72 REPORT OF THE No. 3 



months, successfully captured all the English fur posts on the Bay, came back 

 and lost only one man on his trip. Railways and highways have almost obliter- 

 ated its use as a travel route now. 



Game 



Moose and deer are still to be found throughout this country traversed by 

 the boundary. Tracks and signs were seen everywhere but were scarce. 

 One area however seemed to be ideal for moose and deer and from its rugged 

 character and general situation might well be turned into a game preserve 

 or game sanctuary. That is the area west of Opasatika Lake in Quebec and 

 extending into Ontario to the south and east of Larder River and Larder Lake. 

 This would comprise roughly the townships of Pontleroy and Dufay in Quebec 

 and Mulligan Rattray and McFadden in Ontario. 



Abitibi Lake country now has very few moose. Not so many years ago 

 they were still very plentiful and from reports of hunters in this vicinity, the 

 thinning out of the moose is dated from the high water in the Lake in recent 

 years. 



Rabbits were quite plentiful and are evidently increasing again. Partridges 

 were plentiful. The early dry season was ideal for their hatching time. Speci- 

 mens of mink, otter and muskrat were seen from time to time but not many. 

 Groundhogs are indigenous to this whole area. 



Some brook trout were found in small streams tributary to Otter Creek 

 in Mulligan Township. Pickerel and pike were found in almost all the lakes 

 we passed through, Raven, Larder and Clarice are all said to contain fine 

 grey trout. Fine large pickerel are caught in Ravan Lake. We were told 

 that no trout had ever been caught in Labyrinth Lake. Commercial fishing 

 for whitefish and pickerel was going on in Abitibi when we were there. 



Flies 



Mosquitos, blackfiies and bulldogs were not bad in this area this season. 

 But the sand flies were with us from start to finish. These are the famous 

 "brulots" spoken of so often in the early annals of Canadian travel. Their 

 activity at all times of day or night and their immunity to most of the usual 

 defences against insects makes them a truly pestiferous lot. 



Minerals 



The line runs through country nearly all of which has some relation to 

 mining. The earliest mine in the north country, one operated to produce 

 lead for the making of bullets for the fur trading companies, lies only a few 

 miles to the south and east of the start of the boundary. A prospect with 

 considerable development work done, lies only 3 miles west of the boundary 

 at Mile 4. This was the result of the silver camp at Cobalt across the lake in 

 1904 and later. The Blanche River provided easy means of transport into the 

 north country and from 1906 this whole area north to Larder Lake was overrun 

 with prospectors. Signs of early stripping and rock work are still to be seen 

 at various points along the line. Again at Cheminis are signs of prospecting. 

 At Labyrinth Lake, active development is at present going on 1 mile east of 

 the boundary. Clarice, Skunk and McDiarmid Lakes all have had flurries 



