90 EXPLORATION OF THE CANONS OF THE COLORADO. 
We are some distance in advance of the larger boats, the river is rough and 
swift, and we are unable to land, but cling to the boat, and are carried down 
stream, over another rapid. The men in the boats above see our trouble, 
but they are caught in whirlpools, and are spinning about in eddies, and it 
seems a long time before they come to our relief. At last they do come ; 
our boat is turned right side up, bailed out ; the oars, which fortunately have 
floated along in company with us, are gathered up, and on we go, without 
even landing. 
Soon after the accident the clouds break away, and we have sunshine 
again. 
Soon we find a little beach, with just room enough to land. Here we 
camp, but there is no wood. Across the river, and a little way above, we 
see some drift wood lodged in the rocks. So we bring two boat loads over, 
build a huge fire, and spread everything to dry. It is the first cheerful 
night we have had for a week ; a warm, drying fire in the midst of the camp, 
and a few bright stars in our patch of heavens overhead. 
August 20. The characteristics of the canon change this morning. 
The river is broader, the walls more sloping, and composed of black slates, 
that stand on edge. These nearly vertical slates are washed out in places 
that is, the softer beds are washed out between the harder, which are left 
standing. In this way, curious little alcoves are formed, in which are quiet 
bays of water, but on a much smaller scale than the great bays and but 
tresses of Marble Canon. 
The river is still rapid, and we stop to let down with lines several 
times, but make greater progress as we run ten miles. We camp on the 
right bank. Here, on a terrace of trap, we discover another group of ruins 
There was evidently quite a village on this rock. Again we find mealing 
stones, and much broken pottery, and up in a little natural shelf in the rock, 
back of the ruins, we find a globular basket, that would hold perhaps a 
third of a bushel. It is badly broken, and, as I attempt to take it up, it 
falls to pieces. There are many beautiful flint chips, as if this had been the 
home of an old arrow maker. 
August 21. We start early this morning, cheered by the prospect of a 
fine day, and encouraged, also, by the good run made yesterday. A quarter 
