DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS FOR 1928 77 



from the shore the quahty of the timber is almost invariably found to be much 

 better than one would expect from inspection from the shore. An occasional 

 red and white pine tree is seen along the shore or on the island, but these are for 

 the most part scrubby and of no commercial value. The most northerly white 

 pine tree seen was on the shore of Lac Seul, about four miles from the mouth of 

 Root river. 



There are some small areas of good clay land suitable for agriculture, the 

 largest being along the shore of Lost lake in Indian Reserve No. 28. Som.e of 

 the Indians have small garden plots and in seasons when the water is not abnor- 

 mally high, wild hay is cut on some of the hay flats close to the Indian reserve. 

 Generally speaking, the country adjacent to the waters surveyed is not adapted 

 for agriculture. 



There are some fairly extensive burnt areas, the largest being in Deception 

 bay, and along the banks of Root river. Notes are made on the plan submitted 

 herewith as to burnt areas and also as to the class of timber along the shore. 



The f-ock formation is invariably granite, and no evidence was seen of 

 valuable mineral deposits. 



The magnetic variation averages about three degrees east of north, although 

 local variations of from one to two degrees, either to the east or west of the 

 ayerage, were continually being noticed, and in one or two instances there was 

 considerable local attraction. A large number of observations of magnetic 

 variation are noted on the plan. The two small books supplied by the Topo- 

 graphical Survey at Ottawa for recording magnetic variations were filled with 

 details of observations taken, and are returned herewith. 



Very little game was seen during the season. The larger animals did not 

 come out to the shore to feed on account of the extremely high water, but it is 

 said that they were very plentiful on the smaller lakes inland where the water 

 did not rise above the normal level. Ducks were fairly plentiful, but the part- 

 ridge have almost disappeared. 



Appendix 28 



Extract of Report and Field Notes of Traverse of Manitou Lakes and Boyer Stormy 

 Lakes, District of Kenora and Rainy River — R. S. Kirkup, O.L.S., 1927. 



I started the traverse on the 18th of May, commencing at the 16-mile post 

 on O.L.S. Niven's 3rd base line where it intersects Grassy narrows, and pro- 

 ceeded up through Minnehaha and Peak Lakes, and over the height of land into 

 Summit, Mud, Selby and Power lakes and so into the Manitou straits, where we 

 camped a couple of weeks while traversing the Upper Manitou lake. 



The country surrounding this lake is very hilly and broken, and presents a 

 rather forlorn appearance on account of the timber having been burned, no 

 doubt, during the great mining boom twenty years ago. Here one stumbles 

 across many relics of that old gold rush — many derelict mine shafts and dumps 

 and others like the Laurentian, Big Master and Little Paymaster, where the 

 building and equipment are yet in excellent shape, but not modern enough for 

 present day mining operations. 



Passing on down the Manitou straits we ran into another relic, of human 

 element this time — a regular old time prospector, in the person of "Rattlesnake 

 Bill" Watson, who went in there with the first rush, and is still an ardent booster 



