1909-10 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FOEESTS AND MINES. 51 



iiie boundary between the Districts of Algoma and Sudbury and from its north 

 end a base line, referred to herein as " third base line," was run west about 

 twenty miles to the western terminus of the season's work. From the eighteenth 

 mile post on the north twenty-seven miles. of the first meridian line, referred to 

 herein as the " second base line," was run west for a distance of eleven miles. 

 At the ninth mile post on the third base line, lines were run north and south 

 respectively for a distance of nine miles, and referred to herein as the "second 

 meridian." 



From the eighteenth mile post on the same base line meridians were run 

 similarly north and south respectively nine miles, and termed herein " third 

 meridian." 



The meridian lines are run due north astronomically and the base lines due 

 west (or east) on chords of parallels of latitude, those to the south of the Niven 

 base line being chords of six miles in length, and those to the north of that line, 

 nine miles long. A wooden post of the most durable material, within reason- 

 able distance, was planted at the end of each mile on the lines south of the Niven 

 base line, and in addition, iron posts one and one-quarter inches in diameter were 

 planted alongside the wooden posts at the end of each sixth mile in that tract. 

 On the lines north of Niven's base line, the interval between wooden posts was 

 made one and a half miles, and between iron posts nine miles. On each wooden 

 post and iron post the number of the mile it represented was carefully marked 

 on the side nearest the initial point of the line. Where a corner occurred m . 

 a lake or other natural feature, precluding the planting of posts, the post was 

 planted upon the nearest suitable point of land and upon the line run, the disr-- 

 tance of such post from the true corner being entered in the notes and marked : 

 upon the post. In all cases where wooden and iron posts are planted side by 

 side, the iron post indicates the intended corner. All lines were well opened 

 out and properly blazed. 



Frequent astronomical observations, records of a number of which are ap-. 

 peuded, were taken for the purpose of verifying the course of the lines run, but 

 owing to a series of accidents to the instruments it was impossible to note fre- 

 quently the magnetic variation, the average declination being about four and a 

 half degrees west. 



A careful watch was kept for indications of the exploration line run by 

 P.L.S. Duncan Sinclair in 1867, but the repeated fires which have swept over 

 this region in the interval have rendered it impossible of positive location at 

 this point. Certain marks which we believe to define the line in question were 

 seen and noted, and we have shown the position of these upon the accompany- 

 ing map as " Probable location of Sinclair's line." 



The return journey was made by way of the Kapuskasing and Trout Eiver 

 canoe routes to Chapleau, which was reached on 25th September. 



General )Features. 



All the country embraced by this survey lies in the valleys of the Woman, 

 Ridout, Pishkanogami, Ground Hog, and Kapuskasing Rivers, a total breadth 

 of thirty-nine miles from east to west and one hundred and one miles from 

 north to south being included. Generally speaking, the surface is rolling, and, 

 in places, hilly, some of the hills reaching an altitude of two hundred feet. To 

 the south of the clay belt, the southern boundary of which was met about ten 

 miles north of Niven's base line and trends thence in a north-westerly direction, 



5 L.M. 



