STRANGE STORY.

Northern Advocate, 19 October 1911, Page 3

STRANGE STORY.

AN OASIS IN SUB-ARCTICA.

Superintendent A. E. Snyder, commanding the Royal North-west Mounted Police at Whitehouse, Yukon Territory, reported to the Commissioner in 1909 that from north of the Porcupine district of Northern Ontario there had come repeated rumours cf the existence of a wonderful "tropical" region which was still inhabited by mastodons, say tha "Success" magazine. "The Indians," concludes Superintendent Snyder, "report having seen the gigantic tracks of these, animals." But little attention was paid to these stories, until in November of last year Mr C. J. Mclntyre and two companions reported a most amazing discovery north of Porcupine. They were travelling by dog sledge, with the thermometer at 40deg. below, when to their astonishment the temperature began to rise so fast that within a space of two hours they had thrown oft' their warm garments, and the snow was sofi underfoot. "It seemed/ said Mr Mclntyre, "as. though we were suddenly passing from winter into spring." Soon after they came upon the first of numberless hot springs, the snow disappeared entirely, and dense vegetation took the place of the stunted bush and timber of the plains. Because of necessarily slow travel on foot the explorers were not able to determine the extent of this wonderful oasis in the far northern wilderness. They found several goodsized rivers flowing with warm water and teeming with.fish, and the country was. alive witii bear, caribou, ducks, pl|aasants, wilttgeese, and other game, and gold was found in a number of c reeks.