66 EOADS AND JfAILAVAYS. 



sauily loam. Xearly every acre of these tliree liuudreil .square 

 miles is well adajited for agrieultuval purposes, wliile magniticeiit 

 pine, spruce, fir and wliite birch cover the whole. The islands 

 or intervals in the rivers, especially near their outlets, are per- 

 fectly level, and covered with exceedingly deej) and rich alluvial 



soil Tlie soil here, over a very great area, is of 



excellent cpiality and capable of yielding rich harvests. Taking 

 everything into account, there is no more promising country or' 



one more easy of access in British America.'" 



" In all my travels about the island I have no where seen any- 

 thing like the quantity of pine timber to be met with here." 



" There is an area of not less than tive 



hundred square miles worthy of being laid out as timber-limitS' 

 where an immense trade miglit l)c cariicd on successfully." . 

 "Were the tracts surrounding the head-quarters of the Gamlxr 

 and the south-west branch to be taken into accoiint, I have little 

 doubt the area would be extended to a thousand square miles." 

 Mr. Murray, the Chief of the Geological Sur\-ey, calculated that 

 there was sufficient timber here " to yield 02,160,000 feet annu- 

 ally for one lunidred years." The following is Mr. Howley's 

 (tlien Assistant Geologist), estimate of the pine lands here : — 



"Area of pine lands on the lower valley of the Gandei- Eiver 

 and north side of the lake . 



Area of pine lauds on the lower vallfy of the Sq.wa. 



Gander river and north side of the lake ... 200 

 Valleys of the main and south-west rivers ... 800 

 South side of lake and across to Freshwater Bay 200 

 Valley of theGandjo and Triton river and tribu- 

 taries l.')0 



Total 850 



In addition to its agricultural and lumbering capabilities the 

 Gander country gives aljundant promise of being a mining dis- 

 trict. The rocks of the serpentine group having all the charac- 

 teristics of the cop2)er-l)earing formation in Notre Dame Bay are 

 extensively developed in these areas. 



