Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-02-04

| rOcks on ile FigHl, AZ Tue Hlouiu W VIC v"
non. Here was kind of elevated sand
beach, not many yards square, backed by
the rocks, and around the point the river
swept at a right angle. Trunks of trees
deposited on jutting points 20 or 30 feet
above, and other marks, showed that the
water here frequently rose TO a consldera'
BILE height, The ridge was Of the same
Idecomposng granite already mentioned,
land the water had worked the surface, in
many places, into wavy surface OF rdg-
es and holes. We assembled the rocks 10
reconnoitre The ground, and from the sum
init The passage appeared to be coniinu-
nus cataract foamng over many obstruc
lions, and broken by number Of small
rails. We saw nowhere fall answering
10 that which had been described to us as
having 20 or % feet; but still concluded
this TO be the place IN question, as in sea.
sons of floods, the rush of the river against
the wall would produce Il great rise, and
the waters, reflected squarely of, would
descend through the passage in sheets Of
foam haAing every appearance OF large
fall, Eighteen years previous to this time,
Mr.. Fitzpatrick, somewhere above on this
stream, had embarked with valuable car
90 Of beaver and other fnrs. unac.
quainted with the stream, which he belley-
ed would conduct him safely to the Mis-
souri,, he came Unexpectedly into this Ca
non, where he was wrecked, with the total
loss of his furs 1t would have been
work of great time and labor to pack our
baggage across the river, and determined
to run the canon. We all again embark.
ed, and at first attempted 10 check the
way oil The boat; but the water swept
through with so much violence that we
narrowly escaped being swamped, and
we're obliged TO lei her go in the full force
Of the current, and trust to The skill Of the
boalmen. The dangerous places in this
canon we're where huge rocks had fallen
from above, and hemmod in the already
narrow pass of the river TO an open space
Of three or four and five feet These OBJ
sructions raised the water considerably
above, which was sometimes precipitated
over 10 a fall and at other places, where
this dam was too high, rrshed through the
contracted opening with tremendous force.
Had our boat been made Of wood, in pass.
ling the nlrrows she would have been
STAYED; but her elasticity preserved her
unhurt from every shock, and she seemed
fairly to leap over the tails.
In this way we passed three calnracis
in succession, where, perhaps 100 feet oil
smooth water interviewed; and finally, with
shout Of pleasure at our success, issued
from the tunnel into the open day beyond.
We were so delighted with the perform
ance If our boat, and so confident in her
powers, that we would not have hesitated
TO leap fall of ten feet with her. We
put to shore for breakfast at some willows
on the right bank, Immediately below the
mouth Of the canon; for it was now eight
o'clock, and we had been working since
, daylight, and were all fatigued and hun
CRY. While the men were preparing our
breakfast. went out to reconnotre. The
view was very limited The course Of the
river was smooth, so far as could see; on
both sides were broken hills and but a
& mile or two below was another high ridge.
The rock at the mouth Of the canon was
, still the decomposing granite, with great
quantities of mica, which made a very
glIttering sand.
7 We re-embarked at o'clock, and ia
about twenty minutes reached The next ca
non. Landing on a rocky shore at It's
commencement, we assembled the ridge 10
, reconnoitre. Portage was out Of the ques-
lion. So far as we could soc, the Jagged
rocks pointed out the course Of the canon,
on winding line of seven or eight miles.
/. Ii was simply narrow, dark chasm in
the rock; and here the perpendicular la
ce- were much higher than in the previous
, pass, heing al this end two to three hun
bred, and further down, as we afterwards
4 ascertained, FIVE hundred feet in vertical
/, height. Our previous success had made
! us bold, and we determined TO run the ca.
non. Every thing was secured as firmly
as possible; and having Invested ourselves
of the greater part OF our clothing, we
, pushed into The stream. To save our
r chronometer from accident, Mr.. Preuss
took II, and attempted TO proceed along
the shore on the masses Of rock, which ia
r places we're piled up on either side; but
, after he had walked about five minutes
every thing like shore disappeared, AND
!, the vertical wall came squareIy down in
, to the water. lie therefore waited untl
b we came up. An ugl, pass lay before US
Z We Ind made fast TO the stern OF the boa
: strong rope about fifty feet long; anC
three Of the mon cIambered along among
I, the rocks, and with this rope LEI her dow
j, SLOWLY through The pass. In several pla
i ces high r,cks lay scattered about 10 III,
Il rhannel; and IN the nerrows it requires
0 all aur strength and skill to ayoi siayinl
0 the boat IN the sharp points In one .