YORK TIN REGION. 157 
4 miles of tin-bearing gravels in the Buck Creek Valley: It has been reported that scheel- 
ite and monazite were found in these gravels in paying quantities, but the writer has been 
unable to find either. The specific gravity of scheelite (5.9-6.08) would make it practically 
impossible to wash it from the stream tin, whose specific gravity is 6.4 to 7.1 and is liable 
to be lower on account of impurities, so that were scheelite present it would be readily 
noticed from its light color. The monazite is somewhat lighter in weight, its specific 
gravity being about 5 (4.9-5.26). 
The great interest that these deposits have aroused is shown by the amount of "expert- 
ing" that has been done. At least seven parties have been sent to Buck Creek by firms 
or private persons to examine and report on the tin gravels, and the expense has been 
probably much in excess of $50,000. Holes have been started where bed rock could not 
be reached except with a steam pump or a bed-rock drain, neither of which were had, 
and signs of crosscuts are almost wholly wanting, yet reports were probably made on the 
depth and value of these gravels. One published report states that it was "impossible to 
examine any of the rock in place except on the extreme summits," and yet the bare slate 
stands along the creek in a bluff 75 feet high. 
GROUSE CREEK. 
Grouse Creek, into which Buck Creek flows, has so far shown little stream tin above 
the confluence, but below prospectors report from 3 to 40 pounds of stream tin per cubic 
yard of gravel through a breadth of 100 feet. Bed rock was not reached and the depth 
of gravel is unknown. It was said that the best prospects are on the western side of the 
valley and that the tin varies in size from small crystals to lumps as large as one's fist. 
RED FOX AND OTHER CREEKS. 
The creeks flowing into Lopp Lagoon from the hills north of Buck Creek are all said to 
show good prospects of stream tin, but the extent of the tin-bearing gravels is as yet 
unknown and the question of water for sluicing will be a serious one. 
MINT RIVER. 
Mint River, into which Grouse Creek flows, has been widely advertised as having tin- 
bearing gravels, but prospectors who worked on the stream during the last summer reported 
that they were unable to find any stream tin. Prospectors of former years, however, 
have reported its. occurrence. 
EARS MOUNTAIN. 
Stream tin has been reported in several of the streams flowing from the northeast and 
east sides of Ears Mountain, but they have not been prospected enough to show their 
extent. 
OTHER SEWARD PENINSULA DEPOSITS. 
Dick Creek, Old Glory, and a few other creeks of the Arctic slope east of Ears Mountain 
carry some stream tin, but have shown none of commercial importance. Goldbottom 
Creek, at the head of Snake River, about 18 miles north of Nome, carries a little stream 
tin, whose occurrence is interesting geologically because no granite is known in the imme- 
diate neighborhood. However, on the east side of Mount Distin there are a number of 
acidic intrusives that have been crushed into gneisses, and some such occurrence may be 
buried beneath the tundra and glacial debris at the head of Goldbottom Creek. Some 
of the cassiterite pebbles appear flattened, as if they may have come from such a source. 
Fred Gulch, on the north side of Mount Distin, is reported to carry a small amount of 
stream tin similar to that in Goldbottom Creek. 
To show how frequently prospectors are deceived it may be well to note that tin was 
rather widely advertised as being found at the head of Nabesna River, but in samples 
tested the mineral thought to be cassiterite proved to be garnet. 
