m 



208 RETTEWS — OVERLAND ROUTE TO BKITISH COLUMBrA. 



"While the territorial line through the eastern division gradually became 

 developed into a good waggon-road, by the labour of the settlers and such 

 grants of money as its importance appeared to warrant, it is probable that the 

 canoe routes from Lake Superior to Red River might, by partial improvement 

 be made serviceable for ingress and egress during summer to the interior ; and 

 with the object of promoting emigration to the central plains, as well as to 

 other points along the line of road, it would probably be expedient to improve 

 these routes by a limited outlay ; but, for the reasons I have already given, I 

 cannot help thinking that it would be the wisest policy to concentrate the chief 

 expenditure on that line which must be, sooner or later, the leading highway 

 through the country." 



In order to give an idea of the time required, we add the following 

 extract,- not without observing that the annual emigration here sup- 

 posed is greater than, for some time at least, could at all be expected: — 



" It has already been shown that the success of a railway to the Pacific would 

 mainly depend on the possibility of introducing a sufficient number of inhabitants 

 into the country to be traversed. If the population of the country is to govern 

 the period when a railway is to be set in operation, we may likewise take it as 

 the basis of annual expenditure on the preliminary stages of the work. Sup- 

 pose the average annual increase could be reckoned at 100,000 souls, and that 

 it be determined to expend annually on the works a sum equal to one dollar per 

 head of the whole population in each respective year, the following results in 

 the development of the undertaking might be obtained : 



" 1st. In from three to four years, besides the expense of surveys, a territorial 

 road line might be located throughout ; the wooded districts, which extend over 

 a length of over 1,400 miles, might be cleared to a width of two chains, and a 

 continuous line of telegraph constructed from Canada to Frazer's River. 



" 2nd. Within a further period of two years, a road passable for wheeled 

 vehicles might be formed along the whole line of route. 



" 3rd. Macadamized roads of the very best description might be completed in 

 addition to the foregoing, in the following order : 



" (1) From Lake Superior to Red River, a distance of 400 miles, in nine years 

 from the present time. 



" (2) Prom the mouth of Frazer's River to the Rocky Mountains, a distance of 

 400 miles, in eleven years from the present time. 



"(3) From the settlements of Canada to Lake Superior, a distance of 650 

 miles, within fourteen years from the present time. 



"(4) From Red River to the Rocky Mountains, a distance of 800 miles, 

 within seventeen years from the present time. 



" And thus, by the comparatively trifling annual outlay of one dollar per head of 

 the assumed gradually increasing population, we could secure, in less than four 

 years, a line of telegraph ; and in thirteen years more, a substantially con- 

 structed macadamized road throughout the whole length of the line. The next 

 and final stage of progress would be the completion of the railway on the line 



