THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE HUDSON BAY 



COUNTRY 



THE Canadian Geological Survey 

 has issued a popular narrative 

 and report of its recent expedi- 

 tion to Hudson Bay and the Canadian 

 Arctic Islands by Hon. A. P. Low, the 

 leader of the expedition and now Director 

 of the Geological Survey of Canada.* 



One reason for the expedition was the 

 formal assertion and installation of Cana- 

 dian authority over that drear coast and 

 its adjoining waters, a domination which 

 previously had been largely taken for 

 granted, so far as the islands north of 

 Hudson Bay were concerned. Another 

 important reason for the expedition was 

 the securing of further information about 

 the navigability of Hudson Bay. Other 

 reasons were to obtain scientific informa- 

 tion about the geology, botany, and nat- 

 ural history, minerals, and timber of the 

 vast territory, about its inhabitants, the 

 Eskimos, and about the possibilities of 

 fishing and whaling, the latter of which 

 has been the sole industry of the northern 

 seas or their neighborhood. 



The report makes an exceedingly val- 

 uable volume of 350 pages and is illus- 

 trated with about 75 pictures of Arctic 

 scenery, of the Eskimos, and whaling 

 views. There are excellent chapters on 

 the Eskimos, the whaling industry, and a 

 very good historical summary of previous 

 explorations of the Hudson Bay region. 

 Mr Low also publishes a large map of the 

 region. 



All that is needed to open Hudson Bay 

 for ordinary commercial navigation, says 

 Mr Low, is a line of rails to carry freight 

 to one of its ports. At present the Hud- 

 son's Bay Company and the Revillon Fur 

 Company have ships going annually to 

 the bay, and a greater amount of freight 

 would attract more steamers. 



The period of safe navigation for ordi- 



* The Cruise of the Neptune. By A. P. Low, 

 Officer in Charge. Pp. 350. 6x9 inches. 75 

 illustrations and one map. Ottawa, Govern- 

 ment Printing Bureau, 1906. 



nary iron steamships through Hudson 

 Strait and across Hudson Bay to the port 

 of Churchill may be taken to extend from 

 the 20th of July to the ist of November. 

 This period might be increased without 

 much risk by a week in the beginning of 

 the season and by perhaps two weeks at 

 the close. 



The fur trade with the Indians and 

 Eskimos living about Hudson Bay or 

 along interior routes tributary to it has 

 for a period extending over two centuries 

 and a half furnished cargoes for two or 

 more ships belonging to the Hudson's 

 Bay Company. At the present time two 

 ships are engaged in this trade for the 

 company, while Revillon Brothers em- 

 ploy two more. The whale fishery now 

 supports two ships. These four ships 

 represent the developed trade of the bay 

 and strait at the present time. 



The undeveloped resources of the re- 

 gion surrounding these waters appertain 

 to mining and fisheries and to the forests, 

 which include large areas of pulp wood 

 and merchantable spruce. Iron ores and 

 copper-bearing rocks have been found in 

 several places and a valuable mica mine 

 is being worked. Not much is known 

 about the fisheries, but sea run trout, 

 whitefish, Arctic salmon, etc., are believed 

 to be abundant. 



These undeveloped resources of the 

 north will no doubt, when developed, add 

 greatly to the annual shipping of Hudson 

 Bay, but the main increase to the fleet 

 will be due to the products of the great 

 plains of the Northwest, now rapidly fill- 

 ing with robust settlers. These products 

 of the western farms — grain, butter, and 

 cattle — will naturally seek the shortest 

 road to the European markets ; a road 

 not only shorter, but, owing to its cool 

 climate, capable of landing perishable 

 products and grain in better condition 

 than the more southern routes. 



Taking Regina as a convenient center 

 for these northwestern farming lands, the 



