of the night? At one time he almost concluded to leave
the river and to strike out across the table-lands for the Mormon
settlements. But this trip had been the object of his life for many
years, looked forward to and dreamed of, and to leave the exploration
unfinished when he was so near the end, to acknowledge defeat, was more
than he could reconcile himself to.

[Illustration: GRANITE WALLS.]

In the morning his brother, Captain Powell, Sumner, Bradley, Hall and
Hawkins promised to remain with him, but the Howlands and Dunn were
fixed in their determination to go no farther. The provisions were
divided, and one of the boats was left with the deserters, who were also
provided with three guns: Howland was also entrusted with duplicate
copies of the records and with some mementos the voyagers desired to
have sent to friends and relatives should they not be heard of again. It
was a solemn parting. The Howlands and Dunn entreated the others not to
go on, telling them that it was obvious madness; but the decision had
been made, and the two boats pushed out into the stream.

They glided rapidly along the foot of the wall, grazing one large rock,
and then they pulled into the falls and plunged over them. The open
compartment of the major's boat was filled when she struck the first
wave below, but she cut through the upheaval, and by vigorous strokes
was drawn away from the dangerous rock farther down. They were scarcely
a minute in running through the rapids, and found that what had seemed
almost hopeless from above was really less difficult than many other
points on the river. The Rowlands and their companion were now out of
sight, and guns were fired to indicate to them that the passage had been
safely made and to induce them to follow; but no answer came, and after
waiting two hours the descent of the river was resumed.

[Illustration: CANON IN ESCALANTE BASIN.]

A succession of falls and rapids still had to be overcome, and in the
afternoon the explorers were once more threatened with defeat. A little
stream entered the canon from the left, and immediately below the river
broke over two falls, beyond which it rose in high waves and subsided in
whirlpools. The boats hugged the left wall for some distance, but when
the men saw that they could not descend on this side they pulled up
stream several hundred yards and crossed to the other. Here there was a
bed of basalt about one hundred feet high, which, disembarking, th