THE INTERIOR, NORTH OF LAKE HURON. 213 



become a necessity, and may ultimately extend westward 

 to Bed Eiver. It is not improbable that circumstances 

 now dimly foreseen may expedite the opening of this 

 communication, and make it a matter not only of colonial 

 but also of imperial interest. 



The first step towards bridging this wilderness was pro- 

 posed in 1856, when a bill passed the Canadian House of 

 Assembly incorporating the "North Shore and Quebec 

 Eailway Company, and granting 4,000,000 acres of land to 

 the company along the line of route. In May 1860 an 

 act was passed incorporating the " Central Canada Eailway 

 Company," which included the North Shore and Quebec 

 Eailway within its provisions, no steps having been taken 

 towards commencing that work. 



Since the time when the north shore of Lake Huron 

 attracted public attention on account of its mineral 

 wealth, it has been the general custom to draw con- 

 clusions respecting the features of the country in the 

 interior from the aspect of the coast, and to predicate a 

 condition of soil and climate, wholly at variance with the 

 facts which have been recently established. Not only 

 did Mr. Salter, who was employed to survey the interior 

 north and north-east of St. Mary's Eiver, find very en- 

 tensive areas of excellent land covered with a fine forest 

 growth of hard wood trees, but Mr. Murray, of the 

 Canadian Geological Survey, has drawn special attention 

 to the geographical characteristics of a large area in the 

 region indicated. Mr. Murray says*, " It has been re- 

 marked in former reports that the north coast of Lake 

 Huron, in many parts picturesque, appears too rocky near 

 the margin to be suited for agricultural settlement, though 

 likely in time to become of importance to the province 

 by the development of the metalliferous ores which the 



* Geological Survey of Canada, Report of Progress for the Year 1858. 



p 3 



