1908 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FORESTS' AND MINES 67 



the District of Algoma, now called the District of Sudbury, and make a 

 survey of it by dividing it into lots of 320 acres each. 



I commenced the survey at the southwest corner of the township of 

 Mabee, at an iron post one and seven-eighths inches in diameter planted^ by 

 me and marked "XII." on the east side, "Mabee" on the northeast side, 

 "Con. I." on the north side, "Laidlaw" on the northwest and "I" on the 

 west side, and a wooden post also planted by me and marked the same as the 

 iron post. From this point I ran the south boundary line of Laidlaw town- 

 ship, west astronomically to its intersection with 0. L. S. Speight's first 

 meridian line at a point twenty-three links north of O. L. S. Speight's six 

 mile post. 



As I had already run the east boundary of Laidlaw as the west boundary 

 of the township of Mabee, I ntext ran the first and second concession lines 

 and the side lines between lots two and three, four and five, six and seven, 

 etc., continuing them as far north as the third concession line. 



On the 18th day of September, 1907, we moved our camp west along 

 the first concession line to the side line between lots four and five, where we 

 discovered a lake about one and a half miles long and half a mile wide, 

 extending in a north and south direction through concession two and part of 

 concession one. We camped on the bank of this lake, which I have called 

 Return Lake, the remainder of the season. The banks are generally about 

 fifteen to twenty feet in height and covered principally with poplar. The 

 water of the lake is very clear. We caught some very large pike and saw 

 a few otter. 



I was forced to break camp on October 7th and quit work in Laidlaw 

 township on account of bad weather, the men refusing to remain any longer. 

 I therefore withdrew my camp into Mabee township and, after finishing my 

 work there, returned to civilization, October 28th. We had the pleasure 

 of breaking ice to afford passage for our canoes for a distance of about fifteen 

 miles on our return trip. 



I returned to the township of Laidlaw and re-commenced the survey on 

 the 3rd day of August, 1908, under more favourable circumstances. I com- 

 pleted the survey and withdrew from the township on the 18th day of 

 August, 1908. 



I found several lakes, mostly of small size scattered throughout the 

 township. There is an excellent trail running in a north and south direc- 

 tion through lot four. This trail was most likely made late in the fall of 

 1907, as I saw no signs of it when working in the township last year. It is 

 very recent and had evidently been used for packing, as it is opened up 

 wide and all obstructions have been removed and streams bridged with logs. 

 It joins the several lakes in lot four. 



The soil of the township is clay of good quality except in the extreme 

 southwest corner, where it is sandy. The surface is somewhat rolling, espe- 

 cially in the neighbourhood of the lakes and there is a large muskeg on lots one 

 and two in concessions one and two and on lots ten and eleven in concessions 

 five and six. 



The timber is chiefly spruce, but the higher ground is covered with pop- 

 lar, balm of gilead, birch and balsam. These poplar ridges are very num- 

 erous over the whole of the township. 



There is a small island in Return Lake which ^as a very few white pine 

 growing on it and near the south end of the same lake there are a few Nor- 

 way pine. In the extreme southwest corner of the township the principal 

 timber is jack pine. 



I found no rock outcrops and no minerals of any kind. 



