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Show 70 EXPLORATION OF THE CANONS OF THE COLORADO. camp. It is no easy task to find my way down the wall in the darkness, and I clamber about until it is nearly midnight, before I anive. July 30.-W e make good progress to day, as the water, though smooth, is swift. Sometimes, the cafion walls are vertical to the top; sometimes, they are vertical below, and have a mound covered slope above; in other places, the slope, with its mounds, comes down to the water's edge. Still proceeding on om: way, we find the orange sandstone is cut in two by a group of firm, ·calcareous strata, and the lower bed is underlaid by soft gypsiferous shales. Sometimes, the upper homogeneous bed is a smooth, vertical wall, but usually it is carved with mounds, with gently meandering valley lines. The lower bed, yielding to gravity, as the softer shales below work out into the river, breaks into angular surfaces, often having a columnar appearance. One could almost imagine that the walls had been carved with a purpose, to represent giant architectural forms. In the deep recesses of the walls, we find springs, with mosses and ferns on the moistened sandstone. July 31.-We have a cool, pleasant ride to day, through this part of the canon. The walls are steadily increasing in altitude, the curves are gentle, and often the river sweeps by an arc of vertical wall, smooth and unbroken, and the~ by a curve that is variegated by royal arches, mossy alcoves, deep, beautiful glens, and painted g-rottos. Soon after dinner, we discover the mouth of the San Juan, where we camp. The remainder of the afternoon is given to hunting some way by which we can climb out of the cafion; but it ends in failure . .August 1.-W e drop down two miles this morning, and go into camp again. There is a low, willow covered strip of land along the walls on the east. Across this we walk, to explore an alcove which we see from the river. On enterjng, we find a little grove of box-elder and cottonwood trees· and . ' ' turning to the right, we find ourselves in a vast chamber, carved out of the rock. At tho upper end there is a clear, deep pool of water, bordered with verdure. Standing by the side of this, we can see the grove at the ontrance. The chamber is more than two hundred feet high, five hundred feet long, and two hundred feet wide. Through the ceiling, and on through tho rocks for a thousand feet above, there is a narrow, winding skylight; and - |