Produced by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) Transcriber's Note: Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. The following alternate spellings may be typos, or refer to different places or people. Willamet and Willamette Choteau and Chouteau Mohave and Mojave Pratt and Pratte Purisima and Purissima Radisson and Raddison The photograph of "Navajo Silver Beads" shown in the list of illustrations as being on page 72 does not appear in the book. Duplicated advertisements in the front and back matter of the book have been removed from the front. Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. [Illustration: THE SIERRA BLANCA Blanca Peak, 14,390 feet. Baldy Peak, 14,176 feet. Blanca Peak is the Third Highest in Colorado. The point of view is on Trinchera Creek looking north from an altitude of about 8000 feet. To the left is the San Luis Valley through which flows the Rio Grande, and to the right are the two high passes known as Veta and Sangre de Cristo. The Sierra Blanca forms the southern end of the Sangre de Cristo Range and was one of the great landmarks of the Wilderness. Sketch in oils made at the place by F. S. Dellenbaugh.] Breaking the Wilderness The Story of the Conquest of the Far West, from the Wanderings of Cabeza de Vaca, to the First Descent of the Colorado by Powell, and the Completion of the Union Pacific Railway, with Particular Account of the Exploits of Trappers and Traders By Frederick S. Dellenbaugh Member of the Powell Colorado River Expedition; Author of "The Romance of the Colorado River," "The North Americans of Yesterday," etc. "Accursèd wight! He crowds us from our hills. He hacks and hews, Digs up our metals, sweats and smelts and brews." Hauptmann, _The Sunken Bell_. [Illustration] G. P. Putnam's Sons New York and London The Knickerbocker Press 1908 Copyright, 1905 BY FREDERICK S. DELLENBAUGH The Knickerbocker Press, New York TO ALMON HARRIS THOMPSON WHOSE ABILITY, FORESIGHT, AND GOOD JUDGMENT SO VITALLY AIDED THE COLORADO RIVER EXPEDITION OF 1871 AND 1872 AND FOR MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS HAVE SO GREATLY PROMOTED THE SUCCESS OF GOVERNMENT EXPLORATION AND SURVEY THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO COMMEMORATE TRAVELS TOGETHER IN THE WILDERNESS PREFACE