DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS FOR 1933 65 



wet weather tended greatly to retard the speed of the axemen's work. The 

 line was practically completed by September 14th, the Quebec party leaving 

 for home that afternoon while the Ontario assistants left the following day. 

 As some work had to be completed at the start of the line, we left for there by 

 car on September 15th. This work was finished by the 19th and operations 

 closed. 



Mr. A. Dumas, Q.L.S., was for the third year engaged as assistant. For 

 expertness, diligence and ability to carry on all details of the work, Mr. Dumas' 

 work can not be too highly appraised. A. C. R. M'Gonigle, B.A., was also 

 engaged as assistant for the third year. In charge of the chaining and posting 

 this year, he too gave particularly fine service in the tedious details of numerous 

 posts and topography notes. The men as before were the best of the kind for 

 the work, ready and able to take on any of the work without any unwillingness. 

 This is not such a small thing as it might seem. Many men soon get the idea 

 that once an axeman never a packer, or cook's helper or any other helper. 

 Willingness to do whatever the hour or day brings forth in the day's work is 

 equally important in a survey man as expertness in his own line of work. 

 This was especially true of our men. Henri the cook was without doubt one 

 of the very best men for his job it is possible to get, doing what is generally 

 considered two men's work on most parties. Nine men in all, including our- 

 selves, completed the whole three seasons in which we were engaged on the 270 

 miles of this boundary. 



Progress 



Starting at the north shore of Lake Temiskaming and finishing at the 

 Canadian National Railway, 89 miles were retraced, with an average of 1.3 

 miles for every day worked. At the beginning approximately 15 miles of 

 nearly open country was traversed, much of it settled and farmed. At this 

 point we entered the unsettled area and almost the whole line from here on 

 ran through bush with dense undergrowth. This brush consisted of raspberry 

 canes, hazel, saskatoon, wild cherry, small poplar and jackpine and most of 

 all, alder. Particularly when nearing Lake Abitibi from the south, the matted 

 dense thickets of alders are a striking feature. A man, met with there this 

 year and known to the writers as one who has travelled Northern Canada 

 extensively as a prospector, said that this area was the worst of its kind that 

 he knew. 



The triangulations of Lakes Labyrinth and Abitibi were completed by 

 using long bases in the heavy bush. Shore lines or beaches were not suitable 

 in sufficient length. 



A long dry spell was terminated on June 21st and then we had a great 

 deal of rain. Our diary shows rain for 46 days out of the next 79. It rained 

 steadily and heavily for 48 hours in one period. Counting short layups as 

 well as whole days, we lost about 14 full days' time even though work was 

 carried on many times like in any survey, with the men soaking wet from the 

 bush. 



Transportation 



Even though we were not very far from settled country, man-packing 

 had to be resorted to for 28 miles of line. Two canoes were sufficient but 

 necessary for the rest of the work. It was possible to get a small launch for 

 working Abitibi Lake. This lake has a reputation of storms developing very 



