REPORT OF THE No. 3 



for that area. He has several properties, and informed me that on one particular 

 vein one could stand off fifteen feet and see the free gold — and lots of it. 



I then carried the traverse forward through the Lower Manitou lake. The 

 country surrounding this Expansion is very similar to Upper Manitou region, in 

 that it is mostly brule and high rocky hills. 



Continuing down through the Lower Manitou stretch the country seems to 

 change its vesture, and assumes a pleasing verdant aspect, and the accompanying 

 change of timber is very acceptable; and so we reached Pickerel Lake and the 

 Rainy River District, and well has it been named — for while we were in it there 

 was hardly a day that we did not have some rain. From Pickerel on it narrows 

 down to a mere stream with rapids and the one expansion at Sphene lake, until 

 we drop over the Devil's cascade into Rainy lake and the end of the first portion 

 of the traverse — this last falls would make an excellent site for a dam, with a 

 total fall of 46 feet and a considerable drainage area behind it; it is also rather a 

 tourists' paradise by the crowds that came there from Fort Frances and the 

 United States to enjoy the fishing and beautiful scenery. 



■Appendix 29 



Extract of a Traverse of Sturgeon Lake, District of Thunder Bay — E. L. Cavana, 

 O.L.S. 



The nature of the country and timber along the shores was noted. The 

 shores are mostly rock and boulders with more sand and boulder shore at the 

 southwest end of the traverse. The soil where noted was mostly sand or sand 

 and clay, with boulders, and occasionally a little loam. No area suitable for 

 agriculture was noticed. 



The country is generally low rock ridges and there is very little timber of 

 commercial size or quantity around the lake, being mostly small second-growth 

 spruce, poplar, birch and Banksian pine on an old brule, and where larger timber 

 was met with it was not in very extensive areas. By using an outboard motor 

 we were able to cover a large extent of shore from each camp, and while the usual 

 difficulties were met with, such as rainy weather, rough water on exposed shores, 

 and shores thickly overhung with scrub, cedar and tag alder, steady progress 

 was made with the work. 



There appears to have been considerable prospecting and mining activity 

 around the lake several years ago, but nearly all traces of this have disappeared 

 and nearly all the buildings are gone or in ruins. The mill building and mach- 

 inery at St. Anthony gold mine are kept in order, and another small mill building 

 was noted about three miles north of the St. Anthony mine. Both are on the 

 east shore of North bay. Two other small mills were noted at Northern Light 

 bay and Belmore bay, arms of North East bay. There does not appear to have 

 been any active mining for several years past. Where possible, mining posts 

 were located and tied into the traverse. 



There are no Indians living around this lake, and only three trappers and 

 two parties engaged in commercial fishing, operating from the railway at the 

 north and south end of the lake. Fur-bearing animals appear to be scarce; a few 

 iDeaver, otter, fox, muskrat and mink were seen. Rabbits and partridge are very 

 scarce. There is not much feeding ground for ducks and only a few whistlers 

 and fish ducks were seen, also a few bear, moose and red deer. The lake appears 



