342 A. E. CAMERON 



is no river flowing sluggishly in a valley much too large for itself, 

 but a mighty stream which, still in its youth, has carved and is 

 still carving a valley in just proportion to its size. 



On descending the river below the town, the valley walls con- 

 tract to gorgelike proportions, and the apparent crest of the valley 

 gradually lowers. Ascending to the crest at a point some 50 miles 

 below Peace River, one would find himself on another plain level 

 at a lower elevation than that above Peace River town. 



The plain is narrowed to a width of about 50 miles, but is 

 distinctly flat. It is bordered on the east by the shoulder of Buffalo 

 Head Hills, and on the west by a southerly extension of the Watt 

 Mountain Plateau. The elevation of this plain is about 1,600 feet. 



Descending the river still farther to a point near Battle River 

 and there scaling the immediate valley walls, another plain level 

 confronts the eye on reaching the top, this tim.e at an elevation of 

 1,100 feet. East or west from the river this plain stretches some 

 thirty to forty miles before rising gradually to a comparatively 

 narrow bench land at an elevation of about 1,600 feet which must 

 be crossed before ascent can be made to the old, original plain level. 



About 50 mfles above VermiKon the Peace River swings rapidly 

 eastward and, the valley walls receding, it enters a widely extended 

 plain area at an elevation of about 800 feet which, at Vermilion, 

 stands scarcely more than 30 feet above water level. This plain 

 level is practically continuous with the basin of Athabaska Lake 

 and extends northward around the foot of Caribou Mountain 

 Plateau to the basin of the Great Slave Lake. 



WABISKAW AND ATHABASKA RIVERS 



Strikingly similar features to those outlined above are to be 

 found in the valleys of the Wabiskaw and Athabaska rivers to 

 the east. These are well brought out in the profiles of the base, 

 Imes and meridians of the Domuiion Topographical Surveys as 

 shown in the accompanying sketches (Fig. 2). 



The 1,600-foot level shows as the broad plain south of Hay 

 River on the sixth meridian; distinctly on the shoulder of Caribou 

 Mountains on the twenty-ninth base line; on both slopes of 

 Birch Hills on the twenty-seventh base line; on both sides of the 



