Athabas'ca

Athabas'ca (locally La Biche, 'red-deer or elk river'), a river and lake in the North-west Territory of the Canadian Dominion, forming part of the great basin of the Mackenzie. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains, in a little lake at the foot of Mount Brown, one of the highest points in the range. Its general course is NE., till, after crossing the west end of Lake Athabasca, it turns towards the NW., and unites with the Peace River, from beyond the Rocky Mountains, to form the Slave River, which, again, after passing through Great Slave Lake, takes the name of the Mackenzie. Length of the Athabasca, over 600 miles; or about 2000 miles for the entire river system. The Athabasca-Mackenzie affords magnificent facilities for navigation; and between it and the Winnipeg system there is but one portage of 50 miles. Lake Athabasca receives nearly all its waters from the Athabasca River; and its principal feeder traverses not its length but its breadth, and that not in its middle, but at its extremity. The lake's sole outlet is the river Athabasca. It is about 230 miles long, and from 14 to 30 broad. It was discovered in 1771 by Samuel Hearne, and named by him Lake of the Hills. Trading stations were soon afterwards established on its shores. A silting-up process has been going on, from its numerous water-courses.—ATHABASCA is the name of one of the four divisions of the Canadian North-west, defined in 1882, between British Columbia and a line to the east of the Athabasca River, and between the parallels 55° and 60° N. lat. It contains the fertile Peace River districts, and has an area of 104,500 sq. m. Estimated population, 15,000.