The stream had to be crossed several times. The canyon
terminated in an extremely narrow gorge 2500 feet deep, dark and
gloomy, one of the most impressive gorges we have ever seen. The main
canyon was similar, with a few breaks on the sides, those breaks being
ledges, or narrow sloping benches that would extend for miles, only to
be brought to an abrupt end by side canyons. There are many
mountain-sheep in this section, but we saw none either time. We could
see many fresh tracks where they had followed these ledges around, and
had gone up the narrow side canyon. It was cold in the main canyon,
and no doubt the sheep could be found on the plateaus, which were more
open, and would get sun when the sun shone. This plateau was 2500 feet
above us. At the turn of the canyon we could see the other walls 2000
feet above that. The rapids in the section just passed had been widely
separated and compared well with those of Marble Canyon, not the worst
we had seen, but far from being tame. There was plenty of shore room
at each of these rapids.
Cactus of different species was now a feature of the scenery. The
ocotilla or candlewood with long, lash-like stalks springing from a
common centre--that cactus, which, when dried, needs only a lighted
match to set it afire--flourishes in the rocky ledges. A species of
small barrel-cactus about the size of a man's head, with fluted sides,
or symmetrical vertical rows of small thorned lumps converging at the
top of the "nigger-head," as they are sometimes called, grows in great
numbers in crevices on the walls.
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