i68 
The Colorado River 
way steadily upward over many rapids through the superb 
chasm. “No description,” says Ives, “can convey an idea of 
the varied and majestic grandeur of this peerless waterway. 
Wherever the river makes a turn, the entire panorama changes, 
and one startling novelty after another appears and disappears 
with bewildering rapidity.” I commend these pages of Lieu¬ 
tenant Ives, and, in fact, his whole report, to all who delight 
in word-painting of natural scenery, for the lieutenant cer¬ 
tainly handled his pen as well as he did his sword. ^ Emerging 
Fortification Rock. 
Castellated Gravels at the foot. Near the head of Black Canyon. 
Photograph by Wheeler Exp. 
from the solemn depths of Black Canyon (twenty-five miles 
long) he and his small party passed Fortification Rock and 
continued on two miles up the river to an insignificant little 
stream coming in from the north, which he surmised might be 
the Virgen, though he hardly thought it could be, and it was 
not. It was Vegas Wash. This was his highest point. Turn¬ 
ing about, he descended to the steamboat camp and called that 
place the head of navigation, not that he did not believe a 
‘ It may be of interest to state that Lieutenant Ives became an officer in the 
Confederate Army, and was killed in one of the battles of the Civil War. 
