58 EEPOKT OF THE No. 3 



with rocky outcroppiDgs here and there. In the more westerly portion of our 

 work we encountered a great number of small lakes, but toward the east there were 

 very few; so much so that we were unable to use our canoes at all for purposes 

 of transportation. Wabatongashene and Oha Lakes have heretofore been surveyed 

 by your Department, so mention of them would be superfluous. There is a chain 

 of lakes starting near Hobon and connecting with the north end of Wabatongashene 

 Lake. A river emptying into the north-east bay of this lake drains a chain of lakes 

 lying to the north-east. Spruce Creek which runs into Oba Lake at the extreme 

 north end from the east drains several large lakes lying some seven miles to the 

 east of Oba Lake. 



Soil. 



In the valley of the Oba Eiver only did we encounter arable land. In this 

 section there is strong clay loam of very considerable depth. It is adaptable in 

 every way to farming; more particularly as it requires very little clearing, as it 

 has been swept a second time by fires within the past six years. 



Timber. 



The timber is almost a negligible quantity. Nine-tenths of the country has 

 been burnt over some years ago, and only along the shores of some of the lakes 

 and in the swamps are stands of commercial timber to be found. This burnt area 

 lias grown up very thickly with white birch and poplar which to-day average about 

 twenty feet in height. Such jack pine and cedar as there was has been largely 

 cut within the past year for ties, trestles, etc., for the construction of the Algoma 

 Central Eailway north of Hobon. Around the shores of Wabatongashene Lake 

 there was a considerable quantity of Jack pine averaging twelve inches in diameter, 

 also around the lakes which the Algoma Central Eailway parallels for the first 

 twelve miles north of Hobon. In short, timber of any commercial value is so 

 scattered and in such small quantities as to be hardly worthy of mention. 



Waters. 



The main water way is of course the Oba Eiver, Oba Lake, and Wabatongashene 

 Lake. These two lakes are connected at present by a monorail tramway owned by 

 the Superior Construction Company, but previously a small stream was used on 

 which it was necessary to make three portages. The Oba Eiver as far north as 

 Ave went is easily navigable for canoes. From the north end of Wabatongashene 

 Lake one can reach Hobon through a series of lakes and. small streams. This, 

 " however, is very difficult route at low water. By means of Spruce Creek which 

 runs into the north end of Oba Lake it is possible to cross over to the waters of 

 Missinabi Eiver. On our west meridian we encountered the edge of Magpie Lake, 

 which is the gateway to another large system of water ways. On this meridian 

 we crossed numerous small lakes, but none of them are worthy of mention in this 

 connection. 



Pish and Game. 



The rivers and lakes as far as we were able to ascertain contain pickerel, pike 

 and white fish, and in some places on the Oba Eiver we understand there are 



