170 FORT YUMA 
Castilleia, comptroller, and with certain small pieces 
of artillery, I began to sail up the river.” * 
We hear little more of attempts to enter the Colo- 
rado until those of the missionaries about the middle 
of the last century. In 1746, Father Consag made a 
voyage for the purpose of exploring the Gulf of Califor- 
nia. He reached its head, and found the river. ‘ At 
the entrance,” he says, ‘‘is a triangular island, which 
divides the stream into two arms, one in California, 
running northward, and the other on the opposite side, 
running north-west. The people went ashore, and 
found themselves between two rapid currents: one of 
the rivers ebb, and in the other the sea was flowing in 
with no less impetuosity, so that they had a very narrow 
escape. + He attempted to go up the Colorado; but 
the current was so rapid that the boats could not stem 
it, and having no ropes to tow them, the project of 
further exploration was abandoned. 
The only attempt in recent times to enter the Colo- 
rado before the occupation of California by the United 
States, of which I have knowledge, is that of Lieute- 
nant Hardy ofthe British navy.{ This gentleman was 
sent out by an Hnglish company connected with the 
pearl fishery in the gulf; and in the course of his 
explorations he visited the Colorado. He has given 
us a plan of the mouth of the river, accompanied by 
soundings; which bears every mark of correctness, 
with the exception of an error in laying down the 
river Gila. or this he mistook a small branch falling 
* Hakluyt’s Voyages, vol. ii., p. 425. London ed. of 1600. 
+ Venega’s California, vol. i1., p. 308. 
{ Travels in the Interior of Mexico. London, 1829, p. 320. 
