. The top of the continent; the story of a cheerful journey through our national parks. lored. Even thewindings of the rivers course were not defined. NoIndian had ever entered the canyon. -The Indiansfeared it, believing that it was guarded by spirits. The Indian legend is picturesque. There was achief who mourned the death of his wife. No one couldcomfort him. One day the god Ta-vworts appearedto him and assured him that his wife was happy inParadise. The chief replied that, if only he could becertain of her happiness, he would be satisfied. SoTa-vworts made a trail through the mountains whi
. The top of the continent; the story of a cheerful journey through our national parks. lored. Even thewindings of the rivers course were not defined. NoIndian had ever entered the canyon. -The Indiansfeared it, believing that it was guarded by spirits. The Indian legend is picturesque. There was achief who mourned the death of his wife. No one couldcomfort him. One day the god Ta-vworts appearedto him and assured him that his wife was happy inParadise. The chief replied that, if only he could becertain of her happiness, he would be satisfied. SoTa-vworts made a trail through the mountains whichguarded Paradise, and through this he conducted thechief, who, seeing his wife happy, returned and mournedno more. The trail was the Grand Canyon. But Ta-vworts, fearing that the chief would showothers the trail to Paradise, caused a turbulent riverto flow through it, which would destroy those whoshould try to travel it. He also stationed spirits toguard it. That river is the Colorado. The Indians believed this legend, and told thewhite men that, deep in the great gorge were enor-. Fholoiirapk by Uerjord Cowling Thunder-storm brooding over the canyon •238 THE TOP OF THE CONTINENT mous waterfalls. They said that the river ran throughdark underground passages. No man who enteredpassed through alive. But there was one man who dared. His namewas John Wesley Powell, and he was a school-teacherwho afterward became a celebrated geologist. He hadlost his right arm in the Civil War, but even that couldnot stop him. These great canyons interested him, and he deter-mined to explore them. He got four open boats andfilled their compartments with provisions for a longjourney. He persuaded nine adventurous men to ac-company him, and, early in 1869, started far up onthe Green River and floated down. Frequently hestopped to study the rocks, for this was a scientificexpedition. In late August, when he came to the head of theGrand Canyon, there were very few provisions left;half had been lost
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