66 EXPLORATION OF THE CANONS OF THE COLORADO. 
anxiety, hugging the wall on the left, and carefully examining the way 
before us. 
Late in the afternoon, we pass to the left, around a sharp point, which 
is somewhat broken down near the foot, and discover a flock of mountain 
sheep on the rocks, more than a hundred feet above us. We quickly land 
in a cove, out of sight, and away go all the hunters with their guns, for the 
sheep have not discovered us. Soon, we hear firing, and those of us who 
have remained in the boats climb up to see what success the hunters have 
had. One sheep has been killed, and two of the men are still pursuing 
them. In a few minutes, we hear firing again, and the next moment down 
come the flock, clattering over the rocks, within twenty yards of us. One 
of the hunters seizes his gun, and brings a second sheep down, and the next 
minute the remainder of the flock is lost behind the rocks. We all give 
chase ; but it is impossible to follow their tracks over the naked rock, and 
we see them no more. Where they went out of this rock walled canon is a 
mystery, for we can see no way of escape. Doubtless, if we could spare 
the time for the search, we could find some gulch up which they ran. 
We lash our prizes to the deck of one of the boats, and go on for a 
short distance ; but fresh meat is too tempting for us, and we stop early to 
have a feast. And a feast it is ! Two fine, young sheep. We care not for 
bread, or beans, or dried apples to night ; coffee and mutton is all we ask. 
July 28. We make two portages this morning, one of them very long. 
During the afternoon we run a chute, more than half a mile in length, nar 
row and rapid. This chute has a floor of marble ; the rocks dip in the direc 
tion in which we are going, and the fall of the stream conforms to the incli 
nation of the beds ; so we float on water that is gliding down an inclined 
plane. At the foot of the chute, the river turns sharply to the right, and the 
water rolls up against a rock which, from above, seems to stand directly 
athwart its course. As we approach it, we pull with all our power to the 
right, but it seems impossible to avoid being carried headlong against the 
cliff, and we are earned up high on the waves not against the rocks, for 
the rebounding water strikes us, and we are beaten back, and pass on with 
safety, except that we get a good drenching. 
After this, the walls suddenly close in, so that the canon is narrower 
