TRIN-ALCOVE BEND. 53 
and go up to explore it. Just at its mouth, another lateral canon enters, in 
the angle between the former and the main canon above. Still another 
enters in the angle between the canon below and the side canon first men 
tioned, so that three side canons enter at the same point These canons 
are very tortuous, almost closed ii\ from view, and, seen from the opposite 
side of the river, they appear like three alcoves ; and we name this Trin- 
Alcove Bend. 
Going up the little stream, in the central cove, we pass between high 
walls of sandstone, and wind about in glens. Springs gush from the rocks 
at the foot of the walls; narrow passages in the rocks are threaded, caves 
are entered, and many side canons are observed. 
The right cove is a narrow, winding gorge, with overhanging walls, 
almost shutting out the light. 
The left is an amphitheater, turning spirally up, with overhanging 
shelves. A series of basins, filled with water, are seen at different altitudes, 
as we pass up ; huge rocks are piled below on the right, and overhead there 
is an arched ceiling. After exploring these alcoves, we recross the river, 
and climb the rounded rocks on the point of the bend. In every direction, 
as far as we are able to see, naked rocks appear. Buttes are scattered on 
the landscape, here rounded into cones, there buttressed, columned, and 
carved in quaint shapes, with deep alcoves and sunken recesses. All about 
us are basins, excavated in the soft sandstones; and these have been filled by 
the late rains. 
Over the rounded rocks and water pockets we look off on a fine stretch 
of river, and beyond are naked rocks and beautiful buttes to the Azure 
Cliffs, and beyond these, and above them, the Brown Cliffs, and still beyond, 
mountain peaks ; and clouds piled over all. 
On we go, after dinner, with quiet water, still compelled to row, in 
order to make fair progress. The canon is yet very tortuous. 
About six miles below noon camp, we go around a great bend to the 
right, five miles in length, and come back to a point within a quarter of a 
mile of where we started. Then we sweep around another great bend to 
the left, making a circuit of nine miles, and come back to a point within 
six hundred yards of the beginning of the bend. In the two circuits, we 
