io8 
The Colorado River 
discovery consisted, like many others of the time, in following 
up the bison trails and the highways of the natives. The lat¬ 
ter, of course, knew every foot of the whole country; each 
tribe its own special lands and more or less into and across 
those of its neighbours. 
By the time the second decade of the nineteenth century 
was fairly begun the trappers were crossing in considerable 
numbers from the headwaters of the Missouri and the Platte 
into the valley of the Colorado and the Columbia, and as early 
as 1824 one of the most brilliant figures of this epoch. General 
Ashley,’ having previously organised a fur-trading company in 
St. Louis, then the centre of all Western commerce, had estab¬ 
lished himself in Green River Valley with a large band of ex¬ 
pert trappers which included now famous names like Henry, 
Bridger, Fitzpatrick, Green, Sublet, and Beckwourth. Provo 
(or Provost) was already encamped in Brown’s Hole. One of 
Ashley’s principal camps was what they called the “rendez¬ 
vous ’’ (there were a great many French-Canadians engaged in 
the fur business, and hence numerous French words were in 
common use among the trappers of the period), just above 
“The Suck,’’ on Green River. This Suck was at the entrance 
to Flaming Gorge, as it has since been named. Beckwourth 
says of this: “The current, at a small distance from our camp, 
became exceedingly rapid, and drew toward the centre from 
each shore.’’ The river here narrows suddenly and attacks a 
high ridge. Doubling around a point to the left and then as 
suddenly to the right, the swift water or “Suck ’’ slackens up 
in the quieter reach of Flaming Gorge. In their journeys 
after beaver the Ashley party had been able to go into this 
gorge and the two following ones. Horseshoe and Kingfisher, 
and had doubtless trapped in them. Here were many beaver, 
and Ashley drew the inference that as many existed below in 
the deeper canyon. Though he had discovered the dangerous 
character of the river he decided to build boats and set forth on 
’ Wm. Henry Ashley, born in Virginia, 1778 ; went to Missouri 1802 ; general 
of militia ; elected first governor 1820 ; went into fur trade 1822 with Andrew 
Henry ; elected to Congress 1831 ; twice re-elected ; continued in office till March 
4, 1837.-—Chittenden. 
