The weekly Butte record., 1867-11-09
The Colorado River in Black Canon.

The following letter appears IN the san beTnardlno
Guardian. OF Sept. 2lst. twas addressed to Mr..
Wolf of Wolf L Folks San Bernardino
RAKDYvILIE Sept. Is. 1867
SIR: Captain WilbeTn arrived here last night
from Caliyille with load OF salt and line. and
ports the arrival of man by the name OF james
White at that place, who has Travelled some seven
hundred miles 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 navigable- He says no boat
can ever get through the Canon, as he passed over
rapids ten feet in height.
Mr.. White says his company consisted OF Captain
Ba ker, 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 diggings they arrived al the
San Juan river without an accident, and COM
menced prospecting: sunk a 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 which they obtained gold. Short
ly after 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, Ratchet and about twelve pounds
of four and for their lives towards the river.
On their arrival at that point. they had but little
time to consider over their rnisfortuDes, as they
expected the Indians to make their appearance
every minute, and they Immediately constructed
rude raft and started on their peroas descent down
the Colorado, some seven hundred miles. Three
days after they started in going over rapid. Mr.
Strobe lost his hold fell of from the raft and
drowned. The -four all the food they started with,
was also washed off. and Mr.. White was left with
out morsel OF anything TO eat. Mr.. White lashed
himself to the raft, and, as be describes his feel
ings," he was bound to keep above water dead or
alive" He Travelled from u to II hours each day.
and night he would tie up his raft TO some shelly
ing rocks and asten himself to it, knowing that if
II got away from him there was no hope oil his sav.
ing his life as it was impossible for him to climb
the walls Of the can0n-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 a 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 long that he had no strength to as
sist himself, but the friendly rope kept him safe
until his strength again returned. His hair and
beard has turned q reddish white from exposure
he is about thirty-hye years old but looks as il he
was seventy he cannot stand erect on account of
the position he sat in on the raft: he is
from his hips TO his feet, On his arrival at the
mouth of the Rio Virgin ne saw some Indians. one
of whom swan of TO him and pushed his raft
ashore he had two pistols the Indians stole one
Of them and also his hatchet the other he traded
for the hind quarters of dog one of which he ate
for bis supper and the other for bis breakfast on
the day Of his arrival at Cave. On his arrival,
Mr.. Ferry summoned the chiefs to appear at his
house, when he told them of the treatment Mr..
White had met with from the Indians and told
ct, he would send to Fort Majove Tor 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 hn-
mauity. Mr. White wishes the papers to publish
his account that the friends OF Baker and Strobe
may hear of their sad fate. Yours,
JP. kIPP.