work was done for a couple of seasons, when, owing to distance from transportation, work was abandoned. With exception of the westerly part of this district, formations likely to produce metals are deeply covered with Cretaceous shales and sandstones, and these in many places by still younger formations.

Charles Camsell, Canadian Geological Survey, said springs of natural gas and tar rising at several points in Peace River Valley suggest reser- voirs of both substances at depth in the rocks below. Drilling has been undertaken and in a well near Peace River a heavy flow of gas was struck at a little over 1,000 feet. Beds of gypsum Io to 50 feet thick are exposed near Peace Point on both banks of Peace River, and it is estimated 217,000,000 tons are favcurably situated for mining. Salt is associated with the gypsum north of Peace Point and hopes are entertained for finding of potash in association with the salt and gypsum as in certain parts of the world.

LOOKING UP HALFWAY RIVER.

“While all the mineral deposits are still in undeveloped state, it has been fairly satisfactorily proved that there is a large amount of coal, gas, and gypsum, and settlers can be assured of adequate supply of coal and gas for fuel and power and of gypsum for building purposes as soon as there is sufficient demand to warrant development.”

Hudson Hope may be roughly taken as the eastern boundary of the foot-hills and eastward the country is physiographically part of the great plains, cut by the river-valleys, which are at varying depths below the plateau. The Peace is 800 to 1,000 feet below a plateau at 2,200 to 2,400 feet elevation, and tributaries heading largely in marshes on the plateau are in valleys which become more defined and deepen as they descend to the main stream. East from Hudson Hope to the Alberta boundary, extending some 36 miles north and south of the Peace, is the Peace River Block, a rectangular area of 3,500,000 acres which was conveyed to the Dominion, and lands within it are administered by the Dominion

Forty-one.