SECTION IV, 1912 [29] Trans. R. S. C. 
The Gold of the Klondike. 
By J. B. TyrreLz, F.G.S. 
(Read May 14, 1912). 
The Klondike Gold-bearing district, in which placer deposits were 
discovered in the summer of 1896, is situated near the extreme north 
western part of the Dominion of Canada, between North latitudes 63° 
and 64°, and about fifty miles east of longitude 141° west, which forms 
the boundary between Canada and the United States territory of Alaska. 
Its area is not clearly defined, but for the purpose of this paper it may 
be considered as being about eight hundred square miles, with a width in 
a north and south direction of 28 miles and a length in an east and 
west direction of 36 miles. 
Strange as it may appear to the majority of readers, this country, 
though lying so far north, and with an exceedingly rigorous climate, 
has never been glaciated ie the greater He of Northern North 
America to the east of it. 
During the Glacial Period, the climate must have been severe, and 
the Rocky Mountains, which form an almost continuous chain running 
northwest and southeast to the north-east of the Klondike, were at that 
time covered with glaciers, and the glaciers extended south-westward 
to the confines of the Klondike country. 
At the same time the Coast range of mountains, which forms such 
a conspicüous feature along the western coast of the continent close to 
the shore of the Pacific Ocean, was also covered with glaciers, and these 
glaciers extended north-eastward to the vicinity of the Klondike country, 
but at no time did they reach it. It therefore lay as part of a long and 
comparatively narrow region, free of glaciers, except small local ones, 
between the glacier-covered mountains to the north-east and the higher 
mountains, also covered with glaciers, to the south-west of it. 
Even now, the climate of that country is quite severe, for the mean 
annual temperature is 22°F. 
In winter the temperature occasionally falls to minus 70°F. or 
even lower, and the mean temperature of December, January and 
February is—15°F., but in summer the climate is beautifully clear and 
mild, and the mean temperature of June, July and August is 57°F. 
On account of the low annual mean temperature the ground is 
permanently frozen to a considerable depth, and while this depth does 
not appear to be the same in all cases, several instances were observed 
Sec. IV., 1912. 3: 
