the grand canyon of arizona-第7章

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at　is　from　El　Tovar。　There；　in　a　slight　depression；　he　will　see　the　foot…trail　leading　down　from　the　rim　to　the　Grotto。　It　is　a　place　about　forty　to　fifty　feet　long；　and　with　an　overhanging　wall　of　from　five　to　fifteen　feet　high；　and　ten　to　twenty　feet　broad。　The　shelf　upon　which　one　walks　is　narrow；　but　I　have　slept　there　many　a　time　in　cold　and　rainy　weather。

The　pictographs　are　mainly　in　a　rich　brownish…red；　and　are　of　deer；　mountain…sheep；　men　and　women；　serpentine　lines　suggesting　the　course　of　rivers；　rain…clouds；　lightning；　and　many…legged　reptiles；or　what　seem　to　represent　these　things。　They　were　here；　exactly　as　one　now　sees　them；　when　I　first　camped　here　with　some　friendly　Havasupais；　nearly　twenty　years　ago；　and　I　was　then　informed　that　some　of　the　designs　represent　great　hunts；　in　which　their　ancestors　had　been　successful。

Of　the　genuineness　of　the　pictographs　no　one　need　have　the　slightest　question。　They　afford　a　good　opportunity　to　those　who　have　never　before　seen　such　specimens　of　aboriginal　art；　to　examine　a　fairly　representative　lot　of　them。



CHAPTER　IV。　The　Grand　Canyon　At　El　Tovar

If　guests　at　the　Canyon　will　take　this　book　in　hand　and；　line　by　line；　read　this　chapter；　just　as　they　would　listen　to　the　talk　of　a　friend　in　whose　knowledge　they　confide；　they　will　leave　the　Canyon　with　fewer　erroneous　conceptions　than　are　quite　common　now。

El　Tovar　Amphitheatre。　The　first　thing　to　be　observed　is　that　El　Tovar　rests　in　the　centre　of　the　curve　of　a　wide　crescent；　named　El　Tovar　amphitheatre；　the　arms　of　which　extend　out　into　the　heart　of　the　Canyon；　and　shut　in　the　scenery　from　the　east　and　west；　concentrating　the　view。　These　arms　afford　an　excellent　opportunity　for　seeing　the　various　carboniferous　deposits。　The　topmost　is　the　cherty　limestone；　the　layers　of　which　lead　the　eye　to　the　crossbedded　sandstone；　a　creamy　buff　in　color；　and　composed　of　a　soft；　sugary　sand。　Each　of　these　walls　is　from　five　hundred　to　six　hundred　feet　high；　though　in　some　parts　of　the　Canyon　they　are　reduced　to　not　more　than　four　hundred　feet。

Maricopa　and　El　Tovar　Points。　El　Tovar　is　six　thousand　eight　hundred　and　sixty…six　feet　above　sea　level；　the　highest　part　of　the　point　on　the　left　is　seven　thousand　and　fifty　feet；　and　on　the　right　seven　thousand　feet。　The　point　to　the　left；　Maricopa　Point；　is　a　portion　of　the　great　promontory　known　as　Hopi　Point；　to　which　all　Canyon　visitors　should　go。　That　to　the　right　is　El　Tovar　Point。

Heights　and　Depths。　The　height　of　the　lime　and　sandstone　walls　can　readily　be　measured　by　looking　down　upon　the　rudely　carved　mass　of　red　sandstone　slightly　to　the　left；　which　has　been　called　the　〃Battleship。〃　The　top　of　this　is　five　thousand；　eight　hundred　and　sixty…seven　feet　above　sea　level。　Now　look　up　to　the　Maricopa　Point　above；　seven　thousand　and　fifty　feet。　The　difference　is　one　thousand；　one　hundred　and　eighty…three　feet；　which　is　practically　the　height　of　these　two　strata。

Bright　Angel　Creek。　Almost　at　the　first　glance；　the　attention　is　arrested　by　the　break　in　the　north　wall；　slightly　to　the　right　of　where　we　stand；　which　makes　a　wide　lateral　gorge　running　at　right　angles　to　the　main　course　of　the　river。　This　is　Bright　Angel　Gorge；　showing　the　course　of　Bright　Angel　Creek；　which　flows　between　its　lower　walls。　It　received　its　name　from　Major　Powell；　when　he　and　his　party　descended　the　river。　Earlier　in　their　explorations　they　had　ascended　a　side　stream；　and　one　of　the　men　had　declared　it　to　be　a　dirty　devil　of　a　river；　and　for　many　years　it　bore　the　name　〃Dirty　Devil　River；〃　until　Powell　changed　it　on　the　map　to　Fremont　River。　When；　later；　this　exquisitely　pure　and　beautiful　side　stream　was　reached；　the　great　explorer　determined　that　as　one　stream　had　been　named　after　the　prince　of　the　powers　of　darkness；　he　would　name　this　after　the　bright　and　beautiful　powers；hence　the　name　〃Bright　Angel。〃

A　reference　to　the　chapter　〃How　the　Canyon　was　Formed；〃　will　explain　how　this　side　gorge　came　into　existence；　and　also　account　for　the　great　upthrust　of　the　granitic　rock　at　its　mouth；　for　the　most　casual　observer　cannot　fail　to　note　the　presence　of　this　rock　much　higher　than　it　is　seen　elsewhere。

The　North　Wall。　Before　paying　particular　attention　to　the　vast　forms　that　crowd　the　interior　of　the　Canyon；　let　us　follow　the　〃build〃　of　the　massive　wall　on　the　north　side。　This　is　part　of　the　great　Kaibab　Plateau；　the　highest　wall　of　the　whole　Canyon　system。　Its　elevation　is　eight　thousand　three　hundred；　as　against　six　thousand　eight　hundred　and　sixty…six　feet　at　El　Tovar；　and　it　is　thirteen　miles　in　an　air　line　from　the　south　rim；　where　the　hotel　is　located；　to　the　north　rim。

The　reason　for　this　difference　in　elevation　is　explained　in　the　chapter　〃How　the　Canyon　was　Formed。〃　In　brief；　it　is　that；　during　a　process　of　〃　faulting；〃　the　north　wall　was　thrust　up　above　the　level　of　the　south　wall。

Features　above　Bright　Angel　Creek。　In　any　other　region　but　here；　this　Bright　Angel　Gorge　and　the　massive　figures　of　rock　that　sentinel　and　guard　it　would　be　regarded　as　a　scenic　marvel；　but　here　it　is　a　mere　trivial　incident　in　the　greater　scenery　of　the　greater　Canyon。　Yet　it　is　well　to　note　the　massive　red　sandstone　points　that　are　lined　up　on　either　side　on　the　plateau；　above　the　darkest　recesses　of　the　gorge；　reminding　one　of　the　rows　of　sphinxes　that　guard　the　entrances　of　some　of　the　Egyptian　temples。

Up　Bright　Angel　Creek。　Occasionally　parties　cross　the　river　（either　by　boat　or　in　an　iron　cage　suspended　by　a　cable）；　and　ascend　to　the　north　rim　by　means　of　a　rude　trail　up　Bright　Angel　Creek。　As　the　trail　for　a　part　of　the　way　ascends　the　floor　of　the　gorge；　down　which　the　stream　flows；　and　as　it　is　exceedingly　narrow　and　without　any　way　of　escape　in　case　of　severe　rain　or　flood；　it　is　not　always　safe。　To　one；　however；　who　loves　a　rough　and　adventurous　trip；　the　ascent　of　this　gorge　will　probably　give　great　satisfaction。　A　little　more　than　a　third　of　the　way　up；　a　waterfall　is　passed；　called　〃Ribbon　Falls。〃　The　trail　winds　and　twists　with　the　course　of　the　stream；　and　finally　reaches　the　summit　at　an　elevation　of　eight　thousand　five　hundred　feet；　not　far　from　Greenland　Spring。　From　here　one　may　go　east　over　the　Walhalla　Plateau　to　Niji　Point；　and　overlook　the　Chuar　Valley　at　the　mouth　of　Marble　Canyon；　where　Dr。　Walcott　spent　a　winter　studying　the　Algonkian　strata　of　that　region。　To　the　west　is　Point　Sublime；　Powell　Plateau；　and　other　scenery　of　an　unusually　majestic　character。

Features　of　the　North　Wall。　But　let　us　now　return　to　the　main　north　wall　before　us。　The　green　tufts；　that　at　this　distance　appear　as　grass　or　shrubs；　partially　covering　the　top　of　the　wall　and　descending　the　slopes　into　the　Canyon；　are　in　reality　great　trees；　mainly　pines　and　black　birches；　from　twenty…five　to　over　one　hundred　and　one　hundred　and　fifty　feet　in　height。　The　forest　that　covers　the　Kaibab　Plateau　contains　many　majestic　trees；　and　some　of　these　have　wandered　over　the　rim　to　peep　into　the　depths　of　the　abyss　below。　The　cherty　limestone　strata　are　thus　largely　covered；　but　the　next　stratum　is　the　clear　band　of　cross…bedded　sandstone；　which　corresponds　to　the　second　member　of　the　geological　series　seen　in　the　arm　of　the　amphitheatre　at　Maricopa　Point；　and　is　from　five　hundred　to　six　hundred　feet　wide。

Then　the　eye　rests　upon　slopes　of　talus；　which　reach　down　to　the　red　strata　of　varying　thicknesses；　which　are　deposited　above　the　red…wall　limestone；　the　widest　member　of　the　whole　Canyon　group。　These　walls　are　cut　and　recessed　into　all　kinds　of　shapes　and　forms；　angles；　promontories　and　recesses；　which；　especially　in　the　early　morning　and　late　afternoon；　cast　shadows　of　inexpressible　beauty。

The　Red…Wall　Limestone。　We　now　come　to　the　red…wall　limestone　nearly　six　hundred　feet　in　thickness。　What　a　striking；　massive　wall　it　is；　and　how　impressive；　when　seen　even　at　this　immense　distance。　This　wall　is　red　only　because　it　is　stained　by　the　color　washed　down　by　the　rain　from　the　red　strata　above。　In　reality；　it　is　a　rich　creamy　lime；　but　only　where　the　red　strata　above　have　been　degraded　and　washed　away　does　the　natural　color　of　this　wall　appear。

The　Plateau。　Below　the　red…wall　limestone；　there　are　several　str