DAWSON or DAWSON CITY, capital of the Yukon terri tory, Canada, on the bank of the Yukon river, and in the middle of the Klondike gold region, of which it is the distributing centre. It is in beautiful mountainous country, 1,049 ft. above the sea, and 1,5oo m. from the mouth of the Yukon river, and is reached by river steamer from White Horse (46o m.) in sum mer, and by sleigh in winter. There are metal works and saw mills. Order is kept by the Northwest Mounted Police. Founded in 1896, its population soon reached over 20,000 at the height of the gold rush ; in 1901 it was 9,142, and in 819. The tem perature varied in 1926 from 83° F in summer to below zero in winter.
