The record-union., 1892-11-16
EXPLORED AN UNKNOWN REGION
What a Canadian OfIicial Found on a
Far NORTHWESTERN Trim.

W listC IL StUdulan OI1ctil round on u
Far northwestern Trip.
j. B. Tirrell of the Canadian Geological
Survey has returned to Regina, \. w. H.,
from the exploration Of the Athabasca
country and was interviewed by d Mon
treal Star man. MIR. Tirrell penetrated
as far as 200 miles north Of Prince Albert,
Which is over 200 miles north of Regina.
He was three months in the country w.
ing north of the Churchill River and
south of Lake Athabasca and the Black
River. He found the country composed
largely OF granite, with volcanic rocks,
Which Will doubtless prove rich in min
erals. Iron appeared to be plentiful. For
20 miles north of Prince Albert the land
IS good. Beyond that is rock and sand.
This barren region is the wintering
ground OF herds of caribou, which come
down III October from the treeless and
barren country north. They live on rein
deer moss, which grows thick on the
rocks. Moose and bear are also plenti-
Iul. Professor 1irrelPS party consisted
OF nine men, and they lived principally
on venlson. This country has never been
explored before, and many inaccuracies
were found on maps, on all of which the
district was marked "uneXplored." Such
large natural features as Lake Athabasca
and WollestOn Lake were found to be
laid down enormously, being from thirty
to forty miles out of true position. Lake
Athabasca IS clear, fresh water, and is
about as large as Lake Ontario, Lake
WollestOn being about half as large.
Trout and whitefsh abound in all the
lakes and streams there. There are few
birds, chiefly ducks and partridges. The
country is totally uninhabited, but is
the hunting ground Of the Chippewa In
dians.
Lake Athabasca freezes over in Deem
Der. and both lakes remain frozen all
winter. The Chippewas of the region are
peculiar people. They have prominent
crooked noses and allow their long, black
hair to fall over their faces. They dress
i'll deer skins and live in deer skin tepees.
After ten days travelling up the Cariboo
River a tributary of the Churchill River,
the party came to the edge CT the most
beautiful lake they had ever seen, called
Cree Lake. Professor Tirrell describes
this as clear as crystal, without tinge Of
blue, and one can see to the bottom at
great depth. Cree River flows north
ward out of the lake and for fifty miles it
is a continuous Surging cataract, large
and dangerous powders rendering navi-
cation indescribably perilous; but it was
successfully descended by the Tirrell
party. The explorers, while surveying
Black River, were constantly tortured by
millions of flies and mosquitoes. In fact,
a Chippewa legend marks this locality
as the place where the Wassekachack,
their god and creator, first made these
insects.
About August 18th the party reached
Hatchet Lake, so called becauseits fish are
so large that when caught they cannot be
killed with a knife, but have to be dis
patched with hatchet or axes. On the
homeward journey Whtefsh Lake and
many streams were surveyed. Although
this is the third largest lake met during
the whole trip. 1t has never appeared on
maps. Mr.. Tirreil has obtained enough
information about this hitherto unknown
and wonderful region to enable him to
get out new and accurate map. He has
brought back collection of geological
specimens.