4

2

grass, which is never covered by the light fall of snow. They report that the Tahtsa
River, which flows into the west end of Ootsa Lake, never freezes in winter, which
shows that the climate is not severe. ; Pe Pe

“We arrived at Tahtsa Lake, a distance estimated by us as twenty-eight miles ina
straight line from Ootsa Lake, on September 30th. Our aneroid showed an eleyation
here of 2,700 feet.

“For the greater part of the distance between this point and Ootsa Lake the valley
is wide, as much as five or six miles in places, and the soil is the very best. Along the
lower reaches of the river there are several miles of alluvial flats, of which only a small
portion is flooded at high water. It is mostly covered with a light growth of willows
and spruce, but several large open tracts occur. The Indians report the snowfall as
heavy in the upper portion of the river. The beayer are very numerous along the river,
our Indians getting some at every camping place. .

“Tahtsa Lake, which is about twenty-two miles in length, isa fine lake with a
sandy or gravelly beach along nearly its entire length.

“The trail ascends rapidly from the lake, till at a distance of four miles the summit
is reached, On the evening of September 15th the aneroid showed an altitude of 4,080
feet at the summit of the pass, but the next morning it only showed 3,800 feet in the
same place. The ascent for the last mile before reaching the summit was very abrupt,
and we passed over fields of snow where it had slidden from the steep mountain sides,
in some places fifty feet deep. The mountains on either side rose above the level of the
pass toa height of probably 2,000 feet, and masses of rock and ice were constantly
falling into the pass.

“It had been our intention, had we found the pass practicable for a road, to return
from this point (Tahtsa Lake) and blaze out a trail in a north-easterly direction to the
junction of the Bulkley and Watsonkwa Rivers, a distance of not more than twenty-five
miles, the Indians said. A road in that direction would pass through the open country
surrounding Nadina Lake, and would be through a practically level country the whole
way; but on seeing that the pass was impracticable, we thought it would be no use to
waste any further time in doing so... The pass is too high, and, for a couple of miles,
too rugged to admit of the possibility of a road being constructed there over which
horses could travel, except at great expense, and then it could only be used for two or
three months-in the year, on account of the snow slides which would be coming down
off the overhanging mountains. : f

“Were a survey of the country west and south of Ootsa and Francais Lakes made,
it would be found that the estimate of the good agricultural and grazing lands in British
Columbia would be largely increased. All that country requires to open it up, so that
it will be quickly settled, is a railway from south to north, and it will then prove to be
one of the best portions of the country.”

Tur Rocre iN rrom Beuua Cooua.

Mr. J. W. McIntosh, who had examined, during the previous year, the Bulkley
Valley and the Ootsa Lake country, and whose report of the Bulkley Valley appears
elsewhere, and Captain Johnson, of Vancouver, made a prospecting and exploratory trip
in the summer of 1903. Going in from Bentinck Arm along the Bella Cool
proceeded by way of Ootsa Lake as far as Bulkley River.
photographs, and their impressions of the country, as

a River, they
They obtained a number of
a whole, were very favourable.
The route taken by these gentlemen is indicated on the map accompanying this Bulletin.
Through the kindness of Mr. McIntosh, we are permitted to make extracts from the

Journal which he kept during the trip. For the purpose of brevity, personal incidents
are omitted :—

“19th of July—Arrived at Bella Coola by the Steamer ‘Tees.’
<< 99nd—Went 12 miles Ag) ae ; ,
i Pate 12 miles along good road as far as Christensen s.
July 2: rd—Along a good waggon road and trail 11 miles to the crossing of Bella
Coola River. Crossed the river in a canoe. The Bella Coola River Valley so far would
iy » fp "A, ] 4 7 7 ri g oe
average from two to three miles in width ; soil, sandy loam, rather light in spots ; the

maple, and some small
A few of the settlers have quite large

timber is heavy—principally spruce, hemlock, fir, poplar, alder,
cedar—all over the valley, except where cleared.