204 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



The northerly trending of the coast line west of the 

 Mackenzie is evidently due to the prolongation of the 

 Rocky Mountains, whose successive ridges or spurs come 

 out en echelon, diminishing in altitude as they approach 

 the shore. 



The short western slope of the continent from the 

 Rocky Mountains to the Pacific differs from the eastern 

 one in its configuration, its river valleys being all more or 

 less transverse. The peculiar wing-like projection in the 

 north, towards Asia, is evidently due to the volcanic chain 

 of Alaska, which runs at right angles to the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. The great transverse river valley of the Yukon or 

 Kwichpack lies to the north of it. The western sea- 

 coast from Cook's Inlet to Behring's Straits is delineated 

 in a map attached to Baer's " Nachrichten fiber den 

 Nordwestkfiste von Amerika," published in 1839, though 

 it seems to have been hitherto neglected by our topo- 

 graphers ; and the interior of Russian America has re- 

 mained a blank in our maps.* 



For the following information respecting the Hudson's 

 Bay Company's land to the west of the Mackenzie, and 

 for some account of Russian America gathered from the 

 natives, I am indebted to Chief Factor M'Pherson, Chief 

 Trader Bell, and to the letters of Mr. Alex. H. Murray, 

 alluded to in a preceding page. By ascending the River 

 of the Mountains, and tracing its north-west branch to 

 Lake Frances, a very elevated mountainous country is 

 reached. In this the Lewis, which flows towards the 

 Pacific, takes its rise, its sources springing to the east- 

 ward of those of the River of the Mountains ; so that here, 



* The newest work on this district of America is, " Beitrage zur 

 Kenntniss der orographischen und geognostisclien Beschaffenheit der 

 Nordwestkiiste Amerikas, von Dr. C. Grewingk, St. Petersburg, 1850 ; 

 but this I have not been able to procure. 



