[34] For the benefit of any one who contemplates descending the Colorado I would state that unsinkable boats are the only kind to use and the centre of gravity should be kept low. Cork life-jackets are indispensable.
CHAPTER XV
A New Departure—Farewell to the Boats—Out to the World through Kanab Canyon—A Midnight Ride—At the Innupin Picavu—Prof. Reconnoitres the Shewits Country—Winter Quarters in Kanab—Making the Preliminary Map—Another New Year—Across a high Divide in a Snow-storm—Down the Sevier in Winter—The Last Summons.
The day following our arrival at the mouth of the Kanab Canyon was Sunday, September 8th, and with the exception of some observations taken by Prof., and the writing of notes, the whole camp was in a state of rest. After our trying work in the granite we enjoyed immensely the lying around warm and dry with plenty to eat. Monday morning everybody expected to begin preparations for the descent to the Grand Wash. We were surprised just as we were about to rise from our places around the canvas on which breakfast had been spread, when the Major, who was sitting in his chair thinking, suddenly exclaimed, "Well, boys, our voyage is done!" In a way these words were a disappointment, for we all wanted to complete the task and we were entirely ready to go on, notwithstanding that our recent experience with high water in the granite indicated great hazard ahead, where there was more granite; but on the whole the disappointment was agreeable. We knew the second granite gorge toward the lower end of the chasm to be nearly as bad as the first one. There was besides one exceedingly difficult passage there, which Prof. called Catastrophe Rapid, where the Howlands and Dunn had left the first party, which on the prevailing stage of water the Major believed would be foolhardy to attempt. Prof. in his diary says, "It is nonsense to think of trying the lower bend with this water." He and the Major had talked the matter over Saturday night and thought of stopping about forty miles down at Mount Trumbull, where we knew we could climb out; then they thought of sending only one boat that far, but by Sunday night they decided to end all river work here. Prof. said he could map the course from the notes of the first party and that he would rather explore the adjacent country by land.[35] There were some breaks in the notes from here down to Catastrophe Rapid, due to the fact that when the papers were divided on that memorable day on which the Howlands and Dunn left the party, instead of each division having a full copy of all the notes, by a mistake they had only portions of both sets. In addition to the difficulty of the forbidding Catastrophe Rapid there was a possibility of an attack on us by the Shewits. Jacob through one of his Pai Ute friends had information that they were preparing to lay an ambush, and he sent warning to that effect. Jacob knew the natives too well to have given us this notice unless he thought it a real danger, but we did not allow it much consideration at the time. Yet it would have been an easy matter for the Shewits to secrete themselves where they could fall upon us in the night when we were used up by working through some bad rapid, and then, hiding the goods, throw our bodies into the river and burn the boats, or even turn them loose, thus leaving no proof of their action, our disappearance naturally being laid to destruction by the river, a termination generally anticipated. I have sometimes thought that when they killed the Howlands and Dunn they did it deliberately to get their guns and clothes, thinking it would not be found out, or at least that they could put forth a good excuse, as they did.
