28 JOHN WESLEY POWELL. 



Through the influence of General Grant, Congress authorised the 

 Commissary General of the Army to furnish his party with rations 

 wherever they might call for them at military posts in the Far 

 West. 



With all of these additions to his equipment, the Professor 

 again organised a party, of students and naturalists, for a natural 

 history expedition into western Colorado, with the design of ulti- 

 mately exploring the canyons of the Colorado. Early in the summer 

 of 1868 he established a rendezvous camp in Middle Park, where 

 he added a number of hardy mountaineers who were expert trap- 

 pers and travellers. For more than three months our naturalists 

 were pursuing their studies and engaged in making collections in 

 various departments through the region round about. At one time, 

 Professor Powell, with a part of his men, crossed the Colorado or 

 Front Range and ascended Longs Peak, which was then climbed 

 for the first time. During the whole period he was himself chiefly 

 occupied with studies at high altitudes, and he traversed the entire 

 Colorado Range from Longs Peak to the South Platte. While 

 engaged in this part of the work they usually camped at the timber 

 line, and the days were spent among the crags and peaks. In this 

 manner the study of the general structure of the mountains was 

 made. Thence he went to Mount Lincoln and studied the great 

 mountain masses at the head of Blue River, and then passed south- 

 ward to the Gore Mountains. In this region a longer delay was 

 made and the whole system of mountains carefully explored. 



The Gore Mountains are a group of wonderfully picturesque 

 crags and peaks, and previous to this time had been entirely un- 

 explored. The account of them published by the Professor greatly 

 attracted the attention of travellers, and later his name was given 

 to the highest peak of the group by the people of Colorado. 



During the two summers of study the mountains standing 

 about Middle Park, and the whole country within, had thus been 

 carefully studied so that the general geology of the district was 

 now well known by the Professor, and large collections of minerals, 

 fossils, and rocks had been made. The naturalists of the party had 

 also collected rich stores of plants and animals, and at the close of 

 the season they found themselves well rewarded. The material 

 thus gathered was sent to Denver and thence shipped east to the 

 museum at Normal, from which it was to be distributed to the sev- 

 eral institutions contributing to the expense of the expedition. 



But Professor Powell did not return to the East himself. With 

 a part of his scientific corps and a number of mountaineers he 



