The Washburn Yellowstone Expedition, No. I [pp. 431-437]

436 THE W4ASHBURN YELLOWSTONE EXPEDITION. [MAY,
width at the top is about a third of a
mile. The east wall is nearly vertical
for its entire height, and presents an al most unbroken face. The west wall is
much cut by re-entering angles, or steep,
lateral ravines, leaving between them
rocky, projecting points, or cliffs, from
which can be obtained a magnificent
view of the falls and ca,)oiz. These cliffs
have perpendicular faces, varying from
four to eight hundred feet in hleight, be low which the caiorz, composed mostly
of the ddbris which have fallen from
above, slopes steeply to the water's edge.
The immense depth of this gorge al most overcomes the roar of the falls, and
a short distance from the edge of the
caiioxz the sound of the waters is un heard. The general color of the cainon
is yellow, owing to the sulphlureous fumes
which rise from many steam-jets near
the bottom; but in places the rock is of
a reddish hlue, while in others it is dazzlingly white. Days would be required
to examine thoroughly and fully appreciate the vicinity of the falls, which, in
many respects, are the most remarkable
in America.
Leaving the falls the first morning in
autumn, we took the trail through the
timber, in a south-west direction. We
soon found ourselves in an open, rolling
country, gradually sloping down to the
river. About six miles from the falls,
and a half-mile back from the river, we
came to three white hills, of a volcanic
nature, thrown up entirely by deposits
from hot and boiling mineral springs,
which were between and around them.
The largest was forty feet by sixty. It
was perfectly quiet, and looked like any
other deep, muddy pond; its peculiarity
being that, althiough it was easy for any
one to handle it, he who attempted any
such familiarity was sure to get scalded.
The spring which attracted most a;ttention was about seven feet by ten, and
threw whitish, hot water from eight to
ten feet above the rim of its basin. It
also puffed like a steamboat, throwing
off vast quantities of steam, and much
resembled the Steamboat Geyser, in So noma County, California. Its rim was
incrusted with sulphur, some specimens
being quite pure.
Within a space of half a mile square,
at least seventy-five different springs
and steam-jets occur. The moundcls, or
hills, at the bases of which are these
springs, are nearly three hundred feet
high. They are covered with small holes
and fissures, from which issue hot air
and steam. No vegetation of conse quence grows on them, but a few clumps
of trees are scattered between the springs
at their base. Many of the craters con tain a grayish, pasty-looking substance,
about the consistency of mush nearly
cooked. Other springs have waters of
blue, pink, yellow, and brown tinges.
One small, bubbling spring, of clear water, has an intensely sour, acrid taste.
It is said that Indians do not go above
the grand capoiz on the Yellowstone.
Whether this is true I know not, but I
imagine that the unscientific savage finds
little to interest him in such places. I
should rather suppose he would give
them a wide berth, believing them sacred to Satan. If a person should be
cast into one of these springs, he would
be literally immersed in a lake of burning brimstone.
There being no good grass near Crater Hills, after stopping a few hours to
examine them we moved to a point on
the Yellowstone, about three miles above.
Near this camp were several mineral
springs, all hot, and many of them boiling. Most of them were ordinary, bubbling, spluttering mud-springs, but three
of them were quite remarkable. Of these
the first, or lowest down the river, is a
cave-spring,, with an opening of ten feet
in width by six in height, in solid rock,
with an almost perfect, oval arch. The
water is clear as crystal, of boiling heat,
and a vitriolic taste. As you look into