CHAPTER VIII 
The One-armed Knight—A Bold Attack on the Canyons—Powell and His Men 
—The Wonderful Voyage—Mighty Walls and Roaring Rapids—Capsizes and 
Catastrophes. 
W HEN the Civil War was finally over, the wilds of the 
Far West again called in seductive voice to the ad¬ 
venturous and the scientific. The fur-trade as an absorbing 
industry was dead, but mining, prospecting, ranching, and 
scientific exploring took its place. Among the naturalists 
who crossed the Rocky Mountains for purposes of investiga¬ 
tion, fascinated by the broad, inviting field, was a one-armed 
soldier, a former officer of volunteers in the Union Army. 
His right forearm had remained on the battlefield of Shiloh, 
but when a strong head is on the shoulders a missing arm 
makes little difference, and so it was with Major Powell. In 
the summer of 1867, when he was examining Middle Park, 
Colorado, with a small party, he happened to explore a mod¬ 
erate canyon on Grand River just below what was known as 
Middle Park Hot Springs, and became enthused with a desire 
to fathom the Great Mystery. Consequently, he returned the 
next year, made his way to the banks of White River, about 
120 miles above its mouth, and there erected cabins, with the 
intention of remaining through the snow season till the follow¬ 
ing spring should once again unlock the frost-gates of the 
range. There being now no bison trails hard-beaten into the 
snow, it was a more difficult undertaking to cross, except in 
summer. Mrs. Powell was with the party. 
During this winter of 1868-69, Powell made several im- 
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