44 



XOETH AMEEICAX FAUNA. 



| :sO. 27. 



The tributaries of Great Bear Lake are comparativeh^ few in 

 number. Dease Rirer. which discharges into the northeastern ex- 

 tremity of the lake, is prol^ably the best known of its feeders. It 

 rises on the treeles.^ height of hind IjctwiH'n i)(^a-e ]]ay and tlie lower 

 Coj)permine. Several important >trearii- i^nter thc^ hdve from the 

 north. Several others draining a very large extent of country to the 

 southward enter MacTavish and ^NlcVicar bav>. The latter receives 

 also the waters of a chain of large lakes lying north of ^Marten Lake 

 (which discharges into Great Slave Lake). The country drained by 

 the southern tributaries is very rough and rocky, though fairly well 

 wooded, and is traversed in various directions by ranges of low 

 mountains. 



Bear Eiver. which forms the outlet of Great Bear Lake, flows from 

 its western extremity, and after following a general westerly course 

 for about 90 miles, joins the Mackenzie. It is mainly confined be- 

 tween steep banks of sand or clay, is from 150 to 200 yards wide, and 

 has a current of about G miles an hour. AboiLt midway of it> course 

 it passes through a sandstone chasm, forming a rapid nearh^ 3 miles 

 in length. A ridge of hills, some of whose peak- attain a height of 

 1.500 feet, cros-es the river at this point. From the surnmit of these 

 hill> rlie -urrounding country is seen to consist of a rolling wooded 

 plain dotted Avith many lakes of variou- -izes. Below Bear River 

 Rapid the river is wide and the current nnpetuous. Bear River 

 is extremely clear, and although it is joined by several muddy streams 

 its waters still present a marked contrast to those of the Mackenzie 

 at their confluence. 



The following table shows the summaries of the temperatures re- 

 corded during a full year (being for joarts of l'^-2^) and l-^^C)). at Fort 

 Franklin. Great Bear Lake, during Franklin'- -econd journey (Xar- 

 rative Second Expedition to Polar Sea) : 



Summaries of temporitnrcs tal'cn at Fort i: ranlclin from Scptemher. 1825, to 



August. 1826. 



Date. 



Mean daily 



Mean daily 

 minimum. 



Extremes. 



Monthly 



maximum. 



Maximum. 



Minimum. 



mean. 





1825. 



48.12 



.38.08 



60.5 



30.0 



42.92 



October 



24.80 

 8.39 



14.18 



40.3 



-18.0 



20.28 



Xovember 



3.72 



32.5 



-22.0 



2.79 



Dftf'pmbPT 



- 8.18 



-21.63 



27.5 



-47.5 



-13.96 



Jamiarv 



1S26. 



-16.17 



-31.25 



11.8 



-49.0 



-23.78 



February 



- 4.95 



-21.71 



27.8 



-39.0 



-12.70 



March 



3.87 



-22.01 



31.8 



-43.0 



- 8.26 



April _ . 



24.83 



3.99 



41.6 



-23.0 



15.21 



ilay 



43.89 



27.47 



61.0 



1.0 



36.3.5. 



June 











"48.00 



July 6 



60.24 



42.64 



80.0 



30.0 



52.10 



Augnst 



58.21 



42.98 



74.0 



33.5 



51.09 



Tear 







80.0 



-49.0 



17.49 









° Assumed. Records for June lost. 

 Temperature for the first eight days of July supplied from obseryations taken on the 

 Mackenzie. 



