DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS FOR 1931 71 



river flowing to James Bay. It soon developed into a shallow rough river with 

 water so low as to make transport next to impossible. No other way being 

 possible however, the canoes had to be used and they were all but destroyed 

 in this part of the job. Man packing was resorted to wherever possible but we 

 were such a long way from our base of supplies and the route was so bad for 

 such a large part of it that the canoes had to be used even though they were 

 being cut to pieces. Of six canoes at the end of the job all but one of these had 

 to be abandoned as useless to us when we stepped out of them at our last landing 

 on our way home. 



In summer the Turgeon fell very low and long flat rapids soon showed 

 themselves. These were so shallow and rough with stones that only a very 

 small load could be carried even with the current. Poling was resorted to as 

 the only efficient means of navigating these rapids. Fortunately the men engaged 

 were thoroughly skilled in this rather expert and very hard work. 



While possible to go through to James Bay by this route, it is not a good 

 one. Apparently it has never been used except by hunters and trappers in 

 gaining access to their hunting grounds. 



The Line 



The line was everywhere opened to a skyline width, nowhere less than 

 six feet and often much wider in thick overhanging timber. The opening up 

 and production of the line was done by A. Dumas, Q.L.S., using a K. & E. 

 transit reading to minutes. Observations for azimuth were taken by him wherever 

 possible and very frequently by him during the day's work along the line. The 

 line was further controlled with a Cooke transit reading to 20". Wherever 

 possible long stretches of line were checked by the Cooke before moving it 

 ahead — sights of a mile or more being obtained this way. Observations were 

 taken with it under the best conditions possible mostly at the close of the day's 

 work or in the evening. No long stretch of line but was observed on and corrected 

 if necessary to keep it well within a few seconds in azimuth of true north. Enough 

 observations on Polaris, for azimuth, were taken during the season to give an 

 average of 1^ per mile. Refraction was found particularly bad, owing no doubt 

 to the fact of the low relief of the country run through. This brought the line 

 of sight close to the ground where the heat rays are the greatest. One method 

 of overcoming this was found by using very long black pickets, very carefully 

 aligned. Some of these were 35 feet high, unblazed, and were easily seen when 

 the ordinary picket was entirely obliterated. 



The chaining was in charge of Assistant F. H. Preston. The line was chained 

 forward with a 400-link tape and check chained the opposite way with a 300- 

 foot tape. Corrections were made for pull and sag, grade and temperature. 

 The two chainages were made with same accuracy and care and the mean of 

 the two measurements taken for the position of the monuments. One link per 

 half mile was the maximum error allowed. If necessary a recheck was made. 

 The tapes were sent to Ottawa at the close of the survey for testing. The results 

 are submitted in a separate statement. 



Observations for magnetic declination were taken at frequent intervals 

 with both transits. The declination in this district is from 14 to 12 degrees 

 west of north, decreasing as the latitude increases. These were the first ever 

 received at Ottawa from this district. 



Monuments were made at every mile. 



Every mile was marked by a wooden post, 6" square if obtainable and long 

 enough when planted to stand firmly in the ground and still show from 3 to 4 



