REPORT BY GEORGE M, DAWSON. sey

built yesterday, the mules crossing easily, without loosing bottom or
miring. Made about eleven miles east-north-eastward, under the guid-
ance of the elder of the Na-coont-loon Indians, who showed us a disused
Indian trail, part of which was still in fair order, but which, in many
places, was much encumbered with fallen timber, rendering long detours
necessary. Camped at 5.30, having lost the trail, among windfall, and
ina perfect storm of mosquitoes. We are now on the so-called Bella Coola
Trail, which leads from the Bella Coola Valley, via Na-coont-loon, to
Tse-tsi Lake, mentioned previously. On leaving the flats about Salmon
River, it gradually ascends the long southern slope of the Il-ga-chuz
Range, and eventually passes over its eastern flank.

July 21—Recovered the trail this morning, bade adieu to our Na-coont-
loon friend, and continued gradually ascending as we advanced, till after
a few miles we found ourselves on a broken plateau, with only scattered
clumps of trees, and on the upper parts nearly bare, resembling the high
open country of the Tsi-tsutl Range. The surface is dotted with small
ponds and lakelets, and many little streams filled with snow water are
crossed. The vegetation is quite alpine, but more varied than on the
T'si-tsutl Mountains. The following additional species, among others, were
collected, Sedum Rhodiola, Aster salsuginesus, Pedicularis euphrasoides,
Pedicularis Grenlandica var. surrecta, Menziesia glandulifera, Dryas
octopetala, Campanula lasiocarpa, Gentiana glauca. Several caribou were
seen during the day’s march, this high country being their favourite
summer haunt. Camped in a sheltered nook on the north-eastern angle
of the I]-ga-chuz Mountains, at an elevation of 5,200 feet. Good feed for
the animals; but though large snow banks all around, mosquitoes very

troublesome. The higher peaks of the range, perfectly bare of vegeta-_

tion, rise to the west. We were much tempted to stay a day and ascend
them, but our provisions being low, and not knowing exactly how far
we might have to go to reach the Y. Division of the Railway Survey,
thought it hardly safe to do so. Even from this elevation, however, a
very extensive view is obtained. Eastward the eye is carried over a
continuation of the broad high-level plateau, which we have travelled on,
to the base of the It-cha, the furthest east snowy volcanic range, which
is seen from here to have originally had a broad dome-like form, such as
voleanic materials falling into water might be expected to assume,
Broken and flat-topped remnants of its uniform surface, now, however,
only remain on the flanks, while the central region shows irregular
shattered peaks, without a trace of the original form.

The upland plateau surrounding the three volcanic ranges, and con-

Tl-ga-chuz
Range.

Vegetation of
the range.

Extensive view.