ers, compasses, etc. With
the exception of the Emma Dean, which had on board only instruments and
clothing, the boats were loaded in such a way that if one should be lost
the expedition would still possess a variety of articles and food.

The first day they met with the usual number of minor accidents, such as
a starting expedition of this kind is seldom free from, like breaking an
oar, running on a shoal, and so on, but all went very well, and when the
evening came an early camp was made, and Powell climbed up and away from
the river to survey the situation.

"Standing on a high point," he says, "I can look off in every direction
over a vast landscape with salient rocks and cliffs glittering in the
evening sun. Dark shadows are settling in the valleys and gulches, and
the heights are made higher, and the depths deeper by the glamour and
witchery of light and shade. Away to the south, the Uinta mountains
stretch in a long line; high peaks thrust into the sky, and snow-fields
glittering like lakes of molten silver; and pine forests in sombre
green; and rosy clouds playing around the borders of huge black masses;
and heights and clouds and mountains and snow-fields and forests and
rock-lands are blended into one grand view."

This was the country before him. The Uinta Mountains, stretching their
picturesque and mighty barrier across the determined course of the
river, produce the first series of superb canyons on the threshold of
which Powell and his daring band were now setting foot. On the third day
they were at Henry's Fork, in the neighbourhood of that first camp in
this locality made by Ashley in 1825, and of his start in the experiment
in canyon running which so nearly terminated his brilliant career. The
"Suck," noted for its danger among the early trappers, was easily passed
and Powell makes no mention of it. So far as I can ascertain there were
two records kept on this expedition, one by Powell on strips of brown
paper, and the other by Jack Sumner on foolscap. The latter, comprised
in some six or eight pages, was the more complete, I believe, and is now
in Washington. I have not seen it since 1871, when we were in the habit
of daily reading its thrilling pages to find out what we might next
expect in our descent. If any other diary or journal was kept by the men
of this expedition I have not heard of it.

The first rapid is in Horseshoe Canyon, and it was no obstacle, being
small and docile, but when they had