opposite. The territory is already organized, has its laws in regard to property and civil rights and relations, including the subject of marriage, already in operation, these laws being similar in all material respects to the statutes bearing on the same subjects in the Provinces of Canada. It is almost impossible to conceive that the Mormons could, under any circumstances, attain such proportions and influence as would enable them to seriously affect the laws of the Territories, in relation to such a matter as marriage, but even if such were the case, the control over Territorial and Provincial legislation which under the Constitution is vested in the Dominion authorities, representing, as they do, the views of the whole public of Canada, will be a perfect safeguard against any possible mischief arising from this source. In favour of the Mormons it must be said that they are as a rule industrious, intelligent and frugal; indeed, in these respects, they are not excelled by any class of settlers. It ought to be added, too, that to every one who has spoken to them they have declared their intention of abiding strictly by the laws of Canada as they find them. As pointed out by Mr. Pearce, their experience and the example which they are likely to show in the matter of irrigation will be of great importance to other settlers along the foot hills of the Rocky Mountains. Irrigation is not so expensive a process as is popularly believed; but we are fortunate that in so large a proportion of this immense country we have a rainfall so bountiful and so equally distributed over the year that we do not need to resort to artificial means of moistening the soil, except in very rare cases. Irrigation will at most be confined to a comparatively small tract of the North-West.

MINERAL RIGHTS IN THE BRITISH COLUMBIA RAILWAY BELT.

It was stated in this portion of last year's report that the dispute between the Dominion Government and the Government of British Columbia, as to the ownership of the precious metals in the railway belt, had been submitted for decision to the Supreme Court. This Department has recently been informed by the Department of Justice that the Supreme Court has delivered judgment in the premises, and has upheld the claim made by the Dominion Government to the ownership of these metals. The Department is further advised, however, that the Government of British Columbia intend appealing to the Privy Council against this decision.

SURVEYS.

The operations of this branch of the Department in the field have now been reduced to what I presume may be regarded as their normal proportions. All the agricultural lands along the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway and its branches, and also along the constructed lines of the colonization railways, have been sub divided and set out for settlement. So also have the lands along the North and South Saskatchewan and in the valley of the Bow River; and as stated in previous reports the township outlines throughout the whole of the agricultural portions of

the Territories have been so fully completed that sub-divison can proceed from year to year, as it did during the past season, according to the requirements of settlement. The surveys in British Columbia have been prosecuted wholly with a view to rendering immediately available such lands as are likely to be required for agricultural purposes, and the sub-division of any tract within the railway belt can now be accomplished in a very short space of time and at comparatively small expense by projection from the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the topographical survey of which, made jointly by Mr. William Ogilvie, D.L.S, and Mr. Otto J. Klotz, D.T.S., has been completed and mapped. Of the sub-division work done on this side of the mountains the most extensive was in the neighbourhood of Lake Dauphin, that district having recently received considerable attention, both on account of its fitness for settlement and its probable value as a petroleum field. Whether the anticipations of prospectors in regard to the petroleum are likely to be fulfilled or otherwise will very shortly be known, for a company fairly well equipped for the work has been prosecuting exploratory borings during the whole of the working portion of last season, and it is more than likely that their efforts will be renewed in the spring.

The topographical survey of the Rocky Mountains along the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway is making satisfactory progress, and although the proportion of the survey staff engaged in the work during the year was smaller than in the previous year, the Department has been able to profit by the experience of the past to such an extent that the results of the season's work are the most satisfactory yet accomplished. It is important to observe, as is stated by the Surveyor General, that with the assistance of a small camera, specially fitted for the purpose, the surveyor is able to obtain and plot upon his maps details of the topography of the country which, if the methods hitherto pursued were adopted, would require a long time to complete and would cost a large sum of money.

AREAS OF SUB-DIVIDED LANDS.

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

THE YUKON EXPEDITION.

The last annual report of the Department contained very full information as to the steps which had then been taken with a view to exploring the portion of the Yukon country lying within Canadian territory. Progress reports from Dr. George M. Dawson, Assistant Director of the Geological Survey, who was in command of the expedition until he left the field last autumn, and from Mr. William Ogilvie, the topographical surveyor who has since had charge, will be found in another part of this report. Dr. Dawson's report is highly interesting and very valu able. Mr. Ogilvie, of course, has only been able to furnish a hurried line or two prepared after his meeting with Dr. Dawson at the junction of the Pelly Branch and the Yukon, and written so as to permit of its being taken out of the country by Dr. Dawson. Some very interesting photographs of the country through which they passed were taken by Dr. Dawson and Mr. Ogilvie, and have since been developed by Mr. Topley.

Mr. Ogilvie and his party are wintering on the Yukon, and the time will be utilized in making such observations as are possible with the facilities at hand and such explorations as can be conducted during that portion of the year. On the opening of spring, he will proceed down the Yukon to the mouth of the Porcupine, up the Porcupine to its head waters, and crossing over the height of land will reach the Mackenzie River, by which he will return to the North-West Territories, reaching Edmonton possibly some time in the early winter of the present year.

The placer gold mines of the Yukon valley have of late years received much attention from miners, and a considerable population of this class has for the past three seasons been at work upon the placer diggings in that region, a large number of them within what is well known to be Canadian territory. The region is also of considerable value for its timber resources, and the opinion formed by Dr. Dawson would appear to be that it has also agricultural capabilities sufficient to permit of producing the chief necessaries of life. There is little doubt that stockraising, if the animals were cared for in the winter as we are accustomed to care for them in Eastern Canada, could be carried on, at least upon such a scale as to supply the local demand.

ASTRONOMICAL WORK.

The determination of latitudes and longitudes, commenced in British Columbia by Mr. Klotz and Mr. Drummond, in 1885, has been continued during the past season by Mr. W. F. King, the Chief Inspector of Surveys, and Mr. Klotz. The results attained have been excellent, considering the several drawbacks experienced; and Mr. King follows up his report of last year upon this class of operations by another admirable and valuable contribution, which will be found in the appendices hereto. In order to complete and make use of the work performed during the past three seasons, it is necessary that a connection should be made

with some station on the east from Winnipeg, which it is hoped will be accomplished during the coming summer.

GENERAL REMARKS.

The addition of a qualified and experienced photographer, in the person of Mr. H. N. Topley, was made to the staff of the Department during the past year. Mr. Topley is now engaged in perfecting a process by which we expect, perhaps in time to be utilized in connection with next year's report, to be able to illustrate the publications of the Department by reproducing the photographs male from negatives supplied by the surveyors who are now furnished with photographic instruments. This will add greatly to the interest and also to the value of the reports, and if the success accomplished be at all equal to our present anticipa tions, these reproductions will be quite an attractive feature of our Departmental publications.

1 join with the Surveyor General in expressing regret that the last link connecting Mr. Lindsay Russell with the Department of the Interior has been severed. It would be difficult to estimate the value of the services which have been rendered to the country by Mr. Russell in his quality as a surveyor, and his resignation from the membership of the Board of Examiners is a real loss not only to the Department but to the profession.

GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY.

Part III of this volume consists of the usual report of the Director of the Geological Survey upon the operations of his Branch for the past year. Amongst the subjects which have received the Director's personal attention may be mentioned the silver-bearing galena deposits of the Illecillewaet, in the British Columbia Railway Belt. It will be observed that the chief difficulty experienced in working the Illecillewaet mines to advantage is the elevation of the openings, which are 5,300 feet above the level of the sea, and which can only be reached by a zigzag ascent of 3,500 feet from the railway and a similar descent of 1,000 feet on the other side of the ridge. The Superintendent of Mines deals with this practical question in his contribution to the annual report, and it seems a great pity, since the analysis of the ore, as made by Mr. Hoffmann, the Chemist and Mineralo. gist of the Geological Survey, shows a return of from 247 92 to 816 67 ounces of silver to the ton of ore, that the development of these mines should not be undertaken by persons having the necessary capital to enable them to meet the somewhat heavy outlay requisite to establish an economical and speedy means of communication between the mines and the railway. The ore certainly seems rich enough to justify such an outlay, and it is to be hoped that those interested in the mines will be able to procure the capital necessary to their proper development, for in that event the mining industries in the railway belt in British Columbia would probably become as important as those of any equal area on this continent. It is by virtue of expenditures of this kind, and the furnishing of the same facili

ties as will be necessary at Illecillewaet, that mining has experienced such rapid development in corresponding regions to the south of the International Boundary.

Among the economic results of the Survey, as distinguished from the purely scientific, the report of Dr. Ells on the asbestos, copper, antimony, iron and gold mines in the neighborhood of Quebec; the observations of the Director on the existence of natural gas in that Province; the report of Mr. Fletcher on the iron ores of Pictou County, N. S., and of Mr. Hoffmann on the work carried on in the chemical laboratory and the mineralogical section of the Museum, will be regarded by the commercial public with more than ordinary interest.

An important event in the history of the Survey was the creation by Order in Council, based upon your own recommendation, of a new division, with Mr. Eugène Coste, Mining Engineer, as its chief, the object of which is to afford to the public more detailed and complete information with regard to the mining resources and industries of the country than has hitherto been presented. With an efficiently conducted Bureau specially devoted to this work, the co-operation of the authorities of the several Provinces, and the prompt publication of the information collected which may be expected in the future, there is every reason to believe that this arm of the service will be the means of furnishing to those interested in the development of the mineral products of the country a great deal of useful information, and, generally speaking, will meet a growing public want.

ROYAL COMMISSION ON REBELLION LOSSES.

Immediately after the close of the outbreak of 1885, a large number of the claims for losses, alleged to have been incurred during and in consequence of the insurrection, were received by the Department from the various districts in the North-West Territories which had suffered at the hands of the Indian and halfbreed insurgents.

Many of these claims were of a bond fide and urgent nature, and showed that in several intances great suffering would be endured if speedy means of relief were not adopted. To meet this emergency, Messrs. Muma, Ouimet, McKay and Herchmer were at once sent through the lately disturbed districts to report upon the situation. As a result of their report, the sum of $132,191.35 was paid through the agents of this Department to the settlers in the Districts of Prince Albert and Battleford; and the case being emergent, the money was provided in advance of the meeting of Parliament by Special Warrants of His Excellency the Governor General. The report of the gentlemen mentioned also reserved a number of claims, in regard to which they represented that it was necessary to take evidence under oath. In accordance with the recommendation contained in that report, and in order to settle as speedily as possible the large number of claims still undisposed of, an Order in Council was passed on the 25th February, 1886,