the grand canyon of arizona-第30章

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reek　is　lined　with　willows　that　are　admirably　adapted　for　basket…making；　and　as　an　abundant　supply　of　martynia；　or　cat's…claw；　is　found　on　the　plateaus　above；　this　Canyon　is　a　veritable　basket…makers'　paradise。　Their　best　work　is　done　in　the　coiled　stitch。　The　esuwas；　or　water…bottles；　are　made　out　of　the　twined　weave；　and　then　covered　with　pinion　gum。

Beautiful　Waterfalls。　Havasu　Canyon　is　interesting；　not　only　on　account　of　its　Indians；　but　because　of　its　narrow　walls　reaching　up　to　the　very　heavens　and　shutting　out　the　sun　except　for　the　midday　hours；　and　the　beautiful　blue　water　flowing　in　its　willow…fringed　bed；　which　finally　dashes　in　successive　leaps　into　the　lower　depths；　making　several　cataracts；　one　of　which　I　regard　as　the　most　exquisite　waterfall　in　the　world。　As　a　consequence；　it　is　becoming　a　great　attraction　for　travelers。

Bridal　Veil　Falls。　There　are　five　falls　in　all；　occurring　in　the　following　order：　Havasupai；　Navaho；　Bridal　Veil；　Mooney　and　Beaver。　The　last　three　are　the　most　important。　Bridal　Veil　is　about　one　hundred　and　seventy　feet　high；　and　five　hundred　feet　broad；　but　this　space　is　not　entirely　covered　with　water。　The　edge　is　so　broken　that　the　water　dashes　over　the　precipice　in　a　large　number　of　stream　and　falling　upon　several　different　ledges；　is　again　broken　into　a　dashing　spray；　which；　light　and　feathery；　again　leaps　into　the　air。　The　general　effect　is　indescribably　beautiful。

The　visitor　should　not　fail　to　cross　the　Creek　either　above　or　below　the　Bridal　Veil　Falls；　for　on　the　further　side　are　a　number　of　water　concretions　well　worth　seeing。

Mooney　Falls。　Mooney　Falls；　one　mile　farther　down；　is　a　much　higher　cataract；　but　the　water　falls　in　an　undivided　stream。　It　gets　its　name　from　an　unfortunate　miner；　who；　in　trying　to　descend　a　rope　ladder　to　the　bottom　of　the　falls；　fell；　and　was　dashed　to　pieces。

Beaver　Falls。　Beaver　Falls　are　about　four　miles　farther　down　the　Canyon；　and　receive　their　name　from　the　large　number　of　beavers　that　used　to　be　at　work　in　the　stream　close　by。

By　recent　survey　of　this　region；　it　has　been　found　that　these　falls　are　not　included　in　the　Havasupai　reservation。　It　is　to　be　hoped；　however；　that；　before　it　is　too　late；　this　Canyon；　its　waterfalls　and　surroundings；　will　be　made　into　a　National　Park；　forever　and　inalienably　to　belong　to　the　people。



CHAPTER　XXIII。　The　First　Discoverers　And　Inhabitants　Of　The　Grand　Canyon

A　Barren　Waste　of　Rock。　While　the　Grand　Canyon；　its　vast　system　of　tributaries；　and　its　plateau　were　being　uplifted　from　the　primeval　ocean；　it　consisted　of　nothing　but　a　wild；　barren　waste　of　rock。　Not　a　tree；　not　a　shrub；　not　a　flower；　not　a　blade　of　grass　relieved　the　monotony　of　the　wilderness　of　rocks　which　emerged　from　the　great　Eocene　sea。　Not　a　lizard；　horned　toad；　centipede；　tarantula；　chuckwalla；　campamouche；*　frog；　tree…toad；　turtle　or　snake　was　to　be　found　on　the　long　stretching　areas　of　its　lifeless　shores。　Not　a　chipmunk；　prairie…dog；　coyote；　rat；　mouse；　porcupine；　fox；　bear；　mountain…lion；　badger；　deer；　antelope　or　other　four…footed　creature　ran　over　its　new…born　surfaces。　The　sun　shone　unhindered；　the　rain　beat　with　pitiless　fury；　the　winds　swept　unhampered；　the　snows　piled　up　undeterred　over　the　whole　plateau　and　canyon　country。　It　was　plateau　and　canyon；　canyon　and　plateau；　red　rock；　gray　rock；　creamy　rock；　yellow；　pink；　blue；　chocolate；　carmine；　crimson　rock；　soft　rock；　hard　rock；　sunshine；　shadow；　wind　and　quietude；　winter；　summer；　autumn；　spring…and　that　was　all！　A　lifeless　world；　as　yet　unprepared　for　insect；　reptile；　beast；　man；　flower　or　tree。　Perhaps　a　solitary　sea…bird　with　strong　pinion　flew　over　it；　and　gazed　into　its　lifeless　depths　with　wonder；　or　a　dove　flew　from　some　earlier　and　habitable　land　over　this　wonderful　mass　of　rock；　and　returned　to　its　nest　and　its　mate。　But　no　olive　or　other　leaf　was　in　its　bill。

*An　insect　that　looks　like　a　tiny　dried　wisp　of　hay；　well…known　in　Arizona。


And　so　the　land　was　born；　and　rested；　while　silence；　sunshine　and　solitude　brooded　over　it。

Creation　of　Soil　and　Verdure。　But　in　the　course　of　ages；　soil　was　created　by　the　disintegration　of　the　rocks　by　the　weather　and　the　atmosphere；　seeds　were　blown　in　from　regions　where　flowers　and　plants　bloomed；　or　were　carried　in　by　birds；　and　later　distributed　by　the　four…footed　creatures。　Then　verdure　sprang　into　life；　the　gentle　grasses　and　flowers　began　to　cover　the　slopes　and　level　places　where　soil　had　gathered；　and　the　trees　came　to　sway　and　swing　in　the　breezes；　and　sing　their　songs　of　coming　life　to　the　hitherto　barren　rocks。

Fossils　of　Sea　Creatures。　Yet　they　had　not　been　altogether　lifeless。　Many　of　the　rocks　had　known　life；　but　it　was　not　insect；　reptile；　bird；　beast　or　man　life；　neither　did　they　known　anything　of　grass；　flower；　shrub　or　tree　life。　In　the　far…away　ages；　when　they　were　being　deposited　deep　under　the　surface　of　the　Eocene　sea；　they　saw　vast　monsters　floating　in　the　salty　deep；　and　later；　fishes　of　all　sizes；　and　even　great　beds　of　waving　sea…moss　and　ferns　floated　back　and　forth；　as　the　tides　ebbed　and　flowed。　And　fishes　and　ferns；　monsters　and　moss　were　occasionally　caught　in　the　flowing　deposits　of　lime　and　sand　and　silt　and　clay；　and　were　embedded　in　their　mass。　Thus　imprisoned；　their　otherwise　forgotten　life　and　history　is　told　to　the　ages　of　man　that　were　as　yet　unborn。

Coming　of　Man。　But　now　the　new　life　is　coming！　With　verdure　and　animal　life　in　existence；　these　hitherto　uninhabitable　regions　became　capable　of　sustaining　human　life。　And　the　restless　spirit　of　the　human　race；　wherever　and　howsoever　it　originated；　drove　bands　of　men　and　women　into　this　region。

Who　were　they？　What　were　they　like？　Whence　did　they　come？　How　long　did　they　stay？　Whither　did　they　go？　are　questions　one　naturally　asks　in　regard　to　these　first　discoverers　and　inhabitants。　If　I　were　to　say　〃I　do　not　know；〃　I　would　be　saying　what　every　other　thinking　man　is　compelled　to　say。　Yet　there　is　pleasure　in　conjecture。

Traces　of　Ruins。　Before　looking　at　these　conjectures；　however；　it　is　appropriate　that　we　look　first　at　what　facts　there　are　to　justify　them。　Suppositions　without　any　facts　are　mere　fictions　of　the　imagination；　and　this　we　are　not　indulging　in。　When　in　our　day　men　began　to　explore　the　Grand　Canyon　and　its　numberless　tributaries；　a　great　number　of　indications　of　man's　presence　were　found　on　the　rim；　on　the　fault　lines　or　breaks　in　the　sheer　precipitous　walls；　on　the　plateaus　and　in　the　Canyon　beneath；　in　the　shape　of　crude　house　ruins；　lookout　houses　or　forts；　indifferent　trails；　cliff…dwellings；　hewn…out　water　cisterns；　mescal　pits；　with　countless　pieces　of　broken　pottery；　arrowheads；　stone　axes；　hammers；　mortars；　pestles　and　even　cemeteries。　or　places　of　cremation。

Evidences　of　Superior　Civilization。　Major　J。　W。　Powell；　in　his　journal　of　explorations；　writes　that　when　he　and　his　party　reached　the　mouth　of　the　Uinta　River；　they　went　up　to　the　agency　of　the　Indians　of　the　same　name。　While　visiting　the　Indians；　and　noting　their　fertile；　irrigated　farms；　he　found　many　evidences　that　〃this　beautiful　valley　has　been　the　home　of　a　people　of　a　higher　grade　of　cultivation　than　the　present　Utes。　On　our　way　here　yesterday；　we　discovered；　in　many　places　along　the　trail；　fragments　of　pottery；　and　wandering　about　the　little　farms　to…day　I　find　the　foundations　of　ancient　houses　and　mealing　stones　that　were　not　used　by　nomadic　people；　as　they　are　too　heavy　to　be　transported　by　such　tribes；　and　are　deeply　worn。　The　Indians；　seeing　that　I　am　interested　in　these　matters；　take　pains　to　show　me　several　other　places　where　these　evidences　remain；　and　tell　me。　that　they　know　nothing　about　the　people　who　formerly　dwelt　here。　They　further　tell　me　that　up　in　the　Canyon　the　rocks　are　covered　with　pictures。〃

Ancient　Dwellings。　When　Powell　and　his　party　reached　the　junction　of　the　San　Juan　with　the　Colorado；　they　might　have　found　a　large　number　of　ancient　dwellings　in　the　cliffs　not　far　away　from　where　Bluff　City　now　stands。

Further　on；　when　the　Bright　Angel　was　discovered　（the　beautiful　stream　and　canyon　on　the　north　side　of　the　Canyon　directly　opposite　El　Tovar）；　the　story　of　which　is　told　in　a　separate　chapter；　Major　Powell　went　up　a　little　gulch；　just　above　Bright　Angel　Creek；　about　two　hundred　yards　from　their　camp　on　the　Colorado；　and　there　he　discovered　the　ruins　of　two　or　three　old　houses；　which　were　originally　of　stone；　laid　in　mortar。　Only　the　foundations　were　left；　but　irregular　blocks；　of　which　the　houses　were　constructed；　were　found　lying　scattered　about。　In　one　room　he　found　an　old　mealing　stone；　deeply　worn；　as　if　it　had　been　much　used。　A　great　deal　of　pottery　was　strewn　around；　and　old　trails；　which　in　some　places　were　deeply　worn　into　the　rocks；　were　seen。

Ruins　of　a　Village。　Between　the　foot　of　what　is　now　the　Bright　Angel　Trail　and　Bass's　Cable　Crossing；　Major　Powell　discovered　another　group　of　ruins。　〃There　was　evidently　quite　a　village　on　this　rock。　Again　we　find　the　mealing　stones；　and　much　broken　pottery；　and　up　in　a　little　natural　shelf　in　the　rock；　back　of　the　ruins；　we　find　a　globular　basket；　that　would　hold　perhaps　a　third　of　a　bushel。　It　is　badly　broken；　and；　as　I　attempt　to　take　it　up；　it　falls　to　pieces。　There　are　many　beautiful　flint　chips；　as　if　this　had　been　the　home　of　an　old　arrow…maker。〃

Old　Gardens。　Later；　when　white　men　began　to　go　down　the　trail　now　known　as　the　Bright　Angel　Trail　（the　one　near　to　El　Tovar）；　the　remnants　of　gardens；　with　irrigating　ditches；　in　which　small　pieces　of　Indian　pottery　were　scattered　about；　were　discovered。　The　place　is　known　today　as　Indian　Garden；　and　is　seen　from　the　upper　porch　of　the　hotel。

Stone　Huts。　In　his　account　of　Powell's　second　expedition；　Dellenbaugh　tells　of　ancient　ruins　found　below　Labyrinth　Canyon。　〃Small　huts　for　storage　were　found　there　in　the　cliffs；　and　on　a　promontory；　about　thirty　feet　above　the　water；　were　the　ruins　of　stone　buildings；　one　of　which；　twelve　by　twenty　feet　in　dimensions；　had　walls　still　standing　about　six　feet　high。　The　Canyon　here　was　some　six　hundred　feet　high；　though　the　top　of　the　plateau　through　which　the　Canyon　is　carved　is　at　least　fifteen　hundred　feet　above　the　river。　We　discovered　the　trail　by　which　the　old　Puebloans　had　made　their　way　in　and　out。　Where　necessity　called　for　it；　poles　and　tree…trunks　had　been　placed　against　the　rocks　to　aid　the　climbers。　Some　of　our　party　trusted　themselves　to　these　ancient　ladders；　and　with　the　aid　of　a　rope　also；　reached　the　summit。〃　These　Indians　had　tilled　a　small　piece　of　arable　land　in　an　alcove　near　by。

An　Old　Indian　Fortress。　Hance　found　a　number　of　cliff　ruins　and　the　remnants　of　old　houses　on　and　near　his　trail；　and　on　the　Red　Canyon　Trail。　It　was　the　discovery　of　an　old　Indian　lookout　fortress；　located　on　the　very　edge　of　the　Canyon　where　Bass　Camp　now　is；　that　led　Bass　to　hunt　for　the　trail　into　the　Canyon。　This　fortress　is　about　fifteen　feet　square；　outside　measurement；　and　consists　of　one　room；　twelve　feet　square；　with　a　lookout　in　the　eastern　wall；　which　is　still　to　be　seen。　Remnants　of　the　walls　still　stand；　and　at　one　corner　are　fully　ten　feet　high。　About　a　mile　below　this　fortress；　were　discovered　two　large　native　water…storage　tanks　or　reservoirs；　which；　when