1907 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FORESTS AND MINES. 79 



storms bacame of daily occurrence and from that time until the middle of 

 October there were few days on which it did not rain sometime during the 

 twenty-four hours. At intervals heavy rain fell for two or three days in 

 succession and watercourses, creeks, rivulets and muskegs were filled to 

 overflowing. These conditions caused considerable delay in the prosecution 

 of the work. 



In surveying Block No. 2, I began at the southeast corner and ran the 

 east boundary astronomically north six miles to a post and iron bar planted 

 by Ontario Land Surveyor Stewart, in 1895, to mark the northeast corner 

 of a township which was adopted as the northeast corner of this block. Here 

 1 planted the iron post marked as per instructions and turning west reopened 

 Mr. Stewart's line to the Canadian Pacific Railway renewing the posts and 

 marking the mileage thereon. Where the line crossed the Canadian Pacific 

 Railway much work had been done during recent years on both sides 

 ol the track and no trace of the posts planted by Mr. Stewart remained. 

 New ditches had been excavated and undoubtedly the land marks had been 

 destroyed at that time. 



The line was continued west to the eighteenth mile point crossing mus- 

 kegs, streams, lakes and hills to where the iron bar marking the northwest 

 corner of the block was established and turning here we ran the west 

 boundary south six miles and planted another iron bar. When at this end 

 of the block I sent to Savanne on the Canadian Pacific Railway and Kasha- 

 boiwe on the Canadian Northern Railway for supplies, there being a canoe 

 route from both these places to Trout Lake, near the southwest corner of this 

 block and completed the survey by running eighteen miles east to the place 

 of beginning. 



The suface along the east boundary and the first six miles of the north 

 boundary is for the greater portion level while it becomes rougher as we- 

 proceed west and the remaining portion of the boundaries range from undu- 

 lating to hilly. 



Five and a half miles from the northeast corner the Savanne River 

 is crossed and another stream flowing north of considerable dimensions that 

 might be utilized for running timber, is crossed on the ninth mile. The 

 timber towards the southwest would be taken out via Trout Lake to Kasha- 

 boiwe Lake and the Canadian Northern Railway. 



There are several Lakes of considerable size either crossed by or ii\ 

 close proximity to the outlines on the north, west and south boundaries, the 

 largest being Trout Lake, near the southwest corner of the block, which* 

 from the apparent accuracy' with which it appears on the map would indicate 

 that it must have been traversed some time in the past. The lake both as 

 tc position and dimensions, coincides very closely with its projection on the 

 maps of the Department. 



The land area is thickly timbered with poplar, birch, spruce, tamarac 

 and pine, varying in size from underbrush to timber with a diameter of 

 thirty inches. There has been excellent pine on the westerly six miles but 

 this has been lumbered over for years to supply the mills at Savanne, and 

 a large proportion of the best pine has been removed. There still remains 

 considerable good timber. 



The soil throughout is of a sandy nature, while the growth of timber 

 would indicate a fertile soil where not too wet. Along the west and south 

 boundaries, the country is pretty rocky, the outcrop being granite of the 

 Laiirentian formation and the boulders piled up in heaps in several locali- 

 ties would indicate glacial deposits. No minerals of economic value were 

 noticed, but in places the oxide of iron in the water would indicate the 

 presence of that metal in those localities. 



