The great explorer of the Grand Canyon speaks from the past in selections from his journals, guiding readers on a detailed account of his meticulous, often perilous journey thorugh the famous canyon. Reprint Drawing on rarely examined diaries and journals, Down the Great Unknown is the first book to tell the full, dramatic story of the Powell expedition. On May 24, 1869 a one-armed Civil War veteran, John Wesley Powell and a ragtag band of nine mountain men embarked on the last great quest in the American West. The Grand Canyon, not explored before, was as mysterious as Atlantis--and as perilous. The ten men set out from Green River Station, Wyoming Territory down the Colorado in four wooden rowboats. Ninety-nine days later, six half-starved wretches came ashore near Callville, Arizona. Lewis and Clark opened the West in 1803, six decades later Powell and his scruffy band aimed to resolve the West's last mystery. A brilliant narrative, a thrilling journey, a cast of memorable heroes--all these mark Down the Great Unknown, the true story of the last epic adventure on American soil. The Challenge 1(8) The Crew 9(14) The Launch 23(14) Ashley Falls 37(16) Paradise 53(4) Disaster 57(12) Shiloh 69(10) The Hornets' Nest 79(12) Hell's Half Mile 91(14) Fire 105(10) The First Milestone 115(12) Hoax 127(10) Last Taste of Civilization 137(10) Trapped 147(12) ``Hurra! Hurra! Hurra!'' 159(10) Outmatched 169(12) Flash Flood 181(12) To the Taj Mahal 193(12) Grand Canyon 205(10) Time's Abyss 215(12) The Great Unknown 227(12) Sockdolager 239(12) Fight 251(8) Misery 259(8) Separation Rapid 267(8) Deliverance 275(4) The Vanishing 279(8) Epilogue 287(6) Notes 293(48) Bibliography 341(12) Acknowledgments 353(2) Index 355