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JMtlrr lollnwr,! u,.-t wmhI, tl,rnu!;li its |n„^- rMi„|,Mnst.. its jiuictinli uitli tl„. Vul.nn. TIm'I, l„.|Mlin^. |,^:,i„ t,, ,ln. -null,. III.. Vukni, w:.-'.,.. .■.Ml.lcl to nil! Kni-t Selkirk, «l|.-|,.,.n,|,|,.,.li,,„ wa-IIIM.ie willl l!le lilinnr r \ pi, .nU in,| lraver>,.,l i,, the previmi- „,,„ , 1,, I),-, (!, M . Daw.-n,,. or the riseis i,i,.|,ii,„„.,l, the Miikceii/.ie niily iiiid heeii pivvimi-ly .xaminr, | hy a -enln-iM . :iihI that nnlv in' a ciirsnry inaniier ami helnp. |1„. s,il,i,,.t nf -laeialim, iia.j n e,:ve,| imieh atteMiin,,. ^^''' ^'"'1' '■"" I"''' tl"' 'h-..|i|,live jniiriiey at (ileal Sla\. l.ne. Thi.. hike is .it- ilaleil iipnii the \v(-tern iiiai-iii ..f the Areheaii axis, and had nri^inaily H,. funn nf a ,i,'reiit ems.s, witii niie arm |ieii,.tiMtinu' lh.. crystalline -lii-l-. while tun ..ili.^s siretehed iinrili and >niith ah.n- ,1,,. i„i,,.t.i,,n ,,f thr-v with ihe newer Mdiiiieiuaries, and the fniirlh exlended it-elf, , ver ih,. ijai-lyiiii;- I)ev,.nian .ntii.' we-t. The -niilhwii' arm lias imw eninpletely disa|.|ieared, and it> Led i- lilled with a -ivat alluvial depn-jt of elays, fal-e-heddiM -and-, and line n-raveU, whieli liavi. l„-,n i,rnii-lit d.,wii hy Slave river and thr..iii,'h whieli its turtimus (haniKd imw wind-. Not -ati-lied with hliryinu' die sniithern arm, this rive^r is imw pii-liiie^ it- della lar nut I,, sea, and tlirealen> at im di-tani day tn inlliet a -iniilar I'al,. mi the wlmh .a.-lern pnrli.wi ..f the lake. 'I'll,, tim,. sp..nt nii (iivat Slavi. laki. wa- mil .sullieieiil I., enat.i.. L. Innn a theory a.s to it- oriijin whieli wniild have niinh value, hut it- p..(.iiliar -hiipe. tlie frreut depth of the Andiean imrtinii iak(.|i in e..iin..,ti.,n with the e.. niparalivc.lv Inw ch'Vation of the eniinlry whi( h -iirmund- it, and the pri.(.ipilnii- elills which hnrder the shores of this jiart in -o many places, seem ine\pli(.ahle hy -hu'ial a<;encies. It i, liossijhle, however, .that tli(. we-teni portion, wliieii i- mueli -hiiih-wcr and li:i- l,.w, shfdvinj; shores, may have heen excavated in part or altogether hy a nhaeier I'orcini; its way out of a previously formed ha.-iii to the ea-t. Xo very distinct u' viri;,'s or .striio wore (dwerved around the lake, hut the humi ks nf the nn-Zir^ i,i(,iit<,„iices gncissie surface id" the country in tin- vicinity of Fort Kac have their major axes i^en- orally orientated in a direi.ti,.ii uh.,ui S. ::i)' W.. or diai,-onally acm-- the -^reat northern arm of the lake on \vlii(di the f.irt is •^itii.ated. \V'i.|l delim.d "lacial liiiin- iiiixdis carved out of m.-is-ive doloinite- were oL-civi'd in one plac(' on the we-lern arm runniii';- in a wc.-terly directioii. or aliim-t parallel in tin' i,'eneral cniir.-r of this )iortioii of the lake. (irt'at Slave lake, like the other 1,'i-eat lakes to the smith IvIiil; alniiLC the .A rcheaii lioundary, allords pnad' in the tiracr- -iirrmindiiiu,- il of forne.r hii;!i..r levels ,)f it- waters. Krai;inents id' two liiii.- of terraci'.s wi're iiotic.d in a niimher of places around the western arm of tin; lake. The ijreate-t (d(.vali.>ii of tlie>e uiil not, how- ever, e.vceed oO feel ahove the pre-eni .-.iirfacc' of the water. Hay river, which (>nter.s L^rcat Slave lake near its western end aiel drain- the! emm- try to tlu! southwest, lia> eviiinil,ir t.i that of the Niai;i'ra; hut it has not yi.t iieen tlmroimhly explm-c.d. In il- l.iwer part it- valley is carved out of a soft shaly terrane holdiin;' IJ.amilt.ni fo.-sils. Fifty miles ahove its mouth a heavy hand of cream-cohireil linie-t.uie overlyliir,- the .-hales crosses the. river, and a strikiiii^ chani:;e is at once idisi.rved in the a-peci m' the valiey. .\-, we advance, the valley contracts and hi.comei a i;dri;e, so det.p and n'lrrow thai its precijMt.uis walls, hiittressed hidow hy an emhankmciit of I'allen fraL;incnts, almost a|ipear to over- haiii; the .stream, while tlu; river, reduced in uiillh in .-oiiie pari.- to 10(1 fce.l, da.-hes ii;(i( I KiHMis di' m:\v Vi>|;K \i i:i;'I'I Nwii into tin' -Iri'iini lnMioiilli. Six inilr> mIhivc it> niontli tin' i;or^;(! i, inlt rrnptcil l'\ ii lull •"'" l'''"t i" ln'ii;lit, iiinl ;i niilr riirtin'i- up i- iln-,'il I'liili'ij to |ii-oilin'n mop' lliiin ti fi'i'lilc inini'i'-oioii on tin' liitnl liim-toni' lu'ds wliicli lloor llir rtdi'i'oiitnlilig loiintry, iiinl loses its valli'y :ilinost ultoi^i'lln'r, 'I'ln' lliiv rivc'i' fulls owe llicir oi'i'^iii to prpcivcly tin' siiim' cadsc iis ilnit w'nirli pro- tlih •• till' I'liinoii- falls at Niaijara, vi/.., tlin superposition of tiani limestone on >oft shales, anil tlie eon-r(|in'nl ninliTminin:^' ami clestriielion of tin' fornnT ell'eeled liy the rapiil ero>ion ami removal of the s(i|iporiin;;' l)e(i-. It i> inien'-tiii'^ to lind that the rate of retrocession of tho two fall-, tnea-iired hy tin' leti^'tli of iheir i;ori;es. has he.'n almo-t pr'i'iselv the -anie. The i|uantily of the wM'k done hy the two -Ircanis can- not, iiowever, lie regarded as mindi more tliiin a eoincidenco, a- the factors in the two ca-cs ate entirely dilferent. The volnine id" water which falls over the precipice al Nia'.'ara is tm fold '^lentcr than that cariie,| hy Hay river, while its erosive power is r<'lati\ely le-- on aecoiiiit of its greater purity. ISesides Hay river, a iKimhcr of sti'eani-'^vhicli join tins Miieken/ie from the south ami soiitliwcst in the first l()(t miles of its conrse are interrniited hy falls and heavy rapids, all id' which prohahly date from the ylaciiil |>eriod. I'roceedint; down the M.aeken/.ie from (Ireat Slave laUe, alluvial clays are miticcd for sonic mile-, and thi'ii a howlder day, scarcely dislini;iii-hahh; in character from the Slime lormation a- developed in ca,sti'rn Canada :{,00() miles distant, niHUc.-. its ap- ]icaranii'. Itoccnrs here as a lijrlit yellowish, compact, art'iiacooiis clay filled with ronndeil Arcln'aii howlders and, as elsewhere, showini; only faint si<4ns of slnililica- tion. It is traceahle in nnmcroiis exposures as far jis the mouth of the Liaril, which join- the Maekei./Je l."i(l milcs from it- head. The Lianl which joins the Macki^n/.ie from the west, affords an excellont cross-section of the ijiacial heds coverini; the country lietween the latter river ami tho muiintains. These do not. leiwever, I'le-ent inu^ h varieiy. Heavy sections of bowlder clay rest- ini; on the Di'Vonian limestones occur alonu; the valley for the first oO miles, and then sink heni'ath the surface; and in the next reach of '>(> or (!() mile- the river winds throni;h oin' of those filledu)) prei^laeial depressions which iire so frec|Uently met with on the area of the (ireat I'lains. In this the ordinary lake deposits only are seen. We-t of this ha-in the Cretai us shales, which have now replaced the Devonian limc-toncs. rise to the surface hut are capped with stratified shales, sands, ami i;ravels only, the howlih'r clay havini; disapi)earid. (!l.ici;il erratics, on the other haiul, ex- tend far heyond the limits o|' tic howlder clay itself, and are fouml in some jihundain'e as t'ar e-t is tin' eastern etlLje i.f the plale.au country, which in this latitmle honh'rs the foothill- ot' the li..cky Mountiiins. They were also found on the Hanks of a imtnntains itiniled i>i)])osite Kort Liard, in lat. (il)° W N., loni;. ]'2'-\^ W., at a heiijht of 1,.'»00 feel aliove the surface of tin- -uirouinlin^' country, or ahoiil 'J, .UK) feel aliovc the sea. . Kettirnini; to iho Marken/,ie and contiiiuitiL; in oui' way down it, we find bowlder clay rostinp; on the -urface.if the rock- and tillini^ up irroi.;ularities in the old proi;lacial surface as far mirth as the head of its delta in latitude ti7° ■I-')'' N., and this notwilh- slandini; the fact that less tiian KX) mile- helow tin; nnnith of the Liard the Mackenzie enters the tiankin'j; ranijes of the |{i,cky .Mountains; ami for the next ')tM)or (JOO mile.s its valley is partially i^uarded on the east hy ranges of nnninlains, some of which ex- ceeil nio-t rive is al plaei iiii' Tl i;. i.. MccdNNh I.I,— nil: \i kun wi, \i\( Ki\/ih i;\'i\- i'(!i>(l 1,0(10 feet ill h.j.^lit. 'rill' liowlili'i- f'my nv till ,>{' \\i,- Miickon/.ii' viilli'v. iilllnunrli iiiiislly i>t' Itic ii''iliiiiii'v Ivjii'i |iii «i'iils -iiiiK v!iriiilii>n>. Kni' iiiiiiiv iniic,'* iilinvc It. Mir river it is exci'cdiiii^ly darU in cnjnr Mini, witli llic (Aci'iilimi of ..nf lav^T iil il> Imsi is iiliiiost (loslitilli^ uf l)i.\vlciiTs. It liii- 11 tlTh |"|i'(t slnitiliciilioii. :iihl It rn>i|iii>Mtly lii>lil« iiTi'i,'iiliir -liiiiicij iiicliisiiiiis 111' |i h'lid-Ljriiy cliiy, smi if wliirli iiri' .ji-tiiic ily li.'il.li'ij. Till' Hilly cvidclici' lit' Mil iiili'iLilMi ill! jn'i'ii d uIi-mimiI wii.'< liic disi'iiM'ry in hih' iilncii (if nil iiit(M'('nlatii>ii III' -li-Mtitii'i! -iiiiiN Mild '^I'livi'l- dividiiii,' llir ImwldiT ijiiv iiiln iijijH'r tiiiil liiwf'i' imi't.-f. This iiiij^lil, Imwi'vcr, ln' dm' In n [nirfly IhimI ('iiii-;r. 'I'lic iiiiwldi'l' (diiy llirniiiilioiit till' '^riMlir purl i.l tlir vmIIi'v i^ ii\ I'llMir liy lii-iivv di'|")>its of slriilillcd .-luid^, rlays, mid ^ji'iivi'l-, and i^ mid 'rlaiii liv a i^riivi'l riiriiialioii .•iuiiii'w lial siiiiihii' li> tliat wliirli occur- in llin •;iiiiii' rdnlivi' |io,itii>ii on tJio plains of Allicrta and .\s-inilioia. and wiiicli I liavc cNcwiici allcij the Siiskalilii'waii LtravcN ; froin w liicli, liovvi'ViT, it diirc:'- in coiilaiiiiiii; a 'ar^'cr pioportimi nf Laiiri'iitian pclddc-. Till' few I'acl.s iiiwcrvi'd in ri'i;ard to tlic direct ion of the ire t|.i\v in tin .Miicken/ii' valh'y sii]i|iort llie tlii'nry of Dr. Dawsmi iis to it- norihi'iiy iiiDveimnt In tin' west- ern part of (Jreat Slave lake tlic direction of the ice i-iiri-eii'. a- previoii-lv -tatud, was due west. Five dei,'rt'es further noitll, well niarlied L;iai'inl stria' treiidili!,' N.O")" \V. weri! found cros^inL," tile -uniniit i'^' Iioche Carcajoii. Tiiis roci., wiiicii niust, have liecn completely si}|ijni'i'u;i.d, rises to 11 hcii;ht ol 1.0(1(1 fi'i'i uliiivc the -iirface m," the river. Ini]>ortiint evidence on the same point is also aH'orded 'ly the fact that liie till near the lower ranipiirts of the .NiacUen/.ie is in ap|)ri>\iiiiiiti • Imwlders which it contains must have travelled either directly we-l "i- norlliwc-t ri order to reach their present -iliiation. The facts luUliicod above allow the inferL'iice that tin- iic fi'ini the .\rclieaii ijallieriiiij ixroiiiids to till! cast poured westward tliroUi;h tlie i^aji- and passes in the eastern llaiik- iiii; rani;es of the Kocky Mountains until it r(^aclieil tin) harrier fortned hy the mail) u.xiiil rant^e, when, hein;; iinahle to pass thi>, it was dellccti'il to the iinrihwest in u stream I'roin l,.'iO0 to 2,000 feet deep down the valley of the Mackeii/.ie and thence out to sea. Leaving the Macken/.ie for the Yukon, wo elinil) and cross over a enuple of ter- race.s, till! higher of wdiidi has iin elevation of .'lOO t'eet ahove the river or ahoiit fi'Mt fo.it uhovo the si'a, anil tlien mi tlii.- route leave all trace- of the ghicial agi! heliind, although a few miles furllier iinith erratics are found fuiiy I.ODO t'eet higher. In descending the nioiintiiins on the west W" follow a hraie'li ol' Itat river ihroii'^di a wild canon cut out of llal-lying sand-Ioiie< and ipiart/.ile-. from the iii'iulli nf which a level terrace, with friigiiieiits of a liii;'ier one r"-ting on it in places, strelche-. wc-t to IJat river. Tlie-e terraces are iniicli hiiilier than those on the eastern side, and have an elevation of l,"iOOlo 1,700 t'eet ahove the sea. I'lm ling down Hat river to the porcupine, and down the latter through its ramparts, sands, gravels, and silts ari' found resting on the country rocks, hut no bowlder clay nor glai'ial erratics were anvwdiore seen. Some dist"ice helow the rampart- the valley of the I'orcupino widens, and from that on to its nioutli it ser)ientiiies throui;li a low alluvial plain ele- vated only a t'ew feet ahove the -'.irfacc of the river and e\idently representiin;- a lillci!-up lake ha-^in or former wide dilatation of the river chMiiiiel. Turning up the Yukon from the mouth of the I'orciipine, thi- river -plits up into iiinumerahle chan- nels and, spreadiii:;; out in places to a width of ciM-hi ,ir ten miles, cuts for To miles through the .siimealluvial fornuition. Ahove this the valley hecomcs more contracted. ;)|l i'i;<»ri;i:iiiN(is or m:sv youk mkktinh. mill luiiisiuiiiillv. I'nr till' tii'xt -(Ml inil('.«. huihIi, lilts, ami i^riivi'ls similar Id IIkwc on tin- I'lii-riiiiiiii' ll'"ii' it- liiillniii. Aiipiimrliiiii; till' Slcwarl rivci-, wiiln tjruvi'l tiTriiccs (Vniii ;',{) III KMi I'fiM liiu'li I'linlcr till' iimt miil ri'iiiral iriliTval> all lln' way tu thu Kink ra|iiil> iiu lii'Wr-^ rivi'i', lii'liiw wliii'li [I'liiit till' liowlili'r clay, wliii'li liii> nut lii'i-n socii sinco li'aviiii; llii' Mai'lii'ii/.ii', attain iiiaki's it< a|ipi'araiif('. Almvi! this, ii'i- i^roiviiiuM am! M'iiiiM:i> '"111 •'" '' •'"'■' will-Km VII mark-i ul' i;liii'ialii)n an' cvrry wImth I'viiji'iil. I liiiil Mil ii|i|iiiii luiriii'rini; tlio Vukon ; Iml, jiult^ini; -iiniily IViiiii till' ri'i iii'ds ul' tin- ici' aiji' wliii'li tlii' valley ilsrlf atl'ni'ds, it wmilil up|H'ur llial ll;i' f;lni'ii'i' wiiirli uiiil'iulili'illy lillril the iiii|ii'i' part uf llie valley itl' tlie Lewes anil nievi'il nui'tliwiiiil^ iliil imt doseenil billow a point alioiit •')(> miles aliovo tint nioiitli of 111" I'i'lly, or lal. 'i'-'" M*' N. Melow this the deposits iinlieatii a Hooded valley, but nolllili^X else. IJefiire cliisiriLj this paper I slinuld like to draw attention to a fuet which may have Some lieariiii; on the iion-i;laciated condition of part oC Alaska and the adjacent por- tion of the North West territory of Canada, viz., that jjlaciers are unknown in the Itiicky Mountains north of the hedwaturs of the Athabasca, or ahmil hit. 04" N. North of this occa-ional patches of snow survive the summer in sheltered nooks, hut even thcjie decrease in fre(pieney with increasi,".^ 'uiitude ; and on tlie I'eel river port- aLce, in Jut. f)7° •".<•' N., the snow had eiUirely disappeared before the luUldle of July. Al.-o in desci'iidini; the l'orcM|iine and ascendinj; the Yukon, no snow was seen until t'ar up the Lewe^. and no jjlaciers until the head waters of this stream were reached. It follow- frniii this that climatic clian!;es which would extend the present ijlaciers (if the IJow and .Saskatchewan far down their valleys miijht liavi; little or no etl'ectin imposing; i^lacial conditions on this more nortiiern r(.'j;;ion. Gkomxikai, Sukvkv ok Canada, Dvcnnber 'li, 1880.