e replenished, and that mail from the world would be delivered by the
pack-train we expected to find there. Late in the afternoon we arrived
at the narrow cleft, and our men, who had waited long, were overjoyed to
greet us once more, for, as we were several days overdue, they had been
filled with forebodings, and had made up their minds they would never
see us again.

From the Little Colorado we had travelled over ninety difficult miles,
run one hundred and thirty-one rapids, made seven portages, and let down
six times. The water had now fallen again some three feet, but it was
still so high that it had backed up into the side canyon, where we ran
the boats on account of an excellent camping-place. Sunday was spent
resting here, and Thompson took observations for time. On Monday morning
we expected to pack up again and proceed down the gorge, but Powell,
instead of directing this course, announced that he had decided to end
the river work at this point on account of the extreme high water, which
would render impassable the rapid where the Rowlands and Dunn had left.
In addition, word was brought that the Shewits were in a state of war
and had resolved to ambush us as we came down, a plot that had been
revealed by a friendly member of the tribe to Jacob Hamblin. The ambush
plan did not disturb us much, however, but the stage of water for the
beginning of the Second Granite Gorge was another matter, and there was
no telling when it would fall. It had been demonstrated by our winter's
explorations that it would not be absolutely necessary for us to
continue below this point so far as perfecting the topographic work
was concerned, and as we were there for geographic purposes and not for
adventure, the decision was against unnecessary risk. This decision then
was, and ever since has been, a matter of great disappointment to me,
for I was ready to finish up the Grand Canyon. It was with mingled
feelings of regret and relief that I helped unload the boats, those
faithful friends, which had carried us safely over so many miles of
turbulent river, and from the constant hourly association had almost
taken on a personality, till they seemed like members of the party.
Sadly I turned my back on their familiar lines and followed the
pack-train up the narrow gorge in the direction of Kanab.

CHAPTER XIV

A Railway Proposed through the Canyons--The Brown Party, 1889,
Undertakes the Survey--Frail Boats and Disasters--The Dragon Cl