Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-12-27
PASSAGE OF THE CANYON.


ISteresting Account OF ExplOra-
tiOns In Arizona and New Mex
leo. .t.e
Seemingly but few miles in front ot
US we readily imagine we are about APP
preaching some enchanted castle, where
we shall not fail TO find the rest, as well
as food, which we so much need, when
we find ourselves upon the edge of a
canyon 1000 feet in depth. As we gaze
down into the depth of this dark abyss,
feeling of terror creeps over us, as we
vainly strive to pierce the deep gloom
that shrouds it rocky sides, and yerges
into total darkness far beneath US. The
walls are perpendicular and of a blood
red color. No vegetation is anywhere to
be seen nothing but the stones around
us, and the grayish-white alkali on the
surface of the plain on which we stand,
with its surroundings of crags, pinnacles,
and mesas of rocks rising far above us,
until their SUBMITS pierce the clouds on
the one side aud this black, yawning
abyss just before us. Cochise moves to
the left, and there we find narrow
shelf of rock jutting out from the per-
pendicular walls, just wide enough to
stand upon. We follow It's course with
our eye until it is lost in the gloom; aud
yet this is the only way of crossing
the canyon before us. Cochise now dis
mounts, and from him l endeavor to
learn something of this wonderful gorge
which we are about to cross; but, Indian
like, he is reticent, and reveals nothing.
He motions to me that we must leave
our mules to follow us, and utters the
single word "adelant," or forward. AS
we descended into the gloom, we felt as
if we were about to bid goOd-by to the
earth and the sunlight and to enter the
abode of the fiends. Our Imagination
peoples the chasm with myriads CT imps
and gnomes. Just before us, the point
of rock standing out so prominently re.
sembled huge giant ready to crush us
in his terrible grasp for our audacity in
presuming to venture within the realms
guarded so sedulously by his misshapen
form. On, on we 60, now avoiding a
rock in our path, here sending pebble
over the brink of the abyss at our side.
The gloom becomes more intense as we
descend We cast our eyes upward;
perpendicular wall on either side of US,
and far above us narrow band of light,
against which the ragged and SCARED
edges Of the gulf seemingly almost meet
ing, stand out in bold relief, giving US
the impression that we are about to be
crushed between the teeth of two gigan-
tic saws.
Not sound is to be heard, save the
hesitating footsteps of our mules, when
suddenly Cochise, who is some distance
in advance, utters an oath in Spanish.
The opposite side of the canyon echoes
it, aad it is carried from side to side,
from point to point, from rock to rock,
from crag to crag, with fearful distinct
ness, till 1t resembles, to our ears, the
cries of the demons, who, we are sure,
surround US and inhabit this direct de-
scent to the home of Los lnfernos.
Still we 90 on, still continue to descend.
Soon we hear the faint murmur of water,
as, far below us, it forces its way amcng
the rocks and boulders that form the bed
of the river, and we feel rejoiced that
the poor animals so carefully following
are soon to be refreshed with draft of
cool water after their tedious jour
ney over masses of rock, baked clay and
alkali powder. Instinctively we look be-
hind us, and we see that they too, have
heard the grateful sound, and are hurry
ing along, as though impatient to taste
its refreshing coolness.
Then comes the thought that frequent
ly, when suffering from thirst, mules
have been known to stampede at the
smell Of water. Suppose this should be
the case with ours. What, then would be
our fatei We cast our eyes over the
brink of the yawning chasm, and then
back upon our mules, as il to measure
distance and strength. The sight Of
his erect years, distended nostrils aud
glaring eyes does not tend to reassure
us, and we look in vain for some spot
wide enough to enable them to pass us
in safety. Nothing but a solid perpen-
dicular wall above us, and empty space
for six hundred feet below. We must 20
on. There is no turning back. The
gloom increases With every step. The
walls around assume in the darkness a
thousand grotesque and misshapen
forms. The obstacles in our pathway
become more frequent and dangerous
The darkness becomes more and more
intense. We can no longer see the path
for more than four or i've feet ahead OF
Us.
Nov, as il abruptly turns an angle, we
lose sight Of it altogether. and We ieel
ss though the next step might preclpi-
tate US into-what7 And 50 We 90 on,
hesitating, doubling. fearing, until sfter
hours Of tedious toll, such as ! hope
never again TO experience, We finally
reach the bed Of the river that has worn
this mighty wrinkle in the face Of
mother earth. After allowing our
thirsty animals time 70 drink, and hll-
ing our oanteen and leathern bottles