[ellsJ notes on the MINERAL FUEL SUPPLY OF CANADA 287 



aminecl occurs on the Telkwa river in what is known as the Bulkley val- 

 ley, about 100 miles south of Hazelton on the Skeena, where at least five 

 seams of coal ranging in thickness from 21/2 ^^ nearly 20 feet, of excel- 

 lent quality have been found within a convenient distance of the proposed 

 line of the Grand Trunk Pacific railway. Like the area south of the 

 Canadian Pacific the formation in this basin is also Tertiary, thie coal- 

 bearing rocks being apparently underlaid by igneous rocks. These coals 

 are in part high-grade bituminous and in part a semi-anthracite. The 

 full details of the seams have not yet been announced, but if they should 

 continue as reported across the basin of sedimentary rocks the t[uantity of 

 coal in this area must be enormous. 



In the Yukon district coals of good quality have been found at sev- 

 eral places. Among other localities the Klondike river shews Tertiary 

 coal-bearing rocks for a distance of about sixty miles. The fuel is of 

 the lignite variety and outcrops on Eock and Coal creeks, and on Cliff, 

 Twelve and Fifteen mile creeks the area imderlaid by the coal being 

 estimated at about 200 square miles. The quality of this fuel is reported 

 as fairly good. There are several seams exposed and two outcrops on 

 Cliff creek with thicknesses of nine and three feet respectively, have 

 been opened up to some extent. 



Lignite also is found on the Lewes river above Pink rapids and a 

 deposit of anthracite coal has recently been discovered near the line of the 

 White Pass railway near Dugdale station, not far from the "Whitehorse 

 copper district. This may possibly prove lon development to be of econo- 

 mic value. 



Coal was first reported by Mr. William Ogilvie as occurring on the 

 Pelly river in the Yukon district some years ago, the mineral being of 

 good quality and in seams from five to seven feet thick. The difficulty 

 of exploration and the expense of transportation render the development 

 of these deposits somewhat uncertain, at least for some years. 



One of the largest coal-fields on the Pacific coast is found on 

 Graham island, the largest of the Queen Charlotte group. Attention was 

 directed to this area nearly fifty years ago through the finding of a bed 

 of anthracite on the southern end near the head of Skidegate harbour. 

 Attempts were made at intervals for nearly thirty years to mine this coal 

 for shipment, but o\^dng to the fact that it was greatly crushed and in 

 places reduced to powder on removal as a result of dike intrusions and 

 rock movements, all efforts to find a productive mine were unsuccessful 

 and the property has long since been abandoned. A similar anthracite 

 occurring under like conditions is found about seven miles inland and 

 has been slightly opened up but not worked. 



