Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-10-20

cal from the waters edge but usually they
were cut into mounds, and cones, and hills
of solid sandstone, rising one above the 9TH
er as they stretched back in gentle slope
for miles. These mounds have been cut
out by showers, from the bright orange
rock, and glitter with resplendent beauty
under the midday sun. Hour after hour we
gazcd entranced on them as they faded in
the perspective and retreated TO the rear.
for the river was swift though gentle, and
we had but to steer our boats, aud on We
went through this land of beauty and glory.
On the 3lSt of July we reached the mouth
OF the San Juan, at the foot Of Mound Can
on, and went into camp for day or two's
rest. Then we started again. We had
now run once more into the dark red and
chocolate colorcd sandstones. with slate col
ored beds below; these usually formed vcr
teal walls, occasionally terraced or broken
down, aud from the crest of these the Or
ange mounds sloped back, but variagatcd
by monument. now vertical, now terraced,
now worn in steep slopes; others still COM
bining these forms and set with towers and
pnnacles. These monuments stood alone
or in groups and spread over the landscape
as far as The eye could reach. The little
valley OF the PARA River terminates this
canon, making ii about 100 miles long. We
named it Monument Canon. Here The riy-
er had cut through the sandstones and reach
| ed the lime stones below, the same geoiogi
cal formation as that of Cataract Canon, aud
as We advanced the channel was cut into
| these new strata We entered between
walls low, but vertical that gradually in
/ creased in attitude the foot, where they were
! 1900 feet high, terraced and broken into
| crags above. Half way down the canon we
| found the lower strata appearing as marble +;
| they were white, and gray and slate colored,
! then pink, and purple, and brown, and 9th
er strata variagated with these colors, until
at last we had four hundred feet of marble
walls, mostly vertical from he waters edge.
These were fretted by the waters, embossed
with strange devices, aud polished into
beauty. Where there were patches OF mar
ble aoor lett bare BY low water, basins have
been carved out by the whirlpool5 OF the
food season, and were filed with pools oil
clear water il beautiful contrast to the red
mud OF the river. Cool springs gushed from
the rocks, sparkling, foaming cascade:
| plunged into maI bic fonts, and i'll contras
To these, after every shower, cascades o
red mud poured over the walls from the rec
sandstone above, with fall Of hundreds 0
feet We called this Marble Canon; it fer
minated at the mouth OF the Little Coiora
do, and was about thirty-six miles long.
Here short rest, and then we pulled OIL
the homestretch-not a very short one
cither-nearly 800 miles by river to th'
mouth Of the Virgin. The lower member
of this carboniferous formation are of dark
rust coiored sandstone, sometimes aimos
black. We soon ran through these, aGC
through siluran red sandstone, and abou
fifteen miles below the mouth OF the LittI
Colorado struck the granite. From th'
mouth Of that stream to the mouth Of th'
Virgin. our objective point, the genera
course of the river is 70 the west; but i
makes three grcat curves to the south, anG
three corresponding curves to the north. y
the extremity of the southern curves tn
walls are granite at the base, reaching to a.
atit de OF 500 feet This usually rises iron
The water in almost vertical cliffs. set a5ov
with ragged cragS; then sloping terrac
100 TO 500 yards wide then walls OF sand
! stone and marble towering 300 or 500 fee
towards the heavens. Ia the northern bend
I the marble comes down to the water edge
1 In the southern pends the river runs ragiu
through narrow gorge filled with rapid
G and cataracts, often falling at plunge t'ro'
, 5 to % feet, the greatest being - fee
4 Over these we usually had to run, as til
, granite walls rarely gave foothold, thcug
: some portages wore mad The roar of
cataract could always be beard half mi
y or more. so that we never came upon theI
, upappriscd of danger In the last gre;
.r bend 70 the south, we came ppon series
d cataraets and rapids Gro Ied together into
Il distance of three fourths of mile; a stres
II came down through a narrow canon on eitl
d er side, and above their mouths we found
" lootho!d 10 land; so we stopped to e:
ls anime
Ga the river there seemed to be gre
! danger, and no portage could Ue made Cor
to ing on in the morning, the day was spent
:. exploring and trying TO decide some meth,
st Of getting over the Diff, uity. | found tn
,e we could climb to the summit OF Il
h granite 500 feet high aud passing along Il
i terrace, could descend to point below; b
5, it woul require ten days to get our boa
a. aa cargo,,~ over. and we had scant five da
I'd ratan~. When | returned TO camp at mig
ne announced to the men that We must :
H. tempt to run it. After supper one ot the
Y came IT, ,ue and asked if | was willing 'h
~ he and tgo others shonld leave the riv
ne ard walk out over the mountains; III
10 thought thar they could climb out OF t
sn canon. up the channel of the right ha
ii. creek OF course objected, but they We
nj determined 10 GO An hour 5 talk failed
4, shake their resolution; so sat up ali nlg
at ana made ob-ervati ms for the latitude a
ar longitude of that point, and then wa ked
y