30

“With reference to the quality of the pasture to be found in this district, it is
various. On open side-hills facing south, it is bunch grass; in partially timbered areas,
timber grass, mixed with wild vetches and pea-vine. It is sometimes said that animals
do not care for timber grass, but it is well known in this district that cattle will often
leave bunch-grass during the summer to feed in the timber, and that they maintain their
condition equally as well as cattle fed upon bunch-grass alone.

BerwEEen QUESNEL AND Stuart Lake.

What follows is taken from Dr. Dawson’s reports to the Dominion Government in
connection with the Geological Survey and the Exploratory Surveys for the Canadian
Pacific Railway :—

“From Quesnel to the Westroad River (Blackwater) and thence to Sinkut Lake,
our route followed the old Overland Telegraph line. The country is generally level, or
only slightly undulating. There are numbers of small lakes abounding with fish, and
though the soil is almost always light, and sometimes on the ridges too sandy or gravelly
to be fit for cultivation, there are nevertheless considerable tracts of good agricultural
land on open or lightly timbered flats and slopes along the borders of the lakes and along
the streams and rivers, among which may be mentioned Westroad River, Chilaco River,
Nechaco River and Stuart River; also Naltesby, Hulatatzela and Sinkut Lakes. At
the crossing place on the Nechaco, and between it and Stony Creek, there are extensive
areas of the richest land, covered with luxuriant herbage, and similar fine land occurs
at intervals along the valley to Fraser Lake, where most of the horses and cattle belong-
ing to the Hudson’s Bay Company are sent from other posts to winter, on account of the
abundance of fine grass and the light snowfall, as compared with that of Fort George, or
even at Stuart Lake.

“The average elevation of the country between the Westroad River and the
Nechaco is probably not less than 2,400 feet, and the valleys of the principal streams
being everywhere from 250 to 500 feet lower, are generally reached by a succession of
terraced steps cut in the sand and gravel deposits which are so widely distributed over
the whole of the great central plateau of British Columbia, and up to elevations of more
than 3,000 feet. The relation of these deposits to the underlying tertiary lignite for-
mation is fully described in Mr. G. M. Dawson’s report, and the terraces ate well shown
in his sketch of Blackwater Valley, as well as in the photographs which I took of the
same valley from above the lower crossing place. Similar terraces are more or less a
characteristic of almost every river valley which we crossed, both east and west of the
Rocky Mountains.

“GENERAL DEscRIPTION OF SuRVEY Rovre.

“The region examined lies between the Fraser River and the C
52nd and 54th parallels of latitude, and, except where the Cascade Mountains are
touched on, is a part of the geographical valley of the Fraser. It belongs, in the main
to the basaltic or volcanic plateau of the interior, though in many places older Tooks
stand out above the general level of the igneous material, and in some inst -
in the valleys of the rivers, where it has been removed by erosion,

‘Opposite Soda Creck a very steep ascent is made to the summit of the ter
bench, which here immediately overlooks the river, and rises to
feet above it ; or, taking the clevation of Soda Creek at 1,690 fee
sea. In following the trail southward towards Riske Creek
a short distance above the Chilcotin, the route lies for the ;
high terrace, which, for about twenty miles, or to Meldrum’s farm, is quite narrow. T
the west the view is bounded by a range of rocky hills and cliffs which in Bone oes
closely approach the river. No water was found along this part of the tr
is constantly neeessary to cross little ravines which notch the front of the terrace, the
drainage during the dry season appearing to be entirely subterranean through the por
drift material. From Meldrum’s to Riske’s the appearance of the count oy ig aN
improved ; the more or less rolling surface of the terrace speads into a eis at ae :
and belts of timber alternate with large patches of open prairie covered with bcuniang
grass, giving a park-like aspect to the scenery, The average altitude is probably aban
- The trees forming the woods, which are

ascade Range, the

ances appear

race or
a height of about 340
t, 2,080 feet above the
which flows into the Fraser
most part along the same

: places
ail, though it

3,200 feet (1,500 feet above Fraser River)