the grand canyon of arizona-第2节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　in　actual　contact　with　it。　A　strange　being；　a　strange　flower；　an　unknown　reptile；　a　unique　machine；　or　a　strange　and　unknown　anything；　almost；　within　the　ken　of　man；　can　be　explained　to　another　so　that　he　will　reasonably　comprehend　it；　but　not　so　with　the　Grand　Canyon。　I　had　an　illustration　of　this　but　a　few　days　ago。　A　member　of　my　own　household；　keenly　intelligent　and　well…read；　who　had　heard　my　own　descriptions　a　thousand　and　one　times；　and　had　seen　photographs　and　paintings；　without　number；　of　the　Canyon；　came　with　me　on　her　first　visit　to　the　camp　where　I　am　now　writing。　As　the　carriage　approached　the　rim　at　Hotouta　Amphitheatre　and　gave　her　the　first　glimpse　of　the　Canyon；　she　drew　back　terrified；　appalled；　horror…stricken。　Subsequent　analysis　of　her　emotions　and　the　results　of　that　first　glimpse　revealed　a　state　of　mind　so　overpowered　with　the　sublimity；　vastness；　depth　and　power　of　the　scene；　that　her　impressions　were　totally　inadequate；　altogether　lacking　in　detail　and　accuracy；　and　at　complete　variance　with　her　habitual　observations。

Whence　came　so　utter　a　confusion　of　the　senses？　The　Canyon　is　its　own　answer。　It　fills　the　soul　of　all　responsive　persons　with　awe。　Explain　it　as　one　will；　deny　it　if　one　will；　sensitive　souls　are　filled　with　awe　at　its　superb　majesty；　its　splendor；　its　incomprehensible　sublimity。　And　in　these　factors　we　find　the　great　source　of　its　attractiveness；　for；　in　spite　of　the　awe　and　terror　it　inspires　in　the　hearts　of　so　many　at　first　sight；　it　allures；　attracts　and　holds　those　who　have　once　gazed　into　its　mysterious　depths。　Indeed；　is　it　not　to　its　very　vastness；　mystery；　solitude　and　awe…inspiring　qualities　we　owe　its　power　over　us？　The　human　mind　is　so　constituted　that　such　qualities　generally　appeal　to　it。　Hence　the　never…ceasing　call　the　Canyon　will　make　to　the　soul　of　man；　so　long　as　a　susceptible　mortal　remains　on　earth。

Its　Physical　Features。　Seen　at　any　time　it　is　bewildering　and　appalling　to　one's　untrained　senses；　but　especially　in　the　very　early　morning；　during　the　hours　of　dawn　and　the　slow　ascent　of　the　sun；　and　equally　in　the　very　late　afternoon　and　at　sunset；　are　its　most　entrancing　effects　to　be　witnessed。　At　midday；　with　the　sun　glaring　through　into　its　depths；　the　reds　and　chocolates　of　the　sandstones　（which　are　the　predominating　colors）　are　so　strong；　and　the　relieving　shadows　so　few；　that　it　seems　uninteresting。　But　let　one　watch　it　as　I　did　last　night；　between　the　hours　of　seven　and　ten；　and　again　this　morning　from　five　until　eight　of　the　clock。　What　revelations　of　forms；　what　richness　of　colors；　what　transformations　of　apparently　featureless　walls　into　angles　and　arches　and　recesses　and　facets　and　entablatures　and　friezes　and　facades。　What　lighting　up　of　towers　and　temples　and　buttes　and　minarets　and　pinnacles　and　ridges　and　peaks　and　pillars　of　erosion！　What　exposures　of　detached　and　isolated　mountains　of　rock；　of　accompanying　gorges　and　ravines；　deep；　forbidding；　black　and　unknown；　the　depths　of　which　the　foot　of　man　has　never　trod！　Turner　never　depicted　such　dazzling　scenes；　Rembrandt　such　violent　and　yet　attractive　contrasts。　Here　everything　is　massive　and　dominating。　The　colors　are　vivid；　the　shadows　are　purple　to　blackness；　the　heights　are　towering；　the　depths　are　appalling；　the　sheer　walls　are　as　if　poised　in　mid…air；　the　towers　and　temples　dwarf　into　insignificance　even　the　monster　works　of　man　on　the　Nile。　Here　are　single　mountains　of　erosion　standing　as　simple　features　of　the　vast　sight　spread　out　for　miles　before　you；　that　are　as　high　as　the　highest　mountains　of　the　Eastern　States。　A　score　of　Mt。　Washingtons　find　repose　in　the　depths　of　this　incomprehensible　waterway；　in　the　two　hundred　and　seventeen　miles　of　its　length。　In　width　it　varies　from　ten　to　twenty　miles；　and　at　the　point　where　I　now　sit　writing；　where　the　Canyon　makes　a　double　bow…knot　in　a　marvelous　bend；　the　north　wall　（which；　in　the　sharp　bend　of　the　river；　becomes　the　south　wall　of　the　reverse　of　the　curve）　is　completely　broken　down；　so　that　one　has　a　clear　and　direct　view　across　two　widths　of　canyon　and　river　to　a　distance　of　from　thirty…five　to　forty　miles。　Who　can　really　〃take　in〃　such　a　view？　I　have　gazed　upon　the　Canyon　at　this　spot　almost　yearly；　and　often　daily　for　weeks　at　a　time；　for　about　twenty　years；　yet　such　is　the　marvelousness　of　distance；　that　never　until　two　days　ago　did　I　discover　that　a　giant　detached　mountain；　fully　eight　thousand　feet　high；　and　with　a　base　ten　miles　square；　which　I　had　photographed　from　another　angle　on　the　north　side　of　the　Canyon；　stood　in　the　direct　line　of　my　sight　and；　as　it　were；　immediately　before　me。　The　discovery　was　made　by　a　peculiar　falling　of　light　and　shadow。　The　heavens　were　filled　with　clouds　which　threw　complete　shadows　on　the　far　north　wall。　The　sun　happened　to　shine　through　the　clouds　and　light　up　the　whole　contour　of　this　Steamboat　Mountain　（so　called　because　of　its　shape）；　so　that　it　stood　forth　clearly　outlined　against　the　dark　field　behind。　In　surprise　I　called　to　my　companion　and　showed　her　my　discovery。　Yet；　such　is　the　deceptiveness　of　distance　that；　to　the　unaided　eye；　and　without　being　aware　of　the　fact；　even　my　observant　faculties　had　never　before　perceived　that　this　gigantic　mass　was　not　a　portion　of　the　great　north　wall；　from　which　it　is　detached　by　a　canyon　fully　eight　miles　wide。

No　one　can　know　the　Grand　Canyon；　in　all　its　phases。　It　is　one　of　those　sights　that　words　cannot　exaggerate。　What　does　it　matter　how　deep　you　sayin　hundreds　or　thousands　of　feetthe　Canyon　is；　when　you　cannot　see　to　the　bottom　of　it？　Strict　literalists　may　stick　out　for　the　exact　figures　in　feet　and　inches　from　rim　to　riverelsewhere　given　as　the　scientists　of　the　United　States　Geological　Survey　have　recorded　thembut　to　me　they　are　almost　valueless。　Its　depth　is　beyond　human　comprehension　in　figures；　and　so　is　its　width。　And　the　eye　of　the　best　trained　man　in　the　world　cannot　grasp　all　its　features　of　wall　and　butte　and　canyon；　of　winding　ridge　and　curving　ravine；　of　fell　precipice　and　rocky　gorge；　in　a　week；　a　month；　a　year；　or　a　lifetime。　Hence　words　can　but　suggest；　nothing　can　describe　the　indescribable；　nothing　can　picture　what　no　man　ever　has　seen　in　its　completeness。

What　Men　Have　Said　of　the　Canyon。　Men　have　stood　before　it　and　called　it　〃an　inferno；　swathed　in　soft　celestial　fires；〃　but　what　is　an　inferno？　And　who　ever　saw　the　fires　of　heaven？　Words！　words！　words！　Charles　Dudley　Warner；　versed　in　much　and　diverse　world…scenery；　mountain…sculpture；　canyon…carvings；　and　plain…sweep；　confessed：　〃I　experienced　for　a　moment　an　indescribable　terror　of　nature；　a　confusion　of　mind；　a　fear　to　be　alone　in　such　a　presence。　With　all　its　grotesqueness　and　majesty　of　form　and　radiance　of　color；　creation　seemed　in　a　whirl。〃　When　the　reader　thinks　of　grotesqueness；　what　images　come　to　his　mind？　A　Chinese　joss；　perhaps；　a　funny　human　face　on　the　profile　of　a　rock；　but　nothing　so　vast；　so　awful；　so　large　as　this。　The　word　〃majesty〃　suggests　a　kingly　presence；　a　large　man　of　dignified　mien；　or　a　sequoia　standing　supreme　over　all　other　trees　in　the　forest。　But　a　thousand　men　of　majesty　could　be　placed　unseen　in　one　tiny　rift　in　this　gorge；　and　all　the　sequoias　of　the　world　could　be　planted　in　one　stretch　of　this　Canyon；　and　never　be　noticed　by　the　most　careful　watcher　on　the　rim。

Another；　reaching　the　Canyon　at　night；　declared　that　she　and　her　companions　seemed　to　be　〃standing　in　midair；　while　below；　the　dark　depths　were　lost　in　blackness　and　mystery。〃　Again　mere　words！　words！　For　whoever　stood　in　mid…air？

Still　another　calls　it　〃the　most　ineffable　thing　that　exists　within　the　range　of　man；〃　and　later　explains　when　he　stands　on　the　brink　of　it；　〃And　where　the　Grand　Canyon　begins；　words　stop。〃　Yet　he　goes　on　and　uses　about　four　more　pages　of　words；　and　pictures　after　words　have　stopped；　to　tell　what　he　felt　and　saw。　And　the　remarkable　thing　is　that　his　experience　is　that　of　all　the　wisest　men　who　have　ever　seen　it。　They　know　they　cannot　describe　it；　but　they　proceed　to　exhaust　their　vocabularies　in　talking　about　it；　and　in　trying　to　make　clear　to　others　what　they　saw　and　felt。　And　in　this　very　fact　what　a　wonderful　tribute　lies　to　the　power　of　the　Canyon；　that　a　wise　and　prudent　man　is　led　to　strive　to　do　what　he　vows　he　will　not　do；　and　knows　he　cannot　do。

One　well…known　poet　exclaims：　〃It　was　like　sudden　death。〃　yet　she　is　still　alive。　Again；　after　breakfast；　she　wrote：　〃My　courage　rose　to　meet　the　greatness　of　the　world。〃　Then　she　〃crawled　half　prostrate〃　to　the　barest　and　highest　rocks　she　could　find　on　the　rim；　and　confessed：　〃It　made　a　coward　of　me；　I　shrank　and　shut　my　eyes；　and　felt　crushed　and　beaten　under　the　intolerable　burden　of　the　flesh。　For　humanity　intrudes　here；　in　these　warm　and　glowing　purple　spaces　disembodied　spirits　must　range　and　soar；　souls　purged　and　purified　and　infinitely　daring。〃　Yet　here　I　have　heard　the　wild　brayings　of　hungry　mules　and　the　worse　ravings　of　angry　mennone　of　them　impressed　as　was　the　soul　of　the　poet。

One　money…making　business　man　declared　that　he　went　to　the　rim　at　night…time；　and　when　he　and　his　friends　reached　the　spot　they　put　forth　their　hands　and　found〃an　absolute　end。　We　clutched　vainly　at　black　spa