On June 28, 1756 Captain Robert Rogers left Fort William Henry with fifty Rangers in five whale boats to reconnoiter Fort Carillon, or Ticonderoga, and parts of northern Lake Champlain controlled by the French. They traveled up Lake George and spent the first night on one of its islands. On June 29 they reached the area of Huletts Landing, then took the five whale boats up and over the mountains of the Town of Dresden to Lake Champlain. For three days, June 30, July 1, and July 2, the British Rangers manhandled all five whale boats over steep rocky mountains, reaching South Bay, the lower part of Lake Champlain as it was known in the 18th century, and arriving at the lake on July 3 according to Rogers. They continued scouting north on the lake, eventually attacking and sinking several French vessels and taking some prisoners. The Rangers then abandoned the whale boats and, with their prisoners, safely arrived at Fort William Henry on July 15.