the grand canyon of arizona-第48节

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　last；　was　a　father　for　her　child。　She　conceived；　and　in　the　fullness　of　time　bore　a　son；　whom　she　delighted　in　and　called　In…ya…a；　the　son　of　the　Sun。

〃But　as　the　days　rolled　on；　she　again　felt　the　longings　for　maternity。　By　this　time　she　had　wandered　far　to　the　west　and　had　entered　the　beautiful　Canyon　of　the　Havasu；　where　deep　down　between　the　rocks　were　several　grand　and　glorious　waterfalls；　and　one　of　these；　Wa…ha…hath…peek…ha…ha；　she　determined　should　be　the　father　of　her　second　child。

〃When　it　was　born　it　was　a　girl；　and　to　this　day　all　the　girls　of　the　Havasu　are　proud　to　be　called　'Daughters　of　the　water。'

〃When　these　two　children　grew　up　they　married；　and　thus　became　the　progenitors　of　the　human　race。　First　the　Havasupais　were　born；　then　the　Apaches；　then　the　Wallapais；　then　the　Hopis；　then　the　Paiutes；　then　the　Navahos。

〃And　Tochopa　told　them　all　where　they　should　live；　and　you　find　them　there　to　this　day。〃



CHAPTER　XXVIII。　The　Colorado　River　From　The　Mountains　To　The　Sea

Perhaps　no　river　in　the　world　has　so　remarkable　a　life…history　as　has　the　Colorado。　It　is　formed　of　two　great　streams；　the　Green　and　the　Grand。　Both　have　their　rise　in　the　far…away　mountains；　in　banks　of　virgin　and　purest　snow。　Hence　the　waters　of　the　Colorado　at　their　source　are　pure　and　sweet。　Yet　such　is　the　vehement　force　of　this　river；　such　its　haste　to　reach　the　ocean；　that　it　cuts　down　and　carries　with　it　millions　of　tons　annually　of　sand　and　silt；　rock　debris　and　dirt　until；　when　it　reaches　the　desert；　through　which　it　flows　as　a　lazy　dragon；　reddish…yellow；　tawny；　it　is　the　dirtiest　stream　in　the　world。　For　not　only　does　it　carry　the　sand　of　its　own　grinding；　as　it　passes　through　the　hundred　miles　of　canyon　of　its　waterway；　but　it　accepts　the　sweepings　of　vast　areas　made　by　its　tributaries。　Some　of　these　extend　through　barren　and　desolate　areas；great　stretches　of　the　most　forsaken　desert　lands；　where　the　rains　occasionally　pour　down　with　deluge…like　force。　Cloudbursts　and　floods　are　common；　for　the　whole　country　is　high　in　altitude；　with　rising　peaks；　where　electric　storms　play　and　rage；　and　the　clouds　drop；　with　a　sudden　sweep；　their　whole　burden　of　water　to　the　earth　beneath。　At　other　times；　the　waters　are　allowed　to　pour　down　in　torrential　rains　which　quickly　deluge　the　land；　and　as　there　are　no　barriers　to　hinder　or　detain；　they　sweep　down　the　inhospitable　slopes　to　the　stream　beds；　carrying　with　them　all　the　sand；　silt；　rock　debris；　vegetable　mould　and　animal　matter　that　have　accumulated　since　the　last　storm。　So　that　while　at　its　source　it　is　the　purest　river　in　the　world；　at　its　mouth　it　is　the　dirtiest　and　most　repulsive。　The　Mississippi；　with　many　more　miles　of　length；　the　Nile；　the　Amazon；　the　Yangste…Kiang；　the　Hoang…Ho；　are　all　far　cleaner　at　their　mouths　than　is　this　insatiable　dragon　of　the　Canyon。

Carrying　Power　of　the　River。　This　suggests　another　singularity　in　which　it　doubtless　reigns　supreme。　Probably　no　river　in　the　world；　of　its　length；　has　anything　like　the　carrying　power　of　the　Colorado　within　its　waters。　Notice　that　I　say　〃within　its　waters。〃　It　is　useless　for　carrying　anything　on　its　bosom。　No　ships　use　its　waters　for　beneficent　commerce。　Its　only　carrying　power　is　in　the　amount　of　sand　and　other　material　it　holds　in　solution；　and　carries　within　itself。

Its　Incredible　Descent。　For　it　is　doubtful　whether　any　river　in　the　world　has　so　rapid　a　descent　from　towering　mountain　heights　to　its　receiving　ocean；　as　has　the　Colorado。　It　falls　over　four　thousand　two　hundred　feet　from　its　source　to　its　mouth；　and　in　less　than　five　hundred　miles　of　its　distance　it　contains　five　hundred　and　twenty　rapids；　falls　and　cataracts。　A　fall　or　a　rapid　or　a　cataract　for　every　mile；　and　a　few　over　for　good　measure。　Who　can　conceive　the　peril　of　journeying　through　such　a　river？　And　until　the　facts　were　known；　how　hopeless　to　attempt　to　ascend　such　a　river；　as　did　Alarcon；　Ives　and　Wheeler！

Useless　for　Commerce。　As　already　stated；　it　is　the　most　useless　of　the　large　rivers　of　the　world　as　a　carrier　of　ships　of　commerce。　No　boat；　carrying　produce　of　field；　mill　or　mart；　has　ever　passed　up　or　down　its　course。　No　whitewinged　schooner　or　other　merchantman　has　enlivened　its　course　by　proudly　gliding　on　its　bosom　to　waiting　port；　where　cargoes　are　discharged　and　received。　No　thrilling　fleet　of　battleships　ever　has　seen　its　banks；　or　ever　will；　for　it　is　useless；　absolutely；　irretrievably；　God…ordainedly　useless　for　all　purposes　of　commerce；　traffic；　or　communication。

Dangerous　and　Destructive。　Read　the　accounts　of　Powell's　trips　down　its　dangerous　course；　of　Alarcon's　struggles　to　ascend　its　headlong　tides；　of　Ives's　and　Wheeler's　attempts　to　explore　a　portion　of　it；　of　Cardenas's　efforts　even　to　reach　its　waters　from　one　of　its　banks；　and　of　the　ruthless　manner　in　which　it　has　destroyed　the　lives　of　those　unfortunate　enough　to　come　within　its　reach。　Then　you　will　see　how　absolutely　useless　a　river　it　is。　In　this　regard　the　Colorado　River　is　unique。　Most　rivers　carry　beneficent　life　all　along　their　journey。　They　distribute　fructifying　waters；　from　their　rise　to　their　end　in　the　sea。　Thriving　towns　and　villages　line　their　banks；　all　surrounded　by　a　fertile　farming　country。　But　not　so　the　Colorado！　It　has　cut　its　way　through　the　rocks　so　fiercely　that　it　is　buried　a　thousand；　two　thousand；　three　thousand　and　even　five　thousand　and　more　feet　below　the　surrounding　country。　It　and　its　tributaries　drain　away　even　the　water　that　falls　in　gentle　showers；　before　it　has　time　to　benefit　the　thirsty　land。　Only　by　the　expensive　construction　of　cemented　cisterns　and　occasional　dams　can　the　rancher；　stockman　and　miner　of　the　region　hoard　for　his　scantest　needs　enough　of　this　precious　fluid。　Even　the　hotels　that　are　placed　upon　its　brink　to　afford　stopping…places　for　the　curious　travelers　who　wish　to　see　this　river　and　its　unique　waterway　are　compelled　to　haul　their　trains　of　water…cars　nearly　a　hundred　miles　to　supply　themselves　with　the　water　which　the　Colorado　River　drains　from　their　very　dooryards　and　empties　in　reckless　neglect　into　the　Gulf　of　California。

Yields　No　Electrical　Power。　Other　rivers　throughout　California　and　the　West　are　yielding　millions　of　volts　annually　of　electrical　energy；　for　the　lighting　and　heating　of　cities；　the　turning　of　mill…wheels；　and　the　running　of　electric　cars；　but　the　Colorado；　though　possessed　of　a　potential　energy　greater　than　any　ten　or　twenty　of　these　rivers　combined；　so　far　has　refused　to　yield　up　a　single　volt。　Again　and　again　engineers　have　estimated　and　suggested；　but　the　great　facts　remain　that　it　is　so　uncertain；　so　wild；　so　impetuous；　so　sure　to　rise　when　unexpected；　so　sure　to　fall　when　relied　upon；　that；　as　yet；　no　one　has　been　found　venturesome　enough　to　try　to　tame　and　harness　its　fierce　energy。

Waters　to　be　Diverted　by　a　Dam。　Yet　in　spite　of　these　serious　charges　I　make　against　the　Colorado；　it　is　peculiar　in　that　it　is　the　most　useful　of　the　large　rivers　of　the　world　in　another　domain。　The　United　States　Reclamation　Service　has　spent　millions　of　the　people's　money　in　making　it　of　use。　At　Laguna；　a　few　miles　above　Yuma；　it　has　built　a　huge　dam　larger　than　any　similar　dam　in　the　worldthat　diverts　these　once　turbulent　waters　into　irrigating　ditches　to　convey　their　life…giving　power　to　thousands　upon　thousands　of　acres　of　desert　land。　The　Blythe　Estate　is　doing　the　same　thing　a　hundred　or　more　miles　higher　up；　near　Parker；　on　the　Santa　Fe；　and　already　towns　and　settlements　are　springing　up　on　those　desert　wastes。　The　California　Development　Company　began　this　work；　four　miles　below　Yuma；　in　1900；　and　in　four　years　had　converted　that　great　sink　of　the　Colorado　Desert　into　the　richly　fertile　domain　now　known　as　the　Imperial　Valley；　where　today　are　many　growing　towns。

Opportunities　for　Swimming。　Though　the　current　of　the　Colorado　is　so　strong；　there　are　times　and　places　where　it　affords　one　who　is　not　over…fastidious　as　to　the　color　of　the　water；　an　opportunity　for　an　excellent　swim。　But　care　must　be　exercised。　At　the　foot　of　Bass　Trail；　there　are　two　or　three　rocky　recesses　where　one　may　go　in　and　swim；　within　the　arms　of　the　protecting　rocks；　without　danger。　It　is　not　well　to　swim　in　the　earlier　months　of　the　year；　when　the　water　is　excessively　cold。　Several　times　in　January　and　February　I　have　been　overcome　with　temptation；　and　have　jumped　in　〃merely　for　the　plunge。〃　The　sensation　is　one　of　being　skinned　alive；　and　one　plunge　is　all　that　one　cares　for。　Yet　on　emerging　and　dressing；　how　fine　one　feels　after　it。　The　great　melting　time　of　the　snows　on　the　mountains　is　the　end　of　May；　June　and　early　July。　It　grows　warmer　in　July；　and　from　then　on　to　December　one　may　enjoy　it。　In　September　and　October　it　is　generally　deliciously　warm；　and　I　have　gone　in　half　a　dozen　times　a　day。　A　good　swimmer　can　cross　the　stream；　if　he　does　not　lose　his　head；　for　the　current　is　powerful；　and　one　is　borne　down　far　faster　than　he　imagines；　and　it　is　much　further　across　than　it　seems　to　be。　Several　times；　when　I　have　wanted　to　cross；　and　there　was　no　boat；　I　have　swam　across　to　the　other　side；　wearing　my　shirt　and　trousers　and　carrying　my　boots　slung　around　my　neck。　But　it　is；　hard　work　and　scarcely　worth　the