being ferried in the boat.  Several sheep were drowned, and these, with two live ones and a couple of blankets, were conferred on those Mohaves who had helped in the crossing.  The landing-place was a field of young wheat, which was much damaged.  The lieutenant willingly paid the moderate charge the owner made for this, and there was no trouble; all the intercourse was perfectly amicable.  But had he been imbued with the trapper spirit he would probably have answered the request for payment with a fatal bullet, and then would have followed a stampede of the stock, ambush, and all the rest which embroiders the history of the trappers with such violently romantic colour.

Two or three years after the Whipple expedition, a waggon-road was surveyed (1837) along the 35th parallel by E. F. Beale.  He returned to the Colorado January 23, l858, about twelve miles north of Whipple’s Crossing.  He had camped, several miles back from the Colorado, and starting early met his clerk F. E. Kerlin returning from the river whither he had been sent to prepare the boat.  The clerk had a “joyful surprise” in news that the steamboat General Jesup, Captain George A. Johnson, was at the crossing and waiting to convey the party across.  Soon after the arrival of Beale’s party the steamboat came up to the bank, and taking on the men, baggage, and camels landed them on the opposite or eastern side.* The mules were compelled to swim over.  Then the General Jesup continued down stream “towards Fort Yuma, 350 miles below.”  Johnson had with him Lieut.  James White, 3d U. S. Artillery, fifteen soldiers and “as many rugged mountain men” as escort.  He had succeeded in navigating with the General Jesup as far up the river as El Dorado Canyon, about sixty-eight miles below the mouth of the Virgin—­that is, he had gone clear through Black Canyon and thus holds the record for the first ascent of the Colorado with a steamboat to the limit of steamboat navigation.  This feat he executed with the avowed purpose of “getting ahead” of Lieutenant Ives who had arrived December 1, 1857, at Robinson’s Landing at the mouth of the river, bringing an iron steamboat (as described in the next chapter) under orders from the War Department to explore the Colorado as far as possible.

* Beale used camels on this expedition and considered them a success.

Johnson had been aware of his presence and intentions having been sent down from Fort Yuma with two steamboats to transport certain supplies from the vessel which brought Lieutenant Ives.  He had reached the schooner December l7th.  On January 2, 1858, he left Fort Yuma on his northward run knowing that Ives could not follow him until the steamboat brought in sections could be completed.