166 FORT YUMA 
ed that it was ‘‘an Injudicious arrangement, and ought 
to be dispensed with ;” that, although ‘by the late 
treaty, our citizens have the right of ingress and egress 
through the Gulf of California,” we might “ give of- 
fence’ to Mexico by the proceeding; and that the ex- 
penses attending this Survey could not be legitimately 
met from the appropriations granted by Congress for 
the Survey.” But the last and most extraordinary 
assertion is, that such an examination as Lieutenant 
Strain proposes, in connection with the Survey, should 
not be intrusted to a naval officer. ‘“‘I have been 
frequently engaged on surveys for the last thirty 
years,” says Colonel Graham, “of rivers, harbors, and 
portions of the sea-coast, and always found the best 
persons to manage the boats employed on such service, 
were the engineers and surveyors charged with, and 
responsible for, the execution of the duty.” Colonel 
Graham’s letter to Secretary Stuart, embracing his 
objections, will be found in Appendix E. 
As the defeat of my plan has been a serious injury 
both to government and to commerce, I shall show that, 
both by the treaty with Mexico and my instructions, 
T had authority to make the examination referred to. 
The sixth article of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidal- 
go provides, that 
‘“The vessels and citizens of the United States shall, 
in all time, have a free and uninterrupted passage by 
the Gulf of California, and by the river Colorado below 
its confluence with the Gila, to and from their posses- 
sions situated north of the boundary line defined in the 
preceding [| Vth] article; it being understood that this 
passage is to be by navigating the Gulf of California 
