302 
The Colorado River 
managed again to secure her and make a second attempt, which 
succeeded. Climbing to the top of the granite they discovered 
it was comparatively level, and they believed they could travel 
over it, if necessary, as far as Diamond Creek. The rations for 
some time had to be dealt out on allowance, and at night, for 
safety, Wheeler put the entire stock under his head as a pillow. 
On the 17th they met with particularly bad rapids, one with a 
fall of ten and a half feet where the river was only thirty-five 
feet wide. The force of such pent-up waters may be imagined. 
The party had here one advantage over the river farther north. 
The Crew of the “ Trilobite.” 
At the mouth of Diamond Creek. 
Photograph by T. H. O’Sullivan, Wheeler Exp. 
at this season; it was much warmer in this part of the Grand 
Canyon. 
“Each day,“ writes Wheeler of this portion, “seems like an 
age, and the danger of complete disaster stares one so plainly 
in the face that a state of uneasiness naturally prevails.” On 
the 18th, at one of the descents, a boat was again torn loose, 
and Gilbert and Salmon were thrown into the raging waters. 
They fortunately succeeded in getting out, and the party pushed 
ahead, making three and one-half miles. The boats were now 
in a dilapidated condition, leaking badly. On October 19th 
two messengers were started, by way of the summit of the 
granite, to Diamond Creek to catch the relief party there, and 
