"FOR two years previous to the exploration, I had been making some geological studies among the heads of the canyons leading to the Colorado, and a desire to explore the Grand Canyon itself grew upon me. Early in the spring of 1869 a small party was organized for this purpose. Boats were built in Chicago, and transported by rail to the point where the Union Pacific Railroad crosses the Green River. With these we were to descend the Green into the Colorado, and the Colorado down to the foot of the Grand Canyon."

From the record of May 24, 1869, we quote the following:

"The good people of Green River City turn out to see us start — a party of ten men. We raise our little flag, push the boats from shore, and the swift current carries us down."

"Our boats are four in number. Three are built of oak, staunch and firm."

"We take with us rations deemed sufficient to last ten months, abundant supplies of clothing, also a large quantity of ammunition and two or three dozen traps."

On the 26th they go into camp at the foot of the Uintah Mountains, at the head of Flaming Gorge Canyon, the first to be explored.

We quote again: "The river is running to the south; the mountains have an easterly and westerly trend directly athwart its course, yet it glides on in a quiet way as if it thought a mountain range no formidable obstruction to its course. It enters the range by a flaring, brilliant-red gorge, that may be seen from the north a score of miles away."

"You must not think of a mountain range as a line of peaks standing on a plain, but as a broad platform many miles wide, from which mountains have been carved by the waters. You must conceive, too, that this plateau is cut by gulches and canyons in many directions, and that beautiful valleys are scattered about at different altitudes. The first series of canyons we are about to explore constitute a river channel through such a range of mountains. The canyon is cut nearly half-way through the range, then turns to the east, and is cut along the central line, or axis, gradually crossing it to the south.

Keeping this direction for more than fifty miles, it then turns abruptly to a southwest course, and goes diagonally through the southern slope of the range."

"May 30. — This morning we are ready to enter the mysterious canyon, and start with some anxiety. The old mountaineers tell us it cannot be run; the Indians say, 'Water heap catch 'em;' but all are eager for the trial, and off we go."

"Entering Flaming Gorge, we quickly run through it on a swift current, and emerge into a little park. Half a mile below, the river wheels sharply to the left, and we turn into another canyon cut into the mountain. We enter the narrow passage. On either side the walls rapidly increase in altitude.' On the left are overhanging ledges and cliffs five hundred, a thousand, fifteen hundred feet high."

"On the right the rocks are broken and ragged, and the water fills the channel from cliff to cliff. Now the river turns abruptly around a point to the right, and the waters plunge swiftly down among great rocks; and here we have our first experience with canyon rapids. I stand up on the deck of my boat to seek a way among the wave-beaten rocks. All untried as we are with such waters, the moments are filled with intense anxiety. Soon our boats reach the swift current; a stroke or two, now on this side, now on that, and we thread the narrow passage with exhilarating velocity, mounting the high waves, whose foaming crests dash over us, and plunging into the troughs, until we reach the quiet water below; and then comes a feeling of great relief. Our first rapid run. Another mile and we come into the valley again."

"Let me explain this canyon. Where the river turns to the left above, it takes a course directly into the mountain, penetrating to its very heart, then wheels back upon itself, and runs into the valley from which it started, only half a mile below the point at which it entered; so the canyon is in the form of an elongated U, with the apex in the center of the mountain. We name it Horseshoe Canyon."

"Last spring, I had a conversation with an old Indian named Pa-ri-ats, who told me about one of his tribe attempting to run this canyon. 'The rocks,' he said, holding his hands above his head, his arms vertical, looking between them to the heavens — 'the rocks h-e-a-p, h-e-a-p high; the water go h-oo-woogh, h-oo-woogh! waterpony (boat) h-e-a-p buck; water catch 'em; no see 'em Injun any more! no see 'em squaw any more! no see 'em pappoose any more!'"