Determination 
227 
than seventy-five miles distant, across an unknown country. 
So heavily did this situation weigh upon him that he almost 
concluded to abandon the river and try the chance on the top, 
but then he says: “For years I have been contemplating this 
trip. To leave the exploration unfinished, to say that there is 
a part of the canyon which I cannot explore, having already 
almost accomplished it, is more than I am willing to acknow¬ 
ledge, and I determine to go on.” So he awoke Walter Powell 
and explained to him Howland’s decision. Walter agreed to 
stand by him, and so did Sumner, Hawkins, Bradley, and Hall. 
The younger Howland wished to remain, but would not 
desert his brother. O. G. Howland was determined to leave 
the river, and Dunn was with him. 
I have never met any of the men of this party except 
Powell and his brother Walter, so I have no other account of 
the affair than the one just stated, which is from Powell’s Re¬ 
port, and is the same that he gave me orally before that Report 
was printed. Walter Powell never mentioned the subject, or 
in any way suggested to me that there was anything behind 
the version of Powell. But others have. They have said that 
the real cause of the break was an incompatibility between 
Powell and the elder Howland. It is quite possible that 
Powell may have discovered Howland persona non grata, but 
had this been as serious as some have said, Howland would 
not have waited, it seems to me, till they came to a particularly 
bad-looking place to take his departure. At any rate, that 
was a long night for Powell, and whatever the main cause of 
Howland’s leaving was, it was a trying ordeal for the leader. 
Howland’s obligation certainly was to go on as if he were an 
enlisted soldier, and he evidently failed in this duty. When 
daylight finally came a solemn breakfast was prepared and 
eaten. No one had much heart. The river was then crossed 
again to the north side. The decision of the three men to 
leave rendered one boat useless, and the poorest, the Dean, 
which was a pine boat, was left behind. Two rifles and a shot¬ 
gun were given to the men who were leaving, but their share 
of the rations they refused to take, being sure they could 
secure all the game they required. Their calculations were 
