86 



XORTH AMERICAN FAUXA. 



[NO. 27. 



trevmloides) , A short stretch of rollhig prairie is passed before 

 Deep Creek, 41 miles from Edmonton, is reached, and a mile beyond 

 the road crosses Vermilion, or Red AVater. Creek, a branch of the 

 Sturgeon. Several miles of prairie and a forest of Banksian pines 

 are now traversed to Two Lakes, 50 miles from Edmonton, the road 

 crossing a small channel connecting these lakes, the last water tribu- 

 tary to the Saskatchewan. The road then passes for 8 miles over 

 a succession of high, rocky, and sandy ridges, clothed with pines and 

 poplars, to Stony Creek. Fourteen miles beyond, after more grav- 

 elly ridges are crossed. Sandy Creek is reached. A short distance 

 beyond the road forks, one branch following the ridges to the east- 

 ward and the other, the one usualty traveled, traversing a sandy 

 tract through a fine forest of pines and crossing the Towattinow. 

 a fair-sized stream. Beyond here the road enters another tract of 

 pines and then follows the Avestern slope of the valley a few miles 

 to the foot of the ' Big Hill.* 11 miles from Athabaska Landing. 

 Ascending this hill, the road passes a lake on the left and then fol- 

 lows the summit of the stony ridge tmtil it descends into the valley 

 of the Athabaska at Athabaska Landing. 



Athabaska Landing (see PL IV, fig. 3) is a small village and 

 trading post situated on the south bank of the Athabaska at a 

 point where the river, after making a long sweep to the southward, 

 resumes its general northeasterly course. It is principally important 

 as being the gateway to the Athabaska, Peace, and Mackenzie rivers. 

 The ridges to the southward are nearly devoid of timber, probably 

 as the result of sticcessive burnings. The banks of the Athabaska 

 in the vicinity are covered with a fair growth of black and white 

 spruce {Plcea mLrrlana and canadensis) , Banksian pine (Pin us di- 

 varicata), balsam fir {Ahies halsamea) , tamarack (Larix Jaricina) ^ 

 balsam poplar {Popuhis halsamifera) , aspen poplar {Popuhjs tre- 

 midoides). and canoe birch [Betida 2)apyrifera) . Of these species 

 the Banksian pine and the tamarack are the least abundant, the 

 former growing only on certain elevated points and the latter being 

 mainly a tree of the muskegs and seldom appearing on the immediate 

 banks of the river. • Various shrubs are abundant, either forming 

 an undergrowth in the forests of larger species or occupying exclu- 

 sively restricted areas. Among these may be mentioned Juniperus 

 nana and sahhuu various species of willows (Salix), alders {Alnus 

 incana and alnohetida) ^ several species of Bibes and Ruhas, wild 

 roses (Rosa), the serviceberry {Anielanchier aJnifolia) , btitfaloberry 

 {Lejmrgyrcea canadensis)^ silverberry {EJa'agniis argentea), cornels 

 {Cornus canadensis and sfolnn/fc ra). blueberry (Yaccinhnn) . vibur- 

 ntims {Vihurnvm paiicifloriinL and opidus), and several species of 

 the genera Syniphoricarpos and Lonicera. As this character of 

 vegetation ^^revails all along the Athabaska, it will be necessary-- to 



