484 APPENDIX 



,as the larger wliales shall have become extinct, the slaughter of 

 our smaller oil-producing mammals will commence, and as these 

 creatures live in shallow water or nearer shore, further encroach- 

 ments on our rights will probably result. 



The evidence submitted to your Committee points to the 

 existence in the Athabasca and Mackenzie valleys of the most 

 extensive petroleum field in America, if not in the world. The 

 uses of petroleum, and consequently the demand for it by all 

 nations, are increasing at such a rapid ratio that it is probable 

 this great petroleum field will assume an enormous value in 

 the near future and will rank among the chief assets comprised 

 in the Crown domain of the Dominion. For this reason your 

 Committee would suggest that a tract of about 40,000 square 

 miles be, for the present, reserved from sale, and that as soon 

 as possible its value may be more accurately ascertained by 

 exploration and practical tests ; the said reserve to be bounded as 

 follows: Easterly by a line drawn due north from the foot of 

 the Cascade Eapids on Clearwater Eiver to the south shore of 

 Athabasca Lake; northerly by the said lake shore and the 

 Quatre Fourche and Peace rivers; westerly by Peace Eiver and 

 a straight line from Peace Eiver Landing to the western 

 extremity of Lesser Slave Lake, and southerly by said lake and 

 the river discharging it to Athabasca Eiver and Clearwater 

 Eiver as far up as the place of beginning. 



Your Committee regret that they have made so long a 

 report, but trust that an excuse will be found in the fact that 

 upon a map of similar projection and scale the region in ques- 

 tion occupies an area greater than the Australian Continent 

 or two-thirds of Europe, covering part of the British Islands, 

 Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria and a part of 

 France and Eussia. 



Your Committee have reason to believe that a comparison 

 of the capabilities of this extent of country in our own con- 

 tinent exceeds in extent of navigation, area of ara.ble and 

 pastoral lands, valuable fresh-water fisheries, forests and mines, 

 and in capacity to support population, the continental part of 

 Europe to which we have referred. 



Many important points have therefore been omitted from 

 this report, for information upon which your Committee beg 

 to refer your Honourable House to the evidence itself; they 

 have, however, accompanied this report, as being a necessary 

 adjunct, with four maps of a size suitable to form two pages 

 of this report, carefully prepared by Eobert Bell, Esq., M.D., 

 LL.D., Assistant Director of the Geological Survey; the first 



