Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-08-14
LETTER FROM MAJOR POWELL's
BROTHER.
Giving an Account of the Starting and
Progress ofthe Scieatifc Exploring Ex-
pedition in the Colorado River

| "i'lhS an Account OF the starting and
| Progress ofthc Scies,tific Exploring Ex-
| pedition in the Colorado River.
CAMP IN RED CANON, GREEN RIVER July 8, 1869
To the Editor ofThe Chicago Evening Journal
| The object of the expedition of
which | am IL ember is we'll known
| to the readers of your paper, and
anything in regard to 1t is unneces-
sary at this time. Our boats having
arrived at Green River City, on the
| Union Pacific Railroad, were launch
ed on the Oath of May and loaded
with the freight, consisting of the
| instruments necessary for the scien-
| tific work for the expedition, and
| provisions, chiefly flour, bacon coffee
and sugar, with such other creature
comforts as the nature of the voy-
age and the capacity of tire boats
would allow.
We were thoroughly tired of cur
/ sojourn at Green River City, which
| is situated in Il desolate region, sur
rounded by sandy, barren bluffs and
| at ! O'Clock in the afternoon OF the
| 21th we rowed into the stream and
were soon out of sight of the town
/ Dropping down into the river ten or
| twelve miles, we landed and camped
in a cottonwood grove, well salts
| fled with the trial trip of our little
| fleet Of four small boats, which were
| built with all 1ogic" displayed in
| the construction of the wonderful
J one-hoss shay"
| Continuing on our voyage the
next morning we made a distance of
| seVenty-five miles during the 25th
and '26th, and on the 9th passed the
mouth of Henry's Fork-a small
| -
| from yhe weSt-when the vertical
walls of FLAMING Gorge the en-
| trance to the upper canon of the
Green, came in view, but few miles
| distant. AS we entered the narrow
canomthe walls of brilliant red sand
stone, rising to height of 200 feet,
| looked threatening and ominous
| The low, narrow banks between the
river and the walls We're covered
with cottonwood and box elder.
We remained at this place during
| the 2Sth and 29th, engaged in meas
uring the height of the walls of the
canon, collecting fossils, mending
broken Instruments, ETC., and re-
sumed our voyage again on the 30th.
| Through this canon the river has cut
a narrow channel a distance of so
miles, with often just sufficient room
| for the water to flow between the
walls, leaving no bank of dirt or
rock on either side. Sometimes, at
irregular intervals, are low, narrow
banks of sandy soil, dotted with
small groves of cottonwood trees,
with an underground of box elder.
| Wild grape vines trail on the ground
or festoon the underground of the
groves. Flocks of wild geese paddle
in the shoal water along the banks
or hurry across the rapid current III
| front of our boats as we pass. The
| stream is comparatively sluggish
| for some distance from the entrance,
and then rapidly increases in speed
| till it becomes mountain torrent
| with often succession of rapids and
cataracts, where the bed of the river
is encountered with large rocks, that
! sometimes rise number of feet above
| the water.
| On the night of the 30th we camp
ed at bend of the river, which we
called Bee Hive Point, for the ap-
pearance of a cliff, on the left side of
the river, rounded 20 the shape of
dome at the top, and covered with
cells carved by the action of the
water during some past age, jim which
hundreds of swallows had built their
|
about the cliff they look like swarms
of bees, and the cliff has the appear
| ance of a colossal beehive. Opposite
| this cliff, and where we camped, is a
vast amphitheater, composed of a
succession of terraces, rising to a
| height of 500 feet each platform
or terrace is built of red sandstone,
and the space between them is a
gentle slope clothed In green ver-
dure, and on which a row of pine
| trees grow in the arc of a circle, and
the amphitheater is painted with
! alternate bands of green and red.
| AS we near this marvellous work of
nature in our little boats, a herd of
sheep are seen standing in line on
| a terrace two or three hundred feet
above the river, and as they remain
motionless, watching our approach,
they look like statues eXquisitely
| chiSeled by some master artist, and
we are half surprised to see them
suddenly wheel around like pla-
| toon of well drilled soldiers, and
| leaping gracefully to a platform
above, file again into line and eye
| us with suspicion as we land our
| boats. This animal is much larger
/ than the domestic sheep, and is pur-
sued with the greatest persistency
| by hunters on account of the fine
| flavor of his meat, but is less fire.
| quently secured than other game
| because of the ease and rapidity with
| which he climbs the highest cliffs
and most precipitous peaks, of
which he is Sovereign and sole in
| heritor.
Continuing our way from this
place on the morning of the 3lst, it
| became necessary to proceed with
| the greatest caution as the rapids
| became more and more dangerous,
and the most skillful handling ofthe
oars was required to prevent the
boats from being hurled by the wa
ter against the rocks that strewed
| the bed of the river, and dashed to
pieces. Finding now only a success
sion of rapids, many of which we
had to iet the boats over with ropes,
we proceeded in this manner. The
| light boat, carrying no freight, and
manned by two oarsmeu and a pilot,
the commander of the expedition,
| took the lead. The pilot closely OBJ
| serving the best course TO take to
avoid the rocks, ran the boat ashore
as soon as possible after running the
rapids, and then signaled the direc-
ton, with red flag, to the other
| boats. After bailing the water from
| the boats, which were often half
! filed by the waves and breakers of
the rapids, and if the next rapid was
| thought to be practicable, we rowed
| into the stream, and the current
soon carried Us to the next Signal
Station. In this manner % or so
miles were -made during the 31st