the grand canyon of arizona-第20节

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nks　and　lower　branches　so　densely　matted　together　as　to　form　a　good　shelter　on　two　sides　from　the　wind　（which　blows　furiously）。　It　is　in　this　shelter　that　I　place　my　bed；　making　with　my　canvas　a　protection　against　the　wind　on　the　third　side　so　that　my　sleeping　place　is　as　cozy　and　warm　as　can　be。

〃Friday；　Sept。　6；　1901。　At　Point　Sublime。　I　sleep　well　and　wake　refreshed。　Many　photographs　are　taken。　The　men　go　to　explore　another　point　not　far　off　and　I　stay　in　camp。　I　rest　as　well　as　I　can　in　the　face　of　such　a　stupendous　spectacle。　Dutton's　descriptions　are　wonderfully　vivid　and　accurateyet　words；　do　not　convey　ideas　to　those　whose　imagination　is　not　large　enough　to　realize　the　full　meaning　of　the　words。

On　the　Return。　〃We　start　on　the　return　at　eleven　o'clock　having　spent　about　seventeen　hours　on　the　Point。　At　first　we　follow　the　trail　by　which　we　came。　Then　our　leader　disregards　the　trail　and　makes　our　course　in　a　more　direct　line。　We　go　over　ridges；　some　of　them　terribly　steep。　We　go　through　several　lovely　valleys　with　the　ridges　that　overlook　the　canyon　on　our　left。　The　air　is　still　and　cool　down　where　we　are；　but　we　can　see　the　tops　of　the　trees　that　show　above　the　ridges　tossed　about　in　a　violent　wind　and　can　hear　its　roaring　through　the　forest。　We　camp　about　three…quarters　of　a　mile　from　a　spring；　and　by　orders　I　sleep　under　a　tree　in　company　with　many　beetles。　It　is　very　cold。　Camp…fire　is　comforting。

Into　the　Canyon　Again。　〃Saturday；　Sept。　7；　1901。　We　leave　camp　at　8：20。　I　put　out　fire　while　men　are　packing。　Find　track　of　small　five…toed　animal　on　the　trail。　We　go　by　cattle…trails　a　short　cut　to　Swamp　Point　through　the　forest；　over　ridges；　through　thickets　and　some　of　the　grassy　valleys。　Out　on　Swamp　Point　again　I　am　shown　Bass　Camp　on　the　south　rim。　It　is　scarcely　discernible　even　with　glasses；　the　distance　is　so　vast。　We　all　walk　down　the　steep　descent　from　this　Point　and　make　quick　time　to　the　place　where　we　camped　Sept。　3。　We　descend　one　thousand　nine　hundred　feet　in　one　hour　and　twenty　minutes。　After　lunch；　the　men　then　cache　much　of　the　remaining　provisions　and　cooking　outfit　for　future　use；　and　we　go　on　riding　as　fast　as　possible　down　the　dry　bed　of　the　stream。　Then　out　of　this；　through　a　narrow　canyon；　past　the　gray…rock　walls　and　gulch　with　black　cave　at　bottom　and　slide　in　the　talus　above；　over　the　fertile　plateau；　long　descent　on　foot；　where　as　I　zigzag　I　see　the　men　and　the　burros　what　seem　to　be　hundreds　of　feet　below。

〃On　down　another　dry　stream　bed；　many　stony　descents　in　a　shut…in　canyon。　Out　of　this　into　more　open　country；　but　over　ridges；　up　and　down。　We　come　down　to　that　part　of　the　trail　which　I　feared　most　in　daylight　and　now　we　have　only　the　starlight　to　enable　us　to　descend。　Mr。　Bass　takes　me　in　charge　and　Mr。　James　goes　up　over　the　ridges　to　round　up　the　burros　which　have　been　left　to　their　own　devices。　A　torch　of　sage…brush　is　lighted　to　find　the　trail。　At　last　we　reach　the　bottom。　The　men　throw　some　blankets　on　the　ground　for　me　and　I　fall　upon　them。　They　go　down　to　the　Shinumo；　which　is　only　a　few　yards　away；　prepare　supper　and　bring　a　cup　of　hot　coffee　for　me。　I　return　with　them；　make　my　bed；　eat　a　hearty　supper　and　then　fall　asleep　with　the　roar　of　the　Shinumo　in　my　ears。　My　bed　is　comfortable　and　I　have　a　feeling　of　perfect　safety　and　confidence。

Watermelons　in　the　Canyon。　〃Sunday；　Sept。　8；　1901。　We　are　on　the　Shinumo；　and　only　half　an　hour's　ride　above　the　camp。　What　a　beautiful　stream　it　is；　cataracts；　still　reaches；　rapids；　sandy　shoals；　deep　pools；　and　the　water　so　pure；　blue　and　clear。　We　cross　and　re…cross　many　times；　through　thickets　of　willow　and　mesquite。　I　am　many　times　scratched　and　my　hat　is　forcibly　snatched　from　my　head。　At　camp　I　feed　watermelon　rinds　to　Belshazzar　who　receives　them　as　gratefully　as　I　did　the　melons。　How　strange　to　find　them　growing　here；so　ripe；　rich　and　delicious。　I　feel　very　weary　but　deeply　regret　having　to　leave　this　lovely　place。　We　start　for　the　river。　When　the　others　arrive　the　packs；　etc。；　are　taken　across　in　three　loads。　The　four　of　us　go　over　in　the　last　load。　Scramble　up　the　Archaean　by　myself　and　sit　in　the　shade；　near　the　shelter　tent；　until　I　am　put　on　the　burro　Joe　and　started　off　with　the　doctor。

Back　at　Bass　Camp。　〃Dad　had　brought　the　burros　here　to　receive　us；　all　the　animals　we　had　ridden　to　Point　Sublime　having　been　left　on　the　north　side。　At　Bed　Rock　Camp　we　all　have　　lunch；　and　then　at　4：00；　the　others　with　the　burros　having　gone　on　　ahead；　we　follow。　I　remain　on　my　burro　all　the　way　up；　save　at　three　　places；　where　Mr。　James　deems　it　best　for　me　to　dismount。　At　last；　we　make　the　final　ascent；　I　see　the　tent　above　my　head；　then　the　roof　of　the　house　　at　Bass　Camp；　and　in　another　moment　or　two　the　most　memorable　and　wonderful　　trip　of　my　life　is　over。〃



CHAPTER　XIII。　How　The　Canyon　Was　Formed*

*　This　chapter；　while　in　manuscript；　was　read　by　Dr。　Charles　D。　Walcott；　Secretary　of　the　Smithsonian　Institution　and　formerly　Director　of　the　United　States　Geological　Survey；　and　also　by　Professor　Matthis；　of　the　Survey。　It　may　therefore　be　accepted　as　a　fairly　accurate　and　authoritative　presentation　of　the　geological　conditions　existent　at　the　Canyon；　with　their　explanations；　as　accepted　by　the　leading　scientists　of　to…day。


The　beginning　of　land。　In　the　long　ago　centuries；　when　the　world　was　〃without　form　and　void；〃　waters　covered　the　face　of　the　earth；　and　darkness　brooded　over　the　waters。　As　the　earth's　crust　began　to　shrink　under　the　water；　in　the　process　of　cooling；　the　first　masses　to　crumple　up；　to　wrinkle；　were　the　first　to　arise　above　the　surface　of　the　vast；　primeval；　shoreless　ocean。　They　appeared　as　tiny　islands；　pinnacles；　or　ridges　thrust　up；　exactly　as　we　see　them　sometimes　on　the　coast；hidden　at　high　tide；　appearing　again　at　low　tide。

The　Laurentian　Hills。　Nature　had　plenty　of　time　before　her；　so　she　did　not　hurry　her　work；　and　it　took　long　centuries　before　there　was　any　large　amount　of　land　thrust　up　out　of　the　bosom　of　the　sea。　The　scientists　are　able　to　tell　us；　with　some　definiteness；　which　came　forth　first。　They　say　that　on　the　continent　of　America　the　earliest　born　land　was　a　mass　of　granitic　rock　in　Canada；the　Laurentian　Hills。　The　next　to　peer　above　the　surface　and　feel　the　warmth　of　the　sun　were　peaks　and　ridges　that　made　islands　of　themselves；　in　what　are　now　known　as　the　Rocky　Mountains　and　the　Appalachians。　Now；　at　last；　the　great　waves　of　the　sea　and　the　resistless　storms　had　something　to　play　with；　and　they　pounced　down　upon　the　land　as　with　tooth　and　claw。　They　rubbed　and　pounded；　raged　and　smashed　for　a　thousand　years；　and　then　another　thousand；　and　still　another；　while　Mother　Earth　uneasily　thrust　forth　her　rocky　children　out　of　the　ocean　into　the　light　of　day。　Surprised　at　such　treatment　by　the　storms　and　seas；　the　newly　born　earth　masses　began　to　crumble　and　〃weather。〃　The　detached　fragments　slipped　back；　or　were　washed　back；　into　the　deeper　or　shallower　parts　of　the　ocean；　and　were　there　tossed　back　and　forth；　pounded　and　ground　into　sand　and　silt；　into　pebbles　and　boulders；　while　more　land　was　slowly　being　thrust　out　for　the　angry　sea　to　work　upon。　Layer　by　layer；　the　ground…up　masses　were　deposited　in　the　inner　ocean　bed；　parts　of　which　were　now　practically　shut　off　from　the　vast　ocean　beyond。　How　many　centuries　of　centuries　this　process　continued　geologists　do　not　tell　us。　Time　is　so　vast；　so　long；　that　they　cannot　divide　those　early　days　into　weeks；　months　and　years；　as　we　now　do。

The　Continent　is　born。　After　many　millions　of　tons　had　been　thus　ground　up　and　tossed　about　and　mingled　with　the　waters　of　the　seas；　the　earth；　in　a　fit　of　fiery　anger；　turned　and　baked　them；　with　intense　heat；　out　of　all　semblance　to　their　former　appearance。　These　baked　masses；　in　the　course　of　time；　were　thrust　up　out　of　the　seas；　mashed　and　macerated　once　more；　again　deposited　as　sand；　silt；　pebbles　and　boulders；　and　again　burned。　These　processes　followed　each　other；　how　many　times　we　do　not　know；　the　earth　all　the　while　keeping　up　her　steady　uplift　of　the　children　of　her　bosom　out　of　the　great　sea。　Higher　and　higher　came　the　land。　Further　and　further　receded　the　sea；　until；　in　due　course；　the　sun　shone　upon　a　vast　area　of　land　that　was　the　rude　skeleton　of　what　is　now　the　continent　of　North　America。

It　would　have　taken　a　keen　eye；　however；　to　have　imagined　from　that　which　we　see　to…day　what　was　there。　The　Gulf　of　California　reached　far　up；　even　into　Nevada；　and　covered　what　are　now　the　Mohave　and　Colorado　Deserts；　there　was　no　California　Coast　Range；　the　Gulf　of　Mexico　was　vastly　larger　than　it　is　to…day；　covering　all　Florida；　and　reaching　up　the　Mississippi　Valley　half…way　to　the　Great　Lakes。

The　First　Strata。　It　was　just　preceding　the　last　uplift　of　this　epoch　that　the　era　of　deposition　of　rock　debris　was　so　prolonged　that　twelve　thousand　feet　of　strata　were　washed　into　the　bed　of　the　sea；　in　the　region　now　known　as　the　Grand　Canyon　Country。　It　was　at　the　time　when　life　was　beginning　to　dawn；　for　in　the　remnants　of　the　strata　are　found　fossils　of　the　earliest　known　life。　These　strata；　therefore；　are　of　immense　interest　to　the　geologist；　as　they　are　the　first　known　rocks　containing　life　to　emer