, 1869-07-20
TIE POWELL EXPEDITION
IAet1er from Major PoWol1's ErothHFa
EiT1ne An Account OF tho Starting
and RF8krce4 81 the Scientific tx.
ploT1nH EKPedit1on In the Cnlornho

and RFeKrce4 81 the Scientific EK.
ploT1nH E1Pedit1 On in the Col ornde
Klycrs
Co1osADo R1yEH EXPLORING ExrEDr1ox.)
July ), lsea.
1o lis Editor II 1Ae Chicago Bstnsac Joasnal:
Tne object cf The expedition Of wh.eh'I an 4
member y well known 10 the readers Of Jdc,
ssSy L iss Tine. s Our u % bo1s nasins. s914sa % =
Gfeen AScI CITY Or fas Union Pacific Railrpad
1Sa Sa sas ssn ., ny ~ ls.sss
necessary for the sc,entnc rork OF the expedittop
md provisions. chIcns npur, bacon, coffee ant
naInre q sss ~oyase and tue capacity OF the boat
- sess thoroughly ,iina Of ON so,gurn =,
region. surrounded BY s1ndI barren Blum, and ri
] O'Clock In the at1eruoon Of the 9ltA we rowed
3nto the EiIt6M AID were soon out pf sight OF rte
= ve sod a0dn e fef m tea q tss.ss
E1o1t. veil hx1iEned Eth the ts1A Trip Of ou. lrt:e
feet of four anal! boatA, which were puiIt with ~
Eonic1nl Gne,bpxs snA5."
Continuing on our voyaCn the ncxt morning We
md satn, md On i tae Iii passed she moa.6 q
Henpsa Fort SEau Ecr1u Rowing Into Green 2
e. ~ aniTsnes ns % lns appei
csnnn OF The Green, came IN rte*, bur lev miles
distant AZ We entered the naftoE canon ne
The inw. na,roW hanks between tie river and the
EVER And me wslls weIn oorEed With COTTON.
We rcnained M Inc @ u .h,s place during tho esth md
cath. engaged IN measuring the height OF tho walls
iaI1anenls ID 1 n ess, sod resomed oa5 1oyase aFsin
On lie 5otn. through ms : cano1 lie TiTer
III me gu Mn Sen sas soe e ~ s
NAlef to 1oW tetween the walls, ieay1ng 70 bank
OF dit Or rock on either side. Sometimes, NJ
so anied 1ts 1K a@ss q
trees, with In underE1owth Of bat elden. WiLd
Gr2peetnes uai1 On iht K-ound Or {estooo the un-
,snEe 1s1srewsa q ne Esoysa osea Of .na Esess
hurry across the rapid eurrrut. ID frunt Of our
toatH ss We paaA Ths stream u comparatively
1hen 11pidly inDcrcases IN s:eed hi il becomes
mountain so17eut with often q succession Of
cnenbsred Win zse @ Toess psa eomees o. sa MsG5 Iss
number OF 1eeI shove the water. = ~,
on ne night q TIE eo.a Se csmpea at tend Of
appearance Of Gill; 90 the tcfr s1de OF the y4yer
rounded 10 The shzpe Of a dome at the top, and
so,etea ss.n ssls CARED y tss actor q 1es
,sx alloNs had hul1l their neats Of c1aJ. AS .the
swallows MI about the cln tneJ look ike sNarna
n ne ~ The s9 b. ~ el
~camped, u n vnu anpldtAkat1e,. composed Of !
1uo1czsion Of tGrAoes, Ftkng To i height OF J. 6oe
ssndr.one, and the space T beI1een i Gentle e. sogs
ctothed In EYe9 rerdQre, And on which . now oI
p +pins !ees @ow IN, tae 9ro.ofR etzsls. and the
w green and red : A we near this maI-
yeuous work Of nttu1e~ tn tour. lttte boats,
line On q terrace ~ or 30 fect aooSe he aver,
and as they remaln mostouteaB watching, ouz ap-
p1oach they look Ike statues ex4ulstte,y ehlleued
10 sec them sucdenly rheel anund, IKE pintoon
Of we!ldEned eoidiere, and, lesninc gracefully To
NJ Ia ihs ana sa9 II
Ia much lfsET than tho domestic sheep, and II
pursued BY hunters on Accoont or the 1ne navor Of
.0aDe hecanse Of che esse and rBpidlsy with which
he climbs the highest cllrs md most peec1pispus
& Continuing or way from ltts p1ace oii tha rnn1
Ing OF the 3let. It became necessary 10 proceeH.
with the R1e1ter canTtUu4 Is Fbt 1pIdg became
mosc and Eurr dangerous; md the tnost sstlfri
handling OF the outs wa3 fequ1ted to prereut ths
boats from being hurled b. the water hssatnst the
rocks th1t stcwed The bed Of The nvct, und Dashed
to pieces, Finding now ouly aEncoesaion Of rsptds
mhny Of which we had 10 lei the boats over With
ropes. We proceeded In this manner The Light
buAt caIJ5lnE no freight, End manned BY two oax1-
urn toot me lead The pno1, closely observing the
asborr as soon s. Eoesible -aiIe1 !unniae iss
rapids, Hnd then, NcnAlted the direction, with
TsIef Tsa ra @ tss sse efnes boats nea e, eng The
half hl1ed BY the Nares and bre.terz OF Ito
rapids, and II the next tand Nas thought to b
current soon carried uB to The ne1t stgnnl station
IN thlh manner s3 ur 80 miles were nade during
the slst Of Asy and The Isl day Of June, and on
rec. fan q II or 1z feet. The current IS searceiy
percept'he for some distance ohove the falis, and
We ran cur boats ashore, ~lihoui< dauger, within
but few feet Of where The water makes per-
pendculat descent, md II beaten into ioam On The.
Iocss below On The morning OF the 80 wc IN
loaded orr boats snd let them oscf tho falls or ~
1pg rope 10 either end Of boat,
and then fastening ons OF The. rppea to .
rock below The fls, held tbc boxt
with tho other TIL taken from our handa by the
force Of tho water, but held By The rope below,
and br II O'Clock In the Enor1.ng sne PORTAGE xas
made AID We Continued down the Stream The
velocity OF the current nDw steadily Increased till
#6EttAtned rate OF almost railroad Speed Tbs
river. however, was corapalaarei5' fce from
rocEs, and We stopped only 70 nau the water from
the boata- And nos, ~ nc fooEed down the long :.
vista Of the na1row canon, while sc. were sliding
dorm an Inclined plane, IN fact, "cnastlng,n the
walls scemed 70 meet xhere tho rFer turned
round short bend the wafer was lost from sight,
fnd the Garth had opened, re Imagined 10 Enlp az
down- The nlus1on ts dtspeiled "a ~e round the
bend OF the 11yCr, md dasaiDg through Suoetzr
zion OF breakers, NC suddenly deboucn into
beautiful valley. :, w. L. FoWE1I4.