The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-01

getting over the difficulty. ] found that we
could climb to the summit of the granite 800
feet high, and, passing along the terrace,
could descend TO point below; but 1T would
require ten days to get our boats and cargoes
over, and we had scant five days rations.
When / returned to camp ut night, an-
nounced to the men that we must attempt to
run it. After supper one of them came to
me and asked if i was willing that he and
two others should leave the river and walk
out over the mountains; they thought that
they could climb ont of the canon, up the
channel of the right hand creek. OF
course l objected, but they were determined
to co. An hours talk failed to shake their re-
solution, so | sat up all night, made observa-
tions for the latitude and longitude of that
point, and then walked up and down little
sand beach until morning. On the morrow
they were still in mind to go, and hastily
fitted out the little party with guns, ammuni-
ton, and a small store of rations In the
mean time those going down the river were
ready to start Not being able to man it, L
tied up one of the boats and abandoned it.
When all was ready we shook hands, and
some tears were started, as each party thought
the other was going to destruction. Good
bye, and away went our boats over the first
cataract, then among the rocks, and
over the second. to the left of
huge rock and whirlpool and over
the third, and shot into an eddy below. The
boats were half filled with water, but that had
happened many times before we really found
it less dangerous than hundred we had run
above. The party that was left sat on the
cliffs and watched us over, and we went into
camp and waited two hours, hoping that
they would join us with the boat left tied to
the rocks above; but we never saw them
again, and they are yet unheard from. The
names of these men were o. g. Rowland, S.
Rowland, and W. II. Dunn. That afternoon
we passed one more dangerous rapid, and
then haG fair sailing to the foot, where the
river debouched into Mormon Valley, so
named by our party.
This ended the exploration Of the Grand
Canon of the Colorado; its head at the conhu-
ence of the Little Colorado, its foot at the
entrance of the river to Mormon Valley--its
length about 23S miles, its altitude from 2500
to 1000 feet. A number of clear streams flow
in from either side; the largest coming down
from the Buckszin Mountains on the north
which we named. Right Angle river. [ have
mentioned the terraces of the southern
bends: these have been sites of ancient In
dian villages, inhabited 10y a race of dimnu-
tive people now almost extinct Their little
clusters of houses found on the south side of
the river were 500 or 1000 feet above the
water. They were built of stone laid in
mortar and seem to have had reservoirs of
scattered about in great profusion, and
deeply worn foot-paths leading from village
to village. or down to the river, OF up to the
summit plain, were frequently seen. On the
northern bend their dwellings, were near the
river. Some of these ruins seem to be CEN
turies old, and others to have been inhabited
by the present generation: the latter were
found near the mouth of the Little Colorado
Other ruins and fragments of pottery were
-, g1No Oh
the valley of the Uintah. Only few villages
of these interesting people now remain in the
country to the southeast.
Below this canon the river and adjacent
country had been explored by Mormon par
ties, and here ended the "Great Unknown, 5"
no longer thus to be designated. One party
had crossed through Mormon Valley: another
had brought a sldf down the Grand Wash,
lust below. and descended with it to the
mouth of the Virgin, to Calls Landing; and
still others have passed through the country,
and | found their reports quite correct, ex-
cept that they q little over-estimated the dis
tances. Alternating valleys and canons were
passed till we reached the mouth of the
Virgin, where we came upon three
white men dragging seine. They
proved to be Mormons, who had been
sent ON to prepare for a large settlement
of people which will be sent here by the
Church to build up another Of those wonder
full villages seen only in the ''Kingdom." The
whole region was one of great scenic beauty
and grandeur; the constant change i'll geo.
logical structure made constant change of
scenery The high walls inclosing tortuous
river shut off the view before, and, as we ad-
vanced, it opened out, ever bringing into view
some new beauty or glory. The impression
of this scenery was the rather accented by a
little anxiety, the shadow of pang OF dread
ever present to the mind
OF my party, should like to say that some
left me at the start, cutting the number down
to ten, including myself One left ne at the
mouth of the Uintah, three left me as men
| toned above, and five went through. These
were Captain w. H. Powell, John G. Sumner,
| George Y. Bradley, w. Rhodes Hawkins, and
| Andrew Hall. append a statement of
APPROXIMATE DISTANCES.
| GREEN RIVER.
Green River City Crossing Z. p. r. r. through
| valley to mouth of Henry's Fork .............. 90
Through Uintah series of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 20
| Through valley past mouths of tmtah ana
Through Lower Green river system OF canons to
junction ofGreen and Grand ................ 100
COLORADO RIVER,
Through Cataract Canon. nOn..."................... a.
| Through Mound Canon non.........................
| Through Narrow Canon to mouth of san Juan
| Through Monument Canon to mouth ofPeria
river. ."............ lOJ
Through Marble Canon mouth of Little Colo
Through Grand Canon the Colorado. .......... 23S
Through valley to the mouth OF virgin river. a
Through Caville, Nevada. le
Toto, ................................. s2;
lo'@l''''''''''''''''''''''''''' j. W. POWELL.
Normal, H., September ~ 1869.