and Canonita, were in readiness, and we loaded and took them down a mile and a half to the point near where the road came in from Kanab, whence our final departure would be made as soon as Powell, who needed a little extra time for arranging his papers and general affairs, should say the word.  Everything was carefully attended to, as if we were preparing our last will and testament, and were never to be seen alive again, and I believe this was the firm conviction of most of those not going with the boats.  Those who were going had abundant respect for the dragon, and well knew that no holiday excursion was before them.  Their spirit was humble, and no precaution was to be neglected; no spirit of bravado permitted to endanger the success of the undertaking.  Mrs. Thompson and De Motte ran down with us through two small rapids that exist at the mouth of the Paria, and which we had to pass to reach the camp mentioned.  Mrs. Thompson would willingly have gone all the way through if her husband had consented to it.

On the l5th it was “all ashore not going”; we said our farewells to those leaving for Kanab, and turned our attention to the river.  We would see no one after starting till we arrived at the mouth of the Kanab, where we had discovered, during the winter, that a pack-train, with some difficulty, could be brought in with supplies.  It was not till the 17th that we were able to leave, as the boats needed some further attention.  On that day, about nine o’clock, we cast off and went down some five miles, running one little rapid and another of considerable size before we halted for dinner.  The walls were still not high, only about five hundred feet, and I climbed out to secure a farewell glance at the open country.  On starting again we had not gone far before we came to a really bad place, a fall of about eighteen feet in seventy-five yards, where it was deemed respectful to make a portage.  This accomplished, another of the same nature, with an equally fierce growl, discovered itself not far below, and a camp was made where we landed at its head.  This was ten miles below our starting-point, and seemed to be the spot where a band of ten mining prospectors were wrecked about a month before.  They had gone in to the mouth of the Paria on a prospecting trip, and concluded they would examine the Grand Canyon.  Consequently they built a large raft, and after helping themselves to a lot of our cooking utensils and other things from some caches we had made when we went out from the river for our winter’s work, they sailed, away, expecting to accomplish wonders.  Ten miles, to the first bad rapids, was the extent of their voyage, and there they were fortunate to escape with their lives, but nothing else, and by means of ladders made from driftwood, they reached once more the outer world, having learned the lesson the Colorado is sure to teach those who regard it lightly.  We made a portage at the place and enjoyed a good laugh when we looked at the vertical rocks and pictured the prospectors