322 
The Colorado River 
was, they were served just right: first, because they had stolen 
our property, and, second, because they had so little sense. 
The walls had rapidly grown in altitude, and near the river 
were vertical so that climbing out at this place was a particu¬ 
larly difficult undertaking. The river was still very high, but 
not at the highest stage of this year, which had been passed 
before the Canonita party had come down to the Paria from 
Fremont River. But the canyon was even yet uncomfortably 
full and we were hoping the water would diminish rapidly, for 
high tide in such a place is a great disadvantage. The stream 
was thick with red mud, the condition from which it derived 
its name, and it swept along with a splendid vigour that be¬ 
tokened a large reserve flood in the high mountains. The 
marble composing the walls of this canyon for most of its 
length is of a greyish drab colour often beautifully veined, but 
it must not be supposed that the walls are the same colour 
externally, for they are usually a deep red, due to the dis¬ 
coloration of their surface by disintegration of beds above full 
of iron. Except where high water had scoured the walls, 
there was generally no indication of their real colour. In places 
the friction of the current had brought them to a glistening 
polish ; the surface was smooth as glass, and was sometimes cut 
into multitudinous irregular flutings as deep as one’s finger. 
The grinding power of the current was well shown in some of 
the boulders, which had been dovetailed together till the 
irregular line of juncture was barely perceptible. 
The next day was begun by accomplishing the portage over 
the rapid which had punished the prospectors for their temerity 
and for their lack of proper morals, and then we made most 
excellent progress, successfully putting behind us eleven lively 
rapids free from rocks before we were admonished to pause 
and make a let-down. Then camp was established for the 
night with the record of ten and three-eighths miles for our 
day’s work. At one place we passed a rock in the water so 
large that it almost blocked the entire stream, which had av¬ 
eraged about two hundred feet in width, though narrowing 
at many places to no more than seventy-five. The current 
was always extremely swift, while many whirlpools added 
