In 1905 he was sent to survey the coast between York Factory and Cape Henrietta Maria. The shore between these points was swampy as far inland as he could walk in two or three days.
Mr. O’Sullivan testified that during the summer of 1906 he started from Split lake, on the Nelson, and made for the headwaters of Little Churchill river, going down the Little Churchill to the Big Churchill. The country between Split lake and Big lake is mostly swampy. The country about Big lake is a good loamy soil, with easy slopes surrounding the lakes. From Big lake to the Big Churchill the country is rocky and swampy, with a good deal of good loamy soil in places—a rich clay loam. The rock is mostly granite and gneiss. It is very hard to find out whether the land is suitable for agriculture on such an expedition. It is hard to know the extent of the soil, but Mr. O’Sullivan thought
The Climate was Suitable for Agriculture.
There are lots of boulders all through the country, but it is possible to cultivate what there is of the land. There are places where the land extends to the size of a dozen townships, and then there would be three or four times that much without having in it enough arable land to make a good-sized township. In the vicinity of Churchill there is grass in the valleys of very good quality. It occurs about half-way down the Little Churchill.
Good potatoes are raised at Split lake. Mr. O’Sullivan had obtained a bag of potatoes grown there. They were rather small, but very palatable. That was in June, and they were grown the previous year. Split lake from the coast, by the Nelson, would be about one hundred and seventy-five miles. He went down Nelson river and north to Churchill. The general character of the country from James bay farther north is good, agriculturally. The country from Split lake rises to Wabishkok about two hundred feet. That is about thirty miles in a straight line. Besides potatoes, he had seen turnips, cabbage and lettuce growing, and all appeared to be very good. The potato vines in September were touched with frost rather severely. The potatoes were taken up on August 23 and 25, 1906.
Mr. O’Sullivan stated that he had been up near the head of Lake Winnipeg, where the river leaves the lake. There is good agricultural land around there. He never had such good potatoes as at Cross lake. He did not see them growing, but had them in June and also in September. The June potatoes would be the previous crop, and the September ones possibly the new crop. They do not grow any grain there; they have no cattle, and there are no settlers in there. The Hudson’s Bay factor raised the potatoes. He had just enough to keep his own family. He had them in three or four different quarters. Mr. O’Sullivan saw lettuce and turnips growing at Churchill.
Mr. J. W. McLaggan, of Strathcona, Alberta, in 1907, made an exploratory trip over a portion of the same country as Mr. McInnes, but going farther west. He left Prince Albert on August 2 and reached The Pas on August 15. On August 25 he crossed Clearwater lake. He describes the country he passed through as low and swampy, and
Wild Berries of All Kinds
as plentiful. The land north of Cormorant lake he found to be of good clay loam, and capable of being farmed successfully on a small scale after being cleared. A garden of potatoes, turnips, carrots and cabbages looked well, and on August 27
Showed No Evidence of Frost.