only six of whom were ever heard from again

Flora TangThe first recorded successful descent of the river through the canyon took place when one-armed Civil War veteran John Wesley Powell led a team of nine men, only six of whom were ever heard from again.


Please explain the boldface part to me.

Thanks.

Only six members of the team returned. The others died

"descent of the river through the canyon"
Does it mean the group descended?
How do we say the river descended? IMO, the same way.
Is it reading lots of books that helps to decide between the two possibilities?

"descent of the river through the canyon"
Does it mean the group descended?

Yes.
They went down the river through the canyon/through its part surrounded by the canyon..

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Flora Tang
The first recorded successful descent of the river through the canyon took place when one-armed Civil War veteran John Wesley Powell led a team of nine men, only six of whom were ever heard from again.


Please explain the boldface part to me.

The others were out of touch.

Maybe it is an euphemistica

Marius Hancu


Thus, you can say the river itself descended, but with another meaning (originates in another river).

hi

Inchoateknowledge



this is the source of my confusion

I understand. The meaning for many of those quotations is "the river drops ...."

Inchoateknowledge"descent of the river through the canyon"
Does it mean the group descended?
How do we say the river descended? IMO, the same way.
Is it reading lots of books that helps to decide between the two possibilities?

Hello IK

You're right to say that the sentence is ambiguous. However, one possibility is very remote