first opened as an emigrant road in 1871, that is to say a road over which
people could be conveyed for a stated sum. Previous to its becoming an
"emigrant road," it is estimated that 2000 persons had traveled over it
into Manitoba. This included Wolseley's men. Of these 2,000 about 400
remained in the country as settlers. From July, 1871, to October, 1873,
805 people classed as emigrants went over the road, but the line was used
for other purposes such as the military occupation of the North West, the
conveyance of workmen, etc., and during that period 2,739 people in all
used the road. The estimated cost of carrying a passenger was $25, but
as in 1872 only $15 and in 1873 only $10 was charged, it is evident the
road was a losing proposition. This was a secondary matter as it was
desired to encourage immigration. Of the workmen employed in making
the road a good number settled permanently in the country.

The original way of providing transportation was to hire horses at
the points from which the steamers left Eastern Canada, viz.: Colling-
wood, Sarnia and Owen Sound. These horses would be used during the
season and be taken back east in the fall, as no attempt was made to
keep the road open in the winter. Beginning at Thunder Bay (which
may be variously described as Prince Arthur's Landing, Port Arthur or
Fort William), the first stretch of road was one of forty-five miles, reach-
ing to Shebandowan Lake. Here were buildings comprising a dwelling
house, storehouse, a building for emigrants ("emigrant shed" was the
name in use in the early days), a hay shed, a cook house and a stable.
Here the emigrants went on board of a steam tug which had a barge in
tow but as the tugs seem to have been somewhat unreliable, a relay of
row boats was always in readiness. In case of accident to the tug the
emigrants would have been rowed over the lake, which was 18 miles long.
Having crossed the lake, a portage had to be made to Lake Kashaboiwe,
and this portage and lake accounted for another 10 miles. Here again
a steam tug and row boats were kept. At the end of Lake Kashaboiwe
was a portage a mile in length and then Lac de Milles Lacs was reached
where everything was loaded onto another tug. We may say here that
at each considerable lake where there was a tug or launch, a relay of
row boats was kept.

At the end of Lac des Milles was a portgage of a quarter of a mile, and
then Baril portage was encountered. This was a quarter of a mile long,
with Baril Lake at the end of it, eight miles long.

The next portage was three-quarters of a mile long, called Brulle, and
this led to Windigoostigon Lake, twelve miles long. Then came a port-
age of a mile and a half called French portage succeeded by Kaogossikok
Lake fifteen miles, then two small portages and a little lake a mile and
a quarter across over which the passengers were taken in row boats;
then Sturgeon Lake sixteen miles long, but twenty miles by the channel;
next Maligne River where the portage was so short that the articles
were passed over by hand from one waterway to the other; after ten
miles in row boats there was another very short portage where articles