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in the minting and flows eastward as far as Snake river; its principal tribu-
taries join it from the south. At Snake river it swings to the north and con-
tinues in that direction to its junction with the Mackenzie.

Peel river has not been explored above the mouth of Wind river, but its

course is said to be interrupted by falls about 30 miles above that point.

Wind river is a rapid, shallow stream with a discharge of about 5,000 cubic
feet per second rising near the headwaters of Stewart river. It forms part of a
difficult canoe route from Yukon river to Mackenzie river.t

Peel river is in a canyon at the mouth of the Wind, but a mile below expands
to a width of nearly a mile. Seams of lignite are burning in this expanded
portion, which extends for 15 miles dawn to the lower canyon. Bonnet Plume
river, which enters from the south 3 miles above the canyon, is an unexplored
river which at its‘mouth appears to be slightly larger than the ‘Wind.

The lower canyon of the Peel is 2 miles long and about 500 feet deep, with
a current that runs from 6 to 8 miles an hour. It is formed by a low range
of hills crossing the river at this point. Below this the river runs for. 158
miles through the Peel plateau, cutting a valley which averages about 800 feet
in depth. The current is strong throughout, but no rapids occur.

Snake river is the lafgest tributary of the Peel, having a discharge consider-
ably greater than the Wind river, and a width at the mouth of about 350 feet.
Tt is said to be navigable for canoes for a long distance above the Peel.

“At Satah river the Peel emerges from the plateau and enters the lowland.

of the Mackenzie, where the banks decrease in height to about 100 feet and the
strength of the current is reduced to about 2 miles an hour.

At Fort McPherson the Peel has a discharge in a medium stage of water.

of about 40,000 cubic feet per second and a velocity of about 2 miles per hour.
This is the highest point to which steamers ascend the river, but there seems
no reason why stern-wheel boats can not ascend the stream as far as the mouth
of Wind river. | ms ae

Shortly below Fort McPherson the Peel enters the delta of the Mackenzie
and although its eastern branch joins the Mackenzie 24 miles below the Fort,
the extreme western branch, locally known as Huskie river, does not do so for
about 100 miles more.

Other Tributaries of Mackenzie River

Between Great Slave lake and the mouth of the Liard the Mackenzie receives

a number of tributaries, but they are almost all unexplored beyond their mouths.
On the southwest side are Beaver, Yellowknife, and Trout rivers, all of which are
said to drain a lake country and to descend from the Alberta plateau to the
Mackenzie lowland in a fall or series of falls. On the northeast side, the most
important stream is Horn river which flows through a series of lakes to join
the Mackenzie at Little lake. It is about 50 yards wide at the mouth and is

navigable for canoes for a lohg distance, but heavy rapids are stated to occur in
its upper part. Other streams on this side are Spence and Rabbitskin rivers,

both as yet unexplored.

The important streams entering the Mackenzie between the Liard and Great.

Bear river are Nahanni, Root, Dahadinni, and Gravel rivers on the west side
and Willow Lake and Blackwater rivers on the east, all of which, with the excep-
tion of the Gravel, are unexplored beyond their mouths.

1Camsell, C., Geol. Sury., Can., “Peel river and tributaries,’ 1906.

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