expecting to accomplish wonders. Ten miles, to the first bad rapids, was
the extent of their voyage, and there they were fortunate to escape
with their lives, but nothing else, and by means of ladders made from
driftwood, they reached once more the outer world, having learned the
lesson the Colorado is sure to teach those who regard it lightly. We
made a portage at the place and enjoyed a good laugh when we looked at
the vertical rocks and pictured the prospectors dismally crawling out of
the roaring waters with nothing left but the clothes on their backs. Our
opinion was, they were served just right: first, because they had stolen
our property, and, second, because they had so little sense. The walls
had rapidly grown in altitude, and near the river were vertical so that
climbing out at this place was a particularly difficult undertaking. The
river was still very high, but not at the highest stage of this year,
which had been passed before the Canonita party had come down to the
Paria from Fremont River. But the canyon was even yet uncomfortably full
and we were hoping the water would diminish rapidly, for high tide in
such a place is a great disadvantage. The stream was thick with red mud,
the condition from which it derived its name, and it swept along with
a splendid vigour that betokened a large reserve flood in the high
mountains. The marble composing the walls of this canyon for most of its
length is of a greyish drab colour often beautifully veined, but it must
not be supposed that the walls are the same colour externally, for they
are usually a deep red, due to the discoloration of their surface by
disintegration of beds above full of iron. Except where high water
had scoured the walls, there was generally no indication of their real
colour. In places the friction of the current had brought them to a
glistening polish; the surface was smooth as glass, and was sometimes
cut into multitudinous irregular flutings as deep as one's finger. The
grinding power of the current was well shown in some of the boulders,
which had been dovetailed together till the irregular line of juncture
was barely perceptible.

The next day was begun by accomplishing the portage over the rapid which
had punished the prospectors for their temerity and for their lack of
proper morals, and then we made most excellent progress, successfully
putting behind us eleven lively rapids free from rocks before we were
admonished to pause and make a