1925 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 69 



Appendix No. 36 



Extract from O.L.S. James S. Dobie's report on traverse of English River, 

 districts of Kenora and Patricia, dated Thessalon, April 12th, 1924. 



"The physical characteristics of the territory adjacent to the portion of the 

 English River surveyed during the season of 1923 are, generally speaking, 

 similar to those of the portion described in the report for the previous year. 

 Indian Lake, where the survey started for the season, is about four a half miles 

 long, with high rocky shores timbered with poplar, spruce, jack pine, balsam and 

 birch, the relative abundance of each being apparently about in the order 

 named. There are considerable areas of old second growth timber of varying 

 ages. This lake has two outlets. The one flowing from the southwest end and 

 runs southerly between high rocky banks with a few small bays, for a couple of 

 miles where it enters Grassy Narrows Lake, about two miles west of the Hudson 

 Bay Company's post on island 279. The other outlet leaves the southerly 

 shore of Indian Lake about a mile and a half from the north end of the lake,- 

 and flows through a labyrinth of islands and channels to Grassy Narrows Lake, 

 near the Hudson's Bay Company's post. A long bay runs to the south and east 

 from a point about opposite the Hudson's Bay Company's post and from the 

 most southerly point on this bay, a canoe route runs through a chain of lakes to 

 Jones and Favel stations on the Canadian National Railway. 



"Much of the country in the neighbourhood of Grassy Narrow Lake is covered 

 with clay, and there are scattered areas of good land suitable for agriculture. 

 It was not possible to gather data as to how large these tracts of clay lands are, 

 but the impression one gets from passing along the shores is that they are not 

 nearly so extensive as those farther up the English River between Camp Lake 

 and Lac Seul. The timber in this section is the prevailing poplar, spruce, jack 

 pine, etc., with large areas of second growth of varying ages. 



"There is an Indian Reserve at the east end of Grassy Narrows Lake, and 

 some of the larger islands in this neighbourhood are included in the Reserve 

 either wholly or in part. The points where the boundaries of the Indian Reserve 

 intersect the shores of the lake were located and it was found that at each of 

 these points an iron bar had been driven into the ground beside a wooden post. 

 The boundaries of the reserve had also been cut out and reblazed not many 

 years ago. These iron bars were all tied to the various transit stations and will 

 serve as additional monuments for the perpetuation of the survey. 



"There are a large number of Indians who make this reserve their head- 

 quarters during the early part of the summer, remaining there until they receive 

 their treaty money about the end of June, after which they depart for the railway 

 where they spend their time acting as guides for tourists or picking blue berries 

 which are shipped to Winnipeg in large quantities during the season. 



"The land around the Indian villages is of excellent quality, but beyond 

 raising a few potatoes, no attempt is made at agriculture. 



"The Hudson's Bay Company have a post on Grassy Narrows Lake, 

 presided over by Mr. Donald Murchison, whose courtesy is of the happy type 

 which makes ones memory linger in happy recollection. 



"From Grassy Narrows Lake, the English River flows westerly through Fox 

 and Lount Lakes. It then turns more northerly through Separation Lake to 

 Separation Rapids. The lakes named above are all very similar as far as physical 

 characteristics go. Shores generally high and rocky, covered with the prevailing 

 poplar, spruce, jack pine, etc., deeply indented shore line, with long narrow bays 



