1911-12 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FORESTS AND MINES. 67 



direction through a portion of this township at the north east corner. From 

 these remarks it may be deduced that the township is easy of access for settlers. 

 Such is quite the case and construction of the Algoma Central Railway is well 

 under way, and steel will be laid in all probability during the coming winter. 

 The Mattawishquia River, while in the main having a good width and a fair 

 depth, nevertheless is broken by numerous swift, rocky rapids, hence cannot be 

 utilized for other means of transportation than canoeing. This river permits of 

 no water powers within the limits of the township. 



The country has been entirely burned over a period of 50 or 70 years ago. 

 Evidences of this fire were found every day thoughout the entire survey. The 

 country is very level and but few water courses were found within the limits 

 of the township. Cuckoo Creek was surveyed for only a portion of its length and 

 this at its junction with the Main River, in order that the road allowance might 

 be accurately plotted as far as tlve first concession line, south of the junction. 

 The remaining portion of this creek, although at times it attains a fair width 

 could scarcely be called navigable, and hence was not traversed. On account 

 of the country being level very much of the land is low and swampy. 



Soil. 



The soil chiefly encountered is a very rich clay loam, and various evidences 

 were noted along the railway lines of the abundant growth of hay, oats, potatoes, 

 etc., of which it was capable. On the higher knolls the soil is somewhat lighter, 

 while on th^e lower swampy portions the soil is covered with a deposit of black 

 muck, but this will make equally as good land for agricultural purposes when the 

 country ig cleared and drained. Very little of the actual worthless muskeg was 

 encountered but in the field notes there are noted a number of these areas. 



Timber. 



The almost sole timber of the township is spruce, and this in size runs in 

 general from 4 in. to 8 in. Along the Mattawishquia River and Cuckoo Creek are 

 splendid groves of spruce of a larger size, running from 10 to 18 in. in diameter. 

 Inland from these streams no large spruce were found. Poplar of a size from 

 8 in to 15 in. in diameter were found on the banks of these streams and scattered 

 throughout the township on the higher knolls. Considerable areas were covered 

 with thickets of small spruce and balsams from 1 in to 3 in. in diameter. 



Minerals. 



No outcroppings of rock were found during the survey but we submit to you 

 two samples taken from a rock cut in the bottom of a clay cut on the line of the 

 T. C. R. at Mileage 236 about. 



Game. 



Moose are very plentiful although no red deer or caribou were seen. Bears 

 are also very plentiful and our stores suffered more or less from their depredations. 

 Partridge, mink and beaver are also quite plentiful. 



