20 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 
and back to Julesburg on the Union Pacific Railroad, and 
home and school work again. This trip through the 
mountains opened up a wonderland for the Major, so 
again in 1868 he was in this field, devoting his salary and 
appropriations from the Illinois Industrial University, at 
Champaign, and other financial assistance to the expenses 
of this venture. When this party broke up in the autumn 
of 1868, Major Powell, Mrs. Powell and the Major’s 
brother, Walter B. and a party of hunters, including the 
Howland brothers, Wm. Dunn and Wm. R. Hawkins, 
afterwards members of his first party to explore the 
canyon, crossed the range to White River and wintered 
near the camp of Chief Douglas and his bands of Utes. 
With the return of spring the Major went to Granger on 
the U. P. Ry., disposed of his outfit and hastened on to 
Washington and induced Congress to pass a joint reso- 
lution approved by Gen. Grant, allowing the Major to 
draw from any western army post rations for a party of 
twelve men, while engaged in making explorations and 
collections for public institutions, and a most worthy con- 
cession it was. He again obtained permission to divert 
his salary and appropriations from the various institu- 
tions in Illinois, these and an appropriation of $500.00 
from the Chicago Academy of Sciences, and contributions 
from friends, all of which were spent for the advance- 
‘ ment of his great purpose, the solving of the last great 
geographical problem of the U. 8., that of the Canyons of 
the Green and Colorado Rivers, as well as making col- 
lections in other branches of scientific investigation. 
Major Powell organized his first expedition and 
started from Green River, Wyo., in the spring of 1869, 
taking the river at its flood, for otherwise many of the 
broad shallow rapids would have been so full of rocks 
as to be impassable, but with plenty of water in the chan- 
nel they were run in safety. At Green River, Wyo., the 
altitude is about 6000 feet, while the mouth of the Rio 
Virgin at Black Canyon, the last canyon of the great 
gorge, the altitude is about 700 feet above sea level, and 
to determine how this 5300 feet drop was made by the 
river, as well as to unravel many of the wierd legends 
that threw a halo of mystery around this thousand mile 
gorge, were some of the things Major Powell had in mind. 
