valley-flats would furnish hay and wintering-places, especially those
which are visited by Chinook winds.

“On Lone Prairie, Mr. Wartenby, one of the settlers, told me he fed
his cattle for only ten days during the winter of 1918-19. This place used
to be a favourite wintering-place for Indian horses.

“The present situation of this area as regards agriculture now is:
Some stockmen on Halfway River; settlers who produce little or nothing
about Hudson Hope, having little market; and a few trapper settlers,
squatters, and absentees on Peace River above Hudson Hope, near
Moberly Lake, and at Sukunka River, Murray River, on Lone Prairie,
at Flat Creek, and along the western side of Kiskatinaw River. These
people cannot sell produce, nor have they much stock, excepting one case
on Halfway River. The country has only Indian trails; hence those
who hold the land must risk a living by trapping or other occupations.

“The main highway of the country is the Peace River. This avenue
of approach from the eastern railway connections and from the west by
way of Fort George and the Parsnip River has a considerable traffic of
a frontier character, placer-miners, prospectors, trappers, and other
adventurers, or exploration parties.”

In the south-east portion of the Block there is considerable settle-
ment and two towns, Pouce Coupe and Rolla—over 2,000 people being
stated to be in this part. Smaller settlement exists near Fort St. John.
3eyond the Alberta boundary are many rapidly settling districts with
considerable population, and Grande Prairie, Pouce Coupe, Spirit River,
Fort Vermilion, and Lake Saskatoon have become renowned for their
productive capabilities, and the large region from White Mud River to
Dunvegan Crossing westward to Hudson Hope offers a vast area for
settlement. Last year lands tributary to the two railways produced
about 3,000,000 bushels. Recently considerable fishing industry was
inaugurated in the Mackenzie River basin, a cannery being established
on Lake Athabaska, employing 100 men. ‘There are from 25,000 to
30,000 cattle in the district, 7,000 horses, 6,000 sheep, and 12,000 hogs.
During 1920, in Peace River Land District, homestead entries, soldier
grants, and sales totalled 1,395.

That a considerable coal-mining industry would be developed with
transportation facilities is consensus of opinion of all experts who have
examined the large coalfield near Iludson Hope and Carbon River, and
geologists consider chances of oil production are good. Placer leases are
held at several points along Peace River and dredging companies are
operating, ground having been tested by drills in the past two years and
one company is arranging to take in a dredge. The district has not
been prospected to large extent and few occurrences of mineral in place
are known, but it is considered possible that in addition to the known
deposits of placer gold and coal, and probably petroleum, important ore-
bodies may be discovered in the Rockies. About 1900 a number of low-
grade quartz claims were located on Mount Selwyn and some prospect-

Forty.