,titan of ,chasms ,the ,grand ,canyon of ,arizona ,,the ,,titan ,,of ,,chasms ,by ,c4 ,a4 ,,higgins ,,the ,,scientific ,,explorer ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,powell ,,the ,,greatest ,,thing ,,in ,,the ,,world ,by ,,chas4 ,f4 ,,lummis ,,information ,,for ,,tourists ,illustration3 ,sante ,fe ,fortieth ,thousand ,,passenger ,,department ,,the ,,santa ,,fe ,,chicago1 #aijc4 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 #ahii1 by ,h4 ,g4 ,peabody4 ,bright ,angel ,creek and ,north ,wall of the ,canyon4 ,illustration3 ,uncaptioned vista ,,the ,,titan ,,of ,,chasms ,,by ,c4 ,a4 ,,higgins ,its ,history ,the ,colorado is one of the great rivers of ,north ,america4 ,formed in ,southern ,utah by the confluence of the ,green and ,grand1 it intersects the northwestern corner of ,arizona1 and1 becoming the eastern boundary of ,nevada and ,california1 flows southward until it reaches tidewater in the ,gulf of ,california1 ,mexico4 ,it drains a territory of #cjj1jjj square miles1 and1 traced back to the rise of its principal source1 is #b1jjj miles long4 ,at two points1 ,needles and ,yuma on the ,california boundary1 it is crossed by a railroad4 ,elsewhere its course lies far from ,caucasian settlements and far from the routes of common travel1 in the heart of a vast region fenced on the one hand by arid plains or deep forests and on the other by formidable mountains4 ,the early ,spanish explorers first reported it to the civilized world in #aedj1 two separate expeditions becoming acquainted with the river for a comparatively short distance above its mouth1 and another1 journeying from the ,moki ,pueblos northwestward across the desert1 obtaining the first view of the ,big ,canyon1 failing in every effort to descend the canyon wall1 and spying the river only from afar4 ,again1 in #aggf1 a ,spanish priest traveling southward through ,utah struck off from the ,virgin ,river to the southeast and found a practicable crossing at a point that still bears the name 8,vado de los ,padres40 ,for more than eighty years thereafter the ,big ,canyon remained unvisited except by the ,indian1 the ,mormon herdsman1 and the trapper1 although the ,sitgreaves expedition of #ahea1 journeying westward1 struck the river about #aej miles above ,yuma1 and ,lieutenant ,whipple in #ahed made a survey for a practicable railroad route along the thirty-fifth parallel1 where the ,santa ,fe ,pacific has since been constructed4 ,the establishment of military posts in ,new ,mexico and ,utah having made desirable the use of a waterway for the cheap transportation of supplies1 in #aheg the ,war ,department dispatched an expedition in charge of ,lieutenant ,ives to explore the ,colorado as far from its mouth as navigation should be found practicable4 ,ives ascended the river in a specially constructed steamboat to the head of ,black ,canyon1 a few miles below the confluence of the ,virgin ,river in ,nevada1 where further navigation became impossible2 then1 returning to the ,needles1 he set off across the country toward the northeast4 ,he reached the ,big ,canyon at ,diamond ,creek and at ,cataract ,creek in the spring of #aheh1 and from the latter point made a wide southward detour around the ,san ,francisco ,peaks1 thence northeastward to the ,moki ,pueblos1 thence eastward to ,fort ,defiance1 and so back to civilization4 ,that is the history of the explorations of the ,colorado up to forty years ago4 ,its exact course was unknown for many hundred miles1 even its origin being a matter of conjecture4 ,it was difficult to approach within a distance of two or three miles from the channel1 while descent to the river's edge could be hazarded only at wide intervals1 inasmuch as it lay in an appalling fissure at the foot of seemingly impassable cliff terraces that led down from the bordering plateau2 and to attempt its navigation was to court death4 ,it was known in a general way that the entire channel between ,nevada and ,utah was of the same titanic character1 reaching its culmination nearly midway in its course through ,arizona4 ,illustration3 ,the ,colorado1 ,foot of ,bright ,angel ,trail4 ,in #ahfi ,maj4 ,j4 ,w4 ,powell undertook the exploration of the river with nine men and four boats1 starting from ,green ,river ,city1 on the ,green ,river1 in ,utah4 ,the project met with the most urgent remonstrance from those who were best acquainted with the region1 including the ,indians1 who maintained that boats could not possibly live in any one of a score of rapids and falls known to them1 to say nothing of the vast unknown stretches in which at any moment a ,niagara might be disclosed4 ,it was also currently believed that for hundreds of miles the river disappeared wholly beneath the surface of the earth4 ,powell launched his flotilla on ,may #bdth1 and on ,august #cjth landed at the mouth of the ,virgin ,river1 more than one thousand miles by the river channel from the place of starting1 minus two boats and four men4 ,one of the men had left the expedition by way of an ,indian reservation agency before reaching ,arizona1 and three1 after holding out against unprecedented terrors for many weeks1 had finally become daunted1 choosing to encounter the perils of an unknown desert rather than to brave any longer the frightful menaces of that ,stygian torrent4 ,these three1 unfortunately making their appearance on the plateau at a time when a recent depredation was colorably chargeable upon them1 were killed by ,indians1 their story of having come thus far down the river in boats being wholly discredited by their captors4 ,powell's journal of the trip is a fascinating tale1 written in a compact and modest style1 which1 in spite of its reticence1 tells an epic story of purest heroism4 ,it definitely established the scene of his exploration as the most wonderful geological and spectacular phenomenon known to mankind1 and justified the name which had been bestowed upon it--,the ,grand ,canyon--sublimest of gorges2 ,titan of chasms4 ,many scientists have since visited it1 and1 in the aggregate1 a large number of unprofessional lovers of nature2 but until a few years ago no adequate facilities were provided for the general sight-seer1 and the world's most stupendous panorama was known principally through report1 by reason of the discomforts and difficulties1 of the trip1 which deterred all except the most indefatigable enthusiasts4 ,even its geographical location is the subject of widespread misapprehension4 ,its title has been pirated for application to relatively insignificant canyons in distant parts of the country1 and thousands of tourists have been led to believe that they saw the ,grand ,canyon1 when1 in fact1 they looked upon a totally different scene1 between which and the real ,grand ,canyon there is no more comparison 8than there is between the ,alleghanies or ,trosachs and the ,himalayas40 ,there is but one ,grand ,canyon4 ,nowhere in the world has its like been found4 ,as ,seen ,from the ,rim ,stolid1 indeed1 is he who can front the awful scene and view its unearthly splendor of color and form without quaking knee or tremulous breath4 ,an inferno1 swathed in soft celestial fires2 a whole chaotic under-world1 just emptied of primeval floods and waiting for a new creative word2 eluding all sense of perspective or dimension1 outstretching the faculty of measurement1 overlapping the confines of definite apprehension2 a boding1 terrible thing1 unflinchingly real1 yet spectral as a dream4 ,the beholder is at first unimpressed by any detail2 he is overwhelmed by the ensemble of a stupendous panorama1 a thousand square miles in extent1 that lies wholly beneath the eye1 as if he stood upon a mountain peak instead of the level brink of a fearful chasm in the plateau1 whose opposite shore is thirteen miles away4 ,a labyrinth of huge architectural forms1 endlessly varied in design1 fretted with ornamental devices1 festooned with lace-like webs formed of talus from the upper cliffs and painted with every color known to the palette in pure transparent tones of marvelous delicacy4 ,never was picture more harmonious1 never flower more exquisitely beautiful4 ,it flashes instant communication of all that architecture and painting and music for a thousand years have gropingly striven to express4 ,it is the soul of ,michael ,angelo and of ,beethoven4 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 #ahii1 by ,h4 ,g4 ,peabody4 ,the ,river and the ,canyon ,wall4 ,a canyon1 truly1 but not after the accepted type4 ,an intricate system of canyons1 rather1 each subordinate to the river channel in the midst1 which in its turn is subordinate to the whole effect4 ,that river channel1 the profoundest depth1 and actually more than #f1jjj feet below the point of view1 is in seeming a rather insignificant trench1 attracting the eye more by reason of its somber tone and mysterious suggestion than by any appreciable characteristic of a chasm4 ,it is perhaps five miles distant in a straight line1 and its uppermost rims are nearly #d1jjj feet beneath the observer1 whose measuring capacity is entirely inadequate to the demand made by such magnitudes4 ,one can not believe the distance to be more than a mile as the crow flies1 before descending the wall or attempting some other form of actual measurement4 ,mere brain knowledge counts for little against the illusion under which the organ of vision is here doomed to labor4 ,yonder cliff1 darkening from white to gray1 yellow1 and brown as your glance descends1 is taller than the ,washington ,monument4 ,the ,auditorium in ,chicago would not cover one-half its perpendicular span4 ,yet it does not greatly impress you4 ,you idly toss a pebble toward it1 and are surprised to note how far the missile falls short4 ,by and by you will learn that it is a good half mile distant1 and when you go down the trail you will gain an abiding sense of its real proportions4 ,yet1 relatively1 it is an unimportant detail of the scene4 ,were ,vulcan to cast it bodily into the chasm directly beneath your feet1 it would pass for a bowlder1 if1 indeed1 it were discoverable to the unaided eye4 ,yet the immediate chasm itself is only the first step of a long terrace that leads down to the innermost gorge and the river4 ,roll a heavy stone to the rim and let it go4 ,it falls sheer the height of a church or an ,eiffel ,tower1 according to the point selected for such pastime1 and explodes like a bomb on a projecting ledge4 ,if1 happily1 any considerable fragments remain1 they bound onward like elastic balls1 leaping in wild parabola from point to point1 snapping trees like straws2 bursting1 crashing1 thundering down the declivities until they make a last plunge over the brink of a void2 and then there comes languidly up the cliff sides a faint1 distant roar1 and your bowlder that had withstood the buffets of centuries lies scattered as wide as ,wycliffe's ashes1 although the final fragment has lodged only a little way1 so to speak1 below the rim4 ,such performances are frequently given in these amphitheaters without human aid1 by the mere undermining of the rain1 or perhaps it is here that ,sisyphus rehearses his unending task4 ,often in the silence of night some tremendous fragment has been heard crashing from terrace to terrace with shocks like thunder peal4 ,the spectacle is so symmetrical1 and so completely excludes the outside world and its accustomed standards1 it is with difficulty one can acquire any notion of its immensity4 ,were it half as deep1 half as broad1 it would be no less bewildering1 so utterly does it baffle human grasp4 ,the ,trip to the ,river ,only by descending into the canyon may one arrive at anything like comprehension of its proportions1 and the descent can not be too urgently commended to every visitor who is sufficiently robust to bear a reasonable amount of fatigue4 ,there are four paths down the southern wall of the canyon in the granite gorge district--,mystic ,spring1 ,bright ,angel1 ,berry's and ,hance's trails4 ,the following account of a descent of the old ,hance trail will serve to indicate the nature of such an experience to-day1 except that the trip may now be safely made with greater comfort4 ,for the first two miles it is a sort of ,jacob's ladder1 zigzagging at an unrelenting pitch4 ,at the end of two miles a comparatively gentle slope is reached1 known as the blue limestone level1 some #b1ejj feet below the rim1 that is to say--for such figures have to be impressed objectively upon the mind--five times the height of ,st4 ,peter's1 the ,pyramid of ,cheops1 or the ,strasburg ,cathedral2 eight times the height of the ,bartholdi ,statue of ,liberty2 eleven times the height of ,bunker ,hill ,monument4 ,looking back from this level the huge picturesque towers that border the rim shrink to pigmies and seem to crown a perpendicular wall1 unattainably far in the sky4 ,yet less than one-half the descent has been made4 ,overshadowed by sandstone of chocolate hue the way grows gloomy and foreboding1 and the gorge narrows4 ,the traveler stops a moment beneath a slanting cliff #ejj feet high1 where there is an ,indian grave and pottery scattered about4 ,a gigantic niche has been worn in the face of this cavernous cliff1 which1 in recognition of its fancied ,egyptian character1 was named the ,temple of ,sett by the painter1 ,thomas ,moran4 ,a little beyond this temple it becomes necessary to abandon the animals4 ,the river is still a mile and a half distant4 ,the way narrows now to a mere notch1 where two wagons could barely pass1 and the granite begins to tower gloomily overhead1 for we have dropped below the sandstone and have entered the archan--a frowning black rock1 streaked1 veined1 and swirled with vivid red and white1 smoothed and polished by the rivulet and beautiful as a mosaic4 ,obstacles are encountered in the form of steep1 interposing crags1 past which the brook has found a way1 but over which the pedestrian must clamber4 ,after these lesser difficulties come sheer descents1 which at present are passed by the aid of ropes4 ,the last considerable drop is a #dj-;foot bit by the side of a pretty cascade1 where there are just enough irregularities in the wall to give toe-hold4 ,the narrowed cleft becomes exceedingly wayward in its course1 turning abruptly to right and left1 and working down into twilight depth4 ,it is very still4 ,at every turn one looks to see the embouchure upon the river1 anticipating the sudden shock of the unintercepted roar of waters4 ,when at last this is reached1 over a final downward clamber1 the traveler stands upon a sandy rift confronted by nearly vertical walls many hundred feet high1 at whose base a black torrent pitches in a giddying onward slide that gives him momentarily the sensation of slipping into an abyss4 ,illustration3 ,a ,party on ,bright ,angel ,trail4 ,with so little labor may one come to the ,colorado ,river in the heart of its most tremendous channel1 and gaze upon a sight that heretofore has had fewer witnesses than have the wilds of ,africa4 ,dwarfed by such prodigious mountain shores1 which rise immediately from the water at an angle that would deny footing to a mountain sheep1 it is not easy to estimate confidently the width and volume of the river4 ,choked by the stubborn granite at this point1 its width is probably between #bej and #cjj feet1 its velocity fifteen miles an hour1 and its volume and turmoil equal to the ,whirlpool ,rapids of ,niagara4 ,its rise in time of heavy rain is rapid and appalling1 for the walls shed almost instantly all the water that falls upon them4 ,drift is lodged in the crevices thirty feet overhead4 ,for only a few hundred yards is the tortuous stream visible1 but its effect upon the senses is perhaps the greater for that reason4 ,issuing as from a mountain side1 it slides with oily smoothness for a space and suddenly breaks into violent waves that comb back against the current and shoot unexpectedly here and there1 while the volume sways tide-like from side to side1 and long curling breakers form and hold their outline lengthwise of the shore1 despite the seemingly irresistible velocity of the water4 ,the river is laden with drift 7huge tree trunks71 which it tosses like chips in its terrible play4 ,standing upon that shore one can barely credit ,powell's achievement1 in spite of its absolute authenticity4 ,never was a more magnificent self-reliance displayed than by the man who not only undertook the passage of ,colorado ,river but won his way4 ,and after viewing a fraction of the scene at close range1 one can not hold it to the discredit of three of his companions that they abandoned the undertaking not far below this point4 ,the fact that those who persisted got through alive is hardly more astonishing than that any should have had the hardihood to persist4 ,for it could not have been alone the privation1 the infinite toil1 the unending suspense in constant menace of death that assaulted their courage2 these they had looked for2 it was rather the unlifted gloom of those tartarean depths1 the unspeakable horrors of an endless valley of the shadow of death1 in which every step was irrevocable4 ,returning to the spot where the animals were abandoned1 camp is made for the night4 ,next morning the way is retraced4 ,not the most fervid pictures of a poet's fancy could transcend the glories then revealed in the depths of the canyon2 inky shadows1 pale gildings of lofty spires1 golden splendors of sun beating full on faades of red and yellow1 obscurations of distant peaks by veils of transient shower1 glimpses of white towers half drowned in purple haze1 suffusions of rosy light blended in reflection from a hundred tinted walls4 ,caught up to exalted emotional heights the beholder becomes unmindful of fatigue4 ,he mounts on wings4 ,he drives the chariot of the sun4 ,illustration3 ,uncaptioned vista ,having returned to the plateau1 it will be found that the descent into the canyon has bestowed a sense of intimacy that almost amounts to a mental grasp of the scene4 ,the terrific deeps that part the walls of hundreds of castles and turrets of mountainous bulk may be approximately located in barely discernible pen-strokes of detail1 and will be apprehended mainly through the memory of upward looks from the bottom1 while towers and obstructions and yawning fissures that were deemed events of the trail will be wholly indistinguishable1 although they are known to lie somewhere flat beneath the eye4 ,the comparative insignificance of what are termed grand sights in other parts of the world is now clearly revealed4 ,twenty ,yosemites might lie unperceived anywhere below4 ,niagara1 that ,mecca of marvel seekers1 would not here possess the dignity of a trout stream4 ,your companion1 standing at a short distance on the verge1 is an insect to the eye4 ,still1 such particulars can not long hold the attention1 for the panorama is the real overmastering charm4 ,it is never twice the same4 ,although you think you have spelt out every temple and peak and escarpment1 as the angle of sunlight changes there begins a ghostly advance of colossal forms from the farther side1 and what you had taken to be the ultimate wall is seen to be made up of still other isolated sculptures1 revealed now for the first time by silhouetting shadows4 ,the scene incessantly changes1 flushing and fading1 advancing into crystalline clearness1 retiring into slumberous haze4 ,should it chance to have rained heavily in the night1 next morning the canyon is completely filled with fog4 ,as the sun mounts1 the curtain of mist suddenly breaks into cloud fleeces1 and while you gaze these fleeces rise and dissipate1 leaving the canyon bare4 ,at once around the bases of the lowest cliffs white puffs begin to appear1 creating a scene of unparalleled beauty as their dazzling cumuli swell and rise and their number multiplies1 until once more they overflow the rim1 and it is as if you stood on some land's end looking down upon a formless void4 ,then quickly comes the complete dissipation1 and again the marshaling in the depths1 the upward advance1 the total suffusion and the speedy vanishing1 repeated over and over until the warm walls have expelled their saturation4 ,long may the visitor loiter upon the verge1 powerless to shake loose from the charm1 tirelessly intent upon the silent transformations until the sun is low in the west4 ,then the canyon sinks into mysterious purple shadow1 the far ,shinumo ,altar is tipped with a golden ray1 and against a leaden horizon the long line of the ,echo ,cliffs reflects a soft brilliance of indescribable beauty1 a light that1 elsewhere1 surely never was on sea or land4 ,then darkness falls1 and should there be a moon1 the scene in part revives in silver light1 a thousand spectral forms projected from inscrutable gloom2 dreams of mountains1 as in their sleep they brood on things eternal4 ,illustration3 ,uncaptioned vista ,illustration3 ,uncaptioned vista ,,the ,,scientific ,,explorer ,,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,powell ,the ,ives and ,wheeler ,expeditions ,in the fall of #aheg ,lieutenant ,ives1 of the engineer corps of the army1 ascended the ,colorado ,river on a trip of exploration with a little steamer called the ,explorer2 he went as far as the mouth of the ,rio ,virgin4 ,falling back down river a few miles1 ,lieutenant ,ives met a pack train which had followed him up the bank of the stream4 ,here he disembarked1 and on the #bdth of ,march started with a land party to explore the eastern bank of the river2 making a long detour he ascended the plateau through which the ,grand ,canyon is cut1 and in an adventurous journey he obtained views of the canyon along its lower course4 ,on this trip ,j4 ,s4 ,newberry was the geologist1 and to him we are indebted for the first geological explanation of the canyon and the description of the high plateau through which it is formed4 ,doctor ,newberry was not only an able geologist1 but he was also a graphic writer1 and his description of the canyon as far as it was seen by him is a classic in geology4 ,in #ahfi ,lieutenant ,wheeler was sent out by the chief engineer of the army to explore the ,grand ,canyon from below4 ,in the spring he succeeded in reaching the mouth of ,diamond ,creek1 which had previously been seen by ,doctor ,newberry in #aheh4 ,mr4 ,gilbert was the geologist of this expedition1 and his studies of the canyon region during this and subsequent years have added greatly to our knowledge of this land of wonders4 ,major ,powell's ,several ,trips ,in this same year ,i essayed to explore the ,grand ,canyon of the ,colorado1 together with the upper canyons of that stream and the great canyons of the lower portion of ,green ,river4 ,for this purpose ,i employed four rowboats and made the descent from what is now ,green ,river station through the whole course of canyons to the mouth of the ,rio ,virgin1 a distance of more than a thousand miles4 ,illustration3 ,from ,kaibab ,plateau1 ,looking ,south4 ,in the spring of #ahgj ,i again started with three boats and descended the river to the ,crossing of the ,fathers1 where ,i met a pack train and went out with a party of men to explore ways down into the ,grand ,canyon from the north1 and devoted the summer1 fall1 winter1 and following spring to this undertaking4 ,in the summer of #ahga ,i returned to the rowboats and descended through ,marble ,canyon to the ,grand ,canyon of ,arizona1 and then through the greater part of the ,grand ,canyon itself4 ,subsequent years were then given to exploration of the country adjacent to the ,grand ,canyon4 ,on these trips ,mr4 ,gilbert1 the geologist1 who had been with ,lieutenant ,wheeler1 and ,capt4 ,c4 ,e4 ,dutton1 were my geological companions4 ,on the second boat trip1 and during all the subsequent years of exploration in this region1 ,prof4 ,a4 ,h4 ,thompson was my geographical companion1 assisted by a number of topographical engineers4 ,in #ahhb ,mr4 ,c4 ,d4 ,walcott1 as my assistant in the ,united ,states ,geological ,survey1 went with me into the depths of the ,grand ,canyon4 ,we descended from the summit of the ,kaibab ,plateau on the north by a trail which we built down a side canyon in a direction toward the mouth of the ,little ,colorado ,river4 ,the descent was made in the fall1 and a small party of men was left with ,mr4 ,walcott in this region of stupendous depths to make a study of the geology of an important region of labyrinthian gorges4 ,here1 with his party1 he was shut up for the winter1 for it was known when we left him that snows on the summit of the plateau would prevent his return to the upper region before the sun should melt them the next spring4 ,mr4 ,walcott is now the ,director of the ,united ,states ,geological ,survey4 ,after this year ,i made no substantial additions to my geologic and scenic knowledge of the ,grand ,canyon1 though ,i afterward studied the archology to the south and east throughout a wide region of ruined pueblos and cliff dwellings4 ,since my first trip in boats many others have essayed to follow me1 and year by year such expeditions have met with disaster2 some hardy adventurers are buried on the banks of the ,green1 and the graves of others are scattered at intervals along the course of the ,colorado4 ,in #ahhi the brave ,f4 ,m4 ,brown lost his life4 ,but finally a party of railroad engineers1 led by ,r4 ,b4 ,stanton1 started at the head of ,marble ,canyon and made their way down the river as they extended a survey for a railroad along its course4 ,other adventurous travelers have visited portions of the ,grand ,canyon region1 and ,mr4 ,g4 ,wharton ,james has extended his travels widely over the region in the interest of popular science and the new literature created in the last decades of the nineteenth century4 ,and now ,i once more return to a reminiscent account of the ,grand ,canyon1 for old men love to talk of the past4 ,the ,plateau ,region ,the ,grand ,canyon of ,arizona and the ,marble ,canyon constitute one great gorge carved by a mighty river through a high plateau4 ,on the northeast and north a line of cliffs face this plateau by a bold escarpment of rock4 ,climb these cliffs and you must ascend from #hjj to #a1jjj feet1 but on their summit you will stand upon a plateau stretching away to the north4 ,now turn to face the south and you will overlook the cliff and what appears to be a valley below4 ,from the foot of the cliff the country rises to the south to a great plateau through which the ,marble and the ,grand canyons are carved4 ,this plateau terminates abruptly on the west by the ,grand ,wash ,cliffs1 which is a high escarpment caused by a 8fault0 7as the geologist calls it71 that is1 the strata of sandstone and limestone are broken off1 and to the west of the fracture they are dropped down several thousand feet1 so that standing upon the edge of the plateau above the ,grand ,wash ,cliffs you may look off to the west over a vast region of desert from which low volcanic mountains rise that seem like purple mounds in sand-clad lands4 ,on the east the great plateau breaks down in a very irregular way into the valley of the ,little ,colorado1 and where the railroad ascends the plateau from the east it passes over picturesque canyons that run down into the ,little ,colorado4 ,on the south the plateau is merged into the great system of mountains that stand in ,southern ,arizona4 ,where the plateau ends and the mountains begin is not a well-defined line4 ,the plateau through which the ,grand ,canyon is cut is a region of great scenic interest4 ,its surface is from six to more than eight thousand feet above the level of the sea4 ,the ,grand ,plateau is composed of many subsidiary plateaus1 each one having its own peculiar and interesting feature4 ,the ,kaibab ,plateau1 to the northeast of the ,grand ,canyon1 is covered with a pine forest which is intercepted by a few meadows with here and there a pond or lakelet4 ,it is the home of deer and bear4 ,to the west is the ,shinumo ,plateau in which the ,shinumo ,canyon is carved2 and on the cliffs of this canyon and in the narrow valley along its course the ,shinumo ruins are found--the relics of a prehistoric race4 ,to the west of the ,shinumo ,plateau is the ,kanab ,plateau1 with ruins scattered over it1 and on its northern border the beautiful ,mormon town of ,kanab is found1 and the canyon of ,kanab ,creek separates the ,shinumo ,plateau from the ,kanab ,plateau4 ,it begins as a shallow gorge and gradually increases in depth until it reaches the ,colorado ,river itself1 at a depth of more than #d1jjj feet below the surface4 ,vast amphitheaters are found in its walls and titanic pinnacles rise from its depths4 ,one ,christmas day ,i waded up this creek4 ,it was one of the most delightful walks of my life1 from a land of flowers to a land of snow4 ,to the west of the ,kanab ,plateau are the ,uinkaret ,mountains--an immense group of volcanic cones upon a plateau4 ,some of these cones stand very near the brink of the ,grand ,canyon and from one of them a flood of basalt was poured into the canyon itself4 ,not long ago geologically1 but rather long when reckoned in years of human history1 this flood of lava rolled down the canyon for more than fifty miles1 filling it to the depth of two or three hundred feet and diverting the course of the river against one or the other of its banks4 ,many of the cones are of red cinder1 while sometimes the lava is piled up into huge mountains which are covered with forest4 ,to the west of the ,uinkaret ,mountains spreads the great ,shiwits ,plateau1 crowned by ,mount ,dellenbough4 ,past the south end of these plateaus runs the ,colorado ,river2 southward through ,marble ,canyon and in the ,grand ,canyon1 then northwestward past the ,kaibab and ,shinumo ,canyon1 then southwestward past the ,kanab ,plateau1 ,uinkaret ,mountains to the southernmost point of the ,shiwits ,plateau1 and then northwestward to the ,grand ,wash ,cliffs4 ,its distance in this course is little more than #cjj miles--but the #cjj miles of river are set on every side with cliffs1 buttes1 towers1 pinnacles1 amphitheaters1 caves1 and terraces1 exquisitely storm-carved and painted in an endless variety of colors4 ,the plateau to the south of the ,grand ,canyon1 which we need not describe in parts1 is largely covered with a gigantic forest4 ,there are many volcanic mountains and many treeless valleys4 ,in the high forest there are beautiful glades with little stretches of meadow which are spread in summer with a parterre of flowers of many colors4 ,this upper region is the garden of the world4 ,when ,i was first there bear1 deer1 antelope1 and wild turkeys abounded1 but now they are becoming scarce4 ,widely scattered throughout the plateau are small canyons1 each one a few miles in length and a few hundred feet in depth4 ,throughout their course cliff-dweller ruins are found4 ,in the highland glades and along the valley1 pueblo ruins are widely scattered1 but the strangest sights of all the things due to prehistoric man are the cave dwellings that are dug in the tops of cinder cones and the villages that were built in the caves of volcanic cliffs4 ,if now ,i have succeeded in creating a picture of the plateau ,i will attempt a brief description of the canyon4 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 #ahii1 by ,h4 ,g4 ,peabody4 ,bissell ,point and ,colorado ,river4 ,marble ,canyon ,above the ,paria the great river runs down a canyon which it has cut through one plateau4 ,on its way it flows with comparative quiet through beautiful scenery1 with glens that are vast amphitheaters which often overhang great springs and ponds of water deeply embosomed in the cliffs4 ,from the southern escarpment of this plateau the great ,colorado ,plateau rises by a comparatively gentle acclivity1 and ,marble ,canyon starts with walls but a few score feet in height until they reach an altitude of about #e1jjj feet4 ,on the way the channel is cut into beds of rock of lower geologic horizon1 or greater geologic age4 ,these rocks are sandstones and limestones4 ,some beds are very hard1 others are soft and friable4 ,the friable rocks wash out and the harder rocks remain projecting from the walls1 so that every wall presents a set of stony shelves4 ,these shelves rise along the wall toward the south as new shelves set in from below4 ,in addition to this shelving structure the walls are terraced and the cliffs of the canyon are set back one upon the other4 ,then these canyon walls are interrupted by side streams which themselves have carved lateral canyons1 some small1 others large1 but all deep4 ,in these side gorges the scenery is varied and picturesque2 deep clefts are seen here and there as you descend the river--clefts furnished with little streams along which mosses and other plants grow4 ,at low water the floor of the great canyon is more or less exposed1 and where it flows over limestone rocks beautiful marbles are seen in many colors2 saffron1 pink1 and blue prevail4 ,sometimes a faade or wall appears rising vertically from the water for thousands of feet4 ,at last the canyon abruptly ends in a confusion of hills beyond which rise towering cliffs1 and the group of hills are nestled in the bottom of a valley-like region which is surrounded by cliffs more than a mile in altitude4 ,the ,grand ,canyon ,from here on for many miles the whole character of the canyon changes4 ,first a dike appears2 this is a wall of black basalt crossing the river2 it is of lava thrust up from below through a huge crevice broken in the rock by earthquake agency4 ,on the east the ,little ,colorado comes2 here it is a river of salt water1 and it derives its salt a few miles up the stream4 ,the main ,colorado flows along the eastern and southern wall4 ,climbing this for a few hundred feet you may look off toward the northwest and gaze at the cliffs of the ,kaibab ,plateau4 ,this is the point where we built a trail down a side canyon where ,mr4 ,walcott was to make his winter residence and study of the region2 it is very complicated and exhibits a vast series of unconformable rocks of high antiquity4 ,these lower rocks are of many colors2 in large part they are shales4 ,the region1 which appears to be composed of bright-colored hills washed naked by the rain1 is1 in fact1 beset with a multitude of winding canyons with their own precipitous walls4 ,it is a region of many canyons in the depths of the ,grand ,canyon itself4 ,in this beautiful region ,mr4 ,walcott1 reading the book of geology1 lived in a summerland during all of a long winter while the cliffs above were covered with snow which prevented his egress to the world4 ,his companions1 three young ,mormons1 longing for a higher degree of civilization1 gazed wistfully at the snow-clad barriers by which they were inclosed4 ,one was a draughtsman1 another a herder of his stock1 and the third his cook4 ,they afterward told me that it was a long winter of homesickness1 and that months dragged away as years1 but ,mr4 ,walcott himself had the great book of geology to read1 and to him it was a winter of delight4 ,a half dozen miles below the basaltic wall the river enters a channel carved in #hjj or #a1jjj feet of dark gneiss of very hard rock4 ,here the channel is narrow and very swift and beset with rapids and falls4 ,on the south and southwest the wall rises abruptly from the water to the summit of the plateau for about #f1jjj feet1 but across the river on the north and west mountains of gneiss and quartzites appear1 sometimes rising to the height of a thousand feet4 ,these are mountains in the bottom of a canyon4 ,the buttes and plateaus of the inter-canyon region are composed of shales1 sandstones1 and limestones1 which give rise to vast architectural shelving and to pinnacles and towers of gigantic proportions1 the whole embossed with a marvelously minute system of fretwork carved by the artistic clouds4 ,looking beyond these mountains1 buttes1 and plateaus vistas of the walls of the great plateau are seen4 ,from these walls project salients1 and deep re-entrant angles appear4 ,the whole scene is forever reminding you of mighty architectural pinnacles and towers and balustrades and arches and columns with lattice work and delicate carving4 ,all of these architectural features are sublime by titanic painting in varied hues--pink1 red1 brown1 lavender1 gray1 blue1 and black4 ,in some lights the saffron prevails1 in other lights vermilion1 and yet in other lights the grays and blacks predominate4 ,at times1 and perhaps in rare seasons1 clouds and cloudlets form in the canyon below and wander among the side canyons and float higher and higher until they are dissolved in the upper air1 or perhaps they accumulate to hide great portions of the landscape4 ,then through rifts in the clouds vistas of ,wonderland are seen4 ,such is that portion of the canyon around the great south bend of the ,colorado ,river past the point of the ,kaibab ,plateau4 ,as ,seen by the ,geologist ,in the last chapter of my book entitled 8,the ,canyons of the ,colorado0 ,i have described the ,grand ,canyon in the following terms3 ,the ,grand ,canyon is a gorge #bag miles in length1 through which flows a great river with many storm-born tributaries4 ,it has a winding way1 as rivers are wont to have4 ,its banks are vast structures of adamant1 piled up in forms rarely seen in the mountains4 ,down by the river the walls are composed of black gneiss1 slates1 and schists1 all greatly implicated and traversed by dikes of granite4 ,let this formation be called the black gneiss4 ,it is usually about #hjj feet in thickness4 ,then over the black gneiss are found #hjj feet of quartzites1 usually in very thin beds of many colors1 but exceedingly hard1 and ringing under the hammer like phonolite4 ,these beds are dipping and unconformable with the rocks above4 ,while they make but #hjj feet of the wall or less they have a geologic thickness of #ab1jjj feet4 ,set up a row of books aslant2 it is ten inches from the shelf to the top of the line of books1 but there may be three feet of the books measured directly through the leaves4 ,so these quartzites are aslant1 and though of great geologic thickness they make but #hjj feet of the wall4 ,your books may have many-colored bindings and differ greatly in their contents2 so these quartzites vary greatly from place to place along the wall1 and in many places they entirely disappear4 ,let us call this formation the variegated quartzite4 ,above the quartzites there are #ejj feet of sandstones4 ,they are of a greenish hue1 but are mottled with spots of brown and black by iron stains4 ,they usually stand in a bold cliff1 weathered in alcoves4 ,let this formation be called the cliff sandstone4 ,above the cliff sandstone there are #gjj feet of bedded sandstones and limestones1 which are massive sometimes and sometimes broken into thin strata4 ,these rocks are often weathered in deep alcoves4 ,let this formation be called the alcove sandstone4 ,over the alcove sandstone there are #a1fjj feet of limestone1 in many places a beautiful marble1 as in ,marble ,canyon4 ,as it appears along the ,grand ,canyon it is always stained a brilliant red1 for immediately over it there are thin seams of iron1 and the storms have painted these limestones with pigments from above4 ,altogether this is the red-wall group4 ,it is chiefly limestone4 ,let it be called the red-wall limestone4 ,above the red wall there are #hjj feet of gray and bright red sandstone1 alternating in beds that look like vast ribbons of landscape4 ,let it be called the banded sandstone4 ,and over all1 at the top of the wall1 is the ,aubrey limestone1 #a1jjj feet in thickness4 ,this ,aubrey has much gypsum in it1 great beds of alabaster that are pure white in comparison with the great body of limestone below4 ,in the same limestone there are enormous beds of chert1 agates1 and carnelians4 ,this limestone is especially remarkable for its pinnacles and towers4 ,let it be called the tower limestone4 ,these are the elements with which the walls are constructed1 from black buttress below to alabaster tower above4 ,all of these elements weather in different forms and are painted in different colors1 so that the wall presents a highly complex faade4 ,a wall of homogeneous granite1 like that in the ,yosemite1 is but a naked wall1 whether it be #a1jjj or #e1jjj feet high4 ,hundreds and thousands of feet mean nothing to the eye when they stand in a meaningless front4 ,a mountain covered by pure snow #aj1jjj feet high has but little more effect on the imagination than a mountain of snow #a1jjj feet high--it is but more of the same thing--but a faade of seven systems of rock has its sublimity multiplied sevenfold4 ,illustration3 ,a ,panoramic ,view of the ,canyon4 ,consider next the horizontal elements of the ,grand ,canyon4 ,the river meanders in great curves1 which are themselves broken into curves of smaller magnitude4 ,the streams that head far back in the plateau on either side come down in gorges and break the wall into sections4 ,each lateral canyon has a secondary system of laterals1 and the secondary canyons are broken by tertiary canyons2 so the crags are forever branching1 like the limbs of an oak4 ,that which has been described as a wall is such only in its grand effect4 ,in detail it is a series of structures separated by a ramification of canyons1 each having its own walls4 ,thus1 in passing down the canyon it seems to be inclosed by walls1 but oftener by salients--towering structures that stand between canyons that run back into the plateau4 ,sometimes gorges of the second or third order have met before reaching the brink of the ,grand ,canyon1 and then great salients are cut off from the wall and stand out as buttes--huge pavilions in the architecture of the canyon4 ,the scenic elements thus described are fused and combined in very different ways4 ,its ,length ,we measured the length of the ,grand ,canyon by the length of the river running through it1 but the running extent of wall can not be measured in this manner4 ,in the black gneiss1 which is at the bottom1 the wall may stand above the river for a few hundred yards or a mile or two2 then to follow the foot of the wall you must pass into a lateral canyon for a long distance1 perhaps miles1 and then back again on the other side of the lateral canyon2 then along by the river until another lateral canyon is reached1 which must be headed in the black gneiss4 ,so for a dozen miles of river through the gneiss there may be a hundred miles of wall on either side4 ,climbing to the summit of the black gneiss and following the wall in the variegated quartzite1 it is found to be stretched out to a still greater length1 for it is cut with more lateral gorges4 ,in like manner there is yet greater length of the mottled 7or alcove7 sandstone wall1 and the red wall is still farther stretched out in ever-branching gorges4 ,to make the distance for ten miles along the river by walking along the top of the red wall it would be necessary to travel several hundred miles4 ,the length of the wall reaches its maximum in the banded sandstone1 which is terraced more than any of the other formations4 ,the tower limestone wall is less tortuous4 ,to start at the head of the ,grand ,canyon on one of the terraces of the banded sandstone and follow it to the foot of the ,grand ,canyon1 which by river is a distance of #bag miles1 it would be necessary to travel many thousand miles by the winding way2 that is1 the banded wall is many thousand miles in length4 ,as ,seen ,traveling ,down ,stream ,for eight or ten miles below the mouth of the ,little ,colorado1 the river is in the variegated quartzites1 and a wonderful fretwork of forms and colors1 peculiar to this rock1 stretches back for miles to a labyrinth of the red-wall cliff2 then below1 the black gneiss is entered and soon has reached an altitude of #hjj feet and sometimes more than #a1jjj feet1 and upon this black gneiss all the other structures in their wonderful colors are lifted4 ,these continue for about seventy miles1 when the black gneiss below is lost1 for the walls are dropped down by the ,west ,kaibab ,fault and the river flows in the quartzites4 ,then for eighty miles the mottled 7or alcove7 sandstones are found in the river bed4 ,the course of the canyon is a little south of west and is comparatively straight4 ,at the top of the red-wall limestone there is a broad terrace1 two or three miles in width1 composed of hills of wonderful forms carved in the banded beds1 and back of this is seen a cliff in the tower limestone4 ,along the lower course of this stretch the whole character of the canyon is changed by another set of complicating conditions4 ,we have now reached a region of volcanic activity4 ,after the canyons were cut nearly to their present depth1 lavas poured out and volcanoes were built on the walls of the canyon1 but not in the canyon itself1 though at places rivers of molten rock rolled down the walls into the ,colorado4 ,the canyon for the next eighty miles is a compound of that found where the river is in the black gneiss and that found where the dead volcanoes stand on the brink of the wall4 ,in the first stretch1 where the gneiss is at the foundation1 we have a great bend to the south1 and in the last stretch1 where the gneiss is below and the dead volcanoes above1 another great southern detour is found4 ,these two great beds are separated by eighty miles of comparatively straight river4 ,let us call this first great bend the ,kaibab reach of the canyon1 and the straight part the ,kanab reach1 for the ,kanab ,creek heads far off in the plateau to the north and joins the ,colorado at the beginning of the middle stretch4 ,the third great southern bend is the ,shiwits stretch4 ,thus there are three distinct portions of the ,grand ,canyon3 ,the ,kaibab section1 characterized more by its buttes and salients2 the ,kanab section1 characterized by its comparatively straight walls with volcanoes on the brink1 and the ,shiwits section1 which is broken into great terraces with gneiss at the bottom and volcanoes at the top4 ,the ,work of ,erosion ,the erosion represented in the canyons1 although vast1 is but a small part of the great erosion of the region1 for between the cliffs blocks have been carried away far superior in magnitude to those necessary to fill the canyons4 ,probably there is no portion of the whole region from which there have not been more than a thousand feet degraded1 and there are districts from which more than #cj1jjj feet of rock have been carried away2 altogether there is a district of country more than #bjj1jjj square miles in extent1 from which1 on the average1 more than #f1jjj feet have been eroded4 ,consider a rock #bjj1jjj square miles in extent and a mile in thickness1 against which the clouds have hurled their storms1 and beat it into sands1 and the rills have carried the sands into the creeks1 and the creeks have carried them into the rivers1 and the ,colorado has carried them into the sea4 ,we think of the mountains as forming clouds about their brows1 but the clouds have formed the mountains4 ,great continental blocks are upheaved from beneath the sea by internal geologic forces that fashion the earth4 ,then the wandering clouds1 the tempest-bearing clouds1 the rainbow-decked clouds1 with mighty power and with wonderful skill1 carve out valleys and canyons and fashion hills and cliffs and mountains4 ,the clouds are the artists sublime4 ,winter and ,cloud ,effects ,in winter some of the characteristics of the ,grand ,canyon are emphasized4 ,the black gneiss below1 the variegated quartzite1 and the green or alcove sandstone form the foundation for the mighty red wall4 ,the banded sandstone entablature is crowned by the tower limestone4 ,in winter this is covered with snow4 ,seen from below1 these changing elements seem to graduate into the heavens1 and no plane of demarcation between wall and blue firmament can be seen4 ,the heavens constitute a portion of the faade and mount into a vast dome from wall to wall1 spanning the ,grand ,canyon with empyrean blue4 ,so the earth and the heavens are blended in one vast structure4 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 #ahii1 by ,h4 ,g4 ,peabody4 ,the ,lower ,gorge1 ,foot of ,bright ,angel ,trail4 ,when the clouds play in the canyon1 as they often do in the rainy season1 another set of effects is produced4 ,clouds creep out of canyons and wind into other canyons4 ,the heavens seem to be alive1 not moving as move the heavens over a plain1 in one direction with the wind1 but following the multiplied courses of these gorges4 ,in this manner the little clouds seem to be individualized1 to have wills and souls of their own and to be going on diverse errands--a vast assemblage of self-willed clouds faring here and there1 intent upon purposes hidden in their own breasts4 ,in imagination the clouds belong to the sky1 and when they are in the canyon the skies come down into the gorges and cling to the cliffs and lift them up to immeasurable heights1 for the sky must still be far away4 ,thus they lend infinity to the walls4 ,you can not see the ,grand ,canyon in one view as if it were a changeless spectacle from which a curtain might be lifted1 but to see it you have to toil from month to month through its labyrinths4 ,it is a region more difficult to traverse than the ,alps or the ,himalayas1 but if strength and courage are sufficient for the task1 by a year's toil a concept of sublimity can be obtained never again to be equaled on the hither side of paradise4 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 #ahii1 by ,h4 ,g4 ,peabody4 ,on ,grand ,view ,point4 ,illustration3 ,uncaptioned vista ,,the ,,greatest ,,thing ,,in ,,the ,,world ,,by ,,charles ,f4 ,,lummis 8,the greatest thing in the world40 ,that is a large phrase and an over-worked one1 and hardened travelers do not take it lightly upon the tongue4 ,noticeably it is most glibly in use with those but lately1 and for the first time1 wandered beyond their native state or county1 and as every province has its own local brag of biggest things1 the too credulous tourist will find a superlative everywhere4 ,and superlatives are unsafe without wide horizons of comparison4 ,yet in every sort there is1 of course1 somewhere 8the biggest thing in the world0 of its kind4 ,it is a good word1 when spoken in season and not abused in careless ignorance4 ,i believe there is and can be no dispute that the term applies literally to several things in the immediate region of the ,grand ,canyon of ,arizona4 ,as ,i have more than once written 7and it never yet has been controverted71 probably no other equal area on earth contains so many supreme marvels of so many kinds--so many astounding sights1 so many masterpieces of ,nature's handiwork1 so vast and conclusive an encyclopedia of the world-building processes1 so impressive monuments of prehistoric man1 so many triumphs of man still in the tribal relation--as what ,i have called the ,southwestern ,wonderland4 ,this includes a large part of ,new ,mexico and ,arizona1 the area which geographically and ethnographically we may count as the ,grand ,canyon region4 ,let me mention a few wonders3 ,the largest and by far the most beautiful of all petrified forests1 with several hundred square miles whose surface is carpeted with agate chips and dotted with agate trunks two to four feet in diameter2 and just across one valley a buried 8forest0 whose huge silicified--not agatized--logs show their ends under fifty feet of sandstone4 ,the largest natural bridge in the world--#bjj feet high1 over #ejj feet span1 and over #fjj feet wide1 up and down stream1 and with an orchard on its top and miles of stalactite caves under its abutments4 ,the largest variety and display of geologically recent volcanic action in ,north ,america2 with #fj-mile lava flows1 #a1ejj-;foot blankets of creamy tufa cut by scores of canyons2 hundreds of craters and thousands of square miles of lava beds1 basalt1 and cinders1 and so much 8volcanic glass0 7obsidian7 that it was the chief tool of the prehistoric population4 ,the largest and the most impressive villages of cave-dwellings in the world1 most of them already abandoned 8when the world-seeking ,genoese0 sailed4 ,the peerless and many-storied cliff-dwellings--castles and forts and homes in the face of wild precipices or upon their tops--an aboriginal architecture as remarkable as any in any land4 ,the twenty-six strange communal town republics of the descendants of the 8cliff-dwellers10 the modern ,pueblos2 some in fertile valleys1 some 7like ,acoma and ,moki7 perched on barren and dizzy cliff tops4 ,the strange dances1 rites1 dress1 and customs of this ancient people who had solved the problem of irrigation1 #f-story house building1 and clean self-government1 and even women's rights--long before ,columbus was born4 ,the noblest ,caucasian ruins in ,america1 north of ,mexico--the great stone and adobe churches reared by ,franciscan missionaries1 near three centuries ago1 a thousand miles from the ocean1 in the heart of the ,southwest4 ,some of the most notable tribes of savage nomads--like the ,navajos1 whose blankets and silver work are pre-eminent1 and the ,apaches1 who1 man for man1 have been probably the most successful warriors in history4 ,all these1 and a great deal more1 make the ,southwest a wonderland without a parallel4 ,there are ruins as striking as the storied ones along the ,rhine1 and far more remarkable4 ,there are peoples as picturesque as any in the ,orient1 and as romantic as the ,aztecs and the ,incas of whom we have learned such gilded fables1 and there are natural wonders which have no peers whatever4 ,of the ,canyon1 and ,other ,wonders ,at the head of the list stands the ,grand ,canyon of the ,colorado2 whether it is the 8greatest wonder of the world0 depends a little on our definition of 8wonder40 ,possibly it is no more wonderful than the fact that so tiny a fraction of the people who confess themselves the smartest in the world have ever seen it4 ,as a people we dodder abroad to see scenery incomparably inferior4 ,but beyond peradventure it is the greatest chasm in the world1 and the most superb4 ,enough globe-trotters have seen it to establish that fact4 ,many have come cynically prepared to be disappointed2 to find it overdrawn and really not so stupendous as something else4 ,it is1 after all1 a hard test that so be-bragged a wonder must endure under the critical scrutiny of them that have seen the earth and the fullness thereof4 ,but ,i never knew the most self-satisfied veteran traveler to be disappointed in the ,grand ,canyon1 or to patronize it4 ,on the contrary1 this is the very class of men who can best comprehend it1 and ,i have seen them fairly break down in its awful presence4 ,i do not know the ,himalayas except by photograph and the testimony of men who have explored and climbed them1 and who found the ,grand ,canyon an absolutely new experience4 ,but ,i know the ,american continents pretty well1 and have tramped their mountains1 including the ,andes--the next highest mountains in the world1 after half a dozen of the ,himalayas--and of all the famous quebradas of the ,andes there is not one that would count #e per cent on the ,grand ,canyon of the ,colorado4 ,for all their #be1jjj-;foot peaks1 their blue-white glaciers1 imminent above the bald plateau1 and green little bolsones 78pocket valleys07 of ,chile1 ,peru1 ,bolivia1 and ,ecuador2 for all their tremendous active volcanoes1 like ,saugay and ,cotopaxi2 for all an earthquake activity beside which the 8shake0 at ,charleston was mere paper-doll play2 for all the steepest gradients in the world 7and ,peru is the only place in the world where a river falls #ag1jjj feet in #ajj miles7--in all that marvelous #c1jjj-mile procession of giantism there is not one canyon which any sane person would for an instant compare with that titanic gash that the ,colorado has chiseled through a comparatively flat upland4 ,nor is there anything remotely approaching it in all the ,new ,world4 ,so much ,i can say at first hand4 ,as for the ,old ,world1 the explorer who shall find a gorge there one-half as great will win undying fame4 ,the quebrada of the ,apu-,rimac is a marvel of the ,andes1 with its vertiginous depths and its suspension bridge of wild vines4 ,the ,grand ,canyon of the ,arkansas1 in ,colorado1 is a noble little slit in the mountains4 ,the ,franconia and ,white ,mountain notches in ,new ,hampshire are beautiful4 ,the ,yosemite and the ,yellowstone canyons surpass the world1 each in its way4 ,but if all of these were hung up on the opposite wall of the ,grand ,canyon from you the chances are fifty to one that you could not tell t'other from which1 nor any of them from the hundreds of other canyons which rib that vast vertebrate gorge4 ,if the falls of ,niagara were installed in the ,grand ,canyon between your visits and you knew it by the newspapers--next time you stood on that dizzy rimrock you would probably need good field-glasses and much patience before you could locate that cataract which in its place looks pretty big4 ,if ,mount ,washington were plucked up bodily by the roots--not from where you see it1 but from sea-level--and carefully set down in the ,grand ,canyon1 you probably would not notice it next morning1 unless its dull colors distinguished it in that innumerable congress of larger and painted giants4 ,all this1 which is literally true1 is a mere trifle of what might be said in trying to fix a standard of comparison for the ,grand ,canyon4 ,but ,i fancy there is no standard adjustable to the human mind4 ,you may compare all you will--eloquently and from wide experience1 and at last all similes fail4 ,the ,grand ,canyon is just the ,grand ,canyon1 and that is all you can say4 ,i never have seen anyone who was prepared for it4 ,i never have seen anyone who could grasp it in a week's hard exploration2 nor anyone1 except some rare ,philistine1 who could even think he had grasped it4 ,i have seen people rave over it2 better people struck dumb with it1 even strong men who cried over it2 but ,i have never yet seen the man or woman that expected it4 ,it adds seriously to the scientific wonder and the universal impressiveness of this unparalleled chasm that it is not in some stupendous mountain range1 but in a vast1 arid1 lofty floor of nearly #ajj1jjj square miles--as it were1 a crack in the upper story of the continent4 ,there is no preparation for it4 ,unless you had been told1 you would no more dream that out yonder amid the pines the flat earth is slashed to its very bowels1 than you would expect to find an iceberg in ,broadway4 ,with a very ordinary running jump from the spot where you get your first glimpse of the canyon you could go down #b1jjj feet without touching4 ,it is sudden as a well4 ,but it is no mere cleft4 ,it is a terrific trough #f1jjj to #g1jjj feet deep1 ten to twenty miles wide1 hundreds of miles long1 peopled with hundreds of peaks taller than any mountain east of the ,rockies1 yet not one of them with its head so high as your feet1 and all ablaze with such color as no eastern or ,european landscape ever knew1 even in the ,alpen-glow4 ,and as you sit upon the brink the divine scene-shifters give you a new canyon every hour4 ,with each degree of the sun's course the great countersunk mountains we have been watching fade away1 and new ones1 as terrific1 are carved by the westering shadows4 ,it is like a dissection of the whole cosmogony4 ,and the purple shadows1 the dazzling lights1 the thunderstorms and snowstorms1 the clouds and the rainbows that shift and drift in that vast subterranean arena below your feet6 ,and amid those enchanted towers and castles which the vastness of the scale leads you to call 8rocks10 but which are in fact as big above the river-bed as the ,rockies from ,denver1 and bigger than ,mount ,washington from ,fabyan's or the ,glen6 ,the ,grand ,canyon country is not only the hugest1 but the most varied and instructive example on earth of one of the chief factors of earth-building--erosion4 ,it is the mesa country--the ,land of ,tables4 ,nowhere else on the footstool is there such an example of deep-gnawing water or of water high-carving4 ,the sandstone mesas of the ,southwest1 the terracing of canyon walls1 the castellation1 battlementing1 and cliff-making1 the cutting down of a whole landscape except its precipitous islands of flat-topped rock1 the thin lava table-cloths on tables #ajj feet high--these are a few of the things which make the ,southwest wonderful alike to the scientist and the mere sight-seer4 ,that the canyon is not 8too hard0 is perhaps sufficiently indicated by the fact that ,i have taken thither ladies and children and men in their seventies1 when the easiest way to get there was by a #gj-mile stage ride1 and that at six years old my little girl walked all the way from rim to bottom of canyon and came back on a horse the same day1 and was next morning ready to go on a long tramp along the rim4 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 #ahii1 by ,h4 ,g4 ,peabody4 ,the ,north ,wall from ,grand ,scenic ,divide4 ,illustration3 ,uncaptioned vista ,,information ,,for ,,tourists ,preliminary ,there is only one way by which to directly reach the ,grand ,canyon of ,arizona1 and that is via the ,santa ,fe 7,the ,atchison1 ,topeka ,santa ,fe ,railway ,system74 ,there are three ways of reaching the ,canyon from the ,santa ,fe--rail from ,williams1 private conveyance from ,flagstaff and ,peach ,springs4 ,the route from ,flagstaff is not available in winter4 ,the ,peach ,springs route is open in winter1 but now little used4 ,the bulk of the travel is via ,williams1 sixty-five miles north to ,bright ,angel--open all the year4 ,three ,gateways ,there are but three points from which an easy descent may be made of the south wall to the granite gorge of the ,grand ,canyon3 #a4 ,at ,grand ,view1 down ,berry's 7,grand ,view7 or ,hance's 7,red ,canyon7 trails4 #b4 ,at ,bright ,angel1 down ,bright ,angel ,trail4 #c4 ,at ,bass' ,camp1 down ,mystic ,spring ,trail4 ,while the canyon may be reached over trails at other places outside of the district named 7such as ,lee's ,ferry ,trail1 by wagon from ,winslow2 ,moki ,indian ,trail1 by way of ,little ,colorado ,canyon2 and ,diamond ,creek road to ,colorado ,river from ,peach ,springs station71 most tourists prefer the ,bright ,angel1 ,grand ,view1 and ,bass' ,camp routes1 because of the superior facilities and views there offered4 ,the ,peach ,springs route is the only other one now used by the public to any extent4 ,it is near ,grand ,view that ,marble ,canyon ends and the ,grand ,canyon proper begins4 ,northward1 a few miles away1 is the mouth of the ,little ,colorado ,canyon4 ,here the granite gorge is first seen4 ,bright ,angel is approximately in the center1 and ,bass' ,camp at the western end of the granite gorge4 ,by wagon road it is eighteen miles from ,bright ,angel east to ,grand ,view1 and twenty-three miles west to ,bass' ,camp4 ,in a nutshell1 the ,grand ,canyon at ,grand ,view is accounted most sublime--a scene of wide outlooks and brilliant hues2 at ,bright ,angel1 deepest and most impressive--a scene that awakens the profoundest emotions2 at ,bass' ,camp1 the most varied--a scene of striking contrasts in form and color4 ,each locality has its special charm4 ,all three should be visited1 if time permits1 as only by long observation can one gain even a superficial knowledge of what the ,grand ,canyon is4 ,to know it intimately requires a longer stay and more careful study4 ,the ,ride from ,williams ,because of recent improvements in service the ,grand ,canyon of ,arizona may now be visited1 either in summer or winter1 with reasonable comfort and without any hardship4 ,no one need be deterred by fear of inclement weather or a tedious stage ride4 ,the trip is entirely feasible for the average traveler every day in the year4 ,leaving the ,santa ,fe transcontinental train at ,williams1 ,arizona1 passengers change in same depot to a local train of the ,grand ,canyon ,railway1 which leaves ,williams daily1 and arrives at destination after a three hours' run4 ,williams is a busy town of #a1ejj inhabitants1 #cgh miles west of ,albuquerque1 on the ,santa ,fe4 ,here are located large sawmills1 smelters1 numerous well-stocked stores1 and railroad division buildings4 ,prior to the disastrous fire in ,july1 #aija1 there were several excellent hotels4 ,the one not destroyed affords good accommodations2 it has been recently enlarged and otherwise improved4 ,there is usually ample time at ,williams1 between trains1 for the ascent of ,bill ,williams ,mountain1 which rises near the town to a height of #i1jjj feet4 ,tourists will find the trip thoroughly enjoyable4 ,it can be made in five hours on horseback in perfect safety4 ,the trail is an easy one1 first leading through a gently sloping path of pines1 then steeply up to the wind-swept summit alongside a pretty stream bordered by thickets of quaking aspens4 ,chimney ,rock1 with its eagle's nest1 is a noteworthy rock formation4 ,on the summit is buried the historic pioneer scout1 ,bill ,williams4 ,from his resting-place there is a wide outlook1 embracing1 on clear days1 the wall of the ,grand ,canyon1 ,verde ,river1 ,chino ,valley1 ,jerome1 ,hell ,canyon1 ,seligman1 ,ash ,fork1 and many neighboring peaks4 ,the railroad track to the canyon is remarkably smooth for a new line4 ,it is built across a slightly rolling mesa1 in places thickly wooded1 in others open4 ,the snow-covered ,san ,francisco ,peaks are on the eastern horizon4 ,kendricks1 ,sitgreaves1 and ,williams mountains are also visible4 ,red ,butte1 thirty miles distant1 is a prominent local landmark4 ,before the terminus is reached the train climbs a long1 high ridge and enters ,coconino ,forest1 which resembles a natural park4 ,the route here is amid fragrant pines1 over low hills1 and along occasional gulches and 8washes40 ,taken under the favorable conditions which generally prevail at this high altitude1 the journey is a novelty and a delight4 ,at ,destination ,the hotel at head of ,bright ,angel ,trail is reached early in the evening4 ,the tourist then finds himself on the verge of a high precipice1 from which is obtained by moonlight a magnificent view of the opposite wall and of the intervening crags1 towers1 and slopes4 ,the suddenness1 the surprise1 the revelation come as a fitting climax to a unique trip4 ,after nightfall the air becomes cold1 for here you are #g1jjj feet above the sea2 yet the absence of humidity1 peculiar to these high altitudes1 makes the chill less penetrating than on lower levels4 ,by day1 in the sunshine1 there is usually a genial warmth--then overcoats1 gloves1 and wraps are laid aside4 ,bright ,angel ,hotel ,the ,bright ,angel ,hotel is managed by ,mr4 ,m4 ,buggeln1 who also controls the stage line1 trail stock1 guides1 etc4 ,the hotel comprises a combination log and frame structure of eight rooms1 with three frame annexes containing forty-six sleeping rooms1 and 7for summer use7 several rows of tents1 all clustered on the rim and surrounded by pines and spruces4 ,each room in the annexes has one or two beds1 a stove1 dressing table1 and ,navajo rugs4 ,in the log-cabin part of the main edifice are two large rooms4 ,one is used for reception purposes1 being warmed by means of an old-fashioned fireplace and tastefully carpeted with ,indian rugs1 also furnished with capacious rocking chairs and a piano2 the other of these two rooms is for the office4 ,good meals are prepared by expert cooks and served in a pleasant dining-room4 ,in a word1 the hotel facilities are good1 far better than one might expect to find for the reasonable rate charged4 ,there is no 8roughing it02 everything is homelike and comfortable4 ,one must not1 however1 expect all the city luxuries4 ,a telephone and telegraph line directly connects the hotel with the outer world at ,williams4 ,note4--,a fine modern hotel of fifty rooms1 with cottage annexes1 to be known as ,bright ,angel ,tavern1 will be built in this vicinity during #aijc and managed by ,mr4 ,fred ,harvey4 ,it will be a permanent affair and will provide all the latest conveniences4 ,while one ought to remain at least a week1 a stop-over of three days from the transcontinental trip will allow practically two days at the canyon4 ,one full day should be devoted to an excursion down ,bright ,angel ,trail1 and the other to walks and drives along the rim4 ,another day on the rim--making a four-days' stop-over in all--will enable visitors to get more satisfactory views of this stupendous wonder4 ,down ,bright ,angel ,trail ,the trail here is perfectly safe and is generally open the year round4 ,in midwinter it is liable to be closed for a few days at the top by snow1 but such blockade is only temporary4 ,it reaches from the hotel four miles to the top of the granite wall immediately overlooking the ,colorado ,river4 ,at this point the river is #a1bjj feet below1 while the hotel on the rim is #d1cjj feet above4 ,the trip is commonly made on horseback1 accompanied by a guide2 charges for trail stock and services of guide are moderate4 ,a strong person1 accustomed to mountain climbing1 can make the round trip on foot in one day1 by starting early enough2 but the average traveler will soon discover that a horse is a necessity1 especially for the upward climb4 ,eight hours are required for going down and coming back1 allowing two hours for lunch1 rest1 and sight-seeing4 ,those wishing to reach the river leave the main trail at ,indian ,garden ,spring and follow the downward course of ,willow and ,pipe creeks4 ,owing to the abrupt descent from this point1 part of the side trail must be traversed on foot4 ,provision is made for those wishing to camp out at night on the river's edge4 ,the famous guide1 ,john ,hance1 is now located at ,bright ,angel4 ,what to ,bring ,if much tramping is done1 stout1 thick shoes should be provided4 ,ladies will find that short walking skirts are a convenience2 divided skirts are preferable1 but not essential1 for the horseback journey down the zigzag trail4 ,traveling caps and 7in summer7 broad-brimmed straw hats are useful toilet adjuncts4 ,otherwise ordinary clothing will suffice4 ,a good field glass and camera should be brought along4 ,illustration3 ,bright ,angel ,hotel4 ,the round-trip ticket rate1 ,williams to ,grand ,canyon and return1 is only #f4ej4 ,adding #f for two days' stay at ,canyon ,hotel1 #a for part of a day at hotel in ,williams1 #a4ej for probable proportion of cost of guide1 #c for trail stock1 and the total necessary expense of the three days' stop-over is about #ah for one person2 each additional day only adds #c to the cost for hotel4 ,stop-overs will be granted at ,williams on railroad and ,pullman tickets if advance application is made to train and ,pullman conductors4 ,trunks may be stored in the station at ,williams free of charge by arrangement with ticket agent4 ,grand ,view ,grand ,view 7previously mentioned7 may be reached in summer by private conveyance from ,flagstaff1 a distance of seventy-five miles2 or at any time of the year by stage from ,bright ,angel1 sixteen miles along the rim4 ,the rate for round trip1 ,bright ,angel to ,grand ,view1 is #b4ej to #e each person1 according to size of party4 ,while ,flagstaff is an interesting place to visit--with its near-by cliff and cave dwellings and ,san ,francisco ,peaks--and the trip thence to the ,grand ,canyon is a novel one1 distance and time are such that most travelers prefer to go in by railroad from ,williams4 ,grand ,view ,hotel is a large1 rustic structure1 built near the head of ,berry's ,trail and about three miles from ,hance's ,trail1 in the midst of tall pines and overlooking the mighty bend of the ,colorado4 ,this is the point to which visitors were conducted in the days of the old stage line from ,flagstaff4 ,it is noted for its wide views of the ,coconino ,forest and ,painted ,desert1 as well as for the beautiful forms and color of the canyon itself4 ,a favorite trip here is to go down one trail and up the other4 ,the hotel accommodations are quite good2 capacity1 forty guests2 rate1 #c per day4 ,bass' ,camp ,at the western end of the granite gorge is ,mystic ,spring ,trail1 an easy route down to the ,colorado ,river and up the other side to ,dutton's ,point and ,powell's ,plateau4 ,the magnificent panorama eastward from ,havasupai ,point takes in fifty miles of the canyon1 while westward is the unique1 table-like formation which characterizes the lower reaches of the river4 ,the views from both rims are pronounced by noted artists and explorers to be unequaled4 ,present accommodations at ,havasupai ,hotel 7,bass' ,camp71 near head of this trail1 are fairly good1 consisting of a cabin1 several tents1 and good trail stock2 wholesome meals are served in comfortable style4 ,a new hotel is to be built here during #aijc4 ,bass' ,camp is now reached by stage from ,coconino1 a station on the ,grand ,canyon ,railway1 or one may take a team direct from ,bright ,angel4 ,a visit should be made to the ,havasupai ,indian village in ,cataract ,canyon4 ,any bona fide tourist can procure an introductory letter from the railroad agent at ,williams or ,grand ,canyon4 ,on presenting same to the ,u4 ,s4 ,indian agent at ,supai1 permission will be granted to enter the reservation4 ,this is an unique trip of about forty miles1 first by wagon across a timbered plateau1 then on horseback down precipitous ,topocobya ,trail1 along the rocky floors of ,topocobya and ,cataract canyons1 deep in the earth1 to a place of gushing springs1 green fields1 and enchanting waterfalls4 ,here live the ,havasupai ,indians1 one of the most interesting tribes in ,arizona4 ,the round trip from ,bright ,angel or ,bass' ,camp is made in three or four days at an expense of #ce to #ej each for a party of three persons4 ,peach ,springs ,route ,the trip in winter from ,peach ,springs station down to the ,colorado ,river1 through ,diamond ,creek ,canyon1 is most enjoyable4 ,owing to the low altitude here 7#d1ghj feet at ,peach ,springs and approximately #b1jjj feet at the river7 the air is usually balmy from ,november to ,april2 in summer the heat is a considerable drawback4 ,a journey of but twelve miles leads you through a miniature ,grand ,canyon with scenery increasingly sublime4 ,on either side are abrupt walls and wonderfully suggestive formations--castles1 domes1 minarets4 ,on your left1 glancing backward1 is an exact reproduction of ,westminster ,abbey4 ,this comparatively easy jaunt brings you by team to the very brink of the swift-rolling ,colorado1 whereas by the other ,grand ,canyon gateways you are landed on the rim and must go down thousands of feet by a steep trail4 ,the outlook here is restricted to the river itself and the great walls rising precipitously from its banks--a scene well worth while1 but not so impressive as the wide sweep of the canyon visible from the rim4 ,following ,diamond ,creek to its source you may walk along the bed of the stream between walls thousands of feet high and glistening in the white sunlight as if varnished4 ,the upper part of ,diamond ,creek is a veritable terrace of fern bowers1 luxuriant vegetation1 crystal cascades1 and sequestered meadow parks4 ,flagstaff and ,vicinity ,the town itself is an interesting place1 prettily situated in the heart of the ,san ,francisco uplift and surrounded by a pine forest4 ,its hotels1 business houses1 lumber mills1 and residences denote thrift4 ,on a neighboring hill is the ,lowell ,observatory1 noted for its many contributions to astronomical science4 ,illustration3 ,san ,francisco ,peaks4 ,eight miles southwest from ,flagstaff--reached by a pleasant drive along a level road through tall pines--is ,walnut ,canyon1 a rent in the earth several hundred feet deep and three miles long1 with steep terraced walls of limestone4 ,along the shelving terraces1 under beetling projections of the strata1 are scores of quaint cliff dwellings1 the most famous group of its kind in this region4 ,the larger abodes are divided into several compartments by cemented walls1 many parts of which are still intact4 ,it is believed that these cliff dwellers were of the same stock as the ,pueblo ,indians of to-day and that they lived here about #hjj years ago4 ,nine miles from ,flagstaff and only half a mile from the old stage road to the ,grand ,canyon1 upon the summit of an extinct crater1 the remarkable ruins of the cave-dwellers may be seen4 ,the magnificent ,san ,francisco ,peaks1 visible from every part of the country within a radius of a hundred miles1 lie just north of ,flagstaff4 ,there are three peaks which form one mountain4 ,from ,flagstaff a road has been constructed up ,humphrey's ,peak1 whose summit is #ab1gej feet above sea level4 ,it is a good mountain road1 and the entire distance from ,flagstaff is only about ten miles4 ,the trip to the summit and back is easily made in one day4 ,announcement ,the ,santa ,fe has published a new and beautiful book on the ,grand ,canyon4 ,it contains articles by ,hamlin ,garland1 ,harriet ,monroe1 ,robert ,brewster ,stanton1 ,chas4 ,s4 ,gleed1 ,john ,l4 ,stoddard1 ,charles ,dudley ,warner1 ,r4 ,d4 ,salisbury1 8,fitz ,mac10 ,nat ,m4 ,brigham1 ,joaquin ,miller1 ,edwin ,burritt ,smith1 ,david ,starr ,jordan1 ,c4 ,e4 ,beecher1 ,henry ,p4 ,ewing1 and ,thomas ,moran1 as well as the authors represented in this pamphlet4 ,the book has more than a hundred pages1 illustrated with half-tones and portraits2 the cover is from a painting of the ,canyon by ,thomas ,moran1 and is lithographed in seven colors4 ,it will be forwarded on receipt of fifty cents4 ,a beautiful and unique color picture of the ,grand ,canyon1 mounted to show all its colors as in nature1 may be had for twenty-five cents4 ,address ,w4 ,j4 ,,black1 ,gen'l ,passenger ,agent1 ,a41 ,t4 ,s4 ,f4 ,ry41 ,,chicago4 ,ad4 #ga--b-c-jc4 #aj,m4 ,transcriber's ,notes --,retained publication information from the printed exemplar 7this e,book is in the public domain in the country of publication47 --,only in the text versions1 delimited italicized text with underscores4 --,silently corrected several typos4