San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-02-21
THE RESOURCES AND CAPACITIES OF
THE GREAT MACKENZIE BASIN.


The Area-River NaviGation-Asr icultura'
Possibilitics-The Climate-Mineral De-
posits-Forest Growth-Groat 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 tho Sas-
katchewan TO the Arctic shores and from
Hudson's bay to the Rocky mountains.
The extent Of the scope OF tho inquiry
covers 200, 900 square statute miles, which
area includes none of the islands Of the Arc
tic Archipelago. It's 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 onehalf 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 200 miles, while its total
lacustrine area probably exceeds that of the
Eastern Canadian American chain OF great
lakes There Is a river navigation of about
$3.50 miles, of which $50 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 {, 800 miles Of continuous lake coast
and river navigation, broken only in two
places
Within the scope Of the committees in
Quiry there il a possible area, it is stated, OF
$4,000 square miles fitted for the growth of
potatoes, 4O7, 900 square miles suitable for
barley, and BIC, 900 square miles suitable for
wheat There is pastoral area Of S6OOOO
square miles, $4,000 miles Of which is open
prairie with occasional groves, the remainder
being more or less wooded; 274, coo square
miles, including the prairie, may be consld
cred as arabic land. About 100000 square
miles Of the total is useless for tho 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 west.
Throughout this arabic and pastoral area
latitude bears no direct relation to summer
isotherms, the spring flowers and the buds Of
deciduous trees appearing as early north of
Great Slave lake as at Winnipeg, st. Paul
earlier along the Peace, Lizard and some
minor western aff1uents 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 pro
vailing southwest summer winds Of the
country in question bring the warmth and
moisture which render possible the far north
ern cereal growth, and sensibly affect the
climate Of the region under consideration as
far north as the Arctic circle and as far cast
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 Lau-
rentian formation being scant; but the allu-
vial portion has upon 1t ION the river Of its
name and elsewhere) the "Liard,"a balsam
poplar, sometimes called Balm Of Gilead or
rough bark poplar, 100 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
2 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 Coppermine
river, iron, graphite, Ccher, brick and pot
tory clay, mica, gypsum, lime and sandstone,
sand for glass and moldlng, and asphaltun!
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 the former is found in crystal;
equal in purity to the best rock salt, and il
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 iitSed fOI
lighter craft, gives them a possible great
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 reduc ng its iron ores
and the transportation Of tho 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 It's furs, which, as tho region
in question is the last great fur preserve Of
the world, are Of vcsy -grGat present and
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