Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-07-29

" canyon through it. lIoro tho wallis aro
comparatively low, but vertical, and vast
,multitldes Of swallows hav,, built their
adobe houses on their sides. Tho waters
are doep and quiet; hut tho swallows arc
swift NM noisy enough, sweeping about in
their curved paths through tho nir and
chnttoring from tho rocks, tho young birds
stretching their little heads on I,.kod nccks
Chron9h the d0ofways of their mud nests
and clsmoring for food. They aro lively
So we called this Swallow Canon. Still
water canon was suggested rs nnlno. Still
down Mo quiet river wo gli,lo until M cnr-
~ hour III tho afternoon, when we won't
INTO camp under giant cottonwoott> tree,
standing littlo way back from tho river,
Oh tho right bank. by night wild goose
and ducks had boon shot aud mess Of
good fl,h taken. We havo good supply
OF fish usually, and some birds, though the
birds a'e not fine enting just now.
Tho loxt dry, with ono of tho men.
climbed up amountAin of Oh tho right. A
long SUR with broken ledgos Of rock, juts
down nearly to tho river. Along its crest,
or up TIP hog-bnnk, rs it ia called, made
tho climb. Dunn, who was climbing to
the Same point, went up tho gulch. Two,
hours OF hard work brought us to tho sum-
init. These mountains arc all vortlurc-
clad, Tno and snow-clad mountains arc
soon III tho distance to tho wost. Tho
plains of tho upper green stretch out to
tho north Until they arc lost in tho blue
heavens, but tho half of it's rivor cleft range
lntorvoncs, and tho river valley itself is At
our feet. These mountains beyond the
river arc split into long ridges nearly para.
lell with tho valley. On the further ridge
To tho north four crooks are formed. These
cut through the intervening ridges-ono of
which Is higher than That on which they
head-by canon gorges: then they run in
gentle curves across tho valley to tho rivor,
their banks bot with willows, box elders
and aspen groves To the oast you look
up the Valley of the Vermillion up which
Fremont found his path on his way to the
parks OF Colorado.
The reading of tho barometer taken, We
start down again in company, and reach
camp, tired and hungry, which does not
abate ono whit Of our enthusiasm as wo
tell of tho days work with its glory OF
landscape.
That night my sleep was sweet, under
the cotton wood tree. At daybreak cho-
rus of birds awoke mo. It seemed rs
though all the birds Of tho region had
come to the old troo-several species of
WARRIORS, and meadow-lsrks in great num-
bers, with wood-peckers and f1ickers, and
wild geese in the river. reclined on my
elbow and watched meadow-lark in the
grass near by for a time, and then woke
my bcd-fellow to listen to my Jennie Lind.
A morning concert for c,-none of your
mntinoes Our cook has been an ox-drivor,
OF "bull-whacker, on the plnins III ono of
those long trains now seen no more, and
he has learned their ways. In tho very
midst of tho concert his voice broke in:
sRoll out roll out! bulls in the corral
chain up the gap roll out roll out !" with
a voice like that of tho wagon-boss and
night-herder combined and multiplied by
two.
Our noxt day's journey was to this point,
tho head Of tho canon, made by the river,
where it turns to the southwest and cuts
through the southern half Of tho range.
This morning I climbed to the summit of
tho cliff on the loft In one hour and tllir-
teon minutes, and found it above camp
two, thousand and eighty-six feet. Tho
rocks are split with assures deep and mar
row, sometimes.a hundred feet to the bot
tom. A grove Of lofty pines find root in
tissnres that are filed with loose earth and
uCCuyOU tcSoNsGlUus Va u IOCh 1OuLll IL
pool of clear, cold water, caught from yes
terday's shower. After a good drink I
walked out to the brink Of the cliff and
looked down into tho waters below. And
yet cannot look on quietly and see an
other do tho same. must either bog him
to come away, or turn my back and leave.
Tho canon wallis arc buttressed on a
grand scale, and deep alcovos are cut out;
ragged crags crown tho cliffs, and thero ia
tho river'roaring below: While write,
am sitting on tho samo rock wherc I sat
last spring, with Mrs. Powell, looking down
into this canon. Whom I camo down, mt
noon, the sun shone In splendor on its YER
million walls, shaded into green and grr,y
when tho rocks are ichened over. The
river fills tho channel from wall to wall.
Tho canon opened Ikea beautiful portal to
a region Of glory. Now, as write, the sun
is going down and the shadows are setting
in tho canon. Tho vcrmillion CLEANS and
rosy hucs, the green and gray tints, are
changing to sombre brown above. and
black shadows below. Now it's grand
portal to region Of gloom.
And that is the gateway through which
We enter on our voyage Of exploration to-.
morrow and what, shall wo And9
- J r. j. W. POWELL.