Colorado River (Colo.-Mexico); Grand Canyon (Ariz.); United States -- Discovery and exploration
the canyons of the Colorado, on our way from the mouth of the Virgen to
Salt Lake City, these were seen as conspicuous landmarks from a distance
away to the southwest of 60 or 70 miles. These tower rocks are known as
the Temples of the Virgen.
Having explored this canyon nearly to its head, we return to
Schunesburg, arriving quite late at night.
Sitting in camp this evening, Chuar'ruumpeak, the chief of the
Kai'vavits, who is one of our party, tells us there is a tradition among
the tribes of this country that many years ago a great light was
seen somewhere in this region by the Paru'shapats, who lived to the
southwest, and that they supposed it to be a signal kindled to warn them
of the approach of the Navajos, who lived beyond the Colorado River
to the east. Then other signal fires were kindled on the Pine Valley
Mountains, Santa Clara Mountains, and Uinkaret Mountains, so that all
the tribes of northern Arizona, southern Utah, southern Nevada, and
southern California were warned of the approaching danger; but when the
Paru'shapats came nearer, they discovered that it was a fire on one of
the great temples; and then they knew that the fire was not kindled
by men, for no human being could scale the rocks. The
Tu'muurrugwait'sigaip, or Rock Rovers, had kindled a fire to deceive the
people. So, in the Indian language this is called Tu'muurruwait'sigaip
Tuweap', or Rock Rovers' Land.
September 13.--We start very early this morning, for we have a long
day's travel before us. Our way is across the Rio Virgen to the south.
Coming to the bank of the stream here, we find a strange metamorphosis.
The streams we have seen above, running in narrow channels, leaping and
plunging over the rocks, raging and roaring in their course, are here
united and spread in a thin sheet several hundred yards wide and only
a few inches deep, but running over a bed of quicksand. Crossing the
stream, our trail leads up a narrow canyon, not very deep, and then
among the hills of golden, red, and purple shales and marls. Climbing
out of the valley of the Rio Virgen, we pass through a forest of dwarf
cedars and come out at the foot of the Vermilion Cliffs. All day we
follow this Indian trail toward the east, and at night camp at a great
spring, known to the Indians as Yellow Rock Spring, but to the Mormons
as Pipe Spring; and near by there is a cabin in which some Mormon
298
CANYONS OF THE COLORADO.
herders find shelter. Pipe Spring is a point just across the Utah line
in Arizona, and we suppose it to be about 60 miles from the river. Here
powell-canyons-186.jpg
MUKUN'TUWEAP CANYON.
the Mormons design to build a fort another year, as an outpost for
protection against the Indians. We now discharge a number of the
Indians, but take two with us for
THE RIO VIRGEN AND THE UINKARET MOUNTAINS. 299
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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