From the Pacific to Hudson? Bay. 305 



to the Lower Forks of Pine River, is one hundred and eight and 

 a-half miles. In a straight line it is eighty-one miles. Of the 

 distance by the valley, ninety-three miles may be classed as easy 

 work, two and a-half miles as moderately heavy work, and thirteen 

 miles as heavy work." 



I also offer the opinions of Mr. Marcus Smith, C.E., who has 

 made a personal examination of the route. He says : — 



" At the outset it became evident that there is no harbour at 

 the m:>uth of the Skeena suitable for a railway terminus. A fair 

 anchoi'age is to be had in CardenaBay,at the southern end of Kennedy 

 Island, but it would be extremely difficult, if not impracticable, to 

 reach that neighbourhood with a railway line. 



" Attention was therefore directed to Port Simpson, at the 

 northern end of the Tsimpsean Peninsula, a well known and excel- 

 lent harbour, and on examination it was found that there are no 

 great obstacles to carrying a line along the north side of the 

 Peninsula to that point. 



" The distance is probably ten miles longer than to Cardena 

 Bay, but, of the two, this harbour is far better adapted for com- 

 mercial purposes, and the cost of constructing the railway would 

 probably be much less. 



" From Port Simpson, for about thirty-five miles along the north 

 side of the Tsimpsean Peninsula, and across the dividing ridge, two 

 hundred and fifty feet high, to the banks of the Skeena, the works 

 would be heavy. 



" In ascending the Skeena through the Cascade Mountains the 

 works would generally be heavy, but less so than by either the 

 Fraser or Homathco valleys, through the same chain of mountains. 

 " For the first thirty-five miles the hills descend in steep inclina- 

 tion to the water's edge, and there are indications of snow-slides at 

 several points.' The valley averages a mile in breadth, but the river 

 is thickly studded with islands, and has channels washing the bases 

 of the mountains on either side. 



" Above this, for a distance of about eighty miles till the eastern 

 face of the Cascade range is reached, the valley narrows a little, but 



the side-hills are not so steep. The valley then opens out somewhat, 

 20 



