CANYONS OF THE COLORADO
BY J. W. POWELL, PH.D., LL.D.,
Formerly Director of the United States Geological Survey. Member of the National Academy of Sciences, etc., etc.
WITH MANY ILLUSTRATIONS.
First published 1895
PREFACE.
On my return from the first exploration of the canyons of the Colorado, I found that our journey had been the theme of much newspaper writing. A story of disaster had been circulated, with many particulars of hardship and tragedy, so that it was currently believed throughout the United States that all the members of the party were lost save one. A good friend of mine had gathered a great number of obituary notices, and it was interesting and rather flattering to me to discover the high esteem in which I had been held by the people of the United States. In my supposed death I had attained to a glory which I fear my continued life has not fully vindicated.
The exploration was not made for adventure, but purely for scientific purposes, geographic and geologic, and I had no intention of writing an account of it, but only of recording the scientific results. Immediately on my return I was interviewed a number of times, and these interviews were published in the daily press; and here I supposed all interest in the exploration ended. But in 1874 the editors of Scribner's Monthly requested me to publish a popular account of the Colorado exploration in that journal. To this I acceded and prepared four short articles, which were elaborately illustrated from photographs in my possession.
In the same year--1874--at the instance of Professor Henry of the Smithsonian Institution, I was called before an appropriations committee of the House of Representatives to explain certain estimates made by the Professor for funds to continue scientific work which had been in progress from the date of the original exploration. Mr. Garfield was chairman of the committee, and after listening to my
IV PREFACE.
account of the progress of the geographic and geologic work, he asked me why no history of the original exploration of the canyons had been published. I informed him that I had no interest in that work as an adventure, but was interested only in the scientific results, and that these results had in part been published and in part were in course of publication. Thereupon Mr. Garfield, in a pleasant manner, insisted that the history of the exploration should be published by the government, and that I must understand that my scientific work would be continued by additional appropriations only upon my promise that I would publish an account of the exploration. I made the promise, and the task was immediately undertaken.
My daily journal had been kept on long and narrow strips of brown paper, which were gathered into little volumes that were bound in sole leather in camp as they were completed. After some deliberation I decided to publish this journal, with only such emendations and corrections as its hasty writing in camp necessitated. It chanced that the journal was written in the present tense, so that the first account of my trip appeared in that tense. The journal thus published was not a lengthy paper, constituting but a part of a report entitled "Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and its Tributaries. Explored in 1869, 1870, 1871, and 1872, under the direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution." The other papers published with it relate to the geography, geology, and natural history of the country. And here again I supposed all account of the exploration ended. But from that time until the present I have received many letters urging that a popular account of the exploration and a description of that wonderful land should be published by me. This call has been voiced occasionally in the daily press and sometimes in the magazines, until at last I have concluded to publish a fuller account in popular form. In doing this I have revised and enlarged the original journal of exploration, and have added several new chapters descriptive of the region and of the people who inhabit it. Realizing the difficulty of painting in word colors a land so strange, so wonderful, and so vast in its features, in the weakness of my descriptive powers I have sought refuge in graphic illustration, and for this purpose have gathered from the magazines and from various scien-
PREFACE. V
tific reports an abundance of material. All of this illustrative material originated in my work, but it has already been used elsewhere.
Many years have passed since the exploration, and those who were boys with me in the enterprise are--ah, most of them are dead, and the living are gray with age. Their bronzed, hardy, brave faces come before me as they appeared in the vigor of life; their lithe but powerful forms seem to move around me; and the memory of the men and their heroic deeds, the men and their generous acts, overwhelms me with a joy that seems almost a grief, for it starts a fountain of tears. I was a maimed man; my right arm was gone; and these brave men, these good men, never forgot it. In every danger my safety was their first care, and in every waking hour some kind service was rendered me, and they transfigured my misfortune into a boon.
To you--J. C. Sumner, William H. Dunn, W. H. Powell, G. Y. Bradley, O. G. Howland, Seneca Howland, Frank Goodman, W. E. Hawkins, and Andrew Hall--my noble and generous companions, dead and alive, I dedicate this book.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. The Valley of the Colorado ..[17]
II. Mesas and, Buttes . . . . [39]
III. Mountains and Plateaus ...[67]
IV. Cliffs and Terraces ....[89]
V. From Green River City to Flaming Gorge . [117]
VI. From Flaming Gorge to the Gate of Lodore . . [133]
VII. The Canyon of Lodore ...[151]
VIII. From Echo Park to the Mouth of the Uinta River .[167]
IX. From the Mouth of the Uinta River to the Junction of the
Grand and Green . ...[189]
X. From the Junction of the Grand and Green to the Mouth
of the Little Colorado ......[211]
XI. From the Little Colorado to the Foot of the Grand Canyon[247]
XII. The Rio Virgen and the Uinkaret Mountains . .[289]
XIII. Over the River ....[327]
XIV. To Zuñi ......[351]
XV. The Grand Canyon ....[379]
Index .......[399]
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Portrait of the Author ....... Frontispiece [missing]
PAGE
The Colorado River ......[16]
Parunuweap Canyon .....[18]
Bird's-eye View of the Cliffs ....[19]
San Francisco Peak .....[21]
Cliff near Fort Wingate .....[22]
Scenery on the High Plateaus ...[23]
The Mogollon Escarpment ....[25]
Snow-clad Mountains on the River ..[26]
Our Messenger ......[28]
Apache Basket ......[29]
Our Messenger's Wife .....[30]
Ruins of Toyalone .....[31]
A Zuñí Court .......[33]
Adobe Church, Zuñi .....[34]
The Site of Moenkopi . . . . . . . . 36
Mountain of the Holy Cross ...[38]
Wingate Cliff .......[40]
Pyramid Butte near Fort Wingate ..[41]
Zuñi Cliffs .......[42]
Great Neck Nine Miles South of Salazar .[43]
Cinder Cone and Neck, Northeast of Grant Station [44]
Two Large Necks, the More Distant One being the Cabazon[45]
Neck Six Miles Northeast of Juantafoya ..[46]
A Group of Necks near Mount Taylor .[47]
Panorama from the Edge of Mount Taylor Mesa [48]
Panorama in the Valley of the Puerco .[50]
Ruins at the Head of McElmo Canyon . . . [52]
A Navajo Hogan ......[53]
An Ancient Coiled Vase from Tusayan ..[54]
A Typical Cliff Dwelling ....[56]
A Room in a Pueblo .....[57]
A Navajo Ready for a Journey ...[58]
A Navajo Boy .......[59]
Gardens of Zuñi ......[60]
A Tusayan Ladder ......[61]
A Zuñi Stool ......[61]
X CANYONS OF THE COLORADO.
PAGE
A Tusayan Field Shelter .....[62]
Another Tusayan Field Shelter ...[63]
View of Hano, One of the Seven Pueblos of Tusayan . [64]
Mesa Verde . . . . ... . . between 64 and 65
Mount Moran, Teton Range, Wyoming ..[66]
Marble Basins, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park [69]
Terraced Basins, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park [70]
Tabernacle Crater and Lava Beds of the Basin Province [73]
View on Great Salt Lake Desert, showing Mountains half buried by Lake Sediments .....[74]
An Indian Hunter ......[76]
Reservoir Butte, showing Terraces of the Ancient Lake Bonneville Shorelines . . . . . . . [77]
Pavant Butte, over a Submarine Volcano of the Great Basin [78]
An Indian Camp ......[79]
Indians Gambling ......[80]
Ruin near Moenkopi .....[81]
Ruins of Payupki, Six Miles Northwest of Mashongnavi, Tusayan .. 82
Shupaulovi .......[85]
General View of Zuñi, looking West ..[86]
The Gray Cliffs ......[88]
Section and Bird's-eye View of the Plateaus North of the Grand Canyon ......[90]
A Group of Stone Corrals ....[91]
Ruins ........[92]
Lagoon on the Kaibab .....[95]
Pink Cliffs, Paunsagunt Plateau ...[96]
A Permian Butte ......[99]
Vermilion Cliffs at Kanab .....[100]
A Midsummerday's Dream on the Colob .[103]
An Indian Village ......[104]
Antinaints, Putusiv, and Wichuts in Festal Dress . [105]
Perspective View of Typical Solitary House .[106]
Perspective View of Round-House Structure of Lava . [107]
An Ancient Cliff House .....[108]
A Zuñi Eagle Cage .....[109]
A View of Zuñi ......[110]
Walpi Dance Rock .....[112]
A Passageway in Walpi .....[114]
A Passageway in Mashongnavi ...[115]
The Hurricane Fault ..... between [114] and [115]
Temples and Towers of the Rio Virgen . between 114 and 115
Towers of the Vermilion Cliffs .... between [114] and [115]
Panorama ....... between [114] and [115]
Terraced Houses in Zuñi .....[116]
The Start from Green River Station ..[118]
View in Sichumovi ......[121]
Trail up Walpi Mesa .....[122]
Ridges on Bitter Creek .....[123]
Mesas ........[124]
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. XI
PAGE
A Valley West of Green River ...[125]
Alcove Lands ......[126]
Bad Lands . . . . . . . . . . [127]
Our Indian Guide .....[128]
Our Guide's Boy ......[129]
Green River Plains .....[130]
The Chief Kiva of Shupaulovi . . . . . . [131]
Walpi .........[132]
Camp at Flaming Gorge . . . . . . . [134]
Mashongnavi, with Shupaulovi in the Distance . . [135]
Horseshoe Canyon ......[136]
Scene in Hano ......[139]
Pescado Pueblo, Outside Steps ....[140]
Oven near Pescado Pueblo ....[141]
Primitive Andiron in Shumopavi ...[142]
Tusayan Mealing-Stones ....[143]
Kiva and Stone Corrals of Mashongnavi ..[144]
"Hogbacks" with Intervening Valleys .[146]
An Ancient Pueblo Metate ....[148]
The Home of the Chief ....[150]
Gate of Lodore .......[153]
Wreck at Disaster Falls . . . . . . [155]
Metalliferous Veins exposed to View ..[a]156]
Winnie's Grotto, a Side Canyon ...[159]
Eroded Towers capped with Large Blocks of Sandstone . [161]
Fire in Camp ......[162]
An Isolated House at Zuñi ....[164]
An Oraibi Court ......[166]
The Rescue . . . . . . . . . ...169
Echo Park .......[170]
Fragment of Wall, Zuñi .....[171]
Kivas of Shumopavi .....[172]
General View of Awatubi . . . . . . . [173]
Swallow Cave . . . . . . . . [175]
View of Shumopavi . . . . . . . . [177]
Indian Lodge in the Uinta Valley ...[181]
Warrior and Bride .....[183]
Our Interpreter and His Family ...[185]
House Building at Oraibi ....[186]
General View of Ojo Caliente ....[188]
Sumner's Amphitheater ....[190]
Chimneys and Roofs, Zuñi ....[193]
A Tusayan Interior .....[194]
Lighthouse Rock, Canyon of Desolation ..[197]
Gunnison Butte, Gray Canyon ...[199]
Ruins of Ketchipauau .....[201]
Bird's-eye View of the Land of the Standing Rocks . [202]
The Butte of the Cross .....[204]
Land of the Standing Rocks . . . . [205]
XII
CANYONS OF THE COLORADO.
PAGE
Moenkopi .......[207]
Oraibi Houses .......[208]
The Heart of Marble Canyon ...[210]
A Lateral Canyon. ......[213]
A Tusayan Mealing Trough. ...[215]
The Heart of Cataract Canyon . . . . . [217]
Water Basin in Gypsum Canyon ...[219]
The Water Pocket Canyon ....[221]
Plan of the Ruin of Kiu-Tiel, near Tusayau . . [222]
Pescado Houses .......[225]
Repairing Boats at the Mouth of Dirty Devil River . [226]
Ruins on the Brink of Glen Canyon ..[228]
Island Monument iu Glen Canyon ...[231]
Glen Canyon .......[232]
An Enclosing Wall of Upright Stones at Ojo Caliente [235]
Marble Canyon .......[236]
Noonday Rest in Marble Canyon ..[239]
View of Marble Canyon from Vermilion Cliffs . . [240]
Adobe Walls, Zuñi .....[243]
At the Mouth of the Little Colorado ..[246]
Walls of Gneiss ......[249]
Running a Rapid ......[250]
Head of the Grand Canyon ....[252]
The Inner Gorge ......[254]
Signal of Discovery or Alarm . . . . . [257]
Signal, "Who are you?" Answer, "Pani" . . . ...258
Signal of Successful War Party ...[261]
A Signal of Peace ......[262]
Moki Method of Dressing the Hair ..[265]
Moki Method of Spinning ....[266]
An Alcove in the Red Wall ...[269]
Kanab Canyon, near the Junction ...[270]
Kanab Canyon in the Red Wall Limestone . . [273]
The Brink of the Inner Gorge ....[275]
The Grand Canyon of the Colorado, showing Amphitheater and Sculptured Buttes .....[276]
Climbing the Grand Canyon Wall ..[279]
Triangulation Station .....[281]
Cavate Houses ......[283]
Standing Rocks .......[285]
Mount Trumbull, from Mount Logan ..[288]
Mary's Veil, the Upper Fall on Pine Creek . . . [290]
Filling's Cascade, the Lower Palls on Pine Creek . [291]
Aboriginal Ladder . ... . . . . . [292]
Another Style of Ladder ....[293]
Entrance to Parunuweap .....[295]
Towers on the Rio Virgen ....[296]
Mukuntuweap Canyon . . . . . . . [298]
The Witches' Water Pocket ....[301]
Wunavai Gathering Seeds .....[302]
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Xlll
PAGE
Terrace Fireplace and Chimney of Shumopavi . . [305]
A Sweat House .......[306]
An Interior Lodge ......[309]
Halved and Pinned Trapdoor Frame of Zuñí Kiva . . [310]
Wooden Pivot Hinges of a Zuñi Door .[310]
A Poultry House of Sichumovi resembling an Oven . [312]
The Human Pickle .....[314]
Recent Lava Flow on the Uinkaret . . . . . [317]
A Zuñi Window glazed with Selenite ..[318]
A Zuñi Chair .......[319]
An Ancient Circular Doorway or "Stone Close" in Kin-Tiel [320]
A Gaming Ring ......[320]
Interior View of a Tusayan Kiva ..[322]
Cave Lake in Kanab Canyon ....[324]
Ancient Pottery from Tusayan ...[326]
Tusayan Fetiches and Implements ...[329]
Dance Paraphernalia from Tusayan ..[332]
The Thousand Wells .....[334]
Terraced Houses in Oraibi showing Entrance to Kiva in Foreground ........[335]
The House of Talti, Chief of the Council in the Town of Oraibi 337
Praying for Rain ......[339]
Mashongnavi .......[340]
Tusayan Trays .......[341]
Tusayan Maskettes .....[343]
Sichumovi and Hano .....[344]
Walpi, a Village of Tusayan ...[346]
Tusayan Basketry ....[330], [348], [349]
Zuñi from Housetops, looking East ..[350]
Navajo Indian with Silver Ornaments ..[352]
Bringing down the Batten . . . . [353]
Navajo Church, near Fort Wingate ...[354]
Round Tower on a Rock ....[355]
Toyalone, from the Top of a House in Zuñi .[356]
Typical Terraced Communal Pueblo ..[357]
Dancer holding up the Great Plumed Arrow .[358]
Dancer "swallowing" the Great Plumed Arrow . [359]
Navajo Woman weaving a Belt ...[360]
Navajo Woman spinning ....[361]
A Room in a Zuñi House ....[362]
Ashtishkee, a Navajo Chief ....[365]
Navajo Medicine Lodge, viewed from the South . . [366]
Navajo Medicine Lodge, viewed from the East . . [367]
Navajo Fire Dance ......[368]
Workshop of Navajo Silversmith ...[369]
Zuñi Woman weaving a Belt ....[370]
Weaving of Diamond-shaped Diagonals .[371]
Zuñi Fetiches .......[372]
Effigy Pottery from Zuñi ....[373]
Zuñi Pottery .......[374]
XIV CANYONS OF THE COLORADO.
PAGE
Zuñi Grails .......[375]
Culinary Pottery from Zuñí . . . . . . [376]