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Show 83 later the Apostle wrote a report to Brigham Young: The Indians have brought us the news that the "Americats" are coming up the Colorado to k i l l off the Mormons and Indians. Of t h i s we expect to learn more, as we intend, so soon as we shall return from the present excursion, (which we hope will not be longer than three weeks) to visit the Colorado and that portion of the country occupied by the "Hyatts" fMojaves} with a party of twenty men and four missionaries, some, or a ll of whom we propose to leave there if circumstances are favorable.1^ The Lyman party continued south and west along the line of the California road to examine the country. On January 31 Lyman arrived at the Mojave River where he met a detachment of U.S. soldiers under the command of Major George Blake. Blake had recently been in the Colorado River country with his men to escort Beale's Camel Corps through the Mojave Indian country. It was only by coincidence that Beale and Blake encountered the river expedition coming downstream on January 23 above the Needles. From themj Blake learned of government intentions to penetrate the Mormon country from the river, iln his meeting with Lyman, however, Blake took the opportunity t o greatly exaggerate the real condition of affairs on the Colorado in an obvious attempt to boast of the army's success in the region and alarm the Apostle. "He informed us that the expedition to explore the Colorado bad been perfectly successful," wrote Lyman in his diary: that there were three steamers on the river, that another of 5 feet draught was t o be placed on i t in a short time, that they had ascended within 70 ms of the mouth of the Virgin, & t h a t they expected to be able to reach i t s mouth with vessels of that draught. He also hinted that 3000 men w[oul<0 De sent up that way.1^ Needless t o say, Apostle Lyman was greatly shaken by t h i s "confirmation" |