Hamblin's adventures to the southward were far from complete. In the
autumn of 1862 President Young directed another visit to the Hopi,
recommending that the Colorado be crossed south of St. George, in the
hope of finding a more feasible route. Hamblin had had disaster the
previous spring, in which freshets had swept away his grist mill and
other improvements. Most of the houses and cultivated land of the Santa
Clara settlement had disappeared. He was given a company of twenty men,
detailed by Apostles Orson Pratt and Erastus Snow. A small boat was taken
to the river by wagon. Hamblin's chronicle does not tell just where the
crossing was made, but it is assumed that it was at the mouth of the
Grand Wash. From the river crossing there were four days of very dry
travel toward the southeast, with the San Francisco Mountains in the far
distance. There is no reference in his diary to the finding of any roads,
but it is probable that most of the journey was on aboriginal trails.
Snow was found at the foot of the San Francisco Mountains and two days
thereafter the Little Colorado was crossed and then were reached the
Hopi, who "had been going through some religious ceremonies to induce the
Great Spirit to send storms to water their country that they might raise
abundance of food the coming season." This may have been the annual
Snake Dance. The Hopi refused to send some of their chief men to Utah,
their traditions forbidding, but finally three joined after the
expedition had started. There had been left behind McConnell, Haskell,
and Hatch to labor for a season, and as hostages for the return of the
tribesmen.
This journey probably was the first that ever circled the Grand Canyon,
for return was by the Ute Crossing, where fording was difficult and
dangerous, for the water was deep and ice was running. The three Hopi
were dismayed over their violation of tradition, but were induced to go
on. Incidentally, food became so scarce that resort was had to the
killing and cooking of crows.
The Indians were taken on to Salt Lake City and were shown many things
that impressed them greatly. An unsuccessful attempt was made to learn
whether they spoke Welsh. Hamblin wrote that the Indians said, "They had
been told that their forefathers had the arts of reading, writing, making
books, etc."
[Illustration: LIEUTENANT IVES' STEAMER ON THE COLORADO IN 1858]
[Illustration: AMMON M. TENNEY Pioneer Scout of the Southwest]
Here it may be noted that the Grand Canyon was circumtoured in the fall
of 1920 by Governor and Mrs. Campbell, but under very different
circumstances. The vehicle was an automobile. Crossing of the Colorado
was at the Searchlight ferry, about forty miles downstream from old
Callville. On the first day 248 miles were covered, mainly on the old
Mormon road, to Littlefield, through the Muddy section, now being
revived. St. George and other pioneer southern Utah settlements were
passed on the way to Kanab and Fredonia. The road to the mouth of the
Paria and to Lee's Ferry appears to have been found very little less
rough than when traveled by the Mormon ox teams, and the river crossing
was attended by experiences with quicksand and other dangers, while the
pull outward on the south side was up a steep and hazardous highway.