OCR Text |
Show CHAPTER V. FROM ECHO PARK TO TilE MOUTII OF THE UINTA RIVER. The Yampa enters the Green from the east. At a point opposite its mouth, the Green runs to tho south, at the foot of a rock, about seven hundred feet high and a mile long, and then turns sharply around it to tho right, and runs back in a northerly course, parallel to its former direction, for nearly another mile, thus having the opposite sides of a long, narrow rock for its bank. The tongue of rock so formed is a peninsular precipice, with a mural escarpment along its whole course on the east, but broken down at places on tho west. On the east side of the river, opposite the rock, and below the Yampa, there is a little park, just large enough for a farm, already fenced with high walls of gray homogeneous sandstone. 'rhere are three river entrances to this park: one down the Yampa; one below, by coming up the Green; and another down the Green. There is also a land entrance down a lateral canon. Elsewhere the park is inaccessible. Through this land-entrance by the side canon there is a trail made by Indian hunters, who come down here in certain seasons to kill mountain' sheep. Great hollow domes are seen in tho eastern side of the rock, against which the Green sweeps; willows border tho river; clumps of box-elder are seen; and a few cottonwoods stand at the lower end. Standing opposite the rock, our words are repeated with startling clearness, but in a soft, mellow tone, that transforms them into magical music. Scarcely can you believe it is the echo of your own voice. In some places two or three echoes come back; in other places they repeat themselves, passing back and forth across the river between this rock and the eastern wall. To hear these repeated echoes well you must shout. Some of the party aver that ton or twelve repetitions can be heard. To me, they seem to rapidly diminish and merge by multiplicity, like telegraph poles on an l"i,gnro 11.-l~ol•o Ror,k. |