1908 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FORESTS' AND MINES 85 



the Hudson Bay Company's old canoe route between the Montreal River and 

 Night Hawk Lake. 



I found the country traversed by the south boundaries of Langmuir, 

 Blackstock and Timmins rough and rocky. The timber consists chiefly of 

 spruce, banksian pine, birch, cedar and balsam up to fourteen inches in 

 diameter and of a fair quality, with willow and alder underbrush and con- 

 siderable windfall. A few good white pine of about twelve inches in diameter 

 were noticed at about sixty chains east of the District line. Many small 

 clumps of white pine were also noticed around the shores of Night Hawk 

 Lake. A brule of recent date but of small extent occurs on the third and 

 fourth miles of the south boundary of Blackstock and along the last mile 

 of the south boundary of Timmins is a brule of old standing. 



Two streams of considerable importance flowing into Night Hawk Lake 

 cross the line, Night Hawk River, on the fourth mile of the south boundary 

 of the township of Langmuir, and White Fish River on the second mile of 

 the south boundary of Blackstock, the average width of these streams is 

 about one <chain, while the depth varies from a few inches to many feet. 



Along this whole line very little agricultural land is seen and ' I am 

 sorry to report that from my observations I consider the townships of Lang- 

 muif; Blackstock and Timmins entirely unfit for settlement. 



While I saw no mineral along the line, I would conclude from the 

 almost constant fluctations of the needle that this locality is fairly rich in 

 magnetic iron. "^ 



Many prospectors were met in this locality, some of them had staked 

 several claims and done considerable work. I found, however, that owing to the 

 want of recognized surveys in this vicinity, many of the prospectors were 

 completely at sea with regard to the location of their claims. 



I beg respectfully to suggest to your Department the necessity of 'putting 

 into force some more effective regulations with regard to the starting and 

 putting out of camp fires by prospectors, the great majority of whom are not 

 bushmen. 



I was called upon during the summer to extinguish several of these 

 fires in the incipient stage, and after a rather long experience in the bush, 

 I have come to the conclusion, owing to the rich discoveries of mineral that 

 are being made almost daily and to the opening up of this great 'northern 

 country by the construction of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario and 

 Grand Trunk .Pacific Railways, that nothing short of a regular police patrol 

 of picked, bushmen (men selected only with an eye to their fitness for the 

 work) and armed with ample authority, can save this immense forest wealth 

 of the Province. 



I have the honour to be, 

 Sir, 



Tour obedient servant, 



(Signed) J. W. Fitzgerald, 



Ontario Land Surveyor. 



The Honourable, the Minister of Lands, Forests and Mines, 

 Toronto. 



