USA > Texas > A new history of Texas; being a narration of the adventures of the author in Texas, and a description of the soil, climate, productions, minerals, tons [!], bays, harbours, rivers, institutions, and manners and customs of the inhabitants of that country; together with the principal incidents of fifteen years revolution in Mexico; and embracing a condensed statement of interesting events in Texas, from the first European settlement in 1692, down to the present time: and a history of the Mexican war > Part 2
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24
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the day is probably not far distant when this region can boast any other inhabitants then the Red man and wild game that are at present the undisputed lords of the soil.
In descending this river, the first considerable settlement is Santa Fee, an ancient Spanish town on the East bank. This is a place of wealth and of great importance in point of trade; affords a market for. large quantities of for- eign and American goods, which are mostly transported over land from St. Louis, in the United States, a computed distance of 1500 miles; it is believed to be a lucrative busi- ness, notwithstanding the great distance and consequent delay; prices of most commodities being enormously high, and the traders return laden with rich furs and peltry and Mexican gold and silver.
At no remote period this trade will probably be prose- cuted through another channel; the plains of Texas afford- ing, as they do, every facility for the construction of good roads at small expense through the whole distance from the heads of navigation on the Colorado, Brassos, or Burialo Bayou and by this route the land carriage to Santa Fee will be shortened down at least two thirds.
A particular description of the town is deemed unne- cessary here, but may be found in the journal of the brave and lamented Lieutenant Pike, published in 1807, the hero of York, Upper Canada, then Gen. Pike, lost his life at the last mentioned place during the late war with Eng- land, but he had lived to immortalize himself by his explor- ing expeditions and noble daring, in one of which he made his debut in Santa Fee, a bare-headed prisoner, when the town was the residence of the Governor of the interior provinces of Mexico, and even in this situation he turned his misfortunes to good account, by collecting important in-
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formation which was spread before his countrymen, and by his intelligence and invincible courage elicited the re- spect and applause of the enemies of himself and country; and last, though not least, by the overflowing of a kind and benevolent heart, as disclosed on many occasions. and particularly in a letter written to the partner of his bosom on the day before his demise. "I will dedicate these few moments to you, my love," was the last proof, of affection, and is worthy of the character of the soldier, husband and father, and well might any virtuous and in- telligent woman adore a man possessing such a sou !. and deeply deplore his untimely loss, to his family and country.
Much of the country below Santa Fee, is unfit for cul- tivation in many places, on both sides of the river, a dis- tance of from 20 to 40 miles in width. The river affords but small facilities for commerce: vessels of more than 5 feet draught cannot often ascend over 110 miles, and in that short distance the navigation is difficult and dangerous on account of the rapidity of the current, and the frequent changes in the channel, caused by land shifts and quick sands which form its bed. In many places the banks are high, uniting however, little that is pleasing to the eye. and not unlike the Mississippi in respect to the never-end- ing undermining of the water which during the freshets fre- quently opens new channels across the points, precipitating whole acres of land and timber into a waste of waters.
The noble Steamers which give life and animation on the waters of the United States, nor any thing like then, will ever penetrate far into the desert of the Rio Grande. Many years ago a Steam navigation Company was char- tered by the Mexican Government, with exclusive privi- leges of colonizing the adjacent country and navigating the river to the exclusion of all others for 15 years; but it
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was found impracticable, and was therefore abandoned, and will not probably be undertaken soon again.
Metamoras .- This town is situated on the west bank of the Rio Grande, 30 miles above the mouth; contains a population of some 8,000, mostly Mexicans, who are not remarkable for their honest or industrious habits, and are in the aggregate an ignorant and illiterate set of beings. There are, however a few resident foreigners, and among them a pretty little French girl, who follows the trade blanchisscuse* and barber, and a first rate barber she is, and actually shaves with her own hand gentlemen of the first water, and her journeymen waits on the crowd; such a trade for a lady was a novelty to me and I of course patronised the fair proprietress. And
I found the best dresser of hair, A barber who shaves but don't bleed ; 1 I was tempted to not tell the affair, Lest you should fret at her barberous creed. 1
Whilst gently sho lathered my beard,
The praises of the barberess I sung, And I liked her the more when I heard That she would yield to the tune of my tongue.
The Catholic is the prevailing religion here, and the ris- ing generation are taught in schools connected with the church. I dont, however, mean to intimate that the church discipline exercises a pernicious influence over the minds of' the pupils; certainly not more than would be felt in bend -. ing the infant mind to any other mode of worship, or any discipline known in protestant schools. The public build- ' ings consist of a large and somewhat elegant cathedral. a custom house, which is a very commodious edifice, a neat court-house of brick, and a strong arsenal and barracks;
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· Washerwoman and barber.
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there are also many store houses and private dwellings, which denote opulence and comfort; but the chief and principal ornament and convenience of the city, and one which argues best for the taste of the inhabitants, is a fine open square called La Place De Grande.
In a southern climate, a shady promenade of this kind contributes largely to the health and comfort of the inhab- itants, and even in the comparative icy region of the Ches- apeake bay, an appropriation of a few lots of ground for such purposes would not be lost, but would be turned to a much better account than some spots I know of bordering the Patapsco river. Indeed, it is matter of astonishment that such culpable negligence should be manifest in some localities on such subjects.
The chief commerce of Metamoras consists in the arti- cles of corn, beans, sugar, rice, potatoes, horses and horned cattle, ardent spirits, provisions, powder, lead, &c., which last articles with considerable quantities of cotton and woollen goods, are imported from the United States; and enterprising American merchants who settle here and make the necessary arrangements with those initiated in the arts and mysteries of the Gulf trade generally amass a fortune in a few years.
It is somewhat remarkable, that all the naval, and some of the officers of the Texan army, were captured during the civil war of 1835-6, and were permitted to revel in the dungeons of Metamoras instead of the halls of the Montazumas, at the city of Mexico, which was their ulti- mate intended destination; but like many others of this world's inhabitants, their cherished hopes were nipped in the bud, and the halls of the Montazumas are yet in the possession of the descendants of those who reared them.
From Santa Fee to Metamoras there is rather an un- pleasant monotony in the appearance of every thing, and
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although the river meanders upwards of : 000 miles be- tween those places, with the exception of those cities, there are no towns or settlements on its margin worthy of the least notice to emigrants. Revella, 110, and Car- mage, 200 miles above its mouth, are small hamlets, inhab- ited by a few Spaniards, Mexicans and Indians; both of which are places that present to the eye of a traveler every appearance of discomfort, and are not apt to sug. gest the idea of safety; and the tourist through this region, 20 years hence, will probably find but little improvement, especially near the mouth of the river which empties ab- ruptly into the gulf, affords no harbour for vessels, and the immediate surrounding country is uninviting in the extreme.
In traveling from Metamoras to San Patricia, our party concluded to visit and examine a most singular deposit of salt, such as I have never elsewhere seen, or ever heard of. This is a lake of about 4 miles in circumference, the water of which evaporates during the summer months and leaves a bed of most excellent salt to the depth of several inches. There is a high and ragged precipice on the west side, from which water is continually dripping; but wheth- er this is the only source of supply, or whether the reser- voir is fed by some subterranean spring, we could not as- certain; and no outlet whatever is perceivable. The Mexi- cans, Indians and others, resort here in great numbers in pursuit of salt; and so great is the quantity, that an abund- ant supply of the article is generally obtained.
A considerable scope of country bordering the Rio Grande is but badly supplied with water, and none is found purer than the river, which in fact possesses similar qualities to that of the Mississippi, and is by many persons reckoned of the most wholesome kind. This section of country affords
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a great variety of prairies, wastes and groves of timber, much of which is such growth as is common in the South- ern States: such as muskeat, cotton wood, pecan, cypress, cedar, pine and elm; but few large fine oaks or poplar are found.
Many persons believe that this comparative desert is the seat of yet invisible mines of wealth; and the poor devils often indulge in bright and golden dreams, forgetting that gold alone is not substantial wealth, but that if the coun- try should be the depositary of rich beds of iron, coal, marble,lead, copper, &c., the benefit would be found more durable, and more extensively diffused, than has ever flowed from the glittering wealth in the mountains of Potosia.
Nuesses River .- This stream is not susceptible of much improvement, and does no afford sufficient water for the general purposes of navigation; rolls through a country which is miserably poor, and empties into Nuesses bay, and through that finds its way to the briny waters of the gulf of Mexico. It is only remakable as being the former boundary between Coahula and Texas. and the theatre of many a riduculous affray; and San Patricia is the only place near the margin that ought to be called a town, and this is unworthy of the name of any of the Suns or in English, Saints.
Aransaso River .- This is a small handsome stream of water of sufficient depth to admit boats of light draught, penetrates a fertile country and empties into Esperitu bay. The country bordering this stream offers consid- erable inducements to emigrants, and is now being set- tled rapidly, particularly in the vicinity of the bay.
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Sun Antunia - This river which is remarkably pure and wholesome, is formed by the waters of four springs, in such quantities tint n is forty yards in width, and four feet deep at the town of San Antonia, distant four miles below the springs. The banks are bold and present ro- mantic scenery, such as not inaptly remind the traveler of the classic shores of the Hudson. The water craft, how- ever, is dissimilar, for here are none of Fulton's floating palaces, and the tourist must content himself as best he may with the accommodations to be found in a dug-out or Indian canoe.
Among our party some amusing occurrences trans- pired when floating down this noble little river, such as reminded me most forcibly that man is a creature of cir- cunstances, and that the strongest bond of fellowship and union is best sealed when all parties are embarked in the same boat, while, ever and anon, the venerable piles con- secrated in early times to devotion and instruction, greet- ed our eyes, wearing a solemn and gloomy grandeur and are indeed, monuments to tell of by-gone days.
Among the most important of these is the mission of con- ception, San Joso, San Juan and Elspada ; none of which are at present occupied for the purpose designed by their pious founders ; but perhaps the day is now approaching when their altars will again be surrounded, while the ves- tal fire is shedding a mild and radiant light.
The entrance to these buildings is through a magnificent arched gateway about 25 feet wide ; this leads into a spa- cious court, and thence into a large arched roof apartment, sufficiently commodious to contain several hundred persons. Leaving these, the mouth of the Medina river is past 20 miles below the town of San Antonia, and 80 miles below is Goli- ad rendered famous on account of the border warfare being frequently seated here, and eventually the waters of the
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Guadalope and San Antonia rivers are united one mile above its entrance into Matagorda Bay.
Much of the country bordering this river is of surpass- ing fertility, and has formerly been under high state of cultivation; but almost every thing now wears the appear- ance of dilapidation and decay. Many of the ancient canals that formerly irrigated and fertilized the soil, have for a few years past been gradually filling up. . Where once flowed the wholesome waters of the San Antonia river there are now deposits generating the seeds of disease and death, and where was once the abodes of peace, health and plenty, squalid poverty, sickness and want now stalk abroad in the land.
This melancholy change had its origin in the warfare that severed Texas from the parent stock; many of the inhabitants having at that time abandoned their homes, being conscientiously opposed to the prevalent measures, and their property became a prey to the new government and is mostly yet unoccupied. The climate here is per- haps equal to any in the world, and instances of extreme longevity are by no means rare. There is in the sur- rounding country a sufficient supply of timber, and when this region is again inhabited by a different race of beings from the present occupants, and shall be under a settled government, a more healthy or desirable residence cannot be found.
San Antonia De Bexar .- This is an ancient Spanish town, situated on both banks of the San Antonia river, in Latitude 39 dg. 26 min., Longitude 21 dg. 38 min. Much of the property here, as well as in the country, has been confiscated, and is yet without tenants; the population numbered about 8,000 previous to the war of 1835-6 but at present does not exceed 1,000 souls, and business
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of the place has decreased in proportion. Under more fortunate governments and people this would doubtless, in this, have become one of the first cities in North America, having been founded in 1692.
In approaching the town, every thing denotes a system of defence; the houses are built of stone, nearly all of only one story, with flat roofs, and a parapet or strong wall above the covering, which is pierced for fire arms as well as the walls below; a ready communication can be kept up throughout the town by trap doors in the top of the houses; and this has often been found useful when the in- habitants were compelled to defend themselves from the attacks of roving and marauding parties, that have always made this place the seat of their wholesale depredations.
'The streets are straight and run at right angles; and upon the whole, the plan of the town is handsome and convenient; near the centre of which stands an ancient and venerable Cathedral, on whose frowning top has more than one been stationed, the messengers of death during the trying vicissitudes through which the citizens have past; and in the north east corner the remains of the celebrated fortress, the Alamo rears its dismantled walls, and it is much to be hoped will serve as a beacon of light and warning to future generations.
The substance of the following pathetic lines are said to have been written by Edward Fitzgerald, a noble pat- riot who fell in the Irish rebellion in 1798, and were thrown into their present form by a gentleman, a native of San Antonia De Bexar, but who since the war of 1835-6 resides at the city of Mexico.
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San Antonia ! my country, the hour
Of your promising splendor has past,
And the chains, which were spurned in your moments of power Hang heavily ou you at last!
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There are marks in the face of each clime,
There are turns in the fortunes of men ;
But the workings of art, nor the changes of time, Can ever restore thee again.
Thou art doomed for the thankless to toil, Thou art left for the proud to disdain ; And the blood of your song, and the wealth of your soil, Have been wasted-and wasted in vain.
The Mexican riches with taunts have been taken, Her valour with treason repaid,
And of millions who see us thus sank and forsaken, Not one stands forth to our aid.
In the Mexican States, Texas is void ; She is out of the list of the free ;
And those we have nourished and cherished as Brothers, Have at length fil! possession of thee.
The Guadalope .- This river is not at present navigable for Steam Boats, but is susceptible of improvement, and will in time afford handsome commercial facilties. Its character much resembles the Holston, in Tennessee, and who ever has descended the Holston above Knoxville, has seen the Guadalope, or something very near the same. The surronding country, however, is inferior to that of Fast Tennessee. in many respects-possessing no such groves of timber, no such fertile bottom lands, none of such sites for water-works, and none of the rich deposits of iron ore which are imbedded in the Tennessee hills and mountains. The timber in the surrounding country is similar though not so abundant, and the pine forests in this part of Texas would call to the mind of an East Tennes- seean quite familiar objects.
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There are also some fine prairies and the country is well adapted to the raismg of domestic animals, and at the present day large bodies of land adjacent to the river can be purchased as low as 25 cents per acre; much of which in the course of years to come will doubtless become valuable.
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Victoria .- This town is situated on the east bank of the Gnadalope, 20 miles above its junction with the San An- tonia, and is a handsome and thriving little village. It has not, however, improved in proportion to age; having been founded many years ago by a wealthy Mexican, who now sleeps with his fathers; and the name of Martin De Leon, the original proprietor is fast fading from the memory of' the present inhabitants of Victoria.
Gonzales .- This famous town is situated on the west bank of the Guadalope, forty-five miles above Victoria. Previous to the revolution in Mexico, Gonzales had be- come a place of considerable importance in point of trade; has been the threatre of many bloody contests; was the head quarters of General Houston, when the Mexican army was besieging the Alamo; and soon after was burn- ed by order of the Texan Commander, and has since re- mained nearly desolate.
Colorado. This is the noblest river in Texas. Rising far above the mountainous region, its course is nearly through the centre of the country, and empties into the magnificent Bay of Matagorda. Its average width is about 200 yards, and when a raft of 12 miles near its mouth is removed, will be navigable for moderate draught Steam Boats nearly to the mountains, a distance of 250 miles.
Timber is abundant from one extremity to the other, and much of the soil of a dark deep loam, of the richest kind, and not subject to inundation; and the river scenery in many places is beautiful indeed.
Bastrop .- This town is situated on an elevated prairie on the east bank of the river, about 150 miles from its entrance into the bay; the central position of the place, and the fertility of the surrounding country, would seem to
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designate Bastrop as a place of future eminence. There are however, but few inhabitants as yet, and on account of the unsettled state of the country in regard to Mexicans and Indians, will not be inviting to emigrants until some favorable change shall have taken place.
Five other towns are laid out on this river, but not yet much improved, except the city of Matagorda at the mouth "of the river, and this is but a city in embryo, but is proba- bly destined to become the emporium of Texas at some dis- tant day
The oldest and best road in the country crosses, the river at the site of the town of La Grange, and extends from San Antonia De Bexar to Nacogdoches in Eastern Texas. Above this is the handsome little town of Colum- bus, and sixty miles below on a beautiful and elevated prairie is founded the city of Colorado. The plan of this place as disclosed on the face of a map; is on a regular and extensive scale, and the site on the east bank of the river, fronting a range of hills 300 feet high; from the sum- mit of which the eye can feast on the rich landscape of the surrounding country with delight. From the plain of the city, the romantic cascade of Buckner'sHeights is seen leaping from precipice to precipice, until it reaches the creek which here unites with the Colorado river; the Col- orado mountains too variegate the scene, and lift their lofty summits apparently to the sky.
This place will, at some future period, contain a dense and thriving population, and will doubtless, in time, become a desirable place of abode as well as the centre of a val- uable trade. The day of speculation, however, is nearly over; the present proprietors holding the property enor- mously high, and being in the possession of a company of capralists, will most likely remain at present at small advanced rates.
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The river here is pure, transparent, and wholesome, and several good springs have been found within a short distance from the city; and within six miles is a mineral spring of a quality not essentially different from the White Sulphur, in Virginia. Above this, in approaching the mountains, there are some valuable sites for water-works, and these facilities for manufacturing purposes will, bye and bye, be brought into full activity. Near the waters of the San Sabo, 80 miles distant from Colorado City, there is a silver mine that was formerly worked by the Span- iards and yielded a handsome revenue to the Government: the remnants of their implements of industry are yet visible; but whether the work was abandoned on account of the civil wars, or whether it continued productive to the last, is a subject upon which I have sought for satisfactory in- formation in vain. The mine is within the hunting grounds of the Cumanche Indians, who make bullets of the metal, and although it is believed but few of them know its value, they are yet rather disinclined to shew the place to strangers, and would scarcely permit any to fully explore or work the mine at present.
Austin .- Forty miles above Bastrop is located the city of Austin, which is the present seat of Government. and will probably continue as such for a long time to come. The plan of Austin is handsome; the streets are wide and cross at right angles, and the site is on an elevated prairie stretching far away from the east bank of the Colorado River. The property here belonged to the people, and the seat of government has been removed from Houston, and permanently located here for the treble purpose of a more central position, and of raising funds by giving value to the public domain, and of reviving the almost forgotten
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name of STEPHEN F. AUSTIN, the first Emprasario and Father of Texas.
In calling this a central position, I must not be under- stood as alluding to the present population, for Austin is immediately on the frontiers of the country; yet the location is as near central to the whole territory as perhaps any suitable place in the Republic; and such is the rapid ad- vance of the Anglo Saxon, that a few brief years will leave the seat of government in a thickly settled country, and central enough for convenience to the interior, as well as the sea board; thus uniting objects and combining facili- ties which argue well for the foresight and sagacity of its founders.
There are as yet but few buildings, and those for public use need no description ; the government, like individuals, just locating in a wilderness, and not in abundance of funds must be content with temporary buildings and accommo- dations for which however, all visitors pay an enormous price : such for instance, as board for $30 per week.
There can be but little doubt about the future prosperi- ty of Austin : take it all in all, it is a fine country, with the best navigable river in Texas flowing at its base.
Most of the first quality of land adjacent to the Colo- rado river is now covered by surveys, but great quantities of second and third rate land in the hills and dells in every direction is yet unclaimed, and of course subject to the occupancy of emigrants under a late law donating land to permanent settlers.
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