1910-11 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FOKESTS AND MINES. 51 



We left Missanabie on 28th May with twenty men, five canoes and aboiit two 

 tons of supplies and equipment, and travelled by way of Dog Lake, Crooked Lake 

 and Missanabie Lake, to the point where the latter is crossed by O.L.S. Niven's 

 base line run in 1899. This journey of about thirty-five miles occupied two days 

 and the only difficulty of importance met with was the rounding of Fairy Point, 

 where the prevalence of rough water is usually a source of danger to canoemen. 



We began the work on 1st June, by re-tracing and opening out the Niven base 

 line for a distance of nearly two and a half miles east from lake, arriving at the one 

 hundred and eighth mile post after two days of work in rain, chiefly through brule 

 which in places had obliterated all marks of the original survey. This point, the 

 initial point of the survey, was found to be marked by an iron post planted along- 

 side a tamarac post, the position being further identified by a spruce " bearing 

 tree " six inches in diameter, north ten degrees, east ten links from the posts. 

 This part of the base line being well defined and the weather too cloudy for astron- 

 omical work, t'he required angle was turned off from the base line and we ran due 

 north three and a half miles, at which point the first observation was obtained and 

 the line found to be within one minute of a true meridian. The line wa5 then 

 continued due north to the 24th mile post at which point we ran due west forty- 

 eight chains to tie in the Missanabie River. We then continued the main meridian 

 line due north to the 42nd mile post and from that point started a base line to the 

 east, for the purpose of connecting with the Missanabie River. Subsequently 

 owing to the danger from forest fires and scarcity of water, which the long con- 

 tinued drought had produced, we continued this base line east to the 9tli mile 

 post, but failed to reach Opazatika Lake in that distance. 



On ^Oth June, the second day east from the meridian, a sad casualty occurred. 

 Alan 0. Hendei-son, a bright young student from Toronto University, succumbed to 

 the intense heat, combined with drinking impure water from icy muskegs. He 

 became faint while returning with his cliaming mate from the day's work about 

 5.45 p.m. and was unable to proceed further. His companion took the news to 

 camp and refreshment was at once sent out to him as it was thought to be a cil^^e of 

 exhaustion only. On the arrival of the relief party he was found to be unconscious, 

 and in spite of all that could be done the unfortunate young man expired about 

 midnight. Early the next inorning a picked crew of seven men carried the body 

 to the canoe route and reached Missanabie in three days of forced travelling and, 

 with as little delay as could be, brought the remains to Toronto for interment. 



The effect of this calamity upon the superstitious Indians who largely com- 

 posed the party, was such that eight expressed a desire to quit work and for tlie 

 same reason it was found very diflicult to get others to take their places. 



The survey proceeded slowly for the next fortnight when the party received 

 sufficient reinforcement to be able to make good headway, but the continued dry 

 weather wliich lasted for seven weeks made it all-important to keep within reacli 

 of a body of water, sufficient for protection as well as for actual subsistence. The 

 narrow escape made by our ^party in the season of -1908, from, a fh-e started by 

 prosj)ectors, had shown the necessity for caution of this nature, and the most 

 vigilant care was taken to see that every camp fire was quite dead before a camp 

 ground was left. To the above causes the deviation from the written instructions 

 is chiefly due. 



From the 42nd mile post the meridian line was continued north to the 60th 

 mile post, from which point base lines were run nine miles east and west 

 respectively. 



