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Show ~8 EXPLORATION OF THE OARONS OF rriiE COLORADO. An hour or two before sunset, I cross to the mainland, and climb a point of rocks where I can overlook the P"rk "nd its surroundings. On tho east it is bounded by a high mountain ridge. A semicircle of naked hllls bounds it on the north, west, and south. The broad, deep river meanders through the park, inten·upted by many wooded islaHd ; so I name it Isla11d Park, and decide to call the canon above Whirlpool Canon. June 23.-vVe remain in camp to-day to repair our boats, which have bad bard knocks, and are leaking. rrwo of the men go out with the barometer to climb the cliff at the foot of Whirlpool Canon and measure tho walls; another goes on the mountain to hunt; and Bradley and I !:!pend the day among the rocks, studying an interesting geological fold and collectingfossih;. Late in the afternoon, the hunter returns, and brings with him a fine, fat deer, so we give his name to tho mountain-Mount Ilawkins. Just before night we move camp to the lower end of the park, floating down tho river about four miles June 24.-Bradley and I start early to climb tho mountain ridge to the east; find its summit to be nearly three thousand feet above camp, anu it has required some labor to scale it; but on its top, what a view t rrhere is a long spur running out from the Uinta Mountains toward the south, and the river runs lengthwise through it. Coming uown Lodore and Whirlpool Canons, we cut through tho southern slope of the Uinta l\fountains; and tho lower end of this latter calion runs into the spur, but, in toad of splitting it the whole length, the river wheels to tho right at tho foot of \Vhirlpool Canon, in a great curve to the northwe t, through Island Park. At tho lower end of the park, the river turns again to the southeast, and cuts into ilt mountain to its center, and then makes a detour to tho southwest, split.tillg the mountain ridge for a distance of six miles nearly to its foot, and then turns out of it to the left. All this we can seo where we stand on tho summit of Mount Hawkins, and so we name the gorgo below Split Mountain Canon. We are standing three thousand feet above its waters, which n.re troubled with billows, and white with foam. Its walls aro set with crags and peaks, and buttressed towers, and overhanging domes. Turning to tlto right, tho park is below us, with its island groves reflected by the deep, quiet .. |
