482 Our North Land. 



From Winnipeg to lat. 55° N., long. 100° west, 350 miles. 



From Prince Albert to same point 300 n 



From same point to Churchill 300 n 



Total 950 miles. 



Distances allowed for curves, etc. . . 50 m 



Grand total 1,000 miles. 



A great portion of this distance would be exceedingly light or 

 easy of construction, no part of it would be heavy, and only a small 

 portion moderately heavy. The road from Winnipeg to the Grand 

 Rapids of the Saskatchewan would be located through a magnificent 

 agricultural country for more than two hundred miles, while that 

 from Prince Albert, starting on the borders of the great central 

 portions of the fertile areas, would penetrate for over one hundred 

 miles a fairly good district, much of which is well timbered. The 

 junction of the roads would be in the midst of a country covered 

 with valuable timber. The only great stream to be crossed would 

 be the Saskatchewan at the Grand Rapids for the Winnipeg line. 



The cost of construction and equipment of this one thousand 

 miles of railway would be about $25,000 per mile, or $25,000,000 

 in all. But this would not cover the whole cost of opening the 

 Hudson's Bay route. There are steamers to be constructed, peculi- 

 arly fitted for navigating our northern waters; but the only peculiarity 

 necessary is that they shall be strongly built of wood. Twenty of 

 these, say of two thousand five hundred tons each, would cost about 

 $150,000 apiece, or $5,000,000 in all. Thus we have the whole cost 

 of opening the Hudson's Bay route placed at $30,000,000, as fol- 

 lows : — 



Winnipeg to Churchill, 650 miles, at $25,000 per mile $16,250,000 



Prince Albert to proposed junction, 300 miles, at $25,000 per 



mile 7,500,000 



Fifty miles for miscalculation, at $25,000 per mile 1,250,000 



Twenty wooden steamships of 2,500 tons each at $150,000 each 5,000,000 



Total $30,000,000 



