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where the settlers from the Fort McLeod district procured their large timber for building purposes.

On your finding the azimuth of the 5th initial meridian between the third and fourth base practically correct, you set out for its intersection with the 3rd base, and from this point I assisted you in running the 5th initial meridian to the 2nd base, and in examining Contract No. 1 adjoining this meridian; we then proceeded to sub-divide a portion of Township 3, Range 25, west of the 4th initial meridian. I then took the party to Calgary, where I again met you and accompanied you to the Dog Pound Creek and assisted you in examining contracts numbers 2 and 3; you then left for Calgary and I proceeded to the 8th correction line and re-ran the south boundary of Township 31, Range 28.

This portion of the country is an undulating prairie and has been swept over by fire every few years, the destructiveness of which is here seen by numerous burnt clumps of young poplar, averaging about one inch in diameter and about six feet high, which furnished us with fuel and saved quite a trip, as the nearest wood was about fifteen miles distant.

Leaving once more for Calgary, I again moved down the Bow River and measured the intersection of the 5th initial meridian with the Bow River in Township 23, and continuing down I examined the east boundaries of Townships 21, 22 and 23, Range 27 west of 4th initial meridian, and, finding the error, moved the posts and mounds affected, which necessitated the re-running of the south boundaries of Townships 23, Ranges 26 and 27, also the north boundaries of Townships 22, Ranges 26 and 27, all west of 4th initial meridian, which I completed.

While at work here we labored under great disadvantages, having to drive about eleven miles to work, as wood and water were not to be had nearer than the river.

The soil in this district of country is very good, but it suffers from the great drawback of the want of wood and water.

During the latter part of the work I moved into Langdon, a station of the Canadian Pacific Railway, where there is a well of alkaline water, which the people very kindly allowed me to use for our horses, and supplied us with water drawn from the Bow River for our own use.

From Langdon I moved into Calgary, where the outfit was stored for the winter and the party paid off, retaining two men for the examination of two contracts in Manitoba. On the completion of these examinations I accompanied you home, since which time I have been assisting you in preparing the returns of the season's work. I have the honor to be, Sir,

J. S. DENNIS, Esq., D.T.S.,

Inspector of Surveys, Dept. of Interior,
Ottawa.

Your obedient servant,

A. DRISCOLL, Jun., D.L.S.

No. 7.

REPORT OF ISAAC TRAYNOR, D. L. S.

CORRECTION OF SURVEYS.

DUNDALK, ONT., 1st December, 1887.

SIR,-In compliance with instructions I proceeded to Moose Jaw, and, taking charge of the party and outfit assigned me, proceeded by way of Swift Current to the forks of the Red Deer and South Saskatchewan rivers, and completed some work in Township 22, Range 1 west of the 4th meridian on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River. In crossing the river a short distance north of the fork, I was delayed for a week before I could get my horses and outfit over.

The water in the river being a rushing torrent, against which our canvas boat was of very little use, we were somewhat delayed, and would probably have been delayed longer had I not found an old boat on the bank of the river, which I regained, and for which I also made a pair of oars. Thus equipped we managed to cross and worked westward examining and removing mounds, &c., in Townships 22 and 23, Ranges 1 to 8, on the north side of Red Deer River. We then crossed the Red Deer in Range 7 and worked eastward to the 4th initial meridian, from which point I went to Medicine Hat for a supply of provisions, and then proceeded to examine Townships 21 and 22, Ranges 7, 8, 9, by running and chaining a number of the lines, the result of which I have already reported.

I also examined and removed mounds on river lots in Townships 21 and 22, Range 10, south of the Red Deer, when I again returned to Medicine Hat for additional instructions, after receiving which I proceeded to Range 11, Township 21, and worked westward, examining and making correction surveys and removing mounds on river lots to Township 26, Range 22, west of the 4th initial meridian, where I completed the field work for the season and returned to Calgary to store my outfit.

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No. 8.

REPORT OF THOMAS C. BROWNJOHN, D. L. S.

CORRECTION OF SURVEYS.

CALGARY, ALBERTA, N.W.T., 29th October, 1887.

SIR,-I have the honor to report that, in compliance with your instructions, dated Moose Jaw, 27th May, 1887, I have obliterated the river lot mounds on the right and left banks of the South Saskatchewan River in the following townships west of the 3rd initial meridian, viz. :-Township 19, Range 17; Townships 20, 21, Range 17; Townships 21, 22, Range 18; Townships 22, 23, Range 19; Township 23, Range 20; Townships 23, 24, Range 21; Townships 23, 24, Ranges 22, 23, 24; Townships 23, Ranges 25, 26, and beg to submit the accompanying field notes and sketches. I found the water in the South Saskatchewan River, as I was informed, unusually high during the months of June, July and part of August, and Consequently very rapid, rendering it quite dangerous to cross with the small canvas boat furnished us. The banks of the river were, for the most part, very broken, precipitous and rough. There was only a little wood or timber on comparatively few of the river lots, and but a few of them were fit for agricultural purposes. I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

THOMAS C. BROWNJOHN, D.L.S.

J. S. DENNIS, Esq., D. T. S.,

Inspector of Surveys,

Ottawa.

No. 9.

REPORT OF N. R. FREEMAN, D. L. S..

CORRECTION OF SURVEYS.

MILTON, QUEEN'S COUNTY, 19th December, 1887.

SIR,-Acting under instructions from the Surveyor General to report to you at Winnipeg I left Ottawa on the 3rd June and arrived at Winnipeg on the 7th; on my reaching there found you had left the week previous for Calgary, at which place I wired you and received an answer to report at once at Moose Jaw. I was detained in Winnipeg until the morning of the 9th waiting for Mr. Armstrong, who had been appointed my assistant. On my arrival at Moose Jaw 10th June, found carts loaded with provisions for a two months' cruise, and everything in readiness to proceed at once to the work on the South Saskatchewan River, where I had been appointed to remove the mounds and posts bounding the river lots from Range 16 to Range & inclusive, west of the third initial meridian. We reached the South Saskatchewan River at the crossing of the Battleford trail on the 25th, and on the 27th June started up the river to Range 16, Township 19, west of third initial meridian, and worked down the river to the landing. The river being very high, did not consider it advisable to use the canvas boat which you had furnished me, so had my outfit ferried across the river and removed all the mounds and posts set forth in my instructions on the north side of the river, finishing the same on the 20th of August. I then started across the country and struck the Battleford trail in Township 24, Range 16, west of third initial meridian, and proceeded by trail to the landing, removed the river lot bounds on the south side of the river as far down as Swift Current Creek, and then proceeded to Swift Current for supplies. While here my horses strayed, or were stolen, and after using every possible means to recover them, was compelled to wire you at Fort McLeod. Having secured other horses from you I left Swift Current on the 16th September, reaching my work on the 19th. I proceeded at once to remove the bounds of the river lots south of the river, and completed the same on the 14th October. The removal of the boundaries of these lots from Rarge 16 to Range 9 was very difficult, as numerous coulées ran up into the country and a number of the mounds were placed in the hills which, in most cases, were sand. I find that the sub dividers in most instances made no distinction in their work, marking section and quarter-section corners as river lot bounds. In such cases I placed iron posts in section mounds and wooden posts in quarter section mounds. I also find that between the outline of the river lots no section or quartersection mounds have been erected, leaving a space along the river unsurveyed. Having received instructions to proceed to Long Lake to make traverse in Township 22, Range 23, I proceeded there, made the traverse required, reaching Moose Jaw on the 4th November, which finished my work for the season of 1887. Your obedient servant,

J. S. DENNIS, Esq., D.T.S.,

Inspector of Surveys,
Ottawa.

N. R. FREEMAN, D. L. S.

No. 10.

REPORT OF J. A. KIRK, D.L.S.

CORRECTION OF SURVEYS.

WINNIPEG, 6th December, 1887.

SIR,-I have the honor to submit the following report on the correction and other surveys entrusted to me during the past season.

On 24th May I left Winnipeg for Moose Jaw where I received my instructions and outfit. I then went to Medicine Hat by trail, and, in accordance with my instructions, worked the South Saskatchewan River, obliterating the river lots as far north as Township 17. I then went back to Medicine Hat and proceeded with the demolition of the river lots up the South Saskatchewan and Bow Rivers as far as the Blackfoot Reserve, where I made a correction survey of part of the east outline of Township 19, Range 19, west of the fourth meridian.

Returning to Medicine Hat, I crossed the outfit to the south side of the river and went westerly on the same work along the South Saskatchewan, Belly and Old Man's Rivers, as far as Range 27, west of the fourth meridian, making a re-survey of the third correction line in Ranges 16 and 17, on the way.

Returning again to Medicine Hat, I made a survey of the trail between Medicine Hat and Dunmore, which completed my work for the season, consisting of the obliteration of river lots in fifty-three townships, one trail and two correction surveys. During the season I travelled about 2,500 miles in a buckboard. Progress reports were made from time to time, respecting the details of the work.

A few remarks respecting the country in the vicinity of Medicine Hat, which I had an excellent opportunity of seeing will, perhaps, not be out of place.

It is bounded on the north by the Rainy Hills and on the south by the Cypress Hills, and so lies, as it were, in a valley which is swept by the warm winds from the Sun River district, Montana, and Chinooks from the mountain passes, which shorten the winter to a few weeks in January and February, and render the housing or feeding of cattle as unnecessary as in the McLeod district.

Seeding is done in March, and injurious summer frosts are almost unknown. Mr. Sutherland, the immigration agent at Medicine Hat, informs me that there are 120 settlers within a radius of thirty miles engaged in cattle and sheep ranching and mixed farming.

In old times it was the favorite wintering ground of the buffalo. The soil was alternately tramped by the countless herds roaming over its surface and baked by the sun until it had the hardness of cement, rendering it almost impervious to the rain, which ran off nearly as fast as it fell. In later years it was scourged by the fires, at first unusually disastrous owing to the heat from the slowly burning bois de prairie (of which, as might be expected, there was an immense quantity) which destroyed not only the grass but the roots also. These adverse circumstances doubtless brought about climatic changes the reverse of those which settlement and cultivation of the soil are known to produce.

J. S. DENNIS, Esq., D.T.S.,

I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

Inspector of Surveys, Department of Interior,

Ottawa.

J. A. KIRK, D.L.S.

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