336 
The Colorado River 
quiet. Accelerated by the rush of a small intervening rapid, 
our velocity appeared to multiply till we were flying along like 
a railway train. The whole width of the river dropped away 
before us, falling some twenty-five or thirty feet, at least, in a 
short space. We now saw that the rapid was of a particularly 
difficult nature, and the order was given to attempt a landing 
on some rocks at its head, on the left. At the same instant 
this was seen to be impossible. Our only safety lay in taking 
the plunge in the main channel. We backwatered on our oars 
to check our speed a trifle, and the next moment with a wild 
leap we went over, charging into the roaring, seething, beating 
waves below. Wave after wave broke over us in quick suc¬ 
cession, keeping our standing-rooms full. The boat plunged 
like a bucking broncho, at the same time rolling with fierce 
violence. As rapidly as possible we bailed with our kettles, 
but the effort was useless. At length, as we neared the end, 
an immense billow broke upon our port bow with a resounding 
crack. The little craft succumbed. With a quick careen she 
turned upside down, and we were in the foaming current. I 
threw up my hand and fortunately grasped a spare oar that 
was fastened along the outside of the boat. This enabled me 
to pull myself above the surface and breathe. My felt hat had 
stuck to my head and now almost suffocated me. Pushing it 
back I looked around. Not a sign of life was to be seen. 
The river disappeared below in the dark granite. My com¬ 
panions were gone. I was apparently alone in the great chasm. 
But in a moment or two Powell and Hillers, who had both 
been pulled down by the whirlpool that was keeping all to¬ 
gether, shot up like rockets beside me, and then I noticed 
Jones clinging to the ring in the stern. As we told Powell, 
after this experience was over, he had tried to make a geologi¬ 
cal investigation of the bed of the river, and this was not ad¬ 
visable. Hillers and I climbed on the bottom of the upturned 
boat, and by catching hold of the opposite gunwale, and throw¬ 
ing ourselves back, we brought her right-side up. Then we 
two climbed in, an operation requiring nice calculation, for she 
rolled so much with the load of water that her tendency was 
to turn over again on slight provocation. We bailed with our 
