"discovered," as mentioned above, by some of the trappers, but their
interior character was not known, except in the vaguest way, so that the
discovery was much like discovering a range of mountains on the horizon
and not entering beyond the foothills.

For the titles of works of reference, of the narratives of trappers,
etc., I refer to the works of H. H. Bancroft; to Warren's Memoirs, vol.
i. Pacific Railroad reports; and to the first volume of Lieut. Geo.
M. Wheeler's report on Explorations West of the 100th Meridian. The
trappers and prospectors who had some experience on the Green and the
Colorado have left either no records or very incomplete ones. It seems
tolerably certain, however, that no experience of importance has escaped
notice. So far as attempts at descent are concerned, they invariably met
with speedy disaster and were given up.

In writing the Spanish and other foreign proper names I have in no case
translated, because such translations result in needless confusion. To
translate "Rio del Tizon" as Firebrand River is making another name of
it. Few would recognise the Colorado River under the title of Red River,
as used, for example, in Pattie's narrative. While Colorado means red,
it is quite another matter as a NAME. Nor do I approve of hyphenating
native words, as is so frequently done. It is no easier to understand
Mis-sis-sip-pi than Mississippi. My thanks are due to Mr. Thomas Moran,
the distinguished painter, for the admirable sketch from nature he has
so kindly permitted a reproduction of for a frontispiece. Mr. Moran has
been identified as a painter of the Grand Canyon ever since 1873, when
he went there with one of Powell's parties and made sketches from the
end of the Kaibab Plateau which afterwards resulted in the splendid
picture of the Grand Canyon now owned by the Government.

I am indebted to Prof. A. H. Thompson for the use of his river diary
as a check upon my own, and also for many photographs now difficult
to obtain; and to Dr. G. K. Gilbert, Mr. E. E. Howell, Dr. T. Mitchell
Prudden, and Mr. Delancy Gill for the use of special photographs. Other
debts in this line I acknowledge in each instance and hence will not
repeat here. I had hoped to have an opportunity of again reading over
the diary which "Jack" Sumner kept on the first Powell expedition, and
which I have not seen since the time of the second expedition, but the
serious illness of Major Powell prevented my requesting the us