24 



Mile 36 to 39. — The granodiorites in this stretch are 

 mostly replaced by dark micaceous and hornblendic 

 schists, probably highly altered inclusions, cut by numerous 

 dykes. East of the basic schists, the granodiorites are 

 banded for some distance, and contain frequent dark 

 patches. 



The Skeena River valley opposite Sockeye and east- 

 ward to Port Essington, Mile 24, is wide and filled with 

 brackish water. Above this point, the valley narrows 

 and a gradual change from estuarine to river conditions is 

 noted. The sediment brought down by the river is mostly 

 deposited in this stretch of slackening current, and lonS 

 sand bars are slowly emerging above the surface. Farther 

 up these are replaced by low wooded alluvial islands. The 

 effect of the tides is felt up to Mile 60. 



The bordering mountains, usually from 3,000 to 4,000 

 feet (914 to 1,219 m -) m height, are wooded nearly to their 

 summits, and crowd closely down to the water's edge. 

 There are few intervening flats, except at the mouths of 

 tributary streams. 



Mile 44-9. — The Kwinitsa river, a small stream, 

 enters the Skeena at this point, and the junction is marked 

 by a large flat built of alluvial sands, silts, gravels and 

 clays. One of the gravel beds a few feet below the surface, 

 is saturated with brine. The brine is considered to be 

 imprisoned sea water, somewhat concentrated, left behind 

 during the retreat of the sea in post-Glacial times. The 

 Skeena water opposite this point, although affected by 

 the tides, is now quite fresh. 



Mile 46 to 48. — A second band of dark basic schists 

 is crossed at this point, and the bordering granodiorites 

 are banded light and dark grey for some distance to the 

 east. 



Mile 48 to 68.— This section may be considered the 

 heart of the Coast range. The mountains, while not high, 

 are steep, boldly sculptured, and in places singularly 

 impressive. Opposite the the Exstew river a number of 

 small glaciers are seen south of the valley, clinging to the 

 upper levels of the range. They occupy a wide cirque-like 

 depression probably excavated by themselves. The glaciers 

 here as elsewhere in the range are slowly dwindling. 



The trough shaped valley of the Skeena is seldom 

 less than a mile in width, and the river, split into a multitude 



