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

necks, and our boat ran on; but we sue
ceeded in bringing her TO a small point OF
rocks ON the right, at the mouth of The ca
non. Here was kind of elevated sand
beach, not many Yards square, hacked hv |
the rocks, and around The point the river !
swept at right angle. Trunks &c trees
deposited on Jutling points 20 or 80 feet
above, and other marks, showed that the |
water here frequently rose 10 a consilera-
BILE height. The ridge was 1T the same
decomposihg granite already mentioned.
and the v%er had worked the surface. ~
many plSes, into a wayy <GffiisSSo f ri-4a@si
es and holes. We asceuded the rocks to
reconnoitre The ground. and from the sum-
nit the passage appeared TO be a conrinu-
aus cataract fnaming over many obStruc
tl"ns, and broken 10y number OF small
Tails. We saw nowhere fall answering
| TO that which had been desert ed 70 Us as
having 20 or % feyt; but still rouclu,led
thi- To he he place n question, rs in sea-
sons # flDI IDS, the ru,h Of tn river against
the wall would produce great rise, and
the waters, reflected squarely of, wonld
descend through the passage in sheets Of
foam haAing every appearance OF a large
fall. Eighteen years previous 10 this time,
Mr.. Fitzpatrick, somewhere ab We on this
stream, had embarked with valuable car
90 of beaver and ether furS. Unac-
quanted with the stream, whicn he helIev-
ed would conduct him safely Ia the Mis-
souri,, he came Unexpectedly into this ca
non, where he was wre.k ed, with the total
loss of his lurs. Ii " uld have been a
work of great time and labor tn pack our
baggage across the river, and determined
to run the canon. We all again embark
ed, and at first att mptSd 10 cheek the
way OF The boat; but the water swept
through with so much violence that we
narrowly escaped being Swamped, and
were obliged 10 let her % in the full force
OF the current. and trust TO the ski II the
boaImen. The dangerous places IN this
canon were where huge rocks had f,llen
from above, and hemmed IN the aireld,
narrow pass of the river To "a open space
of three or four aud five feet. These or
structions raised The water considerably
above, winch was snmeiiuleS preciDIiated
over in ii fall and IT other places, where
this dam-wds TOO trgh, rushed through the
coniracte1 opening with tremendous fore.
lad our boat been made of wood. M pass
ing the narrows she would have been
STAYED; but her elasticity preserved her
unhurt from every shock, and she SCENE 4
fairly to leap over the tails.
In this way we passed three caiararts
IN succession, where, perhaps 100 feet al
lsmOoth water INTERVIEWED; and finally, with
a shout OF pleasure at our success. issued
from the tunnel into the open day beynnd
) We were so delighted with the perfnrm
ance of our boat, aud 50 conf ent in her
pnwers, that we would not have hesitIted
to leap a fall of ten feet with her. We
put t. shore for breakfast al snme vii ows
on The right bank, immediately below the
mouth OF the canon; tor II was now eight
o'clock, and we had been working since
, day light, and were all faiIgued and hum
CRY. While the men were preparing our
breakfast. went out tn reconn"itre. The
view was very limited. The Course OF the
river WIS smooth, 81 far as Gull SEE; on
both sides were broken hills; and b II a
{ mile or two below was another high ridge
: The rock al the mouth OF the canon was
, still the decompnSing granite, with great
!. quantities of mica, which made a very
/. glIttering sand.
2 We re embarked al o'clock, and in
: about twenty minutes reached The next "a.
non. Landing on a rock, shore AZ Il.
/: commencement, we assembled the ridge Il
e reconnoitre. Portage was out OF the queS
i. ton. So far as we roud see, the Jagged
K rocks pointed out the course uf the canon
d on winding line of seven or eight miles
!. Ii was simply narrow, dark chasm IL
r the rock; aud here the perpendicular Ia
e ce> were much higher than in The preyiou.
e pass, being at this end two to three hun
y bred, and urther down, as we afierward:
a s:ertained, five hundred feet in vertica
r, height. Our previous success had made
II W. boil, and we determined to run the ca
l. non. Every thing was secured as firmly
> as possible; and having digesied ourselve
; nt the greater part OF our clothing, We
a pushed into the stream. To save on
IF chronometer from accident, Mr.. Preus
took If, and attempted TO proceed aIon,
). the shore on the misses Of rock, which il
II places were piled up on either side; but
(, after he had walked about FIVE minutes
d every thing like snore disappeared, an,
!, the vertical wall came SQUARED, down in
D to the water. He therefore waited unu
h we rame up. An ugly pass lay before US
e We had made fast to the stern of the boa
IS a strong rope abnut fifty feet long; an
); three Of the men clambered along anon
i the rocks, and with this rope lei her dow
E, slowly through the pass. In several plu
otI res high r"cks lay scattered about in tn