528 FERRY OVER THE COLORADO. Book III. 
others in the course of erection. It cannot fail to become of 
considerable importance ; for it must be the emporium of 
all the trade of the Gila and Colorado basins, including 
also the neighbouring oases of Sonora, and eventually of 
the great Salt Lake district, or at least of part of it. 
Already steamers ascend the Colorado as far as the fort, 
by which means the troops are supplied with necessaries. 
While we were there, a project was discussed for navigating 
it farther up with steamers, and it was asserted that this 
was possible for several hundred miles. I do not know 
the result, as, even in the United States, intelligence from 
these distant regions is of difficult and rare attainment. 
It was the Yumas who murdered the notorious Glanton 
when he monopolized the ferry over the Colorado, and 
levied a heavy contribution from all travellers. The 
passage over the river is dear enough now, or at least, was 
so at the time of our journey ; for we had to pay three 
hundred dollars for the passage of our caravan, though 
it occupied but three men for a day. And yet at this 
time there were two ferries, and consequently competi- 
tion : one close to the junction of the Gila, the other 
twelve English miles lower down, at a spot called Pilot 
Knob, where some houses also have been built. We chose 
the latter, where we crossed August 5th, and encamped on 
the north side of the river. 
Our intercourse with the Yumas continued here. As a 
characteristic circumstance I must relate that I sent a 
Yuma boy from hence with a letter to one of the officers 
at the fort, and that he brought me back an answer in less 
than three hours. He had thus accomplished in this time, 
twenty-four English miles ; but I had to pay him one 
dollar and a half for his service, — for less than that he 
would not move. He had run there, but had swum down 
