of the Province since the acquisition of the Railway Belt, has not yet been finally settled. The case was argued in December last before the Judicial Committee of the Imperial Privy Council, Mr. Sedgewick, Q C., Deputy Minister of Justice, appearing in person on behalf of the Dominion Government; and it is expected that a judgment will be rendered very shortly. It will be remembered that the Supreme Court of Canada have already given judgment in favour of the Dominion. The existence of this dispute has doubtless interfered greatly with the development of the mineral resources of the Belt, but preparation has been made by capitalists and prospectors to enter vigorously upon the work of development as soon as it is definitely settled which Government they have to deal with. Meantime, the pioneer smelting works of British Columbia have been erected at Vancouver, and there is an encouraging prospect that other will be in operation in the near future. The establishment of these works must necessarily have a great effect upon the mineral production of the western portion of the Territories and of British Columbia.

A slight increase is noticeable in the operations of this Branch of the Department. The townships formerly subdivided which at the time were beyond the limits of settlement have been gradually taken up, and the new settlers in some localities now find themselves on unsurveyed land. This is particularly the case between Lakes Manitoba and Winnipeg, where a large colony of Icelanders has been formed, and is progressing rapidly. In the Macleod-Calgary District, the fine climate and superior quality of the land are attracting so many settlers that a considerable addition had to be made to the townships already subdivided.

مجھے

The surveys in British Columbia are now sufficiently advanced to cover the whole of the lands taken up by settlers. The reports of the surveyors confirm the previous estimates of the great value and fertility of the agricultural lands in the railway belt. The abundance and variety of the crops cannot fail to attract very soon a large immigration.

The topographical survey of the Rocky Mountains has been continued on the economical plan inaugurated last year, and, as anticipated, the quality of the work has not only been improved, but its quantity has also been largely increased. The districts surveyed were Crow's Nest Pass and the Bow River Valley, the latter including part of the National Park and of the adjoining coal lands. The maps of these districts will certainly prove very useful.

AREAS OF SUBDIVIDED LANDS.

Hereunder will be found the usual table of subdivision or settlement survey work completed in each year since the commencement of the survey, with the results of last season added:

The Chief Inspector of Surveys, Mr. King, assisted by Mr. Klotz, continued the determination of latitudes and longitudes commenced some years since in British Columbia, the stations occupied this year being Edmonton and Fort Pitt. Their reports contain much valuable information from a scientific point of view. It would now be desirable, in order to complete and make use of the work performed, to make a connection with the eastern seaboard.

GENERAL REMARKS ON THE SURVEY WORK.

The work of the photographer appointed last year has been somewhat impeded by the want of proper quarters. It was found impossible on that account to take full advantage of his services. Steps have been taken to remedy this defect, and it is hoped that he will soon be in a position to do all the work required.

Photography in a survey office serves many useful purposes; for reproductions, copies, enlargements and reductions of maps or plans, it is the quickest and most economical process. Used in connection with lithography, as it is here, it affords the most convenient mode of printing editions of plans or geographical maps.

Surveyors' reports, although containing much valuable information, are little read by the public. I'roperly selected illustrations reproduced from photographs would not only render the reading attractive, but would give much additional value to the information contained in the reports. It may be added that no report of an exploration now is considered complete without being accompanied by illustrations. Photomechanical processes have been so improved of late that no difficulty is to be apprehended in illustrating the surveyors' reports from the photographs they take, and this would have been done for the present year's report, but for the want of proper quarters for the photographer. The small lithographic office connected with the Topographical Surveys Branch affords special facilities for executing the whole of the work here and at a moderate cost.

In addition to his regular duties in the Topographical Branch of the Department, the photographer had much to do for the Geological Survey. The work of that Branch is of the most varied description, including the development and printing of

the views taken by the explorers, the photographing of fossils and specimens, reproductions of trees, plants and other specimens of natural history, photomicrographs, &c. The work was previously executed by outside artists, and was a considerable item of the Geological Survey expenditure, which is now saved.

It is worth noting that to all the survey Departments of European countries, of the United States, India, &c., well equipped photographic offices are attached. These were organized long before the recent improvements in photography, and notwithstanding all the difficulties they had to contend with, they were found veryTM useful. Now that the processes have become so much simplified, their usefulness has been correspondingly increased. The Coast Survey, the Lake Survey, the Hydrographic Office, the Geographical Survey, and the Geological Survey of the United States have splendidly equipped photographic offices, with numerous assistants, and the most improved apparatus. The whole of the surveys of the Dominion Government are conducted by two offices, the Geological and the Topographical Branches of this Department, and the appointment of one photographer for both is amply justified on the grounds enumerated above.

So long as survey operations did not extend beyond the plains of the North-West Territories, the regular township sub-division surveys afforded all the information necessary for a proper administration of the lands. The country was completely covered by a network of lines, which were quite sufficient to determine the few important topographical features of the prairies. In passing to the mountain region, however, the conditions were found entirely changed, the topographical features were well marked and numerous, and the survey of township and section lines was not only a very expensive operation, but also a useless one in the majority of cases. Since information about the country could not be obtained by means of those lines, it had to be procured independently by surveys having for their object the compilation of a map. The regular processes of topographical surveying were far too expensive, and there was but one method that would allow the execution of the work at a cost commensurate with the extent and resources of the Dominion, and that was photo-graphic surveying. The process has been used for some years in the Alps by the general staff of the Italian Army, for work precisely the same as here. Our first attempt was made in 1887, but owing to imperfect instruments and want of experience, the results were not satisfactory. The attempt was repeated in 1888, and this time with perfect success. It is estimated that the cost will not exceed six dollars per square mile, while the same work executed by the ordinary methods of the Ordnance Survey would cost at least ten times as much.

YUKON AND MACKENZIE EXPLORATION.

In last year's report it was explained that Mr. Wm. Ogilvie had been sent in charge of a survey party to explore the Yukon district. Starting from Victoria in the spring of 1887, he crossed from Chilkoot Inlet to the head waters of the Yukon, and went down the latter to a point near the international boundary between Alaska and Canada, where he spent the greater part of the winter making astronomical observations for the purpose of ascertaining the position of the 141st degree of longitude, the international boundary at that point. His observations have not yet been completely reduced, but an approximate calculation shows that the boundary is nearly

ninety miles below the point where it is marked on the United States maps. This is of great importance, as the line passes through the best gold bearing districts yet discovered in the country.

In the first days of March, 1888, Mr. Ogilvie left bis winter quarters for the mouth of the Mackenzie River, following a route never travelled before by any white man and probably by no Indian. He ascended the Ta-ton-duc, a river flowing from the north into the Yukon ; and then crossing a mountain range, he discovered the true sources of the Porcupine River. From this he went to Fort McPherson, crossed the Rocky Mountains to the Mackenzie, by which he returned south, thus accomplishing a journey of 2,500 miles, through a country hitherto very little known.

The Yukon district appears to have a much greater value than was previously supposed. It would seem that for gold the best paying streams so far as discovered are in Canadian territory. About 300 miners were in the country in the summer of 1857, but it is difficult to say what amount of gold they have taken out, as they are somewhat reticent on the subject. They all agree, however, that $8 per day is poor pay, hardly enough to cover expenses. Taking this as an average, they cannot have made less than $500 each, or $150,000 altogether. Obtained with the crudest and most primitive appliances, this result shows what may be expected so soon as communications with the interior become more easy, and the importation of improved mining machinery possible. Drift coal was found at various places, indicating the existence of seams further up. Salmon abounds in the rivers, but after ascending so far from the sea, it is not fit to become an article of export, although good enough as food for the Indians The fur trade is confined to a few points; there are immense districts, teaming with game and fur-bearing animals of all kinds, where Indians never go. Part of the miners' supplies are procured in the country. The lowest estimate of this trade for 1887, is $60,000. Mr. Ogilvie's report will be an important public document, and will be published and distributed as soon as it can be prepared and printed. Already there are numerous enquiries being made concerning the probable date of its publication, which indicate the interest with which the expedi tion and its results are generally regarded.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

The annual report of the Director of the Geological Survey upon the operations of that branch forms Part III of this volume. In addition to details of an administrative character, this annual summary report has become the medium of presenting to the public at an early date a condensed account of the principal observations, having an immediate economic importance, which have been made by the members of the staff during the year. Such time as the Director of the Survey was able to spare for personal investigations in the field, was during the past summer spent in various localities in the Provinces of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, where points of interest in connection with the general work, of importance because of mineral discoveries, were visited. About a month was specially devoted to the promising mineral country between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, which is now attracting much notice. Several gas wells were also examined, and in consequence of the numerous enquiries made in connection with this particular subject, Mr. Coste was instructed to devote so much of his time as could be spared from the compilation of

the annual statistical report, to the investigation of the natural gas problem. This investigation is now in progress, and promises to be of importance. In British Columbia surveys of a somewhat detailed character were in progress in the Kamloops district, and in that adjacent to the Lower Fraser. The prin cipal object of the work in the last mentioned district was the definition of the coal and lignite-bearing formations, and the determination of the most suitable points at which boring operations might be undertaken for the purpose of searching for workable deposits. From the remarks on the general aspect of mining in British Columbia, made by Dr. Dawson,-whose acquaintance with the geological and mining features of the province now extends over a period of fourteen years-it would appear that he feels the utmost confidence in the result of the developments now in progress, and anticipates an active prosecution of prospecting and mining in the spring. Mr. McConnell, after spending the winter of 1887-88 on the Mackenzie, succeeded in completing his arduous journey by the Porcupine and Lewis Rivers to the Pacific Coast, and in addition to much geological and geographical information of a general kind, has obtained new information of the extent and importance of the oil bearing territory in the drainage basin of the first mentioned river.

In Manitoba and in the Eastern Provinces systematic and detailed work has been in progress during the past season as usual, which, while not as a rule productive of results of striking novelty, calls for a like amount of attention and care on the part of the gentlemen by whom it is conducted, and the results of which appear to be appreciated by the public. Examinations of the geology and mining portions of the country between Montreal River and the northern shores of Lake Huron were conducted by Dr. Bell, who combined this work with that entailed by his appointment to the Ontario Mining Commission. A special investigation, which it is hoped will be completed next summer, is being made of the Du Lièvre phosphate region by Mr. Ingall; the object being to ascertain as definitely as possible the mode of occurrence and distribution of this mineral, the output of which is becoming annually more considerable. Dr. Ells's field of operations in Quebec included the gold region of the Chaudière and the asbestos district, with respect to both of which practical details are given. In Nova Scotia, the area at present under survey embraces portions of the gold and coal districts.

As in former years, a large number of assays and analyses have been conducted in the laboratory of the Survey by Mr. Hoffmann, or under his direction.

ROCKY MOUNTAINS PARK.

In addition to the 18 miles of roads made in the Park during last year, a consi→ derable amount of work was done this season in ditching, forming and grading roads, covering in all some 7.03 miles.

The road to Devil's Lake was cut out in the autumn of 1887, but it was considered advisable in view of the heavy traffic that might be expected during the summer to widen it and otherwise improve it. This was accordingly done, and Mr. Stewart in his report points out that the quality of the road may be judged from the fact that the drive from the lake to the Canadian Pacific Railway Hotel, a distance of some 93 miles, has frequently been accomplished within an hour even before the road was fully completed.