1897-8. TRANSACTIONS, 75 



The Yukon and its Gold Resources. 



By Wii.i<iam Ogii^vie, Administrator of the Yukon. 



Extract. 



\Read Feb. i8th, i8g8. 



Of the two most southerly branches of the Yukon, the 

 westerly, known as the Lewes, heads at the summit of the 

 Dyea (or Chilkoot Pass,) in north latitude 59° 49', approxi- 

 mately, and west longtitude 135° 13' ; the other, known as 

 Teslin, takes its rise somewhere between 131° and 132° west 

 longtitude and about 59° 40' north latitude. 



These two streams are, at the present time, the principal 

 routes of entrance to the Yukon valley — the first named, so 

 far, absorbing most of the traffic. They are about equal in 

 length — something under 200 miles — and about the same dis- 

 tance below the junction, another stream, the Pelly, joins. 

 Teslin is navigable for almost its entire length. The Lewes 

 is broken by the Canon and White Horse Rapids about 100 

 miles from its head. Small steamers have been run down 

 through these, but it would be a very difficult task to get one 

 up, in fact, practically impossible. Below their confluence, 

 about 120 miles, we meet the Five Finger Rapids of the 

 miners. This, however, is not an insuperable barrier to 

 ordinary steamboat navigation, simply requiring the aid of a 

 powerful line for about 200 yards. From this point to the 

 mouth of the Yukon, about 2,000 miles, no further obstacle 

 occurs. This river, with its confluents, so far as at present 

 known, aggregates about 3,200 miles of navigable water — 

 that is, navigable for ordinary, light-draft, stern- wheel steam- 

 ers, Of this distance the main stream, taking either the Dyea 



