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Show 921 would take the boats out of the water at the upper edge of the rapid, and skid them again. R. 2177. " Q How many times would you say, in the course of Cataract canyon, you skidded these boats? " A About five; we would run some of them at the upper edge - we would line them through, some of them, at the upper edge, where we lost the other boats." R. 2178. The Black Betsy was lost in the same rapid where number one was sunk about five or six miles down from the junction of the river. At North Wash, or a little below, the party stopped and obtained some supplies, then went on down to Hite. At Hite he ripped out lumber and put three new strips on the side of one of the boats to strengthen it because the ribs had been crushed in amidships. R. 2178. The ribs were crushed in Cataract Canyon. Leaving Hite, the party stated on down the river for the San Juan. " We had trouble all the way down the river - had trouble several times down there." " Q Tell me what you mean by trouble. " A Running on to the bars and on to rocks. There is one place there where there is a shelf runs across the river; it is not as level as the floor, but apparently as level under water; it must be anyway nearly one hundred yards in width, but it runs clear across the river; that is a ledge of rock; I don't know whether it is slate, or what it is, sandstone or what, but it runs clear across the river, and you have got to find an opening to get a boat through. " That is where the river is out in one or two places. We run on to that - every boat run on to that; we got out, held on to the boat, pushed back up into deeper water, and |