202 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. 



running most of the way through badlands of soft shale that have 

 been cut by rain and running water. It passes so near the cliffs that 

 the traveler may see all the delicate fluting and also the sharp points 

 of the salients which are protected by caps of heavy sandstone. 

 Although the variety of details is infinite, the general similarity of 

 the forms produced grows wearisome, and the traveler finally wel- 

 comes the emergence of the train from the badlands into the open 

 plain, which leads down to Green Eiver. This change occurs at a 

 siding called Solitude, which indeed is rightly named. Here noth- 

 ing is in sight but the endless expanse of plain covered with the 

 stunted vegetation of the desert on the one side and the equally end- 

 less badlands on the other. To the eye of the sheep herder, however, 

 this region is not desolate, for it affords fine feeding ground for his 

 sheep. The impression of it, then, depends on the point of view ; what 

 the stranger sees as desolation no words can describe one familiar 

 with the scene views without aversion and accepts at its real worth. 



Immediately after the train rounds the curve beyond Solitude the 

 town of Greenriver comes in sight, although it is almost 12 miles 

 distant. At least the green trees in and surrounding the town can 

 be seen, but they are nearly straight ahead and the traveler may have 

 difficulty in locating them. 



As the train passes down this even slope much of the surrounding 

 landscape is spread out before the traveler. The Book Cliffs on the 

 right swing far to the north in a great reentrant which Green River 

 has cut in their generally even front. Across the river there is a 

 strong salient, which is known as the Beckwith Plateau, named for 

 Lieut. Beckwith. who was associated with Capt. Gunnison in his 

 survey of this route for a Pacific railroad and who crossed Green 

 River September 30, 1853. Capt. Gunnison lost his life in an en- 

 counter with a band of Indians after he had crossed the Wasatch 

 Plateau, and Lieut. Beckwith prepared the report of the explora- 

 tion. The most attractive features in the landscape are the wonderful 

 tablelands and the peaks resembling ruined cities, which can be seen 

 far across the river in the north end of what is known as the San 

 Rafael Swell. This region is described in greater detail on pages 

 207-208. 



As the traveler descends the smooth shale slope he can make out 

 the point where Green River emerges from the mountainous country 

 to the north by the deep reentrant in the line of the Book Cliffs. By 

 close examination he may be able to see a butte on the west side of 

 the river, which is marked by a series of pinnacles and which is 

 known as Gunnison Butte, in commemoration of the survey of this 

 region by Capt. Gunnison. (See PI. LXXXII, T.) This butte towers 

 2,700 feet above the river, but as seen from the train it seems to be 



