the grand canyon of arizona-第17节

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and　more　open　country　is　reached。

Over　the　Plateau。　From　this　point；　the　ride　is　diversified。　There　are　no　steep　hills；　but　the　road　aims　directly　for　its　objective　point；　taking　the　visitor　through　growths　of　pinion；from　which　the　Indians　gather　the　delicious　pine　nuts；juniper；from　the　crushed　berries　of　which　they　make　a　sweet　and　refreshing　drink；and　over　levels　where　rich　grama　grass　grows　side　by　side　with　the　cactus；　the　amole　and　the　yucca；　brightened　and　vivified　by　the　Indian　paintbrush；　sunflowers；　lupines　and　scores　of　other　gorgeously　colored　flowers。

Midway　between　Bass　Station　and　Bass　Camp；　ten　miles　each　way；　the　road　passes　a　United　States　Geological　Survey　monument；　which　records　the　fact　that　here　the　plateau　is　six　thousand　three　hundred　and　seventy…two　feet　above　sea　level。

The　Surrounding　Mountains。　On　the　journey；　glimpses　are　had　of　the　San　Francisco　peaks；　and　Mounts　Sitgreaves；　Kendricks；　and　Floyd；　while；　in　the　far…away　west　and　south；　the　blue　ridges　of　the　plateau；　descending　to　the　lower　levels；　are　clearly　discernible。　To　the　north　and　west；　Mounts　Emma　and　Trumbull　and　other　peaks　of　the　Uinkarets　appear　like　deep　blue　clouds　on　the　horizon。　They　lie　on　the　further　side　of　the　Canyon；　and　are　seen　more　distinctly　from　Bass　Camp。

Hotouta　Amphitheatre。　When　fifteen　miles　from　El　Tovar；　the　first　gaze　into　the　Canyon　is　afforded　at　Hotouta　Amphitheatre；　a　deep　indentation　in　the　walls　of　the　south　rim。　The　road　here　runs　close　to　the　rim。　This　amphitheatre　receives　its　name　from　Hotouta；　the　son　of　Navaho；　the　last　great　Havasupai　chief。　Hotouta　was　an　enlightened　Indian；　friendly　to　the　better　class　of　whites；　clear…headed　and　honorable　in　his　dealings　with　them。

The　Cisterns。　Thence　to　Bass　Camp　the　drive　is　entirely　through　pinions　and　junipers。　About　a　mile　before　the　destination　is　reached；　the　road　passes　〃The　Cisterns；〃　where　the　horses　are　watered。

Bass　Camp。　Bass　Camp　consists　of　one　small　central　building；　containing　a　dining…room；　sitting…room；　kitchen　and　several　bedrooms。　Around　are　tent…houses　and　tents　for　the　further　accommodation　of　guests；　with　stable　and　saddle…house；　etc。　Almost　immediately　in　front　of　the　main　building　the　trail　begins。

Powell　Plateau　and　Dutton　Point。　Taking　a　seat　at　the　head　of　the　trail；　let　us　now　give　our　undivided　attention　to　the　scene　spread　out　before　us。　The　predominating　feature　is　the　great　uplift　of　the　opposite　wall；　and　the　aggressiveness　of　its　salient　promontory。　Here　is　a　break　in　the　continuity　of　the　wall　of　the　Kaibab　Plateau。　This　break　affords　an　immediate　view　of　the　highest　portions　of　the　Canyon's　walls。　To　the　right　of　the　break　is　the　Kaibab　Plateau；　its　highest　portion　being　eight　thousand　three　hundred　feet　above　sea　level。　To　the　left　is　Powell　Plateau；　seven　thousand　six　hundred　and　fifty　feet　elevation。　The　great　point；　nearest　to　us；　was　named　Dutton　Point；　after　the　poet…geologist；　whose　monograph　on　the　Canyon　will　ever　be　a　memorial　to　his　love　of　the　place；　his　scientific　accuracy　of　observation；　and　his　poetic　eloquence　of　description。　It　is　between　Kaibab　and　Powell　Plateaus　that　Bass's　Trail　to　Point　Sublime　climbs　its　circuitous　and　winding　way；this　portion　being　called　〃The　Saddle。〃　The　dark　growths　which　crown　the　plateaus　are　in　reality　pine　trees；　which；　on　the　north　rim　of　the　Canyon；　attain　immense　size。　They；　and　lesser　tree　growths；　descend　to　the　bottom　of　the　second　mass　of　talus。

The　Rocks　of　the　North　Wall。　The　rock　bands　on　the　opposite　walls；　a　large　part　of　the　way　down；　are　like　those　found　on　the　same　north　wall　seen　from　El　Tovar。　First　there　is　the　band　of　cherty　limestone；　from　which　a　sloped　talus　leads　to　the　creamy　sugary　sandstone。　Immediately　below　this　begins　the　〃red；〃　which　descends　in　strata　of　varying　width　and　color　down　to　a　rather　narrow…appearing　slope　of　red　talus；　which　leads　the　eye　to　the　widest　member　of　all　the　Grand　Canyon　strata。　This　is　the　so…called　red…wall　limestone。　All　these　strata；　from　the　rim　down；　are　said　to　be　in　the　Upper　and　Lower　Carboniferous　Systems。

Below　this　majestic　wall　appear　the　variegated　strata　of　the　Cambrian；　in　grays；　buffs；　olives；　greens　and　yellows。

The　Tilts。　Now　we　see　a　large　exposure　of　the　nonconformable　strata；　which；　on　account　of　their　very　markedly　tilted　condition；　have　been　named　〃The　Tilts。〃　Below　this　is　found　the　Archaean　rock。

It　is　hard　for　any　but　the　well…trained　observer　to　realize　that　practically　the　same　conditions　that　exist　on　the　north　wall；　exist　on　the　south　wall；　directly　under　his　feet；　except　that　the　Algonkian　is　absent。　The　talus　shuts　off　the　view；　and　it　seems　impossible　that　there　can　be　such　great　precipice　walls　as　the　opposite　mural　face　reveals。　It　is　not　as　high；　however；　on　this　side　as　it　is　on　the　other；　by　fully　one　thousand　six　hundred　and　fifty　feet。　The　difference　is　caused　by　the　great　upthrust　in　the　earth's　crust；　which　detached　Powell's　Plateau　from　the　Kaibab　Plateau。

One　may　approximately　estimate　the　various　strata　of　the　wall　of　the　Kaibab　as　follows：

Colorado　River；　say。　。　。　2400　feet　above　sea　level　Archaean　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　1000　〃　thick　Algonkian　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　1100　〃　〃　Cambrian　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　1000　〃　〃　Carboniferous　。　。　。　。　。　　2750　〃　〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…　Total　level　above　sea。　。　8250

Bass　Tomb　or　Holy　Grail　Temple。　The　great　north　wall　is　not　featureless。　There　are　a　number　of　architectural　forms；　of　wonderfully　varied　shape；　resting　upon　bases　of　massive　solidity。　The　most　striking　of　these　is　a　squarebased　monumental　mass；Holy　Grail　Temple；　formerly　Bass　Tomb；on　which　rests　a　well…shaped　pyramid；　crowned　with　a　red　and　white　circular　shaft。　The　whole　butte　is　well　proportioned；　having　a　base　of　sixteen　square　miles；　and　rising　to　a　height　of　six　thousand　seven　hundred　and　ten　feet。

King　Arthur　Castle。　Slightly　to　the　east　of　it　is　another　majestic　butte；　inferior　only　in　size。　The　crowning　shaft　is　missing　here；　but　a　castellated　structure　of　red　rock　suitably　dominates　it。　It　bears　the　name　King　Arthur　Castle；　and　is　seven　thousand　three　hundred　and　fifteen　feet　elevation。

Guinevere　Castle。　Still　further　to　the　east　a　winding　ridge　of　rock；　standing　over　one　of　the　many　oblique　gorges　within　the　main　gorge；　leads　up　to　a　third　dominating　figure　of　rock　sculpture。　This　is　Guinevere　Castle；　seven　thousand　two　hundred　and　fifty…five　feet。

Huethawali。　Now　let　the　eye　rest　upon　the　objects　immediately　before　it；　and　more　in　the　center　of　the　Canyon。　The　chief　object　is　an　almost　detached　mountain；　crowned　with　irregular　cross…bedded　layers　of　white　sandstone。　The　Indians　call　this　mountain　Hue…tha…wa…li；　（the　final　〃i〃　being　pronounced　as　〃e；〃）　which　signifies　White　Rock　Mountain。　This　is　now　the　name　they　give　to　Bass　Camp；　and　the　Havasupais　at　El　Tovar；　who　are　starting　for　their　Canyon　home；　will　often　remark：　〃We　go　Huethawali　tonight。〃　Its　elevation　is　six　thousand　two　hundred　and　eighty　feet。

Darwin　Plateau。　The　main　plateau　before　us　is　named　Darwin　Plateau；　after　the　learned　evolutionist。　Take　this　plateau　as　a　rude　and　misshapen　hand；　imagine　the　thumb　and　little　finger　gone；　and　it　will　be　seen　that　the　other　three　fingers　radiate　from　Darwin　Plateau　in　the　shape　of　three　irregularly　contoured；　but　fairly　level　plateaus；　Huethawali　resting　like　a　great　wart　upon　the　base　of　the　middle　one　of　the　three。　To　these　plateaus　have　been　given　the　following　names：　the　one　to　the　right　is　Grand　Scenic　Divide；　the　middle　one　is　named　Huxley　Terrace；　and　the　one　to　the　left　（the　west）　is　Spencer　Terrace。

For　a　few　moments　let　us　look　at　each　of　these　plateaus；　and　grasp　such　features　as　the　eyes　may　observe。

Grand　Scenic　Divide　and　Dick　Pillar。　Grand　Scenic　Divide　was　so　named　because　it　is　the　point　where　the　granite　of　the　Inner　Gorge　disappears　from　the　Grand　Canyon；　and　this　disappearance　makes　as　vast　and　wonderful　a　difference　in　the　Canyon　scenery　as　it　is　possible　to　find　in　its　whole　two　hundred　and　seventeen　miles　of　length。　To　the　right　of　the　Divide；　looking　eastward；　where　the　granite　is　still　in　evidence；　one　can　see　the　temples；　buttes　and　towers　that　make　the　view　from　El　Tovar　and　Grand　View　Points　so　interesting。　Looking　westward；　the　whole　aspect　changes；　so　markedly；　indeed；　that　one　scarcely　can　believe　it　to　be　the　same　Canyon。　Hence　the　appropriateness　of　the　name。　At　the　extreme　end　of　this　plateau；　a　detached　rocky　pillar　stands　peering　down　into　the　deepest　recesses　of　the　Inner　Gorge。　This　bears　the　name　Dick　Pillar；　from　Robert　Dick；　the　baker…geologist　of　Thurso；　Scotland；　who　gave　such　material　assistance　to　Hugh　Miller　in　his　studies　of　the　Old　Red　Sandstone。

Huxley　Terrace。　Huxley　Terrace　is　the　center　plateau。　At　its　end　is　an　eroded　mass　of　red　sandstone；　to　which　the　name　of　the　noted　naturalist　and　evolutionist；　Wallace；　has　been　attached。　Still　nearer　the　end；　and　belonging　to　the　marble　wall；　is　a　pagoda　named　Tyndall　Dome。

Spencer　Terrace。　Spencer　Terrace　is　the　most　western　of　the　plateaus；　and　is　where　the　Mystic　Spring　used　to　be；　which　for　many　years　gave　its　name　to　Bass's　Trailthe　Mystic　Spring　Trail。

These　three　plateaus　vary　in　width　from　a　quarter　of　a　mile　to　over　a　mile　wide；　they　are　d