236 
The Colorado River 
constructed by a builder named Bagley, who had a yard where 
he turned out small craft, at the north end of the old Clark 
Street bridge, and we often felt a sense of gratitude to him for 
doing his work so well. They were three in number, of well- 
seasoned, clear-grained, half-inch oak, smooth-built, double- 
ribbed fore and aft, square-sterned, and all practically the same, 
the former trip having shown the needlessness of taking any 
smaller or frailer boat for piloting purposes. These were each 
twenty-two feet long over all, and about twenty on the keel. 
They were rather narrow for their length, but quite deep for 
boats of their size, drawing, if I remember correctly, when fully 
laden, some fourteen or sixteen inches of water. This depth 
made it possible to carry a heavy load, which was necessary, and 
at the same time which acted as ballast to keep them right side 
up amidst the counter-currents and tumbling waters. A rudder 
being entirely out of place in the kind of navigation found in 
the canyons, a heavy rowlock was placed at the stern to hold 
a strong, eighteen-foot steering oar. The boats were entirely 
decked over on a level with the gunwales, excepting two open 
spaces left for the rowers. These open spaces, or standing- 
rooms, were separated from the decked portions by bulkheads, 
thus forming under the decks three water-tight compartments 
or cabins, that would not only protect the cargoes and prevent 
loss in the event of capsize, but would also serve to keep the 
boats afloat when loaded and full of water in the open parts. 
The rowlocks were of iron, of the pattern that comes close 
together at the top, so that an oar must either be slipped 
through from the handle end or drawn up toward the thin part 
above the blade to get it out. By attaching near the handle a 
rim of hard leather, there was no way for the oar to come out 
accidentally, and so well did this arrangement work that in a 
capsize the oars remained in the rowlocks. To any one wish¬ 
ing to try the descent of the Colorado, I commend these boats 
as being perhaps as well adapted to the work as any that can 
be devised; though perhaps a pointed stern would be an im¬ 
provement. Iron construction is not advisable, as it is difficult 
to repair. 
When I went the first time to look at the boats lying on 
