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Show 86 M^rch the "Explorer" reached Eldorado Canyon, a good t h i r t y miles above Johnson's high mark. From there, Lt. Ives and a small crew rowed a skiff as far as the mouth of the Vegas Wash which they mistakenly took for the Virgin River. This put them within twenty-five miles of Las Vegas, on the Salt Lake-California road! A reconnaissance was made under the direction of Nah-vah-roo-pa, one of Ives's Indian guides, to connect the head of navigation t o the Salt Lake i road. The receonnoitering party returned on Iferch 20 reporting they had "found a practicable line of communications between the river and the Mormon road. " Some work would be required to make i t practicable for wagons, but i t was possible. The southern invasion route had been established. Meanwhile, Jacob Hamblin had received additional signals from the Mojaves. The same Indians who had exhibited such h o s t i l i t y to Hatch and Leavitt in January were now anxious for the Mormons t o pay them a v i s i t . With Ives coming up the River and Johnson already come and gone, the Mojaves were becoming increasingly skeptical of the army's intentions toward them. Believing their 20 lands were in jeopardy, the Mojaves decided to make peace with the Mormons. While "Explorer" was steaming north, Hamblin, Leavitt, Samuel Knight, and Thales Haskell made their way from the Muddy River down the west side of the Colorado arriving at the Mojave villages on March 15. They were informed the Americans were coming up the river. The following evening the missionaries located "Explorer" anchored in Cottonwood Canyon. Hamblin then assigned Haskell the dubious honor of boarding the steamer and finding out anything he could about government intentions in the area. While the three others concealed themselves in the brush along the river bank, Haskell hailed the vessel and a small boat was sent across to pick him up. Once on board, Haskell tried to conceal his identity from Ives, presenting himself as a California-bound immig- , rant who had taken a detour to avoid hostile Indians. The ruse was a failure |