The Shasta courier., 1867-11-02
The Colorado River in Black Canon.

The following letter appears in the San
Bernardino Guardian, of Sept. 2lst. 1t
was addressed to Mr.. Wolff of Wolff u
Folks, San Bernardino:
HARDYvILLE, Sept. 10, 1867.
SIR: Captain Wilbern arrived here last
night from Callville with a load of salt and
lime. and reports the arrival OF man by
the name of James White, at that place,
who has travelled some seven hundred miles
on raft, where white man has never
travelled before, and who sets the question
forever at rest about the big Canon spoken
of by Capt. Ives as being nayigable. lie
says no boat can ever be got through the
Canon, as he passed over rapids ten feet IN
height
Mr.. White says his company consisted of
Captain Baker, George Strobe and himself.
Capt. Baker and George Strobe were from
St. Louis Mr.. White is from Panosha,
Iowa. The party left Colorado City to find
placer diggins; they arrived at the San
Juan river without an accident, and COM
menced prospecting; sunk shaft fifteen
feet deep but found no rock they tried the
dirt and got twenty Five cents to the pan
a short distance from that place they sunk
another shaft and found hard cement, in
"ulOh SOlu. CuOIlly dItcE
this they were attacked by about fifty In.
dians, and Capt. Baker and the mules were
killed at the first fire. Mr.. White and Mr..
Strobe caught up some ropes, a Ratchet and
about twelve pounds of -four and ran for
their lives towards the river. On their
arrival at that point, they had but little
time to consider over their misfortunes, as
they expected the Indians to make their APP
pearance every minute, and they immediate
ly constructed rude raft and started on
their perIlous descent down the Colorado.
some seven hundred miles Three days.aiter
they started, in going over a rapid, Mr.
Strobe lost his hold, fell off from the raft and
was drowned. The flour, all the food they
started with, was also washed off, and
Mr.. White was left without a morsel Of
anything to eat Mr. White dashed himself
to the raft, and. as be describes his feelings.
= he was bound to keep above water dead or
alive. He travelled from II to II hours each
day, and at night he would tie up his raft to
some shelving rocks and tasten himself to it,
knowing that if it got away from him there
was no hope Of his saving his life, as it was
impossible for him to climb the walls of the
canOn-there was but one way for him, and
that was to continue his course down the
river. He saw some lizards in the canon.
and caught few and ate them. He lived on
two raw-hide knife scabbardS for two DAYS
and for seven DAYS he had nothing to eat
but continued his course. AT times in going
over the rapids, he was under water so long
that he had no strength to assist himself, but
the friendly rope kept him safe until his
strength again returned. His hair and
beard has turned reddish white from ex-
posure; he Is about thirty five years old,
but looks as if he was seventy he cannot
stand erect. on account of the position he sat
III on the raft he is one sore from his hips
to his feet. On his arrival at the mouth of
the Rio Virgin he saw some Indians, one of
whom swan off to him and pushed his raft
ashore; he had two pistols; the Indians
stole one of them and also his Ratchet, the
other he traded for the hind quarters of
dog, one of which he ate for bis supper. and
the other for his breakfast on the dav of his
arrival at Callville On his arrival, Mr..
Ferry summoned the chiefs to appear at his
house. aud when they came he told them Of
the treatment Mr.. White bad met with from
the Indians, and told them unless they sent
and got the pistol and Ratchet he would
send to Fort Majove for one hundred soldiers.
The chiefs Immediately sent Indians out for
the missing articles.
Mr.. Ferry will attend to all the wants of
Mr.. White, as his hand is always open to
suffering humanity. Mr. White wishes the
papers to publish his account so that the
friends of Baker and Strobe may hear of
their sad fate. Yours,
i p KIPP