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Th to Th po of fill Or be th< sic oti fin sic or Th shi TH wf M( dif em bei rig rec mc This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmi au taux de rMuction indiquA cl-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X aox y 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X The copy filmed here hes been reproduced thenkt to the generosity of: Library, Qeologicai Survey of Canada L'exemplaire film* fut rep'roduit grAce A la gAn6rotit6 de: Bibliotlidque, Comminion Gtologique du Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in Iceeping with the filming contract specifications. Les images suivantes ont 6t* reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition at de la nettetA de l'exemplaire film*, et en conformity avec ies conditions du contrat de filmage. 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Un des symboles suivants appara?tra sur la derniAre image de cheque microfiche, seion le cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUiVRE ", le symbols y signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmts A des taux de reduction diffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour 6tre reproduit en un seul clichi, ii est film* A partir de I'angie supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'images nicessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 G o. riNi PRINTE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA O. M. DAWSON, C.M.C5., LL.D., F.U.8., Diukctor REPORT o>f >vx ji:xi«i.oKA'rioN" op TIIK riNLAY AND OMHXICA RIVHKS U. G. McCONNELL, 15. A. k x- ■<'i Ml ^f i I. ■,''; '« i '• I' .* ■; i 1 t '* ; h' OTTAWA PRINTED BY S. E. DAWSON, I'KIXTKR TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT \[A.IESTY 1896 ^1- i. *|li M Oeorge M. Dawson, C.;M.G , LL.D., F.R.S., Director of the (Jeological Survey of Canada. Sir, — I beg to present herewith a report, accompanied by a map, on the Omenica and Finlay Rivers, based on field-work carried out by myself, and by Mr. H. Y. Russel who acted as ray assistant, during the season of 1893. I have the honour to be, sir, Your obedient servant, R. G. McCONNELL. Geological Survey Office, SOth Nov., 1895. jf Peace lliver. The portage was made in two days and a half. From Summit Lake we followed a chain of small lakes connected by small, crooked, and at times exceedingly swift streams down to Fort McIiCod, which we reached on the 28th of June. Our supplies, which had been sent overland by pnck-train from l^uesnol, were tlelayed owing to the flooded condition of the rivers, and did not arrive until a week later. On the Gth of J uly we started down Mc- Leod Lake River and the Parsnip, carrying our sunnnei-'s supplies, in two Peterborough canoes, and a canvas canoe which we had fitted up while waiting at Fort McLeod. The mouth of the Parsnip, our objec- tive point, was reached on the following day.* The Parsnip, coming from the .south, and the Finlay from the north- west, meet near the western base of the Rocky Mountain.-*, and the united streams, bending to the east, break through th.it range and traverse tho great central plain of the continent in a northerly direc- tion under the various names of Peace, Slave and Mackenzie rivers. *Tli(' rniitc foUowi'd from (JiHC'dmc I'ortat?'' to tlif iiiimtli of tlic l'iusiii|>, wiin <*xiuniii('(l l)y Dr. A. It. C. .Si'lwyii in 1875, mid is (liwiiln-d by iiiiii in tin- rr|«>itof tin; ( ifolojf io.al .Survey for that yiar, |)|i, ;i7-41 and r(lcriii|j; tliu Hticky Mountains on llio east, and a ha.st y examination uf the slrui'turn of tlie ran^e and of its various geological components was made. After returning to tiie J'arsnip-Finiay Forks, tlio latter stream was ascended to the mouth of the Omenica, the lirst eonsideiable triliutary whiih it receives. An ascent of the t >nienica was then made to a point aliovo the Omenica Sitleka Pass. On the way up visits were made to the (iermansen Cicek, Manson C'rec^k, anti other old gold mining camps of the region, all now n»!arly abandoned. A ti'averse was also made of one of the piMses leading from tlie Omenica Hivcr to Tacia Lake. Tlie examination of tlie ( >monica Hiver occupiort tirahame was reached on the 8th, the forks, or the junction of the C^ua-da-cha (white water) with the Kinlay, on the L' 1st, and the Fishing Lakes above the long series of rapids at the " Jlend,' on the 28th of August. The hitter part of the journey was mtule im foot, owing to the almost unnavigabJe condition ot the river. A coujjle of days were spent in climbing the mountains in the vicinity of the Fishing l..akes, after which the return journey was commenced. The mouth of the Finlay was reached on the 14th of Heptcmber and Quesnel on the Ist of October. The ex[)loration wivs necessarily carried out in a somewhat hurried numner, owing to the shortness of the season available for work, and the time occupied ixx making the long journey from Qut snel to the held of operations. About nine weeks in all were spent on the Finlay and its branches, but as considerable time was lost in making return trips over the .same routes, and on account of bad weather, barely six weeks were left for effective work. The region drained by the Finlay and its branches is characterized throughout by its mountainous character ; with the exception of the narrow flats bordering the principal rivers, no plains of any magnitude were anywhere ob.served. The eastern branches drain the western slope of a portion of the Rocky Mountains proper, while the western branches head in a confused medley of nameless ranges, lying to the east of Tacla Lake and its feeders. The mountains have a fairly uniform height of about 4000 feet above the bottoms oi the main valleys. Glaciers occur at the head of the t^ua-da-cha Piver in the Rocky Mountains, and also on the Peak Mountains west of the Fishing Lakes. The rivers, as a rule, are swift and interrupted by frequent DKHCIlirnON OF UOLTKH. ( (' rapids, hut ^oiitly tlowiii;; hiko-liko <>x|inii.sif cdiiHiditrulilK lcii>{tli occur on ImiiIi llin Fiiiliiy iiiul tlio < >iii(!iii('ii. C'oiiifcrouM fot'cst.s, unviiry- rorr^tx. iii^ in tlifir monotony, t'xtcnil ov(>r hill un to a lu-i^lit of aljoiit 5"J00 feet iiliov*' tluswu. The primipiil vivriotics olworvcd wi-ro th« wliitt) and hiack sprucus ( /'iVea «//«( miil /'ii'iit iilf/rn), i\w bal.sani i'\i (tihifx Mii/in/jiina), tlu' liliu-k \mit> ( /'iinis Miinayana), iind iho lari'li ( Liirix Aiiuricann). Hioadli'iivi'd trci-n (irt' rcpiH'sonlod by tlio aspen ( /'nfniluM /rfiiniloiiii'ii), th« balNani poplar ( /'iifni/iis ImlMti nil/era), tliB birch ( lialiila papi/ri/i'i'n), and varieties ot' willow and alder. Dkscrii'tion ok Uol'tkh, Omenirti him: The Oenenica River was brought into j)ron\in('nce by the disinxeiy OuHiiiiu of gold on Silver Creek, one of its hi-anches, i)y ICzra Kvans, "Twelve- '^'''' foot l>avis''and a party of jjrospcetors in IHCiH. On llKMinnoinice- nient of the discovery of gold, miners (locketl into the country l)y hundreds, and for some time the population of the district was esti- mated at from 1200 to 1500. It reached its maxinmni alxnit |N71), and has since, as the creeks l)ecamo exhausted, gradually declined. At the present time there are scarcely twenty whiU's in the whole country. Very few accounts by actual explorers have been jjublished nn the I'nvii.us.x Omenica country. Captain (now Sir W. V.) IJuth-r ascended the f'''""''"" lower part of the river in lf<7.'^ and describes it in his buok entitled the Wild North Laiul (\). '274-.'{01)), and Mi\ Horet/.ky exploicd the part between Ilogem and (Jernumsen Creek in 1879 (lieport Canadian Pacific Railway, 1880, p. 8-2-83). In 1891 a paity sent out by tlu^ British Columbia (government attempted to ascend the river, but turned back near the inouth of the Oalinca. The Omenica joins the Finlaj' from the west, about lifteen miles Cliamctfr of al)ove the junction of the latter with the Parsnip, and is by far its '''^"• largest tributary. From its mouth to the RIack Canon, a distance of live miles, its course is about 'M south of west. The stream is shallow in this reach and its current is extremely swift, the slope of the bed exceeding ten feet to the mile. Nunu'rous gravel bars and islands, covered in places by huge drift-piles, obstruct the course of the stream, and diviod IT)!) ft««'t in hniglit. In low wiittT, tln' navij^iition of lh« (-iinon is reported to he vn>*y, hut in Heiisons of HimkI tlie i'M'iM>l|i>n Mtreani in piirtly ditinnied hack, utid itH efTort to force a way through the narrow channel in attended with the production 1 f such whirl- pis and l)illoWH that its passaj^e witli largo hoatH in exceedingly dilli cult and with small Itoats is ini|M)ssihl<>. The ( Mnenica was still high when we reached the Cuflon, and after an exaininatiun it was decided to make a portage. A trail was cut along tiie north hank, and the portage w IS made in less than a day. 'J'he ridge through which the Onienica cutH at the Cailon incroaHOH ra[>idly in height to the north, and (levttlops into a mountain range the peaks of which exceed oOOO feet in iieight. Southward the ridge «(M)n dies away. Aliove the IJIack Cafiun the valley is closed in for a mile or more l>y steep <'lifrH of sandstones, clays and conglomerates hetween which the stream rusiu's with torrential speed. Further up the stream hends to the north-west anil follows jiarallel to the dii-eclion (»f t;ie mountain ranges of the district, the rocky walls disappear, and the ri\(!r, freed from coidinement, enlarges to twic<^ its former width. Ahovo the hend the river follows a wide valley hetween the m()unttwns as fai' the mouth of Tchutetzeca, a distance of t<:n miles. The Omcnica in this reach is wide and swift; no lapids were mc^t with, hut short and strong " rillles, ' exceedingly dillicult to ascend, occur e\ ory few liundrtMl yards. .\ notahle feature of the river here is the great di'ift.piles of logs which have heen heaped uj) hy the rapid current at all the bends, and on the heads of the numerous gravel-hars and islands around which the stream divides. The Tchutet/eoa, a rapid streani about 1")0 feet wide, comes in froui the north-west down the same valley occupietl by tiie Omeiiioa above the Caiion. It has not yet been explored. Above the mouth of the Tchutetzeca the Onienica leaves the lon- gitudinal valley followed below, and hends to the west. The declivity and current increase, and for some miles the river is simply a wild tor- rent plunging in a succession of rapids from bar to bar. The ascent of this jxirtion of the river proved a matter of no ordinary ditliculty. The trackieig-line could not be used owing to the beaches being covei-ed by high water, and the sti'ength of the curr(mt rendered piling in many places etjually impracticable. At the worst places wading in the ice cold water and pulling the canoes up foot by foot against the foaming stream, at the risk of stundiling on hidden and slippery Iwulders paving the channel, proved the only practicable means of ascent. Our progress here was very slow, and for some days DKNfllll'TION (iK IIOITKN. 9 e wti sciireoly Hv<>t'iif(l (Ivc iiiiliw per day. l"'ivo iniles iiliuvf tin- nintitli of tlio Tc;liiiti>l/.ncn, tiiH (tMlineii tho InrKHHt tributary of tlio Omt'iiii'ii, <'oin( to tiitt iiiiiiii hriiiK'li. It ilrikitiH ii lar^'c aii'a of iiioiintaiiioiis (■(iiintry lyinK '' lH)tW(>('ii llie ( )iiisliii(;a, a contraction in tlic valioy occurs, whicli is known as tlio Little Caflon. At this point the river makes a sharp doulilc hend ami strikes with its whole force n;;aiiist two points of ;,'neissic rock which jut out in succession fr<»ni eitliei' hank. The Little Cailon is comparativf^ly easy to ascend, as tlie trackinji-line can Ih> uhwI all the way by croHHiiiK tho stream between the two rocks, hut is danj^erous to run at lii^h water. It was at this point that J'ete 'i"oy, the l.'ornish miin'r(see Wild North Land, |i. •_".*!), wlio so ptficiently assisted ('apt. Uutler at tho Mlaek Cailon, afterwards lost his life. Above! tiie f.ittle Cailon the current of the river sensibly diminislies. c,,,.,.,,! ,|j Kitlles aic still numerous, but they able for the lirst time to proceed with pa(ldl(!s. From the mouth of the Onienica to tin? heafi of the swift portion of (iiinl.' i)f the river, is a distance tif about thirty-tiv(( miles. The diflbrenci' in ""'"'^"• (elevation of the two points is approximately 42o feet, ;^i\ ing the riNcr an inclination in this reach of about twelve feet t«i the mile, an excep- tionably high j>rade for a stream of thi.s size. I'^roin the head of the rapid water to (lernian.sen Landing at the mouth of (iermansen Creek, a distance of twelve miles, with the e.\- ceptiun t>f a few small ritlles tin- current is easy, iroiii two to thi'ee miles an hour. The river has a width of about 100 yards, and for pai't of the way becomiis very tortuous, w'--ling from side to sidi- of the wide tiats which now border it. Before reaching Gerinansen Creek tl.o Omenica turns almost due west and continues in this direc- tion for many miles. Germansen I^anding, in the old days was a place of considerable im- ( j,.,.„|,i„j„.„ portance, as most of the supf)lies for the (Jermansen and Manson Creek Landing, camps were brought from Tacia Lake across to the Omenica, Hoated down the stream in boats and landed here for distribution. Li recent M •i I iii'i V 10 c FINLAY AND OMENICA RIVERS. Trail to Man son Creek. Gold on Ger- inansen Creek years tliis route has been abandoned, and such supplies as are needed for tlie few remaining miners are brought in by pack-train. A trip was made on foot from the Landing to Manson Creek. The trail, once trodden deep by gold-seekers, is now scarcely distinguishable in places, and in others is badly blocked by fallen timber. It lends across a burnt plateau for a couple of miles, and then descends inl;o the deep valley of Germansen Creek. Extensive mining operations were once carried on at this point, but have long since ceased. A few tiesertetl houses and some decaying Humes remain to tell the story of a brief activity and a sudden death. A mile farther up, the trail crosses (jlermaiisen Creek, at a place where the stream is closely con- fined between two rocky walls, by a dilapidated-looking bridge con- sisting of a single half rotten stringer bent downward under the weight of a number of dependant fragments. From the bridge we followed a rough trail along the east side of the stream to a mining camp which still preserves some signs of life. Three white men and one China- man were found here. Gold on (iermaiisen Creek has beea obiained both from river-Hats and bars, and from gravels underlying the boulder- clay and i-eferred to the early part of the glacial period. The Hats have been woi'ked out, but extensive areas of the auriferous glacial gravels are still untouched. Wome work was being done on the latter at the time of our vi.sit, but on too limited a scnle to afford satisfactory results. Above the mining camp, the trail leavo-^ Germansen Creek, crosses a ridge about 1300 feet liigh and thei. descends into the valley of Slate Creek, a tributary of Manson Creek. Two miles farther on we reached the town of Manson, situated on Manson Creek, formerly the richest creek in the district. Gokl on Man- Gold was first found on Manson Creek in 1891, and for two or three years the bars proved exceedingly productive, but since then the yield has been gradually diminishing, and at the present time the little work that is being done barely pays expenses. Gold was found in paying quantity along the bed of the creek for a couple of miles, and also in two of the tributary valleys. The glacial gravels here, as in Germansen Creek, are auriferous and have been worked to some extent, and it is highly probable that a large proportion of the gold found in the bed of the stream is concentrated from these deposits. Manson Creek is connected by trail with Quesnel by way of Stuart Lake, and with Hazelton on the Skeena by way oi Tom's Cieek and Tacia T^ke, but the former trail, and the latter for part of the way, are in a bad state of repair, and mining operations are greatly hamp- ered by the high freiglit charges on supplies. The rate from Hazelton, the cheapest route, amounts at present to 1 7 cents per pound. Hon Creek. Trails .] des(;ription of routes. 11 c We returned from Hanson Creek V)y the suine route and continued up tlie Omeniea. Above the mouth of (Jermansen Creek the Omeniea occupies a wide valley, bottomed in places by marshy flats, beliind which appear ranges of high mountains. The current for a considerable distance, except for a couple of short riffles, is easy, and in places the streani has a lake-like appearance. The change in the character of the river from Clmraetir of the high grades and rocky bottoms which prevail in the lower reaches, to the sligiit inclination and basin-like alluvium tilled depression which it occupies here, point to crustal movements of some magnitude for their explanation. Slack current on the Omeniea continues nearly to New Hogem, a distance, measured along the valley, of about twentj'-three miles. The length of the river is fully one-third more, as in places it becomes very tortuous. Above New Hogem the Omeniea enters a granite area and a rapid current is again encountered, which continued to Old Hogem, a distance of eight miles. The character of the country through which the Omeniea flows, Mountivin- with the exception of a few miles at its mouth, is everywhere moun- tainous. A range culminating in peaks exceeding 5000 feet in height, crosses tlie river a few miles above the canon and extends far to the northward. AVest of this range the elevations are lower and have a more irregular distribution, but long before reaching Tacla Lake high rocky peaks again dominate the landscape. From the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains west to Tacla Lake Alwincf of (the western limit of the exploration), with the exception of the long- l''""'*- itudinal valleys of the Finlay River and Tacla Lake, no flat lands of any importance are met with. The whole region is ridgtd up into a succession of lofty ranges. The valleys and the lower slopes of the mountains are, as a rule, densely timbered with tlic monotonous ever- green forest so prevalent in thp north. The principal varieties are the white spruce ( I'ii-ra alba) and the black pine (I'inioi Miirniyana). The latter is usually found on dry sandy and gravelly flats and ridges. Korent. The smooth- and rough-barked poplars (J'opiihiK tn'mulniden and P. haJsamifera) occur in some abundance locally, but are usually con- Hned to the valley. The summits of all the higher mountains are bare, as the forest seldom ascends in this region beyond an elevation of 5200 feet. Above Old Hogem the Omeniea bends more to the north and runs 'Wa;^\ t,, nearly parallel to the strike of the rocks. As little geological infor- Lake. mation was obtainable by following the river, it was decided to leave Tacla <%*'• ! \ { 1 I 12 c FINLAY AND OMENICA KIVERS. Gold on \iU\\ Creek. it and to make a traverse on foot to Tacla Lake across the sti'ike of the rocks. The old trail from Hogem to Vital Creek is still in good condition. From Vital Creek to Tom's Creek the trail is little used, but for the remainder of the distance on to Tacla Lake a good trail has been recently built by the Provincial Government in order to facilitate communication with the mining gamp at Tom's Creek. The trail leaves the Omenica at Old Hogem and follows up the valley of Vital Cret'k. Silver Creek to Vital Creek, a tributary of the latter, passing over sandy and gravelly flats, forested with black pine, most of the way. Before reaching Vital Creek the trail leaves the wide valley of the Omenica and enters the mountains. Vital Creek is a rapid mountain stream twenty or thirty feet wide and four or five miles long. Gold was discovered on it in 18G9, and it has been worked more or less ever since, but latterly with but little profit. Three white men, including Mr. Vital the discoverer, and some Chinamen, were engaged on it at the time of our visit, but they did not speak liojiefully of their pi'<)spect.s. and the stream may be regarded as worked out. A. considerable quantity of silver amalgam (arquerite) has been found with the gold in the alluvial washiags on Vital Creek. It has not been found in Hitn. From Vital Creek the trail follows up Hilver Creek for a couple of miles, and then turns westward up a branch running parallel to Vital Creek. Three miles from Silver Cieek the valley widens out, and for some miles its bottom is filled with a succession of small lakes TomV Citck. CDnnected by short winding streams. Nine miles from Silver Creek we reached Tom's Creek, a small mountain stream coming from the south. Tom's Creek, as an auriferous stream, was not discovered until 1889, and was practically worked out during the years 1890-91-92. In 1892, about a dozen white men and Indians and a few Cliinameii were at work on it, but few of the claims did much more than pay expenses. The discovery of an auriferous stream like Tom's Creek, close to Vital Creek, twenty years after the finding of gold on the latter, shows what a small proportion of the country has yet been thoroughly prosjiected. From Tom's Creek we followed up the wide valley of Kenny Creek for nine miles, passing several small lakes on the way, to the summit of the pass between the Omenica and Tacla Lake. The elevation of the summit is approximately 1G44 feet above Tacla Lake, or 3915 feet above the .sea. After crossing the summit, the track followed for a short distance a stream flowing towards Tacla Lake ; then, after crossing a spur from the mountains, it descends rapidly towards Tacla ■OCONNCll. 1 FINI.AY RIVER. 13 C Lake, reaching the latter about half a mile belo^ the old landing. Three miles from the landing a sharp descent of 700 feet was made over the face of an escarpment running parallel with the lake. Tacla Lake is one of those long narrow bodies of water so prevalent Tacia Lake. throughout British Columbia. It occupies a great longitudinal valley, running parallel with that at the western base of the Rocky Moun- tains which now holds the Finlay and Parsnij). The two valleys are separated by alxmt eighty miles of rough mountainous country. Tacla Lake was not examined except for three or four miles south of the landing. It is from two to three miles in width, and is bordered on both sides by heavily timbered ilats several miles wide. It is sep- arated from Habiue Lake, which occupies a somewhat similar valley farther to the west, by the Fire-pan Mountains. The most notable feature of the country in the latitude of the >[ountiiinoui+ Omenica and Finlay rivers, or from latitude 55' 30' to latitude 57° or ^'"""''>- beyond, is its universal mountaii.ous character. In this latitude, the whole country from the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains west- ward to the Pacific Ocean is destitute of plains of any considerable extent, and witlj the exception of the breaks where the region is crossed by the valleys mentioned above, is covered with a succession of mountains and mountain ranges varying in height from 3000 to 5000 feet above the valleys. In no other part of British Columbia is the country so persistently mountainous across the whole Cordilleran belt. Finlay River, The Finlay River is named after John Finlay, who ascended it in Finlay River. 1824 in the interests of the North-west Company. The journal kept by Mr. Finlay on this journey has never been published. It is now at Cumberland House in the possession of Mr. .lames McDougall of the Hudson Bay Co., where it was seen and some extracts taken from it PieviouH ex- by :Mr. J. B. Tyrrell in 1894. Miners are also reported to have as- I'l"'''*'""- cended the river to varying distances during the Omenica excitement, and in 1891 an exploring expedition sent by the British Columbia Government ascended it to Fort Grahame a distance of about forty-five miles. The Finlay River is much the larger of the two streams which form Gtiicral cliar- Peace River, and is practically the upper part of that river. It has a j^^'ij' '"' - lite 'A ''1 ■ ' I i ( *' ' IV I ' 1 1 ■ r * ' I ,1 :M I I! . ;'i U c FINLAY AND OMKXICA RIVERS. Current nncl width. Aurifeiiui bar. total lengtli of about 310 miles,* and ranges in width from thirty yards, where it issues from the expansion at the Fishing Lakes, to 300 yards near its mouth. The Finlay drains a region which is every- where of a mountainous character and is itself bordered throughout the whole of its course by lofty mountain ranges. Its navigation, for two hundred miles above its mouth, with the exception of one cafion half a mile in length, is easy, the current seldom exceeding five miles an hour, but farther up, its course is interrupted for many miles by a long succession of canons and rapids. Its branches interlock with tributaries of the Skeena, Stikine and Liard rivers, and low passes through the mountains from one ba^in to the other are not uncommon. The Finlay River from its mouth to its junction with the Omenica, winds through a wide Hat, skirting the western hw^e of the Rocky Mountains. It has a width in places of 300 yards or more, but is usuall}' divided into several channels by islands and gravel bars. The current is ef.,*y, averaging about three miles an hour at a medium stage of water. The bars along this stretch of the river are all auriferous, and one of them, called Pete Toy's Bar after the discoverer, yielded a large amount of gold in the early days of mining in the couritry. The gold in this reach is probably mostly deiived from the Omenica. The Omenica River contributes about one-fifth of the whole water of the Finlay, at its confluence. A mile above the Omenica, the Ospica joins the Finlay from the east. It enters the latter in two branches each about a hundred feet wide. The Ospica was ascended and prospected by a party of miners some yeai-s ago, but no paj'ing bars were discovered. It runs in a southerly direction, and cuts off a long rounded ridge from the main range of the Rockies. Above the Ospica River. Ospica, the Finlay runs, with the exception of one bend, in a nearly straight direction for twelve miles. It has a width here of about 200 yards and a current of scarcely two miles an hour, the slowest in the whole course of the river. It occupies a depression alwut four miles in width, bounded on the west by agneissic ridge which commences at the Black Canon on the Omenica and runs northward with gradu- ally increasing height, and on the east by the rounded ridge which *Tln> total length of tlio Finlay-Poace-Mackcnzie watercourse is approximately 2362 iiiilcH, made up as follows : — Miles. Finlay River 310 Peace n 757 Slave 240 Great Hlave Lake ilf«. the bars and islands, and, alternating from one bank to the other, form in places an almost continuous line along the river. The drift-wood is derived from the washing away of the forested flats bordering the river, and the enormous amount carried down during high water each year measures the destructive power of the stream. ]{apid changes in the course of the river are notable features in this reach, the main channel of one season being often represented in the next by a scarcely used slough. Near Fort Grahame, the mountains on the west, approach close to Ascent of the river and sections of limestone and gneiss are (!xposed. An as- """"'t'^'" "t cent of the range east of the fort was made on Augiist 10th. The river is bordered on the east by a series of scarps and terraces rising up to a height of 275 feet with a width of about three miles. The main terrace has a height of 175 feet above the river and is thickly wooded with black pine. Near the mountains the pine is replaced by white spruce. The lower slopes of the mountain are well forested up to a height of 2000 feet above the liver, but above that elevation the trees gradually thin out, and a thousand feet higher up they cease altogether. The elevation of the timber-line in this district Elovation of is approximately 5200 feet above the sea. From the point ascended, '"" ^'''■""*'- the valley of the Finlay could be followed southward to the mouth of the Omenica and northward could be seen stretching out in a nearly straight direction for over sixty miles, or as far as the eye could pierce the haze. In all this distance it preserves a nearly uniform width of from four to six miles. Looking up the valley, the moat striking object in view was a range of mountains about forty miles distant. - Si I I si '? i- ' .! I f ■ f till ■ 1 ti r •< M I I 16 c KINLAY AND OMENICA RIVERS. TrailH. Tngenica River. which appeared in the evening light to be almost pure white. They were afterwards examined and found to be composed of a much altered compact limestone. Westward, range after range of nameless moun- tains, running nearly parallel to the valley of the Finiay, extended to the horizon, while eastward the viu.w was soon obstructed by the higher peaks of the central ranges of the Rockies. Patches of snow cling round the summits of most of the higher mountains, but no flowing glaciers were seen. The heights of the principal peaks range from 7000 to 7500 feet above the sea. The range bordering the valley on the west is broken through oppo- site Fort Grahame by a small stream flowing into the Finiay, up which a trail leads which can be followed through the mountains to I3ear Lake, a distance of sixty or sevus channels by islands and bars, and hohls a nearly straight course along the centre of the great depression ii/ occu- pies, never touching the mountains on either side and seldom even cutting into the bordering terraces. The current is rapid, averaging fully five miles an hour. The Ingenica is the first large stream which enters the Fmlay from the west above the Omenica. It is a clear, rapid river fifty to sixty yards wide, and is reported to be navigable up to the forks, a distance of about thirty miles, above which it is filled with rapids. An Indian trail to Bear Lake runs along its bank. The Ingenica is well worthy of being prospected, as it must cut through the same band of green and dark schists from which the gold in the Omenica country is derived. Fine gold was found in the wash at the mouth of the river. Fourteen miles above the Tngenica, the Finiay is narrowed in by a cailon named Deserters' Caiion by Finiay. For part of the distance the stream presents its usual characteristics, but five miles below the caiion the islands and bars disappear and it is confined to one channel varying in width from to 200 to 250 yards. Above the Ingenica the Finiay bends slightly to the west, and at the canon it approaches the base of the range bordering the valley on the east. On the west the space between the river and the mountains is occupied by a plain five to six miles in width wooded with poplar, spruce, and l)lack pif e. -] FINLAY KIVER. 17 c Deserters' Cafion is situated al)out ninety miles above the inoutli of i ),.„,.rt«,n(' tiie Finlay River, and is the first interruptii.n to its navigation. This •''"">"• cafion is about half a mile long and in tlie narrowest places scarcely ejtceeds a hundred feet in width. It is cut tlirougli hard conglomerate and .sandstone. The walls, except at the lower end, where there is a steep conglomerate clitT, are not very high. Tlie channel is cnniked and is interrupted by suveral bad riffles. Deserters' Caiion can l>e run at certain stages of. water but its navigation is dangerou.s. A good portage-track half a mile in lengtli has been cut out by the In- dians along the wot bank. Above Deserters' CaSon, the 1 mlay makes a couple of great bends to the west, alxive wliich it I'cceives the A-ki-t- River from the east. At the bends high cut-l)anks of boulder-clay, silts and gravel, are exposed. The white limestone mountains seen from Fort Grahame are now directly west. This range commences west of the Cafidn and extends White iiumn- north-westward. It evidently, from its condition, marks a line of dis- 1"'""- turbance and probably of faulting. The range inniiediately east of the valley is still composed of gneiss and mica-schists, but farther back, bare sharp crested mountains come imto view, which are probal)ly built of limestone. The Akie River has not been explored. It enters the Finlay in Akii Kivii. two branches, the larger of which is one liundred fi;et wide ; its valley is wide and cuts straight back into the mountains for a distance of about twelve miles ; it then bends to the north, but sends a branch southward. The wash in the bed of the Akie is principally limestone and does not contain gold. Above the mouth of the Akie, tin; Finlay pursues a very tortuous course as far as Paul's Branch, a distance measured in a straight lino of about twenty- ne miles, but following the course of the river for thirty-five miles. In several points of this reach, the river is bordered by high gravel and boulder-clay banks, in some cases exceeding 250 feet in height. The valley maintains a width of from five to six miles for part of the distance, but six miles below Paul's Branch, a range rises up west of the river which narrows it in to about three miles. The ranges bordering the valley on both sides have a height in this latitude of about 3000 feet above tiie valley. Paul's Branch is a small stream about thirty feet in width. Its PaulHUraiich. valley is narrow and cafton-like where it breaks through tl>e gneissic range that borders the Rockies on the west, but widens out when it reaches the softer rocks behind. No gold was found on Paul's Branch, but good prospects were obtained from a couple of streams which enter ; 'Hh^'-: Lt>wt>riiicmn- toiiiH. Qfiatlncha Kivcr. (irreat valley. 18 c FINLAY AND OMKNICA RIVERS. the Finliiy from the west, a few miles lower down. Tlie mountains east <»f the bordering gneissic range of the Rockies are comparatively low in this latitude, and are separated by wide wiroded valleys often holding lakes of considerable size. Their lower elevation is due to tlie relatively softer and more easily eroded natura of the argillites and calc-schists of which they are compo.scd. Farther back, near the centre of tlie range, the calc-scliists are replaced by hard limestones, and higher and lM)lder-looking mountains again prevail. From Paul's lirancii to the Qua-da-cha, or Whitewater, a distance of eleven miles, the Finlay runs in a nearly straight dircitioM, skirting the base of the range bordering it on the east. The width of the river here is alwut 250 yards, and its current h is a rate of about four miles and a half an liour. The Qu.iu.itha, or Whitewater, as it is appropriately termed on most of the maps, is the largest stream which enters tlie Finlay from the east, and is usually referred to as "Tiie Fork," although its volume is scarciily one-sixth that of the main river. It is a deep rapid stream about one hundred feet wide. Its water is filled and whitened with tine sediment, evidently derived from glaciers, and presents a strong contrast in this respect to the clear blue water of the main stream. The two streams flow side by side for several miles before comming- ling. The Quadacha follows the western side of the same valley which the Finlay has occupied for so long, for several miles, and then turns eastward into the Rockies. It is reported by the Indians to fork soon after entering the mountains, one branch coming from a large lake, while the other heads in a glacier near the centie of the range. At the Quadacha, the Finlay bends to the west, and three miles further on receives the Tochieca, a stream about .seventy -five feet wide. Soon after, still turning westward, it leaves tlie great valley which it has hitherto occupied. The vallej' extends northward with undiminished size, although it now holds only an insignificant tribu- tary of the Finlay. The great Inter-montane valley referred to above, and of which mention is so frequently made in this report, forms one of the most important topographical features of British Columbia. It crosses the international boundary about longitude 115° 10' \V. and runs in a direction N. 33° W. along the western base of the Rocky Mountains, separating the latter from the Selkirks and other ranges on the west, for a distance of over 800 miles. It is entirely independent of the oresent drainage J»ystems of the country, as it is occupied successively, beginning at the boundary, by a number of rivers belonging to distinct FINLAV HIVBR. 19 C HVstoms, among which are the Kut^tanie, the ColuiiiUia, Canoe River, the Fraser, Bad lliver, the Parsnip, the Finhiy and the Tocliieca. Tlie link between Mad Uiver and tlie Fraser huH not yet been surveyed, an i its extension, if any, iK^yond the Tochieca is still unknown. Tts width varies from two to fifteen miles, and it is everywhere inclosed, except for some distance along the west bank of the Parsnip, by mountain ranges varying in height from .'1000 to GOOO feet or more above the valley. The width of the valley does not depend on the size of the stream which occupies it at any particular piace. It is fully as wide along width of the smaller .streams and at the wafersheds which separate the different ^"'"'J' streams, as along great rivers like the Columbia and the Finlay. The average height of the bottom of the valley alx)ve the sea is about 2300 feet, and the variation in height is about 1000 feet. The heights of the watersheds in the valley are approximately as follows ; Koo- Ufiffht ab )ve tanie-Co'.umbia, 2740 feet ; Colunibia-Fra.ser, 2900 feet; Peace- Liard, '•"■ "'»• 3100 feet. The increase in height of the watersheds toward the north, does not hold good in reganl to the depressions. The Columbia leaves the valley at a height of 20.")0 feet, the Fra.ser at a height of 2100 feet (?), and the Peace at a height of 2020. The two former streams break through the ranges bounding the valley on the west, while the latter cuts through its eastern walls. None of the streams occupying the great valley, the salient features of which have just been desci'ibed, are doing much rock-cutting at the present time. Secondary valleys are being sunk in most j, laces through the old floor, but the cutting is usually through glacial deposits. The ])rincipal exception to this is in the case of the Columbia, which has done considerable rock excavation in the reach extending from above Donald down to the Hig Bend, the point at which it leaves the valley. It now Hows, for part of the distance, in a rock-walled narrow chaimel eroded through the floor of the old depression. In no place is ay widening of the old valley going on. The age of the valley has not been worked out, but it is evident that it long antedates the inception of the present drainage system of Age <>f valley the country, and may have been in existence before the elevation of the Rocky Mountains proper. Rocks of Tertiary age (probably Mio- cene) are supposed by Dr. Dawson to underlie part of the southern portion of the valley, while sandstones and conglomerates of Lt ramie age are found in places along both the Parsnip and Finlay. Glacial deposits are present throughout its whole extent.* *8e« on tliis great valley, Hketch of I'liyH. Geol. anrl (ieol, of Canada, Sclwyn and DawHon, 1884, p. 34. Annual Keixtrt, tieol. Surv. Can., vol. 1. (N.8.), p. 28 li. H l-i, ,4!. It •'l| ■;i: I i i': m V- :\r J. j. : n ;' ■ •■ * ; * mm< ' i ' ' 1 ' ^ \ P -til i W 1 m ^^• .: Mil l! 20 c KINI.AY AM) OMKNICA HIVKRH. I'iniiii tain \'iiw ffdiii I'l'MJi'li' Miiiin tuiii. Kapiil- jMir Lonfir CivMoii, Tlie Finliiy Itiver, as iilrcndy stated, turns to tho west above its .junc- tion with tlie Toeliicca ami lirwilts a gup al)out a mile wide tlirouj,'li tilt' range Imhui liiij; tlie valley (in that side. T\w part of tlie range Mipiin adjoining the river on the nortli, i i called Prairie Mountain by the Indians, on account of the bare slope it, jiresents ^^m the southern ex- p(isur(\ An ascent of Prairie .Mountain was made. It is a steep- sided (lat-topj)ed elmation about "JtOO feet high. The asjxMi and sprui'(? forest which covers the narrow plain at its base extends up its lower slopes for a few hundred feet, above which the ti'tes become more scatterefl and inclose large grassy areas. The summit of the mountain is covered with low shrubs, varied at intervals with clumps of stunted spruce ( I'lmi ut shortt^r cailon, tlu'ou^di whii'ii its wat(*rs pour in an exeeetiin^ly turbulent manner. The river for some miles al)ove the S'oond eailon was not examin*;d. Leaving the river at the lower end of the Lon^ Caiion, we clind>ed out of thi- valley, here about 300 feet dct-p, and skirted for some miles the base of the range bounding; the valley on the west; then, turniiiff more to tlie north, we descended into the valley of a small stream, which fallM into the Finlay below the second caiion. This stream occupies the eastern slope of a wide valley which runs directly west- ward and ni>-ets the Kinlay a>{ain beyond the f^iv.ni send(;ircular liend which the latter deseril)es above the second caflon. The space between tills valli-y and the l"'iiday is occupied by a loni{ mountain, about .'5000 feet high above the valley, which was n,imed Mt. I'lnlay. Travelling up the valley proved to be very dithcult owing to fallen timber, and we were oblig(;d, for most of the way, to follow the bed of the stream, crossing and recrossing it continually. Nine miles from our Cliche, the stream that we were following turned south into the mountains. Here we left it, and, continuing westward, shoi'tly after- wards reached a couple of narrow lakes, the hrst about two mill's and the second about one mile in length. No water was flowing from these lakes, but in sea.sons of tlood they evidently drain eastward, as the valley ascends beyond them. Half a nnle from the second lake we reached the summit of the pass, and three miles further on came again to the Finlay, here ilowing in a north-easterly direction. The river at this point is alniut l.")0 yards wide and is swift and shallow. We folU)wed up the right (east) bank, and two miles further on reached the junction of the Finlay and Thudaca, a rapid mountain stream heading in the Peak Range. Above the Thudaca the Fiiday has n rapid flow, and is interrupted by several small falls and rapids for a distance of six miles. Above this reach, what appears to be an old lake basin begins, the rocky banks and bed which characterize it below, suddenly disappear, and are replaced by clay, silt and gravel. The current diminishes to about a mile and a half an hour, and the stream expands to twice its usual size. The flat bordering the river is intersected by sloughs, aiid holds a couple of small sheets of water, known to the Indians as the Fishing Lakes. river. Kitlicult tiavtlliii),' Hfach tlic I'inliiv. l>iiiiinutif)n ill current. i c M 1^ f'l ! n4 I' I- M .-.•i,M •I • 22 c KINLAY AND OMKNICA RIVERS. The valloy here hius a wirlth of about a mile and a half, and is bordered by mountains, 4000 to "lOOO feet above the river, belonging Glnciers. to the Peak Uange. Numerous small isolated glacieni, descending to a height of about 2500 feet above the river, occur in the depressions betw(;en the sununits, but no extended ice-field was noticefl. The ex- panded lake-like portion of the Finlay has a length of about eighteen miles. Near its head, the river divides into several branches, none of which were explored by us. The western branch (calletl Tliucatade by Finlay) was ascended by Mr. Finlay, and is stated by him, in the journal referred to before, to bo thirty-five miles in length anil to head in a nariow lake, sixteen to twenty miles long, called Lake Thutade by the Indinns. Gkological Obskrvations. hr.i Rock ex- posures. Laiidslii Rocks at l?liuk Cani Laramie rocks. Omenica River Section. Rock exposures on the Omenica commence at the Black Cafion, five miles above its mouth. Jielow the Black Cafion the valley is cut through the glacial and alluvial deposits which floor the narrow plain bordering the Finlay. A goocl section of the latter, consisting here of clays, sands and gravels, was observed about a mile above the mouth of the river. A landslip of considerable magnitude occuried at this point not long ago, by v^hich material from the north bank of the valle}' was carried right across the main channel of the river and deposited on the further side. No permanent change in the course of the stream was effected by this slide, as the blocked channel was (juickly cleared by the rapid river. At the lilack Canon, the valley for half a mile is bordered by sharp rocky walls consisting of medium-grained musc(jvite gneis.ses, micaceous and chloritic schists, and ([uartzites. At the upper end of the cafion the gneisses and schists are overlaid by a bed of hard grayish limestone, filled with mica, quartz, and other impurities. The jreneral stiike of the rocks at the cafion is S. 5^ E. and the dip is .south-westerly at an angle of 28'. The gneiss and mica-schists of the Black Cafion represent the oldest rock series found in the Omenica district and are undoubtedly of Archaean age. They run in a north-westerly an gneisses and schists (Shuswap series), the Bow River conglomerates, quartzites and slates, and the Cas*lo ilountain limestones, occur in a similar succession to that on the Omenica, so far as observed, all along the Rocky ^Mountain range. In the section previously e" .:iined on the Bow liiver the lower beds do not come to the surface, and in other places the relationship is obscured by faults and overturns, but when- *For a definition of tliis and tlie How Kiver series, see .\nniial He|Kprt, (ieol. Surv. Can., vol. II. (N.S.), iip. 240, 2!»n. ■] OMENICA KIVER SECTION. 5r .) c ever the section is normal and complete the above described oriler obtains. The liow River conglomerates have a thickness on the Onienica of from 4000 to 5000 feet. The thickness of the Castle Mountain lime- stone was not ascertained. The limestones are succeeded by a seiies of rocks which are entirely different in character fiom those just described and are mainly of vol- canic orii^in. ^Vt the bend of the river below Gerinansen Landing, (irrcn vol- three rounded hills, each about a thousand feet high, occur, which are built principally of a green diabasic rock described by Mr. Ferrier as a compact diabase tutl". This rock is massive in character along its eastern border, but proceeding westward, lines of stratification are gradually tleveloped, and in a short distance it passes into a well-foli- ated green schist, interbedded in places with darker schists, appar. entlv argillaceous in character. The lithological succession at this point, inilicates a gradual passage from massive volcanic rocks through an imperfectly bedded pyroclastic variety to well foliated schists pro- bably derived fiom volcanic ash. At Germansen Landing, green schists, striking S. 48" ¥j., and dipp- HcK^ks on ( iiT- ing at high angles, are exposed. In proceeding up Germansen Creek the rocks, while apparently all belonging to the same series, dis[)lay great variety. The predominant type for some miles is a green ash rock pressed and altered inti) a schist. Interbedded with it are layers of grauwacke, felsite, and hiiUatlint'i, and liands of dolomite, serpen- tine, and magnesite. At one point below Clinton's an exposure of serpentine, sprinkled with decomposed crystals of felspar, was observed. Near Clinton's, on German.sen Creek, the green schists are replaced largely by dark evenly bedded argillites. On the trail between Ger- mansen Creek and Manson Creek, both green schists and dark argil- lites are largely developed. The latter are often speckled with yellow spots, due to decomposed pyrite crystals. The strike of the schists and argillites has an average direction of S. 55 E. The dips are variable, but are usually steep. (jlranite is reported to occur on Manson Creek, a mile above the (iiiuiitc town of Aranson. Its presence in the neighbourhood is evidenced by the number of granite boulders of all sizes, which are scattered every- where over the face of the country. Between Germansen Landing and New Hogem, the rocks exposed along the Omenica consist of green and dark schists similar to those outcropping on Germansen Creek, alternating with indistinctly foliated •diabase- tuffs. The latter in some places are destitute of stratification > ; t 11 '■ i\' ,'lnti 1 ■ . >:i' ■■■' X m ■ :illi >; 'mm 26 c FINLAY AND OMENICA HIVEHS. and are not di'itinguisliable in the field from the massive diabases. ' They vary greatly in teKtuie, passinj^ gradually from a compact crypto- crystalline condition to a rock of medium grain. Uranite. At New Hogem the schists and diabase tuH's are replaced by a dark -coloured medium-grained granite, usually of a hornblendic type. An aggloineratic-looking rock, made up of granite and diabase debris, probably a junction material, was found in the wash of a small stream whicii enters the Omenica iunnediately below New Hogem. Granite outcrops along the Omenica from New to Old Hogem, a distance of about eight miles, and extends north and south of the river in a direction parallel, or nearly so, to the prevalent strike of the neighbouring schistose rocks. The southern limit of the area was not ascertained, and it is possible that it may be continuous with the granite outcrops on 3Ianson Creek. From New Hogem the trail to Tacla Lake via. Vital and Tom's Creek was followed. An occurrence of granite half a mile south of the river marks the western boundary of the granite area, as a short distance away, greenish schists and dark gray argillites similar to those (Jrein schists, on Oermansen Creek crop out in the valley of Silver Creek. Outcrops of the same argillites and schists occur in numerous exposures along the route traversed until within a few miles of Tacla Lake. They are instratified in places with grauwacke and beds of felsite. Hilllaflinta and amphibolite are al.^o not infrequent. The beds dip at high angles, usually towards the south-west, and are occasii nally vertical. 8even miles from Tacla Lake, the argillites and associated rocks are replaced by congl6merates, sandstones and shales of a somewhat similar char- acter to tho.se on the Omenica above the Black Canon. Conglomerates were also found on the shores of Tacla Lake, and they probably form the basement of the wide valley in which the lake is situated. The Tacla valley conglomerates are more indurated than tho.se on the Omenica and have been subjected to greater disturbances, the tilting of the beds often amounting to 70' and over. The age of the conglomerates is doubtful, as no fossils were obtained from them, but they probably belong to the Cretaceous. CiHigloincr iit<'«. Fiiiliiy River Mt'C'tiiin. Finlay River Section. The Finlay section is much inferior to that afforded by the Omenica, as the direction of the river for long distances is parallel or nearly so to the strike of the rocks. No exposures occur along the lower part of the river. From its mouth up to the Omenica, the Finlay winds aeCONNElL ] FINLAY EIVER 8ECTI0N. 27 c througU'U low alluvial plain without touching the horderiug highlands or mountains. Above the mouth of the Onieniea the banks increase in height, and where cut into by tiie stream, show glacial sands, gravels and clays, holding numerous scratched and polished boulders. A mile and a half below Fort Grahame, an exposure of hard grayish contorted limestone appears on the west bank of the river, underlying mica-schists and gneisses. The limestone strikes N. 40' W., and dips to the west at an angle of 70" or over. An examination was made of the mountains bordering the valley in TcnutcH. the vicinity of Fort Grahame. The valley here has a width of about five miles and is terraced on both sides of the river. The main ter- race has a height above the stream of 175 feet. The other terraces, although plainly visible from a distance, could not be distinguished during the ascent. Water-worn pebbles were found up to a height of over 2000 feet above the river. The rocks observed consisted of lustrous mica-schists, micivgneisses, ({ocks i;i and hornblende-schists, bedded diorites, (luartzitcs, and occasional "J'lIV,"" ''*'*' ' ' ' ' of H. lira- bands of whitish crystalline limestone, all belonging to the Shuswap Iwniii- series. At the base of the mountains the rocks dip to the south-west, at a high angle, but further up' the dip diminishes and at the summit the beds are nearly horizontal. The strike is approximately N. 40 AV'., or parallel to the direction of the valley. The mountain west of the valley was ascended by Mr. Hussel and are reported by him to consist of mica-schists, gneisses and limestones, similar to those east of the valley, dipping at high angles. No glacial striie or grooves were noticed on either slope, but the Absence «>f rocks in places appeared to have Ijeen smoothed and rounded by ice t?'"''^^'''' sti'"*"- movitig in a south easterly direction. From Fort Grahame to the mouth of the Ingenica, a distance of about twenty miles, no exposures were noticed along the valley. The bordering mountain ranges, judg- ing by the material brought down by numerous tributary streams, are built mainly of gneiss and mica-schists. The latter outcrops in a couple of places a short distance above the mouth of the Ingenici. Six miles above the mouth of the Ingenica, plant-bearing conglom- erates and sandstones of Laramie age appear in the valley. These beds are similar in character to those in the Omenica, previously de- scribed. They appear to be confined entirely to the great valleys of the district and to be absent from the highlands, and if ever deposited on the latter have been entirely swept away. They rest partly on an ■t! i' .fl 4' ' • I'm ^ ' ^ -.Oil: ;.ij : . 1 i i ■ U ■ ' 1 ; y ■1 11 28 c KINLAY AND OMENICA RIVERS. : \ ShuHWii)) st'rit's. White lime- stone iiumn- tains. liordei'inf- ranges. Laramie con- glomerates. Aichivan, and partly on a Palu;ozoic floor, and have participated to some extent in the later folding which has affected the region. The pebbles of the conglomerates seldom exceed half an inch in diameter and consist of rounded and sub-angular fragments derived from the disintegration of the schists, siates and quartzitos of the neighbourhood. Below Deserters' Caiion, a ridge of hard conglomer- ate and sandstone, through which the stream has cut a narrow gorge, cros^ics the valley. At the lower end of the cafioii the walls are vertical in places, but farther up, the banks have weathered into a steep slope. Deserters' Canon has the appearance of a recent channel, and prob- ably owes its origin to an alteration in the course of the stream during the glacial period, as the easily eroded material of which its banks are formed could not have withstood the assaults of a large swift stream heavily charged with sediment, such as the Finlay, for any lengthened period. The Tertiary conglomerates and associated rocks are replaced, a short di'^tance east of the Deserters" Canon, by the gneisses and mica-schists of the Shuswap series, but extend in a westerly direction for four or five miles, or as far as the ba.se of the mountain range bounding the valley in this direction. Above Deserters" Canon, the valley is bordered on the west by a con- spicuous range of white mountains from 2000 to 3000 feet in height. On clo.ser examination these proved to be composed of"a fine-grained, whitish, compact limestone. This rock weathers in places to a light yellow or rusty colour, and occasionally is very siliceous. No fossils were found in it, but from its position relatively to the Shuswap series it was referred to the Cambrian. The limestone is very much disturbed and probably lies along a line of faulting running with the valley. The .schists and gneisses of the Shuswap series form the bordering mountain ranges on both sides of the Finlay below the mouth of the Ingenica, but. above that point, while still continuing on the east, they recede toward the west, and are replaced by the limestones referred to above. \''rom Deserters' Caiion to Paul's Branch, a distance of thirty miles in a straight line, the Finlay winds through the centre of its valley without touching the bordering mountain ranges. The vjiUey in this stretch is floored throughout with Laramie conglomerates, sandstones and shales, exposures of which occur at intervals all along. These rocks here are usually little indurated and occasionally hold small lignite seams. Fossil plants occur in many of the beds. -1 FINI,AY RIVER SECTION. 29 C Ten miles below Paul's Branch, banks of glacial deposits 225 feet (ilacinl (It- high occur at tiie bends of the stream. The- banks are sloping below, ''""' "■ but are capped with stt ep blurt's above f^onsisting mostly of coarsely stratified gravels intcrbedded with bands of hard boulder-clay filled with scratched boulders. The boulder-clay bands often pass into gravels when traced along their outcrop. At Paul's Branch, the river approaches the mountains on the east, Piuil'slSrancli. and an opportunity was afforded for a short trip inland. Paul's Branch enters the I'inlay througii a deep narrow cailon, cut through the hard rocks of the outer range. Farther back, its valley becomes enlarged, and the stream soon splits up into several tributaries which wind through the wide marsh-filled valleys separating the hills and ridges of the district. The eastern range here, as elsewhere along the vallej-, consists of the limestones, gneisses and .schists of the Shuswap series. A band of hard compact limestone outcrops at the water's edge, while further back, bands of mica-gneisses, lustrous mica-schists, hornlilende-schists, and occasionally (|uaitzose-.schists, alternate across the range. These rocks all dip to the south-west at angles froni 50 to GO , and strike N. 73 W. The Shuswap series has a width at Paul's Branch of two miles, ^yi'ltll"nlllll(l '^ . , _ of Shuswap It is succeeded towards the east by argillites calc-schists and lime- rocks. stones of Cambrian age, dipping in a south-west direction under the older rocks. The contact between the two formations is apparentlv a faulted one, the Shuswap series being thrust eastward over the younger formation. The ridges foiming the central part of tlie Rocky Mountain range Rocks in ci-n- were not examined clo.«ely, but, judging from their appearance and from the wash of the streams flowing from them, they are evidently composed of massive limestones, similar to those found in a corres- ponding position in other parts of the range. From Paul's Branch to the Quadacha, a distance of ten miles, the Finlay follows the eastern bank of the valley, and occasional exposures of the schists of the Shuswap series occur. A short distance below the mouth of the Quadacha, Laramie conglomerates outcrop on the left bank. At the Quadacha, the Finlay bends to the west and soon after leaves the great valley which it has occupied fron\ its mouth to this point. The valley continues northward, and is occupied, after the Finlay abandons it, by the Tochieca a tributary. t! I iii 'm- ■ 1 ••tri}t : : ■ H^ ?i tl-- ' *^ ' ii ^ 1^ 1 1 \ ' 30 o FINLAY AND OMENICA lilVEHS. Volciuiic HChlHtg. Laramie rockn. Limestones. Cambrianeon- glomerates. In crossing the valley Laramie rocks were seen in a couple of places, but below the mouth of the Tochieca these are replaced by green schists, probably sheared and altered volcanic i-ocks similar to those overlying the limestones in the Omenica district. These schists have the usual strike, but the dip is to the north-east at an angle of 40°. The green schists have a width of five miles. They form the first ridge through which the Finlay breaks after it leaves its old valley. Prairie Mountain, the part of the ridge abutting on the Finlay from the north, was examined, and found to consist of green schists, often strongly chloritic, holding numerous stringers of quartz alternating with bands of yellowish weathering dolomites. Three bands of the latter were observed and four of the former. The strike of these beds is N. 30' E. and the dip is to the north-west. Glacial .striation or grooving were carefully looked for in ascending Prairie Mountain, but no trace of either was found. After cutting tin-ough Prairie Mountain range, the Finlay enters and follows for some distance a second longitudinal valley running parallel to the first. Laramie sandstone and conglomerates occur in this valley and probably extend southwards along it to its junction with the main valley, a few miles below Paul's Branch. The conglomerate in this valley consists in places largely of sub-angular limestone peb- bles, often several inches in diameter, and is occasionally coloured red by iron. At the second valley, the green schists are replaced towards the west by limestones, alternating with dark, glossy calc-schists, sericite- schists and argillites, evidently a continuation of the same band which forms the mountains bordering the Finlay valley on the west at the Deserters' Canon, and for some distance above. The band of limestones and associated rocks has a width of five miles. The thickness was not ascertained, as the dips are very irregu- lar, the beds being overturned in many places. At the western edge of the band the prevalent dip is to the north-west. The limestones are underlain by fine-grained conglomerates, inter- bedded with some (|uartzites and schists. The conglomerate is of Cambrian age, and like similar occurrences elsewhere, consists mostly of quartz and felspar pebbles inclosed in a hard siliceous matrix. It strikes in a north-west direction and dips to the north-east. The con- glomerates are succeeded, in descending order, by mica-schists, mica- gneisses, hornblende-schists, etc., of the Shuswap series. The latter are exposed along the Finlay River from the mouth of the Thudaca River, westward to the expanded portion of the river at the Fishing ] HKCTION I\ PEACK HIVKH I' ASS. 31 c Lakes. Above thi.s point tlie river enters an old a'luviuin-lilled basin, and expo.sure.s cease. Kast of the valley, wliieli here runs almost directly nortii-and-saiith, the niountiiins are built of the schists of the ►Shuswap series, while west of the valle}' an area of eruptive rock.s occurs. The latter consist of diorites around the periphery, but soon pass to the west into biotite- and hornblende-i,'ranites. The dip of the schists is to the north-east, or away from the eruptive area. The rock section exposed along the Finlay, after the latter leaves Finlay set the valley bou ^dinj; the Rocky Mountains on the west, consists of the western half of a great anticline, which includes the schists of the Shuswap series (Archican), conglonieivites and limestones of Cambi-ian age (Bow River and Castle Mountain groups), and an upper schistose series consisting of altered volcanic rocks, the age of which was not determined. The dip of these rocks is usually to the north-east, but in places, and more especially in the limestone series, overturns have been pro- duced by pressure from the west, and the dip is revei-sed. The eastern limb of the anticline has entirely disappeared, a result raultod anti- probably affected by faulting along the line of the Finlay Valley. The junction between the volcanic schists at the summit of the Pahco- zoic section, and the Shuswap series east of the Finlay Valley, over which they are apparently faulted, is concealed by the Laramie con- glomerates. Section in Peace liiver Pasn* A short trip was made through the Peace River Pass of the Rocky Vcacv River Mountains, for the purpose of obtaining a general view of the structure '^'*'* ^iition. of the range in this latitude. The time occupied, one day in descend- ing, and two days in ascending the river, was too limited for anything but a hurried reconnaissance. Peace River breaks through the liocky Mountains, here about Cliaiacter (if eighteen miles wide, xn a direction a few degrees south of east. In its "^"' passage of the range it has a width of from three to five hundred yards. Its course, with the exception of two small rapids, one before entering and the other after leaving the range, is uninterrupted. The current seldom exceeds five miles an hour and for most of the distance is much less. The valley averages about a mile in width, and the bordering mountains range in height from 2000 to 4500 feet above the river, or 4000 to 6500 feet above sea-level. • Sue also Rpi)<)rt of Progress, Geol. Surv., Can., 187r>-7(i, jip. 41, 80. ■>: 1, Vi ¥ f ^ 4 i. : t til It 1 ; r- i: St: I ; ■':!i 1 ': i i . i n..'i i ] i Ivl } i -i m \ '■; : i i-.i: 'k Ml . I .•}2 c KINLAV AND OMENICA HIVEH8. rrodMiiiimiiet' ''''"' I'ocka exposed along the pas.s consist principally of gniyisli «if liiniHtiiiii'. Palii'ozoic limestones striking in a north-westerly ilin-ction, and di|)ping persistently to the south-west. Repetitions of parts of the limestone series, caused by overthrust faults, occur at several points. No infolds of Cretaceous or Laramie strata, such as occur in Alberta, exist, and to this fact is due the greater irregularity of the subordinate ranges. Innnediately east of the main range, exposures of yellowish-weather- ing calcareous sandstont;, probably of Cretaceous age, occur in the banks of the river. These are replaced, going westward, by grayish linicstones dipping steeply to the west. The junction between the limestone and sandstone is concealed in the valley, but there is little doubt, from the relative position of the two formations, that th<> contact is a faulted one and that the Pahcozoic limestones of the mountains, here as elsewhere along the eastern boundary of the range, are thrust up over the Meso- zoic rocks of the foot-hills. Crrtiic'cinis Kiniilstonc. K.--«MgBp i » H C'^.WE6igw> •* 34 HNLAY ANIJ OMKNICA KIVKKH. Loirer I'alivozoio, Clantio nickH Tlio ShuHWdp H<'iioH is (ivtMlaiii on tim OmcMicii l)y a hand (if slatos, 'simNwi'p ([uartzitoN and conj^ldnicralcs siniilaf in litii()loj,'ifal cliaradcr and in Hfrit'M. geiild^icai poHilion to tlii! Hdw Kivi-i* sci'ics (if tlio How llivcr s('ction ; nnd iiko it, jirolialily ittt'crabh^ lo IIk^ lidwci- and Middh; (^'ambrian. Tlic conghinuTatt's liavo an arko^o a|ip(>aran('c, and (MiiisiHt. iii'in('i]ially of amall rounded ((uart/, and felspar pcMilcs inlfM'lKMldcd in a iiai'd silicndius matrix. l'''ni<,'nu'ntH (if schist and sialc! nva alsd dccasidnally in(^luded. A puipHsli udloratinn of many of tiui (luait/ ;;rainH itliarac- tcri/es the con^lomcratos of this formation wliorovor found, from IJow Uivcr north to tho Finlay. The i-nnf^lomcratcs and associated rocks ^ on tlu) Omenica have a thicknoHs of about 4000 feet. A bantl of conglomerate.4 nnd scliists, referable to tiie How Hivoi' aerica, also occur on the Finlay below tlu* mouth of the 'riuidaca. These rocks overlie the Shuswap series and are similar in most respects to the Omenica ocfurrencc;. The (•on^lomcratcs are j^i-eatly crushed in places, and often assume a seliislosc appearance from the development of sec(jndary mica parallel to the cleavaf;e planes. A third band, similar in character to the others, forms part of the western slope of ISIount Selwyn. The conglomeratic bands are everywhere overlain by a great lime- stone formation, corresponding t(i (he Castle Mountain group of the Bow River section, and like it, probably ranging in age from Middle Cambrian up to Cambro-Silurian. The limestones are grayish in colour, except where whitened along linos of disturbance, and are usually evenly bedded, but in places, especially when impure, pass into a calc-schist. No fossils were obtained from them. Distribution. Limestones of this group are found all along the western portion of the Peace Iliver section through the llocky Mountains east of Mount Selwyn, and extend northward along the range as far as examined. West of the Rocky IVrountains they occur in bands of from tour to eight miles in width, rumiing in a north-westerly direction. One of these bands crosses the Finlay at its bend and extends south to the Ingenica where it is cut off, and two others cross the Omenica above the Tchutetzeca. The limestone rests normally on the Bow River conglomerates, but in many places in the district the latter are absent, either from non- deposition or in consequence of faulting, and the limestone comes in direct contact with the Shuswap rocks. CftBtle Moun- tain gruuii. MacoNNlu.| nKOI.OfJirAl, HUMMARV. 36 UfiiDW I'idimzoir,, (JiiiyiHli well lioddod liiii(>,stimos, holdin;,' (^(inilM, liiachiopodH ittid otlicT Hn„ff |||,„.. fossils clianu'Uti'iHtit; of tlio harill' or l>('\oii() Carl)onit'orous division of "'"'"'"• tlic liow Wwi'v n(!(tion, occui' in tliti oaHtorn rannt's of tlu! Hocky Mountiiins, wliilo nciu' tint cent ro of llio nui;{<', lower hods prohahly Silui'ian in a^c, lioidin( tlio Vi)l(iuiio Onuinica from lieluw OormaiiHon Landing,' to near Tacla Lake, ,ife •'*^^""'^''' prolmlily upjx'r I'alii'o/.oic, lint, nodetinitocsvidence of af^'o was obtained, beyond tlio fact th.it they ovciriie the limestones referred to tlie Castle Mountain j{i'oii|> and underliti the |)roliably Cretaceous conglomerates of Tacla Lak(!. Tho band of j^rocn scliists which crosses the Finlay al: ve the mouth of tho Cjuadacha occupies a similar position. The schists are (greenish in colour and an? well foliated, as a rule, but in j)laces tli ) 1 1^ 1 [■'i m f ;;,ii; si M I 4 36 c FINLAY AND OMKNICA RIVERS. Distribution of Laramii!. KoHsils. the Finlay a tew miles farther west in a parallel longitudinal valley, which it enters and follows for some distance They are also found on the Omenica from the Black CaSon up to its junction with the Tchutetzeca. The pebbles of the conglomerate are usually small, l)ut in places are several inches in diameter. They consist mainly of slate, quartz, and limestone. Oxide of iron is occasionally present in the matrix in sutHcieiit (juantitios to give a reddish coloration to exposures. The shales are dark in colour, are evenly bedded, and are interstratified in places with small lignite seams. The sandstones are usually some- what argillaceous, and occasionally consist largely of mica derived from the disintegration of the underlying schists. The Tertiary conglomerates and associated rocks, as stated on a previous page, are distributed in narrow strips along the deep valleys of the district and wore nowhere found on the highlands. They were probably deposit(Ml in lakes during a Tertiary depression, and evidence the pie-Tertiary age of the present main river-channels. The con- glomerates are occasionally hoi'izontal or nearly .so, b Jt in most cases they are tilted at angles ranging from 10 to 40\ showing that they have been affected to some extent by the later mountain-making movements. Some leaves and other plant remains, obtained from the shales interbedded with the conglomerates, were examined by Sir J. Wm. Dawson, who has kindly furnished the following note on them : — " The collection is small, and the specimens imperfect, more especially in respect to the finer venation and margins of leaves. The following forms were recognized : — " Arnndo. — A ribbed stem possibly of this genus. Omenica River. " Sequoia. — Plentiful in Finlay River shales ; appears to be S. Langs dorjfii. On the black (lags from Omenica River there is another form, which may be distinct, and shows curious terminal buds. There are also branchlets referable to .S'. Cou/t,siii'. " J'opulus. — A leaf of the type of /'. Arcfica, Heer, 1'. A'ebrasccnsis, Newberry, and P. speciom, Ward, if these are really distinct- Omenica River. " Platan tiK. — Possibly /'. Ifnydi'iiii, Lesquereux, or allied species. Omenica River. " Qni'rcas. — A fragment possibly of this genus. Omenica River. " Grewia or (ireiciopsiii. — '!^h.va. is a genus allied to T'dia. A single imperfect leaf may represent it. Einluy River. " Vilnirmnu. — Apparently V. axpera, Newberry, or near to it. -] fJEOLOOICAL SUMMARY. 37 c " Carpolite. — A single imperfect specimen resembling Legiimenosiles arachiioides of Lesquereux. "Animal Fossiln. — Minute bivalve shells of two kinds, one possibly an Eslheria, another perhaps a Cyjirid. " All the above fossils, so far as determinable, appear to indicate the Upper Laramie period. Of the collections in my possession, the plants seem most nearly to resemble those of the Lignitic series on the Mackenzie River, which are referable to the Upper Laramie. There is nothing among the plants to indicate any other horizon." Pleistocene Evidences of glaciation abound throughout tiic district. In the Glacial groov- Peace River Pass, well-marked glacial groovings occur on the south "''^*'" side of the river two miles east of Mount Selwyn. The movement of the ice here was eastward. Glacial groovings of a pi'onounced character, running in an easterly direction, were observed on the hillsides north of the Omenica River twelve miles above Germansen Landing, and they are also reported to occur on the summit of a mountain south of Manson Creek at an elevation of r)000 feet above the sea. No groov- ings were found along the Finlay, but the exposures on the mountain slopes north-east of Fort Grahame present in many instances the smooth rounded characters of rocks polished by moving ice. The movement here was in a south-easterly direction. The glacial deposits consist of boulder-clay, accompanied by gravels, sands and silts. In Peace River Pass, gravels, sands, and silts of glacial age are of Glacial do- constant occurrence, and boulder-clay holding striated stones occurs in ^""^^ '*' a couple of places. On the Omenica River, a high bank of stratified sands, silts and i;ravels occurs below the Black Canon, and boulder- clay accompanicid with sand and gravel was found above the mouth of the Oslinca. Below Germansen Landing, light-colouring silts weather- ing into steep l)lufis are exposed for several miles along the valley. From Germansen Landing to Hogem the immediate shores of the river are low and are mostly built of alluvium. Boulder-clay is developed to a greater extent on some of the tribu- taries of the Omenica than on the river itself. High banks of this 'iiaterial occur on Germansen Creek and on jManson Creek, and in both cases are underlain by tluvio-glacial gravels, which are often auri- ferous. Boulder-clay banks of consideral)le thickness were also found on Vital Creek and on Tom's Creek. \m 38 c FINLAY AND OMENICA niVKRS. Morainic hillii. HoiiMc hiiliks. -cliiy Ternisci'. Glacial sue cession. Morainic hills, camong which small lakes are interspersed, occur near tiie summit of the pass loadini; from Tom's Creek to Tacla Lake. On the Fiulay River, boulder-'-'"" '^ scarce below Deserter's Cafion. The river in this stietch is bo , 1 for long distances by banks of alluvial clays and sands, and wlu le hi^dioi' terraces are cut into, the sections show, as a rule, only the upper stratified sands and silts. From Deserters' Cafion to the bend of the Finlay, boulder-clay banks, some of which are 225 feet in height, are frequent. The boulder-clay here is often imperfectly stratified and often passes horizontally into gravel beds. Striated stones are connnon, but the majority of the pebbles are water-worn to a varying extent. No boulder-clay was noticed on the Finlay above its bend, the banks usually consisting of rolled gi'avels overlying the older rocks in the swifter portions of the stream, and of alluvial clays and sands where the current becomes sluggish. Terraces were observed at a number of places. Along Peace Tliver Pass they occur up to a heiglit of about 100 feet and on the Omenica below the mouth of the Osliiica, vii) to a height of S'jO feet. On the Finlay, north-east of Fort Grahame, rolled gravels and traces of terraces easily distinguishable at a tlistance, occur up to a height of 2000 feet above the river. High teiraces were also noticed lining the sides of the mountains at the Fishing Lakes. A well-marked terrace, built of silty clay and gravel, occurs here at a height of 1250 feet above the river or 4500 feet above the sea, and others less distinct were found up to a height of 1950 feet above the I'iver. The glacial succession, when fully developed, consists in ascending order of gravels, associated in places with stratified sands and silts ; boulder clays holding occasional pebble beds ; stratified sands, clays and gravels ; and terraces. The position of the light coloured silts on the Omenica, below Oerniansen Landing, was not ascertained, as their contact with the otlier members of the glacial secfion is concealed. The .alluvium-filled rock-basins which tiie I'^iniay enters six miles above the Thudaca, and the Omenica, near Slate ('reek, proliably owe their oritjin to recent differential crustal movements. aconomu: Notes Discovories of The first discovery of gold in the Peace River country was made on *^" ■ the Parsnip, about 20 miles above its mouth, by Rill Cust, in 18GL In the following year Pete Toy's bar on the Finlay, a few miles below the Omenica was found, and for some time proved wonderfully pro- ductive, the yield amounting to about §50 per day to the man. Silver c i ■CCONNILU ECOVOMIC MINKRALS, 39 C Creek, a tributary of the Omenica, was found in 1868, and Vital Creek, a brancli of the former, in 1809. In 1870, dii^Riiig^ were found on (jrerinansen Creek and the following year on 8hite, Manson and Lost Creeks. No further discoveries were made until Tom's Creek was struck in 1889. The population of the country reached its maximum about 1872, ]'o|>ulatioii. and has since steadily declined. In 1893 four miners were working on (lermansen Creek, eight on ilaihson Creek, three on Vital Creek and about twenty on Tom's Creek. The other creeks have been worked out and deserted. The total production of the camp up to the present time, judging Production, from the fragmentary statistics of thc^listrict published in the Annual Reports of Minister of Mines for British Columbia, and from other sources, probably approaches closely to, if it does not exceed, a million dollars. The gold in the Omenica region has been obtained principally from Aiirifcrous the gravels overlying the older rocks, in the beds of the present streams, gravels. The grav6ls, as a rule, have little depth, and the productive portions of the different streams seldom exceed three miles in length. No deep diggings or extensive hydraulic workings have so far been attempted in the district. The auriferous gravels underlying the boulder-clay on Germansen, Amiferou Manson and other creeks in the district have a wide distribution and ^^jy,',']^ promise favourable results if worked on a sufficiently large scale. A short tunnel was driven into a bank of this description on (iermansen Creek by Mr. Clinton in 1892, and sufficient gold taken out to pay small wages. Water can bo obtained almost anywhere from lakes and mountain streams, within a reasoiial)le distance, and the only drawback to successful hydraulic mining is the great expense atten- dant on the carriage of material and supplies from the coast. The Tmnsporta- absence of easily navigable waterways, and the mountainous and swampy character of the surrounding country, present obstacles to transportion which can only be overcome at great expense. At the present time, the greater part of the supplies are brought in by pack animals from Ilazleton at the Forks of the Skeena, the rate to Manson Creek amounting to 17 cents per pound. Some prospecting has been done in the Omenica region every season Prospecting since its auriferous character became known, but the district has by no means been thoroughly explored. The discovery of pay gravels on Tom's Creek, close to Vital Creek, twenty years after the later was found, shows liow loose the examination has been, nor need this be \' 4 lit 40 c PINLAY AND OMENICA RIVERS. Oold on tho Finliiy. (laleii . V. wondered at wlien the short seasons, difficult travellini; and higli prices of supplies are taken into account. That further discoveries of auri- ferous creeks will be made admits of little doubt. Fine gold occurs on the Finlay tliroughout most of its course, but with the exception of Pete Toy's bar, previously referied to, no paying placers have been discovered. Very little prospecting has, however, been done on this stream, and witli the exception of the Ospica, none of the tributaries, so far as I could learn, have ever been prospected. Gold, mostly in a fine condition, was found in ascending the river, at the mouths of the Ingenica, the Quadaeha, and the Tochieca, and ■ilso on two of the smaller western tributaries, one of which enters the T^iiilay eight miles below Paul's Branch, and the other six miles above ^!in Tochieca. With the exception of the Quiwlacha no "colours" v i\v f(/'ind on the eastern or Rocky Mountain streams above De- sertfis" ( 'cfion. No or t iv .ag I of largt * Occurrence of gold. Kocks ])rob- ably metalli- fcrouH. :aif^ has so far been attempted in the Omenica region ,+', „. •.' -^iF transportation facilities, although the existence ve.ns or highly argentiferous galena has been known for many years.'^ Arquerite or silver-amalgam is also of common occurrence in the placer diggings on Silver Creek, and on Vital and Tom's Creek, two of its tributaries. The two latter streams are of little length, and a systematic examination of their basins could be made at small ex- pense. The gold in the Omenica district occurs in a coarse condition, nug- gets often being found with quartz still attached to them, and is evi- dently derived from the band of green schists and argillites previously described which outcrops along the Omenica and its tributaries from below Germansen Landing west nearly to Tacla Lake. All the auri- ferous creeks worked up to the present are situated within this zone, which has a width of forty-eiyht miles. The schists, of which it is formed, are everywhere much disturbed, are broken up by intrusions of granitic and other eruptive rocks, and present in this and other ways promising indications that they are metalliferous in character •Report of Progress, Geol. 8urv. Can., 1879-80, p. Ill B. "ices luri- but ring ver, one ted. /er, md the 3ve rs" 3e- on ice ny in .k, id X- m^ 1 t