504 Our North Land. 



course, that places situated in the same latitude in both hemispheres 

 have not always the same temperature, owing to certain geo- 

 graphical and other causes; but in this case I believe that the 

 ports of Hudson's Bay would be just as accessible, at least for the 

 same period, as are those European ports which I have just men- 

 tioned. If we can only establish that there is safe navigation for a 

 period of, say, three or four months in the year, then our point will 

 be gained, and we will have another Gulf of St. Lawrence to the 

 west of us, and other Maritime Provinces. 



" Sir, I believe that the untold wealth and the illimitable possi- 

 bilities of that land are something beyond any human conception. 

 I hope, therefore, that the House will agree to the motion, and that 

 the Government will assist the committee to their utmost in eluci- 

 dating the feasability of this scheme, and finally in setting at rest 

 this momentous question of the navigation of the Hudson's Bay." 



Mr. Dawson, in seconding the motion of the hon. gentleman 

 from Provencher, said : " I may say that it is very desirable that 

 something more should be known about the Hudson's Bay. Last 

 year I called for some papers, which were brought down, and the 

 information which was obtained went so show that the Bay itself is 

 open for at least six months in the year — in fact it is open through 

 the whole year, except for a certain distance along the shore where 

 it is always frozen in winter. But the information we obtained last 

 year certainly was not very favourable as regards the navigation of 

 the Straits. We had reports of sailors and fishermen who had spent 

 the year in the Bay, and they all went to show that in some years 

 the Straits were so blocked with ice that it was barely possible to 

 navigate them. However, so little is known on that subject that it 

 is highly desirable that further information should be obtained. I 

 believe there is a channel, not hitherto followed, leading from Hud- 

 son's Bay to Ungava Bay — the latter bay being not very far from 

 the entrance to the Straits. This channel is said to be free from 

 icebergs, but the currents are said to be so strong as to make navi- 

 gation impossible. Now, I think it is worth while exploring those 

 Straits and ascertaining whether, now that steam can be used, this 

 channel could not be navigated. 



