PHYSICAL FEATURES OF COLORADO VALLEY. 539 



course, and runs into a fold, which has a northeast and southAvest axis, 

 but its central line is never reached. Before coming to it tlie river 

 turns again to the west, and runs entirely out of the fold, at the nioutli 

 of the Dirty Devil River. It will thus be seen that the dip of tlie 

 formations under discussion is to the northwest. Going down to the 

 middle of Cataract Canon, we constantly see rocks of lower geological 

 position appearing at the water's edge; and, still continuing from 

 that point to the foot of Narrow CaSon, the same beds are observed 

 in reverse order; that is, we see at the water's edge rocks of later 

 geological age. 



Where the upturned axis of this fold is situated is not known ; 

 but, looking away to the southeast, mountains are seen the Sierra La 

 Sal and Sierra Abajo. Looking over the general surface of the country, 

 it appears that the course of the river is from lower into hioher lands 

 and then back again. Observing the present topographic features of 

 the country, it seems strange that it did not find its way directly 

 across from the foot of Labyrinth to the foot of Narrow Caiion, following 

 the low lands. Why should it leave this low region, and run away 

 out into the slope of a system of mountains, and then return? We 

 must remember that the river is older than the mountains and the cliffs. 

 We must not think of a great district of country, over which moun- 

 tains were piled, or built, or heaved up, and that when rain fell it 

 gathered into streams along the natural depressions of such a country 

 and thus attempt to account for the course of the river ; but we must 

 understand that the river cut its way through a region that was slow- 

 ly rising above the level of the sea, and the rain w^ashed out the val- 

 leys, and left rocks and cliffs standing, and the river never turned aside 

 from its original course to seek an easier way, for the progress of up- 

 lifting was not greater than that of corrasion. Again we see how 

 slowly the dry land has emerged from the sea ; no great convulsion of 

 Nature, but steady progi'ess. 



The Orange, Cliffs, which terminate Labyrinth Canon, extend to the 

 west a few miles, and then change their course to the southwest, run. 

 ning parallel with the axis of the fold we are now discussing, and they 

 cross the Dirty Devil a few miles above its mouth. Thus they are 

 seen, like the other lines of cliffs, to face the axis of a fold. Fig. 2 is 

 a bird's-eye view of this country, showing the course of the river 

 through Stillwater, Cataract, and Narrow Canons. It represents the 

 cutting of the stream into the slope of a mountain-range, and out of 

 it again, without crossing the range. On the left it shows two lines 

 of cliffs. Here we have a district inclosed within Titanic walls. On 

 the southeast are great mountains, and from the foot of their slope, on 

 the north side, near Grand River, we find a line of cliffs crossing this 

 stream, and extending to the Green, in a westerly direction ; then to 

 the southwest, to the Dirty Devil River, and then broken and confused 

 by buttes and caiion-walls, which extend toward the east, until it 



