Perspective

The exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons is written in the first person point of view. The narrator of the book is the author, John Wesley Powell, who is describing his and the group's experience on the exploration expedition through uncharted territory. He describes the experiences and dangers of the trip along the Green, Grand and Colorado Rivers. The men explored and kept records of the area as they gave names to canyons, gorges and water flows on the three-month expedition. The author returned to the area the following year to explore and chart on land. This completed the charting of unmapped areas in the Untied States. The use of the first person point of view is very appropriate for the kind of book. Ever though it takes a scientific approach, the author is still relating his experiences.

Powell was not a formally trained scientist. He...