Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-14
CANADA'S GREAT RESERVE
THE RESOURCES AND CAPACITIES OF
 THE GREAT MACKENZIE BASIN.

The Area-River Navigation-Agricultur
 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 Hudson's bay to the Rocky mountains.
 The extent of the scope of the inquiry covers ], ,260,OO0 square statute miles, which area includes none of the islands of the Arc tic Archipelago. Its coast line on the Arctic ocean and Hudson's bay measures about 5000 miles, which estimate does not include the coast lines of inlets or deeply indented bays. Over one-half 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 ,000' miles, while it's total Iacustrlne area probably exceeds that of the Eastern Canadian American chain of great lakes. There Is river navigation of about 2,75O miles, of which l 1,39O miles is suitable for stern wheel steamers, which, with their barges, may carry 800 tons, the remaining l,360 miles being deep enough for light draught sea going steamers There is a total of about $500 miles of continuous lake coast and river navigation, broken only in two places.
 Within the scope of the committees in- quiry there is a possible area, it is stated, of 65OOOO square miles fitted for the growth of potatoes, 407,OO0 square miles suitable for barley, and S16, ,OOO square miles suitable for wheat There is pastoral area of S6O,OOO square miles, 26,000 miles of which is open prairie with occasional groves, the remainder being more or less wooded; 274, 900 square miles, including the prairie, may be consid- cred as arable land. About 400, 600 square miles of the total is useless for the pasturage of domestic animals or for cultivation This area comprises the barren grounds and a portion of the lightly wooded region to their south and vest
 Throughout this arabic and pastoral area latitude bears no direct relation to summer isotherms, the spring flowers and the buds of declduous trees appearing as early north of Great Slave lake as at Winnipeg, St. Paul and Minneapolis, Kingston or Ottawa, and earlier along the Peace, Lizard and some minor western affiuents of the Great Macken- zie 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- valling southwest summer winds of the country in question bring the warmth and moisture which render possible the far north ern cereal growth, and sensihly affect the climate of the region under consideration as far north as the Arctic circle and as far east as the eastern rim of the Mackenzie basin.
 The forest area has upon it a growth of trees we'll suited for all purposes of house and ship building, for mining, railway and bridging purposes, far in excess of its own needs, and of great prospective value to the treeless regions of Canada and the United States to the south, the growth on the Lau- rentian formation being scant; but the allu- vial portion has upon it lon the river of it's name and elsewhere) the "Liard,na halsam poplar, sometimes called Balm of Gilead or rough bark poplar, 1a0 feet high, with @ stump diameter or feet to feet, the white spruce, l5O feet high, with a stump diameter or feet to . feet; the larch of about the same size, and the banksian pine whose straight stem is often 100 feet long, with only 9 feet of diameter at the stump.
 Of the mines of this vast region little is known. Gold has been found on the west shore Of Hudsons bay, and has been said to exist in certain portions of the barren grounds. Silver, on the Upper Lizard and
 
 river, iron, graphite, ocher, brick and pot tory clay, mica, gypsum. lime and sandstone, sand for glass and molding, and asphaltum are all known to exist; while the petroleum area IS SO extensive as to justify the belief that eventually it will supply the larger part Of this continent and be shipped from Churchill or some more northern Hudson's bay port to England.
 Salt and sulphur deposits are less exten- sive, but tho former is found in crystals equal in purity to the best rock salt, and in highly saline springs, while the latter is found in the form of pyrites; and the fact that these petroleum and salt deposits occur mainly near the line of division between deep water navigation and that fitted for lighter craft, gives them 8 possible great cofnmercial value. The extensive coal and Ignite deposits of the Lower Mackenzie and elsewhere will be found to be of great value when the questions of reducing its iron ores and the transportation of the products of this vast region have to be solved by steam sea going or lighter river craft.
 The chief present commercial product of the country is its furs which, as the region in question is the last great fur preserve of the world, are of very great present and prospective value, all the finer furs of com merce being there found, and the sales in London yearly amounting to several millions of dollars.
 The evidence submitted to the 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 conse- Quently the demand for it by all nations, are Increasing at such a rapid ratio that it is probable this great petroleum field will as- sume an enormous value in the near future London Times
 Kid GIANA Enfter