of a mile wide, has moist sandy soil capable of cultivation. From Salmon
to Swamp River the country is broken, consisting of a series of stony
ridges growing stunted jack-pine. There are small swamps and bogs
between the ridges. Swamp River is in a valley about a quarter of a
mile wide, with many small meadows. Soil is not of sufficient depth for
cultivation, but will grow good grass. Between Swamp River and Carp
Lake the country is more or less level, with poor sandy soil. It forms
the Pacific-Arctic Divide, elevation being about 2,600 feet. Carp
Lake, 2,700 feet, lies among hills rising steeply, surrounding country
being unfit for cultivation. It drains to War Lake, with banks
rising 100 feet to the plateau, and McLeod River flows thence to
McLeod Lake, bordered with terraces with dry sandy soil free from
stones. McLeod Lake has steep densely wooded shores, rising steeply
on the west 400 to 500 feet to the plateau crossed by the trail from Fort
St. James. On the east the hills are higher, in places rising 1,000 feet,
then sloping down to Parsnip River, some 2 or 3 miles distant.

NORTH-WEST FROM FORT ST. JAMES.

Taking a triangular area with Manson Creek Trail, northward from
Fort St. James on the east, and the line of Stuart, Trembleur, and Takla
Lakes on the west, and the latitude of 55° 30’ on the north, roughly
2,500 square miles, it is estimated that this area includes broadly 20 per
cent. mountains, 30 per cent. ridges and hills, 10 per cent. lakes, and 40
per cent. of undulating country, with elevation ranging between 2,200
and 2,600 feet, averaging about 2,500 feet, including about 250,000 acres
of good agricultural land as far as cruised by surveyors, balance of the
flat country being jack-pine flats more or less gravelly and crossed by
gravel moraine ridges. The area is broken by many isolated mountain
ranges, most important being that along east side of Takla Lake, with
peaks reaching over 6,000 feet. The Blanchet Range runs 15 miles
between North and West Arms of Takla Lake, with several peaks 6,500
feet high. A long flat-topped range runs along to the north of Nation
Lakes, merging into the Omineca Mountains. Mount Pope, 4,450 feet,
and high isolated mountains in vicinity of Pinchi, Tezzeron, and Inzana
Lakes comprise most of the remaining mountains.

The whole plateau country is well watered, there being a maze of
small lakes and connecting streams. Meadows and willow bottoms are
fairly numerous, but there is almost an entire absence of muskeg; the
meadows, though often wet, having hard bottom almost invariably. The
many lakes make this section of country of great scenic beauty, the water
being crystal clear and the larger lakes have mile after mile of fine pebbly
beach. About 300 square miles of this triangle carries the original heavy
timber, mostly spruce, with balsam predominating at the higher altitudes.
The flat country, once heavily timbered, has been burned over twice in
the past forty years, and much of the area is now encumbered with dead
and fallen timber and young growth, while areas once burnt clean now

Twelve.