USA > Texas > Harris County > Houston > Texas and the Gulf of Mexico ; or, Yachting in the New World, volume 1 > Part 9
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10
248
have been spared, and many evils pre- vented.
The political motives which influenced General Houston on this occasion are not known, but the liberation of Santa Anna was not effected without great difficulty, and much opposition. The majority of the people demanded his execution, as a just atonement for the blood of their fellow citizens, who, by his merciless and treache- rous mode of warfare, had been so inhuman- ly sacrificed.
After a time, however, a convention was agreed upon, and the Mexican General was set at liberty. His intention was to embark without loss of time for Vera Cruz ; this however he soon found was not an easy matter to effect. The rage and ani- mosity of the Texans against him, had not in any degree subsided, and the excitement
249
was so great and universal, that it was found necessary for his own safety, again to place his person in security. The Texan Presi- dent, however, contrived with some diffi- culty to liberate him, and he then embarked in safety for the United States. He arrived at Washington on the 18th of December, and from thence was sent in a ship of war, by the American government, to Vera Cruz. No sooner had this unprincipled man again obtained power in his own country, than, forgetful of the noble sentiments and gen- erosity which had guided the conduct of the Texan President, he again commenc- ed his system of annoyance and petty war- fare; thus proving that however much we may admire the magnanimity of Houston's behaviour, the policy which guided him was mistaken. His treacherous and vindictive enemy was left free to annoy and harass
M II.
250
the man, who so generously overlooked his cruelty and his crimes. The frontiers of the Republic have been constantly disturbed by this implacable foe, and its progress to- wards settlement, population, and prosperity materially retarded.
The victory. of San Jacinto terminated the struggle for independence in Texas. Since that event the Mexicans have resorted to every sort of intrigue, and pursued a course of policy, which has certainly an- swered the object for which it was adopted.
The Mexican policy evidently has been,- by keeping the country in a constant state of agitation from " threatened invasion," to check the tide of emigration, which other- wise could have flowed into Texas. Since their defeat at Jacinto, however, the Mexi- cans have never undertaken another organ- ized campaign against, or invasion of, Texas.
251
It is true that marauding bands have attacked the frontier towns, and that constant appre- hensions are entertained of their making still bolder inroads; yet notwithstanding these evident hindrances to emigration, the country is rapidly encreasing in population, and there is little doubt that the Anglo Saxon race, by whom this is chiefly effected, will ere long overrun the rich provinces of Northern Mexico. Texas has now been recognized as an independent republic by most of the European powers, as well as by the United States of America. An indus- trious, agricultural population is rapidly pouring in from Kentucky and the Northern States of the Union, while England, France and Germany, are contributing their share of emigrants to swell the encreasing tide. The present population of this rising coun- try may be estimated at eighty thousand
252
free men, and to these may be added twenty- two thousand slaves. In the province of Bexar there are a considerable number of Mexicans. The Republic is divided into thirty-six counties.
WcLord
Red River.
Nacogdoches.
Shelby.
Harrison.
Sabine.
Robertson.
San Augustine.
Montgomery.
Jasper.
Harris.
Jefferson.
Galveston.
Liberty.
Brazoria.
Houston.
Fannin.
Bowie
Jackson.
Burnet.
Victoria.
Fort Bend.
Gonzales.
Austin.
Bexar.
Washington.
Goliad.
Milam.
Refugio.
Bastrop.
San Patricio.
Fayette.
Travis.
Colorado.
Lamar.
Matagorda.
Panola.
The constitution of Texas is modelled, with some little difference, after that of
253
the United States; Texas being an in- tegral, whilst the United States form a federal, Republic. The legislative power is exercised by a President and Vice-Presi- dent, elected for three years, and a Senate, and House of Representatives. The mem- bers of the former at present consist of fifteen, and the latter of thirty-two mem- bers.
The common law of England, so far as it is not inconsistent with the constitution, and the acts of Congress, has been adopted as the general law of the land. It must not, however, be supposed, that the colo- nists of Texas are at all behind-hand in the art of making laws for themselves. On the contrary, they enact them with sur- prising facility. Austin, a town of inconsi- derable size, on the Colorado river, is the nominal seat of government. It is, how-
254
ever, situated too near the Comanche In- dians, to be considered a safe place for the meeting of Congress ; the Comanchies being a hostile tribe, and very inveterate in their hatred of the whites. Washington, a town on the Brazos, is the actual seat of govern- ment. A meeting of the Indian tribes is to take place in a few months at the Waccoo village, some hundreds of miles from Washington, up the country. This meet- ing may be productive of peaceful and con- ciliatory measures.
CHAPTER XI.
THE ISLAND OF GALVESTON. CURIOUS MODE OF BUILD- ING HOUSES. SIX-ROOMED HOUSE BUILT IN A WEEK. GO-A-HEAD CAREER OF THE TEXANS.
An Isle I fain would sing, an island fair, A place too seldom view'd, yet still in view : * * × *
Most obvious to all, yet most unknown to most. PHINEAS FLETCHER.
I HAVE already remarked, that at a dis- tance, the city of Galveston -in America every village is called a city - gives one, on a first view, no very high idea of its im- portance. The houses in general are small, though, here and there, an overgrown rick- etty looking building speaks of the larger means and higher pretensions of its occu- pant. The streets are disposed with not much regard to regularity ; and the houses
256
are built of wood, most frequently of planks nailed together, clinker-fashion. The whole affair has, I must say, at pre- sent rather a fragile appearance, and it will readily be conjectured, that when viewed from the water, any grandeur of effect must be quite out of the question.
The island of Galveston is about fifteen miles in length, and seldom exceeds two in breadth. I have before remarked, that on its surface it boasts but three trees, and those are not remarkable for size or beauty. The soil is rich, and is covered with the long, thick, and rather rank grass of the Prairie. The island is intersected with several inlets of the sea, or Bayons, as they are called. At present, Galveston is the only town in existence on the island, but it is fast rising into size and import- ance. It is strange, that here, where bricks
257
could so easily be made, the inhabitants should still continue satisfied with their wooden tenements. The only bricks I saw in Galveston were those forming one soli- tary chimney. It is calculated that, on an average, these wooden houses last ten years ; and in the mean time they are very liable to be blown down. It must not be supposed, however, that such an occurrence, -which, by the way, is by no means a rare one -materially injures the building cap- sized The houses, in fact, and religious edifices at Galveston, are formed to endure shocks of this description. They are all raised a foot or two from the ground, by means of small, but solid blocks of wood, one of which is placed at either of the four corners. This is ingenious; it raises the house out of the road, and in the summer keeps out the snakes, &c., to say nothing of
258
the pigs. Were brick edifices to be recom- mended to the Galveston citizens, I have no doubt that their reply would be, that, in the first place, the wooden houses occupy infinitely less time in their erection. To this I agree, but would it not eventually answer, in the necessity of rebuilding being less frequently required ? Another excuse would be, that the foundation of the soil being light, the brick buildings would be more likely to weigh it down than the wooden ones. This may be the case; but cannot good foundations be made, and wet and light soil improved, and rendered ca- pable of supporting the weight of an ordinary house ? Another advantage of a wooden tenement, - which, however, I am inclined to think, is a questionable one-consists in its faculty of locomo- tion. It is no uncommon thing, to see a
259
house of considerable size drawn by means of a movable windlass to a considerable distance.
The English church is at present in rather a dilapidated condition. During a recent hurricane, it was, in common with half the town, and the Roman Ca- tholic Chapel among the rest, thrown on its beam ends, where it remained till it was raised up. The city of Gal- veston fell, as might a pack of cards built into temporary houses by a child at play ! The Catholic priest, poor man, whose abode was in the vestry of his little chapel, took refuge, during the hurricane, in the Protestant Church, which was the last to fall. He was afterwards gravely and se- verely rebuked by the righteous among his congregation, for his want of faith, and his taking refuge among the heretics. It might
260
naturally be supposed, that Galveston would remain, after this visitation, a heap of ruins ; but no - in an incredibly short period of time, both houses and churches were raised from their recumbent position ; no one was hurt, either in their persons or their pockets, and business went on the same as before. It is true, that the church windows were all broken, and are not yet repaired; but we were told that the clergy- man had gone to Halifax, to obtain funds from the Bishop for that purpose.
I was quite surprised at the celerity with which houses are erected here. A very good six-roomed house is raised, from floor to ceiling, and rendered fit for habi- tation in a week. I do not mean to say that they are remarkably air-tight, or parti- cularly well arranged; but to build any house in so short a time is worthy of remark.
261
I have heard, to pursue the subject of houses, of a description of building, which I am sure would tell well here, where mud is at a discount. It is, as nearly as I can recol- lect, to make a double wall of planks, each wall being at a distance of some eight or ten inches from the other. The space between the two should be filled up with mud, well pressed down. After a short time, this be- comes as solid as brick ; and houses built in this way, would, I am sure, be much more comfortable. The external air would be much more effectually excluded ; the inmates would have less to suffer, both from cold and heat; and there is no doubt, that the houses themselves would last for a considerable longer period than they do at present. I cannot assert that the process of building would be effected as speedily as it now is: much more time
262
would doubtless be expended ; and time to these people is money. Perhaps, how- ever, when the population is greater, and labour consequently cheaper, some im- provements in these respects may be ef- fected. The Texans are an impatient people ; they drive to, and at their end, with greater velocity than any individuals I. ever saw or heard of. Nothing stops them in their go-a-head career. The present, and how to make the most of it, is their idée fixe, and they are too much occupied by their daily business, to have leisure to think calmly of results.
To " go-a-head," is essentially the motto of the Texan people ; and let them once get well on their legs, and no people are better calculated to do it faster. I am not going to enter into their politics; but I thought from the first, and I have heard
263
sensible Texans say the same thing, that they ought to lean upon some established power - say the United States, - at least for the present.
But to return to Galveston; the city contains about three hundred covered buildings, which a bold person would, or might call houses. There are also four churches ; rather a considerable proportion, I should say to the number of inhabitants, which amount only to about two thousand. Then, there are temples, squares, theatres, botanical and zoological gardens ; but they are only at present on the ground plan.
Altogether, Galveston is a rising city ; and no doubt will rise in time to be of considerable importance.
CHAPTER XII.
THE PUBLIC PRESS. COURTESY OF THE TEXANS.
DRY STORES. IMPORTANT POSITION IN SOCIETY OF
THE PIG. THE TURN-OUT HOUSE. CHEWING AND SPITTING. CLIMATE. COMIC SCENE IN CROSSING A BAYON. FRENCH EMIGRANTS. IDIOT GIRL.
It is the mynd that maketh good or ill, That maketh wretch or happie, rich or poore ; For some that hath abundance at his will, Hath not enough, but wants in greatest store ; And other that hath little, asks no more, And in that little is most rich and wise ; For wisdom is most riches.
SPENCER.
THERE are many large and valuable stores in Galveston. Under this denomination, come all sorts of warehouses and maga- zines, and what in England we should call shops. There are three newspapers printed and circulated at Galveston. These have a
265
considerable sale, and as entire liberty of the press is, of course, allowed, their con- tents are often amusing enough.
The advertisements, likewise, are by no means deficient in entertainment. The most numerous are, I think, those of me- dical men, of whom Galveston boasts a large supply. It is quite a treat to a stranger, at least it was so to me, to drive through this very original city, and remark the different amusements, callings, and trades. There are plenty of attornies' of- fices. Law is decidedly popular, even in this new country ; and I noticed no small sprinkling of grog shops. Some of the most frequented stores are those containing drugs and chemicals ; and every ship that comes in is announced as containing leeches by thousands, quinine by hogs- heads, and calomel by clots; to say no- VOL. I. N
266
thing of demi Johns of Castor oil. Doctor- ing must answer here, if anything does.
In this colony there exists a spirit of good will, and mutual helpfulness, very pleasant to see. I believe this to be the case in most new settlements, before refine- ment begets selfishness, and the indulgence of luxuries hardens the heart. If a settler happens to require the aid of his neigh- bour's hands, or working tools, in the per- formance of any manual labour, the assist- ance is rendered as readily as it is asked. This is saying a great deal, for no one seems to hesitate a moment about consi- dering his neighbour's property as his own ; and should the latter not happen to be in the way, his goods are removed, pro tem- pore, without scruple.
I have reason to speak gratefully of the courtesy and civility of the Texans.
267.
During our stay among them, I experi- enced repeated instances of goodwill; one in particular, which prepared me for the rest, I will mention here. The pier near which the yacht was anchored, extended a considerable distance into the sea. The landing was at all times difficult, more especially so at low water. To a lady, the clambering ascent, for there were no steps previous to my arrival, was almost im- practicable. The morning after our arrival I prepared to go on shore in the gig, really dreading the difficulties which, I was told, I had to encounter. What was my surprise and satisfaction, to find, when the boat touched the piles of the wharf, that a most convenient flight of steps, and a balus- trade had been erected during the night. This had been done without any regard to expense, and solely for my accommodation.
268
The person to whom I was indebted for this really useful service, neither expected, nor would receive any remuneration. He was an ale-house keeper on the wharf, and a very well educated man, for any station of life.
Such occurrences as these may be called trifling, but they at least serve, in some measure, to illustrate the character of the people, and to justify my remarks on their willingness to befriend, and render assist- ance to one another.
The designation of "dry store," is that which is appended to by far the largest number of the houses of Galveston. Till I made enquiries, I could not imagine what these stores contained. The very name, too, was an anomaly ; for the said dry- store stands most frequently in water, or at least in mud and mire, which to English feet would be scarcely fordable. Trifles
269
such as these are totally disregarded by these hardy settlers, and their wives and fa- milies seem equally disposed with them- selves to make light of difficulties. There is something very praiseworthy in this un- daunted spirit of enterprise, and one feels that it both deserves, and will be rewarded by eventual success.
Now I am on the subject of mud and mire, I may as well suggest, that a very little trouble and expense would raise both houses and causeways above the inconveni- ence of wet; but, as I before remarked, these people prefer enduring evils to losing time in remedying them. At present, the numerous pigs are the only living creatures who benefit by the oozy prairie, which sur- rounds nearly every house in Galveston. The pigs here are as much considered, and I believe occupy as important a position in
270
society, as those of Ireland. They are not, however, clean feeders, - those Galveston swine ; nothing seemed to come amiss to them, and they disputed the carrion food with the disgusting turkey buzzards. Hav- ing observed this, I carefully eschewed pork during my stay. The pigs themselves are frightful ; their long tails are destitute of curl, even when suffered to retain their original number of joints. This, however, is seldom the case. The dogs, both wild and tame, are inveterate pig hunters ; being often hungry withal, the latter frequently suffer, and it was a rare sight to meet one of these unclean beasts with either ears or tail.
Thus, all creatures here make up their minds to bear the ills which flesh is heir to. It is a truth, which every moment is forced upon one, that those difficulties and dis- comforts, which would appear most formi-
271
dable to us, are unfelt and unnoticed by them ; and that, where an Englishman would sink, past redemption, in the mire of des- pondency, they, to their praise and credit be it spoken, contrive to struggle through.
There is one large and flourishing hotel at Galveston, besides several smaller ones. In the former, the Tremont House, as it is called, assemble the fashionable portions of the society. The table d'hôte dinner hour is two; and, after the quarter of an hour, which is the time an American generally allows himself to devote to this meal, has elapsed, they are to be seen reading the news .- paper under the wide verandah of the hotel, in every variety of bodily contortion. I believe it is not in the nature of an Ameri- can to sit still, or to sit straight. They are perpetually either rocking or balancing themselves in their chairs, or, with legs
272
hanging over the railing of the verandah, performing that frightful act of uncleanli- ness, on which Mr. Dickens has heaped such deserved reprobation. I wonder what the American ladies are about, that they do not put a stop to this latter proceeding, which, and I do not exaggerate, is men- tioned with disgust in all civilized societies, whenever the manners and habits of our transatlantic brethren chance to come under discussion. I have reason to believe that the fair " ladies of the land" are as de- licate and refined in their habits, as they are well educated and beautiful; that they have unbounded influence over, and are treated with marked respect and considera- tion by the hardy " sons of the soil," ad- mits not of a doubt ; - then why do they not, one and all, rise up and say to their hus- bands, their brothers, and their lovers,
273
"Cast away that lump of tobacco, which disfigures your appearance, and renders your voice and manner of speaking ridicu- lous ; I will have no chewing. I will have no spitting. If you must smoke, do it in moderation, and with propriety, but let our floors, our hearths, be secure from pollu- tion." American ladies! do this, and you may not only as now be proud of your countrymen as men, but vain of them as gentlemen.
But to give up being personal, and re- turn to more general subjects. From all I could learn, and judging from the opi- nion of a skilful medical man, who had been a long time in the country, I should say, that the climate of Galveston Island is by no means unhealthy. Of course, in these latitudes, the heat, during two or three months in the year, must be very N II.
274
great. July, August, and September, are the most trying months; then the mus- quito rages ; and men doubtless long for trees, and cooling streams, and shelter from the sun. Of the climate, during the remaining nine months of the year, I heard no complaint, even among our dissatisfied countrymen. The scenery, if such it can be called, is totally without variety : a long monotonous prairie, with occasional tus- socks of high grass, little plots of reeds, and frequent bogs, cover the whole extent of the island. The soil is rich, and well adapted to grazing purposes. There are a good many deer, which are sold in the market at about two dollars each. Fowls and turkeys, alias gobblers, are brought from the main land, distant about four miles ; the usual price of the former is ten- pence ; and of the latter, one dollar each.
275
The only " drive" is on the sea-beach, and a most beautiful beach it is - so hard and smooth, with its fine sand, that you scarcely hear your horse's foot fall, as ' he trots, or rather runs along -a light car- riage behind him, and the broad prairie spreading far before. Occasionally you are -I was going to say - stopped, but I should have been wrong: no one is stopped in this country by anything short of a bowie- knife, or a rifle-ball ; but your progress is delayed by an interesting Bayon, through which you have to wade, or swim, as the case may be. There is neither time nor spare cash to erect bridges; and, indeed, were the expense to be incurred, the pro- bability is they would be washed away by the first rain, or by a more than usually high tide. Bridges then being out of the ques- tion, nothing is left you but to make the
276
best of such means of transport as are within your reach. If you fortunately chance to meet with any person who has lately crossed, you ask, " Well, Sir, is it swimming ?" Should the answer be in the affirmative, and you happen to be on horseback, equipped for a journey, with your plunder (luggage) about you, you " up sad- dle-bags," and boldly plunge into the stream. Should your route lie along the shore, the safest plan is to go a good way out to sea - on - on - till you find yourself well out among the breakers. I confess, that at first this struck me as rather an alarming proceeding ; but, in fact, it is much the safest plan; there being always a bar of sand formed across the mouth of these bayons, and if you can hit that, the depth of water is much lessened.
At the crossing of one of these bayons,
277
we once witnessed a most comical scene. We were returning from a shooting ex- cursion in a light carriage, and were ac- companied by an English gentleman on horseback. We had crossed our last bayon in safety, when we found a traveller, going in the contrary direction on foot, waiting patiently for a lift over the water. He was a Frenchman, and his figure was rather an anomaly in these wild re- gions ; he was accoutred in the full cos- tume of la jeune France ; long chevelure, pantalons à sous pied ; coat, guiltless of collar, and painted boots : sure " such a man was never formed" to tread the path- less prairies, and how he got there, and who he was, I could not guess, and never have to this day. But there he stood, bowing and shrugging, with a most cat-like horror of wetting his feet. He was evi-
278
dently most anxiously looking out for an opportunity of crossing the awful looking breakers dry-shod. No sooner did our companion perceive his situation, than he kindly offered to recross the water, pro- vided the Frenchman would mount behind him. This, however, was sooner said than done ; it being no easy matter for a gen- tleman, evidently not too well skilled in equestrian exercises, to effect a location on the back of a fiery steed, quite unused to carry any extra burden. The cavalier at- tempted to spring up, au pantalon étroit ; but it was all in vain; for after each suc- cessive effort he found himself stretched on terra firma. After many fruitless at- tempts, he changed his ground, and eventually succeeded in fixing himself in front, with his arms clinging closely round our friend's throat. In vain, however,
279
the unfortunate rider, suffering for his phi- lanthropy, implored to be released. "Mais Monsieur," vociferated the Frenchman, in the true spirit of Sinbad's " Old Man of the Sea," " Je suis très bien comme ça." " If you are, I'm not," was the reply ; and in a moment, the arms were transferred to the neck of the horse; and thus, with legs dangling, and himself hanging on as if for the bare life, the poor foreigner was safely conveyed across the breakers. We laughed heartily, and would, I fear, willingly have increased our merriment, by seeing the fo- reigner struggling in the shallow water. Poor man ! his troubles were not yet at an end. A small bundle which he had held in his hand had fallen from his grasp, and during his equestrian exploits had drifted well out to sea! What this precious bun- dle contained we had yet to learn. No
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.