The Elk Mountain pilot., 1880-09-16
Tue DEEPEST GORGE
Looking DeEn Two Miles Upon Dashiag
Stream Of Water.

In March last party Of prospectors
thirteen in number, procured the nee
essary papers from Gen. Wilcox al
lowing them to visit the Indian VII
lage on Cataract creek, inhabited by
the Ava Supais, a tribe of Indians
numbering, all told, 200 souls. The
party went from Williamson Valley to
the Big Williams range, and thence to
Pine spring. Here they found every
indication Of an old sea bed, the
gravel and rocks being round and
smooth, similar to those in the ocean
bed. From Pine spring the party di-
rected their course for the Ava Supai
village, which is reached by descend
Ing from the table land down one Of
the rouglest trails ever travelled by
man, for a distance of fourteen miles,
dropping 5000 feet. At places along
the trail we were told that it is not
over twenty inches wide, and winds
around the perpendicular walls OF
sandstone that loom above for hun
dreds Of feet, while on the other side,
deep, dark canous exist, hundreds
upon hundreds Of feet deep, where,
by one false step or move, man or
beast would be sent to eternity. With
great care and coed luck ten Of the
party succeeded in reaching the vii
lage, three of the number returning
rather than run the gauntlet in pass
ing down this awful, yet marvellous,
crevlce in the earth.
The Ava Supais practice polygamy,
each male having about three wives.
They have about 1000 acres Of farm
"! = ;s se.heia,,i
cfa yellowish color and mostly ecnz
posed Of sand. However, it is said to
produ1ss2So.dl !. corn, pumpkins, mel
Ions and Beans, with the aid of irri-
eating water, of which they have an
abundance. They have a peach or
chard Of $50 trees, which were on the
first Of April loaded with small
peaches about tle size of acorns.
The party were we'll received by
these red people, who stated that their
greatest desire was to be left alone in
the enjoyment Of their land and other
property. Their houses are built with
poles IN a rude manner, thatchcd over
with bear grass and tule. A few
ponies are all the stock they have.
Cataract creel. heads in The Big
Williams and San Francisco noun
talns, the streams connecting soIne
distance above the Indian village.
The stream empties into The Big Colo
rado, fifteen miles below the Ava
Supai town, and short distance south
Of the junction of the Little and Big
Colorado.
The party attempted to explore
Cataract creek to its confluence with
the Colorado, but were unable 70 do
S" from the fact that they encountered
precipice after precipice from 100 to
200 feet perpendicular, and it was in
the fool-hardy attempt of b. ".
Mooney, of Williams valley, to de-
scend one of these perpendicular preci-
plces, 100 feet down, that he was
dashed to sudden and rocky tomb,
where he now rests as he fell, his COM
companions being unable to rescue the
body. Mr.. Mooney took small
rope, hardly half an inch in diameter,
tied the end to bank. suspended it
over the brink; then, taking hold of
the rope, was soon dangling between
the bright heavens and the dark gorge
below. Evidently cramp came in his
arms, or his mind gave way, and he
fell FROM almost the top to his rocky
and lonely grave below. The party
remained nearly two days, devising
means and plans to rescue the corpse,
but with failure, as no one cared to
risk descent upon weak rope. The
Indians Informed the party that no
man had ever passed through the
canon; that, in fact. the pass was only