New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-02-19
THE HUDSON BAY ROUTE.
Regarded as Feasible for FaOe
Months of the Year.

Winntpes Man, Feb. Is tSpecian.-J- w. Iyrreil,
OF Hamilton, Ont, who has been engaged in ex-
ploriug the uninhabited regions of the frozen North
for twenty-tnree years. has arrived in Winnipeg,
after being for three years beyond the bounds OF
civilization. He has been four times through Hud-
son Strait and five times has crossed Hudson
Bay as well as having undertaken several long
journeys into the country TO the west Of the bay
He says OF his experiences:
Since my first experience in the Hudson region
when connected as photographer and meteoroloslst
with the Dominion government expedition, in 1883
and 1885, / have been strongly impressed with the
great value of the Hudson Bay and Strait route to
Europe and feel convinced that in the near future
il will be the great outlet for the products OF the
great Canadian Northwest, and. in addition, will
carry much OF the produce raised in the Northern
States. This is by means the first time that L
have said this. and have written many letters on
the subject.
Il spent year island in Hudson
Strait the purpose OF ascertaning the possbili
ties OF navigation in the strait, and in that time
made four trips through the strait on the steamer
Alert and from my personal observations on these
trips am convinced that the Strait is navigable
for five months OF the year. The bay of course is
always navigable. IL never freezes over. This,
OF course does apply TO the harbors of the
bav. which do freeze over.
1T was part of my work, when connected with
the Gordon expedition of 1855. TO survey the
several harbors which were entered and particu-
larIy those on the west coast OF the bay with
view to ascertaining where suitable harbors could
be found to which TO a railway. The mouth
Of the Nelson River first surveyed and was
found to be extremely shallow for at least ten
miles from the shore; the Alert on which we were
sailing, obliged 10 anchor that distance from
the nearest land. II deep course exists, II is
of such winding and tortuous nature as to make
IL unavailable for navigation. as the sandbanks
shift from time time that it would be an
expensive operation TO make a harbor at the mouth
Of the Nelson River.
MY next duty was TO survey the mouth Of the
p-ht is a hundred
and twenty miles further north. There excel
lent landlocked harbor was found to exist. Both
OF my surveys have been mapped and will shortly
appear the charts Of Hudson Bay at the
al any time ard examined
In the northwest portion of the bay. in more
recent years have had occasion explore Ches-'
terfeld Inlet which is a narrow. deep ford. ex-
tending for nearly hundreds miles 10 the west
ward. ] made interesting journey in 1900. dis
covering river emptyng into it. Situated at the
head of Chesterfield Inlet is Baker Lake, which Is
bout seventy miles in length and twenty or thirty
miles wide and thus far 10 the head Of Baker |
Lake say for distance of go miles, there is I'M
interrupted navigation for ocean going vessels |
Beyond this TO the westward there is a magnih- |
cent river which might be navigated by barges or
other light craft. The valley of this river, known
as the Thelon was found be OF great interest |
inasnuch as it only abounded in game OF all |
descriptions. but well wooded on either SIDE |
for a distance of something like two hundred |
interior Of this so-caed barren land is bound TO
be Of inestmable value in the future development
of the region
In regard TO the mineral resources of the Hud- |
son Bay region, may say that in my residence |
Of more than year the north shore found many
indications of minerals of all descriptions. notably
mica of which several large specimens were OBJ |
tanned. On the west coast OF the bay. from the !
mouth of Chesterfield Inlet for distance Of per-
haps hundred miles in southerly direction, we |
holt ofF bearing indica
OF copper and the other minerals found in that kind
of rock Some distance TO the westward from the |
Hudson Bay extensive iron deposits were dis
covered Silver is known exist the east coast
in several localities, and silver and many other
metals have been reported from other portions OF
the bay.
AS TO the fisheries OF the bay. perhaps the most
important all events the best known up TO the
present time. have been the whale fisheries which
have been followed for the last fifty years up TO the
present time with great by the New England
whalers: indeed. to such extent that the whale
known the bowhead, which is the most valuable |
has become comparatively scarce. 1t has been the
custom OF the American whalers to winter Mar |
those who in from San Francisco make their f!
headquarters Herschel Island. They hunt these
whales and have carried away their products in
great quantities. amounting in value TO millions of
dollars in Whalebone and oils alone. The average
value OF bowhead whale is something like $4,000
ad when II is CONSIDERED that perhaps a dozen OF
these Whaiers are engaged In the business, each
seen TO what an extent the industry is being car
ried on,
toned the white whale porpoise. These not
been hunted to any great extent so far am
bay. Standing on the deck OF a vessel 1 have seen
Inc bay tor as FAR as The eye could seee in all direc
tons, an undulating OF white whales They
are .s, valuable for their oil and hides.
about many of the sandy shores and islands of the
voFy their HT h G hide f6 of an ha aSera agd
~alrus weighs about three hundred pounds and
at the time of visit to the bay, in 1886 when
had the good fortune 70 capture few waruses
their hides worth u cents a pound so it can
readily be seen that the hides of these animals are
Seals Of six or seven different varieties are to
DC round IN great abundance in the waters of the
ind the Alaska, fur. seal there at all II was
suggested some years ago. If remember rightly by
Sir Charles HILBERT Upper, that II would he well
70 introduce the fur seal into Hudson's Bay and /
the Alaska seal and the bnip s 1nqer which
c3lsely similar, so that know of reason why
me iur seal should not flourish If once introduced
In regard 10 fish. comparatively little is known
o. o. mem N those Northern waters has
numbers of whiteish caught at the mouth Of ne
Churchil and of the other rivers that ernntNJ
sufficiently investigated the condit,ons fe mas
see whether cod salmon exist in the nortbAr1
last or three years happen to- k kaI IN the
Senator Blandford: Of Newfoundland. who is the
owner OF large fishing feet, has been fishing in
A'9asons Bay and he told me that he had met
both salmon and cod 's VI
strait likely that they can aIso b fo IN the
me hay Fresh water trout are. of course found
Das; ana S IN many Of them they be found in
The Far North around Hudsons Raw is = +rr,,,
,@opoerfuI country. il will pay any railway n
ouna Inc TO the shores of Hudson's Bay not
Than th any that now exists but also on account of
and minerals of all descriptions IA s''iic