e White Horse by the
miners), I found would not be safe to run. I sent two men through the
canon in one of the canoes to await the arrival of the boat, and to be
ready in case of an accident to pick us up. Every man in the party was
supplied with a life-preserver, so that should a casualty occur we would
all have floated. Those in the canoe got through all right; but they
would not have liked to repeat the trip. They said the canoe jumped
about a great deal more than they thought it would, and I had the same
experience when going through in the boat.

"The passage through is made in about three minutes, or at the rate of
about 12-1/2 miles an hour. If the boat is kept clear of the sides there
is not much danger in high water; but in low water there is a rock in
the middle of the channel, near the upper end of the canon, that renders
the passage more difficult. I did not see this rock myself, but got my
information from some miners I met in the interior, who described it as
being about 150 yards down from the head and a little to the west of the
middle of the channel. In low water it barely projects above the
surface. When I passed through there was no indication of it, either
from the bank above or from the boat.

"The distance from the head to the foot of the canon is five-eighths of
a mile. There is a basin about midway in it about 150 yards in diameter.
This basin is circular in form, with steep sloping sides about 100 feet
high. The lower part of the canon is much rougher to run through than
the upper part, the fall being apparently much greater. The sides are
generally perpendicular, about 80 to 100 feet high, and consist of
basalt, in some places showing hexagonal columns.

"The White Horse Rapids are about three-eighths of a mile long. They are
the most dangerous rapids on the river, and are never run through in
boats except by accident. They are confined by low basaltic banks,
which, at the foot, suddenly close in and make the channel about 30
yards wide. It is here the danger lies, as there is a sudden drop and
the water rashes through at a tremendous rate, leaping and seething like
a cataract. The miners have constructed a portage road on the west side,
and put down rollways in some places on which to shove their boats over.
They have also made some windlasses with which to haul their boats up
hill, notably one at the foot of the canon. This roadway and windlasses
must have cost them many hours of hard labor