Down the Great Unknown : John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon

On May 24, 1869, a one-armed Civil War veteran named John Wesley Powell and a ragtag band of nine mountain men embarked on the last great quest in the American West. No one had ever explored the fabled Grand Canyon; to adventurers of that era it was a region almost as mysterious as Atlantis -- and as perilous. The ten men set out down the mighty Colorado River in wooden rowboats. Six survived. Drawing on rarely examined diaries and journals, Down the Great Unknown is the first book to tell the full, true story. "On May 24, 1869, a one-armed Civil War veteran named John Wesley Powell and a ragtag band of nine mountain men embarked on the last great quest of the American West. No one had ever explored the fabled Grand Canyon: to adventurers of that era it was a region almost as mysterious as Atlantis - and as perilous.". "The ten men set out down the mighty Colorado River in wooden rowboats. Six survived. Drawing on rarely examined diaries and journals, Down the Great Unknown is the first book to tell the full, true story."--BOOK JACKET. The great explorer of the Grand Canyon speaks from the past in his journals, guiding readers on a detailed account of his meticulous, often perilous journey thorugh the famous canyon. 75,000 first printing. Draws on the journals of the great explorer of the Grand Canyon to offer a detailed account of his meticulous, often perilous journey through the famous canyon