the province in the matter, he intimated that he had, in conjunction with the Dominion premier, submitted the question of jurisdiction to the supreme court, before whom it would soon be argued. Steps had also been taken to present the question to the privy council of England. He concluded by making the following promise:

"If the decision of the privy council should be that the province has the jurisdiction to pass a prohibitory liquor law as respects the sale of intoxicating liquors, I will introduce such a bill in the following session, if I am then at the head of the government. If the decision of the privy council is that the province has jurisdiction to pass only a partial prohibitory liquor law, I will introduce such a prohibitory bill as the decision will warrant, unless the partial prohibitory power is so limited as to be ineffective from a temperance standpoint."

A deputation was also appointed to wait upon the Dominion government to urge the adoption of a prohibitory law for the whole country, and to protest against the ratification of the clause in the pending treaty with France allowing the importation of light wines at a low rate of duty. These requests were laid before Sir John Thompson on March 28, who replied that the policy of the government could hardly be announced prior to the report of the royal commission now investigating the liquor traffic, and that at any rate nothing could be done at this session owing to the reduction of the tariff. In reference to the French treaty, however, he pledged the word of the government that no provision of it would be adopted which would prevent the adoption of prohibition.

Barren Lands Explored.-The country lying between the Athabasca and Mackenzie river basins and the west shore of Hudson bay, known as the "Barren Lands," has hitherto been an unexplored region. In the spring of 1893, it was determined by the geological survey to send an expedition thither to investigate the resources of the region in fur-bearing animals, minerals, etc. Mr. Joseph B. Tyrrell, a geologist, was selected to lead it. He was accompanied by his brother, Mr. James W. Tyrrell, a surveyor, as topographer and Eskimo interpreter, and by six Indians. They left Edmonton about June 1, and proceeded to Athabasca Landing, thence down the river in canoes to Lake Athabasca. The last place where Indians were encountered was at Fort Fond du Lac, on the shore of this lake. Between the lake and the Barren Lands there is an extensive wooded belt, which is the furthest point ever reached by the Indians on their hunting expeditions. From Lake Athabasca Mr. Tyrrell took a northeasterly

direction, ascending the Black river into the Black lake. reaching the southern extremity of the Indian hunting grounds in the beginning of July. They reached another lake, which lies about the center of the hunting grounds.

MAP SHOWING THE CANADIAN

BARREN LANDS," AND THE ROUTE OF THE

TYRRELLS TO CHESTERFIELD INLET AND RETURN.

The northern outlet of the lake was discovered, and they began the descent.

"This river," Mr. Tyrrell states, "throughout its length we found to be lacustrine, and much time was lost by this, as it was so difficult to pick out the particular arm of each successive lake that gave egress to the river. Between these widenings-out invariably occurred rapids, both lengthy and rapid, but the dexterity of our Caughnawaga steersman brought us through all but an occasional stiff one that necessitated a portage. In August we came to a lake which must be Lake Dubaunt, or Doobaunt, so variously located on the maps. Although in mid-summer, ice seven feet thick covered it, except close to shore, where in a narrow channel for 100 miles we paddled our way around, in full view of the hillsides, which were still covered with snow."

About September 1 they reached the western extremity of Chesterfield inlet, and on the 10th of that month drew up their canoes on the inhospitable shores of Hudson bay,

"certainly the first white men to cross the 840 miles intervening between the great inland sea and the Mackenzie and Athabasca basins; and, as no record exists of an Indian having done it, most likely our voyage was

through country never before traversed by

man."

Of the country through which they had passed Mr. Tyrrell states that

"It is a rugged, rolling tract of land speckled over with swamps and occasionally rocky hills. In the whole Barren Lands there is not wood enough to make a bootpeg of."

A collection was made of the flora of the district. The lakes abound with fish, mainly trout and whitefish, but there were no birds or wild fowl, save one or two solitary white partridges. There were a few

HON. T. M. DALY,

66

white wolves, but reindeer abound in enormous numbers. "Once," Mr. Tyrrell says, we saw a herd that fairly hid the earth for a whole three miles, and at the smallest possible calculation there could not have been less than several hundred thousand feeding there on the damp grass."

Just as the ice was forming, the party started on a 500mile voyage in their canoes to Fort Churchill, surveying the coast as they went. Equinoctial gales and head winds prolonged the trip to 40 days. The continual cold, driving rains, and frost made the journey one of the greatest misery. The food gave out, and on some days not a bite could be had. Sea duck, ptarmigan, and a few ground squirrels were shot, and a polar bear was fortunately killed and devoured "to the bones and skin." On October 16,

Vol. 4.-12.

they were still 30 miles from Churchill Factory, and every one was weak from hunger and exposure. Two of the strongest Indians went forward and hired some dog teams, with which they went to the rescue of their comrades. A start was made for York Factory on November 6, and eventually Selkirk was reached on December 30. The total distance travelled, outside of railway journeys was 3250 miles; total length of travel through unknown country, 840 miles; total length through unsurveyed country 2300 miles, of which 600 were on foot.

Mr. Tyrrell has proved that the Barren Lands are likely to be of small value to the Dominion. His survey of the western shore of Hudson bay has resulted in completely changing the outline of that coast as it is at present drawn. Hitherto observations have been taken by vessels lying some distance away from the shore, and Mr. Tyrrell's party was the first to travel along its entire length in canoes.

TYRRELL, JOSEPH BURR, was born November 1, 1858, at Weston, Ontario. He was educated at the Weston High School, Upper Canada College, and the University of Toronto. From the last named he was graduated as a B. A. in 1880, taking high honors in natural sciences. Since 1881 he has been in the employ of the geological survey of Canada. His most important achievements prior to the exploration of the Barren Lands, were the exploration of the country east of the Rocky mountains between the 51st and 54th parallels of north latitude, at which three years were spent, and the exploration in 1892 of the unknown country lying between Lake Athabasca and Reindeer lake.

Trade Returns, 1893.-The aggregate trade of the Dominion in 1893 was $247,638,620, the largest in its history, being $6,269,177 in excess of the aggregate for 1892, then the highest on record. Exports and imports for 1893 as compared with 1892 are shown as follows:

CANADIAN EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.

$21,161,711, an increase of $611,129 over 1892. Imports from 22 countries showed a falling off, the most notable being Germany (owing to excessive importation of German sugar in 1892), Japan, Newfoundland, and the British East Indies. Imports from 26 countries increased. The large increases were in imports from Great Britain and the United States, the increase in free goods from the latter country having been upwards of $6,000,000. The total value of imports from the United States was $65,061,968, an increase of $1,092,931; from Great Britain $43,310, 577, increase $1,665,438; France $2,847,095, increase $397,893; British West Indies $1,166,008, increase $124,621; Dutch East Indies $444,474, increase $596,770.

The following table shows the condition of trade in 1893 and 1892 with the principal countries with which Canada does business:

Other Canadian Affairs.-The report of Hon. Mr. Angers, minister of agriculture, on the scheduling of Canadian cattle by the British board of agriculture, issued toward the end of February, has been adopted by the Dominion cabinet, and forms the basis of a minute of the Canadian privy council which has been transmitted to the imperial colonial secretary. It contains a very full statement of the Canadian case, and maintains that the contention that the disease noted in Canadian cattle is of a special type of North American contagious pleuro-pneumonia is altogether without foundation. It argues that all animals closely confined and transported thousands of miles are liable to forms of inflammation of the lungs, which take a special type and are clearly individual and not contagious disease, but what might be called "transit pneumonia."