105

Ogilvie, who descended Peace river from Fort St. John to Peace River
Crossing in 1891, states that “Gold is found in small quantities on Peace
river, and at present there are several miners on that stream. McConnell in
describing gold placers on this river says that “Three miles above the mouth
of Battle river, a large bar nearly a mile long, on the left Wank, was examined,
from which we obtained fifteen to twenty colours of fine gold, by washing a
few handfuls of the mixed gravel and sand in an ordinary frying-pan. We tried
> the bar at several points and always with the same result. A small stream
descends from the plateau on the opposite side of the river, and by leading its
waters across the river, which is here about 1,000 feet wide, the bar might be
easily and inexpensively worked on a large scale. Twelve miles farther up the
river, another bar was examined, which yielded from twenty to forty colours,
when washed in ¢he same way. Numerous other bars occur in this portion of the
river, which would probably give as good results as those examined.

“The presence of fine gold in some quantity an ; the bars above the mouth of
Battle river is probably due to the diminution in the strength of the Peace
River current which takes place here, and its consequent loss of transporting
power. The same fact is shown in the gradual substitution of sand-bars for
gravel-bars which occur at the same point.

“ Besides the gold on Peace river, two colours were Bee washed out of
a bar on Loon river, an eastern tributary of the Peace. »2 Gold placers have been
worked to a limited extent on Braman’s flats 25 miles above the canyon of the
Peace. Tests made at this place for platinum gave unsatisfactory results,
although traces were obtained.? Small quantities of gold have been obtained also
on McLeod river.*

The gold occurring in these rivers probably has an origin similar to that
found in the North Saskatchewan. ,It may be derived in part from the glacial
drift, portions of which have been transported from the Precambrian forma-
tions to the northeast.» Tyrrell, however, in discussing the origin of the gold
of the North Saskatchewan, presents evidence to show that “the fine gold
in the river was derived directly from the Cretaceous (Edmonton) rocks which
form the banks of the stream, and that these rocks in their turn were an old
and very low-grade placer deposit which has come originally from the moun-
tains west of the Upper Columbia valley.’ :

Small quantities of gold occur in the bars of Liard river. Mining
operations have been conducted between Devils portage and the mouth of
Dease river, but no deposits of economic value have been found below Devils
portage.’

Mining has been carried on at Porcupine bar, and at Bed-rock bar 43 miles
lower down. Both of these are on that section of the river having a general
north and south trend, about 25 miles above the mouth of Turnagain river
An auriferous bar occurs at the mouth of Rabbit river, and below Brilé portage

1 Dept. of the Interior, Ann. Rept., 1892, pt. 7, 28.

2 Geol. Surv., Can., Ann. Rept., vol. V, pp. 62: D- 63 »:

3 Munitions Resources Commission, Can. Final Report, pp. 156-160.
4 McEvoy, James, Geol. Surv., Can., Ann. Rept., vol. XI, p. 41 D.
5 Dawson, G. M., Geol. Surv., Can., Ann. Rept., vol. XT, p. 15 A.
6Can. Min. Inst., Bull. 34, p. 80.

7 McConnell, R. G., Geol. Surv., Can., Ann. Rept., vol. IV, p. 29 D.

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