1921-22 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 111 



Appendix No. 39. 

 Base and Meridian Lines, District of Thunder Bay. 



Port Arthur, November 9th, 1922. 



Sir, — Under instructions from your Department dated April 21st, 1922, 

 to survey certain base and meridian lines in the District of Thunder Bay, we 

 beg to report that we have completed the work. 



Our party, accompanied by Mr. W. L. Swanson, Geologist for the Depart- 

 ment of Mines, left Port Arthur on June 7th for Mack on the Lake Superior 

 branch of the Canadian National Railway. From Mack the route was by way 

 of a chain of small lakes and short portages to Cedar Lake, where O.L.S. Ross's 

 base line was located and followed to the thirty-sixth mile post which was our 

 starting point. 



From this point a base line was run twelve miles east, and from this twelve 

 mile point a meridian line was run twelve miles north and produced south 

 eleven miles and sixty-seven chains and ninety-eight links to intersect the second 

 base line run by us in 1921. The base line was then continued for a total dis- 

 tance of forty-two miles and four chains and thirty-nine links to intersect the 

 west limit of the Black Sturgeon Pulp and Timber Limit run by us in 1918. From 

 the twenty-fourth mile post on the base line a meridian was run south eleven 

 miles, sixty-six chains and sixty-three and four-tenths links to intersect the second 

 base line run by us in 1921. This meridian was also run north twelve miles and 

 thence a base line was run east seventeen miles, seventy-nine chciins and seventy 

 links to intersect the west limit of the Nepigon Forest Reserve run by us in 1920. 

 The instructions in regard to the details of the performance of the work were 

 followed carefully. Where a closure was obtained the actual chainage checked 

 very closely with the theoretical, showing that the chaining was well done. In 

 one case, viz., at the end of the first base line, the pits and mounds were omitted 

 owing to the ground being composed of boulders for a considerable distance from 

 the corner. The iron post was, however, well planted. 



The country passed through was in general well timbered except foj a portion 

 approximately between the seventeenth mile and the twenty-sixth mile on the 

 first base line and all of the second meridian south of the first base line. This 

 area in parts has been burnt several times and is bare of trees, while in other 

 parts it is covered with a dense growth of poplar, birch and jack pine. There 

 is good spruce in the swamps in this area, but these do not appear to be of any 

 great extent. Other areas which have been burnt within recent years are, an 

 area extending from the fifteenth mile on the second base line to the end of the 

 line, and for a distance of about one-half a mile on each side of the four mile post 

 on the first base line. The remainder of the country was well covered with 

 timber, the varieties being as shown on the accompanying timber plan. Spruce 

 is the principal species. There is also a good stand of jack pine extending along 

 the second meridian north from about the fourth mile to the end and along the 

 second base line to the burnt area near the fifteenth mile post, although the timber 

 gets smaller as we travel east. There are also a few small stands of jack pine 

 as shown on the plan. 



The country along and adjacent to the first twelve miles of the first base 

 line appears to contain a large number of good sized lakes not shown on any 

 map. No effort was made to make a survey of these, any information shown 

 on the plan being approximate and from information given by the freighters. 



