60 REPOKT OF THE No. 3 



ian on the Mississaga River on the 30th instant. Here we divided our party, 

 ieending some down the river with supplies and with the remainder packed down 

 Niven's meridian to the post at VI. M. and there commenced our first base line 

 west from that point. 



Owing to cloudy weather conditions we were unaJble to procure an observation 

 at the above starting point and were forced, upon ithis account, t-o carry the line 

 on by using the line run east from the same point as a basis to obtain bearing. 

 It was not until we had run about four miles in this way that an observation could 

 be procured, and -then the line was found to be bearing twenty-three minutes too 

 far to the south. At the lY. M. post the line was deflected to a course due west, 

 end thereafter observations were secured at each meridian intersection and the 

 back checks in all cases were found to be satisfactory. At the measured points of 

 six miles, twelve miles, eighteen miles and twenty-four miles on the base line 

 meridians were turned north and south, those running south ending at the base 

 line run by O.L.S. Niven in 1902, and their northerly continuations being carried 

 to their intersection with our second base six miles to the north of our first base 

 line. A peculiar accident in regard to this first base line is the manner in which 

 it intersects the meridian run by O.L.S. Niven thirty miles west from our starting 

 point, the base line coming out only one and one-half links to the north of the 

 liron post planted on this meridian at VI. M. The second base line was com- 

 menced from the chained distance of six miles north from the first base line 

 measured on the fourth meridian, and run west to Mven's meridian of 1902, and 

 east to the meridian passing through our starting point, for the first base. Wooden 

 posts were planted on both base and meridian lines, with the mileage marked from 

 I. to v., dating on the base lines from the meridian to the east, and on meridian 

 lines from the base line to the south. In cases where the mileage points fell in a 

 lake or other position unsuitable for planting a post, posts were planted at the 

 nearest suitable point and marked with the distance dating as aforesaid. At all 

 intersections of base and meridian lines, or as near such intersections as circum- 

 stances would permit, with the exception of the intersection of the second base 

 line with Niven's meridian of 1902, forming the north-westerly angle of Township 

 4 D, iron posts were planted marked with the names or designating numbers of the 

 bdjacent townships. Wooden posts were also planted alongside these iron posts. 

 The extremely rough and precipitous nature of the country passed over by these lines 

 jrenders accurate chaining impossible and always liable to error. The transit can 

 work within much narrower limits of error than can be assigned to the chaining 

 and we are of the impression that more accurate work could be done by using instru- 

 mental measurements from one transit station to another to determine intersection 

 points than by ordinary chaining. The lines were well blazed and cut out for long 

 (sights from hill-top to hill-top, where station pickets were planted firmly and rock 

 mounded where necessary, so that exact line points could readily be picked up if 

 required in the near future. 



Topography. 



The country traversed by this work is generally of an extremely rough and 

 hilly character, level ground being of rare occurrence and unimportant in extent. 

 There appear to be no well defined ridges, the surface being almost wholly occu- 

 pied by more or less rounded hill masses, often presenting a precipitous face, and 

 rising from one to three hundred feet above the valley-like depressions surrounding 

 Itheir bases. No matter in which direction one travels, if a straight line be fol- 



