The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-04-06
The Great Mackenzie Basin.

An inquiry has been instituted by the
Canadian government into the resources
and capacities of the immense area inelud-
ed in what may be regarded as the Great
Mackenzie Basin, the region extending
from the Saskatchewan to the Arctic shores
and from Hudson's bay to the Rocky
mountains.
The extent of the scope of the inquiry
covers 100000 square statue miles,
which area includes none Of the islands of
the Arctic Archipelago. Its coast line on
the Arctic ocean and Hudson's bay meas
ures about 5000 miles Over one half of
this coast line is easily accessible to whaling
and sealing craft There is a total Of
abont 500 miles Of continuous lake coast
and river navigation, broken only in two
places.
There is possible area, of 650, 900
square miles fitted for the growth of pota-
toes, 407 900 square miles suitable for bar
lev. and $4,000 square miles suitable for
wheat There is a pastoral area of $780,
600 square miles, $4,000 miles of which
Is opeu prairie with occasional groves, the
remainder being more or less wooded; 2T4,-
600 square miles, including the prairie,
NAV be considered as arabic land About
I00. 900 square miles of the total is useless
for the pasturage of domestic animals or
for cultivation This area comprises the
barren grounds and portion Of the light
Is wooded region to their south and west.
Throughout this arabic and pastoral area
latitude bears no direct relation to summer
isotherms, the spring flowers aud the buds
Of decidu0us 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 aud
some minor western affiuents of the Great
Mackenzie river, where the climate resem-
bles that Of western Ontario. The native
grasses aud vesches are equal aud in some
districts superior to those Of easter6 Cana
da. The prevailing southwest summer
winds Of the country in question bring the
warmth and moisture which render possible
the far northern cereal growth, and sensi-
bIy 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 growth of
trees well 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 I.aureutian formation being scant but
the alluvial portion has upon it Con the
river of its name and elsewhere) the "li-
ard. balsam poplar, sometimes called
Balm of Gilead or rough bark poplar, l2O
feet high, with a stump diameter of . feet
to 6 feet, the white spruce, $50 feet high,
with stump diameter Of feet to 5 feet;
( the larch of about the same size, and the
banksian pine, whose straight stem is often
/ 100 feet long, with only , 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 Hudson's bay, and has been said
to exist in certain portions of the barren
grounds. Silver, on the Upper Lizard and
Peace rivers, copper, upon the Coppermne
river, iron, graphite ocher, brick, and pot
terv clay, mica, gypsum, lime and sandstone,
sand for glass and molding, and asphaltum
are all kown 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 5
! bav mort IN ENGLAND
Salt and sulphur deposits are less exten-
siye, but the former is found in crystals
equal in purity to the best rock salt, and in
highly saline springs, while the latter i:
found in the form of pyrites; and the fact
that these petroleum and salt deposits oc-
cur mainly near the line of division between
deep water navigation and that fitted fol
lighter craft, gives them possible grea
commercial 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 1T
iron ores and the transportation of the pro
ducts of this vast region have to be solved
by steam sea going or lighter river craft.
The chief present commercial product o.
; the country is its furs, which: as the regioI
in question is the last great fur preserve o
the world, are of very great present ant
prospective value, all the finer furs of com
merce being there found, and the sales il
London yearly amounting to several mil
lions of dollars.
The evidence submitted to the committe
points to the existence in the Athabasc
and Mackenzie valleys of the most exten
/ sive petroleum field in America, if not IL
, the world. The uses of petroleum, an
consequently the demand for it by all ma
tions, are increasing at such rapid ratl
that it is probable this great petroleum fiel
will assume an enormous value in the nea
, future,