47

to grow wheat in the Peace River region, Northern British Columbia and the Yukon
District, have climatic conditions suitable for the growth of all necessaries in a civilized
community.

“The whole district, as said above, is an almost level plateau, with a slight dip to
the valleys of the Peace aud Smoky Rivers. Owing to the depth of these valleys and
the absence of rock, the conditions for drainage are perfect, and all boggy places and
wet or damp tracts will be easily drained. As will be seen by consulting a map, the
finest tract lies between the Smoky River and the Peace, and here the earliest settle-
ments will likely take place. The shelter afforded by these river valleys, with others
that traverse the plateau, will be at once taken advantage of for the protection of stock
and the nearness of water.

“TIMBER AND CoaL IN ABUNDANCE.

“The timber trees of the district are few but valuable. Aspen, poplar and white
spruce are the prevailing trees, though cottonwood and black spruce are abundant in the
river valleys, especially on islands. On the islands the latter tree grows to a great size
and height, and it was not uncommon to see trees five feet and more in diameter on
islands above and below St. John.

“It is more than likely that large coal deposits exist under much, if not all, of the
district. In the autumn of 1872 the writer found a small seam of coal in a river bank
between Dunvegan and St. John, south of the Peace River. This coal burnt with a
bright flame, and, although in small quantity where procured, may eventually turn out
to be a valuable deposit. When making the traverse from Fort Assiniboine to Lesser
Slave Lake, in September, 1872, the writer came upon a river which empties very likely
into Smoky River, which had great blocks of coal in its bed and evidently belonged to
a very large seam.” :

CROWN LANDS.

NROWN lands, where such a system is practicable, are laid off and surveyed into
© quadrilateral townships, containing thirty-six sections of one mile square in each.
Any person, being the head of a family, a widow, or single ea ONO the age of
eighteen years, and being a British subject, or any alien, upon his making a declaration
of his intention to become a British subject, may, for agricultural purposes, record any
tract of unoceupied and unreserved Crown lands (not being an Indian settlement) not
exceeding three hundred and twenty acres in extent in that portion of the Province
situated to the northward and eastward of the Cascades or Coast Range of Mountains,
and one hundred and sixty acres in extent in the rest of the Province.

No person can hold more than one pre-emption CIE Gp atime. Prior record of
pre-emption of one claim and all rights under it are forfeited by subsequent record or
pre-emption of another claim. ;

Land recorded or pre-empted cannot be transferred or conveyed until after a Crown
grant has been issued.

Such land, until the Crown grant is issued, is held by occupation. Such occupation
must be a bona fide personal residence of the settler or his family.

The settler must enter into occupation of the land within thirty days after

recording, and must continue to occupy it.