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Show POUNS-A-GUNT PLATEAU. 107 Dirty Devil River, the mouth of which stream is but a short distance below the junction of the Grand and Green. The Pouns-a'-gunt Plateau terminates in a point, which is bounded by a line of beautiful pink cliffs. At the foot of this plateau, on the west, the Rio Virgin and Sevier Rivers are dovetailed together, as their minute upper branches interlock. The upper surface of the plateau inclines to the northeast, so that its waters roll off into the Sevier; but from the foot of the cliffs, quite around the sharp angle of the plateau, for a dozen miles, we find numerous springs, whose waters unite to form the Kanab. But a little farther to the northeast the springs gather into streams that feed the Paria. Here, by the upper springs of the Kanab, we make a camp, and from this point we are to radiate on a series of trips, southwest, south, and east. Jacob Hamblin, who has been a missionary among the Indians for more than twenty years, has collected a number of Kcd'-vav-its, with Chu-ar'-ru-um-peakj their chief, and they are all camped with us. They assure us that we cannot reach the river; that we cannot make our way into the depths of the canon, but promise to show us the springs and water pockets, which are very scarce in all this region, and to give us all the information in their power. Here we fit up a pack train, for our bedding and instruments, and supplies are to be carried on the backs of mules and ponies. September 5, 1870.-The several members of the party are engaged in general preparation for our trip down to the Grand Canon. Taking with me a white man and an Indian, I start on a climb to the summit of the Pouns-a'-gunt Plateau, which rises above us on the east. Our way, for a mile or more, is over a great peat bog, that trembles under our feet, and now and then a mule sinks through the broken turf, and we are compelled to pull it out with ropes. Passing the bog, our way is up a gulch, at the foot of the Pink Cliffs, which form the escarpment, or wall, of the great plateau. Soon we leave the gulch, and climb a long ridge, which winds around to the right toward the summit of the great table. Two hours' riding, climbing, and clambering brings us near the top. We look below, and see clouds drifting up from the south, and rolling tumult-uously toward the foot of the cliffs, beneath us. Soon, all the countr^ |
