18

point at a distance of 94 miles from Hazelton, and examined the country thoroughly on
our return trip. We arrived at the most distant point reached on May 11th, and spent
a day in looking over the country in the vicinity, which consists, for the most part, of
open grass lands. The soil here is black, and we could see from the remains of last
year’s grasses that it had been covered with a luxuriant growth of wild pea-vine and red-
top grasses, the stalks in some places being over five feet in length.

“The altitude, at the highest point reached in the valley, is 2,600 feet, and the
river here flows through a narrow valley about 400 feet lower than the surrounding
conntry. ‘This is the point at which the Morice River joins the Bulkley. Near the
trail, which is here about five miles from the river, is situated what is known as the
‘Government Ranch, where the Government pack-horses are wintered. We were
informed by Mr. Charleston, who is in charge of the ranch, that the snowfall there was
about 16 inches last winter, coming on about the lst of December and remaining until
the Ist of April. He turned his horses out to forage for themselves on April 10th.
No attempt has been made at this place to grow any vegetables or crops of any kind,
excepting timothy hay, with which he had some large fields seeded down, and of which
he expects a large crop this year, This part of the valley, being at such a high altitude,
seems to be subject to summer frosts, the thermometer registering several degrees of
frost every night we were in that portion of the valley. There is plenty of timber for
building purposes in the vicinity, and consists mostly of spruce, with some pine. From
the river back to the point where the Telegraph Trail enters Township 9 on the south,
is about eight miles, and the country is open along the trail for nearly the whole
distance. he valley at this place is about seven miles wide, the larger portion being
on the west side of the river, and appears to be heavily wooded,

A Disrricr or SpLeNpDID GRASSES.

“The trail, going north, enters Township 9 at Section 2, which is partly open and
partly covered with burnt spruce. The soil is light and gravelly. Section 3 is almost
all open prairie, with fairly good soil, and is first class pasture land. The country to
the south-west is rolling and covered with burnt timber. The altitude of Section 3, at
the highest point reached by the trail, is 2,200 feet. The trail next passes through
Section 10, and the country on the west of the trail is rolling and grassy. ‘Vhere is a
flat of about 200 acres on this section which is first class soil and covered with long
grass. The altitude here is 2,000 feet. The populars at this date were starting to open
their leaves, and the pea-vine and other grasses were about four inches above the ground.
The next section passed through by the trail was Section 16, Township 9, which section
was entered at its south-east corner. It is mostly covered with spruce and poplar large
enough for building purposes. The soil is good. We next passed through the S. W.
quarter of Section 21, which is covered with a light growth of poplar. Soil good and
grazing good all through the scrub. Section 20 is all good soil and good erazing over
the whole section. We camped on the night of May 12th at the crossing of a small river
which runs past the N. W. corner post of Section 20, and spent the following day in
exploring the surrounding country. The country all along both sides of the small river
mentioned isa good open country, with occasional patches of small poplar and spruce
which could easily be cleared by two or three fires sect out at the time when the grass
would be dry, in the fall of the year. The altitude, at the point where the trail crosses
the small river referred to, is 1,900 feet. The S. E. quarter of Section 30 is partly
prairie with good soil, and the west half of the section is covered with bl ,
poplar of small size. Section 31, in Township 9, is nearly all open
grazing land. This open character of country appears to ¢
toward the east, when it rises into the foot-hills of th
grazing everywhere in this part of the country.

: eo Section 6, Township 7, is all open prairie, with good soil. The trail enters Town-
ship 6 at Section 1. This section is all open prairie, with good soil. The trail nex
passes through the 8S. W. quarter of Section 12 and the N. BE. quarter of Section TT hich
sections are both rolling country, mostly covered with poplar, with occasional tt whee
of open prairie. The S. W. quarter of Section 14, Township 6 is covered witness al
poplar ; the north half of the same section is open prairie. We now come t nae
which in Mr. Poudrier’s report is called Rosemere Lake, and which covers ie 1 i Il of
Section 15, besides a small portion of Sections 16 and 22. The country in tl aes : a e
vicinity of the lake, on the north and east sides, consists of be i Se cee
with a rank growth of pea-vine and a variety of other grasses.

open
ack pine and
prairie, and is good
to extend for three or four miles
e Babine Range. ‘There is good

autiful prairies, covered