FORT YUMA TO MOJAVE CANON—DIFFICULT RAPID. 63 
To-day has-been® perfectly. serene, and ‘thé. atmosphere mdescribably: soft. and linipid.! : Korg 
several miles thé river assumed: a new. aspect, béing: straight ‘and broad, having high banks, > 
and presenting a’ placid unbroken sheet of water—not a:bar: being_visible: above:the’ surface. 
To one viewing the-noble looking stream=frém ‘the bank, it-would, have appeared navigdble 
for vessels of the heaviest draught, but the koe of: Water, was et to enable 
the Explorer, to pass without ‘touching: © ; 
Entering the foot hills of the: Mojave range, the Sisendk was again iptaaiadaind after travers- 
ing a narrow pass’ the Neédles: came in view: directly im front.» As we'approached the mouth 
of the cafion through the Mojave mountains,.a roarmg noise ahead-gave:notice that we were 
coming to a rapid, and soon we reached the foot ofsa spebbly island, — either side of which 
the water was rushing, enyelopedii in sheet, of foam. 
” Fig. Ib. —Mouth of} Pia Cafion, 
After ascending a few yards a harsh grating noise warned us that we were upon a rocky 
shoal, and Captain Robinson at once backed the Explorer out and went up ih a skiff to recon- 
noitre. He found good water, excepting for a short distance at the lower end, where: the depth 
was three feet, and the bottom sprinkled with rocks. There was danger that the after part of 
the boat in passing might eatch upon a rock, and thé bow be swung-around by the rapid current 
against another with such violence: “as” to” ‘knock.a hole in the bottom. tn anchor was carried 
to a point some distance up stream, and a, 1 line. taken from it to the bow. This line was ‘kept 
taut, while, with a high. pressure of steam, the Explorer was forced up the rapids, once or twice ; 
trembling from stem to stern 2 as she graced open a ogy Feaching, the aul water above 
without sustaining: damage. — 
A low purple gateway and -aptendid pomidae vith: massive Fed: walls, imc the- entrance 
to the canon. At the head of-this-avenie frowning mountains, piled*one- above the other, 
