144 
THIO GRAND CANON DISTRICT. 
its colors, and its wondtrful atmosphere. All of these attributes combine 
with infinite complexity to produce a whole which at first bewilders and at 
length overpowers. 
From the end of Point Sublime, the distance across the chasm to the 
nearest point in the summit of the opposite wall is about 7 miles. This, 
however, does not fairly express the width of the chasm, for both walls 
are I’ecessed by wide amphitheaters, setting far back into the platform 
of the country, and the promontories are comparatively narrow strips be- 
tween them. A more correct statement of the general width would be 
from 11 to 12 miles. This must dispose at once of the idea that the 
chasm is a narrow gorge of immense depth and simple form. It is some- 
what unfortunate that there is a prevalent idea that in some way an 
essential part of the grandeur of the Grand Cation is the narrowness of its 
defiles. Much color has been given to this notion by the first illustrations 
of the cation from the pencil of Egloffstein in the celebrated report of Lieu- 
tenant Ives. Never was a great subject more artistically misrepresented 
or more charmingly belittled. Nowhere in the Kaibab section is any such 
extreme narrowness observable, and even in the Uinkaret section the width 
of the great inner gorge is a little greater than the depth. In truth, a little 
refiection will show that such a character would be inconsistent with the 
hiffhest and strongest effects. For it is obvious that some notable width is 
necessary to enable the eye to see the full extent of the walls. In a chasm 
one mile deep, and only a thousand feet wide, this would be quite impos- 
sible. If we compare the Marble Canon or the gorge at the Toroweap with 
wider sections it will at once be seen that the wider ones are much stronger. 
If we compare one of the longer alcoves having a width of 3 or 4 miles with 
the view across the main chasm the advantage will be overwhelmingly with 
the latter. It is evident that for the display of wall surface of given dimen- 
sions a certain amount of distance is necessary. We may be too near or 
too far for the right appi-eciation of its magnitude and proportions. The 
distance must bear some ratio to the magnitude. But at what precise limit 
this distance must in the present case be fixed is not easy to determine. It 
can hardly be doubted that if tlie canon were materially narrower it would 
suffer a loss of grandeur and effect. 
