To an ADDRESS of the HOUSE OF COMMONS, dated 22nd April, 1872-For copies of all Reports made by Mr. Perley, C. E., on the most practicable and effectual means of securing and maintaining the unimpeded navigation of the River St. John, at or near the Oromocto Shoals (so called).

By command,

DEPARTMENT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE,

OTTAWA, 2nd May, 1872.

J. C. AIKINS,

Secretary of State.

[In accordance with the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Printing, the above Return is not printed.]

PROGRESS REPORT

ON THE

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY

EXPLORATORY SURVEY.

ADDRESSED TO THE HON. H. L. LANGEVIN, C. B., MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS.

BY SANDFORD FLEMING,

ENGINEER-IN-CHIEF.

OTTAWA:

PRINTED BY I. B. TAYLOR, 29, 31 AND 33 RIDEAU STREET.

1872.

PROGRESS REPORT

OF THE

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY ·

EXPLORATORY SURVEY.

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY,

OFFICE OF THE ENGINEER IN CHIEF

OTTAWA, 10th Apri, 1872

SIR,-I have the honor to submit the following preliminary Report on the Canadian Pacific Railway Exploratory Survey, commenced in June, last year.

According to the terms upon which British Columbia entered the Dominion of Canada, it became necessary to construct a railway through to the Pacific coast, from some point which would form a junction with the existing railway system in the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

The first important step towards the construction of the railway being to ascertain, by instrumental and other examination, where a practicable and eligible line could be found, a survey became necessary.

The Parliament, at the last Session, made a grant of money towards the survey, and the Government subsequently appointed the undersigned to conduct it, and to carry into execution such steps as might be considered best, in order to discover the most practicable line for the proposed railway, and obtain information respecting its general engineering features.

It was deemed important to take such prompt and energetic action as would secure as much information on the subject as possible, before the next meeting of Parliament. The object of this report is to give a brief outline of the steps which have been taken to accomplish the desired objects, and likewise to present, in a concise form, the general results of the survey up to the present time.

A point near the River Ottawa, opposite Lake Nipissing, was selected as the eastern end of the survey, this point, named "Mattawa," is common to and easily connected with the railways built and projected in Ontario and Quebec.

The terminus on the Pacific coast is still an open question; its selection will probably be governed, to a considerable extent, by the comparative facilities for railway construction presented by various projected routes through British Columbia.

At the outset of the enquiry all such information regarding the country extending from Mattawa to the Pacific coast, as it was possible to obtain, was carefully considered, in order to discover where the surveys should be made with the greatest hope of success.

It was found that the general direction of the railway line would be governed, by certain important physical features at various points through the country to be traversed.

Prominently among these may be mentioned; 1st, the very rugged country along the shores of, and for some distance back of Lakes Huron and Superior; 2nd, Lake Nepigon; 3rd, Lake of the Woods; 4th, Lake Manitoba; 5th, the Rocky Mountains, and lastly the Gold, Selkirk and Cascade ranges of mountains in British Columbia.

The leading features of the country naturally divide the survey into three great divisions:

First.-From Mattawa to Fort Garry.

Second.-From Fort Garry to the Rocky Mountains.

Third. From the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast.

It will be convenient to refer to the subject under these separate heads:

MATTAWA TO FORT GARRY.

Very little information could be obtained respecting a great extent of the country between Mattawa and Fort Garry. It had scarcely been penetrated more than a few miles back of the River Ottawa, and the Lakes Huron and Superior, except on the canoe routes which lead to the outlying posts of the Hudson Bay Company. Along the chain of lakes extending from Fort William to Manitoba, however, its character was better understood.

What was really known of this country, particularly that long stretch between the Ottawa and the northern bend of Lake Superior, indicated that it was not favourable for railway construction. Along the coast of Lake Superior the ground was reported most impracticable and forbidding.

It was deemed advisable therefore in projecting a chain of surveys, to make the attempt of piercing through the interior at a considerable distance back from the Lake, in the hope of finding ground free from those serious obstacles which presented themselves on or near the coast.

It was at the same time considered important to make the attempt offinding a practicable line which would touch the navigable waters of Lake Superior at the nearest point to Fort Garry, viz:-At Nepigon or Thunder Bay.

The whole distance from Mattawa to Fort Garry was sub-divided into eleven different surveys or divisions, each from 75 to 90 miles in length, with the view of securing a continuous chain of instrumental measurements, with as little delay as possible.

The whole country along the line of projected surveys, embracing an extent of not far short of one thousand miles, being densely wooded and without a road or trail of any description, made the prosecution of the work unusually difficult.

A branch survey was authorised from the Nipissing district to Sault Ste. Marie, to connect with lines projected south of Lake Superior, and with steamboat navigation to Nepigon or Thunder Bay.

To obtain as much information as possible within the year, an expedition was also sent northerly to James' Bay.

The last named expedition ascended to the head waters of the River Ottawa, and northerly by the river Abbitibbe to Moose Factory, returning by Moose River and Michipicoten River to Lake Superior.

FORT GARRY TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.

The country west of Fort Garry, consisting for the most part of open prairies, and being characterized, even up to the base of the Rocky Mountains, by physical and engineering features, remarkable for their simplicity; a continuous instrumental survey was not for the present deemed necessary.

A careful examination of all the information obtainable, showed, however, that as a general rule the rivers of the plains west of Fort Garry flow in deeply eroded beds of great width, suggestive of bridging on a gigantic scale.

it was found, chiefly from the reports of the Palliser expedition, that the great troughs or valleys through which the streams flow, range over a wide extent of country, from 150 to