1927 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 59 



found it impossible to distinguish on many of the photographs any of the physical 

 features crossed by our line. We have, however, marked on a number of them 

 the position of our work. 



"The topographical survey maps of Red Lake district and the preliminary 

 blue print based on O.L.S. Christie's traverse and aerial photographs were 

 found very accurate, greatly facilitating the handling of supplies. This was 

 especially true from Pipestone Bay westward, as none of the Indians of Red 

 Lake seemed to be familiar with the water routes between Pipestone Bay and 

 the boundary line. 



"The total chainage of the line to the point where it intersected the Manitoba 

 boundary was ninety-six miles, forty-one chains and seventy links. 



"The boundary was reached on August 12th, and the party returned to 

 the railway at Hudson via Red Lake, reaching the track on the 19th day of the 

 month. In the general, the summer was perhaps somewhat more rainy than 

 the average, although the latter part of July and the early part of August were 

 hot and dry. 



General Features 



"No outstanding topographical feature dominates the territory crossed 

 by our line, unless the straggling expanse of Red Lake could be considered to do 

 so. Ridges and low hills succeed one another with considerable regularity, but 

 none of them rises to any great height. The surface is broken rather than rugged, 

 for the glaciers have done their work of grinding off the mountain tops very 

 thoroughly. Innumerable lakes dot the landscape. Many of these are of 

 great beauty and some of considerable extent. West of Trout Lake the line 

 crossed a long ridge which apparently is the natural dam containing the waters 

 of that lake, and descended into a broad valley, broken, of course, by minor 

 ridges which extended to within a few miles of Red Lake. In the valley we 

 found a considerable area of clay soil. Observations while on our way in to 

 the line, and later, would lead us to believe that there is a clay belt extending 

 from north of our line well to the south, and that eventually the section will be 

 developed for agricultural purposes. 



"East of Trout Lake, and from Red Lake to the boundary, the country 

 traversed by us depends for its value on its timber, its beauty, and its fish and 

 game. From about four miles east of the east bay of Red Lake until we crossed 

 the ridge west of Slate Bay, we found the country completely staked by pro- 

 spectors, and on a number of claims exploration work was being vigorously 

 prosecuted. Except in this one section the rock encountered was granite. 



Soil 



"As stated above, between Red and Trout Lakes there is an area which 

 will no doubt be eventually developed for farming purposes. East and west 

 of this, however, we crossed no considerable stretch of agricultural land, finding 

 only a few narrow valleys where the soil promises any return for cultivation. 



Timber 



"Comparatively little of the areas along the line could be classified as 

 burnt. On the other hand, not much of the timber is yet old enough for com- 

 mercial use. Jack pine predominates, with perhaps a third of the forest con- 

 sisting of spruce. Poplar and birch are mostly small and are found in limited 

 quantities. Black ash was noted in a swamp near Red Lake, but cedar was not 



