﻿196 HILL AT BEAK LAKE RIVER. July, 



The hill on the north side of the last-named 

 river rises about six or seven hundred feet above 

 the water, every where steeply, and in some places 

 precipitously. It is, as has been stated, part of one 

 of the spurs of the Rocky Mountains, a gap in 

 which furnishes a channel for the passage of the 

 Mackenzie. Its base, measured directly across, is 

 about three quarters of a mile. The Great Bear 

 River flows between its south flank and the 

 tertiary coal beds described above ; but on its 

 north flank horizontal beds of limestone and bitu- 

 minous shale appear again. The strata of the hill 

 itself are highly inclined upwards on both its flanks 

 towards its axis, and some are vertical. I did not 

 procure organic remains from any of the upheaved 

 beds forming these ridges or spurs, whereby their 

 age might be determined, but they are evidently 

 older than the limestone and shale formation which 

 abuts against them or covers their edo;es, and are 



are on fire on tlie Smoking River, wliicli is a southern affluent 

 of the Peace River, and crosses the 56th parallel of latitude, 

 and also that others exist on the borders of Lesser Slave Lake, 

 that lies between Smoking River and Edmonton. There are 

 coal beds on fire, also, at the present time near Dunvegan on 

 the main stream of the Peace River, All these places are near 

 the base of the Rocky Mountains, or the spurs issuing from 

 that chain, and their altitude above the sea varies from 1800 

 to 2000 feet and upwards. The beds at Great Bear River are 

 probably not above 250 feet above the sea level. 



