70 EEPOET OF THE No. 3 



Appendix No. 26. 



Sdkvey op Base and Meridian Lines in the Distkiot of Thunder Bay, 



Fort William, Ont._, January 23rd, 1919. 



Sir, — I have the honour to submit the followmg report on the survey of 

 base and meridian lines in the District of Thunder Bay, carried out under your 

 instructions dated the 14th of June, 1918. 



Before the receipt of my instructions I was notified that this was to be a 

 cruising proposition as well as a survey, and was instructed to find a cruiser. 

 I spent at least two weeks endeavouring to secure a satisfactory man for the 

 work. I hired two men for this purpose, but both cancelled the arrangements 

 made, one two days before the date set for leaving, after shipping arrangements 

 and connections for the men had been made. In this awkward situation I was 

 fortunate in engaging at the last moment so desirable a man as Mr. Ben Howson 

 for the work. 



Immediately after receipt of my instructions I proceeded to Whitefish Lake 

 with a small party, located my starting point, took an observation for azimuth 

 and carried the line across Whitefish Lake. It will be noted that the line strikes 

 at the mouth of Sucker Creek, which flows in from the west, and not on the 

 headland as shown on the compiled plan accompanying the instructions. Several 

 of the lines strike points considerably different and at different distances from 

 those shown on this plan, particularly on the boundary waters. 



Eeturning to the city I completed the organization and equipment of my 

 party, and proceeding once more to Whitefish, had my party and outfit taken 

 down the lake to a point convenient to Sucker Creek. From this point the line 

 was carried south in accordance with the instructions. 



The country was so mountainous, however, that it was impossible to move 

 the whole outfit along the line, particularly with the men available, and I made 

 arrangements to have the outfit and party moved back up the lake to the Old 

 Pigeon River Lumber Company's tote road. A raft was built and horses brought 

 across the lake, and a waggon hauled through the water close to shore from a 

 point some two or three miles above the road. The whole party was then set to 

 brushing out the road, laying corduroy, re-building bridges, etc., and the outfit 

 was hauled to old Pigeon Eiver Company's Camp 3, where we camped for some 

 days. 



The line work was then proceeded with according to instructions, but through- 

 out the first half of the survey the country was so rough that nearly all moving 

 was done along the old trails which I opened up, in many instances at considerable 

 distances from the work, involving long walks and lost time and slow progress. 



Labour conditions were such, both as to the securing of men and getting 

 them to camrp — owing to the phenomenal wages then being paid in Fort William 

 on war work being done on a percentage basis, and which eventually proved a 

 disturbing factor in labour conditions from" coast to coast — and the keeping up 

 of camp supplies in the rough country with the shortage of men who could pack 

 anything was becoming such a seriou.; problem, that I engaged the services of 

 Mr. John Shaw, O.L.S., to assist me in the work, when about half was completed. 



From this time I devoted myself more particularly to securing bushmen and 

 tlie forwarding of supplies, but even so, only for a very short time were there 



