94 REPORT OF THE No. 3 



had to be planted as witness posts at some distance from the points they were 

 intended to mark. The iron posts were in all cases carefully planted and the 

 trench or pits, dug to reference each, were made of full width and depth. Except 

 in a few instances where suitable trees were not available, each mile post and 

 witness post was referenced to two bearing trees. 



We intersected in several places lines run by O.L.S. Speight in 1905, and 

 noted our chainage to those lines as well as to the distance to his nearest post. 



Timber. 



Fire swept through the country east of the Abitibi River, apparently about 

 twenty years ago, and destroyed about eighty-five per cent, of the timber in 

 the area covered by it. What timber remains is in the swamps or protected by 

 stretches of muskeg. The burnt area seems to include most of the townships 

 of Menapia and Ireland east of the river and the northern part of the Town- 

 ship of Marvin. A second growth of spruce and poplar is now springing up, 

 but is not yet of any considerable size. West of the Abitibi River we found 

 that the timber on the boundary between the Townships of Beniah and Webster 

 was quite young, not more than forty to fifty years old, except in isolated spots. 

 The country had been evidently burnt over probably fifty years ago. The 

 growth, however, seems to be vigorous. The timber encountered on other 

 lines run, south of O.L.S. Niven's base line, was of a good average quality, 

 being, of course, mainly spruce, with some balsam, poplar, balm of gilead and 

 birch, on the higher lands. Much of the land is swampy, but most of it is 

 capable of being drained and cleared. North of O.L.S. Niven's base line the 

 country was inclined to be flat and wet, muskegs were more extensive and the 

 timber, on the whole, smaller. 



Minerals. 



Practically no rock was seen during the course of the survey, and none at 

 all on the lines of survey. 



Soil. 



The soil is mainly the white clay common to this part of Ontario, with 

 occasional ridges of sandy loam or coarse sand, and the townships south of 

 O.L.S. Niven's base line seem suitable for agricultural development. The 

 large areas of muskeg encountered on the lines north of O.L.S. Niven's base 

 line suggest that these townships are not so largely composed of good agricul- 

 tural land. 



Water Powers. 



The Abitibi and Mattagami Rivers are both fast flowing streams. Plans 

 are now under way for the development of water power on the Abitibi River at 

 Three Carrying Places Rapids and also at a point lower down. Though there 

 are numerous small rapids on the Mattagami River, within the townships out- 

 lined, there is no point within their boundaries suitable for power development 

 on any considerable scale. At Cypress Falls, with a drop of about thirteen feet, 

 just below our last crossing, there is a possible site. 



Fish and Game! 



Moose were comparatively scarce and few signs of them were seen. Beaver, 

 too, were not plentiful. Of the other game and fur-bearing animals, it is diffi- 



