52

quantities of gold are known to occur in the boulder clay nor in the larger
gravel ridges and irregular hills, nor in the moraines formed by the valley
glaciers. Small amounts of gold, however, are probably scattered through
such deposits. The gold in the glacial gravels does not occur in a definite
pay-streak except in places in the stream channels. The irregular patches
of gravel in the glacial drift which contain gold may be preglacial gravels,
or glacial or interglacial gravels included in a later drift sheet. None was
seen that differs much from the glacial gravels.

(5) The post-glacial or surface gravels have been deposited near the
surface in the beds and along the benches of the present streams and were
rich in gold only where they are of no great thickness and extend down to a
false, but more commonly the true, bedrock. In the wide, lower parts of
the creeks, fine or “flood” gold occurs on the bars and along the stream
flats in places favourable for deposition of the gold as the result of alternate
erosion and deposition by the stream. The gold occurs in a thin pay-streak
near the surface and such deposits are of little importance in the area.
Even in the early days the prospectors appear to have been well aware
that the “flood” gold had been transported and that unless some fairly
coarse gold occurs along with it on the streams, there is likely to be little
gold on bedrock beneath the bars. The gold, in the surface gravels on the
benches, in places in the area, is fairly coarse and the deposits have been
mined at many localities. They are not extensive, however, and, as a rule,
have not paid for mining.

The Pleistocene deposits (glacial drift) and the Recent alluvial deposits
have been described in the chapter on “General Geology.” The placer
deposits on the several creeks are more particularly described in the follow-
ing description of the creeks.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CREEKS

The creeks of the area mostly radiate from the central high part of
which mount Agnes forms the summit. They are herein described in order
from east to west. A few creeks adjacent to the map-area on which there
is a probability that further work will be done are also briefly described.
They include Valley, Summit, Dragon, Fountain, and Peters creeks, and
Swift river. Accounts of mining and prospecting already done on the
creeks, as well as a short description of each and its mining possibilities,
are given. A complete history of mining in the area is not attempted, for
mining has been carried on since 1860 and it has been deemed sufficient
to describe only such work as appears to have a bearing on present day
mining and future possibilities. Much of the evidence regarding early
mining is hearsay, but most of it is derived from eye witnesses and it
seems desirable to place it on record, for probably not more than half a
dozen of the “old timers’ are living. This information and even some of a
later date cannot be guaranteed, but is believed to be correct. Parts of
Antler and Williams creeks have already been described! and are referred
to only incidentally in this report.

1Geol. Surv., Canada, Sum. Rept. 1921, pt. A, pp. 59-71.