10 COAL EESOURCES OF THE YUKON. [no. 218. 
was also obtained from E. J. Chamberlain, United States deputy 
mineral surveyor at Eagle, and from W. E. Williams, a mining engi- 
neer, who has had the management of a number of Yukon coal mines. 
Nearly all the known coal beds accessible from the Yukon were 
examined, though the limited time in some cases made it necessaiy to 
do the work very hastily. Collections of fossils were made from 53 
localities, man} 7 of which were entirely new. In numerous instances 
these collections were sufficient to determine the age of the coal beds, 
yet some remain in doubt. These studies and collections have thrown 
much light on some of the vexed problems of Yukon stratigraphy, but 
important questions still remain to be settled by further investiga- 
tions. The paleontologic and paleobotanic collections have been 
studied by Drs. T. W. Stanton and F. H. Knowlton, of the Survey, 
and by Mr. Charles Schuchert, of the United States National Museum. 
Though the results of these studies are of far-reaching importance, 
their publication is deferred until further paleontologic and strati- 
graphic held studies have been made and more definite evidence for 
correlations has been secured. 
The study of the structural and stratigraphic geology of the ter- 
ranes exposed along the river was rendered more difficult by the lack 
of an accurate base map, for up to the present time no complete 
instrumental survey of the Yukon has been made. Sketches of a 
portion of the stream were made by Dall and other members of the 
Western Union Telegraph survey in 1861-65 and in 1866. Captain 
Raymond a made latitude determinations at and below Fort Yukon in 
1869. Lieut. Frederick Schwatka 6 made a military reconnaissance of 
the Yukon in 1883, and a topographic sketch of the river from its 
source to its mouth was made at this time by Charles Homan, topog- 
rapher of the part}^. The position of the river at the international 
boundary, at Fort Yukon, and at Nulato has been determined by 
astronomic observations made by parties of the Coast Survey, and 
the positions of Fort Hamlin, Rampart, Tanana, and the mouth of 
the Koyukuk have been determined by parties of the United States 
Geological Surve}^ who have also surveyed some short stretches of 
the river. For the details of the stream between these points all map 
makers have ultimately depended on Lieutenant Schwatka's map as 
modified by supplementary sketches made by various travelers and 
explorers. During the last season Mr. Sidney Paige, under the 
writer's direction, carried a canoe traverse from Eagle, near the 
international boundary, to Pimute. This sketch survey was carried on 
by estimated distances and compass azimuths. The map of the Yukon 
submitted with this report (PI. II) is taken from a map of Alaska 
a Raymond, Charles P., Reconnaissance of the Yukon River: Narratives of Explorations in Alaska. 
Washington, D. C, 1900, p. 19 et seq. 
&Sehwatka, Frederick, Military reconnaissance in Alaska in 1883: Senate Ex. Doc. No. 2, 48th Con- 
gress, 2d session. 
