Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-12-11
CANADA'S GREAT RESERVE
THE RESOURCES AND CAPACITIES OF
THE GREAT MACKENZIE BASIN.

The Area-River Neutrality-suspicious. |
Possibilities-The Climate-Mineral De- |
posits-Forest Growth-Great Fur Pre-
serve-Extensive Petroleum Field.
An inquiry has been instituted by the
Canadian government into the resources and
capacities of the immense area included in
what may be regarded as the Great Macken-
zie Basin, the region extending from the Sas-
katchewan to the Arctic shores and from
Hudsons bay to the Rocky mountains
The extent OF the scope of the inquiry
covers ,a60, 900 square statute miles, which
area includes none of the islands of the Arc
tic Archipelago. Its coast line on the Arctic
ocean and Hudsons bay measures about 5000
miles, which estimate does not include the
coast lines of inlets or deeply indented bays.
Over one-haf OF this coast line, the report
assures us, is easily accessible TO whaling and
sealing craft The navigable coast lines of
the larger lakes of the region in question
amount to about 1000 miles, while its total
lacustrine area probably exceeds that Of the
Eastern Canadian American chain of great
q no -, ano $500 VI 49,
~ il-'eo' " ""ieH i'o0' iiiie' Su'tao.e
barges, may carry 800 tons. the remaining
1880 miles being deep enough for light
draught sea going steamers There is total
of about q, 500 miles of continuous lake coast
anu rlFef na'lsation' oroheh only In TWO
places.
within 'ne scope Oh the committees IN
quny 'neie 10 loss.oie area IL Is sisted, OF
ooo'ooV square mics h'tea Tor the growth OF
potatoes p.Voo square miles suitable Ior
oariey' ana olo,o square miles suitable Ior
wheat mere Is a pastoral area OF ooo,ooo
square miles 1o'ooo hiiieS OF Wnich Is open
prairie Win occasional groves the remainder
oelhg more OF less wooded -'4,ooo square
mfrs lncluuils 'he prairie' may DC consul
eieu as araoie iahu' ABOUT 4ooiooo square
niles oi tne total Is useless lot the pasturage
OF domestic animals OF tor cultivation. inns
area comprises the barren grounds ana
portion OF the nightly wooded region to Their
south ana west
throughout TINS arabic and pastoral area
latitude bears no direct relation to summer
lsotherms, the spring flowers and the buds OF
deciduous trees appearing as early north OF
Great Slave lake as nj Winnipeg, St. Pau
and Minneapolis Kingston or Ottawa, and
earlier along the Peace, Lizard and some
minor western atiiuents of the Great Macken
Zle river, where the climate resembles that
OF western Ontario The native grasses and
vetches are equal and in some districts supe
rior to those of eastern Canada. The pre-
valilnS southwest summer winds of th'
country IN question bring the warmth ant
moisture which render possible the far north
ern cereal growth, and sensbly affect tn,
climate of the region under consideration a
far north as the Arctic circle and as far cas-
as the eastern rim OF the Mackenzie basin.
The forest area has upon it growth O
trees well suited for all purposes of houst
and ship building, for mining, railway ani
bridging purposes, far in excess of its owl
needs, and of great prospective value to tn,
treeless regions of Canada and the Unitet
| States to the south, the growth on the Lau
rentian formation being scant; but the allu
vial portion has upon 1t Ton the river of it
name and elsewhere) the Lizard, balsau
| poplar, sometimes called Balm of Gilead OF
rough bark poplar l-u feet high, with {
stump diameter OF . rect 10 o feet, the White
spruce l2O leet hiSh' win stump diameter
Vi leet 10 leeI, tne iarch OIL ABOUT 1h'
same SIZE anu Tue paiiAslah pine, "hos'
s'raisht stem Is Oh Ten ioo ieeV long with ONLY
iee' Vi uianie'el az 'le stump
| vi Inc mines u 'nis vast region httie Il
Aho"n ITi'i nIs Ueen iounu Oh 'ne ives
snoie VI ilu'ison oaE' ana mas oeeh salt
70 eAIs' III Ger 'aii PoFtioIs Oh the oarrei
srounus. 0A'eF' On the upper Lara ant
feace rivers, COPPER upon tne GopPermIn'
&c nm s-"Pi4iVe' oonei' oiioA anu pot
W Ia ms = Su,ii' inns ana SANDSTONE
sanu ~, gas anu lloililis, ana aspnaitun
are al hiO"A " eA-s'' WINE Tue peeroieuu
- ~. - ~ a. " 4'tH9 'He oeiie
'n0S -uai1J 1t "ii4 IUt4S 'ne iai ger par
VI VI 'u,S >, eoii1iiion' anu oe snlPPeu IRON
t Snui 'niit Vi 'o,ii0 iiioI ho' 'heih huuSon
LAY po'U " i-is IeIltn
SAT anu suiPnui uep'si'a are less eAtet,
sNe' ou1 'ue Ioi iuei YUM III u sGai
80 IA Pli- ~ ~ 1-0 IN SAT-, anu Il
Hisu4y saline springs, WINE the latter
louhu III Ihe iofin Vi PyF!tes' anu the lac