72 REPORT OF THE No. 3 



Lake. Cross Lake is the largest lake between the Ogoki River and Ombabika. 

 From a long bay running to the east, a short portage leads to Willet Lake, 

 another long, narrow lake running nearly east and west. The traverse was 

 carried into Willet Lake and up Willet Lake for a distance of about four miles 

 to connect with the east boundary of the Nipigon Forest Reserve, which was 

 run by O.L.S. Benner in 1916. 



From Cross Lake the survey runs down Ombabika River and through three 

 small lake expansions to the railway station at Ombabika. Between Cross Lake 

 ,and the road leading from the river to Ombabika Station there are two portages 

 and one small rapids where a portage is sometimes necessary. 



From the Ogoki River to Ombabika, the country, as seen from the canoe 

 route, is generally low and swampy. There is, however, some high, rocky 

 country around Cross Lake. There is much second-growth, but on the. whole 

 the timber resources of this territory are very valuable as there is much spruce 

 suitable for pulpwood all along the route. 



There are no water powers of any importance as the flow in all of the streams 

 is very small. 



Throughout the whole of the territory surveyed, the timber resources are 

 probably greater than would appear from any inspection that could be made 

 while carrying on the survey. It is invariably found that when one travels into 

 the woods the timber looks better than it does from a canoe. 



North of Collins, and for a considerable distance down Smooth Rock Lake, 

 the fires have wrought terrible havoc. As one gets farther north, however, signs 

 of recent fires disappear and the country is generally covered with green timber 

 of varying ages. Many of the second-growth areas are approaching the age 

 when the timber will be suitable for pulpwood and other purposes. The field 

 notes show remarks entered wherever possible as to the general appearance of 

 the timber as seen from the canoes, and these notes have been entered on the 

 plans which accompany this report to as great an extent as possible, so that a 

 reference to the plans will give a fair idea as to the timber resources of the country 

 in greater detail than is possible in this report. 



There are no large areas of land suitable for agriculture. Along the Ogoki 

 and Kapikitongwa rivers there are some small stretches of clay and sandy loam, 

 but these areas are too small to be of any great importance. 



The prevailing geological formation is granite, which covers about ninety 

 per cent, of the country traversed. From the mouth of the Powatik River to 

 Cross Lake, however, wherever rock exposures occur, they appear to belong to 

 the Keewatin series, and it is possible that careful prospecting would be rewarded. 

 There is also a small area of diabase which probably belongs to the Keweenawan 

 series of rocks, which occurs extensively around Lake Nipigon. 



There are no areas of pronounced local magnetic attraction. The local 

 magnetic variation is about one and one-half degrees to the west in the region 

 north of Collins, decreasing to one degree at Whitewater Lake, and is practically 

 zero over the area between the Ogoki River and Ombabika. 



Fish of the usual varieties are fairly plentiful in most of the lakes, pike and 

 pickerel predominating. Some fine lake trout were taken with a troll in Smooth 

 Rock, and whitefish are said to be plentiful in the larger lakes. Speckled trout 

 of good size occur in the Ogoki River at Waboose Falls. Moose are fairly 

 plentiful, and a few deer and caribou were seen during the season. Beaver have 

 almost disappeared and partridge are very scarce. 



