79 



almost free from sediment. Thirtymile river 

 has an average current of about 6 miles (9 • 6 km.) 

 per hour. 



The white limestone hills are also conspicuous 

 along this stretch of the . iver ; the other exposed 

 rocks are dominantly sedimentary and basic 

 volcanics of Mesozoic age. 



101 m. Hootalinkwa — Government telegraph oper- 



322 km. ators are stationed at both lower Laberge 

 and Hootalinkwa. The latter is a distributing 

 point for the Livingstone creek placer fields 

 [52. pp. 25A-30A: 9, p. 14] and other points 

 reached by Teslin river. 



The valley of the Lewes just above the mouth 

 of the Teslin is more constricted than in most 

 places, which is somewhat remarkable being 

 at the point of confluence of such large rivers. 

 The valley of the Teslin appears to be the upward 

 continuation of the valley of the combined 

 streams below their junction. [13, pp. 15-17]. 



From Hootalinkwa to Big Salmon, the Lewes 

 trends in a general way almost due north and 

 has an average current of about 4-8 miles 

 (7-6 km.) per hour. The hills bordering the 

 valley near Hootalinkwa rise to 1,000 or 1,500 

 feet (300 and 450 m.) above the river, but 

 gradually decrease in a few miles to 800 or 

 900 feet (240 to 270 m.), at which elevation 

 they continue to near Semenof hills, through 

 which both river and valley are exceptionally 

 constricted. This range, which is dissected 

 by the Lewes some 5 miles (8 km.) above Big 

 Salmon, is about 5 miles (8 km.) wide, has a 

 general northwesterly trend and consists of 

 rounded, wooded hills rising to heights from 

 1,500 to 2,000 feet (450 to 600 m.) above the 

 river. 



About 15 miles (24 km.) down the river from 

 Hootalinkwa, thick-bedded cherty conglomer- 

 ates outcrop along the left limit of the river 

 and extend downstream for over 10 miles 

 (16 km.) These rocks belong to the Tantalus 

 conglomerates, an upper, coal-bearing, division 



