cache to tlie same point via Lac la llache (also 450 miles), botn distances taken from Progress Report of 1872 ; see page 17, we shall at once disc..- :8 the merits of that section of the Canada Pacific comprised between Portage la Prairie (Manitoba) and the Cache. From Portage la Prairie in a nor'-west direction and for a distance of about 220 miles, the projected route passes over a very fine country ; in the vicinity of the pretty poplar wooded Riding Mountains, to the south, and almost within reach ij^ the beautiful Lake Dauphin, and over the Swan river, until, when between the Thunder and Porcupine hills, it takes a westward course for the Saskatchewan, distant 192 miles. We shall now make the THUNDER HILL a common point of departure for the two routes under discussion, for east of that prominence, the line has passed over the best available ground. Resuming then our course for the Tete Jaune Cache, we strike almost due west, for 192 miles over a very easy country, but for the most part open, sparsely wooded, and containing many lakes, of which the waters are saturated with the sulphate of soda. From the crossing of the South Saskatchewan to that of the northern branch of the same river at the White Mud Creek above Edmonton, 350 miles of country are crossed, nine-tentlis of which is a treeless prairie, exposed to the fury of the cold northern blasts, rough and broken in many places, where good fresh water, excepting in the vicinity of the rivers, is extremely 25 scarce, salt and brackish lakes of frequent occurrence, and very niucli frequented by the nomadic tribes of the plains. Crossing the North Saskatcliewan, we now leave the open plain country, and enter a vast swampy region, wiiich, with the exception of some few dry ridges, extends to the Atliahasca river. As a matter jf course, this tract of country (whicli the line intersects for a distance of some 170 miles), is wet, cold, and quite UNSUITABLE FOR SUCCESSFUL SETTLEMENT. From the Southern end of Lac Brule, which we have now reached, about one hundred miles take us to the Cache, which distance can be overcome by easy grades. A great portion of the section of country just described offers immense tracts of fine land suitable (so far as the sail ?'^6'<^^ is concerned) for both agriculture and grazing purposes. But the drawbacks already briefly referred to, ^nz. : the scarcity of wood and water, are insuperable obstacles in the way of successful and permanent settlement. It is true tliat occasionally small copses of poplars (the trees rarely exceeding eight inches in diameter) are met with, never- thc less the extent of wooded, compared with prairie land is so dis- proportionate, that but a widely scattered commiinity of settieia would be needed to clear ofi' all the available timber in a few years. On the score of FUEL, it may be urged that the coal which under-lies a great extent of the Upper Saskatchewan country may offer a good substitute for wood and be used to advantage. There is no doubt that coal in quantities enormous, is to be found, especially west of Fort Pitt, but, those who seek these regions with a view to settlement, cannot be expected to turn all their attention and devote all their energies towards the painful and laborious extraction from the bowels of the earth, of the wheiewithal to KEEl' BODY AND SOUL TeGETIIEB durins: tiie lonjr and severe winters which are the rule, when die thermometer often sinks to 40° below zero. 26 I I J\ It is one tiling to cross those beautiful prairies dnring tlie Slimmer season, w)ien the liills and dales, are in the full flush of exuberant verdure, another to travel them in winter in face of the biting northern blasts which sweep the lK)undles8 wastes of these interminable plains with a rigor and severity almost arctic in their intensity. We sliall now return to the Thunder Hill, the point where the ])roposed route to the Pacific, VIA LAC LA BICIIE AND PEACE RIVER, branches north-wards from tlie one just described. Travelling west northwesterly for about one'hundred aiKl iifty miles loithin the limit of the true fwest^ we reaci, Fort a la Corne. Some- where in this vicinity a crossing of the Saskatchewan must be sought, and gaining the north side of that river, the line of route w«>uld cross the Netsetting river, and keeping south of Green and Pelican lales, seek the easiest way in Lac la Biche through a thicli wood countinf^ supporting a growth of spruce, larch and poplars, abounding in lakes teeming . with iish, and removed from the presence of the roving Indians of the plains. FroTU Lac la Biche, (in latitude 55° N., where wheat has been successfully cultivated for years) to the western extremity of Lesser Slave Lake, is a distance of ahout 170 miles, through a fairly level country covered witli forest. Tliis section is com- paratively unk?»own, but irom Indian reports, is presumed to be level. From this jwint, sixty-five miles of fine, gently-rolling timbered country will take the lino to the Smoky river, which can be crossed some thirty miles from its mouth. From tlie last mentioned river the line would intertiect and open up A VAST AND FERTILE REG-ION, situated to tbe south of the great Peace River — a region (com- prising an area ual in extent to Manitoba, well wooded, with abundance of water, of excellent soil, and in all probability possessing unlimited quantities of good coal. The general elevation of this large tract of country is about 1,800 feet nbove 3ea level. The climate is most salubrious, and by all accounts, :h 27 as mild if not milder than that of Red River. On the extensive ])lains hordering upon the Peace river, both north and south of it, stiow never exceeds two feet in depth, and never packs. Uji to the month of December, THE PLAINS ARE OFTEN NEARLY KAKE, and although winter usually sets in with the montli of iN'ovcmher, the early opening of the spring in A[))il compensates for the short fall. I shall here give several extracts from a letter written by a gentleman of reliability who has lived in tlie Peace river country for seven years. Speaking of the climate he says : — " Le climat est certaineinent salubre. Les vents qui regnent " en maitre ne sont generalement pas froids, ils soufflent ])resquc " toujoars de I'ouest a Test, et sud-ouestau nord est. Lt -^rages " ne font point de degats. En hiver mome, la temperature est " tr«8 variee, ce n'est que dans le mois de Janvier et une partie *' de Mars que quand le vent est nord, il fait bein froid. " A Athabasca, au contraire, le froid est intense et de longiie " duree. La neige n\itteint ordinairemetit j>a^ plus c made use of, but precipitous mountain sides, espeoiully above the " RAPIDE QUI NE PARLE FAS,"" will occasion heavy and expensive work, while the tortuousness of the river may require many bridges. The waters of the Peace river ahove the portage, being, how- ever, navigable for stern wheel steamers of light draught (some slight improvement being made at the Finlay rapids) as far a& the outlet of McLeod lake, would greatly simplify the operation of road making by furnishing cheap and easy means ot transport along 145 miles of the line of route. From McLeod lake, or its vicinity, 140 miles of country, chiefly unavailable for farming purposes, in gome places rough, for a great part level, and probably nowhere exceeding 2,400 feet above the sea, will bring the line to Black or West road river, whence the famed Chilcoten valley, and thence THE BUTE INLET, may be reached. When we consider that the line just pointed out is via The Pine River Summit Lake Pass only fifty miles loncrer than that by the Tete Jaune Cache, or, the Pine plss being impracticable, that the route, via the circuitous Peace river valley and the Parsnip only exceeds by 180 miles the Yellow Head Pass route, that it will pass out of the region of deep snow, and open up the best and most available country of the Nor'- West east of the Rocky Mountains, for settlement, avoiding much rough country and THE HIDEOUS FRAZER KIVER altogether, there can be no doubt as to the most ellgiUe line for the great Interoceanio highway, to give it the conditions essen- tial to its success as a commercial and political undertaking. ->-co-»o— ^ 80 T-'^?!'i_?r;'«'T=-"^''i"T^'^ ■ ^.."-■'V^ijpwwFW'