OCR Text |
Show l~iJ{III'O :18.-]~ntrn.nco to Plt- ru'-nU-WOILp. PA-RU'-NU-WEAP OARON. 109 desert; not a desert plain, but a desert of rocks, cut by deep gorges, and relieved by towering cliffs and pinnacled rocks-naked rocks, brilliant in the sunlight. By a 'difficult trail, we make our way down tho basaltic ledge, through which innumerable streams here gather into a little river, running in a d p canon. The river runs close to tho foot of the cliffs, on tho right hand sid , and the trail passes along to the right. At noon we rest, and our animals feed on luxu1iant grass. Again we start, and make slow progress along a stony way. At nigl1t wo camp under an overarching cliff. September 1 0.-Ilero the river turns to the west, and our way, properly, is to the south; but we wish to explore the Rio Virgen as far as possible. The Indians tell us that tho canon narrows gradually, a few miles below, and that it will bo impossible to take our animals much farther down the river. Early in tho morning, I go down to examine the head of thi narrow part. After breakfast, having concluded to explore tho canon for a few miles on foot, we arrange that the main party shall climb the cliff, and go around to a point eighteen or twenty miles below, where, the Indians say, tho animals ca.n be taken down by the river, and throe of us set out on foot. 'rho Indian name of the canon is Pa-ru'-nu-weap, or Roaring Water C~non. Between the little river and the foot of the walls, is a dense growth of willows, vines, and wilu rose bushes, and, with great difficulty, we make our way through this tangled mass. It is not a wido stream-only twenty or thirty feet across in most places; shallow, but very swift. After spending some hours in breaking our way through tho mass of vegeta.tion, and climbing rocks here and there, it is determined to wade along the stream. In some places this is an easy task, but here and there we come to deep holes, where we havo to wado to our arm pits. Soon we como to places so narrow that the river fills the on tire channel, and wo wade perforce. In many places tho bottom is a quicksand, into which we sink, and it is with great difficulty that we make pro gross. In somo places tho holo aro so deep that we have to swim, and our little bundlos of blankets and rations aro fixed to a raft made of driftwo d, and pusheu before u . Now and then thoro is a little flood-plain, on which wo can walk, and wo cross and r cross tho |