46 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
It may therefore be accepted as a definite law, that pay-streaks 
were formed on, and indicate the positions of, the bottoms of old V-shaped 
valleys. 
If the bottoms of the present valleys are much wider than the pay- 
streaks, this greater width represents the amount to which these valleys 
have been cut out by lateral erosion after they had been originally out- 
lined to their present depth, and the gravels with which these valley 
bottoms are covered are later in age or newer than the pay-streaks. 
For instance, the old pay-streaks in the White Channel gravels 
on Bonanza and Hunker creeks which are well shown on Mr. McConnell’s 
map accompanying his “‘ Report on Gold Values in the Klondike High 
Level Gravels,” run in very straight lines approximately down the 
middle of the old valleys, though possibly a little nearer their western 
than their eastern sides. The outlines given on that map for the ap- 
proximate original boundaries of the White Channel gravels show the 
widths of the old flood-plains, and the extent of the gravels deposited 
over and around the pay-streak. The pay-streaks mark the positions of 
the bottoms of the original V-shaped valleys, and the gravels are flood- 
plain deposits which were subsequently laid down over and around them. 
Similarly the pay-streak can be traced downthe bottom of the pres- 
ent valley of Bonanza creek, marking the line of the bottom of the old 
V-shaped valley. In places this old valley bottom at one time crossed 
terraces in the present valley and then short strips of the pay-streak 
were left across these terraces. Later, as the stream deepened its valley 
the bottom swung round the terraces. Very often the pay-streak is 
not so rich around these curves, for it had to start anew without any 
gold to work on. The gold which is contained in this new portion of 
the pay-streak is therefore not that which descended vertically with 
the growth downwards of the valley, but is rather that which was 
brought down the valley by the stream after the terrace was formed, 
or the little which was brought into it from the sides. 
At the present time I am collecting information on the presence of 
these low terraces and their influence on the value of the pay-streak 
in the adjoining deeper valley; but the matter is not yet ready for pub- 
lication. 
In this connection attention may be drawn to the fact that while 
the gold and the heavy minerals associated with it in the pay-streak, 
represent a concentration from the whole of the material first eroded 
from the Dome Peneplain, that in the overlying and surrounding gravels 
only represents a concentration from the surface of the country after the 
present valleys were cut down to base level at practically their present 
depths, and after flood-plains began to form in them. 
