NAVIGATION 297 
superior to the best Pacific salmon, is plentiful along the eastern 
side of the bay to the northward of James bay, as well as in the 
mouths of the rivers of the northern and northwest coasts, and 
also along both shores of the strait. Lake trout is a common 
fish in these northern rivers and lakes. Cod have been taken in 
several places along the east side of Hudson bay as far north as 
Cape Smith; on the western side little is known of this fish 
beyond the occurrence of a few in roes Welcome, and some 
small specimens taken among the ice at Fullerton. A cod 
fishery has been carried on for a number of years at cape 
Chidley, and these fish are said to be plentiful along the east 
side of Ungava bay, but do not appear to go farther westward 
through the strait from the Atlantic. cod are reported to be 
abundant in some of the fiords of the south side of Frobisher bay. 
The forestry of the southern rivers is outside the scope of 
this report, and it need only be mentioned that large areas of 
pulpwood and merchantable spruce occur along the banks of 
these streams, awaiting a suitable outlet to market by way of 
Hudson bay and strait. 
These undeveloped resources of the north will no doubt when 
deVeloped add greatly to the annual shipping of Hudson bay, 
but the main increase to the fleet will be due to the products of 
the great plains of the NorthWest, now rapidly filling with 
robust settlers. These products of the western farms, grain, 
butter, and cattle, will naturally seek the shortest road to the 
European markets; a road not only shorter, but owing to its 
cool climate, capable of landing perishable products and grain 
in a better condition than the more southern routes. 
Taking Regina as a convenient centre for these northwestern 
farming lands, the distance from there by way of Prince Albert 
to Churchill is about 800 miles, or the same distance as from 
Regina to Fort William on Lake Superior, and a thousand miles 
shorter than the distance from Regina to Montreal at the head 
