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Show 74 EXPLORATION OF TDE OARONS OF TDE COLORADO. Then a run of two miles, and another portage, long and <lifficult; tltcn we camp for the night, on a bank of sand. August 6.-Canon walls, still higher and higher, as we go down through strata. There is a steep talus at the foot of the cliff, and, in some places, the upper parts of the walls are terraced. About ton o'clock wo come to a place where tho river occupies the entire channel, and tho walls are vertical from the water's edge. We see a fall below, and row up against tho cliff. There is a little shelf, or rather a horizontal crevice, a few feet over our heads. One man stands on th~ deck of the boat, another climbs on his shoulders, and then into the crevice. Then we pass him a line, and two or throe others, with myself, follow; then we pass along the crevice until it becomes a shelf, as the upper part, or roof, is broken off. On this we walk for a short distance, slowly climbing all tho way, until wo reach a point where the shelf is broken off, and we can pass no farther. Then we go back to the boat, cross the stream, and get some logs that have lodged in the rocks, bring thorn to our side, pass thetn along the crevice and shelf, and bridge over the broken place. Then we go on to a point over tho falls, but do not obtain a satisfactory view. Then we climb out to the top of the wall, and walk along to find a point below the fall, · from which it can bo seen. From this point it seems possible to let down our boats, with li nos, to tho head of the rapids, and then make a portage; so we return, row down by the side of the cliff, as far as we dare, and fasten ono of tho boats to a rock. Then wo let down another boat to the end of its line beyond tho first, and the third boat to the end of its line below the second, which brings it to the head of the fall, and under an overhanging rock. 'l"'hen the upper boat, in obedience to a signal, lets go; we pull in the line, and catch the nearest boat as it comes, and then the last. rrhen we • make a portage, and go on. Wo go into camp early this afternoon, at a place whore it seems possible to climb out, and tho evening is spent in "making observations for time.'' August 7.-The almanac tells us that we are to have an eclipse of the sun to day, so Captain Powell and myself start early, taking our im;trnments with us, for the purpose of mn.king obsorvn.tions on tho eclip c, to rlctermino our longitude. Arriving at tho summit, after four hours' hard climl>ino- to o' |
