Arizona silver belt., 1901-07-04
UNEXPLORED CANADA
Vast Tracts of the Dominion un-
 known to the Pioneer.
Tbousands Upon Thousands of Square Miles of Territory That Have Never Been Travelled Over
 by a Human Being.


 yey of Canada, in his last report, says Consul A, G, Seyfert in report on unexplored Canada, makes the amazing statement that practically nothing is known of one-third of the dominion. He says:
 ""Hhere are more than l,25O,OOO square miles of uneyplored lands in Canada. The entire erea of the do- minion is computed at 3,450,257 square miles, consequently one-third of this country has yet been untraveled by the explorer. Exclusive of the inhos- pitable detached arctic portions 945,- 900 square miles is for all practical purposes entirely unknown.
 "A careful estimate is made of the unexplored regions. Beginning at the extreme northwest of the dominion, the first of these areas is between the eastern boundary of Alaska, the Porcupine river and the arctic coast, about $500 square miles in extent, or somewhat smaller than Belgium, and lying entirely within the arctic circle. The next is west of the Lewes and Yukon rivers and extends to the boundary of Alaska. Until last year 32,OOO square miles in this area was unexplored, but part has since been travelled. A third area of 27,00O square miles-nearly twice as large as Scot land-lies between the Lewes, Pelly and Stikine rivers. Between the Pelly and Mackenzie rivers is another large tract of 100000 square miles, or about double the size of England. It in cludes nearly 600 miles of the main Rocky mountain range. An uneN- plored area of 50,00O square miles is found between Great Bear lake and the arctic coast, being nearly all to the north of the arctic circle.
 "Nearly as large as Portugal is an- other tract between Great Bear lake, the Mackenzie river and the western part of Great Slave lake, in all 35,0O0 square miles. Lying between Stikine and Laird rivers to the north and the Skeena and Peace rivers to the south is an area of Sl,00O square miles, which, except for a recent visit by a field party, is quite uneXplored. Of the S5.OOO square miles southeast of Athabasca lake little is known, except that it has been crossed by field party en route to Fort Churchill East of the COppcrmine river and west of Bathurst inlet lies 7,50O miles of un- explored land, which may be com pared to half the size of Switzerland. Eastward from this, lying between the Arctic coast and Blacks river, is an area of 3l,OOO square miles, or about equal to Ireland.
 Much larger than Great Britain and Ireland, and embracing l7s,OOO square miles, is the region bounded by Blacks river, Great Slave lake, Athabasca lake, Ratchet and Reindeer lakes, Churchill river and the west coast of Hudson bay. This country includes the barren grounds of the continent. On the south coast of Hudson bay, between the Severn and Attawapish- kat rivers, is an area 22,0OO square miles in extent, or larger than Nova Scotia; and lying between Trout lake, Lac Seul and the Albany river is an- other l5,OOO square miles of uneX- plored land.
 ''South and east of James bay and nearer to large centers of popula- tion than any other uneXplored region is a tract of 35,000 square miles, which may be compared in size to Portugal.
 'The most easterly area is the greatest of all. It comprises almost the entire interior of the Labrador peninsula or Northwest territory, in all 2S9,OOO square miles, or more than twice as much as Great Britain and Ireland. Two or three years ago Mir. A. P. Lowe made line of exploration and survey into the interior of this vast region, and the same gentleman also travelled inland up the Hamilton river, but with these exceptions the country may be regarded as practical ly uneXplOred.
 "The arctic islands will add an area of several hundred thousand square miles of unexplored land"