Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-12-05
A TERRIBLE VOYAGE.

=
f When in Santa Fe some weeks ago,
learned from newspaper which / casu-
ally picked up that % scientific gentle-
man-Professor Pow ell by name, if my
memory serves me aright--was about
setting out with an xpedition to explore
the Grand Canon Of the Rio Colorado of
the West. Since then my time has
chiefly been spent among the mountains
and on the plains of New Mexico and
Kansas, without access to newspapers,
so that have lost sight of the expedi-
ton Tin which l feel deep interest)
and in the frontier town which is my
present temporary abiding place / can
learn nothing In regard to it. / trust
that it is progre ssing favorably, and will
be able to furnish satisfactory report to
an expectant public; yet can assure
you that, should Professor Powell be en-
tirely successful, he will accomplish q
work the magnitude of which-leaving
its dangers out of the calculation--will
far surpass that of any former explora-
ton upon the American continent.
The most skillful and adventurous ex-
plorers of whom we have any knowledge
the pioneer gold-hupters of the Great
West-have made many attempts to ex-
plore the tremendous chasm in question,
and, after exhausting their means and
strength in fruitless struggles against the
insuperable barriers imposed by Nature,
turned bgck wearied and discounted
from the task. There is-or was few
years sin ce--a stronghold of the Huala-
pas Indians within the canon, perhaps
a dozen miles from its mouth; and above
this point no man, white or red, has sue
ceeded in ascending more than four or
| five miles, notwithstanding more than
one party of hardy prospectors has
devoted days to the mose determined
efforts to proceed farther. So much for
the approach in front The approach
by either flank is quite as impracticable,
since the walls of the canon are verti-
cal, or nearly so, varying in hight from
one thousand to eight thousand feet, and
in distance of about five hundred miles
presenting no break or side fissure by
which man or beast might safely reach
the bottom of the stupendous gorge,
Where rolls the Colorado, and hears no sound
Save its own dashing." .,
| Excuse my dropping into poetry !"
but the words quoted are thoroughly
applicable to the Colorado in it's course
through the awful solitudes of the Grand
Canon, while they were never true Of the
Oregon or Columbia). The Colorado
Chiquito, or Flax river, empties into the
canon about midway of its length, but
it pours over high precipice. | have
heard vague reports of an old Spanish
or Indian trail crossing the canon, but,
after diligent inquiry, could get no
tangible assurance that such trail had
ever existed. Old hunters, who had
followed the course of the canon along
its banks, through its whole extent,
secuted the idea. Parties have Travelled
along the brink Of the canon for days,
furnishing with thirst, yet tantalized by
the almost constant sight of the waters
Of the Colorado, utterly inaccessible
except by . downward leap of several
thousand feet perpendicularly, which few
would care to risk A young man whom
| met in New Mexico asserted that he
had once descended the side of the
canon TO the river and returned by the
same path; but upon questioning him,
/ discovered that he confounded the
Black Canon, between Fort Ms;ave and
CallyiIle. With the Grand Canon, which
be had never seen; aud this is frequent
error with persons who have passed
through the former, which is Of incon-
siderable length, and offers but little
obstruction TO the passage OF small
steamers and barges. In 6ne, / am
convinced that the only practicable way
Of exploring the Grand Canen is BY
entering il from above; and TO illustrate
the difficulties and dsngers Of attempting
il in that direction, ! purpose, BY your
leave, to rehearse the narrative OF the
only hnman being who has ever made the
passage through it-nOne Of the Indian
tribes on the river having either remem-
hrance or tradition that such a passage
had ever previously been made.
10 The month Of April, 1861, three men