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APPENDIX
with sheets of water, varying in size from mere ponds to small
and fair- sized lakes. In travelling north- eastward toward
Franklin Bay, on the Arctic coast, several dry, swampy, mossy
and peaty plains were passed before reaching the Barren
Grounds proper. The country thence to the " height of land "
between tbe Anderson and the deep, gorge- like valley through
which the Wihnot Horton Biver ( MacFarlane's River of
Petitot's map) flows, as well as from the " crossing" of the
lakes to the high plateau which forms the western sea- bank of
Franklin Bay, consists of vast plains or steppes of a flat or
undulating character, diversified by some small lakes and gently
sloping eminences, not dissimilar in appearance to portions of
the North- West prairies. In the region here spoken of, however,
the ridges occasionally assume a mound- like, hilly
character, while one or two intersecting affluents of the Wihnot
Horton flow through valleys in which a few stunted spruce,
birch and willow appear at intervals. On the banks of one of
these, near its mouth, we observed a sheltered grove of spruce
and willows of larger growth, wherein moose and musk oxen
had frequently browsed. We met with no more spruce nor any
traces of the moose to the eastward, and I doubt if many
stragglers range beyond latitude sixty- nine north.
The greater part of the Barren Grounds is ever;' season
covered with short grasses, mosses and small flowering plants,
while patches of sedgy or peat)' soil occur at longer or shorter
distances. On these, as well as along the smaller rivulets, river
and lake banks, Labrador tea, erow- berries, and a few other
kinds of berries, dwarf birch, willows, etc., grow. Large flat
spaces had the honeycombed appearance usually presented in
early spring by land which had been turned over in the previous
autumn. There were few signs of vegetation on these, while
some sandy and many other spots were virtually sterile. Traces
of the dark bituminous formation seen on the Lockhart,
Anderson and Boss rivers, of the 1857 Beport, no doubt exist
along the Wihnot Horton Biver and the greater part of
Franklin Bay, especially to the north of our camping point
( near its southern extremity). The foregoing Barren Grounds
are chiefly composed of a peaty, sandy, clayey or gravelly soil;
but stones are rare, and rock in situ ( limestone) was encountered
hut on two or three occasions on the line of march from
the Fort to the Coast.
B. M A C F A B L A N E.
Object Description
Description
| Title | Page 513 |
| OCR | APPENDIX with sheets of water, varying in size from mere ponds to small and fair- sized lakes. In travelling north- eastward toward Franklin Bay, on the Arctic coast, several dry, swampy, mossy and peaty plains were passed before reaching the Barren Grounds proper. The country thence to the " height of land " between tbe Anderson and the deep, gorge- like valley through which the Wihnot Horton Biver ( MacFarlane's River of Petitot's map) flows, as well as from the " crossing" of the lakes to the high plateau which forms the western sea- bank of Franklin Bay, consists of vast plains or steppes of a flat or undulating character, diversified by some small lakes and gently sloping eminences, not dissimilar in appearance to portions of the North- West prairies. In the region here spoken of, however, the ridges occasionally assume a mound- like, hilly character, while one or two intersecting affluents of the Wihnot Horton flow through valleys in which a few stunted spruce, birch and willow appear at intervals. On the banks of one of these, near its mouth, we observed a sheltered grove of spruce and willows of larger growth, wherein moose and musk oxen had frequently browsed. We met with no more spruce nor any traces of the moose to the eastward, and I doubt if many stragglers range beyond latitude sixty- nine north. The greater part of the Barren Grounds is ever;' season covered with short grasses, mosses and small flowering plants, while patches of sedgy or peat)' soil occur at longer or shorter distances. On these, as well as along the smaller rivulets, river and lake banks, Labrador tea, erow- berries, and a few other kinds of berries, dwarf birch, willows, etc., grow. Large flat spaces had the honeycombed appearance usually presented in early spring by land which had been turned over in the previous autumn. There were few signs of vegetation on these, while some sandy and many other spots were virtually sterile. Traces of the dark bituminous formation seen on the Lockhart, Anderson and Boss rivers, of the 1857 Beport, no doubt exist along the Wihnot Horton Biver and the greater part of Franklin Bay, especially to the north of our camping point ( near its southern extremity). The foregoing Barren Grounds are chiefly composed of a peaty, sandy, clayey or gravelly soil; but stones are rare, and rock in situ ( limestone) was encountered hut on two or three occasions on the line of march from the Fort to the Coast. B. M A C F A B L A N E. |
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