SUMMER COMMUNICATION" WITH CANADA AND R. RIVER. 215 



Land carnage Navigable 

 miles. miles. 



From Thunder Bay to Dog Lake . . . .28 



Through Dog Lake and River to the Prairie Portage 35 

 Land road past Prairie and Savanne Portages to Sa- 



vanne River ........ 5 



Through Savanne River, Lac des Mille Lacs, and 



the River Seine to the Little Falls ... 65 

 Broken navigation on River Seine .... 59|- 

 Land carriage past the twelve portages on River Seine 7 

 From the Seine to the western extremity of Lac Plat, 



navigable with only one break at Fort Frances . 208 



Thence to Fort Garry by land 91 a 



Total 131a 367a 



{t The foregoing does not represent the distance in a direct line, but the 

 extent to be traveled, making allowance for the tortuosities of the route. 



" In regard to the means of transport which could be most economically 

 and advantageously used : — 



" Waggons or carts would be required on the road between Thunder Bay 

 and Dog Lake. 



" On Dog Lake and River boats, such as already referred to as being used 

 by the Hudson's Bay Company, or even a steamer might be employed. 



a At the Prairie Portage, carts or waggons would be necessary. 



" On the Savanne River, Lac des Mille Lacs, and the River Seine, as far 

 as the Little Falls, after the dam was constructed at the last-mentioned 

 place, there would be an unbroken reach of 65 miles, and on this section it 

 would be advantageous to have a small steamer. 



" On the 59a miles of broken navigation, on the River Seine, between the 

 Little Falls and the twelve portages, boats, as already explained, should be 

 used, while at the land road past the twelve portages, carts or waggons, as 

 on the other sections of road, would be necessary. 



" From the River Seine to Fort Frances, a steamer would have a clear 

 run of 50 miles. 



" From Fort Frances to Lac Plat, steamers would have an uninterrupted 

 run of 158 miles. 



" From the latter place to Fort Garry no provision would have to be 

 made, as the means of transport are to be had in abundance at the Red 

 River Settlement. 



u If the communication were opened in the manner above set forth, the 

 journey from Lake Superior to Red River might be performed in about 

 three days, that is, allowing that steamers could be maintained at an aver- 

 age speed of ten miles an hour on the navigable reaches, that the land roads 

 might be passed over at the rate of five miles an hour, and that the inter- 



p 4 



