The sun., 1895-05-20
IN THE BARREN LANDS.
Experiences OF Canadian Explorers In the
Far Northwest.

Experiences OF Canadian Explorers In the
Far Northwest.
QuEBEC. May l9.-Mr. II. Munroe- Ferguson.
A. d. c.. of the staff of Lord Aberdeen, Gov
ernor- General Of Canada, aud brother of the
Munroc- Ferguson who recently married n
daughter OF Lord Dufferin, is busy. In company
with Mr.. Tyrrel of the Dominion Geological
Survey. preparing for publication by the Gov
ernment n report of their remarkable explora-
tory survey of 1904 ., through the middle OF
one of the last remaining pieces Of northern
territory represented as great blank space
upon the map of North America. This territory
is known as the Barren Lands. and is west of
Hudson Bay. north OF Reindeer Lake and the
Churchill River, and east OF Great Slave Lake
and Lake Athabasca. Though the Barren Lands
IN question are Of lesser extent than the interior
of the great Labrador peninsula, traverscd last
year by the Low Eaton expedition, they were
just much terra incOgnita, and extend
even further north than Fort Chino on UnKava
Bay, the most northerly point of land visited by
Mr.. Low.
Mr.. Munroe- Ferguson. who Is a noted sports
man rs well as an amateur explorer. was added
to Mr.. Tyrrel's surveying party at his own re-
quest and that OF the Governor General, and
contributed his own share of the expenses OF the
expedition. for the sake of the sport and the ex-
perience that 1t afforded him. From the few
HuNaHCe IlUtcs Oi lne survey Win winch your
correspondent has been favored it is evident
that the main report of Messrs. Tyrrell and
Munroe- Ferguson will add very materially to
the maps and geography OF the northern part
OF the continent. and also 10 knowledge OF the
the country traverscd by the last great Cana
dian exploration party. Briefly, then. to the
| immediate west OF the Reindeer Lake region
arc enormous petroleum deposits, while rich
lluronian belt dividing the ordinary
Laurcntian formation Of the region, Of
whose existence nobody lad hitherto even
dreamed. Tho herds OF upland reindeer
met with were simply enormous, while fresh
water fish were OF great Size and yield. The
party. too, noticed the peculiar condition OF
some hundreds OF EQumauS with n fixed abode
IN the interior Ot the country totally unlike the
habits OF their race elsewhere On the Arctic
and other COASTS OF Canada, the apparent cause
animals of the western coast Of Hudson Bay by
the whaling ships OF Nantucket and elsewhere.
lhiB condition has for some time past driven
these particular EsluiInnuN 10 depend upon the
which all these northern lakes are stocked al
most TO repetition. The difference in their food
supply and mode of life has produced better
development in the stature OF the EsQuimauI.
ana some OF the young men seen by the cX-
piorcrs were from feet inches 10 . feet 10 in
height.
For the greater part of their trip, Messrs.
1yrrell and MunroC- Ferguson We're accom-
panied only by four Indian guides from Mani
toba. They left Seliirk 10 cross Lake Winn-
peg on June lB. 1894, spending over six months
II the interior of the Barren Lands On July
they reached tho north end OF RclndcCr Lake,
having travelled 800 miles in canoes after the
crossing OF great Lake Winnipeg. Here they Sc
show them the road These guides remained with
themunlu Aug. o, when they bad reached KQSba