The “Explorer” Afloat 
i6i 
flood arrived on the night of December 30th, steam was turned 
on at the critical moment, the engines worked the stern-wheel, 
and Lieutenant Ives had the satisfaction of seeing the Ex¬ 
plorer, under the bright moonlight, slowly back out of the pit 
which had been her cradle into the swirling, seething current. 
As the tide continued to rise, Ives feared the whole flat would 
soon be inundated, so everything belonging to the expedition 
was stowed on board till the Explorer s gunwales were no more 
than six inches above the surface. Through this circumstance. 
The Steamer “ Explorer ” in which Lieut. Ives in 1858 Ascended the Colorado to Foot of 
Black Canyon. 
Sketch by H. B. Mollhausen. 
the expedition came near a disastrous end the next night, 
when the steamer proceeded up the river on the flood tide. 
A squall was met and the boat shipped water alarmingly, but 
fortunately the wind died away as quickly as it had come up. 
The Explorer was saved, and the journey was continued over 
the swiftly gliding torrent. 
As they went on after this in daylight, some Cocopas they 
met grinned rather contemptuously, and called this the “chi- 
quito steamboat,” A considerable amount of stores was left 
