(Appendix No. 21.) DISTRICT OF ALGOMA. TOWNSHIP OUTLINES. COLLINGWOOD, ONT., December 23rd, 1891. SIR, I have the honour to submit the following report on the survey of certain outlines of townships in the district of Algoma, in accordance with your instructions dated 9th July, 1891. I commenced the Survey at the intersection of the centre of the track of the Canadian Pacific Railway, with a certain base line run by P. L. S. Proudfoot in 1888. This point is about eleven chains and fifty links northerly along the centre of the track from mile post number 503, and six chains and eighty-six lengths west of a spruce post marking the thirty-fifth mile from the east on said base line. This made my starting point seventy-three chains and fourteen links east of the south-west angle of township number three. After planting posts on said base line at each side of the railway right of way, and also gas pipe alongside of each post and marking both as directed in instructions, I commenced a traverse north-westerly along the line of railway, and continued till by calculation of latitudes and departures, I ascertained the point of intersection of the projected boundary between townships numbers three and four with one of my traverse courses; and from this point I ran the said boundary due north to within one chain of its calculated distance, where it entered a lake expansion of the east branch of the Spanish River. After placing posts similar to those at the place of beginning on each side of the railway right of way, on this line, I continued the traverse to the intersection of the boundary between townships numbers four and five. I then ran this line due east till it intersected the said lake, then continuing the traverse to the intersection of the next township boundary I ran that boundary north to its limit, and so on with the other intersected boundaries throughout the work, usually running to the nearest corner and adhering as closely as possible to the instructions. There is one exception to this in the case of the boundary between townships, numbers eight and nine, where the line, after being posted on each side of the right of way of the railway is only run a short distance into the woods. Those lines which were run on the ground are shown by full lines on the accompanying plan, and the others only by dotted lines. I took numerous astronomical observations during the progress of the work, a record of each of which is given in the traverse notes, showing also in each case the error in the bearing of the last course run previous to taking the observation. The average error was about 0° 02' 37", and as very accurate chaining could always be done along the railway, I based the whole work on the traverse, running the township boundaries from the railwa to the intersections, and planting the corner posts at such intersections, whether the chainage agreed with the calculated distance or not. The difference is shown in the notes, and is not more than might be expected when the nature of the ground is considered and also the convergence of meridians. I may say that I received every accommodation from the railway in the transport of my men and outfit by means of freight trains from point to point on the work whenever I wished to move camp. I closed the work at Woman River Station by driving a piece of gas pipe about eighteen inches in length down to the surface of the track. Its position can be found by referring to the diagram at the end of the traverse notes. Regarding the physical character of the country included in the work, I will refer to it for convenience under a few different heads: First. Regarding its soil, there is some fair land along the valley of the Spanish River, but of limited extent, the land here being much more hilly and rocky than farther west. In the neigbourhood of Biscotasing and from there west, especially in the neighbourhood of Ramsay Station, there is some very fair soil, and apparently of considerable extent. Second. Rock Formation-The character of the rocks is that of gneiss and granite, with occasionl belts of Huronian slates cutting them. In this latter formation, indications of minerals were observed by frequent copper or iron stains on the rocks. Third. Timber-During the early part of the present season, the greater part of the country passed over was overrun by fire, killing most of the timber. The only extent of pine worth mentioning within the limits of my work, was in the vicinity of Ramsay Station and Cat Lake, where a considerable quantity and of fair size was met with, a large part of which, however, was injured by the recent fire. By referring to the plan it will be seen that the height of land between the basins of the Hudson Bay and that of the St. Lawrence is reached near Turnbull Siding. In this neighbourhood the land is generally flat and the timber small, but as Woman River was approached some pine was seen, but of rather a small size. A very Fourth. Water-Small lakes are numerous, in some of which fish are found. fine chain of lakes extends from Biscotasing to the vicinity of Ramsay Station. These flow into the Spanish River. - Settlers. With the exception of those in the service of the railway and a few others at Biscotasing and its vicinity, the country is still a wilderness. SIR-I have the honour to submit the following report of my survey of the township of Fell, in the district of Nipissing, according to your instructions, dated the 18th day of June, 1891. I proceeded en route to Sturgeon Falls where I procured men, canoes, and supplies, and from thence with thirteen of a party up the Sturgeon River, to the trail leading to Tomiko Lake, camping at the head of the lake, which extends about a mile and a half into the township. I first reopened the north boundary of the township of Grant, eastward from Tomiko Lake, to the eastern boundary and then proceeded to work westward and northward, moving camp to different places, until the survey was completed. The boundaries of this township had all been run before, but I rechained them carefully, brushing them out where necessary. The township on the whole is moderately level, more especially the north-eastern part, while towards the south-west it becomes more undulating, but nowhere attains a great elevation. The soil on the high land is sandy loam and where not stony will be suitable for farming, though somewhat broken by rocky ledges. Several open beaver meadows covered with a rank growth of grass were observed. The swamps with one or two exceptions were quite dry, and with a soil of a dark sandy loam or a rich black muck, will make excellent grass land when cleaned. The natural drainage is good, and very little land of marshy nature was seen. The south-eastern part of the township, as far west as Tomiko Lake, had been burnt over a number of years ago, and also a small area in the north-west corner leaving over two-thirds of the land still covered with green bush. The timber is essentially mixed and of only medium quality. Some good tamarac and spruce of fair size were seen, but the swamps are not very heavily timbered. White birch and poplar were found in considerable quantities, but no black birch worth noting. The pine is mostly small. There are several small lakes in the western part of the township, and one in the north-east corner. Tomiko Lake is a beautiful sheet of water and abounds with black bass, pike, and pickerel. I made an accurate survey of the portion of this lake extending into my township, as well as the smaller lakes. SIR.-I have the honour to report the completion of the survey of the township of Clancy, in the district of Nipissing, performed under your instructions of the 26th day of May, this year. I beg to submit also the field notes and plan of the township, all of which I trust will be found satisfactory. As instructed, I commenced the survey at the south-west angle of the township of Guthrie, and ran the south boundary of Clancy, westerly on the given bearing S. 69° 08′ 20" west astronomically, to the side line between lots 20 and 21. I then worked north on side line ten and eleven, carrying up side lines five and six and fifteen and sixteen at either side, and running the concessions in their order, west some fifteen lots, and some twenty, as found convenient. The north boundary of the township, previously surveyed, having been reached I surveyed out concession lines fourteen and fifteen to the end of thirty-seven lots, the number mentioned in my instructions. Instead of starting at the south-west corner of the township and running the west boundary north. I, in order to avoid a jog at the north-west angle of the township, which in practice must inevitable occur in arriving at a point nearly ten miles distant over a rough country, adopted as starting point for this line the south-west angle of the township of Niven, or more correctly perhaps, the intersection at that place of the surveyed lines defining its south and west boundaries. From this point of intersection I continued south, the west boundary of the township of Niven, to form the west boundary of the township of Clancy, on the proper bearing S. 20° 51′ 40′′ east astronomically, to intersect where it would, the production westwards of the south boundary of the township, thus avoiding all jogs at the corners. In this case the intersection of the boundaries is in a lake-Victoria Lake. This point is distant from the shore on the south boundary westerly, twenty-one chains sixtyfive links, and on the west boundary, southerly, twenty-seven chains sixty-eight links. It is to be understood that simultaneously with the survey of the west boundary, I carried down the survey of side lines of twenty and twenty-one, twenty-five and twentysix, thirty and thirty-one, and ran out to the west boundary the several concession lines on the way south. Regarding the general character of the township, it may be described as follows: The whole of the south-east quarter of the township is rolling and hilly, and not infrequently broken by stony knolls and abrupt rocky precipices. The intervening valleys too, are in some places more or less stony, but nevertheless contain many patches of very fair soil. The Little Opeongo River flows through a block of four to five hundred acres of excellent land in concession one, extending from about lot six to lot eleven. This section of the township bas been lumbered over a number of years, but there is upon it still a considerable quantity of standing green pine, white and red, of commercial value. Pine trees, when healthy, and not too thick, are less liable to injury from fire than almost any other kind of trees in our forests. The tall smooth trunk, with only a few high top limbs, helps materially to save the pine tree from destruction by fire. The north-east corner of the township is mostly brulè, It is undulating and flat in places. The soil is light, cold, sharp sand and clay, on clay, gravel and stone bottom. It is almost destitute of trees of any value, and is at present covered with a young growth of poplars, white birch, jack pine, cherry, hazel, etc. Along the north side of the township, from side line ten and eleven west, to line twenty-five and twenty-six, embracing concessions thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen, the country is broken by rolling hills, showing more or less clearly defined outlines. The surface is somewhat stony and is interspersed with small swamps, swales, and in places deep mirysloughs. Although generally presenting a rather bare and arid aspect, this tract contains not an insignificant proportion of land suitable for the production of hay and root crops. From side line twenty-five and twenty-six, to the west boundary, and from the north boundary to the south, and Victoria Lake, the country is diversified by hill and dale. It is heavily timbered with & sound living growth of mixed hardwood and green wood, including a good proportion of pine, white and red, of dimension and quality. The surface, though somewhat stony, generally denotes a rich fertile soil extending over a large area. There are several tracts of large black birch, beech, ironwood, hemlock, and sugar maple scattered over this section. It is at present being lumbered on in the north end by McLachlin & Co., in the south end by Booth & Co. There is a central part of the township lying between conces sions four and thirteen, and lots fifteen to twenty-five, which is now a brulè. It is traversed by a few stony ridges, but on the bottom slopes and valleys patches of find land are met with. There is little of any timber of value to be found on this section, it being covered with a scrubby growth of small poplars, balsams, white birch, jack pine, etc., with a sprinkling of tall dead pines towering above the tangle of old fallen trees and the thick crop of underbush beneath. Although vast quantities of logs have, during many years past, being taken out of this township, the supply is yet far from being exhausted, and by care and guarding from fire the pine timber in it will afford many future seasons employment, and yield an immense quantity of valuable pine logs. The township is most abundantly supplied with water of the best and purest kind, in the numerous lakes that have their sources in and traverse it. McKaskills' Lake, a pretty sheet of water, has its source in the township. It bears north-west about two and a-half miles, is about one mile wide at the south end, and for the greater part of its length nearly half a-mile in width. It is the head water of the Bonnechere River, which flows out of it in a north-easterly direction into the township of Niven, where it is joined by a smaller stream, thence it flows south-easterly, re-entering the township and crossing its north-east corner, flows out of it again south-easterly in the township of Guthrie, in lot number thirty-five, concession eleven. From its source it has in its whole course been used for many years as an important stream for the driving of saw logs. Long Lake, another stretch of clear water bearing also in a north-westerly direction, is about two miles long, varying in width from a couple of chains to half a-mile. It flows south-easterly about two miles into Wilkins Lake, a broad sheet of water nearly two miles long, due south, and one mile wide at the widest place. The united waters then flow, in about the same course, into Robitaille Lake in the south-west corner of the township of Guthrie, and thence easterly joining the Bonnechere River in lot number tentytwo, in concession eleven, township of Guthrie. The Little Opeongo River has its chief source in a few ponds, in a large marsh south of McKaskills Lake about a quarter of a mile. Another branch comes from the west of the township having its source in a chain of small lakes. The stream averages about sixty links wide and has a good current. There are three lakes on it within the township. Round Lake, a fine sheet of water, having a pretty clear sandy beach along the eastern shore, for the rest the shore is mostly rock and stone, rising gradually to a considerable height in places. Rock Lake, so called from its rocky eastern shore, is another beautiful sheet of clear water. The Big Opeongo River enters the township on lot number thirty-seven, concession number four, It flows south-easterly through Victoria Lake, about one-half the area of which is in the township. Victoria Lake is a fine sheet of water, and like the other lakes described, abounds with pickerel and grey trout, the latter up to fifteen and twenty pounds in weight. With regard to the numerous smaller lakes that are scattered in the township, they also are of clear good water, and like the streams running into and out of them contain with other varieties of fish, an abundant supply of speckled trout. There are no permanent settlers in this township, though in the township west of it there is one of very old standing, and who has considerable improvements made. Moose, deer, and game generally, have during the last two or three years become scarce in this part of the country, but it is expected that a rigid enforcement of the game laws enacted by the government, will in due time, be the means of replenishing the stock of game of all kinds. Of the total land area of the township, I would consider about thirty per cent. suitable for cultivation, while at least an equal area of the remainder would be suitable for pasturage purposes. I have the honour to be, Sir, The Honourable A. S. HARDY, (Signed) J. W. FITZGERALD, |