The walls seen behind Osiris are not those of Point Sublime, as some
suppose. This massive promontory on the north side is hidden by the nose of
Maricopa Point. The walls are a portion of the Kaibab Plateau, leading
towards Point Sublime, but not a part of it.
Ra Pyramid. In front of Horus is the tower of a symmetrically constructed
pyramid in the red strata, far more like Cheops than is the structure of
that name. It is five thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven feet above the
level of the sea, - a memorial of the great Ra, far greater than any temple
erected by human hands.
The Maiden's Breast. At the end of Maricopa Point is a majestic structure
bigger than many national capitols combined, yet so small here as hitherto
to have passed unnoticed. It is crowned, however, with a small nipple in
red sandstone, to which the Havasupais give a name signifying the Maiden's
Breast. It is five thousand four hundred and fifty feet high, - quite a
height for any earthly maiden.
Miles of Walls of Varying Lengths. As we look at these wonderful walls, a
new idea dawns upon us. The engineer tells us that the Canyon is two
hundred and seventeen miles long. That, however, is only the length of the
river, as it runs its winding way along. But the walls cannot thus be
measured. Take the red-wall limestone and follow it on its devious way, in
and out of deeply alcoved recesses, up side gorges and down again, around
the curves of cloisters and along the bases of the great buttes. The
aggregate distance followed will be many thousands of miles. The strata
that have the longer course, on account of their greater extent of
terracing, are those that make an eight-hundred-feet-wide band of gray and
bright red sandstone, which rests above the red-wall limestone.
Angel Plateau and Indian Garden. Now let the eye fall upon the plateau
beneath. This is named Angel Plateau. The green near its centre has the
first claim. This green patch is called Indian Garden, for in past years,
before the white man wrested his possessions from him, a certain family of
the Havasupais used to farm in a crude way on this spot. When I first
visited this plateau, some seventeen or more years ago, the remnants of the
old Indian irrigating ditches could be seen. Now it is cultivated by the
white man to good effect, and delicious watermelons and cantaloupe as well
as tasty vegetables grow in abundance. This is called half-way down to the
river in distance. The elevation is three thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six feet, so that from our six thousand eight hundred and sixty-six
feet we gaze down two thousand nine hundred and ninety feet.
