DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS FOR 1933 75 



made. In no case was solid rock formation found for the use of Rock posts, 

 but these were set in huge boulders of sufficient height above Highest Tide. 

 With the exception of two or three places, posts made from cedar driftwood 

 were used. 



Moose River 



The survey of the remaining portion of the river was commenced at 

 points opposite Elallan Island (K-I) and continued along the Westerly shore 

 to its mouth, at a point opposite the Northerly end of Ships Sands Island, and 

 further continued along the James Bay coast to meet with the North Limit of 

 the Township of Moose. This portion of the river has clay banks which rise 

 sharply to a height of about twenty feet which gradually slopes to a low eleva- 

 tion as it reaches the coast line. The Timber along the bank consists of spruce 

 balsam, birch and poplar. 



The Easterly bank of the river from a point opposite Elallan Island, to 

 its mouth, is of clay soil and rises to an average elevation of about seven feet 

 and timbered with spruce, balsam, birch and poplar. 



The mouth of the river has a width of three and half miles, at a point 

 opposite the Northerly end of Ships Sands Island and here under normal 

 weather conditions fresh water may be obtained. However from authorative 

 knowledge of the natives, fresh water is also found in the course of the river 

 channel a further distance of five miles out in the Bay. Otherwise when strong 

 constant winds prevail, the fresh water line reaches to a point up stream an 

 approximate distance of one mile, as shown on the plan accompanying this 

 report. 



Present physical conditions of the river channels, from its mouth to 

 Moosonee, make navigation for the use of large vessels impossible, even at 

 High Tide, although schooners of small draught can follow a course which lies 

 off the Easterly shore of Ships Sands Island, and thence off the Westerly shore 

 of the river. 



The channel between Ships Sands Island and the Westerly shore of the 

 river, is only navigable at High Tide for loaded canoes. 



This secton of the river is being constantly ravaged by the combined 

 forces of heavy tides and river currents, ice flows, and strong Northerly winds. 

 This is doubly formidable on account of the nature of the soil which is of clay 

 and easily erroded. Banks and shores are being claimed and reclaimed, and 

 evidence of this is quite noticeable since surveys were made eight or nine 

 years ago, in this vicinity. For instance, survey land marks on the Westerly 

 bank of the river which were placed at least twenty feet inland have disap- 

 peared. Another example of this, is at the Southerly end of Elallan Island, 

 where a post with rock mound was planted, well inland from the bank, and 

 this end of the island has been obliterated, the monument included. The 

 Northerly end of the Island appears to have been built up, at which point new 

 post with rock mound was planted, during the course of this season's survey. 

 From this it is quite evident that erroded soil and vast amounts of silt is 

 reclaiming and making changes in the physical features of this section of the 

 river. 



