812 The Great Canons of the Colorado River. 



with bright foliage and green trees, and a blue range in the 

 distance, and after traversing a short avenue, lined with low 

 bluffs, and terminated b} T a narrow gateway, we issued from 

 the hills and beheld the broad and noble valley of the Mojaves 

 stretched before us." 



One out of several smaller canons through which they 

 afterwards passed had some charming features of its own : — 



" It was only two or three miles in extent, and the sides 

 were of moderate height, but the gorgeous contrast and 

 intensity of colour exhibited on the rocks exceeded in beauty 

 anything that had been witnessed of a similar character. 

 Various and vivid tints of blue, brown, white, purple, and 

 crimson were blended with exquisite shading upon the gateway 

 and inner walls, producing effects so novel and surprising as to 

 make the caiion in some respects the most picturesque and 

 .striking of any of these wonderful mountain passes." 



But the " Black Canon " outvied all its predecessors : — 



<l In a few minutes, having passed what may be called the 

 '•outworks of the range, we fairly entered its gigantic precincts, 

 and commenced to tread the mazes of a canon far exceeding 

 in vastness any that had yet been traversed. The walls were 

 perpendicular, and more than double the height of those in the 

 Mojave Mountains, rising in many places sheer from the water 

 for over a thousand feet. The naked rocks presented, in lieu of 

 the brilliant tints which had illuminated the sides of the lower 

 passes, an uniform sombre hue, that added much to the solemn 

 and impressive sublimity of the place. The river was narrow 

 and devious, and each turn disclosed new combinations of 

 colossal and fantastic forms, dimly seen in the dizzy 

 heights overhead, or through the sunless depths of the vista 

 beyond. 



" There was no need of keeping a watch with two grim lines 

 of sentinels, a thousand feet high, guarding the camp. Even 

 though we could have been seen from the verge of the cliff above, 

 our position was totally inaccessible. Darkness supervened 

 with surprising suddenness. Pall after pall of shade fell, as it 

 were in clouds, upon the deep recesses about us. The line of 

 light, through the opening above, at last became blurred and 

 indistinct, and, save the dull red glare of the camp fire (for 

 here the expedition had landed for the night), all was enveloped 

 in a murky gloom. Soon the narrow belt again brightened as 

 the ra} r s of the moon reached the summits of the mountains. 

 Gazing far upwards u j ion the edges of\the overhanging walls, 

 we witnessed the gradual illumination. A few isolated turrets 

 and pinnacles first appeared in strong relief upon the bine 

 band of the heavens. As the silvery light descended; and fell 

 upon the opposite crest of the abyss, strange and uncouth 



