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the grand canyon of arizona-第45章

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m。 At first they did fairly well。 Then; as the canyons narrowed; to their horror and distress; as well as surprise;for they had kept none of the meat of the beavers they had killed;the animals ceased to appear; and starvation stared them in the face。 For six days they were without food。 The precipitous walls of the Canyon forbade escape; and at length they became so demoralized that Beckwourth declares they actually proposed to cast lots as to which should be killed to make food for the others。 This fearful proposition so horrified Ashley that he begged them to hold out a while longer; and to their joy they soon emerged from the Canyon; possibly at a place known as Brown's Hole; where Provo; an experienced trapper; had his camp。 From here they abandoned the Canyon expedition; and doubtless returned with Provo to Salt Lake。 Powell named the falls near where Ashley left his name Ashley Falls。

There is every reason to assume that other trappers attempted the passage of the Canyon; for Powell found a bake oven; several tin plates; and part of a boot in Lodore Canyon; which he imagined were Ashley's; but; as we have seen; Ashley never went down so far。

Other Unsuccessful Trappers。 In his excellent Romance of the Colorado River; Dellenbaugh recites at length; from their own narratives largely; the adventures of several trappers and others; whose experiences are connected with the Colorado River;the Patties; Jedediah Smith;

Kit Carson; William Wolfskill; Farnham; Fremont; Lieutenant Derby; Captain Johnson; and others; who; however; never came actually into the Grand Canyon region。 Hence I shall make no further reference to them here。 My reason for giving so much space to Ashley has been merely to offer a sample of the kind of experiences the trappers of the early days met with; in trying to solve the problem of the canyons of the Colorado River。

Lieutenant Ives' Expedition。 Lieutenant Ives' expedition; however; reached into the very heart of this country。 He visited the Havasupais in their canyon; also the Wallapais; and traversed the weary miles across the desert to the villages of the Hopi。 Steamboats had plied up and down the Colorado River from the Gulf of California as far as Fort Yumanear where the present railroad bridge crosses the streambut Ives was instructed by the War Department to explore the river further up; in order to determine whether the military posts of New Mexico and Utah could be reached; and their supplies transported by the Colorado。 Instead of calling upon Captain Johnson and chartering his steamboat; the Colorado; Ives ordered his steamer constructed in Philadelphia; and shipped in sections via the Isthmus of Panama to San Francisco; and thence around Cape Lucas into the Gulf of California; to the mouth of the Colorado River。 Yet he was able to report; doubtless with a clear conscience; that Johnson's company 〃was unable to spare a boat; except for a compensation beyond the limits of the appropriation。〃

Ives' Report and Accompanying Pictures。 Ives' report is a most interesting document; and the pictures that accompany it; made by Mollhausen and Eggloffstein; especially those of the latter artist; are wonderful in their imaginative qualities。 They are no more like the Grand Canyon than are the visions of Dore; yet they afford a good idea of the impression its vastness and sublimity made upon an artistic mind。

Starts up the River。 Ives ascended the river; passing Johnson on the way in the Mohave Valley; a few miles above the Needles。 The latter had gone to ferry Lieutenant Beale and his outfit across the river。 So in reality he was ahead of Ives; for he entered the Black Canyon to the highest point attainable by steamers before Ives did; and thus got the better of the man who had refused to hire him and his steamer。

Journey Is Abandoned。 But Ives went on as if Johnson had never existed; 〃discovered〃 what was already known; viz。: that the river 〃was flanked by walls many hundreds of feet in height; rising perpendicularly out of the water; the Colorado emerging from the bowels of the range;〃 and then struck a sunken rock; and had to give up in disgust。

Returns East across Country。 Sending his vessel; the Explorer; back to Fort Yuma under the command of Robinson; its efficient captain; the gallant lieutenant now struck out across country; having received new supplies and his pack…train。 Under the guidance of an intelligent Mohave Indian; Ireteba; they reached Diamond Creek; and there not only came in contact with the Wallapais; but for the first time saw the Big Canyon; as they called the Grand Canyon。 He then pushed on east; entered Havasupai (Cataract) Canyon; visited the Indians there; then made a wide detour to examine the San Francisco peaks; struck east again; crossed the Little Colorado; and reached the province of Tusayan; where dwell the Hopis。 After a short visit there; he crossed south and east to Fort Defiance; and finally returned east with his report。 When the Civil War broke out; Ives joined the Confederate forces and was killed in one of the battles。

Ives's Prediction。 As an evidence of the folly of making predictions in regard to what the future has in store for any region; let me quote one paragraph from Ives which always has amused me:

〃This region can be approached only from the south; and after entering it there is nothing to do but to leave。 Ours has been the first; and will doubtless be the last party of whites; to visit this profitless locality。〃 Yet Ives enjoyed the Canyon; and wrote some truly eloquent descriptions of it。 How surprised he would be could he come back now; approach it from the north; cross the river in a steel cage; and find at El Tovar such an hotel as even the city of Washington never surpassed in Ives's day。 Then; taking the Grand Canyon Railway; he could speed to Williams; and in twenty…four hours reach the Pacific; or in four days the Atlantic。 We march forward with great strides in these days。

Powell's Preparations for His Life…Work。 Even at the time of his writing (1858); John Wesley Powell was being prepared to bring Ives's words to naught。 Born March 24; 1834; at Mount Morris; Livingston County; New York; he found himself in 1858 at Wheaton; Illinois; engaged in making a conchological collection for the Illinois State Natural History Society。 While engaged in this work; he also secured collections in botany; zoology; and mineralogy。 His mind now opened to perceive that all these sciences were related to the greater science of geology; and thenceforward he declared that this should become his lifework。

Experiences in Civil War。 During the Civil War; he fought with bravery and honor; losing an arm at the battle of Shiloh; April 6; 1862。 When Sherman began his march to the sea; Powell was given command of twenty batteries of artillery。 He served on the staff of General Thomas at the battle of Nashville; and was mustered out in the early summer of 1865。 Even during these exciting years; his beloved science not only never lost its attraction for him; but he utilized every possible opportunity to add to his knowledge。 He made a collection of fossils unearthed in the digging of the Vicksburg trenches; and from the Mississippi swamps gathered land and river shells。 In Illinois; while on detached service; mosses engaged his attention; and he was indefatigable in studying the geology of the region through which his section of the army passed。

Begins Geological Explorations in Colorado。 After the war he declined a lucrative political office to take the chair of geology in the struggling Wesleyan University; of Bloomington; Illinois。 He had married his cousin; Emma Dean; in 1862; and; after a glimpse of the country in 1867; he took her and a party that he had organized; to make geological explorations in Colorado。 This was the beginning of his work that ultimately wrested the secrets from the mysterious canyons of the Colorado River。 This preliminary work led him on; as it were; to the greater work; and in 1869; on May 24; with four boats; the Emma Dean; Kitty Clyde's Sister; Maid of the Canyon; and No…Name; and nine companions; John C。 Sumner; William H。 Dunn; Walter H。 Powell; G。 Y。 Bradley; O。 G。 Howland; Seneca Howland; Frank Goodman; William R。 Hawkins; and Andres Hall; he set forth from Green River City。 The simple records of that trip; and a later one made in 1871…1873 (in which Frederick S。 Dellenbaugh; the author of 〃The Romance of the Colorado River〃; was engaged; read like a romance。 A condensation of them is but an aggravation。 No one interested in the Canyon should neglect to read them; and I am now arranging to republish Powell's original monograph; together with his monumental work on 〃The Canyons of the Colorado〃; the plates of which I purchased at his death for this purpose。

Powell's First Expedition。 In the first expedition; the party was from May 24 to August 30 passing through the Canyon system; from Green River City to the mouth of the Rio Virgen。 On the first of September; four of the men; with a small supply of provisions; resumed their journey on the river to Fort Mohave; while Powell and his brother returned to civilization by way of Salt Lake City。

Second Expedition。 Though chapter nine of Powell's report as publishe
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