USA > Texas > Harris County > Houston > Texas and the Gulf of Mexico ; or, Yachting in the New World, volume 1 > Part 10
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sooner was its owner in safety, than hat in hand, and hair streaming in the breeze, he made his compliments to his deliverer. " Mille remercimens."-"Ce n'est rien, une complaisance de prairie, dans ce pays sau- vage il faut s'aider l'un et l'autre." " C'est vrai, et voyez vous, Monsieur, j'étais fort embarrassé, c'est que je portais le bonnet de Madame ma femme." Here he disco- vered his loss, which in the agitation of the moment had passed unnoticed. "Mais mon dieu ! où est il donc le bonnet de ma femme ?" The Englishman pointed si- lently to the sea, and we left our friend on the beach, shrugging his shoulders in impo- tent despair.
Now that I am on the subject of emi- grant Frenchmen, I must say a word on the extreme fitness of these people to cope with the inconveniences of a new country,
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such as Texas. They are more light of heart, and less easily depressed than the English settler ; added to which, their wants are fewer, and more easily supplied. If a Frenchman, in the distant and scarcely inhabited prairie, finds himself in want of a dinner, he takes his rifle, cries, " à la chasse," and is as proud and happy if he returns with a small lark, to regale himself after his toil, as an Englishman would be had he brought home a fat buck.
One evening, as I stood on the wharf, waiting for the gig to come off from the Dolphin, I witnessed the disembarkation of one hundred and fifteen emigrants, shipped by the authorities from France. They were a motley group ; most of them well clothed, and one and all looking cheerful and happy. Among them, I remarked a poor old man, erect and strong. He was dressed
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like a farmer, but from his carriage, I thought must have been a soldier in his youth. He had on a blouse, with a fur casquette on his head; his wife carried his gun, and he was surrounded by his chil- dren. He told me he had left his farm, near Verdun, to settle in Texas. In his own country he was a poor man ; here, his children (he had eleven of them) at any rate would not starve. "Madame," he said, " nous ne sommes pas des paresseux, nous sommes ici pour travailler." There was a promise of success in the old man's energetic tone, as he uttered these words. It was, he said, very pleasant to be greeted by kindly words in a foreign land, on his first landing. He was one of Napoleon's old soldiers. "Je ne suis pas aristocrate, moi." (What egotism there is in a Frenchman.) Moi! The tears stood in
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the old man's eyes, as he offered me a pinch of snuff. It was all he had to give ; and I received the offering in the spirit in which it was made. His old tabatière was modelled after the petit Caporal's cocked hat; it was of tin, polished and shining from long use.
Among the group stood an idiot girl. I was much struck by her appearance : though her deficiency in intellect was evi- dent from a certain wandering gaze in her dark eyes, which it was impossible to mis- take, yet her countenance betrayed but little of that vacuity, which is so generally indica- tive of her class. Such pitiable objects as decided idiots have frequently something revolting in their manner and appearance ; with this poor emigrant however there was nothing of this, and I looked at her with unmixed feelings of interest and compassion.
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She was not exactly pretty, but her features were small, and interesting, and of all the party her person appeared the cleanest, and her attire the least untidy and neglected. I was sufficiently interested to enquire her history, and learnt that she was the daugh- ter of poor parents in the neighbourhood of Verdun. An object of compassion from her birth, she had nevertheless not been quite a useless burthen upon her parents. Her docility was remarkable, and she learnt to be useful in various little matters. An- nette - for that was her name - was very deaf, and she had an impediment in her speech, which rendered her utterance ex- tremely painful ; still " through the gloomy vaults of the dull idiot's brain" meandered ideas peculiar to herself, and when the difference between right and wrong was put before her, the natural goodness of her dis-
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position led her to refuse the evil and choose the good.
It happened that the child of a small farmer in Annette's village-he was the very old Buonapartist with whom I found her on the wharf - strayed away one sum- mer's day, and was not missed for several hours : he was a little boy of some three
years old. Annette was present when the loss of the little plaything of the house was discovered : she witnessed the agony of the mother, and the manly grief of the old farmer. That night Annette's little bed was unoccupied.
One day, and another passed away. The country was scoured in all directions, in search of the missing ones, but without effect. On the third evening, when the mo- ther had almost given up hope in the sick- ness of despair, Annette gently entered with
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the young boy in her arms ; noiselessly she stept, and the mother saw and heard no- thing till she felt her child's warm kisses on her cheek ! Enquiries were showered upon both, - where had they been ? In what situation had the idiot girl discovered the lost child ? They could not tell - the girl's poor head was weak and wandering, and her companion was but an infant. Something he told of a hollow tree, and of Annette's cloak being wrapt about him; she had fed him too with bread which she had brought - and this was all they knew. Soon after this poor Annette became an orphan, and the father, grateful to the feeble minded girl who had saved the child of his old age, brought her with his family to this new country, and she was unto him as a daughter. When I saw Annette the hand of the rosy faced boy was in hers ; she was
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evidently a favourite, and a playfellow. I have no fear, but that the poor girl will do well in the wilderness ; there is here such an universal feeling of kindness towards childhood and helplessness. She looked happy and careless like the rest, and I am certain she will never want a friend, as long as Texan hearts remain, as they are now, in the right place.
How little did any of these poor people conceive of the difficulties that awaited them! " Is not this Bexar ?" they asked immediately on their landing ; and when they were told that they had some hun- dreds of miles of difficult country to travel over before they could arrive at the pro- mised land : though they looked disap- pointed for a moment, yet the spirit of hope was soon awake again, and like the pilgrims of old they went on their way rejoicing.
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Notwithstanding the hopeful, and even joyous expression which I remembered on the countenances of these emigrants, the sight altogether left a sad and painful im- pression on my mind. I can fancy I see them now, those pale cold faces, and shiver- ing forms interspersed among bales of cotton on the unsheltered wharf : a bitterly cold and fierce norther is blowing upon them, and their scanty garments are but ill pre- pared to screen them from its violence. Heaven only knows whether they will ever realize the fortunes they have come so far to seek, but as I bid them adieu, I wished them success from the bottom of my heart.
After this interesting sight, we went on board the Dolphin, with two of our corps diplomatique, Captain Elliot, and Monsieur de Cramayel. As usual the affairs of the Re- public, especially as regarded the important
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subject of emigrants were discussed. We all agreed that it was incumbent on all govern- ments sending out parties to this new, and little known country, to obtain every inform- ation which could be useful to the settlers, previous to their departure. In case of failure, also, or of sickness, their should be means of relief at hand, and large families should not be permitted to leave their homes, with even the possibility of starvation before them. From Captain Elliot I always gained much valuable information in regard to this young and interesting country.
Our acquaintances in this little settlement were necessarily few, and we were really obliged to those among them, who were willing to share the monotony of our sea life. I beg to offer many thanks to the corps di- plomatique of Texas for the agreeable va- riety of their society.
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I regret extremely, that owing to our living on board the Dolphin, I did not ex- tend my acquaintance among the pleasant society, which I am aware the city of Galves- ton affords. I hope, at some future visit, to be able to make amends for the loss, which was caused by those unavoidable impedi- ments to visiting - viz. stormy days, - and foaming seas. We were not in a situation to be hospitable at the time of our anchor- age in Galveston bay.
CHAPTER XIII.
SPORTING IN TEXAS. PROVISIONS. BOGS. DEER SHOOT- ING. THE MUSTANY, OR WILD HORSE. FISH.
GALVESTON FORT. IMPROVIDENCE AND IDLENESS OF THE TEXANS. RETURN TO NEW ORLEANS.
To snare the fish we fix the luring bait ; To wound the fowl we load the gun with fate. PARNELL.
Earth fills her lap with pleasures of her own. WORDSWORTH.
THERE is not much variety of amusement at Galveston. Game, however, was plentiful in the neighbourhood ; and of this we took advantage, and never missed a day without going out to try our skill. Horses were to be hired in plenty, and not very bad ; there is a certain Captain Cary, in Galveston, who keeps, what is courteously termed, a livery
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stable. He is a free negro, who with great labour and perseverance saved up money to the amount of a thousand dollars, and pur- chased his freedom. Horses are to be had from him at half a dollar a day, with a sort of carriage included. In this vehicle our little party daily packed up their guns, and sometimes their fishing tackle, and sallied forth in quest of adventures. Their sport was very varied. When the wind was north- erly, there were flocks of sea-birds, in num- bers almost incredible, ducks of every des- cription, the delicious canvass-back, the man- darin, the pintail, and our common wild duck, all good ; but the most numerous kinds were scarcely eatable, being hard and fishy. The geese were the most difficult to shoot, being very shy; and from the want of cover in the prairie, they generally saw us in sufficient time to get out of our way.
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Mr. Houston however, contrived sometimes to bring one down, and that at distances of one hundred and fifty yards ; but they are not worth eating for no keeping makes them tender, and they taste much more of fish than fowl. No one must be surprised at our attempts to eat near- ly every thing we shot. Our dinners, with the exception of game, consisted always of beef ; mutton was not to be had - a sheep being quite a sight at Galveston. Pigs, to be sure, there were; but they fed so uncleanly, upon snakes and dead dogs, that recourse to them was not to be thought of. Turkeys and fowls were scarce, and we had had enough of them on the voyage. The venison is good, but des- titute of fat; the price of a deer is about two dollars. Soon after our arrival, Mr. Houston went to the main-land, and came
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back with a magnificent deer, which he had brought down with small shot. It caused great jealousy among the Galvestonists. " I say, Captain, so you've been using up our deer, I see," said one of these gentle- men to him, when he returned triumph- ant with the spoil. I remember, on the same day, that I took a drive on the sea- beach ; the day was fine, and I saw many beautiful, and some curious birds. There was the pelican standing drowsily in the shallow water, and as we approached, wheeling away with his heavy lagging flight. There were beautiful herons of va- rious kinds, and a flight of spoonbills, of a brilliant rose-colour, like the flamingo. More inland, the bright plumaged cardinal darted past us, while the yellow larks skimmed above us, in vast numbers. It was a pleasant day, and I well remember it.
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Mr. Houston was so pleased by his suc- cess with the deer, that the day following we tried our fortune again. We were not very systematic in our arrangements, and were easily beguiled out of our path by any game that chanced to come in our way.
Bogs are frequent, and not a little dan- gerous, as there are scarcely any visible signs of them, and if you are unlucky enough to get well into one, the chances are rather against your soon getting out again. In the neighbourhood of these bogs snipes are very plentiful, and Mr. Houston had left me in charge of the carriage, and was fast filling his pockets with those birds, when I espied a fine deer bound out of the rushes, not ten yards behind him. Unluc- kily, he neither saw nor heard him, and I had the mortification to see the animal get away without a shot being fired at him.
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Soon after, we saw by the help of our glass, two deer feeding together at a dis- tance. They are extremely shy, and our only plan was to surround them, making the circle smaller by degrees. I took up my position at one angle ; Captain E., who accompanied us, at another ; and Mr. Houston, with his rifle, at the third. The deer stood a moment at gaze, evidently doubting at which point to make his es- cape. Unluckily for himself, he chose the strongest position, and while in full career, he received his death wound from Mr. Houston's rifle. I must confess, that anx- ious as I always was that the shot should not miss, yet I always felt a reaction of regret, when I saw the prey stretched lifeless be- fore me. On this occasion, though they assured me the deer was to all intents and purposes dead, yet I could not see his qui-
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vering limbs, and leathern coat, stretched almost to bursting by convulsive sighs, without reproaching myself for having been a party to his assassination. I felt still more remorse, when we discovered that his companion, the friend perhaps of years, would not leave the spot where he had fallen, but kept hovering about, just out of gun-shot, long after the remains of his companion had been removed.
I must here tell an American anecdote of deer shooting. One of our acquaintances, as a proof of the great tenacity of life in these animals, informed me, that he had once shot a deer, had cut its throat, and half skinned it, when, rather to his surprise, the animal suddenly rose, looked about him, and finally trotted off. " He required another ball in his heart to finish him - and that's a fact, Madam."
O II.
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Wild swans are very numerous, but too shy for sport ; the price of a swan's skin is a dollar. The best bird I tasted in Texas was the prairie hen ; it is a delicious com- pound of pheasant, grouse, and partridge. People that have been in India say that it resembles the jungle fowl of that country. It is as large as a pheasant, with spurs or tufts of feathers on its heels. We killed quantities of snipes, and plovers - some- times twenty at a shot. The inhabitants do not waste their ammunition upon such small game, except the boys, who from the age of five years are intrusted with a rifle ; and dangerous enough are these inexperi- enced sportsmen to harmless passers by. The perseverance of these people when a deer is in question, is remarkable ; they will creep in a horizontal position, in the long grass, for hours together ; sometimes,
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perhaps, not advancing more than a yard in a minute. Our livery-stable keeper, Captain Cary, earned a great portion of his freedom money in this way. A drunken rascal he was, with a head covered with black wool and shaped like a sugar loaf. He let out a great many horses to our sailors at differ- ent times ; and when we first arrived, they seemed to prefer a ride to the grog shop ; though there was every variety of apple- toddy, egg-nogg, gin-sling, hot tom-and- jerry, and juleps of every kind advertised at the numerous bar-rooms, in most tempting array. It was quite amusing to see them mounted on high stepping horses, riding as only sailors do, as hard as they could go, without any definite object- their hats at the back of their heads, their loose trowsers above their knees, and full three feet of daylight between themselves and their
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saddles. At the risk of their own lives and the horses, they would come gallop- ing down the slight wooden pier, shout- ing and hallooing, for the admiration of their comrades on board. This love of equestrian exercise, however, did not last long. The charms of " Social Hall," " Ten Pin Alley," and the "Travellers' Friend," soon seduced them, and more than once their leave was broken, and they returned intoxicated to the vessel.
The mustany, or wild horse, I was not fortunate enough to see in any numbers. They are small, strong, and wiry ; but, as I before remarked, difficult to tame, and apt to be vicious. I saw one just lassoed, with the Mexican, who had caught him, on his back; he was using great, but I suppose necessary severity. I do not know which looked the wildest, the horse or his rider.
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On the day that I saw this animal, we had ra- ther a disagreeable adventure, namely, be- ing nearly swamped in a bog in the prairie. Our horse floundered in, but luckily the hind wheels of the carriage were on terra firma. By this means we were able, after a good hour's labour, to rescue the poor animal from his disagreeable situation.
It is really quite melancholy to see the innumerable bones of animals, which are scattered over the face of the country. During our drives and rides, we were con- stantly stumbling over these dismal looking remains, bleaching in the sun. The bones are principally those of horned cattle, which have sunk too deeply in the bogs to be able to extricate themselves. No greater proof than this can be required to prove the immense quantity of cattle that exist in this country. Often I have
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perceived the head and shoulders of an unfortunate animal just appearing above the surface of the bog. Life being still in the creature, we have thought it advisable to send a merciful bullet through its de- voted head. Mr. Houston, on one occa- sion, was on the point of putting a period to the sufferings of a poor beast, thus doomed to a living grave; he was, how- ever, deterred by the recollection of a piece of advice he had previously received. The Texans are particularly sensitive about the interference of strangers in any of their affairs ; and it is more than probable, that the shooting of a cow, however well inten- tioned the act, would give rise to disagree- able language, and possibly to measures of retaliation.
There are many kinds of excellent fish at Galveston. The best of these is decidedly
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the red fish. It very much resembles the cod in flavour, and grows to the length of fifteen feet. We found it excellent when salted.
There are likewise immense quantities of grey mullet, which, though certainly an in- ferior fish, are nevertheless very welcome when no other, nor better sorts are to be procured. At low water, they were taken from the pier by means of a casting net. Oysters are much in demand, oyster soup being a favourite delicacy among the Ame- ricans. They are large, and coarse, and by no means highly flavoured. We often took grey mullet ourselves with a casting net ; and occasionally, in the Bayons, Mr. H. hooked a red fish, which was a pleasant va- riety in our sports. The bait for them was a piece of crab, or oyster. I ,was disap- pointed at finding so small a variety of
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shells along the coast. For the first few days after my arrival, I wearied my eyes with looking for treasures of this description. I soon, however, discovered that I must give up the search in despair. I never found, notwithstanding this deficiency, that the drives along the sea-beach were either dull or monotonous. There were always ducks to circumvent or surprise, and pelicans to watch, as they stood unconcernedly in the water ; and generally, travellers to enter into conversation with. I regretted that the time was drawing near when we were to leave the island. We are, however, look- ing forward to returning when the weather is finer, and the prairie not so wet.
The sea fogs were just now very disagree- able, and it must have been extremely un- safe for ships to venture near the land. On the 9th of January a large vessel was seen.
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This was an event of importance, and it was quite delightful to perceive the masts and sails of what we plainly perceived was an English man-of-war, breaking the line of the horizon. By degrees, and as the vessel approached nearer the land, she was pro- nounced to be the Electra, an English cor- vette. Her arrival on the Texan coast had been expected, and the pilot went out to her immediately in his little schooner. The sea mist, which had partially cleared away, came on again so thickly, shortly after his departure, that he found it impossible to find the ship. In consequence of this, the Electra stood off to sea again. This sort of weather continued for about a fortnight ; it is true, we had occasional glimpses of sun, but they shone through such a curtain of misty haze, as to be as unlike the bright king of day as possible.
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It is very curious, the suddenness with which these mists roll away. During this time there was no rain, and our sporting amusements went on as usual. The day before that on which we intended bidding adieu, for the present, to the young Republic, we had some rifle practice with the seven barrel. A deserted house was the object, and the owner's old boots the particular aim. Mr. Houston gained credit from the lookers on for the correctness of his aim at this singular and original target.
Not far from the scene of this exploit is the fort of Galveston ! Not willingly would I speak in disparaging terms of any of the warlike defences of the city; but I cannot really advise the good citizens to trust too much, or too implicitly to them. Their safety in case of an attack by sea, lies in the difficulty of access to their coast. The
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bar at the mouth of the harbour, and the shallowness of the water, form a natural barrier to invasion, by means of that ele- ment. For the same cause, a navy is al- most a useless possession to themselves. I believe the President always strongly object- ed to having the Republic burdened by the purchasing, fitting up, and maintaining the expence of ships of war. In the present financial condition of the country, a navy is a worse than useless incumbrance.
The extreme apathy and indolence of these people, when there is no present and personal good to arise from their exerting themselves, is really wonderful; love of country, though I believe it to be strong within them, is as nothing compared with self interest and aggrandisement. I believe the same observations would apply to most individuals throughout the world, but I
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could not help being struck with its peculiar applicability to these Republicans. As a proof of this, I may mention that there were lying in the harbour of Galveston, a brig and a steamer, both vessels of war ; they were both aground, and were literally falling to pieces for want of repair, a prey to ma- rine insects and vermin of all kinds. A little money, and a very slight degree of exertion, expended in time, would have saved two valuable vessels to the Republic, and also their harbour from exhibiting a most unsightly monument of their impro- vidence and idleness. The revenue of the country is not at present sufficient to play ducks and drakes with ; what it may be here- after time will shew, as well as the disposi- tion of the people as to its expenditure. In the mean time, the money arising from the sale of these vessels would have been some-
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thing. Not long ago a large steamer went on shore on the island about ten miles from Galveston city. She belonged to a Galves- ton merchant, and contained a large cargo of cotton. She very soon broke up, as a heavy norther was blowing at the time, and very little of her besides her engine was
saved. A good many bales of cotton were floated on shore, and we used to meet por- tions of the iron work being hauled (An- glice carted) along the beach to Galveston. Altogether the loss must have been a heavy one to the proprietor. Cotton, harmless as it looks, sometimes turns out a most dan- gerous cargo. If at the time it is packed, it happens to contain the least degree of mois- ture, it is apt to ignite, in the same manner as hay when pressed into a heap, in a similar state.
Our kind friend, Monsieur de Crama-
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yel, the Chargé d'Affaires for France, had sent me a most beautiful little live hawk, of a species quite new to me, which he had shot, but it was only " seriously " not " dan- gerously wounded." The sailors, - who certainly are the most tender hearted people in the world, as far as as dumb animals are concerned, - nursed it through its illness, and soon made it quite tame and sociable. We had by this time accumulated quite a menagerie on board. My favourite dog, I have related before, died of a coup de soleil at Jamaica : long may the graceful boughs of the cocoa nut tree wave over his tomb ! We had still, however, old Rake the setter, who is I regret to say, far gone in decrepi- tude, and second childishness ; like many other better dogs than himself, he has had his day; yet still " sans eyes - sans teeth - sans everything"- the old dog always
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finds a warm berth, a kind word, and the best of dogs' food that can be had for asking. Be- sides this worthy animal we had two mocking birds, an eagle and a goat. The latter we found a most useful animal, though not equal in beauty to her predecessor; she was bought at New Orleans with her kid. The latter soon found its way into a pie; those on board, with harder hearts than I could boast of, eating of it with great satisfaction. I heard the poor goat wandering about the decks over our heads, in search of her child, and uttering dismal bleatings, while her pro- geny was under discussion. Had I had the heart to partake of it, I am sure I never again could have looked poor Nan in the face with any degree of assurance.
We had serious thoughts of continu- ing our course southward, to visit Vera Cruz, and thence to proceed to Mexico.
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Several circumstances however deterred us from following this plan. In the first place we were by no means sure that, coming from the port of a hostile country, we should be well received by the Mexicans. Another reason was, the want of a tolerable road between Vera Cruz and the capital. Three hundred miles over rocks and stones, a- mongst brigands, and thieves, was enough to turn back the boldest of us. To New Orleans, therefore, it was decided that we should again betake ourselves.
The Electra, after a fortnight's absence, or rather after standing on and off the shore, had at length succeeded in coming to an anchor outside the bar. She has brought despatches for Captain Elliot, and we are to take him out to the Corvette in the Yacht.
January 26th. - We took our pilot on board, he having assured us that there was
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sufficient depth of water on the bar for us to go out of the harbour.
I was really quite sorry to say adieu to this island, where we had lingered so long. We had on board our friends of the corps diplomatique, who were bound, as the Yan- kees say, to pay a visit to Captain Darley, on board the Electra. We passed the for- midable obstacle of the bar without any difficulty, and, soon after, put both pilot and passengers into the boat of the former, with many farewells and good wishes. We pass- ed close to the bows of the Electra, and remarkably well she looked to us, accus- tomed to Yankee and Texan craft. The wind was favourable, and we steered a direct course to the southwest pass of the Mississippi.
If we escape the dangers of plague, pesti- lence, famine, and shipwreck, and live to TOL. I. P
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return to Texas, I shall, I have no doubt have something more to say about the young Republic. " It's a fine country and that's a fact."
END OF VOL. I.
PRINTED BY W. NICOL, 60, PALL MALL.
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