1921-22 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 7t 



Lakes. 



The lakes were very numerous in the country covered by the east portion 

 of the survey. The principal ones being Biscotasing, in the southerly part of 

 Smuts Township, Schist lying both in Potier and Yeo Townships, and Mesome- 

 kenda extending south across the Township of Neville and into the Township of 

 Chester. Schist Lake is very shallow in most places and contains a great number 

 of islands. Biscotasing Lake also contains a great number of islands and is 

 apparently deep with rocky shores. Mesomekenda Lake is a beautiful body of 

 deep water with high banks and has few islands. The water in this lake has been 

 raised several feet by a dam, which accounts for some drowned timber along the 

 shores. 



Soil. 



There is very little, if any, agricultural land in the whole of the territory 

 covered by the survey. The soil is generally of a light sandy or gravelly nature 

 and is in many places filled with boulders. Many rock outcrops are also in 

 evidence. 



Timber. 



The only timber of commercial value met with was in the Township of 

 Neville and along the nort part of the Township of Chester, also in the north- 

 east corner of the Township of Potier and along the south boundary of the Town- 

 ship of Somme. The timber in this area consists chiefly of jack pine up to 

 eighteen inches in diameter with spruce, birch, balsam and poplar from five to 

 fourteen inches in diameter, while along the Mesomekenda Lake some red pine 

 of good quality was observed. The balance of the country, with the exception 

 of occasional swamps, which are timbered with spruce and cedar up to fourteen 

 inches in diameter, has been run over by a very destructive fire, some twenty 

 five or thirty years ago, and is now covered with a dense growth of small jack 

 pine, birch, spruce and polar. 



Minerals. 



No precious minerals were observed, but considerable work of prospectors, 

 now abandoned, was seen along the south shore of Schist Lake, where the forma- 

 tion is a schist rock with numerous veins of white quartz. The rock formation 

 met with throughout the survey was generally of a granite gneiss. 



Water Powers. 

 No water power capable of being developed was met with. 



Game. 



Moose were very numerous and an occasional red deer was seen. Bears 

 were also plentiful. Considerable indications were seen of beaver and the smaller 

 game also abounds. Fish were very plentiful in all the lakes we had the op- 

 portunity to try, but the only kind caught were pike and pickerel. 



Accompanying this report, we submit a general plan on mounted paper, 

 atimber plan on linen, field notes and our account in triplicate. 



We have the honour to be, Sir, 



Your obedient servants, 



McAuslan, Anderson & MoORe. 



The Honourable the Minister of Lands and Forests, 

 Toronto, Ontario. 



