142 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. viii. 



Athabasca River. — This is reached on crossing the divide, 

 between it and Peace River. The summit of this divide, com" 

 posed of a swampy plateau with a vegetation of corresponding 

 nature, does not probably exceed 2,000 feet in height — that of 

 Lesser Slave Lake, on the one hand, andDunvegan on the other, 

 being estimated, the former at 1,800, the latter at 1,000 feet 

 above the sea-level. The banks of the Athabasca River are 

 generally less inviting in appearance than those of the Peace. 

 The lower portions, however, present many attractive features ; 

 and the climate, as indicated by the extract given above, is en- 

 couraging for agriculture. The borders upwards, are for the most 

 part thickly wooded with the 'Spruce and Cypres (Pinus Bank- 

 siana) interspersed with the Balsam Poplar, the White Birch, and 

 other deciduous trees. Animals of the various kinds mentioned 

 abound throughout in theii fitting localities, while fish of the 

 finest description are yielded by the lakes. Athabasca Lake, it 

 may be here mentioned, is noted for the innumerable flocks of 

 water-fowl which resort thither as a favorite breeding place, and 

 which at the proper seasons yield store of food to the inhabi- 

 tants. The mineral riches of the tract drained by these large 

 rivers are varied ; at the head of the Peace, ou the borders of the 

 Peak Range, there are extensive gold diggings, known as Omin- 

 eca, which are moderately productive, though now partially 

 abandoned for richer fields. Coal, reported to be of good quality? 

 is found at several points upon the Athabasca ; while favourable 

 indications appear upon the Peace. Bituminous pits exist in 

 several places along the lower Athabasca ; yielding an appa- 

 rently inexhaustible supply of pure mineral tar. The product 

 of some of these, duly prepared by boiling, &c, has long been 

 used for pitching the boats employed for transport. Smoky 

 River, falling into the Peace above Dunvegan, has its name 

 from beds of coal or lignite, which were on fire when Europeans 

 first visited the country, if indeed yet extinct. Mineral Salt 

 is found between Athabasca and Great Slave Lakes. Near the 

 mouth of the " Salt River" it appears in the form of a thick 

 incrustation on the borders of the springs, and requires merely 

 to be shovelled into bags. The salt thus procured has from the 

 first been the sole resource of the European residents, and is of 

 an excellent quality for all domestic purposes. 



The Barren Grounds may be defined as extending from the 

 watershed immediately north of Churchill River to the 



