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Show 12 guides were available who knew anything about the river . . Freenian ( Abs . R . Vol . 1 , , p . 668 ) . The Navajo Indians inhabited that part of Utah bordering on the San Juan and Colorado rivers . . They were skillful artisans . . They were masters of design , weavers , and workers in silver . . ( Bureau of American Ethnology , Bulletin No . 30 , Vol . . 2 , p . . 40 . ) They made no boats . They used none , , except in recent years as ferries to cross to trading posts . Indians in other parts of the United States far less advanced than the Navajos used boats when living near rivers susceptible of navigation . The fact that the Navajos did not use boats upon the rivers in question is evidence against navigability . . ( ( Dellen- Dellen ) baugh Abs . R . Vol . 1 , p . 444 . ) Expedition of Padre Francisco Escalante ( M . R . - 27 ) and the Old Spanish Trail In the year 1776 Escalante set out from Santa Fe , New Mexico , to seek a route to Monterey , ( Califor- Califor ) nia . . ( Freeman , Compl . Exhibit 81 , p . 29 . . ) Santa Fe was the most important Spanish town north of the Rio Grande ; Monterey was the most important Spanish town in California . Escalante crossed the San Juan River near where it first meets the north line of New Mexico . . From ( -this this ) point he proceeded northward and crossed the Grand or the Colorado River near the mouth of the Little Dolores ; thence northwesterly and crossed the Green River near the foot of Split Mountain Canyon , Utah From there he . moved southwesterly to a point in the neighborhood of the Virgin River , then |
