the geological surve)', one of the Society's corresponding 

 members. To another of its valued corresponding members, 

 J. R. Spencer, Esq., for many years in charge of the Hudson's 

 Bay Company's affairs at Churchill, whose lamentable death 

 occurred in this city a few months ago, he was indebted for 

 the interesting plan of the fortress, drawn by Mr. Spencer 

 himself, which had also been laid on the table. The plan 

 of Churchill harbor, its approaches and soundings, was a 

 rough tracing from the survey made by Lieut. A. R. Gordon, 

 R.N., assisted by Mr. J. W. Tyrrell, P.L.S., in 1886. 



Professor Bell, in writing His Honor some time ago, gave 

 the measurements of Fort Prince of Wales as about 300 feet 

 on each side, 20 feet high, 20 feet wide at top, with a wall 

 base of 30 feet, the southern and western walls being faced 

 with hammer dressed stone in regular courses, each stone 

 being about four feet long and two feet thick ; the other 

 walls are faced with good rubble masonry. There is a bastion 

 at each corner, and in each of these a well of water, still full, 

 for the supply of the fort. " 1 counted nearly forty cannon on 

 the top of the walls, but as some of these are nearly covered 

 with rubbish, others are probably out of sight altogether." 



The slight discrepancy between his estimate of the height 

 and that of Mr. Spencei- may probably be accounted for by 

 one observer including the foundation of the walls in the 

 height ; and the little difference in determining the exact 

 width of the top of the wall must be charged to the condition 

 in which La Perouse's gunners (who tried their best to blow 

 up the whole fort), left that more easily destroyed part. 



His Honor then, turning to a large map, explained briefly 

 why Churchill, which is now like " Severn," a mere outpost of 

 York Factory, was once the great entrepot of Hudson's Bay 

 trade ; and, on the map indicated the several exploratory 

 routes of Hearne, the Arctic search route of Captain, after- 

 wards Sir Geoi'ge, Back, the hunting trip of Warburton Pike, 

 and the latei- important, difficult, but successful, route, follow- 



