The Barren Lands. 207 



panied by Mr. Munroe-Ferguson, A.D.C. to His Excellency, the 

 Governor General. After a paddle of 650 miles to the north 

 end of Reindeer Lake, we struck northward into the unknown 

 country, made 53 portages, averaging a third of a mile each, 

 across rough stony country, and then descended Kazan River 

 to Yath-kyed Lake, from which we portaged twelve miles across 

 flat marshy land to Ferguson Lake, and then descended Fer- 

 guson River to the west coast of Hudson Bay. From there we 

 surveyed the shore southward to Churchill, where we arrived on 

 the first of October. 



The total distance surveyed in these three years amounts 

 to 4,200 miles, 2,150 of which was on lines, marked in red on the 

 map exhibited on the wall, through country previously untrodden. 

 To accomplish these surveys it was necessary to travel, in all,, 

 either in canoes or on foot, 7,800 miles. 



Both tracts of country here spoken of have a generally even 

 contour, and as a rule they slope gently northward or north- 

 eastward towards the Arctic Ocean, or Hudson Bay. They are 

 the homes of a couple of thousand of the people of Canada, and 

 though these people may be Indians and Eskimos, they con- 

 tribute to the revenue and to the support of the Government of 

 Canad.i the same as we do. Without some knowledge of the 

 people and the country they live in, it is impossible to govern 

 them wisely and justly. 



But what are the possibilities of settlement for civilized 

 men ? Large districts have been shown by these explorations 

 to be underlain by Huronian and Keweenawan rocks, which 

 are almost everywhere found to be rich in precious minerals,, 

 and if extensive deposits of these were discovered the country would 

 soon be opened up. The surface is moderately level, so that rail- 

 ways could easily and cheaply be built, and ocean-going steamers 

 could readily run into Churchill Harbour, or into any of the 

 other numerous and good harbors along the north-western shore 

 of Hudson Bay. 



