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THE LIBRARY 
 
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 THE GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL 1898 
 
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EXCEKPT FROM THE JoURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS OF 
 
 THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, 1, Savile Row ; 
 FRANCIS EDWARDS, 83, High Street, Maryi.ebonk, W. 
 

 ^ 
 
I )' ). 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHY AND HESOUUCES OK THE YUKON HASIN. 
 
 21 
 
 That dealing with tlio early maps, on whioh tho results of thorortugii'iso 
 voyagos were shown, (In.sorvos Kpeciftl incntioii, a iisofnl featur'* being 
 the rf]irodii(tioii of portions of Cantino's aJul ('anorio'w charlH of la02, 
 as well as of an unonymotis map, probably of tho samo date, in tho 
 poHsession of J)r. ILuny. Although portions of Canorio'H map havo been 
 reproduced in more than one colleotion, wu lioliovi> that tin* Asiatic 
 section has never prcviouHly been published. 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN.* 
 
 By ILLIAM OQILVIE, of the Topographical Survey of Canada. 
 Aktku tho kind things tliat have been expressed towards myself by tho 
 President, and endorsed by you, I feel somewhat put out. I feel that I 
 cannot conscientiously ai>ply them all to myself; I will therefore accept 
 them as baing oflfered mo as the representative of tho country whence I 
 come, a country that 1 am proud to tell you is more British, perhaps, 
 than any otlier part of this vast empire. A few years ago, iierhajis a 
 generation ago, tliat feeling was not exhibited to the same extent that 
 it is now. Then it might have been compared to a email stream gently 
 meandering through the laud, and affecting all that it came in contact 
 with ; now it is a resistless torrent sweeping everything out of its 
 way, and permeating the whole of tho country with a thoroughly British 
 feeling, and making us take a pride in being part of the British Empire, 
 and glorying in the history and traditions of the British Empire, a 
 much as you who are listening to me. 
 
 Tliere is a common saying that blood is thicker than water. So it 
 is ; but tliero is a substance that, unfortunately, many people consider 
 much thicker than blood and much heavier than water, tl.at is, gold. 1 
 have como to speak a short time this evening on that subject in con- 
 nection with the Yukon district, and to do so, I shall have to deal first 
 of all at some length with the geography of the \ukon basin. I hope 
 I shall not weary you, but it will take me some time to get through, 
 because it is a very long river, to long that you might wrap it round 
 this little island, and then tie a knot with the ends. After that I will 
 make a few remarks aliaut the gold deposits, their extent and probable 
 development; after that, a few remarks on the habits and custorjH of 
 the people ; and then on the weather, and I would recommend you all 
 to put on your wraps Ijefore I read the temperatures that havo been 
 observed there. Then I have some fifty odd slides to show you, ex- 
 hibiting the surface features of the country from the head of the Yukon 
 to its mouth, and those pictures will show jou better than any word- 
 pictures of mine, the surface of the country. 
 
 The map shows you Alaska proper. The dotted line is the 14l8t 
 
 Read at tlio lloyal Geographical Society, March 23, 1898. Map, p. 112. 
 
22 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASiN. 
 
 meridian west of Greenwich. It is the international boundary-line 
 betv'oen Canadt and Alaska. My first visit to the country was made in 
 order to determine where that meridian crossed the Yukon river, and in 
 connection with this I made a survey from the head of the Chilkat 
 inlet, across the mountains to the lakes at the liead of the Lewes river, 
 and down that river to the boundary. 
 
 Now we will begin at the Dyea pass, taking the Lewes branch first, 
 afterward" the TesliTi river, and then the Pelly. Beginning at tide 
 water on Dyea pass, wo make our way about 8 miles tip the valley of 
 Dyea, river over the moraine of an ancient glacier ; then we have about 
 
 LOOKING NOBTHWAUD AND LANDWARD FliOM TKNINSULA BKTWEEN CHILKAT AND 
 
 OHILKOOT INL1:TS. 
 (I'lioto by J, J. ilcArthur, D.I.. Surveyor.) 
 
 ti^ miiv to make our way through woods, where there is now a road 
 cut, to Sheep camp, about 1000 feet above sea; from there lo the 
 summit, about 3 miles, we ascend 2000 feet. No part of it is very steep 
 until you get near the summit, when there is about 500 feet whicli 
 has a slope of horn ;55 to 40°. The first time 1 walked over, I 
 carried my chronometer in one hand, a magnetic dip-circle in the other, 
 a barometer on my back, and some other insiruments of less importance. 
 You have, no doubt, seen tliih pass pictured at; being almost peri)endic'ulur 
 at some points, I have not seen Lboge places yet, and I have gone over 
 several times. Down to Lake Lindoman we descend i;J.'iO feet, and 
 
 i 
 
ni^mm 
 
 i 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN. 23 
 
 travel 8^ miles ("rom the summit. Lake Lindeman is about 4^ miles 
 long. We (lescead it, and then cross a sandy ridge, a little less than a 
 mile, to Lake Bennett, which brings us to the head of the navigable 
 waters of the Lewes branch of the Yukon river. Lake Bennett is 25^ miles 
 in length ; midway there is a branch which strikes oft' to the south-west, 
 which is about 14 or 15 miles long; heading in fome of the glaciers of 
 the coast range. At the foot of Lake Bennett we reach what is called 
 Cariboo crossing ; it is about 2i miles long, and out of it we go into 
 Tagish lake, 17 miles in length. At the foot of this there are '> miles 
 of a small rivir, averaging 100 yards in width, and from 6 to 12 feet 
 
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 LOOKINa NOKTH-WESTWABD ACROSS DYEA AND ClIILKOOT INLETS. 
 (' aotr, by J. J. McArlhur, J). I.. Surveyor.) 
 
 deep. Passing it, we arrivs at Marsli lake, 19 miles long, with good 
 water all the way through. At the foot we strike the river proper, and 
 go down it 25^ miles to the canon. Tho. caiion is about 70 to 90 feet 
 wide. Tiie .vails are of basaltic rock, and about as high as it is wide. 
 The stream is so swift that you run througii it, ii of a mile, in about 
 three minutes. At the foot is a rather rough rapid, and after running 
 through a pond-liko expanse in the river below this rawid, you make a 
 sharp turu to the leff, and thou to the right, and that brings you to the 
 White Ilorso rapiu, which is the only dangerous spot in the river. A 
 great many have run through it safely, but many have lost their lives 
 ihere; I traced thirteen deaths by drowning in 1895 at this point. 
 Fourteen and a half miles below the White Horse a river joins, called 
 

 24 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHY aND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN. 
 
 Takhina, or in English, Mosquito river. This joins from the west, and 
 flows out of a large lake about 30 miles above its mouth. Thirteen 
 and a half miles below that we reach Lake Labarge, the largest lake on 
 the river, 31 h miles long. Out of that we make our way down what is 
 known to the miners as the Thirty-mile river to the mouth of the 
 Teslin. Most of that reach of 31 miles is a very rapid current, and 
 there are several big rocks in various places ; but they are not formidable, 
 because they are easily seen, and you can avoid them. 
 
 Now we will go back to the coast, and go over the much-discuS'Sc 
 Teslin route. The Stickine river has been navigated by boats fov 
 over twenty years. There is a small steamboat which plies up 
 that river to Telegraph creek, about 150 miles, every year making 
 several runs. In 1896 and 1897 toe Hudson Bay Company's steamor 
 Caledonia made four trips from Port S'mpson up through the coast 
 tidal fivers to the mouth of the river — two in '96 and two in '97. 
 Thete voyages were made in the best season of the year, no doubt, 
 when there was plenty of water in the river ; but I do not think there 
 is any doubt whatever but that that river can bo navigated by light- 
 draught stern-wheel steamers during open water — that is, from the 
 middle of May to the middle of November. It is said, and it has been 
 discussed very much at length, that trouble will be raised at Wrangell 
 over the transfer of cargo from the ships to the boats. If it is, we can 
 unload at Simpson, in British territory, the only objection to this being 
 that you have to cross Dixon's entrance in a river steamer, and a strong 
 wind makes it too rough, and such boats would have to abide the event of 
 the weather for departure from and return to that port. With this probable 
 detention, we can ply from a British port to a British port, and the 
 only part of foreign territory that we have to traverse is the coast strip 
 which the Americans claim — is 34 miles in width, which width we do 
 not admit. It is 170 miles from Simpson to Wrangell in ocean water, 
 and from Wrangell to Telegraph creek 160 miles on the Stikiue river. 
 From Telegraph creek overland to Teslin lake is about 150 miles of 
 tolerably easy country — that is, when you compciro it with the rest of 
 that country, which is very mountainous. It would not be called easy 
 here; nevertheless, by next autumn the probabilities are we shall have 
 a railroad from Telegraph creek to Teslin lake. Now, the lake was 
 surveyed last fall by one of our surveyors, Mr. St. Cyr, and my son. I* 
 is Go miles in length, and from it to 2 niiles in width, and <rom the 
 foot of the lake down the 'J'oslin river (known to twa mineis '•<' the 
 Hootalinqua) is 13.» miles to the junction with the Lewes, irsiji ijiere 
 wo continue 3GV miles to Big Salmon river, which is an unimportant 
 stream, only of note in the sense that gold has been found all along it, 
 not in large quantities, but still it is there. It has been explored up to 
 Quiet Hke, an estimated distanje oF 200 inileB, and the lake is reported 
 2-1 miles long, but it is probable this is much in excess of the true 
 
 [^ 
 
 1^ 
 
"W 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN. 
 
 25 
 
 distances. From Big Salmon river to Little Salmon river is about 33 
 milet) and from there to Nordenskiuld river is about 29 miles. 
 
 We will now go back again and take the Dalton trail, beginning 
 at the mouth of the Ohilkat river, and going up it to its confluence 
 with the Klehini river, joining from the west, up which we go some 
 distance ; and then take overland over a succession of low passes, 
 said to 1)0 about 3000 feei a,l.uve sea-level. Ninety- five miles from 
 the coast you strike the summit proper — that is, the summit of the 
 watershed between the Alsek river and the streams flowing into 
 
 I.OOKIXa POWN CANON FKOM HEAD. 
 
 Chilkat inlet — and from there you have an easy undulating country 
 io traverse until you strike the Lewes river near the mouth of the 
 Nordenskitild river, some 130 miles below Teslin river. A short distance 
 bolow the Nordenskiiild is the principal obstruction in the river — that is, 
 whea we descend In' the Teslin branch — known to the miners as the 
 Five Finger Rapids, and to the coast Indians as the Yeth Katzi, or the 
 Raven islands, because there aro five masses of rock or islands standing 
 in the channel, on which thosj birds nest. The river has worn its way 
 through a barrier of couglonierato rook, part of which now remains on 
 both sides, and left these five masses standing in the stream, Tlie ravens 
 make their nests there because they are protected fiom the depredations 
 of animals. 'J'be local or Tngi.sh Indian.; call them Chi Cho, or big 
 
^m 
 
 26 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN. 
 
 rocks. From the Five Fingers down to tho mouth of the Pelly 1» 
 about 57 miles, or 375 miles from the head of Bennett lake, by way 
 of the Dyea or White pass, and through the canon, White Horse, 
 and Five Fingers. To the Pelly by way of the Teslin route is 
 387 miles from the head of Teslin lake, witli orly one hindrance to easy 
 navigation — tho Five Fingers. With these interruptions both those 
 routes are easilj ' "Me; the first from the head of Bennett --ike, the 
 last from the head lin lake. 
 
 The Five Finger .pids are not more than a detention, for any 
 ordinary river steamer can ascend them with the aid of a line, or warp- 
 ing, as it is termed. A line is fastened to some point on the shore ahead. 
 
 LOOKING DOWN " WmTE HOB BE " llAPIUS. 
 
 and the boat helps to pull herself up liy hauling on this line with her 
 eteam capstan or winch. The detention is caused by the water being 
 dammed by the rocks mentioned. This raises it somewhat, and there 
 is a short plunge of from 1 to 2 feet down to the level l)elow. This 
 plunge does not extend over more than a score of yards. Both above the 
 rapids and below there are several miles of strong current, but not 
 enough to prevent steamers ascending it ; and once past this, there 
 is no trouble up to the liead of Lake Teslin by the Teslin route, or up 
 to the White Horse rapids on the Lewes, 220 miles above Five Fingers 
 and 97 below the head of Bennett lake. 
 
 Now, the Telly was examined and surveyed by Dr. Dawson in 1887, 
 
^^mm 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHY AND Rf-SOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN. 
 
 27 
 
 the B»nie year that I made the instrumental survey of the Lewes. He 
 made his way uj) the Stickine, across to Dease lake, and down the lake 
 and the river of the same name to the Liard river, up which he went to 
 Frances river, ascended it and the lake of the same name, and crossed 
 the watershed of the Liard and Pelly to a point on the latter in 61" 40' 
 N. lat. and 131° ux W. long. From this point he made a survey down 
 the Pelly to its mouth, 320 miles. 
 
 From the mouth up he reports it navigable for river steamers to 
 Granite caSon, 61 miles up. This canon is about 4 miles in length, 
 and a steamer might have difficulty in ascending it owing to crooks, but 
 
 BIBD'S-EYE VIKW or site of "DAWSON" at mouth of KLONDIKE, Arnii., 1897. 
 
 he thinks by warping she would succeed. Nine miles above the canon 
 the Macmillan river joins from the north-east. Above the canon the 
 doctor is of opinion that a smaller or lighter draught boat could ply up 
 the Pelly to Koss river, about 250 miles above the junction with the 
 Lewes ; and probably the same steamer could ascend the Macmillan 40 
 or 50 miles. 
 
 From Fort Selkirk, or what was Fort Selkirk, the old Hudson Bay 
 trading post a mile below the mouth of the I'elly, down to White ri\ o? 
 is 90 miles. "White river joins the Yukon from the west, and a great 
 part of it is in our own territory, but much of the head is in Alaska. 
 This river branches some 25 or 30 miles above the mouth, and the north 
 branch heads close to Sixty-mile and Forty-mile rivers. The other branch 
 
^^^m 
 
 28 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN. 
 
 '.1 
 
 is reported to head in a very large lake north-east of Mount St. Eliao, 
 named Kluahne lake. Another branch is reported to head south-west 
 of this in another large lake. Copper is reported on the upper stretches 
 of this river, but has not been located yet. Ten miles below AVhite 
 river, Stewart river joins from the east. It is reported to be navigable 
 for light-draft steamers up to the falls, about 150 miles, as near 
 as I can ascertain from the reports of minerf^. One or two of the 
 branches of this stream may afford another 100 !niles of navigable 
 water for the same class of steamers. One of them heads in a lake 
 called Mayo lake, reported about 25 miles in length, but narrow. From 
 the Stewart to Dawson is G9 miles, all good navigable water. From 
 Dawson to the boundary-line is about 90 miles, all of which is good too. 
 From the boundary-line down to the Yukon flats, about 130 miles, at 
 the head of which is situated the Alaskan mining town Circle City; the 
 navigation is good, but in the flats it is often bad, especially in low 
 water. These flats extend nearly 100 miles, and were at one ciuie the 
 bed of an extensive lake, now filled with innumerable islands and 
 channels ; most of those channels are impassable for boats, and those 
 channels that are p' isable are continually changing. In 1895 the 
 record season was accomjilished, tliat is, one of the steamers made 
 five trips from the mouth of the river to Forty-mile, wliich was 
 then the highest point on the river at which trade was done, esti- 
 mated to be about 1500 miles above the mouth. In 1890 the same 
 boat made four trips; in 1897 some only two, and some three. The 
 trouble was, the water fell so rapidly in August, that in the steam- 
 boat channel there were only 22 inches of water. The result was they 
 lay there from the middle of August until October, and some are still 
 in that vicinity. Two of them got up with very light loads to Dawson, 
 and the non-arrival of the others was the cause of the threatened 
 starvation tliere, which I am happy to say was nearly altogether 
 baseless ; there never was any serious fear of extensive starvation. 
 After getting through the flats, we make our way down the river 
 without any trouble until we get some 900 or 1000 miles farther down, 
 where the river begins to spread out again, and often there is diffi- 
 culty, on account of the many different channels ; and when you get 
 into the delta jou have much trouble again. The channel generally 
 used is narrow, crooked, and shallow, and boats often ground in it. 
 The boat I came down on lay r a bar in the mouth of the river 
 a day before she could get oif. ' ju we were three days outside a mile 
 or two at anchor before we co !l cross Borings eea to St. Michael's, 
 which is some 72 miles oft". 
 
 Xow let mo recapitulate. <.^'rom the htad of Lake Bennett on the 
 Lewes branch to the canon, 95 miles, all easily and safely navigable. 
 The canon and adjacent rapids, 2^ miles long, absolutely impassible for 
 steamers ; and from the foot of those rapids to the mouth of the Teslin, 
 
THE GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN. 
 
 29 
 
 90)^ miles, soiue of which is strong current, but not impassable, and 
 Lake Labarge, which plight prove too rough at times for boats light 
 enough for the river. From the head of Teslin lake, by the Tesliu route, 
 to the foot is 65 miles, and this lake too might at times prove too rough 
 for light river boats, but it is not so wide as the other lake (Labarge) 
 on the Lewes; besides, Teslin lake is more crooked, and thus aftbrds 
 more shelter from rough water then Labarge. From the foot of Teslin 
 lake to Lowes river, following the course of Teslin river, is 135 miles, 
 all easily navigable. From the junction of those two streams to the 
 Five Finger rapids, 129 miles, is all easily navigable, and, as has been 
 
 LOOKINQ rP YUKON HIVEIt FKOH NEAR DAWSON, 1870 FEET ABOVE RIVER, APRIL, 1897. 
 
 already intimated, those rapids are not serious. From the rapids 
 down to the Felly is 68i miles of good river. On the Felly, as 
 already stated, we have 60 miles of ordinary steamboat course, .".*t1 
 probably 220 to 250 more for smaller steamers, with no break in its 
 continuity. 
 
 From Felly to White river, 96 miles, all good; the heaviest 
 steamers now on the river have made several runs over it. Between 
 White and Stewart rivers, 10 miles, there are no hindrances to the 
 boats now navigating the Yukon. It is doubtful if the White can be 
 navigated at all by steamers, as it is very shallow and swift at the 
 mouth. Stewart, as already intimated, is navigable for about 150 miles 
 by light-draught steamers, and some of its affluents will possibly aftbrd 
 50 to 100 more. Between Stewart river and the International boundary- 
 lino, 15Hi miles, no stream of importance joins. Summing this, we get 
 
•a^ 
 
 30 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN'. 
 
 036^ miles of navigable water on the Lewes branch, exclusive of the 
 canon rapids, which are insuperable ; 200 on the Teslin, about 300 on 
 the Felly and branches, and 200 on the Stewart, In all 1336^ miles, of 
 which over 1 200 we know to be navigable. From the boundary to the 
 mouth is estimated at 1 487 miles ; it is all navigable with some difficulty 
 at points as already stated. The Porcupine, about 210 miles below 
 the boundary, will likely afford about 400 more miles of navigable 
 water. It does not appear that the Tanana, the only other large stream 
 joining the Yukon, is navigable any distance, but further examination 
 may modify the reports so far received. 
 
 All this gives us over 3200 miles of fair na ligation in the system 
 of the Yukon river, of which Canada owns nearly 42 per cent. Taking 
 the accompanying map, with those streams as they are marked on it, we 
 have the Lewes branch and Yukon running from 59° 46' N. lat, and 135° 13' 
 W, long., in a north-westerly direction for about 900 miles. It then makes 
 a sharp turn to the left, running nearly west for about 720 miles, when 
 it turns nearly south for about 265 miles, and then north-west again 
 for about 230 miles, in all about 2100 miles in length. One remarkable 
 feature in connection with this river is that it drains the interior of the 
 peninsula of Alaska, and nearly cuts it in two, starting as it does s 
 than 14 miles as the crow flies from the waters of the Pacific ocean at 
 the extreme head of the Lewes branch, whence it flows 2100 miles in the 
 manner indicated into the same ocean again, or Bering sea, which is a 
 part of it. Now take the map attached to this paper, and with the 
 watershed marked as we there have it — which is only approximate, 
 because the streams are not all surveyed — and we find that the drainage 
 basin of the river occupies about 338,000 square miles; Canada owns 
 149,000 of that, nearly a half, and of the river she owns less than a 
 third, but that is much the most important part of the Yukon drainage 
 basin. It contains the most wealth, as I hope to point out to you 
 later on. 
 
 Now a few remarks on the gold-bearing area. The first location of 
 gold, and the first gold bars that were worked to any extent, were on 
 the Stewart, about 30 miles from the mouth. There was another place 
 on the Lewes, midway between Teslin and the Big Salmon, known as 
 Cassiar Bar, which paid well. Many other points along the Lewes also 
 afforded good pay, and were worked for several seasons, until the dis- 
 covery of coarse gold on Forty-mile river in 188G, which, l)ecoming 
 known, drew all the miners in the country to it. Coarse gold was 
 discovered on Birch creek in 1891, which in 1892 originated Circle 
 City in Alaska. In 1896 gold was discovered on Bonanza creek, a 
 tributary of Troandik (commonly known as and called Klondike). The 
 first name is the correct Indiau oaq, and means Hammc creek, from 
 the fact that they used to erect barriers across the n.jvsth to catch 
 salmon by hammering sticks into the ground. 
 
THE OEOGRAPIiy AND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN. 
 
 31 
 
 By tho way, I forgot, in the proper ])lace, to mention the ])robable 
 origin of the name " Yukon." Tho Indians along the middle Btretches 
 of the river all speak the same language, and they call the river the 
 Yukonah, which in English is " the great river," or, in short, " the 
 river," because it is the only river they know. Our Indians in the 
 vicinity of Forty-mile call it " The-tuh." What that means I cannot 
 tell you, and they laughed at my siooplioity for asking when I tried 
 to find out. 
 
 Gold was discovered on Bonanza creek, August 16, 1896; that led 
 10 the discovery and development of the celebrated Klondike region. 
 Gold has been found ou the Stewart up to the head. One man, 
 
 LOOKUJa ACROSS BONANZA AND UP ELDORADO CREEKS, APRIL, 1897. 
 
 Alexander Macdonald, prospected this river all the way up in 1886, 
 and remained in that region alone during two different seasons. Dur- 
 ing the summer of 1887 he crossed to the headwaters of what is 
 evidently a branch of the I'eel, and prospected it for some distance 
 down, and found gold in the gravel as far as he went; and in 1873, 
 Mr. Arthur Harper, the pioneer prospector of the Yukon, found gold 
 in the sands and gravels at the mouth of the Peel, which corroborates 
 Macdonald's statement, for the geological formations near tho mouth 
 preclude the idea of gold there other than what has drifted down the 
 river. From this we infer that a considerable portion of the upper 
 Peel is also in the auriferous area. Several parties leaving Canada 
 
82 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN. 
 
 tliis seaBon are determined to test this, and I have no doubt but that 
 it will be investigated ore many montbK. 
 
 Gold is also found on the Pelly. Miners bare been prospecting 
 there for years, but never got a great deal, thongh they generally got 
 enough to keep them in supplies for a year. Big Salmon river was 
 also found to be gold-bearing over its whole length. The Tesliii river 
 was prospected in 1886-7, and in some place* very good indications 
 found. I found gold on the Lewes when I went in 1887, up near Lake 
 Labarge ; I also found gold in the drift, well up on I'ennett lake — very 
 little, it is true, but enough to swear by. The celebrated ( -'assair district 
 
 JUNCTION OP YUKON AND FOBTV-MILE BIVEKS, WITH lOWTt OP rOBTV-MILE BETWEEN. 
 
 is south of the head of the Teslin, which was worked in the seventies. 
 Along the head of the Liard river gold is known to exist. At Dalton's 
 crossing of the upper Alsek or TatBheushiui river goM was discovered 
 in 1896, by a man who was fording the stream on horseback ; the brute 
 stumbled and threw him into the water. Scrambling ashore through 
 the icy water as fast as ho could, he ueized a email bush to help him 
 up ; it came away by the roots. The clay which came with it was 
 washed in the rapid current, and he saw something bright, which 
 he picked up and found to be gold. This he exhibited at Forty-mile 
 on his arrival there some months after. Fine gold, is also reported at 
 i couple of points midway between this point and Selkirk, along the 
 Dalton route, which is laid down on the accompanying map. Harper, 
 
THE GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN. 
 
 33 
 
 the pioneer already referred to, found light ])rospect8 along the "White 
 river, both branches of whicli ho ascended Horao distanco ; but he was 
 in qaest of copper, which is often brought in by Indians from this 
 vicinity, and did not pay strict attention to gold. The exact locality 
 where they get the cop2)or is yet unknown, but frequently thoy bring 
 to the trading post quite largo specimens of pure native copper, which 
 they say they find along this river. Harper searched for aud found 
 «ome indications, but did not locate it. 
 
 Gold has been found on the coast at several points, notably at Juneau, 
 in Alaska; at Ituby Sands near Lituya bay, about 60 miles west of 
 
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 6 ^ '. JL^ 
 
 ^.'fir^- 
 
 CWSFLCEKCK 01' FORTY-SIll.E UIVKR WITH YUKON, LOOKING t'P V. 
 YUKON GOO YAHPS WIDE. 
 
 STHEAMS. 
 
 Cro68 sound, shown on the accompanying map, aud south of the 
 point where it was found on the Tatsh3n8hini river about 100 miles. 
 It is also found at other ]ioint8 further west along the coast, and we 
 generally find it at points north of those places in the interior, from 
 which we infer, with reason, that all the part of the Dominion north of 
 British Columbia and west of the Yukon-Mackenzie watershed, except 
 that part north of where the Yukon intersects the 141st meridian, is 
 gold-bearing. Much of it, no doubt, is not rich, some of it wo know is, 
 and very much will pay well with better facilities for working. 
 
 Now as to its richness. The richest part is Trondik, better known 
 as Klondike. On Bonanza creek, a branch of the Trondik, there are 
 some two hundred claims, each 500 feet in length. I have no hesitation 
 in saying that the middle hundred of these claims, that is, from about 
 Xo. 60 below Discovery claim to No. 43 above Discovery, will turn out — 
 
 No. I.— .July, 1898.] d 
 
 M 
 
84 
 
 THi; GEOGKAPHV AND RKSOUKCKS OK THE YUKON BASINT. 
 
 tinloBH a very onriotis coincidonce Ims oooiirrptl, and that ia that every 
 man has Htruck the only rich part in liis chiini, which Ih highly im- 
 probable — unloHS that is the case, I have no hesitation in saying that thoHe 
 olaims will turn out jEo/IOO.OOO. On a branch of the bonanza — Eldorado 
 creek — some eighty-six rlaiiiis havo boon marked out, fifty of which I 
 made a survey of. Forty of those were known last season to be good, and 
 unless the indications are highly misleading, and the same coincidence 
 has occurred again, each of those claims contains on an average 1,000,000 
 dollars, or £200,000. With the samo indications in view, I havo no 
 hesitation in saying that those two creeks will turn out, before they 
 are exhausted, 76,000,000 dollars, or C 15,000,000. Take this little 
 area drained by the Klondike — on ono side only— and a part of 
 Indian creek basin, about .'15 miles in length, and loss than 25 in 
 breadth, unless the same coincidenco has occurred again, we have 
 100,000,000 dollars, or £20,000,000 worth of gold in sight, and probably 
 twice that amount before it is exhausted. On Forty-mile and on 
 Sixty-mile, gold is found in abundance. Two of the tributaries of 
 Sixty-mile river. Miller creek, and (rlacier crook, are each about 6 miles 
 in length, thus affordinpf about fifty claims apiece, some of which have 
 netted comfortable fortunes to a good many men. One claim nett'^d iit 
 two years 70,000 dollars, or say £14,000, The owner then gave it away, 
 and the man on w^honi he bestowed it is nov taking a small fortune 
 out of it. On one of the bars on Stewart river, four men took QOOiy 
 dollars (£1200) in less thin a month. On the Pelly only fair wages 
 have HO far been made. Of the Teslin, we may say it is better than 
 the Polly, but not so good as the Stewart. In some cases, from 10 to 
 12 dollars, that is, from £2 to £2 10«., have been made per day on its 
 bars, and this holds good along its entire length, if report speaks truth. 
 On the Stewart, Polly, and Teslin, little or no prospecting has been 
 done viff the main streams, and on all the other known rich auriferous 
 areas, it is in the smaller streams and gulches the most wealth i» 
 found. 
 
 Now, all these indications point pretty conclusively to this fact : 
 Canada has, exclusive of the province of British Columbia, in which 
 doubtless very much mineral wealth will be found, an area bounded oi» 
 the west by the 141st meridian, on the south by the 60th parallel of 
 latitude, and on the north and east by the summit dividing the basins 
 of the Mackenzie and Yukon rivers, comprising upwards of 1 25,000 square 
 miles, over nearly ?11 of which we find gold in more or less abundance. 
 This area contains approximately 7000 linear miles of river, stream, and 
 gulch, of which we are fairly certain at least one-half is auriferous. It 
 must be borne in mind that those miles are only linear mibs, along which 
 the auriferous area will not average more than 500 to 1000 feet in width. 
 Of the hall of this, or, better still, say 3c00, which we can safely assume 
 gold-bearing, only about 200 were fully tested and developed up tO' 
 
 fc 
 
THK UEOORAl'IIV AND lUlSOUKCES OK THK YUKON BASIN. 
 
 a.v 
 
 August luHt, and at preHcnt date probably not more than 400 have been 
 fairly woll teflted. 
 
 Now, whilo we cannot assort positively that any more KlondikcN 
 will be found, we cannot say there will not, and we can look forward 
 with roasonablo certainty to much valuable ground being found. 
 What wo know now to be rich will take several years to exhaust, and 
 before that time, in all probability, we shall have discovered much, 
 more. 
 
 With reference to auriferous rock, a few words. I'here is not time- 
 now to theorize, so I will only give a few facts. The first location 
 of gold-bearing rock in the Yukon district was made near the town 
 
 LOOKING UP CANON ON FORTY-MUiE KIVKK S MILES ABOTIi: MOtTH. 
 
 of Forty-mile, on a hill known as Cone hill. This is i\. veritable 
 mountain of auriferous rock of low grade. Several tons of it have 
 been assayed, with the result that it shows from 124). or 15s. to 448. 
 per ton of rock, the average being about 24«., or nearly 7 penny- 
 weights. Two or three claims have been located here 1500 feet long 
 by 600 wide, the maximum legal limit for quartz claims. Soon after, 
 two more lodes were located opposite to where Lawson now is, but 
 they are not extensive, though said to be richer. Up the Trondik a 
 short distance another very extensive exposure has been discovered of 
 low grade ore, and further up still another has been' discovered which 
 assays from 100 dollars (or £20) to 1000 dollars (or £200) to the tou> 
 
 D 2 
 
 ■■ 
 
S6 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHV AND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN. 
 
 The only liidculty about tLio 's, we do not know the extent of it; there 
 18 no development work done, and the exposure is very small, no we 
 cannot say whother it is as gooil as the others, which are more extensive, 
 though lower grade ; in fact, we cannot say it is worth develo])ing. 
 
 Still farther up the same river another claim lias been located, of 
 which it is alleged it is very extensive, and fairly good. I can gi^ e no 
 figures. About 20 miles below Dawson two more claims have been 
 staked on what is stated to be orie of the largest lodes in the world, 
 and assaying an average of 288. to 328. per ton, or 8 to 9 pennyweights. 
 
 Two or three others of less importance have been discovered and 
 located, ^nit, as far as I know, with the exception of the doubtful one 
 mentioned, none very rich have yet been found. But I nave no 
 doubt that improved transport facilities and improved methods of 
 mining low-p:rads rocks will yet render these important and valuable. 
 
 On Lake Bennett I have picked up specimens of gold-bearing rock 
 that have assayed very small quantities, hardly worth mentioning, but 
 it shows it is there. The same x-emark can bo made of many other 
 place 5, needless to mention now. Miners speak very hopefully of quartz 
 discovery on the Stewart river. They say tlia+ the rock at the head of 
 its waters looks very well, but they have not brought in anything to 
 .show what it is worth. Heretofore there has been no chance of develop- 
 ing any of this property, the freight on mining niichinery would often 
 <'ost two or three times tho worth of the machinery itself. You 1 ».ve 
 to take it from some point on the coast some 3000 miles to St. Michael's, 
 and then some 1600 or 1700 miles or more up the river, v^hicii niakes 
 it cost from 125 to l.'JO dollars per ton, and heretofore the traus])ort 
 facilities there have been altogether inadequate to keep up the proffer 
 supply of provisions. Year after year many of the men who have gone 
 there iiad to come back in order to livi over the winter, owing to the 
 dearth of provisions. As soon as the Teslin road is finished, that trouble 
 will be wiped out. On Forty-mile river there are deposits of galena 
 carrying silver as high as 34 ounf;es to tlie ton. A line drawn from 
 near Dawson, down the valley jf the Yukon, to within a short distance 
 of Forty-mile, shows indications of copper all along. 
 
 From the vicinity of the boumlary on the river, a high range of 
 mountains of cretaceous limestone runs in a south-easterly, direction for 
 more than 100 miles. It is much the highest and Ijest-defined range 
 in that ]iart of the country, and, as far an I have seen, in tho Yukon 
 valley. Along the westerly base of tlis range a deposit of very 
 superior lignite coal is found, at some points very convenient to the 
 river, and nowhere I have seen or heard of difficult to develop. When 
 facilities are convenient ior working tne (jnartz before nientioned, the 
 necess ,ry fuel will not be far to seek. 
 
 Now I will tell you something of the timber resources of the country. 
 Beginning at the head of Lake Beucett, you have scrub timber, pine (^or 
 
I • 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCKS OF THE YUKON BASIN. 
 
 37 
 
 spruce), and jK)plar, as it is known in that country. I won't give you 
 botanical names, as it is only wasting time. The trees are small and 
 scrubby, generally useless for a' ytliing but firing. By long and extcu 
 sive searches you may find a tree here and tliere suitable ior makiug 
 boats, such as are used on the river — that is, large enough to yield 
 planks 6 or 8 inches wide. As you get to the foot of this lake, the 
 timber increases in size ; but the number of fair-sized trees, that is, from 
 8 to 12 inches diameter, is very limited. At the foot of Ijake Marsh, 
 the timber is really of service and valuable. But the only place you 
 find i'- is adjacent to the river ; away from the river, 100 or 200 yardu, you 
 
 Meridiun, 
 LOOKINU NOUTU ACK0S8 YUKON UlN .1! AT Hlst MEIUDIAN 01! INTERNATIONAL 
 BOCNDAUY-LINE. DECEMBER, 1895. 
 
 can only find small scrubby trees that are growing on eternally frozen 
 ground through a thick layer of moss, and the result is you will see 
 many trees 2 or A inches in diameter, that are probably two or three 
 centuries old. As you go up the hillside it gets thinner, until at an 
 altitude of 1500 or 2000 feet above the river, you are out of the timber 
 altog(.'ther, on the bare rook of the mountain-top. That condition holds 
 until you get down to the Yukon flats, when the timber begins to thin 
 and gets smaller and thinner, until you get to within ;50(i or 400 
 miles of the mouth, where there is no timber at all. It is simply shrubby, 
 and from there the steamers havo to depend on the driftwood, brought 
 down tlie river annually from above. Take the best part of this timber 
 area, and trees 15 or 18 inches in diameter are scarce, and you seldom 
 
38 THE GEOGllAPHY AND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN. 
 
 find one 20 inches. At the boundary, when I wanted to erect my 
 transit. I wanted a tree 22 inches, and after a throe days' search by five 
 men over a radius of 2 miles, the largest tree we found was only 18 
 inches in diameter at 3 feet above ground. 
 
 Now as to its agrioultxiral value. A pam})hlet was issued by the 
 Director of the Central Experimental Farm at Ottawa not long ago, f^n 
 the agricultural possibilities of the Yukon district. One of our news- 
 papers, in a review of it, said that the director had issued a pamphlet 
 •on the agricultural possibilities of the Yukon, the most characteribtic 
 feature of which was,, that the Yukon district seemed to have no agri- 
 cultural possibilities at all. At one or two points attempts have been 
 made to grow vegetables, but with limited success. Mr. Harper, who 
 resided at Pelly since 1891, had a garden, in which he grew some 
 very poor potatoes and other garden stuflf. What succeeded best was 
 lettuce. To protect them at night when the sky was clear and 
 frost threatened, he lowered an immense awning over them, raising it 
 in the morning after the plants had recovered from the effects of the 
 cold. At Forty-mile they have several gardens in which they grow a 
 very fair potato, but it is not dry, and not at all well tasting. They 
 also grow good lettuce and small cabbages, which is very much relished, 
 because it is the only vegetable supply there, and at present yon cannot 
 import any. This shows conclusively one need not count on anything 
 in the way of agriculture as food-supply ; for two reasons, the extent 
 of available soil is very limited in comparison with the icst of the 
 country, and it might be said frosts occur every month in the year. 
 (Jlose to the river, the temperature of the water from June to September 
 runs from about 46° to 56° <ir 58°. Of course, the proximity of a large 
 body of water at those temperatures considerably aids vegetable life 
 and helps its development close to the river, because it moderates the 
 adjacent temperatures. But away from the river a mile or so, you have 
 serious frosts every month in the year. 
 
 The ice in the river breaks up generally about the middle of 
 May. After breaking it runs very thickly for two or three days, 
 when it begins to thin out and flow less and less, until at the 
 «nd of a week it is clear enough for steamers, though small boats 
 could navigate it sooner, especially if going down. There are only 
 about three and a half months in the year during which you 
 can go to St. Michael, for the reason that Bering sea does not open 
 much earlier than July 1, and the river closes middle of October. 
 In 1896 it was July 7 before the steamer could approach St. Michael. 
 Ice freezes on the river to a thickness of 4 feet ajd upwards, and it 
 rakes a great deal of force to break it, and when it does break it drives 
 for long distances in big cakes, and the river is so jammed with it that 
 it is one of the most tarrific exhibitions of force to see the Yukon river 
 a few hours after the ice breaks. Often it stops altogether by jamming 
 
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 40 THE GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN— DISt'USSION. 
 
 in some Bbarp bend ; the waters are dammed, rise, and when sufficient 
 
 height is attained it breaks away again, leaving vast piles of ice along 
 
 the banks, which are not melted away for luoro than a month. The 
 
 upper part of the river opens sooner than the lower, but generally it 
 
 may be said the whole river is open to navigation about June 1. Ice 
 
 begins to form again in the river about the middle of October, and 
 
 continTies to accumulate until about the first quarter of November, 
 
 when it sots, and the river is covered with ice — not smooth as we s^- 
 
 it in more southerly latitudes, but rough and broken to ouoh a vlefrree 
 
 that travel over it is in most parts impossible until the winter storms 
 
 have drifted the snow into the spaces between the blocks of broken iiie. 
 
 Thon travel is i)ossible, but often very tedious and laborious. Each of 
 
 the three winters I spent in the country accumulated about the same 
 
 amount of snowfall, averaging nearly ."5 feet, it is needless to say no 
 
 melting occurs between October and April, with the exception of a very 
 
 little in March in well-sheltered sp(jts facing the south, Ijut, as this is only 
 
 local, it does not affect the general mass in any appreciable way. The 
 
 snowfall is pretty evenly distributed over the eeveu months, October to 
 
 April inclusive ; but, as far as my observations go for three years, there 
 
 is a predominance in October, November, and February. June, July, 
 
 and September appear to be the wettest months. June, July, August, 
 
 and part of September are the growing months. The subjoined synojjsis 
 
 of my meteorological records will give an idea of the prevailing 
 
 temperatures. 
 
 "i 
 
 Before the lecture, tlie Pdksident said: The distinguished member of a topo- 
 grapliical survey of Canada, who is will, us this evening, has not now been heard 
 of by this Society for the first time. Y' i have known of his work for the last ten 
 years, and I tliink it was in the year 1891 that the (,'oiincil awarded him the 
 Murchison Grant for liis distinguished energy and ability in conducting the survey 
 of the region which he is about to describe to us — the basins of the Mackenzie and 
 of the Yukon. But this is the first time we have had the pleasure of welcomiug 
 him amongst us, and 1 feel sure that he will bo cordially recuived by this meeting. 
 I will now ask Mr. Ogilvie to deliver his address to you. 
 
 After the lecture, the President said : Does any one in the meeting wish to 
 address us or ask any questions ? If not, I will remark that this region of the 
 Yukon and the Lower Mackenzie was almost entirely iiknown before Mr. Ogilvie 
 was sent there to survey it in 1887. I believe there were two Hudson Bay forts 
 established there in about 1846, but they were afterw irds abandoned, so that when 
 Mr. Ogilvie began his examination of this country we may look upon it as having 
 been practically entirely unknown. He has sur- eyed it, and several years ago 
 gave us an interesting account of it. The greatest calamity that can happen to a 
 country is a war. The next greatest calamity, in my opinion, to an inhabited 
 country is the discovery of gold. But we must confess here that both the opera- 
 tions of war and the discovery of gold have always been a great advantage to 
 geographical science. It has been so in the present instance. I doubt whether, if 
 Klondike had not become so famous, we should have had the great advantage of 
 the presence of Mr. Ogilvie with all his numerous photographs this evening, and I 
 
EXPLORATION IN THE YAKEI AN ) FADHLI COUNTRIES. 
 
 41 
 
 alao f' nbt very much whether he would have had so large an audience. We have, 
 I think, a great deal to thank him for. He has described to us the physical 
 characteristics of the country in the most graphic way. He has shown us what its 
 capabilities are as regards its minerals, and what its iujapacities are as regards its 
 vegetable productions. It appears, from what he has read to us about the tempera- 
 tures, that this country is about tlie coldest in the world ; for a registration of 
 — 67-9° is very rare. I myself served in the arctic re.'jions, and we never registered 
 lowei than —50°. I believe the lowest ever registered was in Siberia, and this was 
 lower than -68i°. Still, thermometers are liable to error, and I suspect you huve 
 found in the Klondike district about the coldest region in the world. Mr. Ogilvie 
 has illustrated his address by a most interesting series of views .vhich have g,iven 
 us an admirable idea of the country he has described. Both for what lie ha g told 
 us, and for his remarkably interesting illustrations, I beg you tu pass a very cordial 
 vote of thanks to il.. Ogilvie. 
 
 Mr. Ogilvie : I just wish to return my acknowledgment for your vote of 
 thanks. I rather thought myself that 1 was a little dry .m the subject. I have 
 been troubled with a sore throat since 1 came to Laidon, and it hAs bo thv.-ed me 
 a Teat deal this evening. I thank you for your attention and the tpacience you 
 exhibited. I hope at some future date I shall be able to talk under battel advantages, 
 and show you other and perhaps better pictures-I won't say il.at, but just as 
 sood.