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Canyons of the Colorado

By John Wesley Powell
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About This Book

An explorer’s journal-style account combines a travel narrative with systematic geographic, geologic, and natural-history observations of deep river canyons and their surrounding plateaus. Presented as sequential chapters that follow stretches of the river and notable landmarks, the text describes mesas, buttes, cliffs, terraces, volcanic features, archaeological ruins, and nearby settlements while recording the practical challenges of descent and passage. Illustrations and field notes accompany measurements and geological interpretation, and the narrative intersperses factual reporting with restrained personal reflection and tributes to companions, aiming to convey both the empirical findings of survey work and the visual drama of the canyon landscapes.

About the Author

Powell, John Wesley portrait

John Wesley Powell

John Wesley Powell was a prominent American geologist, explorer, and ethnologist known for his pioneering explorations of the American West. He is best remembered for his adventurous journey through the Grand Canyon, which he documented in his book "Canyons of the Colorado." Powell's work significantly contributed to the understanding of the geology and ecology of the arid regions of the United States. He also served as the second director of the U.S. Geological Survey and was instrumental in the establishment of the Bureau of Ethnology, where he published important studies on Native American languages and cultures. His legacy includes a commitment to scientific exploration and environmental conservation.

More Books by This Author

6 picks
First through the Grand Canyon cover First through the Grand Canyon by John Wesley Powell Indian Linguistic Families of America, North of Mexico / Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-1886, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891, pages 1-142 cover Indian Linguistic Families of America, North of Mexico / Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-1886, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891, pages 1-142 by John Wesley Powell On Limitations to the Use of Some Anthropologic Data cover On Limitations to the Use of Some Anthropologic Data by John Wesley Powell On the Evolution of Language / First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 1-16 cover On the Evolution of Language / First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 1-16 by John Wesley Powell Report on the lands of the arid region of the United States, with a more detailed account of the lands of Utah cover Report on the lands of the arid region of the United States, with a more detailed account of the lands of Utah by John Wesley Powell Sketch of the Mythology of the North American Indians / First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 17-56 cover Sketch of the Mythology of the North American Indians / First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 17-56 by John Wesley Powell

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