156 EEPOKT— 1887. 



existing between Sii' John Richardson's experiment and those carried out 

 by Mr. Gladman, the same year, plainly indicating that the site of Sir 

 John Richardson's experiments must have been exceptional, as I have 

 before inferred. In passing on to Mr. Gladman's experiments, it must be 

 noted that the climate of York has undergone a considerable change, 

 even within the last fifty years ; indeed, quoting from Mr. Gladman's 

 later evidence, he says that "turnips and garden-stuff failed at York on 

 account of the nearness of the sea, the severity of the seasons, and 

 summer frosts." Whereas now, speaking from a personal expeinence of 

 upwards of eight years, I may say that no difficulty whatever exists 

 in providing the establishment with very passable potatoes, excellent 

 turnips, and sevei'al kinds of " garden-stuff," and that many kinds of 

 flowering plants thrive in the open air. The country surrounding York 

 fifty years ago was thickly wooded, and more swampy than it now is ; 

 evidence of its being so is present to-day in the innumerable grassy 

 hillocks dotted around the settlement, formed by the decayed stumps of 

 trees forced up out of the ground by the compressive action of frost. 

 Therefore, under these altered conditions, not only would the frost- 

 penetration be deeper, the thaw be less, but "perpetual ice" would 

 extend at a greater depth over a much larger area than it now does. 

 Something may also be attributed to a disposition which prevailed among 

 the older generation of fur-traders to minimise the suitability of the 

 North West for agricultural settlement. 



' I am not in a position to offer any very satisfactory explanation as to 

 the frost-penetration being so relatively small at York, considering the 

 mean temperature of the year, be^^ond stating that the surrounding 

 country contains numerous springs, which may be readily tapped at any 

 time during the winter ; that the subsoil is clay, though this perhaps 

 hardly bears upon the question when closely examined. Doubtless the 

 inconsiderable height above the sea-level, and " the immediate vicinity of 

 a large body of unfrozen water," are important factors, and do exercise a 

 great influence upon the surrounding country, although I must not omit 

 the more immediate bordering of some miles of frozen water for upwards 

 of five months in the year. As to whether the peaty formation of much 

 of its soil has any appreciable influence in absorbing and accumulating 

 the intense tropical heat of summer is a question beyond my humble ken ; 

 but that the frozen subsoil acts as a " provision " in the earlier part of 

 summer in counteracting the effects of such heat as regarding vegeta- 

 tion is a fact that can be, in my opinion, incontestably proved in some 

 pai'ts of the country immediately surrounding Yoik.' 



In a second communication, dated July 27, 1887, Dr. Matthews, in 

 answer to questions, reiterates his belief that no permanently frozen 

 ground now exists at York Factory, with the slight qualifications stated 

 on p. 152 : — 



' The climate has unquestionably changed, and the surface vegetation 

 equally. The presence of grass, superseding moss, of itself would mate- 

 rially influence frost-penetration, but with the drying up of the country, 

 owing to many causes (uprising of the land, &c.), the frost-penetration 

 would be less. The surface vegetation is, in my opinion, a more 

 important factor than water.' 



He quotes Indian testimony as well as comparison of records to prove 

 that the rivers open about a week earlier and close about a week later 

 than they did 50 years ago. 



