The boats were speedily launched upon the swift current at the bridge and steered down to a little cove on the left, a few hundred yards below, where they were hauled out on a beach to give them the finishing touches of preparation, like attaching canvas covers to the cabins, and so forth.  Nearby, amongst the willows, we established our first camp—­a place of real luxury, for Mr. Field, who had an outfitting house here, lent us a table and two benches.  Andy set up some crotches and a cross-bar, to hang his kettles on, and with a cast-iron bake oven—­one of the kind like a flat, iron pot, in which, after it is stood upon a bed of hot coals, the bread is placed, and then the cast-iron cover is put on, and laden with hot coals—­began his experiments in cookery, for it was a new art to him.  In the beginning he was rather too liberal with his salaratus, but the product gave us the pleasant delusion of having reached a land of gold nuggets.  Andy soon improved, and we learned to appreciate his rare skill to such an extent that the moment he took his old hat and with it lifted the coffee-pot off the fire, and then placed beside it the bread and bacon with the pleasing remark:  “Well, now, go fur it, boys!” we lost not a moment in accepting the invitation.  As bread must be made for every meal, Andy’s was no easy berth, for his work on the river was the same as that of the rest of us.  It was only when we were engaged in a portage near dinner or supper time that he was permitted to devote his entire attention to the preparation of our elaborate meals.  Bean soup, such as Andy made, is one of the most delicious things in the world; and Delmonico could not hold a candle to his coffee.  Our three boats bore the names Emma Dean, after Mrs. Powell, Nellie Powell, after Major Powell’s sister, Mrs. Thompson, and Canonita.  The men and their assignment to the boats were these:  J. W. Powell, S. V. Jones, J. K. Hillers; F. S. Dellenbaugh—­the Emma Dean; A. H. Thompson, J. F. Steward, F. M. Bishop, F. C. A. Richardson—­the Nellie Powell; E. O. Beaman, W. C. Powell, A. J. Hattan—­the Canonita.

Jones had been a teacher in Illinois.  He went as a topographer.  Hillers was a soldier in the Civil War, and was at first not specially assigned, but later, when the photographer gave out, he was directed to assist in that branch, and eventually became head photographer, a position he afterwards held with the Geological Survey for many years.  A large number of the photographs from which this volume is illustrated were taken by him and they speak for themselves.  Thompson was from Illinois.  He also had been a soldier in the war, and on this expedition was Powell’s colleague, as well as the geographer.  To his foresight, rare good judgment, ability to think out a plan to the last minute detail, fine nerve and absolute lack, of any kind of foolishness, together with a wide knowledge and intelligence, this expedition, and indeed the scientific work so admirably carried on by the