1 concluded that it would be impossible to go any further with this survey without great loss of time, and I wrote you asking to be furnished with additional help. While waiting for your reply I completed the rest of the work in Townships 22, Ranges 7 and 8, and the removal of the river lot posts in Township 21, Range 1. This work being finished I proceeded to Tilley Station on the Canadian Pacific Railway to procure a further supply of provisions. On my arrival there I received your letter informing me of your inability to send me any additional help, and instructing me to proceed to Calgary, which point I reached on the 6th inst. I have completed all the work allotted to me, excepting the traverse of the Red Deer River in Township 22, Range 9, west of the 4th Initial Meridian, above referred to. I am now preparing the returns of the season's operations, which will be forwarded at an early date. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, CHAS. FRS. LECLERC, D.L.S REPORT OF JOHN VICARS, D. L. S. CANNINGTON, ONT., 3rd December, 1888. SIR,-I have the honor to submit the following report of the water area correction and other surveys entrusted to me during the past season, On the 24th of April I left Cannington for Winnipeg, which point I reached on the 28th, where I received my instructions, and at once started for Moose Jaw, at which point I found my party waiting for me. After a few days delay in getting camp outfit ready, I started for Township 23, Range 3, west of 2nd Initial Meridian, and in accordance with instructions, on my arrival in this township I commenced the verification of certain water area surveys. These completed, I next proceeded to Township 26, Range 21; thence to Township 26, Range 1; thence to Township 27, Range 11; thence to Township 29, Range 1, all west of 2nd Initial Meridian, in which townships I completed the necessary verification of water area surveys. This work being finished I went to Fort Qu'Appelle, reaching that point on the 30th of June, and after having completed the calculations and plans of my water area surveys, and reported to you, I worked eastward checking the boundaries of certain sections in Township 21, Range 13, Township 19 A, Range 11, and Township 18, Range 9, all west of the 2nd Initial Meridian. I then corrected a meridian in Township 18, Range 8, and ran the east boundary of Township 19 A, Range 9, both west of the 2nd Initial Meridian. This work completed I returned to Moose Jaw, where one of my assistants, through ill health, was forced to resign. Having reported to you, I started north to survey the east boundaries of Township 25, Range 3, and Townships 27 and 28, Range 3, all west of the 3rd Initial Meridian. The east boundary of Township 25 I found had been surveyed, and as the azimuth and chainage was very nearly correct, I was doubtful how to proceed, and returned to Moose Jaw and reported the facts to you. I then started south to perform certain corrections in Township 3, Range 27, west 2nd Initial Meridian, and Township 4, Range 3, west 3rd Initial Meridian, Having completed these corrections I returned to Moose Jaw, where I found the two men you had sent me, and your instructions regarding certain work to be performed in Manitoba. 15 -41** I started at once for Township 16, Range 22, west 1st Principal Meridian, which point I reached on the 13th of October, and having finished the survey of a certain water area, which I was instructed to perform in this township, I proceeded to Township 17, Range 20, west 1st Principal Meridian. In this township it was reported that a great many of the posts marking the original sub-division had been lost. I found this report correct; a great many of them had been burnt, or so covered with wind fall or grass, that it was only with the greatest difficulty that their location could be found. In some cases I found the location of the original post by cutting the old blaze mark to find the B. T., and then digging for the point of the old post. In accordance with instructions I re-established as many of the section and quarter-section corners as I thought would be required for the present use of settlement, and although it is a timbered township I built mounds around all the posts placed, and re-opened and re-blazed the old lines. The work in this township was slow on account of the brulé and wind fall which covers the most of it, but as the soil is first-class I don't think it will be more than a year or two before all the land will be taken up. There are now six settlers in the township. On completing this work I proceeded to Brandon, at which point, in accordance with instructions, I sold my horses and outfit by auction, and then proceeded to Winnipeg, arriving there on the 18th of November, and after my party was paid off 1 started for home. Of the corrections made during the summer I may say that the errors principally arose from bad chaining, the line directions in most cases being found correct, or nearly so. Before closing my report a few remarks regarding the character of the country in which I passed the season, and its productions, may not be out of place. Too much cannot be said in praise of the country from Moose Jaw east to Manitoba, and from Fort Pelly south to the Canadian Pacific Railway, and the best evidence of its fertility is that it is nearly all taken up by settlers. During the whole of my travelling in this section of the country, which covered over one thousand miles, I was never out of sight of settlers' houses, or improvements, and in no part of the Territories which I visited did I see a poor crop. When en route to Manitoba in the fall I made it a point to ask every settler whom I met how his crop had turned out, and the invariable reply was "splendidly;" 40 bushels of wheat, and 75 bushels of oats, to the acre, were not uncommon. It may sound incredulous, but I actually saw a fair crop taken from a field where the seed had merely been harrowed in on the stubble. This section of the country, although not equalling the Alberta district for grazing, is well adapted to stock-raising, and it is a common sight to see herds of from 40 to 200 head of horses or cattle belonging to one farmer. In the parts of Manitoba which I visited, a portion of the wheat was badly nipped by frost, but barley and oats almost entirely escaped. It is a curious fact that while on one farm the grain was badly frozen, on the adjoining farm not a grain would be touched. Much, of course, may depend on the lay of the land, but I think from observations and enquiry that the remedy lies with the farmers themselves; earlier sowing, better cultivation, and more judicious harvesting will in a great measure do away with the complaint of frozen grain. Regarding the Willow Bunch and Wood Mountain districts, I do not think that they are first class from an agricultural point of view I may be mistaken, however, as I had not a good opportunity of judging, there being no grain sown at Wood Mountain and very little at Willow Bunch. The district is, however, well adapted for stock raising, and large herds of horses and cattle are to be seen at both places. I was surprised to find a large cheese factory in operation at Willow Bunch; it is owned by Mr. Le Garie, and everything seemed to be in perfect order. I was informed that there was plenty of coal at Wood Mountain, but I did not see any. At Little Wood Mountain Lake, which lies some eighteen miles to the east of Wood Mountain, I found a coal seam about 18 inches in depth situated in a cut bank. I selected a specimen, but unfortunately it has been lost. J. S. DENNIS, Esq., I have the honor to be, Sir, JOHN VICARS, D.L.S. REPORT OF A. DRISCOLL, JUN., D. L. S. OTTAWA, 5th December, 1888. SIR, I have the honor to submit the following report of my operations in Manitoba and the North-West Territories during the past season. Under instructions from you, I left home on the 20th April and proceeded to Whitemouth, Manitoba, where I attempted to make an examination of the sub-division of certain townships in that vicinity, but finding the country very wet I was unable to accomplish much. I reported the facts to you, and in accordance with your instructions that the work should be left until it froze up in the fall, I proceeded to Winnipeg and joined you there. After a few days in Winnipeg, spent in making the necessary preparations for the season's work, I went to Brandon, and from thence south to Township 6, Range 17, west of the 1st Principal Meridian, where I completed the verification of a water area survey: I then visited Township 11, Range 17, west 1st Principal Meridian and effected a partial re-sub-division in the south-east corner of the township. After completing this work I went to Calgary, and being provided with the necessary horses, carts and outfit, I travelled north to the Red Deer River, and made a verification survey of certain water areas in Townships 36, 37 and 38, Range 28, and Townships 37, 38 and 39, Range 27, all west of the 4th Initial Meridian. Returning south I re-surveyed the 8th correction line across Ranges 4 and 5, west of 5th Initial Meridian, making the necessary changes in positions of posts and mounds in the adjoining sub-divisions. I then went to the 8th Base for the purpose of examining into all errors reported to exist on this base in Range 6, west of 5th Initial Meridian. Great difficulty was experienced in reaching this point. The only trail available was that along the old cutting of the base line, and as this was closely studded with stumps and blocked in many places with fallen timber it was impossible to get along with our carts, so I left them and packed what supplies and outfit we wanted on our horses' backs. Having no pack saddles this method of transport was found far from satisfactory, and we found it a difficult matter to keep the packs on our horses while climbing over fallen timber and up and down steep hills; however, we at last reached the desired point only to find that the reported error did not exist. Returning to Calgary I remained there a few days preparing sketches of the work completed, and then travelled south to the intersection of the 2nd Base and 5th Initial Meridian. During the following six weeks I was engaged in making a survey to effect a "tie" between the 5th Initial Meridian and the International Boundary. This was accomplished by first retracing the 2nd Base east from the 5th Initial Meridian to the meridian between Ranges 27 and 28, and from that point retracing this meridian south to the north boundary of Township 1, that being as far as had previously been surveyed, and then surveying the meridian in Township 1 to its intersection with the International Boundary line. Some few remarks regarding the country traversed by the meridian below the boundary of Township 1 and the boundary line, may be of interest. Looking south from the township corner, Chief Mountain is seen directly on the line, and almost immediately after leaving the corner the Foot Hills are met, and the line runs through these Foot Hills to the intersection with the International Boundary which falls on a stony ledge in the valley of Lee's Creek. Those hills are covered with dead pine and spruce, and a good growth of young pine. The dead pine and spruce is of large size and a great deal of it perfectly sound, which could be used for building purposes. This belt of timber furnishes the building and farming material used by the Mormons, ranchers, and other settlers in the vicinity; and I think that if they were allowed to remove the dead timber free of present dues, they would use it, and leave the live timber for which they have to go much farther in towards the mountains. About two miles east of the intersection of this meridian with the boundary line, the country becomes open and rolling, with a soil of rich black loam, the grass is very long and rich, and the country is well watered with numerous small fresh water lakes and spring creeks. My next work was the resuming of the eastern outline of Townships 1 and 2, Range 25, west of 4th Initial Meridian. The wonderful growth of the "bunch" grass along this line is worthy of remark; in many places it reached nearly to the waist and chaining through it was a somewhat difficult matter. After completing the last mentioned work I returned to Fort McLeod where I met you, and from there I accompanied you and assisted in the examination of subdivision contracts numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 14, and then returned to Calgary, where I stored my horses and carts. I then proceeded with my party to Manitoba for the purpose of examining contracts 9, 10, 12 and 13, situated in the vicinity of the Narrows of Lake Manitoba. On arriving on the ground I found that in only one contract had work been completed, viz, contract No. 13, and I effected the necessary examinations. ་ Returning to the railway line I went east to Whitemouth and completed the examination, which was attempted in the spring, of Townships 11, 12 and 13, Ranges 9, 10 and 11, east of 1st Principal Meridian. This work occupied more than two weeks, and as most of the country em. braced by these townships is muskeg and swamps, which were not frozen, the work proved very disagreeable. This examination completed my work for the season, and I returned to Winni. peg, where my party was paid off, after which I returned to Ottawa. 1 have the honor to be, Sir, J. S. DENNIS, Esq., Your obedient servant, A. DRISCOLL, JUN., D.L.S. SCHEDULE of Correction and Verification Surveys performed during the season of 1888, to accompany report of J. S. Dennis, Inspector of Surveys. 4th do Certain boundaries of these Townships were resurveyed in connection with the Survey to make a tie between the 5th Initial Meridian and the International Boundary. 5th Initial Meridian P.R. A. Belanger | Retraced, chained and marked from 7th to 14th Bases. do do Resurvey of North boundary. corrected between North boundary of Town ship 55 and 13th Correction Line. do do do Jno. Vicars...... Verification of Water Area Survey. do 2 do do 2 do .... 2 do do do do do do do do do do do do do Boundaries of certain Sections remeasured. Resurvey of Meridian. Resurvey of East boundary. do do do do do South do do do East and West lines in Township. Verification of Water Area Survey. Lost corners re-established. North boundaries Sections 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, and East bound aries 35 and 36, resurveyed. North boundary of Section 6, resurveyed. Posts on South boundary of Township corrected. Posts and mounds of old system_removed. Posts and mounds of erroneous survey removed. C. F. Leclerc... Resurvey, East boundary. do do |