PROCEEDINGS. 
503 
had been abandoned since 1852. A canvas boat was made on the Pelly, 
and that river was descended to the month of the Lewis, where another 
wooden boat was built for the ascent of the Lewis, and the coast finally- 
reached on September 20th by crossing the Chilkoot or Perrier Pass to 
the head of Lynn canal. Two parties still remain in the district for the 
purpose of continuing explorations next spring—one under Mr. B,. G. 
McConnell on the Mackenzie river, the other under Mr. W. Ogilvie on 
the Pelly (Yukon). 
An outline was given of the geological results obtained on the route 
above described. The general character of the rocks and the formations 
represented are very similar to those characterizing the Sani Cordillera 
belt in the more southern part of British Columbia, embracing deposits 
referable to the Carboniferous, Cretaceous, Laramie (probably), and Mio¬ 
cene. The coast ranges preserve an almost identical character from the 
Fraser river to Lynn canal, a distance of about 900 miles. They are 
chiefly composed of gray granites and granitoid rocks, with associated 
crystalline schists. 
Evidences were found of the glaciation of the upper Yukon basin by 
working in a northern and northwestern direction. 
Mention w r as also made of a wide-spread deposit of volcanic ash, of 
comparatively recent date, in the region, and of the discovery of rolled 
fragments of jade in the bed of the Lewis river. 
Dr. Dawson regretted that he was unprovided with specimens and 
photographs obtained during the exploration, which would have illus¬ 
trated his remarks. 
[A full account of these explorations has been published by 
the author as Part B to the Annual Report for 1887 of the 
Director of the Geological and Natural History Survey of 
Canada.] 
314th Meeting. February 18, 1888. 
The President in the chair. 
Forty-two members and guests present. 
The following communications were presented : 
Increasing Industrial Employment of the Rarer Metals, by 
Mr. Henry H. Bates. 
[Abstract.] 
The metals particularly referred to w T ere, first, aluminium. Its valuable 
properties were mentioned and outlines of some of the leading processes 
for obtaining it were given. Its most valuable alloys were enumerated, 
