gorge, where they discovered an abundance of driftwood, and decided
to make a raft with which to escape. This raft consisted of three
sticks of cottonwood about ten feet long and eight inches diameter, tied
together with lariats. They had abandoned their horses above, bringing
only their arms, ammunition, and some food. Waiting for midnight to come
so that their pursuers might not discover their intention, they seized
their poles and, under the waning moon, cast off, and were soon on the
tempestuous tide, rushing through the yawning chasm. "Through the long
night they clung to the raft as it dashed against half-concealed rocks,
or whirled about like a plaything in some eddy." When daylight came they
landed; as they had a smoother current and less rugged banks, though
the canyon walls appeared to have increased in height. They strengthened
their raft and went on. In the afternoon, after having floated about
thirty miles from the starting point they reached the junction of the
Grand and Green. So far all is well, but here he makes his first break,
as he had no conception of the actual character of the rivers at the
junction. He says the canyon now far surpassed that of either of the
forming streams, which is not so. For five or six miles below the
junction there is little change, yet he describes the walls as being
four thousand feet high, an altitude never attained in Cataract Canyon
at all, the highest being somewhat under three thousand, while at the
junction they are only thirteen hundred. Then he goes on to say that
detached pinnacles appeared to rise "one above the other," for one
thousand feet more, giving an altitude here of five thousand feet,
clearly an impression in his mind of the lower end of the Grand Canyon,
which he had doubtless become somewhat familiar with in some prospecting
trip. He fancied the "Great Canyon" began at the junction of the Grand
and Green, and he did not appreciate the distance that intervened
between Callville and that point. They tied up at night and travelled
in the day. No mention is made of the terrific rapids which roar in
Cataract Canyon, but he speaks of the "grey sandstone walls" the lower
portion smooth from the action of floods. There exist some greyish
walls; but most are red except in the granite gorges of the Grand
Canyon, where, for a thousand feet, they are black. Below the junction,
forty miles, they came to the mouth of the San Juan! Yet Cataract Canyon
and Narrow toget