near where the road came in from Kanab, whence
our final departure would be made as soon as Powell, who needed a little
extra time for arranging his papers and general affairs, should say the
word. Everything was carefully attended to, as if we were preparing our
last will and testament, and were never to be seen alive again, and I
believe this was the firm conviction of most of those not going with
the boats. Those who were going had abundant respect for the dragon, and
well knew that no holiday excursion was before them. Their spirit was
humble, and no precaution was to be neglected; no spirit of bravado
permitted to endanger the success of the undertaking. Mrs. Thompson and
De Motte ran down with us through two small rapids that exist at
the mouth of the Paria, and which we had to pass to reach the camp
mentioned. Mrs. Thompson would willingly have gone all the way through
if her husband had consented to it.

On the 15th it was "all ashore not going"; we said our farewells to
those leaving for Kanab, and turned our attention to the river. We would
see no one after starting till we arrived at the mouth of the Kanab,
where we had discovered, during the winter, that a pack-train, with some
difficulty, could be brought in with supplies. It was not till the 17th
that we were able to leave, as the boats needed some further attention.
On that day, about nine o'clock, we cast off and went down some five
miles, running one little rapid and another of considerable size before
we halted for dinner. The walls were still not high, only about five
hundred feet, and I climbed out to secure a farewell glance at the
open country. On starting again we had not gone far before we came to a
really bad place, a fall of about eighteen feet in seventy-five yards,
where it was deemed respectful to make a portage. This accomplished,
another of the same nature, with an equally fierce growl, discovered
itself not far below, and a camp was made where we landed at its head.
This was ten miles below our starting-point, and seemed to be the
spot where a band of ten mining prospectors were wrecked about a month
before. They had gone in to the mouth of the Paria on a prospecting
trip, and concluded they would examine the Grand Canyon. Consequently
they built a large raft, and after helping themselves to a lot of our
cooking utensils and other things from some caches we had made when
we went out from the river for our winter's work, they sailed, away,