272 Our North Land. 



merchants of St. John's, Newfoundland, writing in reply to an enquiry 

 from W. N. Fairbanks, Esq., of Emerson, Manitoba, state that they 

 have no doubt of the practicability of navigating the Strait and Bay 

 with proper steamers during the months of June, July, August, Sep- 

 tember and October. Counting the time necessary to make the 

 ocean passage outward in the spring and homeward in the autumn, 

 this would represent nearly six months of navigation. 



" From all that can be learned on the subject, it appears probable 

 that the Strait and Bay are navigable for steamships for at least 

 four months of the year, or from the middle of June till the middle 

 or end of October, or say five months, including the ocean passage in 

 the first spring and last autumn voyages. This will bear comparison 

 with the navigation of the St. Lawrence, which is by no means free 

 from the ice difficulty either in the spring or fall. 



" When the shores of the Strait and Bay shall have been surveyed, 

 so that good charts may be obtained, and the signal stations referred 

 to erected, these waters may be navigated with much greater ease 

 and still more successfully than they have been in the past. With 

 respect to depth of water and freedom from shoals and rocks, 

 the Hudson's Bay route is unsurpassed. The portion of the Bay to 

 be passed through is also free from islands, and is absolutely unim- 

 peded. The harbour of Churchill, on the west side, which lies 

 directly opposite the western outlet of the Strait, offers a free and 

 unobstructed approach from the open sea. This splendid harbour, 

 which is just within the mouth of the Churchill River, is the finest 

 one on the west side of the Bay. It is entered by a channel about 

 half a mile wide and twelve fathoms deep. The depth inside is from 

 eight to fifteen fathoms, with excellent holding ground. The east 

 side affords the best site for the construction of wharves. 



" The route from Liverpool, by way of Hudson's Bay, is by far the 

 shortest one to the North- West Territories of Canada. Churchill 

 Harbour is situated near the centre of the North American continent, 

 and yet, owing to the convergence of the meridians toward the north 

 it is actually nearer to Liverpool than either Montreal or New York. 

 The distance from Churchill Harbour to Liverpool, via Hudson 

 Strait, is about two thousand nine hundred and twenty-six miles ; 



