Colorado River (Colo.-Mexico); Grand Canyon (Ariz.); United States -- Discovery and exploration
It has been mentioned that one of the boats is on the other side. I
signal for the men to pull her up alongside of the wall, but it cannot
be done; then to cross. This they do, gaining the wall on our side just
above where the "Emma Dean" is tied.
The third boat is out of sight, whirling in the eddy of a recess.
Looking about, I find another horizontal crevice, along which I crawl to
a point just over the water where this boat is lying, and, calling loud
and long, I finally succeed in making the crew understand that I want
them to bring the boat down, hugging the wall. This they accomplish by
taking advantage of every crevice and knob on the face of the cliff, so
that we have the three boats together at a point a few yards above the
falls. Now, by passing a line up on the shelf, the boats can be let down
to the broken rocks below. This we do, and, making a short portage, our
troubles here are over.
Below the falls the canyon is wider, and there is more or less space
between the river and the walls; but the stream, though wide, is rapid,
and rolls at a fearful rate among the rocks. We proceed with great
caution, and run the large boats wholly by signal.
FROM ECHO PARK TO THE MOUTH OF UINTA EIVER.
175
At night we camp at the mouth of a small creek, which affords us a
good supper of trout. In camp to-night we discuss the propriety
powell-canyons-119.jpg
SWALLOW CAVE.
of several different names for this canyon. At the falls encountered at
noon its characteristics change suddenly. Above, it is very narrow, and
the walls are almost vertical; below, the canyon is much wider
176 6 CANYONS OF THE COLORADO.
and more flaring, and high up on the sides crags, pinnacles, and towers
are seen. A number of wild and narrow side canyons enter, and the walls
are much broken. After many suggestions our choice rests between two
names, Whirlpool Canyon and Craggy Canyon, neither of which is strictly
appropriate for both parts of it; so we leave the discussion at this
point, with the understanding that it is best, before finally deciding
on a name, to wait until we see what the character of the canyon is
below.
June 22.--Still making short portages and letting down with lines. While
we are waiting for dinner to-day, I climb a point that gives me a good
view of the river for two or three miles below, and I think we can make
a long run. After dinner we start; the large boats are to follow in
fifteen minutes and look out for the signal to land. Into the middle
of the stream we row, and down the rapid river we glide, only making
strokes enough with the oars to guide the boat. What a headlong ride it
is! shooting past rocks and islands. I am soon filled with exhilaration
only experienced before in riding a fleet horse over the outstretched
prairie. One, two, three, four miles we go, rearing and plunging with
the waves, until we wheel to the right into a beautiful park and land on
an island, where we go into camp.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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