The land surveyed between Halfway and Graham Rivers is mostly
level bench and contains some excellent land, the strip along Graham
River being mostly open meadow with clumps of small willow and
poplar, with peavine and grass. Soil is black loam with clay subsoil.

North from Halfway River benches slope up to undulating plateau
country broken by the valleys of a number of small creeks draining
south-easterly to the Halfway. Some settlers engage in stock-raising
in vicinity of the river. A low rolling plateau extends northward to the
headwaters of Cameron River. This stream, flowing south-easterly to
Halfway River, and a number of tributary creeks draining in the same
direction, are in valleys well below the general surface. The country
rises in benches, mostly narrow, to undulating plateau, broken in places
by low hills. Part is lightly wooded with poplar, aspen, and willow, with
patches of heavier timber, mostly spruce. A large portion is open, or
partly open, growing rank peavine. Soil is mostly clay loam on clay
subsoil, with mossy top in places, notably on a number of small dry
muskegs.

At the junction of Cypress Creek and Halfway River, about 45
miles up from where Halfway River enters the Block, about 12,000 acres
have been surveyed on benches rising from Halfway River and Cypress
Creek. A large proportion of the surveyed area is flat, partly marshy
bench land with mossy surface, but can be easily drained. Soil is sandy
to clay loam. Part of the area is covered with poplar and willow, part
with spruce. A flat strip adjoins Halfway River for some distance. The
Police Trail from Fort St. John via Halfway River to Fort Grahame
follows up Cypress Creek and crosses the Rockies by way of Laurier
Pass.

NORTH OF PEACE RIVER BLOCK.

In 1913 and 1914 G. B. Milligan, B.C.L.S., made a reconnaissance
survey north of the Peace River Block to the northerly limits of the
Province. About 18,000 square miles were explored, north to 59° 17’
between the Alberta boundary and foot-hills of the Rockies. Mr.
Milligan said an outstanding feature was uniformity of surface. There
is absence of prominent hills and mountains, and although it is more or
less undulating, the whole region may be spoken of as a huge plateau.
The country rises gradually from the bench north of the Peace at 2,100
feet to the watershed between the Peace and Nelson River drainages at
3,500 to 3,700 feet, their summit lying east to west about 57° 30’ N.
Viewed from the summit looking north and east, the country gradually
subsides from its rough and broken character at the summit to that of
low rounded ridges which merge into the general level of the vast plateau.
Until the latitude of Kotcho Lake is reached the country rises in no place
to what may be called a hill, although the general slope to the north is
gently undulating. North from Kyklo River the country rises again
gradually to hills which, extending north-westerly, form the height of
land between Fort Nelson and Black River; the westerly boundary of
the plateau region is formed by a line of broken flat-topped hills extending

Forty-six.