1923] EDWARDS, SECOND SEASON AT GRAND CANYON 49 



Joe could go ahead with the main pack train and establish camp, 

 leaving Tom to help with the photographic outfit and to care for the 

 mules carrying the camera equipment. In this way it was possible 

 to spend as much time as desired at the various points visited, and it 

 was always certain that a warm meal would be ready when camp was 

 reached. All three proved themselves good companions and hard 

 workers, and added not a little to the success and enjoyment of the 

 trip. 



Although the start was made early in the morning, it took some 

 time to pack our baggage on the mules which process is shown in 

 figure 23, and it was high noon before the descent of the Hermit trail 

 began. We had been over this trail the previous year and now hurried 

 along as fast as possible in order to reach new ground. Hermit Camp, 

 at which the party arrived late in the afternoon and in a pouring 

 rain, was to be the headquarters for the next few days. It is situated 

 on the Tonto plateau, three thousand feet below the rim, and from it 

 the various rocks which form the lower part of the canyon wall can be 

 conveniently reached, and the river is accessible by means of a fine 

 trail. On the following morning preparations to descend farther and 

 photograph the river were interrupted by another sudden shower, 

 which put an end to all thoughts of photography for that day. 



However, a climb up the bluff in the rear of the camp where fossils 

 were reputed to occur in the Cambrian shales, was still possible. 

 After some hours of search, our patience was rewarded by finding two 

 narrow bands, each about four inches wide and almost entirely com- 

 posed of shells strangely like those of similar age occurring in Wiscon- 

 sin. Most of them were badly broken up, but further search showed 

 a few quite perfect individual specimens. All the rest of the one 

 hundred and seventy-five feet of rock which belonged to the formation 

 in which these fossils occur, was a very soft and easily broken shale, 

 either of a green or dark red color, but by a curious turn of fate, these 

 thin, fossil-bearing bands were of limestone — very hard and very 

 tough. However, in the course of three or four hours a considerable 

 quantity of this material was gathered and the party was ready for 

 new ventures. 



These were furnished by Mr. Poquette, the care-taker of the camp, 

 who told, one evening, of having seen salt in one of the side canyons 

 of Hermit creek. The place proved to be easy of access and the salt 

 present in considerable quantities. Water seeping through the cracks 

 in the rock, had built up long stalactites of this material, and en- 

 crusted the whole surface of the cliff in many places. Some of these 



