This was Lower Disaster Falls, the first of many similar rapids we were to see, but this was one of the worst of its kind.  The swift-rushing river found its channel blocked by the canyon wall on the right side, the cliff running at right angles to the course of the stream.  The river, attacking the limestones, had cut a channel under the wall, then turned and ran with the wall, emerging about two hundred feet below.  Standing on a rock and holding one end of a twenty-five foot string we threw a stone attached to the other end across to the opposite wall.  The overhanging wall was within two feet of the rushing river; a higher stage of water would hide the cut completely from view.  Think what would happen if a boat were carried against or under that wall!  We thought of it many times as we carefully worked our boats along the shore.

Between the delays of rain, with stops for picture making, portaging our material, and “lining” our boats, we spent almost three days in getting past the rapids called Upper and Lower Disaster Falls, with their combined fall of 50 feet in little more than half a mile.  On the evening of September the 26th we camped almost within sight of this same place, at the base of a 3000-foot sugar-loaf mountain on the right, tree-covered from top to bottom.

Things were going too easily for us, it seemed; but we were in for a few reverses.  It stormed much of the night and still drizzled when we embarked on the following morning.  The narrow canyon was gloomy and darkened with shreds of clouds drifting far below the rim.  The first rapid was narrow, and contained some large boulders.  The Edith was caught on one of these and turned on her side, so that the water flowed in, filling the cockpit.  The boat was taken off without difficulty, and bailed out.  We found that the bulkheads failed to keep the water out of the hatches.  Some material from the Edith was transferred to the Defiance.  A bed, in a protecting sack of rubber and canvas, was shoved under the seat and we proceeded.

Less than an hour later I repeated my brother’s performance, but I was not so fortunate as he.  The Defiance was carried against one rock as I tried to pull clear of another, and in an instant she was on her side, held by the rush of water.  I caught the gunwale, and, climbing on to the rock that caused the disaster, I managed to catch the rope and held the boat.  In the meantime Emery was in a whirlpool below, trying to land on the right side; but was having a difficult time of it.  Jimmy stood on the shore unable to help.  The bed was washed out of the boat and went bobbing over the waves, then before I knew what had happened, the rope was jerked from my hands and I was left stranded on my rock.  Seeing this, Jimmy ran with all his might for a pool at the end of the rapid, bravely rescuing the boat and the bed as well, just as the Edith was landed.  A rope was soon thrown to me, after the inevitable picture was made.  Then I jumped and was pulled to shore.