530 TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION Hh. 
operation it will iiaturally bring in a large share of the imports, as well as 
of the passenger traflic. 
In former years, although the population of Manitoba and the North- 
West Territories was small, there was a constant demand for the consideration 
of the Hudson Bay route by the Canadian Government. This was appeased 
and time gained by sending out expeditions by sea in 1884-85-86 and 1897. 
The writer accompanied all of these expeditions, except one, as naturalist 
and geologist, and on two of them he also acted as medical officer. 
The expedition of 1884, by the steamship Neptune, carried out six parties. 
to occupy three stations on the north and three on the south side of Hudson 
Strait, for the purpose of making meteorological observations for one year. 
In the following year six fresh parties were sent out by the steamship Alert, 
to replace those of the previous year, who were brought home; and in 
1886 the Alert returned to the strait and brought back the second group of 
parties, together with all the station buildings except those on Big Island, 
midway up the north side of the strait. Instead of allowing each of the 
twelve officers who had been in charge of these stations to write a report on 
his observations, and to state his conclusions or opinions, only a general 
report by the commander was published for each of the two years. Neither 
of these reports showed that there was any real difficulty in navigating the 
strait or the bay. 
The mouth of the Churchill River, which is surrounded by solid rock, 
offers the best natural harbour on the west side of Hudson Bay; but, as the 
course of this river lies in a northern region, it is a clear cold-water stream, 
and freezes over earlier than the Nelson River, which is a white stream, and 
brings down to the sea the warm water of the lakes of the Manitoba basin, 
which are of more southern origin, and they retain much of their heat and 
do not freeze till December, thus giving an open season of seven months. 
Tf an artificial harbour could be constructed in the mouth of the Nelson, it 
might enable navigation to be maintained to the west side of Hudson Bay 
during a longer season than to Montreal. Beginning with 1875, the writer 
has had much personal experience in and around Hudson Bay and Strait, 
and he is sanguine that a successful transportation business can be carried 
on between the interior of North America and any of the seaports of the 
world by way of Hudson Bay. 
Joint Meeting with Section F and Sub-Section K (Agriculture). 
FRIDAY, AUGUST 27. 
The following Papérs were-read :— 
1. The Economic Geography of Canada. By Professor JAMes Mavor- 
The author described the relation of the liydrographical system of Canada 
to its early development, and contrasted the river and lake system of America 
with those of Europe—the former consisting of rapid streams rising at high 
levels, and sometimes obstructed by rapids or falls due to sharp changes of 
level, while the latter consists, for the most part, of sluggish streams, 
sometimes forming networks which are readily navigable for great distances 
by small or large vessels. The earlier and more rapid colonisation of the 
Kuropean area is thus accounted for, while the earlier penetration into the 
interior plains of America was accomplished by means of the rivers. The 
contours and country are such as to render extensive immigration by means 
