8 
The Colorado River 
from the same we could not discern it, and it seemed there was an 
inlet of the mouths of certain lakes, whereby the sea went in and 
out. There were divers opinions amongst us, and some thought 
that that current entered into these lakes, and also that some great 
river there might be the cause thereof.”^ 
This seems to have been the very first visit of Europeans to 
the mouth of the Colorado, but as Ulloa did not see the river, 
and only surmised that there might be one there, it cannot be 
considered in any way a discovery. It has been supposed by 
some that Friar Juan de la Asumpcion, in 1538, might have 
reached the Colorado in his deep river which he could not 
cross, but this river was more likely a branch of the Yaqui, for 
the friar was told that ten days beyond, to the north, there was 
another larger river settled by many people, whose houses had 
three stories, and whose villages were enclosed. This describes 
the Rio Grande and its southern settlements perfectly, so that, 
had he been on the Colorado, or even the Gila, the Rio Grande 
could not have been described as “ten days to the north.” 
Ulloa took possession formally, according to Spanish custom, 
and then sailed southward again. Though he had not found 
the great river, he had determined one important geographical 
point: that Lower California was not, as had been supposed, 
an island, but was a peninsula; nevertheless for a full century 
thereafter it was considered an island. Had Ulloa followed up 
the rush of the current he would have been the discoverer of 
the Colorado River, but in spite of his marvelling at the fury 
of it he did not seem to consider an investigation worth while; 
or he may have been afraid of wrecking his ships. His inertia 
left it for a bolder man, who was soon in his Avake. But the 
intrepid soul of Cortes must have been sorely disappointed at 
the meagre results of this, his last expedition, Avhich had cost 
him a large sum, and compelled the pawning of his Avife’s 
jeAvels. The discovery of the mouth of a great river Avould 
have bestoAved on this voyage a more romantic importance, 
and would consequently have been someAvhat healing to his in¬ 
jured pride, if not to his depleted purse; but his sun was set- 
* From Hakluyt’s Voyages, The spelling has been modernised. 
