/,.//- erSindetO- Ph C. B. ZIEBER aC9 PH TEXAS AM) THE GULF OF MEXICO; OR. YACHTING IN THE NEW WORLD. *]rL c. BY MRS. HOUSTOUxX. A PHILADELPHIA: G. B. Z I E B E R & CO. 1845. C. SHERMAN, PRI.NTEU. - I ^A^^ CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Departure from Blackwall — The Schooner- Yacht " Dolphin" — Bay of Biscay — " Strong breezes and squally" — Nancy, the black woman - - - - - - 13 CHAPTER II. First view of Madeira— Fnnchal — Inhabitants — Vegetation — Vintage — The Coural — Sugar-cane — Invalids — Climate — A Madeira goat — Bad conduct of three of the crew - 19 CHAPTER III. Departure for the West Indies — Peak of Teneriffe — Dead calm — Employment of the crew — Sunday — Barbadoes — Trade-winds — Dearness of provisions, &c. — Frogs and grass- hoppers — Bridgetown — " Miss Betsey Austin" - 28 CHAPTER IV. Storm at Sea — Lightning — Flying-Fish — Iron Lighthouse — Jamaica — Port-Royal — Harbour — Earthquake of 1692 — 1* VI CONTENTS. Pirates — Commodore Byiig's House — Wallace, the New- foundland Dog — Musquiiops — Coloured and While Popula- tion — Spanish Town — The Queen's House — Kingston — Unwholesome Climate — Vultures — Superstition — " The Doctor" — Sally Adams — Departure - - - 40 CHAPTER V. Cape Corrientes — Squally — The Mississippi — Balize — Cat-fish — An odd Character — Rifle Shooting — River Scenery — Thick Fo? 61 CHAPTER VI. New Orleans — The Harbour — Texan Commodore — The Hotel of St. Charles — Busy scene on the strand — American man- ners and customs — Eligible situation of New Orleans — Population of the State of Louisiana — Yellow Fever — Na- tional education — Departure from New Orleans - 73 CHAPTER VII. Sail for the Gulf of Texas — Galveston — Difficulty of crossing the bar at the mouth of the harbour — Captain Elliott — Texas, its position, resources, and extent - - 91 CHAPTER VIII. Political position of Texas during the first years of her colo- nization — Events which were the more immediate cause of her Declaration of Independance .... 99 CONTENTS. vii CHAPTER IX. Progress of the struggle for Texan Independence— Declaration of the people of Texas in General Convention assembled— Cruelty of General Santa Anna— Battle of San Jacinto— Total rout of the Mexican army - . . . no CHAPTER X. Santa Anna brought prisoner to General Houston— Termina- tion of the struggle, and recognition of the Republic- Constitution of Texas ]17 CHAPTER XI. The island of Galveston— Curious mode of building houses— Six-roomed house built in a week— Go-ahead career of the Texans _ 122 CHAPTER XTI. The public press— Courtesy of the Texans— Dry stores— Im- portant position in society of the pig— The turn-out house- Chewing and spitting— Climate— Comic scene in crossing a Baj'ou— French emigrants— Idiot girl - . . 126 CHAPTER XIII. Sporting in Texas— Provisions— Bogs— Deer-shooting— The Mustang, or wild horse— Fish— Galveston fort— Improvi- dence of the Texans— Return to New Orleans - * 137 Vm CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIV. Lighthouse at the entrance of the Mississippi — Winter scenery of its banks — Extreme cold — Visit to the shore — Venomous snake — Ran on board by a steamer — Arrival at New Orleans — Amusement of the inhabitants ... - 147 CHAPTER XV. Florida Indians — Their habits — Party of prisoners — The chief, "Tiser-Tail" 156 CHAPTER XVI. Public carriages — Negro slaves — Their habits and customs — Absence of religions feelings and observance at New Orleans — Favourite sports — Stoppage of" a bank — American crimps — Methodical habits of the citizens — Commerce of New Orleans 162 CHAPTER XVIL Mr. Clay, the popular orator — General remarks on American society and manners — Departure from New Orleans 17 r"^ CHAPTER XVIII. Second arrival at Galveston — Texan news — The Ellen Frank- land steamer's voyage up the Trinity river — Its importance — State of commerce — Capacity of Galveston harbour — False accounts of crime in Texas — Fortune-getting propensity 183 CONTEXTS. i;5 CHAPTER XIX. Sufferings of emigrants— Texas an advantageous field for settlers— Climate— Productions of the country— Disadvan- tages 192 CHAPTER XX. Patience and Perseverance indispensable to a settler in a new country— Story of a young emigrant's sufferings - 198 CHAPTER XXI. Abundance of game— Severe northers peculiar to the Gulf of Mexico— Gradual encroachment of land upon the sea- Heavy swell on the bar— Different classes of titles to land —Texas peculiarly adapted for breeding stock - 2U6 CPIAPTER XXII. History and character of General Houston, President of Texas —Run for the Presuiency—Whitliing— Discomfort of ira vei- ling in Texas 212 CHAPTER XXIII. Commencement of an excursion up ihe counlry— The Hoiislon steamer— Her passengers— The town of Houston— Tavern fore at Houston— Start for the prairie - - - 219 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXIV. Scenery of the prairie — Free and easy manners of the inn- keeper's son — Indians of ihe Lipan tril^e — Letter of condo- lence to the Lipans on the death of their chief - 225 CHAPTER XXV. Dangers of travelling in the prairie — Last evening at HoTislon — Severe frost — Return from Houston to Galveston — Tlie opossum — Political conferences and discussion on the slave- trade — Slave-owners sufferers bv iis continuance - 230 CHAPTER XXVI. Character of tlie negro slave — Probability of freedom being granted by the whites — The tariff— A city in embryo — Return to the yacht 238 CHAPTER XXVII. Severe norther — The rattlesnake, &c. — Humming-birds — Sum- mary mode of ejecting abolitionists from Galveston — Na- tional Guard — Burying-ground — Texan duel — Facility of obtaining a divorce — Agreeable present on the last day of our slay — Good wishes to the republic - - - 243 CHAPTER XXVIII. Departure from Galveston forHavanna — Severe gale — Appear- ance of the sea under its infiuence — Dangerous navigation of CONTENTS. XI the Gulf of Florida-Incidents on board the yacht-Arrival at Havanna-Moro CastJo-The bay-Visit of the Spam.l authormes-D,nner on shore at the Consul-General's- I a of the chmate-Manners, habi.s, and amusemen s o tte ladies-Visit to the Captain-General Valdez - 25I CHAPTER XXIX. ""iTr'creor °^^^"'--C«rce-CrueI treatn.ent of 1nUn7?u 1^7^'"''^' "^ '''" Ma.anzas-Anticpaied re- 'tZc " P;P;^'^fn-E-l-ive s,ate of soc.etyl S^ugar Counts -Annnais, birds, noxious insects, and rep- scenery-Cuba nidebted for its prosperity to Viceroy Tacon -Plaza de Toros-The Cathedral - . . ! 265 CHAPTER XXX. Magnificence of private houses-Ceremonies of the Hoi V Week FrZ^RtT" "^PL7'-n«-Fruits-H,gh ren,s-Good thp7.^~? r"?'"^''""""^ of Tacon-Dance on board the flag-ship-Our last evening at Havanna - . 272 CHAPTER XXXI. ^HaTnuL'T ^^7'^— ^---^^- ^^'- George's harbour- Hani.lton-Berm,Klu.n popuial.on-Whale.fishing-Deli.xht- rJr England ^^^ '' ^-'--"-^reland harbour-Depar.ure 280 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXXII. The Azores — Terceira — Appearance of Fayal from the sea — Scilly Islands — Eddystone Lighthouse — Portland — The North Foreland — Conclusion 286 TEXAS AND THE GULF OF MEXICO. CHAPTER I. Departure from Blackwall.— The Schooner- Yacht " Dolphin." —Bay of Biscay.—" Strong breezes and squally."— Nancy, the black woman. Vieil ocean, dans tes rivages Flotte comme un ciel ecumant, Plus orageux que les nuages, Plus lumineux qu'un firmament ! Pendant que les empires naissent, Grandissent, tombent, disparaissent Avec leurs generations, Dresse tes bouillonnantes cretes, Bats ta rive ! el dis aux tempetes ; Ou sent les nids des nations ? De Lamartine. Who has not seen and admired the remarkable and interesting coup d'oeil from the windows of the Trafalgar Hotel at Blackwall ? It was on a bright afternoon earlj in September that I was seated in one of its cheerful 2 14 TEXAS AND THE rooms looking out on the broad river, and the busy steamers passing to and fro. It was my last evening before leaving England. We were about, if I may so express it, to take up our abode for the next twelve months on the bosom of the Ocean ; our intention being to cross the Atlantic, and to visit a large part of the American Continent. I always feel, before setting out on a long land journey, something approaching to depression of spirits ; but on this occasion the entire novelty of the expedition pre- vented the attack, and my pleasurable anticipations were almost unalloyed. It was a voyage undertaken prin- cipally in search of health for me, and I was bound to be pleased with the arrangements made for my com- fort. The sun had nearly set when I walked to the West India Dock, in which the Dolphin was lying ; I could scarcely make her out in the dusky twilight, and this was my first introduction to my future home. The Yacht had been often described to me, and yet I was surprised at the size of her cabins, and the extreme comfort of her internal arrangements. I was met by the Master and the Doctor, and on going below found a most enjoyable state cabin, quantities of books, and in short every enjoyment wliich a reasonable woman could require. My own cabin was large, with two sofas, the bed being a swinging cot, which was taken down in the daytime. My first night on board was spent in the docks, as we intended to leave them at daybreak. No ships I believe ever sail, when tlicy ought to do so, or rather at the time originally fixed lor their departure ; and to this rule, ours was no exception. The middle of August was the time when we had intended to liave taken our leave of England ; but so many alterations, and improvements had been required for the vessel, that the 13th of September had arrived before we were in readiness to leave Blackwall. The schooner-yacht Dolphin is two hundred and nine- GULF OF MEXICO. 15 teen tons burthen, drawing twelve feet water, and mea- ^suring one hundred feet in length: she carries six guns, and her crew consisted of eleven men, one boy, a car- penter, cook, and cook's mate; the otlier persons on board were tlic master and surgeon, the mate, steward, and steward's mate, and my own maid. We had also with us a negress, a native of St. Thomas in the West Indies, who had been stewardess in one of the West India steamers, and who was to attend on me till my own maid became accustomed to the sea. We were in all four and twenty souls on board, and were bound for Madeira as our first resting-place. It was on the morning of the 13th of September 1843, tliat, after being hooked on to a steamer, we were tugged' rapidly down the river. The weather was fine, as it generally is in the beginning of this most pleasant of months in the English climate ; the morning air was clear, bright, and bracing, and ere we reached Gravesend a fresh breeze sprung up from tlie westward, which was just what we wanted. Immediately all sail was made, and having dismissed our little steamer, the Dolphin was' soon scudding along, at the rate of ten knots an hour. Before dark we were off Dover, and had put our pilot into his boat. We were becalmed a w^hole day off the Isle of Wight : this was tedious enough certainly, but still it was pleasant to look a little longer on the land we were leaving for so long a period, and I could not help think- ing, as I gazed on the lovely Island, how doubtful it was, if, in my wanderings to the far West, I should see any to compare witli it. But with all my romantic admiration for the shores of England, I confess"^I was not sorry when towards evening a breeze sprung up, taking advantage of which we crowded sail, and soon lost sight of the coast. Our departure having been so long delayed was the cause of considerable inconvenience to us, for on the 21st the moon changed ; and, as we had been led to expect, there arose a gale of wind that certainly surprised me. 16 TEXAS AND THE I did not consider myself quite a fresh-water sailor. I liad frequently undertaken short voyages before, had yachted in the Mediterranean, and in the Channel, and steamed in various directions near home, but the Bay of Biscay was new to me, and nothing that I had ever be- fore encountered had at all prepared me for what we were to undergo. It was a short pitching sea, with a head wind, called in the log book, " strong breezes and squally," but which I thought at the time were tremen- dous gales. Sails were reefed constantly, while occasion- ally a barque or schooner scudded past us, too much engaged in attending to her own safety to take any notice of us. I was at first surprised at the calmness and composure of the ship's crew, entertaining as I did a private opinion of my own that we were in imminent peril. I kept my fears to myself, however, and learnt to know better in time. How ill, and miserable, many of our party looked when the wind first began to freshen ! Till now, the sea had been calm as a summer lake, but we had at last to bid adieu to all the pleasurable sensations of fine weather sailing. The very dogs looked wretched, and instead of gambolling about, and enjoying in common with our- selves the novelty of the scene, they flung themselves heavily down, against the side, and when disturbed again by the violent motion of the ship, rolled uneasily and restlessly along the deck in search of some safer berth. The poor doctor was I think the greatest sufferer ; it was really melancholy to see him, doubled up under the bul- warks, and obliged as he said, if he attempted to move, to stick to every thing that came in his way, like a leech. He bore his troubles with exemplary patience, as indeed we all did, and like every thing else, they came to an end at last. I was happy enough not to suffer myself, but my maid was a wretched prey to the distressing malady of sea-sickness. I believe there never yet existed a lady's maid who was not ; though I have never yet been GULF OF MEXICO. 17 able, either from pliysical or natural causes, to decide satisfactorily why it should be so.* Sept. 22d. Fresh gales, and squally, with rain, two reefs in topsail, mainsail triced up, and very heavy swell. A fearful night succeeded to this stormy day. A night not to be forgotten ; at least by me, for in the course of it, an event occurred, which stamped its horrors on my imagination. The wind being adverse, wc were constantly obliged to "wear ship," and when this operation was going forward, great care was required, and every precaution taken to prevent such articles of furniture, &.C., from getting adrift as were not lashed to the deck, or otherwise rendered im- movable. When we were not prepared for the natural consequences of tacking, the tremendous lurches of the vessel set every thing, to say nothing of ourselves, rolling about in mad confusion. Towards the morning of the 23d, when the uproar was at its height, sails changing, men rushing along the deck, the wind veering about in all directions, and the conse- quent evolutions in full operation, my maid staggered into my cabin, pale as a ghost, and wringing her hands, " Oh ma'am, the captain says, we are going to turn over 1" This was really an awfiil piece of information, conveyed too so suddenly : it tallied, moreover, with my ov/n silent fears, and I confess that, at first, I fully shared in' the panic. A minute's reflection, and the still more consoling fact that wc continued to remain afloat, showed me the ab- surdity of fear. After all, the whole affair proceeded from an attention on tlie part of the master, who before * Here I must take the opportunity of remarking, for the benefit of the world in general, and had sailors in particular, that the most popular dish at this time was currie ; it seemed to answer the purposes both of food and medicine. 1 8 TEXAS AND THE giving the order to " bout ship," had sent to apprise me of his intention, that I might not be taken by surprise. The message had, however, gone from mate to boatswain, boatswain to steward, &c., till, hke all tilings conveyed through many hands, it became distorted, and by the time it reached my ears, had arrived at the appalling an- nouncement that we were going to the bottom. One good result we perceived from the gale, disagreea- ble, and frightful enough as it was. It cured every one on board of sea-sickness. I accounted for this by sup- posing it the effect of the comitcr-irritation system : and that the overpowering evil of mental anxiety, removed the lesser one of corporeal vmeasiness. Some little time before Madeira appeared in sight, the weather moderated, and we all began to cheer up ; the dogs shook themselves and lay down in the sun to dry ; the idlers put on a thin semi-nautical costume, and Nancy, the black woman, who had been, however, any thing but useful during the gales, came upon deck to warm herself. In fine weather, she was to be seen standing on the steps of the companion ladder, listening to the rough jokes of the sailors, with her shining black face just above the hatchway. She was evidently a favourite with the men, and I was oflen amused to sec her standing there, show- ing every white tooth in her head, as she grinned a repar- tee to her merry tormentors. Nancy was a wit in her way, and, though not in her first youth, was certainly something of a coquette, and decidedly vain of her re- maining attractions. I can see her now sitting on her stockingless heels in the forepart of the vessel, with her red cotton handkerchief tied over her head, chattering faster than any magpie. This was Nancy when the sea was calm ; when the wind blew, the case was widely dif- ferent, and though born and bred a slave, she thought she had as good a right to indulge in sickness and idleness as her neighbours. The air had daily felt warmer as we proceeded south- GULF OF MEXICO. 19 ward, and the power of the sun by the time wc saw Ma- deh-a, was almost too great to be pleasant. I felt glad to be spared the chilling changes of an English winter. The great merit of the climate of the Madeiras, consists, I be- lieve, in its freedom from these great sources of suffering and illness to delicate and pulmonary constitutions; It is said that while the winter is twenty degrees warmer than in London, the summer is only seven warmer. Thus the extremes of heat and cold are not nearly so violent as in England. The latitude of Lisbon appeared also charm- ing, and were it not for the dirt, and other small incon- veniences, I suppose that Lisbon would be quite as desi- rable a residence for consumptive patients as Madeira ; it has certainly the advantage of being nearer home. As we ncared the land, I felt that one of the worst stages of our voyage was over. The Bay of Biscay once passed in safety, the wide Atlantic has but few terrors, and I am sufficiently of a sailor to be aware of the great advantages of having plenty of sea-room, and no land near. CHAPTER II. First view of Madeira— Fimchal — Inhabitants— Vegetation — Vintage — The Coural — Sugar-cane — Invalids — Climate — A Madeira goat — Bad conduct of three of the crew. A ship in sight I She bears a dismal freight, No gay young hearts, with pleasant hopes elate. ****** Here living ghosts gaze up with languid eye. And in the fervid sunshine pine and die. Old Poem. I WAS much struck by the first view of Madeira ; it rises up high, black and steep from the sea, and looks at 20 TEXAS AND THE a distance like a huge ruined wall. As you approach nearer, however, you perceive with spots of houses on the hill-sides, churches, temples, and abrupt ridges of moun- tains, on which seem literally svspended the most lovely gardens. All this, mingled with the green foliage and the almost tropical vegetation, is lovely in the extreme. Sept. 26. We brought up in Funchal Roads, in twenty- two fathoms water. The weather was extremely hot, at least it appeared so to us, though this was the cool season at Madeira. I need say nothing of the cordial kindness, and unlimited hospitality of the merchants at Funchal ; the fact of their liberality and good feeling to strangers is too well known to need a comment, and our reception furnished but an extra example of its truth. A nearer view of Funchal is very amusing to a stranger. The shores are crowded with boats, and wild-looking Por- tuguese gesticulating and quarrelling. The shape of the boats is remarkable, their sterns are so higli and pointed. The rowers perform their office in an erect posture, and with their faces turned towards the fore part of their craft. Children of very tender years, bronzed by the sun into a deep copper colour, are swimming about in all directions, and quite in deep water. The surface of the sea is studded by little black shining heads. In short, the in- habitants generally appear to me to partake of an amplii- bious nature. The houses of Funchal are mostly of a dazzling white, which has a very unpleasant effect on the eyes. The roofs arc generally flat, but you likewise see man}' turrets and steeples. There is an English Episcopal Church, and an excellent resident minister. The English Library and Reading Club are excellent ; there is, too, a public ball- room, which is well attended ; and in the reading-club I have before mentioned the amusements of cards and billiards may also be enjoyed. I have often been surprised at the fondness for dancing whicli prevails in hot climates ; the inhabitants seem to GULF OF MEXICO. 21 enjoy this exercise the more, the higher the thermometer ranges. I was told, that in Funchal, during the hottest months, balls were carried on with unabated spirit till a late hour in the morning, and that country-dances and Scotch reels were executed with a spirit of enterprise and perseverance unknown in our northern latitudes. It is indeed a most beautiful, clear, and enlivening climate ; nevertheless, I was certainly astonished at the decree of vigour which the inhabitants seemed to retain. We went on shore in a Portuguese boat, and I had an opportunity of comparing, which I always do with pecu- liar satisfaction, the superior cleanliness, promptitude, skill, and composure of an English sailor over his class in every other country. A Portuguese man-of-war lay alongside of the Dolphin, and the comparison certainly was not in favour of the former. Such hallooing and such confusion I never heard, as came wafted to us from our neighbours. The officers possessed, 1 am sure, but little of the salutary authority necessary to keep sailors to their duty. We were most kindly received by Mr. Temple, who is a resident at Funchal, and gladly remained a week in his comfortable house. We spent our time very pleasantly in wandering about the island, which, even at this ad- vanced period of the year, presents much both of vegeta- tion and scenery, well worthy of notice. The flowers are beautiful ; such a proftision of geraniums, fuchsias, and heliotropes, with the glorious belladonna lily and bright oleander ! It is a perfect wilderness of sweets and bril- liant colours. The human part of the scenery is by no means in keeping with all this, for a more dirty, dis- orderly, uncivilized population it would be difficult to imagine. Police there is none, and the noises and confu- sion in the streets, especially at night, are most disagree- able ; they effectually chase sleep, at least from the eyes of a new-comer. Mr. Temple's house is situated close to the guard-house, and as tlie sentries are by far the most 22 TEXAS AND THE noisy people in the place, the neighbourhood is not agree- able. One of their favourite amusements at night was imitating the noises and cries of different animals. They alternately crow like cocks, roar like bulls, and gobble like fifty turkeys. Their imitations, I must say, were correct, but the effect was any thing but pleasing. There appears to be but little religious feeling among them ; indeed their priests seemed to be almost objects of con- tempt, and their places of worship to be nearly neglected. The squalid poverty you every where meet with is pitiable and revolting ; the children run about almost in a state of nudity, and are the ugliest little set of vi^retclies, excepting, perhaps, the diminutive old women, I ever saw. The Portuguese inhabitants generally require but a small quantity of food, and that consists principally of fruits and Indian corn. They are, though most frequently short in stature, a very strong and hardy race, and their powers of enduring fatigue are great. Of the truth of this I had ample proof in my palanquin-bearers, who under a broiling sun, carried me a sort of ambling pace to the tops of the highest hills, without appearing in the slightest degree exhausted. It is true that on arriving at the summits, they generally begged for a cup of wine at the houses of call, which are conveniently placed there. It is, how- ever, to strangers only that they are in the habit of making the application. The vineyards are very pretty ; the vines are trained over wooden pillars, supporting a lattice-work of bamboo. The grapes are dried in the shade, which is said to give them a peculiar richness of flavour. The vine was first in- troduced in Madeira in the year 1420, and was brought from the Island of Crete. The vintage is just over, and numbers of peasants are busily employed in bringing down the newly-made wine from the vineyards in tlae hills. Some of the men have immense pigskins, filled with the red fluid, slung over their shoulders, while others are driving the pretty cream- GULF OF MEXICO. 23 coloured oxen into the town, laden in a similar manner. The effect of the pigskins is quite horrid ; they are filled to their utmost extent, even to the leg-s ; the mouth and nose being tied up ; this appearance of being a real ani- mal is rendered still more unpleasant by the blood-red stains on the hide of the creature. The drivers of the wagons, which are of a most simple and primitive form, are shrieking and bellowing all the Avhile, by way of en- couraging their beasts, and that with voices unequalled in the world, I should imagine, for shrillness and power. The grapes from wliich the largest quantity of wine is made are small and extremely sweet ; we liavc taken a large quantity of them on board, besides bananas, and various sorts of commons fruits. The grapes from which the Malmsey wine is made grow upon rocks, over which they are trained — they are not gathered till over ripe. Among the many fine views which a stranger at Ma- deira should not fail to visit, that of the Coural stands pre- eminent. The road to this beautiful spot is steep, and stony. It is a valley completely enclosed by high abrupt hills, none of which are less than a thousand feet in height. The road lies alarmingly near the edge of the precipices, and is moreover extremely narrow. The horses are, however, so active and well trained, that no positive danger exists. A Portuguese runner generally accompanies your horse, encouraging him both by threats and caresses to proceed, and often not a little impeding his progress by hanging on at his tail. The horses are well shaped, though small, and particularly adapted to the nature of the country, and the roads. The Mount Church, built on extremely high ground, a short distance from Funchal, cannot be passed unnoticed ; the view of the town and roadstead from it is most beau- tifiil and curious. There is a large convent, at which artificial flowers and other sorts of ornamental work can be procured, besides delicious liqueurs, which the nuns manufacture in great variety. 24 TEXAS AND THE The most beautiful flowers and shrubs are found on the summits of the hills, and the whole appearance of the country is rich and luxuriant, far beyond my powers of description. The interior of the houses are as enjoy- able as the gardens are beautiful ; the rooms are large, high, and airy, and the floors during the hot season are spread with a fine matting ; very little furniture is ad- mitted, and the breeze is allowed to circulate freely through the houses. The dress of the gentlemen is as glaring as the colour of the houses, being white from head to foot; — jacket of white linen, sailcloth boots, and trousers of the same. A large palmetto hat completes the costume, which if not becoming, is well suited to the climate. I enjoyed my palanquin extremely. The motion is very easy, and sufficiently rapid, considering the great inequalities of the ground ; I do not think that a horse could get over the ground quicker. It was some time before I hardened my heart to the supposed sufferings of the bearers, which afl;er all were entirely imaginary. Englishmen would, I am sure, sink very soon under the exertion, besides the natural objection entertained by our countrymen to being used as beasts of burden. The sugar-cane grows in considerable quantities, and it was formerly the staple commodity of the island, but, not proving very productive as an article of commerce, its culture was abandoned for that of the vine. Coffee, likewise, though of a most superior kind, is grown but in small quantities. The coffee-trees are very handsome, and grow to a larger size than even in the West Indies or Cuba. Vines are found growing at a very great height, some say nearly three thousand feet above the level of the sea ; but, though even in these elevated situations they bear fruit, no wine can be made from it. The chestnuts are excellent, and in great profusion. There are a good many rabbits and wild hogs on the island, but goats and GULF OF MEXICO. 25 oxen are the most common, as well as the most useful animals of which it can boast. Here, for the first time, I tasted that most indispensable article of (negro) food, the sweet potato. I cannot say that I approved of it as an adjunct to meat, but roasted like a chestnut, and eaten hot, it is very tolerable. I confess that in spite of its bright sun and flowery hills, Madeira has left a melancholy impression on my mind. I met so many wasted invalids, pale hectic girls, and young men, struggling vainly against decay. Oh I that sad feat of the physician who can do no more, and " despairing of his fee to-morrow," sends his patient away to breathe his last in a foreign land ! Poor wanderers ! I saw their last resting-place. " After life's fitfiil fever they sleep well," — as well as though they reposed under a grassy movmd at home. And yet — I would wush to have those whom I had loved when living near to me in death. It is a fancy, and the wise would doubtless call it a weak one, but who can reason away a fancy, or dogma- tise on the feelings of the heart. I have been assured that consumptive patients at Madeira, lose in the charm of scenery, and under the influence of the climate, a sense of their danger, and the precariousness of their existence; that their spirits become raised, and that at the last they quietly sink to eternal rest with their sketch-books in their hands, and hopeful smiles upon their lips. — I doubt it. — Can they shut their eyes upon the hundreds of fel- low-sufferers whom they daily meet? — or forget where- fore they are there ? It is a comfortable belief, however, for their friends at home. But I have not yet done with Madeira. I must say something of its rain, and a little more of its sunshine. The former falls in great quantities during four months of the year, viz.: — October, November, December, and January. The rain was described to me as descending in torrents ; yet greatly must the inhabitants enjoy the first refreshing and purifying drops, after the long speU 3 26 TEXAS AND THE of sunshine. The honey is delicious at Madeira ; the bees have such flowers to revel amongst that it would be strange were it otherwise. The dress of the Portuguese inhabitants is extremely picturesque ; it consists of a blue jacket covered with silver buttons, a little cap on one side of the head, about the size of a large saucer, a white or striped shirt, and very wide trousers. The anchorage in Funchal Roads is any thing but safe, and more than once during our stay we were in doubt whether we should not be obliged to up-anchor and stand out to sea, although there was not more than half a gale of wind blowing at tlie time. We secured a good stock of turkeys, besides ducks and fowls, and a very promising goat : the latter, however, fulfilled none of the promises made for her. Mariana, (for that was her name) enjoyed the reputation of being one of the best of her kind on the island ; indeed her Por- tuguese owner, having exhausted his vocabulary of praise, wound it up by saying, that " she was fit to hang in a lady's ear." This, considering that she was about three feet high, and large in proportion, with a most formidable pair of horns, was saying a good deal. By the man's ac- count she was a perfect annuity to him, and we considered ourselves fortunate in securing her services. Unluckily for us, Mariana was not " a good sailor," (that expression of much meaning) and from the first she refused her ac- customed aliment, and would taste nothing, except occa- sional scraps of such food as one would imagine no sen- sible goat of any country would have touched. Brandy cherries and birch brooms she particularly relished ; and on one occasion when in her awkwardness she upset the mustard-pot, (in hot w^eathcr we dined on deck) the con- tents were greedily devoured. So much for a Madeira goat, but as I could not willingly revert to her again, I will close her eventful history here. We bore with her caprices till we arrived at Jamaica, when we turned her into the Dockyard, under the protection of the Commo- GULF OF MEXICO. 27 dore, where I believe her to be at this moment. The little bullocks must be much better feeders, to judge from tlie excellence of the beef; tlic mutton is by no means so good. Three of our men took the opportunity of our stay at Madeira to misconduct themselves sadh', so much so, as to require the assistance of the local autliorities in bring- ing them to punishment. They were three of our finest men, and had hitherto conducted themselves well, at least to outward appearance, but the cheapness of the wine made it irresistible, and one night they being more than commonly noisy in the forecastle, the master sent to order them to be quiet, and to put out the lights. This, the three men in question refused to do, and moreover grew so violent and unruly, that it was found necessary to send for some Portuguese soldiers, from a schooner lying nearly alongside, to assist in capturing the delin- quents. They were desperate in their resistance, vowing death and destruction to all on board, and daring the Doctor, who was armed to the teeth, and all tlie others in authorit}', to approach them. I happened to be on shore, and knew nothinof of these occurrences till the following morning. They were at length safely lodged in a miserable prison, on a small insulated rock called the Loo. Here, if anywhere, repentance Avas sure to come ; and come it did, but all too late for two of the culprits. These men had made themselves so obnoxious to the rest of the crew, and were moi-eover such comfirmed mauvais siijets, that all idea of compromise was out of the question ; but witix the otiier man the case was dif- ferent; he was a favourite with his messmates, and there was evidence to prove that he had been led away by the rest, besides whicli, he had offended in a less degree. All things considered, we granted him a free pardon, while the others were left on the rock, to their solitude and their remorse. 28 TEXAS AND THE CHAPTER III. Departure for the West Indies — Peak of Teneriffe — Dead calm — Employment of the crew — Sunday — Barbadoes — Trade-winds — Dearness of provisions, &c. — Frogs and grass- hoppers — Bridgetown — " Miss Betsey Austin." Now in the fervid noon, the smooth bright sea Heaves slowly, for the wand'ring winds are dead That stirr'd it into foam. The lonely ship Rolls wearily, and idly flaps the sails Against the creaking masts. The lightest sound Is lost not on the ear, and things minute Attract the observant eye. On the eighth day from our landing at Funchal, we were again in readiness for sea ; it was a lovely summer evening, about seven o'clock, when the order was given to up-anchor, and set sail for the West Indies. The wind- lass was manned, and as I listened to the jovial chorus of the crew, as they cheerily sung at their work, I could not help thinking of their late companions on the lone Loo Rock, and mentally comparing them to the captive knight of old, in Mrs. Hemans' beautiful ballad. It was, however, I fear, a sad waste of sentiment. On the third day from leaving Madeira, we saw on the lee-bow the wonderful Peak of Teneriffe, and this at the immense distance of one hundred and forty miles ! A curious aspect it wore, — a high bank of white clouds seeming to extend itself half-way up to the heavens, and that small distinct peak of land crowning the whole. Having been informed at Madeira that we should have a fresh northeast wind, which Avould infallibly and expe- ditiously waft us to Barbadoes, and also that having once GULF OF MEXICO. 29 set our sails, we sliould not have to shift them till we ar- rived there, we were not prepared for tlie long calm which followed. A repetition of the words " calm and fine," varied only by occasional changes to, " light airs and fine," is all I can find in the logbook for many days. As for the employment of the hands, it consisted in spread- ino- and furling- awninofs, fitting and mending cutter sails, spinning yarn, and washing clothes. As for holy-stoning the decks, I set my face against that from the first ; it is the worst description of nervous torture of which I ever heard, excepting perhaps, the infliction of the squee gee, which, as its name almost implies, sets every tooth in one's head on edge for a week. Brooms a.nd swahs are bad enough, but to these I was obliged to submit. This, certainly, was not a very animating life ; still, what with fishing for dolphins and bonetas, watching anxiously for wind, which sometimes came in the tanta- lizing shape of cats'' paws, time slipped along, though the ship did not. I tasted one of the bonetas, which the sai- lors had cooked for themselves, and very tough and dry it was. A dolphin, which soon after followed its unwise example, and allowed himself to be enticed on board, proved rather better. We dressed up our namesake with wine and other condiments, and he was pronounced to be " not bad ;" still I greatly doubt if we should have al- lowed him even this scanty meed of praise, had a turbot or John Dory been within reach. And now, having brought my readers into a dead calm, or, as I have learnt to say in America, — a Jix, — I think it high time to apologise for inflicting upon them any fuller account of such a tedious time. I ought to remem- ber that wise remark of Rochefoucauld, that " L'extreme plaisir que nous prenons Ji parler de nous-memes, nous doit faire craindre de n'en donner guere h ceux qui nous ecoutent." Still, as a long continuance! of calm weather at sea is an acknowledged trial both to the temper and spirits, I have thought it better to give some account of 3* 30 TEXAS AND THE the manner in whieh we endured it, for the benefit of ad- venturous persons, who may hereafter be disposed to fol- low us, and brave the dangers of the wide Atlantic in a yacht. But to return to our voyage. The exceeding beauty of the stars and sky within the tropics, has been often de- scribed, but had I not witnessed their nightly glory, my imagination never could have done them justice. A lonely ship in the wide ocean must ever, I think, be a source of poetical feeling, even to the coldest fancy : but the calm and quiet of the sensation is raised to a trusting and al- most holy train of thought, when the heat of the day being over, and the blazing sun gone down to his rest, you lie beneath that canopy studded with most brilliant stars, and feel with the poet, a longing " to tread that golden path of rays That seems to lead to some bright isle of rest." One particularly quiet brcezeless day, a shark gave us a good deal of employment and amusement. He was swimming about the ship for hours, with the pretty little pilot fish playing about his monstrous nose. Every sort of bait, from salt junk to tempting candles, was offered for his acceptance, and rejected. The monster evidently was not hungry, for though he smelt at them all, nothing would induce him to nibble at the baited hook. Once only they succeeded in hooking him, but he very soon broke away. Towards the evening, however, he grew more sociable, and condescended to eat some biscuit which I threw to him over the side. He was an enor- mous creature, at least ten feet in length. There was something very unpleasant in the idea of this horrid " creature following in our wake," and though I did not share in the sailors' superstition of their being harbingers of death, yet I looked at him with great distaste, feeling that he was thirsting for our blood. We saw flying-fish in great numbers ; they flew on GULF OF MEXICO. 31 board at night, and were found in the morning on deck and in the chains, being attracted by the light. I ate them for breakfast, and found them delicious ; like a herring in flavour and consistency, but more delicate. While copying my journal in England, on a positively winter's day in the month of June, dark, drizzling, and cheerless, how strange it appears that I ever could have disliked the sun, in the way I did, in the Tropics.. How often, in the morning, did I tlicn find myself exclaiming against its scorching rays. At six o'clock, and often even at an earlier hour, I was on deck, driven up by the intole- rable heat of the cabin, wbicli being below the surface of the water, was necessarily hotter than it was above. It was contrary to all orders to spread the awning, before the decks were swabbed up, so I had ample leisure for complaint. There was that terrible sun again ; not a cloud above or around, but one wide canopy of blue over our heads ; nothing to break the line of the horizon, and the azure sea, shining as crystal, with its long wearying swell. Yes ! there was the perpetual sun glaring on us through the long day, and still more fiercely in the fervid noon ; the winds asleep, and the ship rolling heavily with her creaking masts, and idly-flapping sails. One day was so like another, that sometimes weariness almost took the place of hope : " When will it end ?" I used to exclaim, " When will there be a cloud ?" It put me in mind of Coleridge's beautifial description of a calm, in the "An- cient Mariner." And truly the schooner did look "like a painted ship upon a painted sea." 31st. Light breezes, hardly more than "cat's paws," but they gave us hope. The look-out man reported a sail on the lee-bow. All eyes were strained to catch a view of the vessel, as she gradually neared us. She proved to be a small brig, and hoisted English colours. She commenced making signals, and our master deciding that she wished to speak us, we slightly altered our course, to facilitate her object. Her only reason for near- 32 TEXAS AND THE ing US appeared to be to ascertain our longitude, which having done, for we chalked it on the outside of the bul- wark, she proceeded on her way. The sight of this ship was quite an event, and gave us matter of discussion for the rest of the day. If I had followed my inclinations I should have entered into conversation with her, so eagerly did I long for the sight of fresh objects : and I felt quite surprised at the apathy with which she passed us by. When o'er the silent seas alone. For days and nights we've cheerless gone, Oh ! they who've felt it, know how sweet, Some sunny morn a sail to meet. During all this time the heat was intense, the thermo- meter ranged from 88 to 96 under the awning, and there was no wind to refresh us. The only m.anner in which I could procure a breath of air, was by spreading a mattrass on the deck, between the ports, which were left open. It was fortunate that the yacht contained a large supply of water, as from the unexpected length of the })assage, and the intense heat, an unusual quantity was daily consumed. Had the calm lasted much longer, however, we must have had an allowance of Avater ; as it was, indeed, our fresh provisions began to run short, and turkeys and fovi^ls were anxiously counted over, and cared for. There was much difficulty, after a time, in finding em- ployment for the ship's company, and as it is well known that the only method of keeping sailors out of mischief, and free from grumbling, is never to let them be idle, all kinds of work were resorted to. The men, in fact, were seldom left in repose ; they were always cither spinning yarn, making mats, scraping cables, cleaning guns, or occupied in some task of a similar nature. We did not quite follow the example of American ships, in which it is said of the sailors, that — GULF OF MEXICO. 33 " Six days tliey labour, and do all that they are able, And on the seventh, holystone the decks, and scrape the cable." Sunday, of course, was a day of rest, and idleness ; on that day the men, clad in tlieir light clean dresses, after attending- prayers on deck, lay listlessly about the fore- castle : the best, and tliose most religiously inclined, (and sailors are often so, in spite of their reckless manners) were seen reading their Prayer Books, or some sober book from the ship's library ; others were poring over old scraps of newspapers, or letters, which from their long-folded creases, were evidently the jnuch and long-prized missives of their wives, or friends in distant England. Thus, Sunday passed away, but on week-days the evenings were cheered by a. ^fiddler, and enlivened by song. Music, such as " charmed the spirits of the deep," was heard from the forecastle, and in default of better and more refined strains, shortened our silent wa.j. One of the performers, the steward's mate, who boasted of having been " on the stage" at an earlier period of his life, had a beautiful voice, and really sung very tolerably. Sailor's ditties are very mournful things, not at all like the joyous chorusses I had imagined them to be ; and I often longed to give them some new and more lively airs, to vary their monotonous concerts. Still, though we scarcely appeared to move, we cer- tainly progressed a little, for after a most tedious passage of thirty days, I was told we were within a hundred miles of Barbadoes. This was indeed most welcome in- telligence, as we intended to make that island. On the afternoon of this day, when at least eighty miles from any land, a hawk was perceived flying round the ship. How glad I was to see him ! Poor thing ! He was very tired, as well he might be, after his long aerial journey. After performing a few feeble evolutions, and alighting occasionally on different parts of the rigging, he settled 34 TEXAS AND THE on the forcyard-arni, and being- quite exhausted, was easily taken. The creature did not live through the night. lie was a kestrel, and a very fine one. In con- sideration of its long- flight, and from a feeling- of grati- tude, as having been the first harbinger of land, we thought his skin worthy of being preserved, for the pur- pose of stufiing, and it was put into the menagerie ac- cordingly. At six o'clock in the morning of the 2d of November, we were within a very few miles of the land. Barbadoes is a very low island, and does not strike one wuth any feeling of either wonder or admiration. You see a few white-looking houses on the slight elevations. The sight of tropical trees, cocoa, palms, Sec, must always be in- teresting to one v/ho sees them for the first time. About eight o'clock we made Bridgetown, and at ten, a. m. brought up in Carlisle Bay, in seven fathom water. Nancy, the ncgress, gave me, immediately on our arrival, a fresh proof that nervous fancies are not con- fined to Jine or even white ladies. Immediately after we had come to an anchor, her conduct was most remarkable;- she cominenced running wildly about the deck, evidently under the influence of some nervous panic. Every one she met she informed with striking marks of dismay on her countenance, that she must be near her end, for that she had a loud and terrific sound in her ears, which she was persuaded was the result of some fatal malady. The men only laughed at her, and at length she appealed to me for advice and consolation. I was too merciful to keep her longer in suspense, and told her what every one in the ship might have done, had they not enjoyed her tribulation, tliat the noise she thought exclusively her own, proceeded from myriads of frogs and grasshoppers, which we distinctly heard, though at a considerable dis- tance from the land. The first interesting object which claimed our atten- tion was an English man-of-war, the Imaum. She had GULF OF MEXICO. 35 arrived a few hours before us, and was lying at anchor. Wc ]iad taken up our position close to licr, and on com- paring notes, we found that her passage from Madeira had been as long as our own. I became almost persuaded, by this new instance of delay, of the truth of wliat I had previously suspected, that the existence of trade-winds is a vulgar error, a sort of travellers' wonder. It was a constant demand of the doctor's, " Where is the trade-wind ?" and a standing joke on board, that it had gone out of its course to annoy us. It was some consolation to find that we had compa- nions in misfortune, and to make quite sure that the winds of heaven, and not the little Dolphin, had been in fault. We were soon surrounded by boats, filled with indi- viduals of every shade of black, brown, and yellow. The black ladies, dressed in white, and adorned with the most brilliant colours, glass-bead necklaces, with gaudy hand- kerchiefs tied round their heads, were chattering and laughing, bargaining and coquetting, but still comporting themselves with a dignity, and an air of grandeur, which showed them duly conscious of their claim to respect, in being "true 'Badian born." I began to believe that, as they themselves assert, " you must go to Barbadoes to larn manners." I was very much amused by these freed bondswomen ; they came upon the quarter-deck without any ceremony, w^alked down into the cabin, and made themselves quite at home. The negroes brought alongside such fruits as the island afforded, and they were poor enough. Having heard much in praise of the West India fruits, I was dis- appointed in those I saw. There were bad oranges, worse grapes, no pines, at which we felt ourselves much aggrieved, shaddocks, guavas, cocoa-nuts, and bananas, all indifferent. Still, notwithstanding the want of flavour of their contents, the fruit baskets were immediately 36 TEXAS AND THE emptied by our men, who seemed greatly to enjoy the sour oranges and tasteless cocoa-nuts. An immense quantity of grass was also purchased by them, for the purpose of making hats. These hats, which they make with much ingenuity, I expected would be both light and cool ; they however turned out to be neither. They sew the plaits so closely together, that all such purpose is de- feated. As an addition to the original weight, many sailors put on a covering of canvass, and paint it thickly over. After inquiring the prices of various necessaries, we made the discovery, when too late, that we had come to the wrong island for supplies, every thing we required being both indifferent and expensive. Barbadoes, I was told, imports almost every thing from Tobago and Mar- tinique, and it was to St. Pierre, the capital of the latter island, that we ought to have betaken ourselves. Beef and mutton are tenpence a pound at Bridgetown, and water, of which we required a considerable supply, a dollar a cask. Turtle are brought from Tobago, cattle from the Costa firma, and fruit and vegetables from Anti- gua and Martinique. Still, it is well known, that the Island of Barbadoes affords provisions of many sorts, which are raised on its own soil, though unfortunately for us, they were not the kinds we required. I believe the exports of sugar average about 300,000 cwts. an- nually. Barbadoes is said to be one of the healthiest of the West India Islands ; nevertheless, in spite of the preva- lent opinion, I confess that the country gave me the idea of being any thing but salubrious, principally from its lowness, and also from the immense number of frogs and grasshoppers, which we heard throwing out their various notes in all directions. This alone gives an idea of marshiness and dampness, which precludes that of health. Barbadoes was one of the first, if not the very first of the Caribbean Islands colonized by the English. For several GULF OF MEXICO. 37 years during the early part of the seventeentli century, the Earl of Carlisle was hereditary proprietor of the island, by virtue of a grant obtained from James the First. After the Restoration, it became the property of the Crown. Tlie coloured population seem to me to be tolerably well oif, and not very idle. We went on shore in the cool of the evening, having appointed a carriage to be in waiting for us at the land- ing. And such a carriage and horses ! It was wonder- ful, from their appearance, how they contrived to go at all, but go they did, and at a tremendous pace. In vain I implored the negro driver to rein in his steeds. I be- lieve he was revenging himself upon them for the pre- vious drivings he had himself undergone in his own proper person, for he flogged away most unmercifully. Bridgetown is a long straggling town. There are no striking-looking buildings in it, but the streets are in ge neral broad, and the houses white ; there is a disagree- able smell of cocoa-nut oil, but otherwise the city gives you a pleasant impression of freshness and cleanliness, particularly when compared with Funchal, the last town we had seen. There are several churches and chapels, and a cathedral, besides several buildings for charitable purposes. The population of Bridgetown is about twenty- two thousand. On leaving the town, and the pretty gardens which surround it, our road lay for several miles through an extremely flat country. There is very little wood on the island; some mahogany, cocoa-trees, and palms, and also a good many shrubs, but the country is in general very bare. The flowers, however, are beauti- ful ; the datura scented the evening air, and fuchsias and heliotropes drooped over the garden walls. Oxen are more used as beasts of burden than horses, but the meat is not good. We were told, that at the proper season there is plenty of shooting, consisting of plover, teal, wild duck, &lc. Aloes are very much culti- vated, to judge from the number of plants to be seen on 4 38 TEXAS AND THE the sides of the roads ; the ginger is not reckoned so good as that grown in Jamaica. There is a great deal of land still uncultivated. Towards the north, tlie country be- comes much higher, and is comparatively cold. This part is known by the appropriate name of Scotland, and it must be a welcome change to the scorched inhabitants of the south, to refresh themselves occasionally by in- haling its invigorating breezes. Rum is very dear in Barbadoes, at least good rum, such as English sailors like. The proportion of black and coloured people to white is about six to one, of wdiich by far the greatest number are black. The barracks are large, convenient, and airy. Wc re- turned by a different road from the one by which we left the capital, and after driving through a considerable por- tion of the town, we visited the parade-ground, where the band of the ninety-second regiment was playing for the amusement of some half-dozen coloured people, on foot, who were looking on. I noticed one or two ladies on horseback, and Colonel M'Donald, who accompanied them, told us, for our satisfaction, that the season had been, and was particularly healthj' ; the men, however, looked, I thought weakened and worn. We then pursued our drive as fir as the Government-House. Here I was rather entertained at our black charioteer, who, pointing out to our notice a large building surrounded by iron railings, and guarded by a sentry, informed us that it was the " Queen's House, all kep fine, furnish, ready for de Queen hersef, when she come to see 'Badian people." He seemed to entertain no doubt of the Queen's intention of crossing the Atlantic, and evidently was rather sur- prised that her Majesty had not taken an earlier oppor- tunity of visiting this interesting portion of her subjects. Still, after all there was to be seen at Bridgetown, I should be almost inclined to think, from the oft-repeated question which was addressed to me afterwards, " Did you see Betsey Austin ?" that that worthy lady is the GULF OF MEXICO, 39 principal attraction of the place. Betsey, or Miss Betsey Austin, as she is called, is a person of considerable im- portance, who keeps the principal hotel at Bridgetown. She has a large acquaintance amongst naval men, and is justly celebrated in C'aptain Marryatt's delightful novel of " Peter Simple ;" she assured us she owed much of her present prosperity to the work in question, and seemed duly grateful to the author. " He berry nice man, Cap- tain Marryatt." Betsey may have her little faults, as who has not, but she must have a kindly heart in her capa- cious person from all I have heard. Miss Caroline Lee, her sister, is mistress of another hotel in the town, and makes better preserves of all kinds than any one else in the island. We took in a large supply of live stock, such as turtle, turkeys, guinea fowls, and ducks. Two of our sailors became embroiled in a quarrel at one of the spirit shops at Bridgetown ; and one of them, the carpenter, after a hard fight, passed a night in prison. I do not believe they were much in fault, but the coloured population of Barbadoes is notorious for seeking quarrels with English sailors ; and they, as is well known, have no particular objection to a row at any time. On lecturing the carpenter, Avho was a Scotchman, for the folly of his conduct, which had consigned him to the hands of the police, and caused him to spend a night in prison, he re- plied, " If I had been niysel, it's no the dozen of them should have ta'en me." 40 TEXAS AND THE CHAPTER IV. Storm at Sea — Lightning — Flying-Fish — Iron Lighthouse — Jamaica — Port-Royal — Harbour — Earthquake of 1692 — Pirates — Commodore Byrig's House — Wallace, the New- foundland Dog — Musquilofs — Coloured and White Popula- tion — Spanish Town — The Queen's House — Kingston — Unwholesome Climate — Vultures — Superstition — " The Doctor" — Sally Adams — Departure. There is a bondage worse, far worse to bear Than his who breathes, by roof, and floor, and wall. Pent in, a tyrant's solitary thrall. Wordsworth, Nov. 4. Left Carlisle Bay at 5 o'clock r. m. The Imaum, a line-of-battle ship, had weighed her anchor five hours previously, and we hoped to liavc the " pleasure of her company" on the way, a sail being at all times a welcome sight at sea. Nov. 5. Shortened sail to a squall, took in a reef in main-sail, double-reefed fore-trysail. Nov. 6. Strong winds, thunder and lightning, treble- reefed foresail. How impossible it is in words to give an idea of the grandeur, the fearful magnificence of a storm at sea ! What a variety, are there, of stirring and deaf- ening sounds, filling the mind with mingled feelings of ad- miration and awe ! There is the shrill treble of the wind, ■whistling its fractious way through the rigging, joined with the never-ceasing roar of the foaming and angry sea, while the deep bass of the gradually nearing thunder is heard distinct above it all. The sea is one wild chaos of mountains ; mountains never for one instant still ; now GULF OF 5IEXICO. 41 receiving us deep into a fearful liollow, from which it seems as thoug-h we never could rise again; and novk' carry- ing us over their summits, only to be dashed with greater fury into the raging abyss below. And how manfully the little schooner rides over the frantic waves I How lightly she rises again, and how carelessly she dashes tlie water from her bows as she passes on, unharmed, over the trou- bled waters ! If a heavier sea than usual breaks, and you hear the dull heavy blow against her side, there is a tremble, a quiver, as though the poor little thing were striken to the heart; it is, however, but for a moment, and the little Dolphin is bounding on again as proudly as before. " Oh ! there's a lioly calm profound In awe like this, that ne'er was given To pleasure's thrill ; 'Tis as a solemn voice from heaven, And the soul listening to the sound, Lies mute and still." It would be a cold heart, I think, that would not feel an absolute affection for a ship that has carried one in safety through perils such as these. She seems so like a thing of life, and I am sure I have parted with many a soi-disant friend with infinitely less regret, than I shall experience when I look my last on our safe and happy little schooner. Two nights before we arrived at Jamaica, the light- ning was most vivid. The sky seeiaed to open, and to have changed its ordinary hues for a covering of flame — while every moment, on this brilliant ground, the red zig- zag forks darted out their angry tongues of fire like some fierce and goaded animal. For hours I gazed on this most magnificent sight ; I could not make up my mind to go below, though the rain began to pour in torrents. No one who has not witnessed a storm of thunder and lightning in tropical climates, can form an idea of the mingled beauty, 4* 42 TEXAS AND THE and terror of the effect. For all the world I would not hayc missed the sight, terrific and awe-inspiring as it was. Towards night the tempest was at its height, and the sound of the contending elements, as if roaring for their prey, deadened the voice of man. Suddenly, a noise more stunning than the rest struck upon the car. It was the electric fluid against the mainmast ; the sound it made was like that of two hands clapping, but five hundred times as loud. Our mast was only saved from destruction, and with it, doubtless, our own lives, by the circumstance of the rigging being wet, and acting as a conductor, by which means the fluid was conveyed over the side into the sea. One of the most remarkable occurrences during the storm was one which affected my own person. At the same time that the mast was struck, I felt a warm and most peculiaj* sensation down my iiand, and immediately mentioned the circumstance. For many hours afterwards, a deep red mark, about six inches in length, and one in breadth, was plainly to be seen in the place where I had felt the heat, and what I should describe as almost pain. As I was standing in the direction in which the lightning passed, it is to be supposed that I received at the same time the slightest possible shock. The escape we all had from this worst of dangers was great and providential in- deed. In a small vessel, once on fire, with a large quantity of gunpowder onboard, our destruction must have been in- evitable, had not the Power which had sustained us so long among the dangers of the deep, stretched forth a hand of deliverance over us. During the night, the gale continued with unabated fiiry. To sleep was impossible, and as I lay in my cot, rocked from side to side, and longing for daylight, I heard a strange and unaccustomed sound outside my cabin door. Ongoing out to ascertain from whence it proceeded, I found some flying-fish, which had come down the companion-ladder with the wind and spra)% flapping their delicate wings on GULF OF MEXICO. 43 the oil-cloth. It was a strange situation for flying-fish to find themselves in ! The Imaum was near us during the gale, and at night we occasionally biu-nt blue-lights, which to me was very cheering. Nov. 8. Squally, with heavy rain. Under treble-reefed topsails. 9th. We were rounding Morant Point. Oh I what a swell was there. How we were thrown about. For the first and only time the cook requested a diminution of tlie daily number of dishes, and the sound of breaking crockery was heard playing its destructive accompaniment to the sound of the storm. A lighthouse, which was not mentioned in any of the nautical books, caused some surprise to those on board who had been in the West Indies before. This lighthouse, which was an iron one, and one hundred feet high, had, we afterwards found, been sent out not long before fi-om England. During the whole of the lOth, the highlands of Jamaica were in sight. We passed over the ancient town of Port RoyaL, which now lies " full fathom five" buried beneath the sea; and soon after noon of the 11th, we entered the harbour of its successor of the same name. We went in without a pilot, in a gale of wind, and going at the rate of twelve knots an hour. The Dolphin, as usual, behaved beautifully, answering to her helm, and dashing through the troubled waters in most perfect style. The rain was pouring down in torrents, such rain as is seldom seen ex- cept within the tropics. In these latitudes, it seems not so much to descend in drops, as in a positive sheet of water. The best of Mackintoshes are no protection from its vio- lence ; they are wet through in five minutes. An expe- rienced resident in this climate recommended a thick blanket as the best dress in which to encounter these storms. The town of Port Royal owes its origin to General 44 TEXAS AND THE Eraguc, in the year 1G57. He first discovered its advan- tages as a military position. Its safe and splendid har- bour and the opportunities it afforded for commerce, very soon raised it to a pitch of wealth and prosperity, unsur- passed by any other of our West India possessions. Its greatest source of wealth, however, seems to have been owing to the plunder deposited there by the buccaneers. Gold, silver, jewels, laces, and all the riclies of the Spanish possessions in America, Avcre constantly brought there, and it would be impossible to form any idea of the im- mense value of the spoils. Port Royal reached its highest pitch of prosperity about 1692, and it is from that year that its gradual decay may be dated. A tremendous earth- quake overthrew, and buried beneath the waves, all tlie principal sti-eets of the once flourishing city of Fort Royal. Thousands perislied through this awful calamity, and the waves of the restless sea rolled over the once splendid cliurch, and handsome buildings of the doomed city. There are some who declare that the steeple of the princi- pal church may still be seen many fathoms under water in a calm day. It was melancholy to reflect on the frightful loss of life, and of the numbers of human beings whose bones were strewing the bottom of the harbour, in which wc were now securely floating. The sharks swim carelessly over heaps of treasure, and mounds of gold. I have often wondered why some of our speculators, v/ho in other parts of the world employ their energies in fishing for treasure, have not endeavoured to rescue some of these buried riches from the bottom of the deep. Tlie glory and prosperity of Port Royal seem to have departed for ever. Scarcely, after tliis fierce and terrible earthquake, had the remaining inhabitants recovered from their panic, and restored a few of the streets to sometliing- of their former state, when the ill-fated town was again destroyed by fire. Two hurricanes, one in 1722, and another in 1744, successively razed it to the ground. GULF OF MEXICO. 45 Jamaica has always been famous as the resort cf pirates. Among- the places of historical interest, as re- gards these adventurers, Cow Bay stands pre-eminent. It was there that, in the year 1681, an engagement was fought between tlic Governor, Sir Henry Morgan, and Everson, the Dutch pirate. The force of the latter con- sisted of but two ships, one of which was taken, and the pirate killed. The other vessel escaped. The crew of the one which was taken w^ere desperate, and fought bravely for their lives. Those who were not killed in action were executed on the shore. All the men were English. Some years after this occurrence, the neigh- bourhood of Port Royal was visited by a whole fleet of pirates, who then infested these seas. The barbarities they committed along the coast, upon such of the harm- less and inoffensive inhabitants who were so unfortunate as to fall within their reach, are described as dreadful, and for miles around, they desolated the country by fire and sword. There is certainly great beauty in the surrounding country, but Port Royal itself is as ugly as a town can well be. Immediately after our arrival, our kind friend. Commodore Byng, sent to invite us to make his house our home during our stay in the island. The offer was gladly accepted, and we were soon landed at the dockyard, under a scorching sun. No sooner had we left the yacht, than the sailors, one and all, threw off their clothes, and plunged into the water. The master, of course, ordered them in- stantly on board again; their escape fi-om the jaws of the innumerable sharks which here infest the water, was almost miraculous. The thoughtlessness of sailors is really wonderful. The Commodore's house is most com- fortable. Never shall I forget the delightftil relief it afforded, after undergoing the intense heat of the sun's rays, as they pierced through the insufficient barrier of our quarter-deck awning. On shore, we enjoyed exceed- ingly the green jalousies tlu'ough which the sea-breeze 46 TEXAS AND THE blew refreshingly ; and then the delicious iced water, and the luxurious sofas and rocking-chairs ! I repeat, the chang-c was most delightful. 1'he day after our arrival a sad tragedy occurred, at least it was a tragedy to me. My beautiful young Newfoundland dog, Wallace, who fetched and carried as no dog ever did before, and whose spirits and good-humour rendered him a favourite wherever he went, swam on shore in high health and spirits; while bounding about in the exuberance of delight at having escaped from the confinement of the ship, he suddenly fell down in a fit, having, as we supposed, received a coup de soleil. His sufferings, poor fellow, were soon over, and he was buried in a corner of the dockyard. I grieved for him at the time, and greatly missed his honest greeting v/hen I returned on board. The view from the Commodore's bouse is interesting. Cocoa-nut trees waved their hearse-like tops to the breeze close to its walls, and within a stone'^ throw lay the old " Magnificent." Further off, wc descried the delicate masts of our own little Dolphin, while the flag of the g-ood ship Imaum was floating in the distance. The opposite land was clearly to be discerned. Up and down, before the house, paced the black senary, calling the hours as they came round, and the bells of the various ships echoed his cry. The house, like most of those in tropical climates, is raised from the ground on high pillars. This mode of architecture not only renders the apartments much cooler, but )>reserves those who inhabit them, in some measure, from the attacks of insects and reptiles. Every expedient is resorted to Coy protection from the bites of the detestable musquitoes ; notwithstanding which, in common with all new-comers, I found them most annoying. It is not so much the actual pain of the sting, at the time, as the ag- gravation of it aflerwards, that is so trying ; and in this climate, where tlie slightest scratcli often becomes a seri- ous affair, tlie irritation produced by a musquito-bite is GULF OF MEXICO. 47 often attended with bad, and even dangerous results. Two of our men were in the hospital for some time, in consequence of the venomous bites of these vicious little creatures. We had been much surprised at tlie dearncss of every thing- at Barbadoes ; but we were more astonished, from the same cause, at Port-Royal. Mutton, bad and dry, 10 most individuals tliroughout the world, but I could not . help being struck witli 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 marine 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 Repub- lic, and also their harbour from exhibiting a most un- sightly monument of their improvidence and idleness. The revenue of the country is not at present sufficient to play ducks and drakes with ; what it may be hereafter time will show, as well as the disposition of the people as to its expenditure. In the mean time, the money arising from the sale of these vessels would have been something. Not long ago a large steamer went on shore on the island about ten miles from Galveston city. She belonged to a Galveston 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 portions of the iron-work being hauled (Anglice carted) along the beach to Gal- veston. Altogether the loss must have been a heavy one to the proprietor. Cotton, harmless as it looks, sometimes turns out a most dangerous cargo. If at the time it is packed, it happens to contain the least degree of moisture, 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 Cramayel, the Charge d' Affaires for France, had sent me a most beautiful little GULF OF MEXICO. 145 live hawk, of a species quite new to me, which he had shot, but it was only " seriously" not " dangerously wounded." The sailors, — who certainly are the most tender-hearted people in the world, as far 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 Ja- maica : long may the graceful boughs of the cocoa-nut tree wave over his tomb ! We had still, however, old Rake the setter, v/ho is I regret to say, far gone in decrepitude, and second childishness ; like many other better dogs than himself, he has had his day ; yet still " sans eyes — sans teeth — sans every thing" — the old dog always finds a warm berth, a kind word, and the best of dogs' food that can be had for asking. Besides 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 wan- dering about the decks over our heads, in search of her child, and uttering dismal bleatings, while her progeny 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 assm'ance. We had serious thoughts of continuing our course southward, to visit Vera Cruz, and thence to proceed to Mexico. 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 amongst brigands, and thieves, was enough to turn back the boldest of us. To New Orleans, 13 146 TEXAS AND THE therefore, it was decided that we should again betake our- selves. The Electra, after a fortnight's absence, or rather after standing on and oif the shore, had at length succeeded in coming to an anchor outside the bar. She has brought despatches for Captain Elliott, 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 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 Yankees say, to pay a visit to Captain Darley, on board the Electra. We passed the formidable 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 passed close to the bows of the Electra, and remarkably well she looked to us, ac- customed to Yankee and Texan craft. The wind was favourable, and we steered a direct course to the south- west pass of the Mississippi. If we escape the dangers of plague, pestilence, famine, and shipwreck, and live to 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." GULF OF MEXICO. 147 CHAPTER XIV. Lighthouse at the entrance of the Mississippi — Winter scenery of its banks — Extreme cold — Visit to the shore — Venomous snake — Ran on board by a steamer — Arrival at New Orleans — — Amusement of the inhabitants. Old Ocean was, Infinity of ages ere we breathed Existence — and he will be beautiful When all the living world that sees him now Shall roll unconscious dust around the sun. Ca31PBELL. Unheeded fails along the flood Thy desolate and aged tree. Idem. January 29th. The land was sighted ahead, and in the afternoon we received the Pilot on board. The weather was fine and quiet, with occasional lig-ht airs. The pilot told us that the yacht would have to cut her way tlirough several feet of mud, and every stitch of canvass was crowded on the vessel to enable her to dash bravely through, when she should arrive at the shallow part of the water. We were not long kept in anxiety, for though we perceived no change in her usual smooth and even course through the water, the schooner was slipping gently and safely through the soft mud. At one moment, however, (and that at the shallowest spot) she scarcely seemed to move, and we began to fancy she was fixed, and might remain — as the Yankees say, " from January to eternity." A few seconds put us out of our suspense, for a puflTof wind suddenly arose, and carried us in safety into deep water. I have forgotten to mention a lighthouse, which we left behind us at the southwest pass ; and I must revert to it here, as there is rather a singular story attached to 148 TEXAS AND THE it. The situation is I think a precarious one, at least it has the appearance of being so, the lighthouse having been erected on a sedgy bank formed by an accumula- tion of mud and snags. These insecure oozy-looking lands extend in all directions about the various entrances to the Mississippi, and give it the appearance — I liave before remarked upon — of unhealthy desolation. Tlie lighthouse in question was built by the government or the United States, at a considerable expense, as they were aware of the great necessity of such a beacon at the mouth of the river. Soon after the work was com- pleted, an unexpected claim was set up to the land, or rather mud on which the lighthouse had been built. The parties, who thus inopportunely appeared, founded their claim on a title, which was derived from some old Spanish grant. This title they produced, but at the same time they offered to forego their claim for the moderate sum of, I think, thirty thousand dollars. The cause v/as tried, and to tlie great annoyance of the government, it was decided in favour of the new claimants, and the former, rather than remove their lighthouse, consented to comply with this exorbitant demand. The whole affair is a fine specimen of Yankee cunning, and shrewd lying in wait for the unwary. Proudly by the woodland deeps Our little gallant schooner sweeps. The song of birds is heard above Tuning their swelling throats to love ; And, with a joyous welcome hailing The bark, with such a white wing sailing. On poising wings the sea-birds float And join them with their warning note. But heedless, on the vessel glides. Stemming the fury of the tides, And, like a spirit of the seas. Riding on the wintry breeze. Full many a tall ship, creeping on. She passes, 'ere her race is won. M. C. H. GULF OF MEXICO. 149 The two months that had elapsed since we last visited the Mississippi, had worked a great change in the ap- pearance of the woods. The trees, which were before clad in all the beauty of their autumnal verdure, were now bleak, gray, and leafless. It is true that, here and there, an ilex, or some other evergreen, relieved with its rich hues this dismal appearance, but they were but rare, and I continually regretted the change that had taken place. The long hanging moss, that like the gray and venerable beards of some aged patriarch, was pendant from the trees, showed more conspicuously than ever, from the want of leaves, of which it now usurps the place. One could not, as before, be cheated by the beauty of the decaying vegetation, into a forgetfulness of the deadly insalubrity of the climate and country. The morasses were now displayed in all their horrors, and one almost shuddered to pass such cradles of pesti- lence and disease. The river was much higher than it was during our former visit ; the breaking up of the frost, and the conse- quent melting of the snow in the northern country, had caused it to rise many feet. The tide was running three or four knots an hour, and it would have required a very strong wind in our favour, to enable us to make head against it. Unluckily for us not a breath of air was blowing, and on this, our second day in the river, — after many attempts to pro- gress, which ended in oui" making stern-way only, we let go the anchor, and determined to go on shore. The weather was intensely cold, and the water used for washing the decks immediately froze after being dashed over them. A bright sun was shining all the morning, and yet the water remained unthawed through- out the day. We really could not keep ourselves warm in the yacht, as the state of the decks entirely prevented us from taking our usual exercise of pacing up and down the 13* 150 TEXAS AND THE vessel, and we did not at all relish being- confined in the cabin, while such a brilliant sun was shining' over head. An expedition on shore was, therefore, agreed upon, and the gig was manned. We landed with some little diffi- culty, as the banks are at that spot abrupt and rather steep, at least I thought them so, when I found myself obliged to attempt the ascent. I soon perceived that I had gained nothing in warmth by the change from the yacht. Walking I found impos- sible, the ground was so rough, and sitting still was freezing work. A happy idea at length struck us, viz. that of making a fire on the ground under the trees. We set to work to collect sticks and dried leaves, and soon made a satisfactory heap. This done, we endea- voured to produce a light, by rubbing together two pieces of dried wood — Indian fashion. Do what we would, and strive as we might, we could not succeed, and yet wc naturally felt, that half the romance of the situation would be destroyed, by obtaining a light in any more artificial manner. At length, however, we gave up the attempt in despair, and were thankful for a lucifer match which the doctor happily had in his pocket. The fire burnt bravely, rushing along the ground over the dead leaves, and warming the whole air to a distance of at least a hundred yards. I was constantly obliged to change my position, as the fierce flames approached, and seemed ready to lick my feet ; but the warmth was quite delightful, and I would at any time prefer such a wood- fire to Newcastle coal in the best and most polished of fire-places. Following my example, the crew of the gig, who had been wandering listlessly about the woods, made themselves a fire also, and sat round it to warm themselves. While I was thus employed, Mr. Houstoun amused himself with shooting. There was plenty of rabbits, and they were easily shot ; they were however not worth eating, when cooked. I do not know in what respect GULF OF MEXICO. 151 they differed from English rabbits, but they neither looked nor tasted the same. Numbers of beautiful birds were flying-, and sporting about; their bright plumage being seen to great advantage on the leafless boughs. I thought it grievous to shoot them, and when they brought me cardinals, blue-birds, and bright-coloured woodpeckers, I felt how much rather I would have seen them glancing about in the bright ligbt, and sunning themselves in the warmth of heaven. They were now stretched lifeless and stiff upon the earth, these poor woodland forest min- strels ! never more to sing their joyous songs, or flit about the dancing leaves ! But how still and sombre that primeval forest seemed ! Not a sound broke upon the ear, except when the report of the gun reverberated through the woods, and startled the slumbering echoes from their long repose. " Yet wanted not the eye far scope to muse, Nor vistas opened by the wandering stream." Here and there were blackened stumps, showing that the devastating hand of man had been busy there, and had lain low the stately trees which had grown in that vast forest for centuries. Around the prostrate forms of the dead giants clung the sad passion-flower, and the twining creeper, as though loath to part with the faithful pillar that had been their support in life. The whole sur- face of the ground was so thickly covered with dried leaves, that it was difficult to make any discovery of the descriptions of plants or herbs, which vegetate under the trees. The monotonous brown of the earth's covering was, however, varied by frequent tufts of the fan-plant ; as it is here called. This graceful plant shoots up its broad fan-like leaves, of the most vivid green, and its peculiar shape and hue are calculated to give an appear- ance of tropical vegetation to the scenery. We had been informed that wild boar and deer, were to be found in the forests in considerable numbers ; how- ever we were not fortunate enough to see any thing of 152 TEXAS AND THE them, and I confess myself rather incredulous as to tlu; fact of their existence in these woods. My fii-c had, after the lapse of a couple of hours, burnt low, and we made preparations for going' on board. On our return to the gig-, we perceived the men very busily engaged; so much so, that v/e came upon them unseen. They had fomid a small snake, wliich the warmth of their fire had probably aroused from its torpid state, and they were endeavouring to make sure of their prisoner. To effect this, they were trying to tie a piece of rope- yarn round the creature's body. The snake having, as one of the sailors expressed it, " hove off his tail," in the course of his capture, this circumstance considerably in- creased the difficulty of the attempt. Having with great care adjusted the yarn to his satisfaction, the man whose prize it was, deposited the reptile in the crown of his hat. Happily for the poor man, wc returned in time to prevent the consequences of his imprudence. The snake was one of a most venomous species, and we immediately turned the tide of his sufferings by ordering him to be destroyed. All night we lay at anchor, and the yacht ran no little risk of injury from the vast number of logs and trees, which were floating down the river. Owing to the unu- sually high floods and tides, the stream was at times al- most covered by these disagreeable hindrances to our progress. Trees of forest growth and stature, uprooted in their strength, came upon us with resistless force, and it required constant care to prevent collision, when we were under way. A look-out man was always stationed " forward," to watch their coming, and to direct the helmsman how to steer. These moving timbers were, however, not so dangerous as tlie snags, namely, trees, or parts of them, that have a strong' hold on the bottom. Thus sped our time, and a long and rather weary four days it was before we arrived at the city. The night be- fore we reached it the yacht underwent a signal misfor- tune, which certainly occasioned some variety, though of GULF OF MEXICO. 153 not a particularly agreeable nature. It was the night of the 1st of February, dark, and still, and foggy. A small steamer Coming up to the city, hailed us several times, to know if we wanted steam, her commander no doubt con- jecturing that we were at anchor, in despair of making fm-ther way. The look-out man on deck answered "No," several times ; upon which the steamer, (as we suppose, out of envy, malice, and hatred) ran on board of us, and did us all the mischief in her power. Our fore-topmast was carried away, as well as the larboard whisker ; and part of the bulwarks on the larboard bow was stove in. The next morning all hands were employed in clearing away the wreck, which having been done, we made sail, somewhat shorn of our fair proportions. At one o'clock we arrived again at New Orleans, and lost no time in sending on shore for our much wished for letters. One of Mr. Houstoun's first occupations was to find out the name of the vessel, which had so signally insulted us, and to demand satisfaction. The steamer proved to be the " Swan," a tug, and her owners found themselves obliged to make good all the damage we had received. The appearance of the city was now much more gay and cheerful than it had been diu-ing our former visit. The carnival had begun, and masks were visible in the windows of the stores. The walls were covered with announcements of forthcoming balls, both in the French and English languages. Plays were in great vogue ; and the Parisian taste for horrors was also prevalent here, " La Mansarde de Crime,''^ and such like mysterious tragedies, I saw announced for constant repetition. The streets were much dryer, and the shops — I beg their pardoix, the stores, — were more conspicuously and taste- fully arranged than in the winter. The spring fashions had already made their appearance ; and ladies, gaily dressed in every colour of the rainbow, — beginning with the parasol, and ending with the shoes, — were prome- nading the streets in all directions. Indeed, it seemed 154 TEXAS AND THE that in proportion as business, owing- to tiie season of the year, had declined, pleasure had risen fifty per cent. Tlicre are but two drives in the neighbourhood of New- Orleans — the old and new " Shell-Roads," These roads are raised by artificial means several feet above the morass, which almost surrounds the city. They are formed upon piles, and are thickly covered, as their name implies, with small sea-shells. From this road, you look down on a swamp on one side, and a canal on the other. Both roads, in the hot season, are described as literally swarming with alligators and musquitoes. Happily for us, the time of the year for these creatures had not yei arrived. During our stay, I saw but one young alligator, and the musquitoes were not yet brought into light and mischief. Though still, in what we in England call the depth of winter, the vegetation was as forward as it often is in an English May. The tender gi'een of the beech was every where visible, and the buds of the hawthorn were almost visibly bursting forth under the influence of the warm sunshine. Wild flowers, such as prefer moist and watery places, were beginning to show their blossoms ; and among them I noticed several descriptions of briar, which were very pretty. Birds were welcoming tlie spring with their small twittering notes, but cheerful as their voices sounded in the still air, we missed the full chorus of our English woodland vocalists. No night- ingale, " Winds up his long, long shakes of ecstacy," and no skylark " Pilgrim of the sky" carolled forth his welcome to the opening year. I missed almost all my old favourites ; and was only con- soled in their absence by the sound of the cuckoo's " Twin notes inseparably paired." ' His erratic voice was still faithful to the spring ! One of the shell-roads leads to the Lake of Pontchar- GULF OF MEXICO. 155 train. This lake is of salt water, and its shores are low and flat. There is a sort of village on its banks, which is considered and used as a watering-place ; and though not more than six miles distant, may be called tJie Brighton of New Orleans. Many of the opulent mer- chants have built villas at Pontchartrain, and during the summer months, when business is at a stand-still, thev migrate to the shores of the lake, and refresh themselves by bathing in its salt waters. New Orleans is thus almost deserted by the rich inhabitants during the hot and unJiealthy season. It is on Sundays that the Shell- Road ought to be visited ; it is then crowded with plea- sure-taking citizens ; not a carriage is left in the streets unhired ; and by far the greatest number are filled with negroes. It is quite delightful to see how thoroughly they enjoy themselves. Their happy laughing faces are shining out at the open windows, and each carriage is packed as full as it can hold. The slaves are seen grin- ning, and chattering incessantly, and with a vivacity and excitement unknown to those, of whom Sundays brings not the happy variety of freedom. Another employment of the slaves, on a Sunday, is the bringing in, on their own account, large supplies of the Spanish moss from the country. They collect it from the tall trees in the neighbourhood, and it well repays them for the trouble. It is principally used in making beds, and enough for such a purpose may be collected in a few minutes ; it re- quires but little preparation, and the beds thus made are remarkably comfortable. I have so often described this moss ( Tillandsia Usneodes), that I need not say much more about it. In the neighbourhood of New Orleans it appeared to me particularly thick and long, growing fre- quently to the length of three or four feet, and almost, hiding its parent tree. The effect of setting a dead tree on fire, with its clothing of dried moss, is very curious. We tried the experiment once, and the appearance of the flames on the rapidly ignited moss, was beautifiil. During one of these Sunday drives, I first saw and admired the 156 TEXAS AND THE astonishing pace of the trotting- horses in America, The Shell-Road is remarkably well adapted for showing off their powers, being perfectly flat, and smooth. The car- riage used is as light as possible, and looks as if a much less weight than that of a man would break it down. The horse I saw was said to be " a considerable fair tra- veller, with most particular good bottom." I should, I am afraid, be suspected of an Americanism, did I venture to assert how fast he went ; but the pace struck me with wonder. He passed at a trot, like a flash of lightning ; and it was a fair trot, not a run, or any thing like it. The best and fastest trotter was a Canadian horse. These are generally of a small size, and I fear much cruelty is used to break them into trotting in this astonishing manner. CHAPTER XV, Florida Indians — Their habits — Party of prisoners — The chief, " Tiger-Tail." I travelled among unknown men, In lands beyond the sea. Wordsworth. And by my side, in battle true, A thousand warriors drew the shaft. ***** I may not stain with grief, The death-song of an Indian chief! Campbell. 3 had expected to find every sort of Indian fancy-work in plenty at New Orleans, but I was disappointed. There was but little in the stores, and the prices asked were quite unconscionable. For a small hunting-pouch, worked with beads, and that not very curiously, the demand was fifty-two dollars ; nearly fourteen pounds ! We oft,en met Indians, both men and women, wandering about the GULF OF MEXICO. 157 streets : they were scantily clothed, with an old blanket wrapped about them for their only covering. They were often in a state of intoxication (with their long shining black hair falling over their faces), and shivering with cold. The time at which they were most frequently to be seen, was early in the morning, and they generally attended the markets. During our stay at New Orleans a party of Florida Indians were brought in as prisoners, with their squaws and children. These Indians have for a long time occa- sioned great annoyance, and trouble to the government of the United States. They are naturally fond of war, and, although greatly reduced in numbers, are constantly engaged in hostile insurrections. Who can wonder at the efforts made by these poor and suffering people to re- gain possession of their country. Swampy and unwhole- some as that country is, still it was their own, and the Indian tribes are never the first to forget their fatherland. Some parts of Florida are productive and healthy, but by far the larger portion is wet and marshy, well calcu- lated certainly for the produce and increase of snakes, frogs, alligators, gnats, and musquitoes, but not an en- viable residence for human beings. In common with the swamps in the neighbourhood of New Orleans, cedar and cypress grow in the Florida marshes to a prodigious size, as also the live-oak ; and it is in these swampy forests that the slender remains of the once powerful tribes re- treat for shelter from their enemies, l^hat the whole race of Indians on this continent must hate the whites with a bitter hatred, no one can doubt. On every occa- sion they have broken faith with them, and have made themselves lords of the soil, by stealing their birth-right from the original inhabitants. Gradually, but surely, have the aboriginal Indians disappeared from the face of the world, driven out by the progress of civilization. It is not that by intermarriages, and other causes, the gene- ration of red men becomes insensibly mingled with the 14 1^^ TEXAS AND THE whites, but that by some inevitable decree of Providence they dwindle away, and are lost to the world for ever. All these things are wonderful, and past finding out. The Florida Indians are passionately addicted to hunt- ing, and by this means they provide themselves and their families witli food. Deer, bear, and wolf's skins, besides bees-wax and venison, are articles they sell to strangers. They traffic also in squirrels' skins, which are beautiful and very valuable; in short, could the Florida Indians overcome their longing to be free, they might live in com- fort enough. Those we saw at New Orleans, amounted in number to about two hundred, and they were con- stantly being augmented by IVesh captures. The poor creatures were kept in the barracks, which are situated about three miles from the city on the banks of the river. They were allowed the free range of the barrack-yard, but limited enough must such a liberty have appeared to them, accustomed to the free air of their native woods. We paid them several visits after their arrival, and the sight interested me extremely. They were most of them fine athletic-looking men, muscular, and well proportioned. I should say that they more re- sembled the Gypsies we are in the habit of seeing in Eu- rope, than any other people. Their complexion is of the same dark hue, and their hair long, straight, and shining. Some of the warriors were still in their paint; a hideous combination of colours which covered their bodies ; red being the most prevailing tint. The squaws were not re- markable for their personal charms ; I saw but one who could be pronounced, in the least degree, prettv. She was very young, almost a child in appearance, and bore her infant on her back ; she was nestling at the feet of a young and fine looking warrior, the son, I was told, of a great chief. Occasionally she raised her dark expressive eyes to his face, not presuming to address him; but watching his movements, and anticipating his wishes, with the patience and submission peculiar to the Indian wife. The rest of the women wxre employed in various GULF OF MEXICO. 159 ways. They were evidently considered as infinitely in- ferior to their lords in the scale of humanity, and all the menial offices were left to them to perform. Their mode of bruising- the Indian corn, which forms their principal article of food, is by beating the grain in a large wooden trough, with heavy pieces of wood. It must have been very hard labour, yet the squaws performed it without re- ceiving the slightest assistance from the men, who, I have no doubt, would have felt themselves degraded, had they lent a hand to the work. Others of these hard-work- ing females were boiling potatoes for the daily meal, and one and all bore upon their backs a little patient infant. The poor little creatures were tightly swathed, like dimi- nutive mummies, and had no power to move any pait of their persons, excepting their large round eyes, which kept staring about in restless activity. There were a number of children of all ages and sizes playing about, and most of them were pretty and interesting. I was very much struck by the extreme gravity and silence preserved by the whole party, men and women. Even in their amusements, the same dignified composure was visible. We often found the young men playing at a game, which greatly resembled the old English sport called " Hockey." They displayed much skill and ac- tivity at this exercise : the old men in the mean time looking gravely on. Some of the warriors were stretched on the ground wrapped in their blankets, while others were leaning, with folded arms, against the walls. Among the prisoners was a great chief and warrior. His name was " Tiger Tail," and it was one that had often spread terror and dismay amongst his enemies. The chief was now old, his strength was on the decline, and he was patiently waiting the summons of the Great Spirit, to enjoy the reward of a brave warrior, in the happy hunting-grounds of the blest. But once more, however, the war-whoop had sounded in his ears, and scenting the battle afar off, the aged chief prepared to tread his last war-path, with the young warriors of his 160 TEXAS AND THE tribe. Gallantly they fought, but the Manitou had turned away his face from his children, and after a fierce struggle they bent their heads beneath his displeasure ; and were led away captive. During this last engagement " Tiger Tail," was severely wounded, and from the nature of the hurt, his sufferings must have been very great. Notwith- standing this, he refused every offer of surgical assist- ance, and with true Indian stoicism, looked as composed, and as mentally unsubdued, as though he were seated at the council-fire of his tribe. The skill and bravery of " Tiger Tail" had on former occasions caused considerable loss to the American troops, and his capture was a source of peculiar congratulation to them. During their march in the winter season, through the vast forests of Florida, they had been una- voidably subjected to much hardship ; and the children in particular must have greatly suffered. I was told (by means of an interpreter) that one poor little fellow, a boy not five years old, had been lost in the forest on their march. Three months elapsed before he was found. During all that time he had been alone, and had existed literally upon fruits and wild honey. He was a remark- ably intelligent-looking child, as indeed they all were : when he was discovered in the forest, the boy was in very good preservation, and seemed likely to remain so. A plump, merry-looking little urchin he was, and there was that in his eye that would have made a warrior in the palmy days of Indian power. The prisoners were remarkably well fed and cared for, and on the whole did not look unhappy. They were oc- casionally allowed the indulgence of performing their na- tional war-dance, and this was done invariably at night. The scene was lighted up by torches, which they brand- ished in their hands. The stamping movement of their feet was accompanied at intervals by the most discordant whoops, and the whole ballet, though extremely curious, was any thing but a graceful exhibition. The first time we appeared amongst them, the Indians GULF OF MEXICO. 161 exhibited no marked signs of wonder. They looked at us askance, and rather suspiciously, but once, only, did I see them roused to any thing- like animation. The object of their curiosity was my sable boa, and I shall not easily forget the silent wonder with which some of the grave old hunters regarded it. One of them, without any ceremony, took it away from me, in order to examine it more closely ; a little circle was then formed, and they deliberated upon its nature, and origin. The prevalent opinion certainly was, that it was the full length tail of some animal ; a creature to them unknown, on whom Na- ture had bestowed a " fly-disperser" of unusual length and beauty. After looking at it for a long time, one of them endeavoured to fasten it on the back of a brother hunter, who stood near : having done this, he proceeded to curl it up in order to make it look as natural as pos- sible. The joke was hailed by the rest with a momen- tary laugh, but in another second their countenances were as still, and as impassive as before. I had no idea that they could be half so facetious. We generally distributed some small coins amongst them ; money, however, they appeared to set but little value on. A much more acceptable present, I have no doubt, would have been some whiskey or rum. In com- mon with all savage tribes, they were passionately fond of ardent spirits, not the least among the evils for which they have to thank their civilized successors. I believe that it is the intention of the government to send the prisoners to St. Louis, with the object of settling them in the Western Prairies. 14* 162 TEXAS AND THE CHAPTER XVI. Public carriages — Negro slaves — Their habits and customs — Absence of religious feelings and observance at New Or- leans — Favourite s]X)rts — Stoppage of a bank — American crimps — Methodical habits of the citizens — Commerce of New Orleans. Ye men of prostrate minds! ****** Shame on you, feeble heads to slavery prone .' Wordsworth. There is a railroad from New Orleans to Pontchar- train ; rather an indifferent one, certainly, for the carriages are none of them superior to our "second class" vehicles, while there is not even the satisfaction of going- quickly over the ground. The carriages which stand in the streets for hire, are, as I before remarked, particularly good and comfortable. They are usually driven by slaves, and at a very good pace. We employed the same carriage and driver nearly every day during our stay. The former was a species of caleche, and the negro, who performed the office of cha- rioteer, was the most communicative individual I ever saw. He was a very merry fellow, black as jet, and as shining as a plentiful supply of cocoa-nut oil could make him. His pockets were always full of nuts of various kinds, which he cracked and ate during the short pauses in his conversation. He often talked to us on the " Slavery question," told us how much money he had the opportu- nities of earning on his own account, and begged to assure us that it would by no means answer for him to be free. The recollection of this man induces me to say a few words upon the apparently happy life led by this much- GULF OF MEXICO. 163 pitied race at New Orleans. Among the list of grievances, I have heard it asserted that they are kept strictly apart from their " white brethren," and are evidently consi- dered, by this marked separation, as a degraded and infe- rior race. This, at New Orleans, is certainly not the case. I was constantly in the habit of seeing well-dressed American children, evidently the offspring of respectable parents, playing with little piccaninies, as black and as curly-headed as little niggers could well be, A perfect system of equality apparently existed among them, and in the course of their merry games the laugh of the black child was as clear and ringing as that of his white play- fellow. During our drives through the streets, especially on Sundays, the display of negro finery and taste was very remarkable. If we happened to overtake a particularly 164 TEXAS AND THE well-dressed person with a Parisian coat, a glossy hat and well-varnished boots, we were sure to be surprised by seeing a black face appended to these advantages. I saw such persecuted negro slaves frequently ; they appeared to have no other occupation tlian that of flourishing about their gold-headed canes, and fixing a glass in their eye. Gloves (which are an unusual sight at New Orleans) they generally indulged in, and with one hand gracefully placed in the coat-pocket, looked worthy — behind — of figuring in the Tuileries, or St. James's Street. No one pays higher for his outfit than the negro in the slave states. He gives his money too, so carelessly, and with such an independent air. I have heard of their giving eighty dollars for a suit of clothes ; and their industry, and efforts to procure money, are highly praiseworthy. They are in the habit of giving their masters a certain sum of money, (generally, I believe, about two dollars a day,) in lieu of their services. Their time, then, is their own, and they are at liberty to make as much more out of it as they can. From what I saw and heard, I am inclined to think that many of the domestic slaves would not accept their liberty, were it offered to them. There is scarcely any spectacle more affecting in idea than that of a human being being made a matter of barter. I went to America strongly prejudiced against this unnatural traffic, and prepared to view every instance of it with horror, and every slave with compassion and sympathy. I became, however, after a short time, somewhat moderated in my opinions ; and though still regarding the slave-trade gene- rally, in the same light, I began to think that the slaves themselves were not quite so much to be pitied as I had imagined. The first time I saw a slave sold I was affected almost to tears, but after contemplating their cheerful, happy faces, and seeing how well and kindly they were generally treated, I learned to view the scene with different feelings. A slave-sale is in some respects a laughable sight enough. The American auctioneer is not to be outdone by that prince of auctioneers, George Robins himself, in GULF OF MEXICO. 165 tlie exercise of his vocation. I once saw a very small " lot" put up ; it was a poor-looking creature about four feet high, and appeared certainly not much accustomed to stand in high places : he stood up, however, boldly enough, by the side of the auctioneer, dressed in the smart clothes kept for the especial purpose of making the poor fellows look their best. The auctioneer began, " This fine young man, gentlemen, is warranted to be only twenty years of age ; sound in wind and limb — he has an excellent character, and a good temper. More- over, gentlemen, he was born in the state of Mississippi, and is warranted to be a first-rate field hand, and a ter- rible good cotton-picker. It 'ud be a privilege to have him, gentlemen." All this time the object of such elo- quent praise stood on the elevated platform, and instead of (as one would imagine) looking distressed and imhappy, seemed only rather bewildered, and grinned throughout the ceremony from ear to ear. There certainly is a great absence of religious feeling and observance in this city. This may be attributed, in some measure, to the admixture of the Catholic and Pro- testant faith, professed by its various inhabitants. There is, however, I imagine, a deeper cause for the want of reli- gion observable here. There is no religion having authority, and thus in democratic countries, and particularly among a hard-headed and unimaginative people, like the Americans, devotional feeling becomes weakened and extinguished, when the outward observance of the rites and ceremonies of religion is in no degree a part of the government of the coiuitry. The subject altogether is too important, and in- volves too much learned disquisition for me to venture to touch upon it. I can only repeat the broad fact, that religion is treated with no respect at New Orleans. I have before re- marked that Sunday is their great day of amusement. This, however, alone would not establish the fact of their negligence in religious matters. We do' the same un- fortunately in England, ^and in almost all parts of the European Continent, and should not be the first, therefore, 166 TEXAS AND THE to throw the stone. But the ceremonies of religion, church-going-, &c., are not thought of here ; they scarce- ly even think it necessary to profess a faith. This subject is one under frequent discussion between the wise men of the Northern and Southern States ; and numerous argu- ments arise in consequence. The former asserts, that in the north it is absolutely necessary to the character of an individual, that he should be nominally a member of some religious persuasion or other. Be it Catholic or Protestant, Shaker or Quaker, follower of Johanna South- cote, or an Anabaptist, it did not much signify ; but one or other he must choose. He must, they say, be some- thing ; whereas at New Orleans " Nobody is any thing." The favourite sport on Sunday is that of rifle-shooting. Thousands flock to the ground where the performance takes place, and great is the emulation excited among the aspirants for fame. The mark is a turkey, which is fastened to the flattened stump of a tree, and the distance from it to the marksman is about seventy yards. The turkeys used for this purpose are brought down the Mississippi, by dozens, in flat-bottomed boats. The American sportsmen failed in impressing us with a high opinion of their skill as rifle shots. They talk a great deal about it ; but that, we all know, is no proof of superior- ity. One of the New Orleans Society, who enjoyed the reputation of being one of the best shots in the United States, showed us a perforated target, of which he ap- peared extremely proud. He had laid a wager, that at a distance of seventy yards he would put half a dozen balls into a target ; a wafer was placed in the centre, and none of the balls were to enter at a greater distance than five inches from the wafer. He had come off* victorious in the match, and the target was laid up among his family relics, as a precious and honourable trophy of his skill. We remarked previous to the wager being ex- plained to us, that the balls were rather wide of the centre, but his amour propre was too great to receive a check easily ; — and he it was who boasted that he could " pick GULF OF MEXICO. 1 67 oflf" a man at the distance of a thousand yards across the Mississippi. A feai'ful tragedy was acted shortly before our de- parture from New Orleans. A large bank stopped pay- ment, and the announcement was attended by an excite- ment among the inhabitants almost unequalled. Men were seen rushing abovit through the streets, some with bags of dollars on their shoulders, and all with dismay plainly marked on their countenances. During the course of the day, the various banks in the city were emptied of their cash, but it was not till the following morning that we learnt the most painful part of the story, namely, that the president of the bank, a man much considered and respected in New Orleans, had committed suicide. He left his house the day that the bank broke, and twenty-four hours after was found dead in the Yellow Fever Burial-Ground, having stabbed himself through the body. This sad instance of irreligion, and moral co- wardice, was the more deplorable, as the unhappy man had the misfortune to possess a wife and a large family of children. We Avere told that it was necessary to keep a constant watch over sailors, when in the liarbour of New Orleans, as they are frequently in the habit of escaping. It was now becoming late in the business-season ; a great num- ber of the ships had sailed ; and many of those still remaining found great difficulty in proctiring seamen for the voyage home. On hearing this, Mr. Houstoun took an early opportunity of informing the crew of the Dol- phin, that he had no desire of retaining any man in the vessel against his will ; and that if any of the " ship's company" felt disposed to go, they had better take their departure at once, and openly, instead of skulking off at the last moment, and leaving us without sufficient hands to work the ship. Thus prepared, we " lay upon our oars," and awaited the result. There is a thoroughly organized system here for entrapping English sailors, who are highly valued, 168 TEXAS AND THE both as mercliant and men-of-war's-men. I may here recommend the latter to read Mr. Dana's work, " Two Years before the Mast." The Americans are incessantly endeavouring to entice the men from the various ships to which they belong-. The pay they offer is enormously high ; thirty dollars (six pounds a month) have been frequently given, and it may be imagined that very few sailors are proof against such high bribery as this. Merchant ships at New Orleans generally have their cargo stowed by contractors, who are experienced in the business, and who employ blacks and Irishmen for the purpose : the affair being arranged in this manner, it becomes almost a desideratimi with the captains of mer- chant vessels to get rid of their hands as soon as possible. They are thus spared the trouble and expense of keeping them during the six weeks or two months that their ships remain in the harbour. When a vessel is ready to sail, the captain has recourse to what is called a crimp, of which there are plenty, and this individual undertakes to man the ship. At two or three o'clock on the morning of departure, the captain goes into the forecastle, counts over the number of heads attached to so many drunken bodies, and finding the number stipulated for, he pays the agent the promised reward, and goes off as soon as he can. The ship is, of course, immediately taken in tow by a steam-tug, and she is perhaps well out of the river before her heterogeneous crew are roused from their deep sleep of intoxication. One can fancy the absurdity of the waking scene. Each man, having been, probably, in a state of perfect unconsciousness when taken on board, finds a difficulty in comprehending his situation. The man, used to sailing in a little schooner, with perhaps but two hands on board, finds himself in a large ship, on the deep sea, with fifty strange faces around him. The fresh- water sailor, who has been for years on board the Missis- sippi steamboats, and has become so used to the loud voices of their high-pressure engines, that he can hardly GULF OF MEXICO. 1 69 sleep without their lullaby, awakes — feels himself bound- ing on in silence, and cannot imderstand how he can be moving on without noise, smoke, or jerking. In like manner, the fisherman, who had never contemplated the possibility of his leaving his native river, awakes in a liner bound for Liverpool, and in bewildered astonishment gazes on the stupid countenances of his companions in misfortune. It is no uncommon thing for landsmen to pass themselves off as sailors, in order to gain the tempting wages offered to them. On one occasion, the doctor was witness to an amusing scene, in which these soi disant able-bodied seamen were actors. They were going through a regular course of practice, to enable them to pass muster, and to prevent the immediate discovery of their trickery. No attempts were made to prevent our men from coming in contact with bribery and corruption. Here, as in every other port that we visited during our cruise, they had per- mission to go on shore whenever they asked for it — half of their number were always away from the yacht ; and it rarely happened that they broke their " leave." One day, however, to our great surprise, for we had seen no previous marks of disaffection, or desire for change, we were greeted by the unwelcome intelligence that two of our men were missing, and it was supposed had gone over to the Americans. They had escaped during the night, in silence, and without any witness, as far as we could prove. The look-out man declared that he had not seen them take their departure, but we could not believe him ; he felt, however, that he could not have betrayed his mess- mates, and we did not press for his confidence. The two deserters were the only married men on board, and I suppose were anxious to return to their domestic comforts, as we afterwards learnt that they had taken ser- vice in a merchant brig bound for England. Subsequently to this period, we continually noticed well-dressed men, who were evidently " crimps," endeavouring to inveigle 15 170 TEXAS AND THE and entice away the men who formed the crew of the gig. Directly these men perceived us approaching-, they hur- ried away with every mark of confusion. Had Mr. Houstoun thought proper to follow the example set him, we might soon have found substitutes, by resort- ing to the same dishonourable means which were employed in our own case. As it was, however, we were not long delayed by a deficiency of hands. The service of an English yacht is sure to be a popular one, and the new men were pronounced active, and sharp : they were both Englishmen, and had lately served in a man-of-war. I should say, speaking of the Americans in the daily habits of their lives, that they are a particularly methodi- cal people. The same thing is almost invariably done at the same hour, let it be " liquoring," eating soup,* going over 'Change, or entering the gambling-houses, of which, be it remembered, there are many. For a somewhat cold- blooded people, it is marvellous to me how fond the Ameri- cans are of this species of excitement. It exists in all shapes ; and their horse-races are attended more regularly and more energetically even than our OAvn ; the betting, too, on these occasions, is most spirited. Another of the remarkable points in the character of the New Orleans citizen, is, as I was informed, his fond- ness for duelling. The nearness of their birth-place to the Equator, may possibly account both for this and for their gambling propensities ; the hot blood of the south having certainly a little to do with these peculiar vices. I have heard it affirmed that duels take place most fre- quently in the hot season. At this period they are said to become irascible, and to be easily excited, and it is just as well for peaceable men to keep out of their way. In the winter, on the contrary, they become quiet and phleg- * There are regular soup-houses here. Their soups principally consist of oysters and gumbo, the latter a root peculiar to the country, and collected by tlie Indians. GULF OF MEXICO. 171 matic ; the cold air chills their blood, and they at once cease to be dangerous. I will give one proof of the extremely methodical habits of the New Orleans citizens, and of the adroit manner in which certain matters are managed here. The post-office is a large building, in the centre of which there is a bar, or " liquoring hall." A clock of conspicuous appearance also decorates the entrance. The merchants, &lc., are in the daily habit of calling for tlieir letters at the post-office, there being no delivery in any other manner. The man who kept the bar — and a cunning man he must have been — remarked, that at a certain hour all the merchants, after securing their despatches, went off to another house to liquor. He took great pains to ascertain the exact hour at which this ceremony took place ; and having done so, made his arrangements accordingly. It appeared, that before going "on 'Change," the merchants, as though ac- tuated by one simultaneous motive, took their morning " liquor" precisely at half past ten. The hands of the post-office clock pointed at a quarter past ten when the letters were delivered ; and the men of business immedi- ately hurried off to take their invigorating draught. Our friend at the post-office, craftily and in secret, contrived daily to move on the hands of his clock some ten minutes. The merchants looked up. " What ! As I'm alive, it's half past ten a'most ; its infarnal late ; I actilly must take my liquor here to-day. Sir." And so they all did. And after a time, it became a, confirmed habit to take their early dram at the bar of the post-office. He was a very smart man that gin sling and sherry cobler seller. I believe that the " liquoring" hour often tells the New Orleans citizen what o'clock it is, so regular is the habit, and so indispensable is it to his comfort. It is impossible not to reflect with admiration, when one walks through the streets of New Orleans, on the immense distance to which goods are conveyed by the people who purchase them. Every fifth store is a hatter's, and to judge from the flourishing state of this branch of 172 TEXAS AND THE trade, " awful good" hats must be in great demand. Numbers are sent to the Yankees in the Far West, and as the dress in those distant settlements is very savage and primitive, the effect of a very large shining hat on the head of one of these skin-clad settlers, must be very charming. Another remark I made at New Orleans, connected with a much more important branch of trade, may not be uninteresting. At New Orleans, I saw a gown of printed cotton, which had been purchased at one of the stores ; the pattern was pretty, the price very moderate, and the colomrs indelible. The cheapness of the cotton I thought so remarkable, that I was induced to ask " whence it came ?" The reply was, that it was of American manufacture. And so it was — and even I — unskilled as I am in commercial matters, was struck by the possible consequences of the perfection to which the Americans have brought their manufactures. I had never thought much on the subject, but I had always supposed that all kinds of cotton and woollen goods, be- sides iron ware, were imported into America from Eng- land. To my great surprise, however, I found that nearly every thing of this kind that we saw was of native manufacture, and that the prices of them were no higher than in England. \ It is a positive fact, and cer- tainly an important one, that in the year 18'26, one hun- dred and fifty millions of yards of calico were imported into the United States ; and that last year the quantity was reduced to fifteen millions ! It appears to me that America has, thus far, derived benefit from her almost restrictive tariff; for she is now, as far as regards the manufacture of cotton, woollen, and iron goods, inde- pendent of other countries. The manufacturing of these articles is so profitable a business, that several English companies are establishing factories, &lc. in various parts of America. When the Yankee spirit of enterprise and go-a-headism is taken into consideration, it may fairly be conjectured that, at no distant period, they will become formidable rivals to Great Britain, and will greatly inter- GULF OF MEXICO. 173 fere with her exclusive privilege of supplying the world with the articles above mentioned. I have laid in a stock of new books for the voyage, for at no place can a temporary library be procured at a less outlay than in the United States. Bulwer's novel of the " Last of the Barons," was sold at two bits, — about eleven pence — and every other work in proportion ! A work published in England comes out almost simulta- neously in the United States ; and English works of standard authors are eagerly bought, and read — I sus- pect — mostly by the ladies. CHAPTER XVII. Mr. Clay the popular orator — General remarks on American society and manners — Departure from New Orleans. Si nous n'avions point de defauts, nous ne prendrions pas tant de plaisir a en remarquer dans les autres. Rochefoucauld. L'esprit de defiance nous fait croire que tout le monde est capable de nous tromper. La Bruvere. Mr. Clay was at New Orleans: he is their great orator and a whig, and it is supposed by many that he will be their president at some future time. There was much public dancing, driving, eating and speechifying in his honour, for among the characteristics of their English origin, that of exercising their eating and drinking powers in behalf of a popular character, still remains in all its glory. Mr. Clay is deservedly popular ; he was making a sort of progress through the States, but I am told does not pay his travelling expenses out of his own purse. This makes a vast difference, and is the strongest possible proof of the orator's popularity. The affections of the multitude seldom endure, after an appeal is made 15* 174 TEXAS AND THE to their pockets. The last tribute paid before his de- parture, to the orator's high, and well-deserved reputa- tion, appeared in the shape of a public ball. Invitations were sent on board the yacht, but unluckily they only arrived the day after the fete ; and by this means we were prevented from witnessing what was, no doubt, an interesting national display. I heard, however, the events of the evening described, and Mr. Clay's polite speech to the New Orleans ladies was much admired. One of my greatest sources of amusement, was in re- marking how different are the sayings and doings of a people speaking the same language, and descended from the same parent stock as ourselves. In the stores, you will see people, who should you happen to meet them the next day, will be prepared at once to claim your notice, by shaking hands with you. This custom, strange as it at first appears to the inhabitant of aristocratic countries, is very easily accounted for. Let it be remembered that, in this country, no " honest calling" precludes a man from tlie right of being called a " gentleman," and that whilst you are possibly stigmatizing him as " forward" or " im- pertinent," he is not in the least degree conscious, that because your fortune may consist in lands, place or funded property, and his in dry goods, you are, therefore, in any way privileged to consider yourself a greater man than himself It struck me, however, that the manners of the Ameri- cans were deficient in that real dignity, which consists in finding one's right place in society and keeping it. In such a society as exists in America, all stations are ill defined, nor can there ever be a standard of good-breeding, where so many causes concur to render the grades of society for ever fluctuating. Much, therefore, is left to the intuitive tact and natural good sense of each indi- vidual ; but the peculiar sensitiveness of the Americans renders them perhaps ill qualified to manage these delicate matters well. This is particularly to be remarked when they are brought in contact with foreigners. The Ameri- GULF OF MEXICO. 175 can who, in his own country, and towards his own people, is courteous and polite, — neither vainglorious, nor apt to take offence, — becomes in Europe, or amongst Europeans (from this very want of knowing his station) abrupt, rude, and offensively boastful. He lives in constant fear of transgressing those rules of etiquette, of which he greatly overrates the importance ; and, fearful of not being enough considered, and aiming at achieving a trivial and unworthy importance, he ceases to be the manly, independent character, for which nature and education intended him. But to return to the effect produced upon us by the apparent familiarity of an American's first abord. The Englishman, wrapped up in his armour of aristocratic absurdity, need not be alarmed at the advanc3s of the well-meaning Yankee; the latter has his share of pride, and that not a trifling one ; and he is the last man in the world to force his acquaintance where there is the slightest chance of its being unwelcome. I allow, that some things here are startling enough at first, and I con- fess that I did not quite like hearing my maid called, « the lady that waits upon you." One is also certainly apt to imagine undue familiarities and disrespect, where nothing of the kind is intended : but wait a little ; divest yourself of a few of the prejudices engendered and fostered by our conventional state of society, and we shall soon be less shocked, and more willing to give our firiends across the water credit for good feeling, and good sense, though perhaps not for good taste. The English are too apt to assert as an undeniable fact, that " the Americans are ungentlemanlike ;" thus arrogating to themselves the right of deciding upon the manners of a whole nation. But let us ask on what grounds they claim this exclusive censorship ? We have, I admit, set up for ourselves a standard of refinement, and savoir faire, very different from any thing we are likely to meet with in the United States ; but does it, therefore, follow that we must be right ; or that, allowing that our habits are 176 TEXAS AND THE more refined, there are not advantages in their democratic state of society, whicJi more than counterbalance those of which we are so proud ? In aristocratic societies, where all is polished, there is more, much more that is false : the soft, and pleasant veil of refinement, in rendering vice less revolting, greatly increases its growth ; and in a society such as ours, where the display of natural feelings is repressed by the cold rules of ceremony and what is called good breeding, great risk is run of their being extinguished altogether. The genuine kindheartedness of the Yankee is not checked by these cold and unnatural laws, and vice with them, being seen in all its naked deformity, unadorned and hideous, is never mistaken for what it is not, but is repro- bated as it deserves to be. Originality, and absence of affectation, are the essential characteristics of American manners ; I speak of the gentleman of the United States, when in his own country. Whatever is original, and natural, carries with it a cer- tain respectability, but directly this is lost, indifferent imitations take its place, and the imitative American like every one else in similar circumstances, becomes ridiculous. The manners of the Americans in general, however, are not bad, and it can only be alleged against them that they have no artificial manners at all. This, in our estimation, is a grievous fault ; and it must be ad- mitted that infinite pleasure is taken by our countrymen in turning into ridicule tlie peculiarities of a people, of whose real excellencies they are too prejudiced to judge impartially. That the ridicule is returned by the Ameri- cans, and with interest, and often with as much legitimate food for its exercise, there is no doubt. The manners and habits of the English differing so essentially from their own, are not likely to escape with impunity ; and whilst the members of our aristocratic community are laughing contemptuously at tlie want of courtly breeding displayed by tlie Americans, the latter are still less lenient to our GULF OP MEXICO. 177 devotion to trivial etiquette, and what tlicy consider our servile adulation of rank and station. After all, what can be the motives which induce two great nations to be constantly attacking each otlier in this puerile way. They are on different sides of the wide Atlantic ; surely there is room enough in the world for both. The hostile feeling, existing between the countries, is kept alive by the constant attacks of authors, many of whom are ignorant of the nature of really good society. These people cross the Atlantic from the east and west; a clever, but possibly an imderbred English writer, makes a tour of the States, sees absolutely nothing of good American society, and publishes a book, criti- cising that of which he or she is totally unqualified to give an opinion. This work is then sent across the Atlantic, as a faithful picture of the habits and national characteristics of a great nation. Upon this, there fol- lows squib after squib from either side. The great fea- tures of national character are disregarded, and the points of attack are small personal defects, faults of lan- guage, and coarseness of behaviour. Animosity is ex- cited in both nations, for who can deny that ridicule is harder to bear than abuse. Neither the English, nor the Americans, find it easy to forgive an aifront, and the feeling of jealousy, and suspicion, once thoroughly aroused, it will I fear be long before it is allayed. Owing to this inveterate feeling, the English traveller in the States finds the greatest difficulty in arriving at truth ; whilst the American in England sees every thing through a mental vision distorted by prejudice, jealousy, and vin- dictiveness. One of the principal charges brought against our friends across the Atlantic is, that they are in the habit of boasting, both of themselves and their country, in an indiscriminate and offensive manner. If we were not endowed with a considerable share of pride ourselves, we should not complain so much when we meet with it in 178 TEXAS AND THE others ; for that which renders the vanity of others so insupportable, is that it wounds our own. The Americans are proud, and justly so, of their self- earned freedom, of the liberal constitution of their country, and of the place in the scale of nations in which tiieir own exertions have placed them. It is unfortunate, however, that they cannot bear their honours meekly, but do injury to their own, and their country's cause, by their habits of exaggeration and self-praise. There is a want of quiet and genuine dignity about the American's sense of free- dom and equality. If he feels that the advantages he thus enjoys are great, let him value them in silence, and let their fruits be seen. The American, however, would not be half so boastful, did they feel that they were cor- rectly judged, and rightly appreciated by us. That they will be so in time, I have little doubt, but time must elapse before either party will be softened. It is a good genuine brotherly hatred, the strongest of any when it once takes root, because, in fraternal feuds, jealousy has always more or less a share. But it is not only in their personal habits, that the Americans find themselves exposed to attack and criti- cism. A strong feeling against their good faith and trustworthiness certainly exists, both as regards their public and private relations. In this respect, I can make but few remarks, and those certainly cannot be in their justification. Amongst themselves, it is well known that there hardly exists a man, who for the sake of realizing a profit, be it ever so small, will scruple to employ any means in his power to overreach his neighbour. This being known and acknowledged, it excites among them- selves neither fear nor indignation ; the struggle between these acute calculators becomes neither more nor less than a keen encounter of their wits, in which honour, and high feeling have no share. It is true that both parties, (where the means employed are no secret) start upon equal terms ; but such freedom of action, (to speak of it in the mildest terms) must, to a GULF OF MEXICO. 179 certain degree, blunt the susceptibilities, and cause an ab- sence of gentlemanly and honourable feeling in their money concerns, both public and private. Notwithstand- ing all this, I believe that such better feelings do exist, and I am convinced, that in proportion as an American will exert all his energies to shave his adversary on change, so he will be true as steel to the friend whom he has once admitted to his confidence. The only apparent aristocracy in the United States is that of wealth, and heaven knows the idol is in no want of w^orshippers. It has, however, been impossible for even this democratic and money-making people to root out of their English natures their respect for rank, and their zeal for personal aggrandizement. They have a way of talking about titles and hereditary distinctions, from roy- alty to the last made peer, which is meant to mark their contempt for such aristocratic follies. It is done, too, with a bravado, which is often intended to shock the pre- judices of their English auditors. The very frequency of their recurrence to these topics, however, sufficiently marks the degree of importance which they attach to them. I saw instances of this without end, and even heard of an American gentleman, who, being confined to his bed during a long illness, seriously amused himself with reading the Peerage from beginning to end ! In short, I should say, that no people bend the knee lower at the shrine of hereditary rank than the Americans ; and I verily believe, that if Queen Victoria were to take an ex- cursion across the Atlantic, a circumstance which, in these days of locomotive Sovereigns seems not quite im- possible, her iMajesty might travel from New York to Virginny, with true-hearted Yankees harnessed to her travelling carriage. I do not know, however, if I could venture to affirm as much, if royalty were to pay them a visit under any other form than that of youth and beauty. I think it is De Tocqueville who remarks on the fond- ness of the Americans generally for tracing back their origin to the first colonists of the country ; and certainly, 180 TEXAS AND THE with all their jealousy of the Motlier Country, they are exceedingly proud of their Anglo-Saxon origin. I have also noticed, that notwithstanding the very equality of which the Yankee so frequently boasts, as marking the superiority of his own nation over that of every other people, he is most anxious to disclaim the existence of in his own person. By some means or other, he is always attempting to prove that he is a splendid exception to the general rule, and that he is a great man on his own ac- count, — a very triton among the minnows. Another petty cause of still more trivial quarrels, is a habit to which the Americans are remarkably addicted, namely, that of drawing incessant comparisons between the two countries. If the institutions, the habits, or even the public characters of Great Britain are under discus- sion, an American immediately sets to work to find some parallel in his own country, the merits of which he hopes will throw those of the opposite party into the shade. Violent and provoking language is often the result of this injudicious conduct ; and unfortunately, even in private society, and in the presence of ladies, they are too apt to lead the conversation to these unsafe and disagreeable subjects. As an instance of this, an American gentleman one evening said to me, speaking of the apartment in which we were sitting. " I expect now, you've not such lofty rooms as tliese. Ma'am, in the Old Country ?" And then again, " Why now, don't you diet in public at the hotel ? ycu mightn't do it in England, but here we never do insult our females." It is difficult, in offering an opinion on the American people, to avoid giving offence to one side or the other. Few travellers in the United States will venture to be sincere in their remarks. The English are not satisfied if the dish of American abuse served up to them, is insufficient to satisfy the cravings off their appetite, whilst the Yankees are equally indignant, , if they are spoken of in any other terms, than as the " greatest nation on the face of God's airth." Of their ' public debts I have said enough, and will only add, that t GULF OF MEXICO. 181 they cannot expect to be popular in England, so long as thousands are losers by their dishonesty. On the other hand, both parties should remember that they are de- scended from the same parent stock, and this ought to be a motive, as soon as possible, for burying their grievances in oblivion. The national character of the Americans is the same as our own ; changed, however, and modified by a widely different form of government, and habits exclusively commercial. That these habits are among those that "tame great nations," there is no question; and I fear it is equally true, that when " men change swords for legers," "ennobling thoughts depart." In some respects, they may be better than those who live in the land of their fathers, and in others worse ; let us, therefore, hope for peace between them. For my own part, I confess that after a short residence, I entertained towards the inhabitants of this fine speci- men of an American city, very different feelings from those with which I entered it. It is true, indeed, that my experience of their character, and my time for ob- servation, were both limited ; still, during the season of our residence, thousands met at New Orleans from all parts of the American Union. This is always the case during the winter and business months ; and I was in- formed, that perhaps no where could so good an opportu- nity be found, for strangers to see a considerable variety of character and incident. The Americans are, I should say, hospitable, warm-hearted, and generous ; and in- clined to be so most particularly to the English who visit their city. As for the middle and lower classes (for, notwithstand- ing their boasted equality, such distinctions do, and must exist), I should pronounce them to be far superior, both in education, conduct, and address, to the corresponding class in our own country. The knowledge which each man possesses, that he may, by good conduct and supe- rior attainments, raise himself to the highest considera- 16 182 TEXAS AND THK tion enjoyed among- his countrymen, must, in almost all cases, have the effect of stimulating the mind to good and useful endeavours, and preventing the increase of dis- i orderly, idle, and useless members of the community. J Our intention, in returning to New Orleans, had been ] to ascend the Mississippi to a considerable distance, and j thus to see as much as we could in a short time of this wonderful river, and the great and rising cities on its banks. Our purpose was defeated, by hearing unsatisfac- , tory accounts of the state of the country ; the snows and ; ice not being sufficiently melted to render travelling agreeable. I was extremely disappointed at finding that ' my plan for making a northern tour could not be carried ' into execution. It is, however, only postponed ; and I , hope at some future time to extend my knowledge of ■ America beyond its present narrow limits. I have said, : that in Louisiana the nature of the people is kind and liberal, — what it may be in the Northern States, where the climate and other causes, may contribute to chill the feelings and deaden the quick impulses, I have yet to learn. I can hardly imagine a more pleasurable excursion than that of ascending or descending the Mississippi, in one of their great river steamers. I went on board one of the largest, the Missouri, before we left, and was really astonished at the comfort of the interior. There is so much room for every one, such space for walking-exer- cise, that confinement in her would, I think, be no punish- ment, even for a considerable time. And then there would be the constant variety of scenery, the change of ' place — all delightful. But the time has come when we must take our leave. I see the little fleet forming the Texan navy busy in making preparations for a warlike cruise ; and I hear our men singing and joking, in their delight at the prospect of a change. The order is given to weigh anchor, and we float down the stream once more. As we approached the mouth of the southwest pass, we perceived two large cotton-vessels bound for Li- GULF OF MEXICO. 183 verpool, and drawing- about sixteen feet of water, sticking fast in the mud. We were told that they had been in the same situation three weeks, and tliat it was not unusual for vessels to remain there double that time. They looked very forlorn and uncomfortable. CHAPTER XVIII. Second arrival at Galveston — Texan news — The Ellen Frank- land steamer's voyage up the Trinity river — Its importance — State of commerce — Capacity of Galveston harbour — False accounts of crime in Texas — Fortune-getting propensity. Nor will life's stream for observation stay. It hurries all too fast to mark their way: In vain sedate reflections we would make, When half our knowledge we must snatch, not take. Pope. Have we not track'd the felon home, and found His birth-place, and his dam ? COWPER. ****** Let th' arraign'd Stand up unconscious, and refute the charge. Idem. After a short and prosperous voyage, we were again at anchor in Galveston harbour. Immediately after our arrival, we received the cordial greetings of our kind friends, and were congratulated on having a third time braved the dangers of the bar in safety. Our first in- quiry was, of course, for news, and were not afraid of hearing the reply, so commonly made in Europe, " No- thing at all going on — all as flat as possible." Just at present, in this struggling country, every hour brings with it its event, and not a day passes without being marked by some endeavour (often a successful one) of these energetic settlers to raise their country into strength 184 TEXAS AND THE and prosperity. The most important among the events which were in progress, was the advance of a body of Mexicans. They were said to be approaching the town of Bexar, but not in any considerable force. The Texans did not seem in the least afraid of them ; indeed, I rather thought our friends would not object to having another brush with the enemy. The President was still up the country at Washington ; and it had been announced that the lady of the General (the Presidentess, or whatever her title may be), had given birth to a son. May he one day fill the office, and enjoy the honours now so worthily borne by his sire. Another circumstance which had lately occurred, had caused great satisfaction. A steamer, by name the Ellen Frankland, had returned in safety to the harbour, after having made a successful voyage up the Trinity river, to a distance of between four and five hun. dred miles from its mouth. This was the first occasion of such an undertaking having succeeded ; and it forms almost an era in the commercial history of the country. The voyage must have been a peculiarly interesting one, and Mr. Houstoun had decided to take a passage on board, when the Ellen Frankland went her next trip. Our stay, however, was not long enough for us to take advantage of such an excellent opportunity for seeing the country ; and when this interesting and adventurous little vessel tried her fate again, we were daring the dangers of the deep on our way back to Old England. Captain Frankland, the owner of the steamer, assured us that the navigation was perfectly practicable, even to a point within a distance of sixty or seventy miles of the Red river. This part of the country had been lately granted to a joint company of English and American speculators, who had already introduced a great number of settlers. I have heard, also, that an English company have lately undertaken a speculation, which appears likely to prove not only a source of considerable profit to them- selves, but also to be in its results extremely advantageous to the interests of the country generally. The intention GULF OF MEXICO. 185 is to run iron steamers, with a very light draught, up and down tlie Trinity ; the steamers liaving flat-bottomed rafts attached to them. The successfvil result of Captain Frankland's expedition, has proved that there do not exist in the Trinity river, any great or insurmountable impedi- ments to navigation. This cannot be said of the gene- rality of the rivers in Texas, which are shallow, and full of snags and hindrances of all kinds. As regards its po- sition with reference to the United States, the navigable capabilities of the Trinity must prove of immense and in- calculable benefit to the city of Galveston, in a commer- cial point of view, and the citizens are already anticipating the numerous advantages they are likely to derive from the discovery of this invaluable water-privilege. It is now ascertained that a canal, connecting the Trinity with the Red river, would not be by any means an expensive un- dertaking, the distance being about sixty miles, and the country perfectly level. There can be no doubt that all the vast quantity of cotton, and other produce grown on the Red lands, would then be transmitted direct, by means of the canal and the Trinity river, to the town of Galves- ton, instead of being put on board steamers in the Red river,* and being sent by a long, dangerous, and most cir- cuitous route to New Orleans. I fancy that the citizens of the republic enjoy not a little the idea of overreaching and circumventing the Americans. They are perfectly aware, that should this mode of transit be established, a grand field will be opened to them for all sorts of smuggling transactions. Unlawful goods will no doubt be introduced into the United States, in sufficient quantities to supply * The Americans attach such importance to this Red river trade, that the United States Congress has repeatedly voted immense sums to clear away the rafts, or wood-drifts, which are constantly accumulating, and to such an extent, as frequently to put a stop to navigation for months to- gether. 16* 186 TEXAS AND THE the whole western country, and American produce will doubtless be exported from Galveston by the Texans, greatly to the dissatisfaction of their ci-devant country- men at New Orleans. In considering the state of commerce here, there is one truth plainly evident, viz : that the Texans will soon mo- nopolize the whole of the Mexican trade. This has liitherto been conducted by trading-parties from the United States, wdio after traversing the entire extent of the Great Wes- tern Prairies, as far as the Rocky Mountains, meet, and transact their negotiations with the Mexican traders at Santa Fe. When it is considered, that Santa Fe is only distant from Galveston five hundred miles, one may form some idea of the commercial advantages the Texans would possess over the Americans. The latter have, for years, found it worth their while to pay the enormous duties charged for the admission of English cotton goods into America. The merchandise has then been transported from Philadelphia or New York, upwards of four thousand miles to Santa Fe, and great part of this distance on the backs of beasts of burden. What a price the poor Mexi- cans must have paid for their purchases, to allow these enterprising traders a profit, and one good enough to satisfy a Yankee calculator. It might naturally have been expected, that these signs of the present, and visions of the future, would have aroused the government to exertion, and induced them to take some measures in order to render the entrance of the harbour less dangerous. Nothing, however, has been done ; and as long as the men in ofiice and authority per- ceive no actual good resulting to themselves individually, from the furtherance of any public work, they will not endeavour to forward it. They are not sufficiently disin- terested, to expend the public money upon the public alone. The harbour of Galveston, if properly buoyed, would be, by no means, a bad one. The entrance is perfectly safe for vessels drawing ten feet of water, and there are times when ships drawing twelve, and even fom'teen feet, GULF OF MEXICO. 187 may venture in. It is, without any question, the best harbour in the Gulf of Mexico, and there is no doubt that no other port than that of Galveston will ever be of any commercial importance in Texas. In the present state, however, of this neglected harbour, no Company either in England or America, will insure vessels bound for the port of Galveston. We had determined not to put implicit faith in the nu- merous surveys and charts of the diiferent harbours lower down the Gulf, and had resolved, if possible, to see and judge for ourselves. The intention was to send the go- vernment pilot, a clever navigator, in his little schooner down to Matagorda, and Aransas. After ascertaining the depth of water on the several bars, we should then know where we might venture to take the yacht, and Mr. Houstoun would possibly have an opportunity of enjoying some buffalo-hunting, w^hich he was very anxious to do. The Chasse in Western Texas is far superior to any that can be hoped for here ; considerable herds of buffalo and wild horses still existing, and deer in great numbers. The country also, near the sea in Western Texas is de- scribed as being elevated ; and instead of being, like other parts of the country, low and almost under water, the im- dulating hills approach in the vicinity of Aransas, almost to the sea-beach. A great deal has been said about the vast extent of crime in the Republic of Texas. If we are to believe many of the writers of the day, murderers are to be met at every town, life is not safe for a moment, and private property is never respected. The whole of the population are described as dishonest and bloodthirsty ; the very re- fuse of the vile. There is said to be " no law," and that public justice is unknown. That these accusations are almost entirely false I have no hesitation in asserting ; indeed, even by a glance At the general character of the people, one must feel that they are undeserved. Let us ask, is an irresistible longing for fi-eedom the characteristic of a mind degraded by crime ? Do felons, 188 TEXAS AND THE thieves, and assassins, fight for tlieir country as the Texans have done ? I should say, certainly not ; and the refuta- tion of the charge becomes still more clear and positive when we recollect that it was not for pay that they fought; but that they were actuated by one spontaneous impulse of patriotism, and the love of honest independence. " Sound, healthy children of the God of Heaven," they could not submit to the degrading yoke of the Mexican. But there is another circumstance which tends to give the lie to these accusations, and to establish the fact that the Texans are at least not worse than their neighbours, viz. the fact of the almost non-existence of courts of law in this country. This is nearly the only one in the long list of accusations brought against the colonists in Texas in which there is truth. The rarity of the criminal acts (which I maintain there is in this country) is rendered still more remarkable by this circumstance. Lynch law is the only description of retributive justice to be looked for here ; and if we compare the annals of crime in other countries (where men are restrained by the strong arm of the law) with the list of oifences committed here, we could easily prove that the primitive proceedings of the Texans are not productive of murders, thefts, and immo- ralities. In a country where there is no police, and no executive authority, it is something to say, — and it may be said with truth, — that theft is almost unknown. Should such a misdemeanour be committed, and it is on record that a Scotchman once stole a piece of meat from the house of a neighbour, summary justice would be adminis- tered by the unanimous voice of the people. As to the charge, so often brought against them, of shooting and stabbing, I aver, that were any other people possessed of the same power of killing their adversaries with impunity, they would much more frequently avail themselves of the privilege. The Texans, almost without exception, carry their national weapon, the Bowie knife, about them, and this alone, one would imagine, would lead to a frequency of assassinations. It is proved, even among our own GULF OF MEXICO. 189 people, that the use of the knife, when found conveniently at hand, can hardly be resisted in moments of passionate anger, and this in a country where punishment is sure to follow. The Texan, to a certain degree, is allowed to take the law into his own hands ; but should it afterwards be pronounced by the unprejudiced voices of the people, that either the punishment of his enemy was undeserved, or not warranted by the first duty of self-preservation, he becomes himself amenable to punishment by means of lynch law. That this state of things cannot continue long, I am well aware, nor can it be doubted, that the increase of popula- tion, the introduction of luxuries, and innumerable other causes, will soon alter entirely the face of society. At present, Jiowever, the Texan people go on remarkably well, with their primitive system of administering justice. During the months we remained in Galveston harbour, there was no single instance of malicious crime — no street- fights — no apparent drunkenness or tumult. It is true that on New- Year's day, one man was shot, and doubtless this fact would, to those ignorant of the details, furnish a strong argument in favour of the popular opinion of the prevalence of crime in Texas. The circumstances were as follow ; — some children were quarrelling in the street ; — from words they came to blows, when their respective parents, who had been drinking together, thought proper to interfere. " I say, sir, you call your children away, sir." This gentle remonstrance not being dul}'' attended to, the speaker went forthwith for his rifle, and was in the act of presenting it at the head of his foe (probably only as a means of intimidation) when he received his death- wound from the other's pistol. No notice whatever was taken of this misdemeanour. Two well-known German noblemen, sent out by their government to report on the condition of Texas and its supposed advantages as a field for emigration, were tra- velling tlirough the country at the same time as ourselves, and they have given it as their opinion, that considering the state of the laws, no country was ever so free from 190 TEXAS AND THE crime as this. The case of manslaughter I have related was perpetrated on a day of public rejoicing- and misrule ; the parties had been drinking- at one of the numerous bars ; their passions were excited, and the whole affair was tlie work of a moment. It is due to the survivor to add that the children of the deceased were received and provided for by him in the most liberal manner he could afford. I have asserted that the Texans are willing- (beyond most other people) to assist each other ; at the same time I wish not to affirm that the person who confers the benefit will not expect a quid pro quo in some shape or other. In a society such as this, where " taking- your neighbour in" is called smartness, and inveigling him out of some por- tion of his lawful property, goes by the gentle name of " shaving'''' him, one must not expect to meet with much delicacy in the arrangement of accounts between man and man. As a proof, however, of the rarity of thefl, even houses containing valuable property are left untenanted and unsecured, and this without any fear of their being entered by a marauder. As the city increases in size and importance, there will doubtless be more law, more justice, and more — crime. At present, in this small community, the eyes of each man are on his neighbour ; they unite for their common security, and the roicdy fellow (anglice scamp) is held in check by the consciousness, that should he offend, and shock the prejudices of society, tarring and fcatliering would be his portion. I never heard of Texan heads being submitted to the examination of a professor of phrenology, but I should imagine that the bump of invention would be found largely developed. A man will inform you, witli the gravest face in the world, that he has seen in tlie prairie a buffalo weighing two thousand stone ! and another, that he has met a Comanchee coming home from market to his wife, witli the legs and arms of human beings slung over his shoulders, to dress for supper ! GULF OF MEXICO. 191 When two Texan gentlemen are eng-ag-ed in a dispute ; however violent may be the discussion, the courtesy of the " sir" is never omitted. On the contrary it is re- peated at every third word, and mixed up as it is with tlie oaths and denunciations, with which they always in- terlard their discourse, the effect is curious enough. They always end their anecdotes with " and that's a fact, sir, by G — ," pronounced with great energy. The manner it would be in vain to describe, but the more unfathomable the falsehood, the greater is the energy they employ in the utterance of these expressive words. " Seeing the giraffe ahead" is one of their singular but every day expressions. An acute Kentuckj^man giving an account one day to Mr. Houstoun of a speculation in which he had been engaged, and speaking (of course with the universal nasal twang) of a smart Yankee, who was plotting against him, and whose designs he had detected, wound up with " I stopt there sir — I went no fiirther — I saw the giraffe ahead," The origin of this quaint expression I was not able to discover, but they understand one another so perfectly, their crooked ways and their turn- ings and wmdings, that it is really amusing, to watch the progress of a game played between two able com- batants. I have often thought, however, that they are apt to overreach themselves by too much cunning. Every thought and every idea here resolves itself into money. In their getting up, and lying down, in. their eat- ing, drinking, and sleeping moments, in tlie home of their wives and children, and in the bar-room of the drinking- Iiouses, — dollars, and how to obtain them, seems their one sole and engrossing thought. Whether or not the}^ are at- tached to their kindred, I caimot say, but certainl}'-, to judge fi-om the very little time they seem to spend " in the bosom of their families," domestic life can have but slight charms for them. The Texan ladies generally, I fancy, lead rather secluded and quiet lives, and are reserved and silent. The society of Galveston invited us to a ball at the 192 TEXAS AND THE Tremont House, and I greatly regretted not being able to accept the civility, but the weather was extremely cold, and the return to the yacht at night neither safe nor pleasant for a lady. Were I asked what is the national religion of the Texan people, I should answer none. ' It is true the places of public worship are more than sufficient, and that every one attends the ser- vice on Sunday, and that the religious observance of the Sabbath is not more neglected than it is in catholic countries in Europe. On the other hand, the feeling of devotion, and the respectful upholding of religion is apparently absent ; I may wrong them, and I trust I do, but I judge from their conversation, from the education of their children, and not a little from their constant habit of profane swearing. This renders the society of Americans " generally" extremely painful to those who are accustomed to treat the sacred name of the Deity with awe and respect. It is very distressing to hear little children practising their first powers of utterance in mocking their Creator, and older boys, in almost every class, vying with each other in taking his name in vain. CHAPTER XIX. Sufferings of emigrants — Texas an advantageous field for settlers — Climate — Productions of the country — Disadvan- tages. Yes I have loved thy wild abode, Unknown, unploughed, untrodden shore ," Where scarce the woodman finds a road, And scarce the fisher plies an oar. Campbell. I WAS sorry to hear from Monsieur de C , that tlie French emigrants, who arrived at Galveston during our former visit, were not, as we had supposed, sent out by GULF OF MEXICO. 193 the French government, but by one of their speculating countrjanen, and that they had ah'eady suffered conside- rably, from various unanticipated causes. In transporting so large a body of emigrants through the country, ar- rangements ought to have been made for their support, and to defray the necessary expenses of the journey. I confess I cannot but regret that some thousands of our starving population cannot be conveyed to this country. The colonization of New South Wales and New Zealand is doubtless advantageous to Great Britain, and certain speculative companies may derive benefit from it ; but it may be questioned if the same good fortune generally attends the poor colonists. In the latter colony, (New Zealand,) we have lately had a sad proof that the hard- ships and sufferings of the settlers are not of a trivial nature ; and that the difficulties with which these people have to contend, are not merely confined to the severe labour of hewing down the giant trees of the forest, and to the slow and wearying process of clearing land.* The circumstance to which I allude, is the melancholy fate of Captain Wakefield and his companions, who were not long ago destroyed by the aborigines of the country. It cannot be denied, that as a field for settlers, Texas has considerable advantages over almost every other coun- try. Its climate, except the lowlands, is excellent, and the settler has to encounter neither the extreme cold of the winter season, nor the scorching summer heat of the more Northern States of America and Canada. In the latter countries, also, the settler labours under the im- mense disadvantage of having to clear his land of the primeval woods, before he can hope to establish any thing like a farm. This is labour which he is spared in Texas, where the vast and productive prairies need but little improvement at the hands of the agriculturist. As * The New Zealand Company sell tlieir land at thirty shillings per acre. 17 194 TEXAS AND THE compared witli New South Wales and New Zealand, Texas has neiUier tlie poor soil, and drowths of tlie former, nor the liigh-priced and thickly-wooded lands of the latter. Lastly, Texas is within a month's or at the outside, six weeks' journey of England ; and by passing tlirough the United States, it may even be accomplished in twenty-four days, without dilhculty. This of itself is by no means a despicable advantage. I believe that the accounts generally given of the pro- ductiveness of the soil in Texas, are not exaggerated. Its climate, also, in the rolling country, at a distance of seventy or eighty miles from tlie sea, is no doubt ex- tremely healthy, perhaps as much so as any in the world ; it is also eomparativelv free trom musquitoes and other reptiles, Tlie lowlands, however, between the rolling coimtry and the sea, are, from all we could learn, scarcely habitable for Europeans. We certainly saw a few Germans, who had been settled on the banks of tlie Brazos, in the low country, tor five years, but tliey had repeatedly sutiored from tevers, though tliey were now to a certain extent acclimatized. A more miserable looking set of objects I never beheld. Another evil, and one scarcely less to be dreaded than the fever, consists in tlie myriads of musquitoes, which are so venomous eind troublesome as to render existence hardly endurable. We were only in Texas in the winter season, and had, there tore, happily no opportunity of judging in our own persons, of the extent of the nuisance. There can be no doubt tJiat this low country, whose soil, however, is un- equalled in richness, can only be inhabited by people from the Southern States of America, Louisiana, Missis- sippi. &:c. The inliabitants of those provinces have been used to even more unhealthy situations than the Texan lowlands, and without tlie benefit of tlie constant fresh sea breeze, or trade wind, (as it may almost be called,) which blows over the latter. It has, I believe, been asserted, that tlie productions of this part of Texas can GULF OF MEXICO. 195 be brought forth by slave or black labour alone. This, however, may be disputed. I shall now endeavour to give some account ot tne productions of the country, which are, I should say, ac nuired by less labour than is perhaps necessary m any other part of the globe. This arises from the circum- stance of the prairie being, as one may say, already halt cultivated by nature. It is, generally speaking, perfectly level and no trees or shrubs interfere with the course of the plough, or the spade of the agriculturist. The soil is of great depth, and not a stone or even pebble can be discovered on turning up the earth. In the low country, cotton, sugar, and tobacco will be the great staples ; and, it is said, their quality is equal to the best that can be produced in any other climate. In the rolling distric cotton, indigo, rice, wheat, rye, barley, oats, and all the common vegetables of our own country grow with wonderful luxuriance. Wheat, it is supposed will come to greater perfection in the more hilly and less fertile district forther to the north. Here, also, the apple and pear trees would doubtless thrive and produce abund- antly ; but the climate of the southern portion of Texas is said to be too warm to permit the inhabitants to enjoy these fruits in perfection. Indigo, and that of a very fine quality, is found growing wild in various parts ot the country; grapes, peaches, and plums seem indigenous, and are found growing wild in the woods. There can be no doubt, indeed, that the soil and climate are calculated t« produce most of our English fruits in the greatest abundance; and, in addition to them, many of those found in more southern climes. The prairie lands every where afford the very finest pasture, and cannot be sur- passed for grazing purposes. So luxuriant is the growth of every kind of licrbage, that throughout the year cattle, grazing in the open country, are generally found in excellent condition; and all the care that is required in rearing stock, is easily obtained by employing a Mexican or two as herdsmen, an occupation for which 196 TEXAS AND THE they are admirably fitted, and which they are said to fulfil with fidelity. Whilst we were in Texas, the price of an ox, or of a cow and calf, was five dollars, about a pound sterling, the dollar being valued at fi-om forty-eight to fifty-two pence. Horses and mules could be bought at from thirty to fifty dollars ; and whilst we were at Houston, a hundred pigs were sold at a halfpenny per pound weight. The mildness of the climate, and the fact of its not being subject to the extremes of heat and cold, is very favourable to the increase of stock, poultry, &c. One of the most experienced and sagacious men in the country was of opinion, that no speculation would answer so well in Texas as the breeding of sheep ; not only on account of the increasing demand for wool in the United States, but also to supply the wants of the settlers. And now having detailed many of the temptations oifered to European emigrants, I feel bound to mention what seems to me the disadvantages attending the settling in Texas. The first and most apparent of them, is the difficulty of purchasing land with a good title. It was the opinion of some of the cleverest lawyers in Texas, that the titles to three-fourths of the " located" lands in Texas were of a doubtful character ; not perhaps abso- lutely invalid, but admitting of a lawsuit. I dare say the attorneys themselves are generally too glad to under- take any case, for a chance of a share in the spoil, which here, as in more civilized comitries, is by no means in- considerable. Wood, in many parts of the country, is very abundant ; but I suspect that, as population in- creases, there will be found very frequently a want of this essential. Supposing the settler to have acquired his land in a healthy and desirable position, and to have made all his arrangements necessary for farming, «S6C., he will constantly be required, in his intercourse with his neighbours, (if, as is most probable, they happen to be Yankees,) to practise a degree of ingenuity and cunning in trading transactions, of which, I believe, few of our countrymen can boast. I heard, that owing to this do- GULF OF MEXICO. 197 ficiency in the art of " shaving," nine times out of ten, when an English settler had done business with a Yankee, the substance of the confiding John Bull had gradually diminished, until at length, his whole means had found their way into the possession of his more experienced, but less scrupulous, neighbour. Many, tempted by the extremely low price of land, have been induced too choose " locations" far removed from the protection of civilized beings ; and not a few, in all pro- bability, have built their houses as near the river as pos- sible. Here, after a time, if the settler escapes the fever and ague, he most likely finds himself unable to endure the utter loneliness and solitude of his position, together with the hardships and deprivations necessarily attendant upon such a residence in the wilderness. His house is abandoned, and either fails into decay, or is destroyed by the bands of roving Indians, who are not very scru- pulous in regard to any flocks or herds they may chance to find unprotected. But it may be asked, how are these evils to be provided against ? I should say, easily enough. In the first place, settlers should be gregarious ; com- panionship lightens toil, and promotes a spirit of emula- tion : and it is the more necessary for our countrymen in particular, that they should settle in herds, because they generally have a defect in their character, which stands in the way of their success as settlers. This defect is peculiar to our middle and lower classes, and is not found among the Americans. The fault of which I speak, is the difficulty they find in adapting themselves to occupa- tions to which they have been unaccustomed. The ploughman is a ploughman only ; he cannot use the axe, make a fence, or perform the commonest carpenter's work. The carpenter, on the other hand, would be sadly puzzled to use the plough or spade ; and so, in like manner, with all. The American settler can generally turn his hand to any thing, and no kind of work comes amiss to him. After finding fault with the Yankee as a 17* 198 TEXAS AND THE neighbour, I believe this may also be said of him, that although he is always on the look-out for a good thing, and would do his utmost to overreach his neighbour, in what he considers fair trade, yet he will generally be found kindhearted, goodnatured, and willing both to assist and lend, if required. This I fancy is generally the case among early settlers, in a young country like this. I could find many more arguments to prove that English emigrants should only go to Texas in bodies, and then not without some one capable of directing them ; but tliat I think the fact must be self-evident. CHAPTER XX. Patience and perseverance indispensable to a settler in a new country — Story of a young emigrant's sufferings. Her's was ihe brow, in trials unperplexed. That cheer'd the sad, and tranquillized the vex'd. Young, innocent, on whose sweet forehead mild The parted ringlet shone in simplest guise. ******** He was her only child. Campbell. No settler in a new country should enter upon his vo- cation without having on hand an immense stock of per- severance. Patience, under sickness and distress, is also another invaluable quality, the exercise of which will be often called for in the life of an emigrant. Let no one expect that his bed in the wilderness will be one of roses ; the charms of this wild life will, on the contrary, often be varied by contretemps and hardships of every description. I was much interested by an account I heard of a young emigrant, who, in the outset of his career, afforded a proof of the truth of my remarks. This settler was a young Scotchman, who, having saved a few hundred pounds, and seeing no " opening" in his GULF OF MEXICO. 199 own country, decided upon trying his fortune in the plains and prairies of Texas. His knowledge consisted of some practical information on agricultural subjects, and on the price of stock, in England, and, in short, of farming de- tails which apply exclusively to practice in the " Old Country." M'Leod, for so I will call him, had married a pretty Irish girl, of tolerable connexions and good education. She possessed, withal, a light heart and a happy temper — no trifling recommendations for domestic life in the wil- derness. Land, as I have elsewhere observed, is tempt- ingly cheap far up the country ; so the Scotchman easily made a purchase of a considerable tract ; and he and his young wife, with a little helpless child, travelled by slow degrees, but cheerfully and full of hope, towards the rolling country above Washington. They had not been long in their new abode, when they discovered that the location was ill chosen. They had built their log house in a hollow, instead of on rising ground, Avhich is every- where at something less than a mile distant from the river, it was therefore damp and unwholesome. In short, the M'Leods, like many other settlers, had rashly followed their own ideas, and neglected to ask the advice of expe- rienced dwellers in the coimtry. The consequences of this imprudence soon made themselves apparent ; and in a short time M'Leod was stretched upon his bed in a low and lingering fever. Nora's helpfulness was now of essen- tial service. Strong in body, with hardy peasant nerves, and a genuine Irish spirit of good humour and trusting- ness, she nursed her sick husband, milked the cows, minded the house, and took care of the baby. Fortunately, in this rich soil and land of prolific pro- duce, the means of existence w^ere easily procured, at least for a season. Nora's stock of poultry was not easily exhausted, for the domestic fowls breed and rear their young much more frequently than in most other coun- tries. Of the pigs, and other animals, the same may be safely averred ; and thus Nora and her little family con- 200 TEXAS AND THE tinued to live on. But M'Leod's was not a temporary malady ; week after week sped by, and he lay there still, a useless, powerless man. The nature of his complaint affected his spirits, and he seemed fast sinking into a state of helpless despondency. In vain did Nora, with her bright face, and cheerful voice, slightly indicative of her Hibernian origin, endeavour to console him. When the sick man indulged in sad prophecies of tlie poverty which he insisted would ere long come upon them, Nora would gaily repeat to him the Irish proverb, " Cheer up, my darling, there's a silver lining to every cloud." But they could not live upon smiles and cheering words ; and proverbs, however true, are as unprofitable as they arc stale. By degrees their live-stock diminished ; some strayed, others were shot by some wandering riflemen, a few fell sick, and a tribe of Indians, who were encamped near, did not scruple to lay their hands upon such as came within their reach. Happily for Nora, these Indians be- longed to a friendly tribe, otherwise her fear of them would hav^ been still greater than it was. She could not accustom herself to their wild and savage appearance ; and tJie dread seemed mutual, for the Indians seldom approached the abode of the white man. M'Leod had sunk a considerable portion of his little fortune in the purchase of land, stock, Slc, trusting to his own industry and exertions for the future support of his family. After a time, then, the destitution which the sick imagination of the poor Scotchman had so long anticipated stared them in the face. The wife, notwithstanding her hopeful spirit, began to despond ; and her husband's health grew daily worse. The feeling of sadness and gloom was a new and unaccustomed one to Nora ; so new, that at first the unwelcome tenant could find no abiding-place in her heart. She was determined, however, to hope, though she saw her husband's face grow paler and thinner day by day ; and she would obstinately look forward to better times, though their supply even of daily food was fast dwindling away, and though she saw no present means GULF OF MEXICO. 201 of relief from their present distresses. Nora ceased not to exert herself for the support of those she loved. Night and day she toiled ; the garden was dug, and, in anticipa- tion of future wants, was sown and planted by her hand. Neighbours she had none ; she was alone in her troubles — not a friend to assist, or to advise. Notwithstanding all tliis, Nora still talked hopefully, still boasted of the " silver lining" which was to shine out of the dark cloud that hovered over their destinies ; but her lieart was heavy within her, and her bright eyes were often dimmed with tears. It was winter, and heavy rains had deluged the country. The log house of the M'Leods was surrounded by mud and wet grass ; and when, one cold bleak morning, Nora opened her door, and gazed for a moment abroad, the gloomy prospect struck a chill into her heart. A keen northerly wind was blowing fierce and strong ; it came howling through the trees, and scattering the fallen leaves into her face. Nora had not been in bed during the previous night ; alarm for her husband, and the care which his illness momentarily required, had afforded ample employment both for mind and body. On a sudden she heard his voice calling her name. It appeared to her that he spoke in a stronger tone, and she hastened to his bedside full of hope. Alas ! for her. She saw his eye lighted up by delirious fever, and to her terror, perceived that reason had deserted its throne ! With the strength lent by the fierce fever that raged within his veins, he raised himself from his bed, and was with difficulty restrained from rushing towards the door. His actions were violent, and he heaped bitter impreca- tions upon her, and upon his child. At this moment a sound full of horror struck upon the mother's ear. There was a sudden shriek, and then the fearful shouts of fifty savage voices burst loudly, and sud- denly forth, startling the echoes for miles around. And well did Nora recognise the feeble cry she heard. It was the voice of her little Jamie who had been playing in the 202 TEXAS AND THE garden, in unconscious glee. Quicker than tliought, she sprang to the door, and gazed distractedly on the scene before her. Her darling was in the hands of the Indians, of Indians, too, whose aspect was totally unknown to her. In a moment she guessed the truth, and that the dreaded Comanchees were upon them ! In vain she struggled to free him ; in vain did the child hold up his little hands, and implore help from her, who never yet had been deaf to his prayers. Amidst the stunning sounds of the terrible war-whoop, the petted child was held up before his mother's eyes, and while she was forcibly held back, the scalping-knife did its revolting office ! The bright sunny curls were hung at the belt of the savage who performed the deed, while the boy was flung palpitating, and barely possessed of life at the feet of his parent. It was now Nora's turn to suffer, and another of these relentless savages speedily seized hold of his now un- resisting victim. Another moment would have decided her fate, when the arm of her enemy was arrested by the appearance of a new actor on the scene ; a gaunt form, who, (without any previous warning) approached the group, and attracted the attention of all. It was M'Leod, whose wild ravings could not be re- strained, and who with delirious unconsciousness of his danger, stalked in amongst them. His wild actions, and strange gestures sufficiently attested the wandering of his mind, and the Indians stood appalled. Tall warriors in their fierce war-paint bent their heads reverently before him ; and impressed with the notion of his being inspired, and acting under the especial protection of the Great Spirit, these untamed and revengeful children of the forest shrank awe-struck from his presence. Slowly and in silence they retreated, and ere another minute had elapsed, Nora was left alone with the husband who had so unconsciously saved her. On the ground, on the very spot, Avhere he had so lately played in childish glee, lay the bleeding body of the GULF OF MEXICO. 203 dying child. Who can describe the feelings of the mother, as lifting him in her arms, she tried to hope that the outrage he had undergone would not prove a mortal injury.* Gently and tenderly she laid him on his little bed, and then, and not till then did she return to her painful task of soothing and quieting the invalid. With gentle w^ords she persuaded him to return to his bed, but even then she could not leave him for a moment. At intervals she heard the faint and feeble moan of her suffering child, but though the mother's heart was torn within her, she could not desert her post. Towards the evening the sick man became more composed, his ravings suddenly ceased, his eyes closed, and a deathlike calm spread over his features. Nora listened, but in vain for his breathing, she felt that he was dead, and that she was alone ; she did not weep, however, but sat in a state of stupid insensibility. She was roused from this trance of despair, bya sound, small and low ; but one which heard, can never be forgotten, — the last sound of parting breath ! It was small, and low, for it was the breath of a little child ; — the signal that its pure and innocent spirit was about to meet its God ! In a moment Nora was by its side, on her knees, imploring with wild eagerness for its young life, and covering its little hands, and face with kisses. The struggle was brief, and when the mother saw that it was dead she fell senseless. She recovered, she knew not how, and it seemed as though a fearful dream had passed over her. Oh that sad and terrible awakening after affliction ! The doubt — the fear of tlie reality — and then * I fear such instances of savage atrocity were not rare among the earlier settlers ; on the Mexican frontier espe- cially, and on the northern settlements, where the cruel tribe of the Comanchees have so much power, such horrid events are matter of history. Cases have been known of recovery after scalping, I myself saw a young man at Galveston, who did not appear at all the worse for the operation. 204 TEXAS AND THE the gradual, and overwhelming belief in the worst ! Poor Nora felt all this, as gradually she roused herself into sense and life. It was all true — her child, her first, her only one was taken from her. She could not w^eep, hers was a hard tearless grief On a sudden, however, the thought of her husband crossed her mind, and a dim recollection of his last sad moments caused her to shudder as though body and soul were parting asunder. Me- chanically she rose, and approaching his bed, leant over what she imagined the senseless clay of him she loved. Her head rested on his breast, when she thought — could it be fancy ? that it throbbed slightly and feebly. Breath- lessly she listened. It was no delusion — he was alive ! Death had not claimed his prey, and he might yet recover. Poor Nora ! The eyes which were dry when heavy affliction struck her, overflowed in salutary drops under the sudden influence of joy. Her first impulse was one of deep and overpowering gratitude ; but her thankful- ness was, like her grief, silent and subdued. She sat down beside the bed, and patiently awaited till he should awake. For several hours did she watch, by her hus- band's side, and morning Avas again stealing over the sky when he awoke, and in feeble accents whispered her name ; his reason was restored, and Nora felt that all present danger was over. Hours sped by — hours spent by the grateful wife in ministering to his recovery. He was weak as an infant, and she dared not tell him of their loss, and that their child lay near them, a lifeless corpse. The next day, after Nora had as usual been addressing words of encouragement to her patient, and carefully con- cealing from him her own deep distresses, she was startled by hearing horses' footsteps approaching their abode. In a few minutes, a man on horseback stopped at the door, and without ceremony entered the house. Nora did not rise, for the hand of her sleeping husband was clasped in hers, while silent tears chased each other down her pale cheeks. Her baby lay unburied near, and for GULF OP MEXICO. 205 her feeble husband, where was she to find the means of recruitm^ his exhausted strength? She had had but little food for many days, and how could she seek for more ? She hardly raised her head when the stranger entered, so absorbed was she with these melancholy reflections. The traveller, unconscious of her sorrows, addressed her with a cheerful, hearty voice, " Good morning-, marm — how's your man ? Ill, I do'nt doubt — these here digg-ins ar'nt wholesome any how — I reckon." Saying- this, the stranger, who was a portly man of respectable appear- ance, seated himself without ceremony in the chimney- corner. Shelter is never refused in the prairie, and to that he was welcome ; gladly also would Nora have set food in plenty before her guest. She gave him, however, of that which she had, and the stranger soon learned the almost destitute condition of his young hostess. The traveller possessed a kind and friendly heart, and a well-filled purse withal. Liking the appearance of the young settlers, and admiring the order and cleanliness of their cottage, he pitied their misfortunes, and hastened to procure necessaries and comforts for the desolate inhabi- tants of the watery prairie. Having then cheered the sufferers with words of hope, and seen the remains of the dead infant decently interred, he left them, promising to return. Two more weeks sped by — M'Leod had left his bed, and sat weak and trembling by the fire, while Nora, though her thoughts often wandered to the grave of her child, looked at him with eyes full of gratitude and hap- piness. Their talk was of the kind stranger, and of their hopes that he would soon return. And when, soon after this, they again savv^ his benevolqit countenance, and heard his loud hearty grectina-, what joy was theirs. The stranger was a rich landholder and cotton-grower, and being in want of an overseer on whom he could depend, he fixed upon M'Leod to fill the office. He gave his pro- Uges a pretty house, located in a healthy clearing, not 18 206 TEXAS AND THE many miles distant from their own property. M'Leod was to be a man having authority, and they had where- withal to live in comfort and content. When Nora en- tered her new habitation, leaning- on her husband's arm, she looked up in his face, " Ah, now Jamie," she said, " and did'nt I tell you there was a silver lining to every cloud." CHAPTER XXI. Abundance of game — Severe northers peculiar to the Gulf of Mexico — Gradual encroachment of land upon the sea — Heavy swell on the bar — Different classes of titles to land — Texas peculiarly adapted for breeding stock. Has heaven reserv'd, in pity to the poor, No pathless waste, or undiscover'd shore ? No secret island in the boundless main? No peaceful desert yet unclaim'd by Spain? Johnson. A FEW weeks had made a considerable difference in the aspect of the country. The prairie was already be- ginning to put on its summer mantle of flowers, and im- mense flocks of migratory birds were darkening the air : wild-fowl also, and all kinds of game, were in much greater abundance than Avhen we were here last. IVIr. Houstoun was delighted with the snipe-shooting, and he was tolerably successful, frequently killing ten couple in an hour. He was also fortunate enough to kill a very rare bird in the country, called by the inhabitants the Sand-Hill crane, which resembles the bustard very much, both in appearance and in flavour, but is considerably larger. The Sand-Hill cranes are very difficult to ap- proach, and only appear after two or three days of severe northers. These northers being pecilliar to the Gulf of Mexico, I must endeavour to describe them. They most frequently GULF OF MEXICO. 207 occur after a few days of danip dull weather, and gene- rally about once a fortnight. Their approach is known by a dark bank rising on the horizon, and gradually over- spreading the heavens. The storm bursts forth with wonderful suddenness and tremendous violence, and gene- rally lasts forty-eight hours ; the wind after that period veers round to the east and southward, and the storm gradually abates. During the continuance of a norther, the cold is intense, and the wind so penetrating, it is almost impossible to keep oneself warm. The weather is generally clear, and frequently the northers are almost unaccompanied by rain. The tremendous hurricane that occurred last September, as it was described to us, is cal- culated to give one the impression that on some future day the flourishing city of Galveston may be swept away by the overwhelming incursions of the sea. On the occa- sion I have alluded to, such was the force of the winds and waves, that many houses were turned topsy turvy, and some were floated many hundred yards fi*om their original position. The greater part of the island was also under water for many days, and boats were in re- quest to go from one house to another. Such a storm as this, however, had never occurred before in the memory of the oldest inhabitant, and some fishermen who had been resident there more than twenty years, asserted that their previous experience presented no parallel for such a destructive hurricane. A stronger argument in favour of the city never being entirely submerged, is the fact that the accumulation of sand, which forms the island, con- tinues increasing, while it is proved beyond a doubt that the land is every where encroaching on the Gulf of Mexico. "We saw an excellent old Spanish chart of the coast, which was made sixty or seventy years ago, and on comparing it with our own we found it on all im- portant points remarkably accurate. The island of Gal- veston, however, is there represented as much smaller than it is at present, and Pelican Island (a large sand- bank in the middle of the bay) is entirely omitted. 208 TEXAS AND THE There can be little doubt, from the omission of Peli- can Island in the chart I have referred to, and also from the manner in which it is known to increase in size, that half a century ago it was not in existence. This would lead to the supposition that the harbour is gradually filling up, but it is conjectured by many that as its limits decrease, the channel, probably formed by the Trinity river, will become deeper. The bar at its entrance is said to remain exactly the same, though the depth of water on it varies considerably according to the wind : after several days of very strong southerly winds, there is frequently as much as fifteen feet of water, and the depth, throughout the bay, and even up the river, is in- creased several feet. Vessels, however, cannot take ad- vantage of this circumstance during the continuance of the southerly winds owing to the extremely heavy swell on the bar, which, notwithstanding the greater depth of the water, materially increases the chance of a vessel's " bumping ;" a term the Americans use for touching on the sand-banks, and they seem to think nothing of it. It is no uncommon practice to make the crew and passen- gers keep constantly moving in line, from one side of the deck to the other, when there is not sufficient water to pass a bar without " rolling over" as this proceeding is called. We ourselves on one occasion assisted at a ceremony of this kind in a steamer. The best period for entering the harbour at Galveston is after a southerly wind has been blowing pretty fresh for some days, and is then succeeded by a norther. Ad- vantage should be taken, at the very commencement of the gale, to pass the bar (as vessels may lay over the bar with a northerly wind) or otherwise, one may almost say, the whole of the available water is blown out of the bay, and thus the depth on the bar is perhaps reduced to less than nine feet. One of the evils, arising from the hitherto un- settled state of the country, seems to be, that the people, instead of attending to their domestic affairs and agricul- tural pursuits, have occupied themselves (for want of GULF OF MEXICO. 209 better employment) in making a superabundance of laws, and acts of Congress.* There are, I do not know how many of these volumes already published, and many of them are so contradictory, and admit of so many inter- pretations, that it is to be presumed the Texan lawyers will never want business. A great proportion of these acts of Congress relate to the land-laws. As I have before mentioned the difficulty in getting good titles to land in Texas, I shall endeavour to give some ac- count of the different descriptions of titles. There are of course various opinions on the subject, and I can therefore only give my own, grounded upon information received from those whom we considered the best authorities. The first titles I shall mention are those emanating from the Mexican government ; many of these are uncon- ditional and indisputable, and are undoubtedly the best that can be found ; there are, however, others, originating from the same source, but which are generally considered totally invalid, certain conditions having been attached to the grant, which were never flilfilled by the grantee, but this has not prevented many from setting up claims on the strength of these impresario or contract grants. The second class of titles are those emanating from the government of the Republic of Texas : of these there are various kinds, and they seem to have been granted so in. cautiously, and to have offered at the same time so many facilities for ftaud and deception that at present it is almost impossible to pronounce any particular one of these titles to be good or bad ; that is to say if it has not been also patented by government. I shall divide the titles emanating from the Republic of Texas into four classes. First. Those titles granted to all who arrived in the country previous to the Declaration of Independence. * The evils of too much legislation are also too appa- rent in the United States. — Editor. 18* 210 TEXAS AND THE Second. Titles granted to those wlio were actually- present in Texas, at the Declaration of Independence, or who took part in the campaign of 1836. Third. Titles, the headrights of colonists who have ar- rived in the country, and have become citizens at various periods, since the Declaration of Independence. Fourth. Titles created by the issuing of Government Scrip. Of these four classes of Texas titles, the first is probably the best, as it is the earliest in date. With regard to the second class, it is only necessary to say, that within a very short period, fifteen thousand individuals had each claimed, and taken possession of his league of land, which, by the Act of Congress, every person who participated in the struggle for independence, was entitled to. Now it is well known that, at the period alluded to, there were cer- tainly not five thousand fighting men in the whole coun- try ; and the fact was, that thousands of adventurers had, immediately after the act was passed, flocked in from the United States, secured titles to land under false pleas, and forthwith returned to America. This was easily effected by representing themselves as having been long in the country, and in the confusion which prevailed at the mo- ment, the imposition could not be detected. A commis- sion was subsequently appointed by government for the purpose of inquiring into the validity of these titles, and their number was soon reduced from fifteen thousand to five thousand. Those, whose claims were approved of, received patents for their land ; but the remaining ten thousand titles were pronounced utterly fraudulent. It is notorious, that many of these forged titles to land in Texas, still continue to be sold in the United States. The third and fourth classes of titles may both be con- sidered good, if the original possessor was undoubtedly the first to " locate on," and register the lands selected. There is a land-oftice for this purpose in each district, but from the careless and informal manner in which the regis- ters have sometimes been kept, and also from the frequent GULF OF MEXICO. 211 change of surveyors, I am informed that it has often hap. pened, notwithstanding all possible precautions, that the same land has been surveyed, and what is called " located," by two or three claimants, one after another. If the titles, however, be patented by the government, these accidents are not likely to occur. To account also, in some mea- sure, for the numerous disputes concerning titles to land in Texas, I must observe, that in a country so ill surveyed, and frequently so deficient in landmarks, (particularly if the seller be dishonest,) it is not always an easy matter to discover the exact position of the estate which is indicated by the title you have purchased ; and it is by no means improbable that you may " squat" on some other person's domain, your own being perhaps some miles distant. The rightful owner of the land you have thus unwittingly appropriated, is perhaps resident at New York, and does not think fit to acquaint you with your mistake, till you have built a house, &c., or perhaps laid out the plan of a city. The latter proceeding being already as common in Texas as it is in the United States. I have now endeavoured to explain the difficulties which exist, in regard to procuring titles to land in this country. Many such as I have described may be pur- chased all over the United States, and even in London, but from what I could learn, all such should be abstained from. It must not, however, be supposed that good and safe titles to land are unattainable. On the contrary, with proper care and caution, they may be obtained in the country, with a good government patent, and with in- disputable right. I believe, too, that the money paid will be trifling compared with that which would be expended for the same purpose any where else in the world. It ought to be remembered, among its other advantages, that Texas comprises an extent of country as large as France, and that half its lands are still unappropriated. One of the evils attendant on settling in Texas, at least one that it has been accused of, is that " aliens'' cannot hold land in Texas. In regard to some land-titles, this is certainly 212 TEXAS AND THE true ; but the difficulty may be entirely obviated by a foreigner spending six months in the country. This tri- fling expenditure of time, which may be very usefully em- ployed, confers the right of citizenship, and enables a stranger to hold land on the same footing as the Texan. It should also be added, that in the case of an alien hold- ing land, the only party proceeding against him would be the government; and such an opponent has so rarely started up in any country, that not much fear need be en- tertained on that score. Apparently no country can be more admirably adapted for breeding purposes, in the case of mules and horses, and it is supposed that it would be an extremely good speculation to export the latter from Texas, where they may be bought for thirty dollars, to Havanna, where their price is from two hundred and fifty to five hundred dollars. The passage thither occupies about four or five days ; and there is but little question, that if the Spanish government were so far to overcome its feelings against Mexico, as to acknowledge the inde- pendence of Texas, Cuba would become a great market for Texan produce of every kind. CHAPTER XXII. History and character of General Houston, President of Texas — Run for the presidency — Whittling — Discomfort of travel- ling in Texas. For forms of government let fools contest ; Whate'er is best administer'd is best ; For modes of faith, let graceless zealots fight; His can't be wrong whose life is in the right ; In faith and hope the world will disagree But all mankind's concern is charity; And all must be false that thwarts this one great end ; And all of God, that bless mankind, or mend. Pope. As we intend shortly making an excursion up the country, and if possible paying our respects to the cele- GULF OF MEXICO. 213 brated President, General Houston, I think that a short account of the history and character of the latter may not be unacceptable. Of the talents of tliis remarkable man, there can, and does, exist but one opinion ; but there is, nevertheless, a strong party against him. From the want of other objects to occupy their time and attention, a large proportion of the people amuse themselves by abusing him, both in his public and private capacity. The im- possibility of a governor of a country pleasing and satis- fying all parties, is every where acknowledged ; and the want of national funds under w^liich the republic at pre- sent labours, greatly increases the difficulty. Every in- stance of adversity, and every deficiency of dollars, is at- tributed at once to the President's mismanagement or cu- pidity. The latter charge is so strange, and so utterly unfounded, that it finds but few believers. There are several other causes of complaint against him. The prin- cipal one is, his avowed dislike to going to war, which, in common with all people who have but little to lose, is a favourite pastime with the Texans. The advice of the Pre- sident to his countrymen, — " stay at home, gentlemen, look after your flocks and herds, and sow corn," — meets with but little sympathy from his fellow-citizens. Another cause of his unpopularity with the fighting party, is his op- position to the existence of a navy in Texas ; the President contending, that they have no use for ships, and that the support of a navy is a useless incumbrance to the republic. American sympathizers and loafers are objects of his espe- cial enmity ; and with reason, for no persons are so much to be feared. They are people who go about in search of promiscuous plunder, and it matters nothing to them, wliether friend or enemy falls a victim to their rapacity. If nothing is to be made of the Mexicans, they turn upon the Texans in search of prey. It is well known that the Mexicans, in general, are not well-disposed towards Santa Anna, whose military despo- tism is ill-calculated to conciliate their regard ; and it is not difficult to believe that were they left to themselves, 214 TEXAS AND THE they would be friendly towards the Tcxans. As a proof of this, in the late campaign on the frontier, most ener- getic proceedings, conducted with beautiful military skill, were made by the Texans for the attack of Mier. Fire- eating parties of warlike citizens, armed and caparisoned, advanced simultaneously at three different points of at- tack, resolved to conquer or to die. What was their sur- prise to find that they had wasted all this valuable energy and courage without necessity. No opposition was made by the Mexicans to their entrance, but on the contrary, they were received in the most friendly manner, and in- vited to eat, drink, and refresh themselves. The return made by the invaders for the kindness with which they were treated, was ungrateful indeed. In the dead of the night, they commenced plundering, and appropriating to themselves every thing they could lay their hands on. These men were loafers — the dangerous and unprin- cipled set of people of whom General Houston is so anxious to free the country. One of the few respectable individuals who took part in the expedition told us, that they were heartily ashamed of being there, and, for his own part, he felt " dreadful small" on the occasion. But to return to the character of the President. Old Sam, as he is universally called, is, I believe, a native of Kentucky, and was educated for the law. He distinguished himself highly at the United States bar, and married an American lady possessed of great personal attractions. Differences subsequently arose between himself and his wife, the causes of which are not known, and as divorces are easily obtained in this country, where mutual irritability is alone sufficient to establish grounds for entire separation, General Houston took advantage of this facility. To judge from his subsequent conduct, he must have felt his domestic bereavement severely, and it seems to have been long before he recovered from its effects. In the year 1828, in a fit of disgust and despair, as it is supposed, he took up his abode among a distant tribe of Indians, I be- lieve the Cherokees. He spent several years among them, GULF OF MEXICO. 215 conforming himself to their habits, and even outdoing- them in some of their acts of daring and adventure. He is said to have taken to himself a squaw ; but let it be re- membered that tJiis is only hearsay evidence, and I do not vouch for its veracity. It is commonly related, that at this period of his life, and in the society of these primi- tive bon vivans. General Houston grew so attached to the dram-bottle, that the Indians bestowed on him the sobri- quet of "drunken Sam." Having now said all the evil, if such it can be called, of his character we must turn to the bright side. General Houston's bravery is worthy of the boldest days of chivalry ; his patriotism sincere and un- questioned, and his integrity without a stain. His talents as a legislator are of a high order, and should those that are against him succeed in electing a President who is opposed to him in politics, they will find him most formi- dable in opposition. When we consider how mainly in- strumental the President has been in securing their inde- pendence, we are the more surprised that he should have enemies among his own people. In the enumeration of his qualities, we should, however, notice, that he is caustic and severe ; and that his superior talents render him, per- haps, not sufficiently lenient to the faults and weakness of otliers ; circumstances which may, in some measure, ac- count for liis unpopularity. General Houston has lately married again, and his wife is said to be an accomplished and exemplary person. She possesses a great influence over the President, and uses it with judgment and moderation. Owing to her admi- rable advice, General Houston has broken through those habits of drinking and swearing, which were formerly blots on his character, and the former of which injured his health. He is a man of education, and, besides being well read in polite literature, appreciates the elegant and standard authors of our country. Whenever the President travels through the country, it is at the expense of the persons at whose houses he puts up, and whenever he makes use of a steamer he has the 216 TEXAS AND THE privilege of a free passage. I believe that during his public career, General Houston has neither saved nor made a dollar ; on the contrary, he is said to be often in pecuniary difficulties. As a proof hov^^ convinced the people are of his integrity, in regard to not having amassed a fortune from the public funds, it may be men- tioned, that not long ago, being in Avant of a little tobacco, and not having wherewith to purchase it, he could not obtain credit. Parties are much divided, and the opinions of the people are showing themselves in various ways on the subject of the election of the next President. It is the prevailing topic of conversation ; indeed, it seems to me that both in the United States and Texas this sort of excitement is so popular, that no sooner is a President elected, than there commences all the excitement of canvassing for and choosing his successor. At the present moment there are several persons who are about to " run," as they call it, for the Presidency. General Houston has bitter enemies ; but he has likewise warm friends and partisans, who are among the best and most influential of the people ; it is, therefore, not probable that the choice of a successor in the government will fill upon any one inimical to him, or decidedly adverse to his line of policy. Without using any undue means to make himself popular, the President is courteous and polite to persons of all ranks ; and, though I believe a Tory at heart, makes no difference in his civility of manner to any parties or factions. The House of Assembly at Washington is open to the street ; it has no windows, and any one may look in who pleases. General Houston's greeting to the free citizens — carters, or blacksmiths, as the case may be — is always equally kind and polite. It is, " How d'ye do, Colonel ? How's Madam ? Bad weather for the ladies !" During this time, and while public business was under discussion, the honourable members of Congress were to be seen seated on candle-boxes and sugar-casks ; in short, GULF OF MEXICO. 217 on any thing' they could find ; and each man was ivhit- tling away without intermission. A piece of wood is placed before each senator, who, were it not for this necessary precaution, would very soon, in common with his honourable friends, cut the table to pieces. No sooner is a member seated than he takes out his knife, and never leaves off cutting away, whether speaking or silent. A great deal, certainly, is done with wood, besides the national amusement of lohittling. It is invariably used for building ; and the celerity with which they erect both churches and houses, is, as I have before remarked, wonderful. A troop of Franconi's horses, at least their owners called them such, on their way from Mexico to the United States, were at present amusing the good citi- zens of Galveston by their performances. In a day, there was built for them quite a large temporary theatre for the exercise of their manoeuvres. Though some of the houses have a certain air of ex- terior neatness and decoration, yet comfort, at least do- mestic household comfort, is quite unknown in this country. The north winds blow through and through their paper houses, and they heed it not ; while carpets, well-made beds, and all such necessaries of life, are un- known or despised. Tlie traveller in Texas must set out prepared for every species of discomfort : his bed, if he should happen to procure one, will be disputed, or, if he should happen to prefer a compromise, perhaps shared, by some other traveller. Tlie late Charge d' Affaires of his French Majesty, chanced to be travelling up the country, in this primitive republic. He was fresh from the luxu- ries and agremens of a Paris life, not among the least of which may be reckoned the comfortable beds which are every where to be enjoyed. To this agreeable mode of existence, Texas, and its numerous inconveniences, must have formed a striking contrast. On arriving at one of the halting places at night, he retired to what he doubt- 19 218 TEXAS AND THE less imagined would be a solitary couch ; and though the winds of heaven were whistling through his log-built chamber, and the bright stars peeping through the roof, the fatigue of the journey soon closed his eyes in slumber. He had not, however, slept many minutes, when he was awoke by the entrance of a most formidable-looking indi- vidual. It was a stout Kentuckian, duly armed with bowie knife and pistols ; and who, while in the act of disencumbering himself of his upper garments, said, in a coarse, but not unfriendly voice, " Well, stranger, I guess I'll take the inside of the bed, if it's the same to you ?" I believe the Parisian preferred passing the night on the floor, to the misfortune of having a Yankee between the wall and his nobility. No innkeeper in this country would ever dream of send- ing away a traveller on the plea of want of room, as long as one bed remained in his house unoccupied, except by two men. It was with a perfect knowledge of the diffi- culties and inconveniences that awaited us, tliat we made up our minds to undertake an excursion up the country, and we were therefore prepared for all contingencies. I may here remark that, on a previous occasion, when I ac- companied Mr. Houstoun on a fishing and shooting excur- sion to the mainland, I could not help tliinking, how ex- tremely eligible is this country for railroads. As far as I could see, and I was told it was the same for miles, the horizon was only bounded by the flat, and pathless prairie. Oh I that such advantages of locomotion were now at hand ! But tlien, though unquestionably we should have been spared many of the small and tedious troubles of the route, we should also have been deprived of the pleasure of seeing a remarkable country in its primeval state, and we should also have lost in interest, what we should have gained in luxury and comfort. The weather was ex- tremely cold, and sharp northers were chilling us with their ungenial breath, but we were too anxious to see something more of the country, to be easily dissuaded from our purpose. GULF OF MEXICO. 219 The corps diplomatique were engaged to join our party, and the arrangements required for the undertaking being few and simple, we fixed an early day, and fortliw^ith took our places in the steamer bound up the Buifalo Bayou to Houston. CHAPTER XXIII. Commencement of an excursion up the country — The Houston steamer — Her passengers — The town of Houston — Tavern fare at Houston — Start for the prairie. Give allowance to our liberal jests Upon their persons — Beaumont and Fletcher. Where highest woods impenetrable To sun or starlight, spread their umbrage broad And brown as evening. Milton. It was about two o'clock in the afternoon of a bright frosty day, that we put ourselves on board the Houston steamer— Captain Kelsey. She was a small vessel, and drew but little water, a circumstance very necessary in these small rivers. The American river steamers differ very much in appearance from those to which an Euro- pean eye is accustomed. They have the appearance of wooden houses, built upon a large raft ; there is a balcony or verandah, and on the roof is what is called the hurri- cane-deck, where g^eriiZcw en passengers walk and smoke. On the occasion of our taking our passage both ladies and gentlemen's cabin were quite full, and I therefore pre- ferred spending the evening in the balcony in spite of the cold. I had many kind offers of civility, but I could not help being amused at the terms in which some of them v/ere couched. The question addressed to me of "do you liquor, ma'am" was speedily followed by the production of 220 TEXAS AND THE a tumbler of egg-nogg, which seemed in great request, and I cannot deny its excellence ; I believe the British Navy claims the njerit of its invention, but this is matter of dispute. We dined soon after our arrival on board and found every body very orderly and civil ; certainly there u^as a strange mixture of ranks, but this made it more amusing to a stranger. The ladies, during dinner, were v^ery silent, though the noise I had heard them making in their own cabin, five minutes before, was deafening. The supper consisted of alternate dishes of boiled oysters, and beef-steaks, of whicli there was plenty, and the latter disappeared in marvellously quick time between the strong jaws of the Texan gentlemen. I confess to preferring meat which has been kept somewhat more than an hour, especially in frosty weather. On one occasion our dinner was delayed for some time, while the cook went on shore and " shot a beef." There was fortunately water enough for us to cross Red Fish Bar, and we were fast steaming up Buffalo River. For a considerable distance from the mouth, the shores are low, flat and swampy, but as the stream nar- rowed there were high banks, and the trees were quite beautiful in spite of the season, which was extremely unfavourable to foliage and woody scenery. Such mag- nolias — eighty feet in height, and with a girth like huge forest trees, — what must they be when in full blossom ! There were also a great number and variety of ever- greens, laurel, bay, and firs, rhododendrons, cistus, and arbutus. It seemed one vast shrubbery ; the trees and shrubs grew to a prodigious height, and often met over the steamer, as she wound through the short reaches of this most lovely stream. It was late when I retired to my cabin, for the scene, lighted by a clear frosty moon, was so beautiful, and to me so novel, that I could not make up my mind to leave it. I had expected to be much annoyed by the noise of tiie high pressure engine ; to that, however, I soon be- GULF OF MEXICO. 221 came accustomed, but, on the other hand, of all sounds I ever heard, that of the negro slaves carolling' out their nightly songs was the most dismal and unearthly. They were seated, some on the hurricane-deck, and others at their work, but all joining in the same loud, weary, monotonous chaunt. The young girls have generally beautifixl figures, and are as straight and upright as young pines : in the ladies' cabin especially there was one very pretty bright-eyed black girl, who seemed full of fun and good humour. My berth opened out of the state cabin, and as the only partition was a Venetian door, I could not avoid hearing all the conversation that was carried on by my neighbours. Cards and drinking constituted no incon- siderable part of the pleasures of the evening, but with all the excitement of talk, tobacco-chewing, and brandy, I never heard people more orderly and reasonable. Their talk as usual was of dollars : politics, indeed, occasion, ally took their turn, but the subject ceased to become interesting, when the pockets of the company could no longer be affected by the turn of affairs. There was no private scandal, no wit, no literature, no small-talk ; all was hard, dry, calculating business. I heard many shrewd hard-headed remarks ; the fate of their country was talked over as a matter of business, and one rather important-looking gentleman made a stump speech on the expediency of Texas becoming a colony of Great Britain ! I do not know the orator's name, but General or Colonel he must have been. Military titles are taken and given here with as little ceremony as the title of Count on the Continent : Mr. Houstoun sprang into a General at once. There was a Baptist preacher on board, a thin, weary- looking man, with a cast in his eye, which was very comical. He had fought for his country, and though now a man of peace, delighted in displaying his know- ledge of military matters. He was going to Houston 19* 222 TEXAS AND THE to establish a school for young gentlemen, while his wife was to superintend the education of their sisters. This he said he was induced to do, that his boys might not mix with their inferiors ; he could not bear, he added, that his sons should be acquainted with vulgar boys, which they were obliged to do at Galveston, but he didn't like it, and now at his school, he could choose the boys ! Exclusiveness here ! Where shall we look for a country where the real charitable feelings of equality exist ? I may remark that my maid was obliged to wait till all these people had done their meals, because, I was told, they did not like her to eat at tlie same table. Strange inconsistency ! but one that suflicicntly shows the futility of any attempt to introduce a perfect system of equality in any country. It exists in America but in name. I shall not easily forget the night I passed on the Buf- falo river ; there was card-playing going on in both cabins, and occasionally I heard a card put down with a smart slap, and then " I guess now, that's the way to do busi- ness," and from another "now sir, I've made an operation I expect." In the ladies' cabin, where a few favoured in- dividuals of the other sex had the good fortune to be ad- mitted, it was " ah Miss Delia, I see the giraffe ahead, I do." And then a young gentleman played " Auld lang syne" with variations on the violin, followed by "The boatie rows," sung with tremendous applause by a young Scotchman with a fine bass voice, which would have been too much for Westminster Abbey. At seven o'clock in the morning we arrived at the pretty town of Houston ; it is built on high land, and the banks, which are covered with evergreens, rise abruptly from the river. There are plenty of inns at Houston, such as they are, and we took up our quarters at the " Houston House," a large shambling wooden building, kept by a Captain or Colonel Baldwin, one of the most civil, obliging people I ever saw. We had a sitting-room which was weather-proof, though to keep out the intense cold was impossible. It was said that our landlord was anxious to GULF OF MEXICO. 223 add to the comforts of his house, but he had a great many bad debts ; it was, he told us, a losing concern altogether ; more went out than came in, and only that morning, having asked a gentleman to pay his bill, the reply was, " If you come to insult me again sir, by I'll shoot you sir." We went down to breakfast in the public room ; the food consisted of tough beef-steaks, each as large as a good-sized dish, eggs hardly warmed through, and emptied over the meat, and squirrels ; each guest did not remain more than five minutes, and on his retiring, his place was immediately filled by another hungry traveller. I looked on in silent wonder at their extraordinary powers of mas- tication ; one old man in particular, in a green baize coat, outdid all the rest. I could not have believed any human being could have contrived to stow away such a cargo of " dry goods" in so short a time. The weather had by this time changed, and a cold sleety rain was falling. It was not promising weather for sport, but Mr. Houstoun was determined to try his luck, and the whole societe of the place kindly offered to accompany him on his expedition. Off they all set, on raw-boned high trotting horses, guns on their shoulders, and exhibiting every variety of strange costume. As to an}^ sport they had, they might as well have remained at home ; the only event of the day being the breaking of our doctor's bridle, upon which his horse ran away, and he was thrown, happily, however, without receiving any injury. Houston, proud as the Texans are of it as a city, docs not bear a close inspection ; there is but one brick house in it, and I could not quite make out what its in- habitants meant when they talked of it as a great city : — " the poetry of the coontry sir, is Houston ;" a very in- comprehensible panegyric certainly. Our dinner we had in private. The hotel was, as the landlord said, " in a fix," but our fare was not bad of its kind, there being » pork dodgers" and " dough doings," (corn bread) chicken fixings and sausages. Rossetta, a negress, with rings on every finger, waited upon us, and 224 TEXAS AND THE a hideous creature she was : Jerry, too, the black porter, and a great thief, assisted. The tea was made in a huge kettle. We retired to rest fatigued enough. A piercing norther was blowing and whirling wildly round the fragile house, and forcing its way through the cracks and crannies, and putting out both fire and candle ; the cold also was more intense than any thing I ever before experi- enced. The whole town was in a state of excitement, for the Mexicans, who had recently entered Bexar, and had marched off all its inhabitants as prisoners, were hourl}' expected. During the night there was a cry that they were at hand, but it proved only a false alarm. We were disturbed too, in the course of the night by the importu- nities of an unfortunate man, who could not find a bed, and who kept knocking at all our doors, saying he was very cold and must come in. He was what the landlord called a " rowdy loafer ;" not a pleasant companion, as it is by these people, and by these alone (who are not Texans be it said) that gouging and bowie-knifing arc practised. Our ceiling was of canvass, and in the night wc were obliged to "fix" an umbrella over the bed, while I watched the feet of a restless cat as she wandered over our heads ; her paws finding their way through the holes, which time had worn in our sail-cloth covering. The prairie, as I have said, was in a very bad state for travelling. Roads, it is well known, there were none, and " plumbing the track," namely, tracing the path of former travellers, is at all times difficult; however, we were resolved to see something of the country, and therefore hired a wagon for the purpose, drawn by two stout horses, and set off, in spite of wind and weather. On leaving Houston, we ascended a hill so steep, as to seem almost impossible for a carriage, however light, to be drawn up it. Stumps of trees were left in the middle of the path, which lies through a thick forest. The trees are mostly evergreens, magnolias, bay, laurel, and cy- press, and the forest itself has the appearance of an orna- mental shrubbery on a gigantic scale. Notwithstanding GULF OF MEXICO. 225 the severe cold, the ground was beginning to be enamelled with flowers. There were violets, and a small flower like a jessamine, but growing close to the ground : there were both blue and white. I saw, also, various salvias, and many other plants and flowers, of which, not being a botanist, I can give no account. It was quite gladdening, afl;er having been debarred so long a time from tlie sight of trees, to find oneself journeying through such woods as these. I began to think that the name of " Happy hunt- ing-grounds" was not misapplied. Texas signifies, in the Indian tongue, these endearing and happy-sounding words ; and I believe that those parts of the republic, where the Indians still abide, are the most worthy of the appellation. CHAPTER XXIV. Scenery of the prairie — Free and easy manner of the inn- keeper's son — Indians of Ihe Lipan tribe — Letter of condo- lence to the Lipans on the death of their chief In distant wilds, by human eye unseen She rears her flowers, and spreads her velvet green, Pure gurgling rills, the lovely desert trace, And waste their music on the savage race. Young. Here to the houseless child of want The door is open still. Goldsmith, The birds here are many and various. Cardinals, blackbirds with bright red Avings, mocking-birds, and woodpeckers of every hue, are the most common. As you advance into the interior, the woods become less thick, and the country is more open. It is, in fact, a prairie, slightly rolling, and diversified with frequent clumps of trees, so tastefully arranged by the hand of 226 TEXAS AND THE nature, that you could imagine yourself in a finely-kept English park, where landscape-gardeners and studiers of the picturesque had expended their utmost skill in beau- tifying the scenery. Where the clumps of trees arc at a considerable distance from each other, I was strongly re- minded of some parts of Windsor Forest. We saw great quantities of cattle grazing, and some sheep ; these latter, I was told, are considered very profitable stock ; they sell at from three to four dollars each : and the following manner of preventing them from straying, struck me as ingenious. In the month of March, the long prairie grass is set on fire. Where sheep are to graze, the fire is confined to small patches, and as they do not roam into the high grass, they keep eating down that which has been burned, till the owner thinks it expedient to prepare another spot for them in a similar manner. At our inn, one night, the master's son, after setting our dinner on the table, coolly advanced his chair to the fire, observing it was cold, and added, " Well, Gen'ral now, where did you go to; tell us now; I guess you found it cold. You haven't fixed any game, any how." How surprised we should be in England at such fami- liarity as this ; but here, you see at once the absurdity of either showing or feeling annoyance, as it is evident they are so very far from intending incivility ; they are, more- over, so genuinely kind, that I, for one, felt inclined to take every thing as it was meant — in good part. An Englishman certainly feels, when he pays for his room at an inn, that even the landlord has no right to enter it ; but he must divest himself of these peculiarities here. In other respects, the resting-places for the night are as com- fortable as goodwill and hospitality can make them. It is often difficult to persuade the worthy host to accept any remuneration ; and we were told by an Englishman, who had been in every part of the country, that he had often known, when a traveller was not possessed of much ready cash, a good song, or a budget of news, invented or remembered, would be taken in payment for a night's / GULF OF MEXICO. ' 227 lodging and an ample meal. Read this, rich men, who live in refined and populous cities ; eat the dinner which has cost you as much as would have nourished a score of hungry wanderers ; but when you have done, reflect on the humble lodging in the desert, where, out of little at least something is given. About this time I made acquaintance with an Indian of the Lipan tribe, who came with a rabbit to sell to me. Some of his tribe were in a camp at no great distance. I was alone when he entered, and he eyed me evidently with fear and suspicion. Poor people, they have no rea- son either to like or respect the whites ; and I did not wonder at his suspicion, though I did at his alarm. He was about eighteen years old, very gipsy -looking, with an eye singularly wild and piercing. He was dressed like a hunter, with a leather pouch, cow's horn for powder, a knife, and a whistle. His clothing was scanty enough. It was a long time before he would approach me, and seemed to have a great dislike to allowing me to touch his accoutrements. He had his rabbit in his arms, and con- trived to make me understand, by putting up his fingers, that he wanted two bits, about tenpence, for it. Having" paid him the money, I poured out a glass of sherry, which I offered him, but he refused it with a look of disgust, and again retreated to his corner. Knowing the fondness of an Indian for spirits, 1 concluded he was afraid it was poisoned. I was right in my supposition, for immediately afterwards, on seeing me put my lips to the glass, he rushed to me, seized it from my hand, and drank it off. He was a good specimen of his kind, and I was very glad to have had this interview with him. The tribe of Indians to which my acquaintance be- longed, is not one of any importance, and their numbers have been much weakened by their wars with the Ca- manchees, of whom they are the hereditary enemies. It is much to be hoped that these wars with the Indians will be soon put a stop to in Texas. The " happy hunting- grounds," indeed, can never be what they once were, to 228 TEXAS AND THE these poor people ; yet peace, and freedom from oppres- sion, they have a right to hope for, and General Houston, who interests himself much in their civilization and well- being-, has on every occasion proved himself their friend and protector. A meeting of the tribes vi^as to be held shortly, at the Wacco village, on the Brazos, situated about two hundred miles above Washington, for the pur- pose of making treaties of alliance both between tlie whites and among themselves. The President is to meet them there, and much was expected, both from his intimatq. knowledge of Indian habits and character, and from the respect in which he is held by the tribes. Some of his addresses to them are curious enough. I shall transcribe one of the latest, being a letter of condolence to the Li- pans, on the death of their chief. To the Chief of the Lipans. Executive Department, Washington, March, 26, 1843. My Brother, My heart is sad ! — A dark cloud rests upon 3'^our na- tion. Grief has sounded in your camp. The voice of Flaco is silent. His words are not heard in council. The chief is no more ; his eyes are closed. His heart no longer leaps at the sight of the buffalo ! The voices of your camp are no longer heard to cry, Flaco has returned from the chase I Your chiefs look down on the earth, and groan in trouble. The warriors weep — the loud voice of grief is heard from your women and children. The song of birds is silent. The car of your people hears no pleasant sound. Sorrow whispers in the winds. The noise of the tempest passes : it is not heard : your hearts are heavy. The name of Flaco brought joy to all hearts. Joy was on every face ! Your people were happy. Flaco is no longer seen in the fight : his voice is no longer heard in battle. The enemy no longer makes a path for his glory. His valour is no longer a guard for your people. GULF OF MEXICO. 229 The right arm of your nation is broken. Flaco was a friend to his white brothers : they will not forget him. They will remember the red warrior : his father will not be forgotten. We will be kind to the Lipans. Grass shall not grow in the path between us. Let your wise men give the counsel of peace. Let your young men walk in the white path. The gray-headed men of your nation will teach wisdom. I will hold my red brothers by the hand. Thy brother, Sam. Houston. The landlord of the inn came in soon after the de- parture of the Indian, and " fixed the rabbit" for me, as he called it. This was merely putting it into a box, with holes in it. I kept the poor little animal some time, in memory of my wild acquaintance, but soon after we re- turned to the Dolphin he escaped, and I heard no more of him. We had some excellent wild turkeys up the country, which were much better than the tame. On the whole, we enjoyed our inland visit, wliich we extended in various directions about Houston. In regard to the sport, or rather in the absence of it, the gentlemen of the party were disappointed ; and we began to think that the quan- tity of game up the country, and the ease with which it was said to be procured, were rather overrated. The want of success, however, might, perhaps, be fairly attri- buted to the badness of the weather. 20 230 TEXAS AND THE CHAPTER XXV. Dangers of travelling in the prairie — Last evening at Houston — Severe frost — Return from Houston to Galveston — The opossum — Political conferences and discussion on the slave- trade — Slave-owners sufferers by its continuance. In a strange land Such things, however trivial, reach the heart, And thro' the heart the head, clearing away The narrow notions that grow up at home. And in their place grafting good-will to all ; At least I found it so. Rogers. The city of Houston was our head-quarters during our gtay up the country, and greatly did we regret that the state of the prairie, owing to the constant and heavy rains, prevented our travelling as far as Washington, , which city we had intended to have visited. The scarcity and indifference of the accommodations would not have deterred us from such an undertaking, but, in a country vt^here roads do not exist, it is difficult not to lose I one's way. The danger is considerably increased when the trail of previous travellers is obliterated by the rains, for, plumbing the track, the Texan term for tracing a \ road, is, at all times, a slow and tedious operation. Be- tween Houston and Washington there is a certain space of two miles, which, when we were in the country, was not traversed in less time than four hours, so deep was • the mire. The Brazos and Trinity bottoms are overflowed for^ weeks together in the winter season, and, in the absence j of causeways and bridges, are extremely difficult andj even dangerous to pass. In process of time, there is no] doubt that the banks will become raised, in a similar GULF OF MEXICO. 231 manner to those of the Mississippi, and the overflowings of the rivers will be checked. At present, the aspect of the prairie, during the winter season, and the scenes which are occasionally acted there, are more amusing to a looker on, than agreeable to the parties concerned. Travellers are seen knee-deep in mud, and looking as though hopeless of rescue, and dying and dead cattle are interspersed among bales of cotton, which are in process of " hauling ;" altogether it requires a great spirit of enterprise to dare the dangers of the route. We may fairly suppose, that one of the first public works which the Texans will imdertake, will be to establish a canal or railroad, between the Brazos river and Galveston bay, in order to facilitate the transit of the cotton, which is now hauled across the country, from the Brazos to Houston. Our inn at Houston, though comfortable as Colonel Baldwin's extreme attention could make it, was cold and cheerless enough, and we were not sorry when the last evening arrived which we were to spend under its roof. We had our usual dinner of pork dodgers and a turkey fixed with sausages, varied with some dough doings, in the shape of puddings, the like of which I never saw be- fore. Our surprise at their shape and consistency caused great delight to Rossetta, the negress in waiting, whose mouth distended to twice its usual dimensions with the violence of her merriment. Her laughter was conta- gious, and our last evening at the " Houston House" passed off in high glee. We regretted very much that we were obliged to leave the country without being introduced to the President ; but, we hope, on a future occasion, to thank him in per- son for the gratifying messages we received from him. We were to leave Houston at eight o'clock in the morn- ing ; an arrangement which gave me much satisfaction, as I should thus have an opportunity of seeing a consi- derable part of the country which we had previously passed in the dark. The frost was very severe, and the inhabi- tants asserted that the weather was unusually cold for the 232 TEXAS AND THE season of the year. They have an adage which tells them that no frost is ever knov/n after the blossoming of tlie dogwood. This season, however, was certainly an ex- ception ; for this pretty shrub was in full blossom, and yet the thermometer was four degrees below freezing point. The bayou is very narrow at Houston, and extremely winding ; some of the turns being so sharp that the steamer Jiad great difficulty in getting round, and frec|uently touched the bank, both ahead and astern. Slow, how- ever, as was our progress, I would have made it slower still, " The muse of inspiration played O'er every scene ; she walked tlie forest maze, And climbed the mountain ; every blooming spot Burned with her step, yet man regards it not." There was a bright sun shining above us ; and, notwith- standing the brisk cold air, I persisted in remamiug on the hurricane-deck. I was at last, however, warned of the danger of my position, by receiving a pretty smart blow from the branch of one of the trees which nearly met over the stream. There were beautiful shrubs grow- ing close to the water's edge, and down the steep acclivi- ties had trickled rills of water, though now frozen into icicles. The land was high, and interspersed with hill and valley on either bank ; the nearer, however, we ap- proached to the sea, the flatter and less pleasing the country appears ; gradually becoming marshy, and having an unhealthy appearance. There are quite as inany passengers on board as when we ascended the river, and I certainly had reason to dread the night and the noisy talk which followed. The voices of Americans are in general disagreeable and pitched in a high tone : this is unpleasant enough in a man, but when such a voice proceeds from the mouth of a young and pretty woman, one really feels inclined to stop one's ears, and refuse to hear the voice of the charmer. -4s to the habitual nasal twang (which before I visited the GULF OF MEXICO. 233 country I thought a fable, or at least an exaggeration of our fault-finding countrymen), it certainly exists in great perfection, and I have been at some pains to discover the cause. The fact is, their mouths are so full of their fa- vourite weed, that they cannot open them to speak with- out disagreeable consequences, and they are therefore obliged to employ their noses to perform the duty. But enough and too much has been said on this disagreeable subject; and I only mention it d propos of my sleepless nights, on my narrow shelf in the steamer. Breakfast on board ; beef, and raw eggs after it, and the infallible egg- nogg was drank by both ladies and gentlemen. Brandy is given a discretion and gratis ; nobody, however, ap- peared to commit any excess, or seemed the least the worse for it. There was a very pretty American on board, who had been a bride only a fortnight; she was not nineteen years of age, and yet these were her second nuptials. Life is soon begun in this country, especially among the female portion of its inhabitants ; and while yet a child in years, the young American starts into a " dreadful ansum girl" at once, and the consequence of this premature start is an early decay of youth and beauty. I was tempted, after breakfast, into the ladies' cabin, where I remained, because I was pleased and amused by what was going on. The wife of the captain, who had more of the milk of human kindness in her composition than would have softened a dozen hearts in our conven- tional world, took great pains to teach me the art of knit- ting, in which she was wonderfully skilled, and I, in re- turn, answered her numerous questions about England. " Well I guess you've better thread than this in the old country." " Do tell now, isn't this pretty sugar ?" and then I told another lady (in return to some similar in- formation) how many children I had left at home, and then she wondered how I could keep away from them, and repeated the hon mots and accomplishments of her 20* 234 TEXAS AND THE own nursery brood till I began rather to repent of my temerity in venturing- among- such a loquacious society. " I tell you now, ma'am, my little boy always hides when he's told to g-o to school, and I expect it's hard work to find him ; he's a smart boy is Washing-ton Mirabeau, and that's a fact." At dinner we had pig- and parsnips, and the meal was, as usual, despatched in an incredibly short space of time. We were all much disappointed at an announcement which was soon after made to us, that, owing to the severe norther which had been blowing- for the last two days, the water was too low on one of the banks in the river to enable us to reach Galveston that evening. We were consequently obliged to run the ves- sel alongside of a sort of quay, and wait till the tide rose. A temporary bridge was constructed, and we all went on shore, some to shoot, others to visit a Colonel Morgan, close to whose house the vessel was lying, and some, like myself, to pass away time. It was extremely cold, and we were obliged to walk briskly to keep ourselves tolera- bly warm. Colonel Morgan's house was very pretty ; its owner was absent, so I went over it and took a walk in the grounds. The latter were well laid out, and the adjoining farm appeared, to my inexperienced eye, in good order ; some very fine sheep were grazing, and the wheat and barley looked very well. Mr. Houston had the good luck to kill an opossum, a strange-looking ugly animal, some- thing like a badger, with its fore-paws resembling human hands. When he brought the creature on board, the so- ciety were very anxious to have it cooked for su{>per, con- sidering it, as they said, " first-rate eating." The opossum is held in great respect by the Yankees, as a particularly " smart" animal. It is very difficult to take him, and he knows an ingenious trick or two for self- preservation. If he finds himself slightly wounded, and, after casting about in his mind, sees no other means of escape, he pretends to be dead, and even allows himself to be carried home and his supposed corpse to be thrown GULF OF MEXICO. ' 235 aside. Directly he finds himself alone, he starts up and makes the best of his way to the woods ag-ain. This trick of the opossum is so well known, that when a slave is suspected by his employers of shamming- sickness, to avoid his work, he is compared to this cunning little beast ; " Well I guess he's coming- 'possum over us." It is difficult to deceive a Yankee, but the negroes often succeed when they pretend illness, for even as slave- owners, these people have hearts, and kind ones too. Some of the party, who remained on board, amused themselves with rifle-shooting, and I saw some g-ood specimens of Yankee skill. A duck was discovered on the water, at the distance of fifty yards, and a sportsman assured us he would take off the top of its head, at that distance : he quite succeeded, and the poor little bird was brought to us literally scalped. In the early part of the night I was, as usual, extremely amused with listening to the conversation of the acute cal- culators and cunning politicians that surrounded us. The future fate of the country, and its probable annexation to some other power was discussed ; but what power was it to be ? that was the question. France, they declared, had been most anxious to obtain possession of them, but her propositions had not exactly suited them, and the affair had ended. England, they seemed to think, would be the most eligible country on which to lean, but it was doubted, and that very generally, whether that power would have any thing to say to them. This was public talk, but we were privately informed by a person worthy of credit, that a negotiation for the sale of Texas, and to wliich he had been a party, had been on the point of being con- cluded, between America and Mexico. The latter were to make over Texas, for a stipulated sum, to the United States. The transaction, as he assured us, was all but concluded, and the papers required only the signatures of the respective presidents, when the person charged, on the part of the Americans, with the necessary documents ^ thought he might just as well do a little business on his own 236 TEXAS AND THE account. Instead, therefore, of proceeding direct to Mexico, he betook himself to Texas to purchase land ; being induced to do so by the knowledge of the value to which land would rise, immediately on the conclusion of the sale. This detour was the cause of considerable delay, and, in the interim, events occurred which rendered the projected compact impossible, and altered entirely the aspect of affairs. Mixed up with these political conferences was a good deal of conversation on the interesting subject of the slave-trade. This is a very engrossing topic here, and, on this occasion, it gave rise to some rather violent speechifying. There were many greatly in favour of the continuance of slavery, and a few as strongly against it. There was one individual who spoke well in favour of abolition ; his reasonings were very right-minded and in- genious, and I admired the straightforward moral courage, wliich induced him to stand boldly forward in the midst of so many opposers, and to advocate openly the cause which he had espoused. After listening to the various arguments, for and against the possession of slave property, I saw no reason to change the opinion I had previously formed on the subject, and I am as much as ever convinced that the slave-owners are the greatest sufferers by its continuance. The almost absolute dominion which a slave-owner, at least in the plantations, possesses over his human pro- perty, must tend, in the abstract, to render a master ty- rannical, and unmerciful. It has the effect of making them despotic, because the human mind is so constituted that the possession of power is seldom used with modera- tion, and it cannot be doubted that harshness, and want of sympathy with the sufferings of others, are engendered by the necessity, which the furtherance of their own inte- rests often lays them under, of parting kindred and near friends. I am far, very far from thinking with coldness and apathy on the fact, that there are human beings in a GULF OF MEXICO. 237 Christian land living in a state of slavery, and dark igno- rance. There are, however, objections oflen brought for- ward, which are of a most trivial nature. It is said that the name of slave must be bitterly galling to those who have the misfortune to be called by this degrading term. That this would be the case were the present nature and habits of the people such as to render them susceptible of much tine feeling, I cannot but agree ; but before the ne- groes can claim pity and sympathy on such a plea as this, they must have lived for years, and almost for genera- tions, a life of freedom and voluntary exertion. Again — that the slave-owner does not always follow the golden rule of doing to others as he would be done by, is true, and that it is wrong, and contrary to every right principle, moral and religious, to keep fellow beings in this degraded state, is equally so : at the same time, it may be asked whether the evil, as regards the slaves themselves, is not more nominal than real. The owner of a slave, when he purchases him, enters into an agree- ment, understood though not expressed, that his services will be repaid by food, lodging, and decent clothing ; that he will be allowed sufficient intervals of rest, and a certain portion of time in which he may work for himself; and also he may look forward to eventual independence if he is able to earn it, or if his own good conduct may render him deserving of tlie boon. The life of the slave is pro- tected by the laws, and his good treatment is to a certain degree secured by the powerful argument, that it is con- trary to his owner's interest to ill-use him. All this I believe to be true, as also the fact that young children are not separated from their parents. At present, what is the conduct of the freed slave, and how does he prove that he is either a happier or a better man, because he possesses the gift of freedom ? If there is any truth in the supposed degrading, and enervating influence of slave-owning, there is still more reason for believing that the forced servitude in which he is kept, together with the strong prejudice which exists against 238 TEXAS AND THE his race and colour, render the freed slave, in his present state of mind, education, Slc, incapable of valuing- his free position properly. CHAPTER XXVI. Character of the negro slave — Probability of freedom being granted by the whites — The tariff — A city in embryo — Return to the yacht. I would not have a slave to till my ground, To carry me, to fan me while 1 sleep. And tremble when I wake, for all the wealth, That sinews bought and sold have ever earn'd. COVVPER. In the character of the negro slave, as in every other, both good and bad qualities are mixed. Courage, good- nature, and gratitude, they certainly possess, but they also are vain, revengeful, cunning, and indolent. The opinion is entertained by many, that their mental capacities, naturally, are of a very mean order. Prejudice has, I think, much to do with this opinion, but it is certain, that until circumstances shall have called forth, and the con- duct of the negroes themselves shall have demonstrated that they are capable of becoming statesmen, mathema- ticians, poets, or philosophers, the fact of their being on an equality of intellect with their white brethren will find but few believers. It is evidently the policy of the Texan slaveholders to keep the negroes in a state of entire ignorance and mental subjection, and to reduce them as nearly as possible to the level of brutes, by which means they hope to justify their own conduct towards them, and to prevent any possible intermingling of the black and white races. It has been proved that, in the south, population increases much faster among the blacks than among the whites, and as GULF OF MEXICO. 239 the surplus population from other countries settles but slowly where slavery exists, it follows, that in a short time the negro race will greatly exceed in numbers that of the white men. When this takes place — if not before — the struggle for freedom will commence, and how it will end, no one can exactly foresee. The slave-owners of Texas would willingly make us believe that one of their main reasons for supporting slavery, is, because of the impossi- bility of employing white labour in many parts of their territories , yet we may fairly conclude that the real motive for their conduct proceeds from alarm lest the negroes should make an immediate, and disagreeable use of their freedom were it granted them. That they will do so at some future time, can hardly be doubted, and it is almost to be wondered at, that any government should encourage the existence of slaves, when they are known to be increasing in such formidable numbers. Unless some decisive measures are taken the day of reckoning must come, and in anticipation of this crisis, and feeling how little aid can be depended on from the North, the southern governments have taken pains to prevent as much as possible the granting of freedom in individual cases, and are likewise most careful in check- ing the entrance of free negroes into the country. As a proof of this fact, I may mention that when we were on the point of engaging at Jamaica a black man, as steward's mate, we were told that he would not be allowed to go on shore in a slave country, and that were he discovered on board the yacht, Mr. Houstoun would be obliged to become surety to a large amount that he should not put foot on land. In regard to the excuse principally alleged for con- tinuing slavery, — viz. that of the necessity of employing black labour in so hot a country as Texas, — it is affirmed by many sensible judges that the necessity for so doing is founded upon an erroneous opinion. It is true that were slavery abolished, the culture of land, in some parts of Texas would be more laborious, and perhaps less pro. 240 TEXAS AND THE ductive than it is now ; but no one can believe that white men cannot work, or raise the produce of the country. In most parts of the repubhc, the climate is not liotter than it is in the southern countries of Europe ; and it is obvious that, were white labour in request, white men Avould work, and the country would become settled in an incredibly short space of time. When this ad- vantage, together with innumerable other benefits attend- ant on the abolition of slavery, (not among the least of which may be mentioned, the rise of Texas in the esti- mation of European nations,) are considered, it must be concluded that the blacks will ere long receive their freedom at the hands of their white masters. It appears to me, (short-sighted as I am in these mat- ters, and unqualified to give even an humble opinion,) that many of the evils attendant on freeing the blacks might be modified, and civil war perhaps prevented, by concilia- tory measures being adopted in time towards the negroes. They are capable of strong attachments, and though the work of years cannot be undone in a da}', much might I think be effected towards paving the way to a better understanding. The only effectual mode of con- ciliation, namely, that of admitting the negroes to the society of the whites, and to equal social rights, never (I should imagine) will be adopted, so strong is the pre- judice against them. Still for his own interest, as well as for that of his country, each man shovdd perform his part in the good work, and should bear in mind the following passage from an admirable writer on this ques- tion — " Whatever may be the effort of the Americans of the South to maintain slavery, they will not always succeed. Slavery, which is now confined to a single tract of the civilized earth, which is attacked by Chris- tianity as unjust, and by political economy as prejudicial ; and which is now conti-asted with democratic liberties, and the information of our age, cannot survive. By the choice of the master, or the will of the slave, it will cease ; and in cither case, great calamities may be ex- GULF OF MEXICO. 241 pected to ensue. If liberty be refused to the negroes of the South, they will in the end seize it for themselves by force ; if it be given, they will abuse it ere long." Whilst the important discussion of the slave question was going on at one end of the cabin, the price of pro- visions and the tariff were the topics of conversation at the other. Every thing, as I have before said, resolves itself into " calculation," and I had a proof of this on the present occasion. One of the speakers declared that things in general were dearer than they used to be ; he detailed the different and indispensable articles of food and clothing, and summed up their cost ; this he called the expense of living. Having done this, he proceeded to make a bill of the items required on leaving the world ; there was the doctor's bill, the cofHn, the hearse, the burial fees, lawyer's ditto for making the will, and the supper after the funeral ; and he concluded with " Well, sir, I calculate, if living's dear in this countr}^ dying's dearer still." The negroes, I may remark, had a grand fight this evening, and their yells and oaths were fearful to hear. They were not interrupted in their pastime, nor did any one appear even to notice the affray. The battle-field of San Jacinto was pointed out to me, and the evolutions performed during the engagement described by one who had borne part in the action. The Texans always speak of this victory with pride and exultation, and they have a good right to do so. A fire had recently occurred in this neighbourhood, by which the residence of a General Baker had been de- stroyed, and he himself reduced to great misery. Fires are now very rare in this country, but a Yankee remark- ed " they would be more frequent when insurance offices were established." There are several beginnings of cities on this bayou ; one, in particular, I ought to mention, be- cause it is a good specimen of the rest. It was planned and begun years ago by a foreigner of the name of Pelle- 21 242 TEXAS AND THE grini ; I believe a native of Savoy. This enterprising individual is as mad a castle-builder, as I ever saw, and enthusiastic and sanguine beyond belief. We remained a short time, to land passengers before the city ; the plan embraces churches, club-houses, squares, terraces, theatres, and in short, all the concomitants of a great city; but in the mean time there exist but eight wooden houses and a fine sounding name. There was a slight accident, which happened to one of the engines, that delayed our arrival about two hours, even after we came within sight of Galveston, and it was late in the evening of the third day, before the steamer touched the upper wharf of that port. The gig was wait- ing for us with her crew of fine-looking English sailors, in their yacht-costume, each of them so clean and neat ; what admiration they excited as they stepped from the gig on board of the dirty little steamer ! — none on board had ever seen the smart crew of an English yacht before, and the sight evidently filled them with wonder. In five minutes we found ourselves enjoying the quiet and com- fort of our ocean home. One certainly never appreciates comforts till one loses sight of them. How often, during our short absence, had I sighed for the every-day luxu- ries to which we were accustomed on board. The decks never looked so white as now, and the brightly-polished guns and spotless paint, were in themselves, a perfect luxury to the sight. 'Tis evening time, and o'er the sand, The starlit waves are gently swelling ; And not a sound is heard on land. Save the ship's bell, the hour telling. Yet, though the gloomy night-clouds veil Thy tapering masts, I trace the line Of beaut}^, and thy presence hail. My ocean heroine. Thou "Skimmer" of the untamed sea ! Thou fairy thing of life and light ! GULF OF MEXICO. 243 Reposing 'neath the canopy Of the still and peaceful night. Soft in thy ocean-cradle sleep, The low wind's voice thy lullaby, Rest ! for well thy guardians keep Their watchful vigils o'er thee.' Sleep ! for soon their voice shall wake thee Once more to stem the angry tide ; Once more in gladsome jubilee The boisterous waves to ride. Then, bird of beauty, rest awhile ; Soon on the broad and boundless main, Leaving this lone and sea-girt isle, Thou'lt spread thv snow-white wings again. M. C. H. CHAPTER XXVII. Severe norther — The rattlesnake, etc. — Humming-birds — Summary mode of ejecting abolitionists from Galveston — JNational guard — Burying-ground — Texan duel — Facility of obtaining a divorce — Agreeable present on the last day of our Slay — Good wishes to the Republic. 'Tis not restraint on liberty That makes men prisoners or free, But perturbations that possess The mind, or equanimities. The whole world was not half so wide To Alexander, when he cry'd, Because he had but one to subdue, As was a paltry narrow tub to Diogenes; who is not said, For ought that ever I could read, To whine, put finger i'th' eye, and sob. Because he'd ne'er another tub. Hudibras. The cold wind seemed to have been still more severely felt here than it had been up the country, and one poor 244 TEXAS AND THE man had actually died from its eiFccts. This dismal death, however, was not so much to be ascribed to the intensity of the frost, as to the extreme keenness and strength of the wind. The crew v/ere fortunately always prepared, by the sudden falling of the glass, for these national northers ; but if it happened that I myself had neglected to consult this unerring guide, I have been quite astonished at their arrival. I have known a calm, as still as death ; not a ripple on the water and not a murmur on the breeze ; when suddenly a sailor has ex- claimed " Here it comes !" and, in a moment, literally in the twinkling of an eye, the wind was roaring through the rigging, and the sea rising to a tremendous height ; " Remoter waves came rolling on to see The strange transforming mystery :" the schooner was tossed about at her anchorage, and the water fell on the bar to its lowest depth. The last norther, before our return, was particularly severe, but fortunately it left us fine spring-weather ; and as a proof of the power of the sun, rattlesnakes, alligators, and musquitoes were beginning to make their appear- ance. Of the former, I confess, I have a great horror, and I am sure if I were ever to become a " settler," I should not have courage to brave them, as I saw done by the Galveston people. In order, I suppose, to make one's mind easy, you are told that " the Indians" know an herb, which they call the " snake's master ;" I have no doubt that this is very consolatory to them, but I cannot see in what way others are benefited by their knowledge. " I saw a poor little Scotch terrier fall a victim to one of these reptiles : with all the spirit and valour of his race, the tiny dog rushed at his foe, and, careless of his master's call, returned again to the charge, even after having been severely bitten : he lived only about three hours after he had received the bite, al- though all kinds of remedies were tried, the most efiica- cious of which, we were told, was a spoonful of gun GULF OF MEXICO. 245 powder, poured down the animal's throat. In the long grass, among which the snake was found, the children of one of the inhabitants were constantly in the habit of playing. I asked their father if he was not afraid of their sharing the fate of the poor terrier, and his reply was, " no, that they never had been bit, and that he be- lieved sucking the poison out of the wound, always pre- vented any fatal consequences." The rattlesnake cer- tainly does not take you unawares, for their angry vicious rattle is heard long before they proceed to the attack ; I would, however, much prefer keeping out of even hearing distance. The alligator's eggs were just beginning to be hatched, and the young reptiles came out in sunny days in great numbers. The alligator, however, frightful as he looks, is not a creature to be much afraid of, as he is rarely known to attack man, and is, moreover, so large and unwieldy that, whilst turning himself about, there is plenty of time to get out of his way. We took a yovmg one on board the yacht, about four feet long and very sa- vage : he did not live more than a fortnight, perhaps from being too much exposed to the cold. I had also a pretty little flying-squirrel, which I rescued in the streets of New Orleans from a boy who was tormenting it ; these creatures are very common here as pets, and mine, though very shy, used to come on deck to sun himself in fine weather. One of the most curious creatures I saw in the country is the " horned frog," as he is familiarly called. In shape, he is not very unlike the ordinary frog, but with the addition of a tail, about an inch and a half long ; he is found in marshy spots in the prairie, and is of a brown- ish-green colour, spotted with black ; he has horns on his head, which are pointed, and about half an inch in length ; he has also similar excrescences, though not of so great a length, on his back. He runs with great rapidity, and is altogether a most wonderful little reptile. We had two of these animals in our menagerie, and hoped to preserve them till we reached England. 21* 246 TEXAS AND THE A few days before we left Texas, we saw, to our great surprise, an immense fliglit of humming-birds. They had alighted in a small garden in the middle of the town, which, in default of better and sweeter flowers, was well- stocked with the yellow blossoms of the turnip-plant. I could have stood for hours looking at them. They seemed to be of every colour ; crimson, green, blue, and sprinkled with gold-dust. They darted and glanced about in the bright sunshine, shooting out their long slender tongues into the yellow flowers, and making their tiny music sound through the little parterre. We found it very diffi- cult to take them alive, and many were sacrificed in the attempt : I had, however, three brought to me in little cages, and preserved them alive for some days, feeding them on bread soaked in honey, which they ate greedily. They sat on little perches, and appeared to be much tamer than larger birds ; roosting at night, and eating through- out the day, without regard to the presence of human beings. They all died the deatli of pets, accident or over- stufiing. Poor little things, they should never have vi- sited the settlements ; they were too fragile, and too deli- cate for the contact of liuman hands. No one seemed to know where this fliglit of '■'■oiseaux mouches''^ came from. The day after their first appearance being cold and cloudy, they were no more to be seen, having disappeared as sud- denly as they came. It is strange, at what a great dis- tance from land, these little creatures are occasionally seen ; when more than two hundred miles out at sea, be- tween Texas and the Havanna, a humming-bird settled on the rigging of the Dolphin. As on board the steamer, we found the slave question the principal topic of conversation among the good citizens of Galveston. Many of the latter maintained, that indi- viduals have no right to interfere with their lawful pro- perty, and were so indignant with the abolitionists, that they banished the principal philanthropist from the city. The person in question was conveyed in a boat to the mainland, and there turned adrift to preach to the inhabi- GULF OF MEXICO. 247 tants of the woods and prairies. Another, a black man, and by trade I believe a barber, had likewise incurred the displeasure of the inhabitants of Galveston, by advocating the cause of his race in the market-place. He declared his life was in danger, and pretending to be a British sub- ject, claimed the protection of the British minister. One of their own most respected townsmen did not escape their wrath. This person having declared himself opposed to the abolition of slavery, but still inclined to hear the argu- ments pro and con, was ordered to be silent on the subject. He replied, that his was a free country, where every one had a right to express his opinions. This right appa- rently was not acknowledged, for he was put into a boat and sent to the mainland : strange occurrences in a coimtry calling itself free. The National Guard of Galveston were kept constantly in battle-array, and paraded through the town. The guns, too, were kept in readiness to protect the town against the fleet which was every day expected from Campeachy or Vera Cruz. I cannot say that the artillery at the forts presented a very formidable appearance : there were not more than a dozen eighteen-pounders, one or two of which had been lying harmlessly on the sand ever since we had been here. In the yacht we fancied ourselves quite secure, concluding that the British flag would be treated with due respect. I had little real expectation, however, of seeing any thing of the Mexicans, and was inclined to think that the excitement would end as it had begun, in words. Our drives into the prairie were now much more agree- able than before. The weather was warmer, and the land much drier ; and there were also more living inhabitants ; blue-birds, cardinals, &c. We shot some pelicans, and afl;erwards reproached ourselves for our cruelty, for they were quite useless for stuffing, or any other purpose. There were immense flocks of curlew and plover, who were evidently on their passage to some other clime. The prairie was becoming quite gay with flowers ; in many 248 TEXAS AND THE places, however, they were setting it on fire, and a very curious sight it was, — a sheet of fire flying rapidly befiDre the wind. The cactus, or prickly pear, was beginning to blossom ; and I expected in a few weeks I should recog- nise some of the glowing descriptions which travellers have given of the country. Alas ! I had no chance of realizing my anticipations, for we were soon to take our leave of the Gulf. The pilot had returned ; he found at Aransas only six feet of water on the bar, and at Mata- gorda seven ; he gave it as his opinion, however, that there were times when vessels drawing eight feet might enter the latter port with safety. The Galveston pilot fell in with the Mexicans at Copano ; a fortunate circumstance for him, for they gave him fifteen dollars for some tobacco, which had cost him but three. This was a good " operation," and they begged him to return as soon as possible, to do some more busi- ness, promising to purchase, on the same terms, as many thousand bales of tobacco as he could manage to bring. This circumstance shows us what the trade with Mexico is likely to be when peace is established. I shall not be surprised to hear, before any long period has elapsed, that the valuable mines (I believe of gold, silver, and copper,) which are to be found in this country, are worked ; to say nothing of the coal-mimes, which perhaps I ought to have placed first in the scale, at least of usefulness. When population increases, and the de- mand for wood, for steamers, building, &c., becomes pro- portionately great, this necessary article will no doubt also become scarce, and the working of the coal mines will then be a work of absolute necessity. Cedar is the commonest and cheapest wood here, be- sides being much the most useful for building purposes. It is very valuable in the erection of wooden piles, which are exposed to the action of water, as no insects or marine animals will adhere to it. This wood is the one most in use, too, for firing ; and as you pass near the ?i GULF OF MEXICO. 249 houses where tlierc are fires burning, the perfume is delicious. On my last day at Galveston, I passed near the bury- ing-ground, and a sad sight indeed it was ! I should not have been aware of its proximity, had I not perceived a human skull under my horse's feet ! On looking round, I saw many similar relics, and hurried from the spot with a feeling of dismay and horror, which it w^ould be difficult to describe. The reason for this desecration of the dead is as follows. The sandy soil has so little depth, that no sooner are the dead deposited in the ground, than they are denuded of their light covering, and the sea, which washes the limits of the burial-ground, claims its share of these neglected remains. The consequence is, that the adjoining land is actually strewed by human bones in every direction. I stood upon the place of graves ! There, where eternal ocean laves The land-bound shore. The wind's low moan Through the long grass was heard alone : Save when at intervals the sea Rippled in mournful melody. I was alone ! meet spot for thought ! In that deep solitude, when nought Reminded me of life ! Far off The city's tumult, and the scoff Of laughing crow^ds. They are forgot Who lie in silence here ; where not A stone or mound is raised to show Who are the dead that sleep below ! Whose are the bones tiiat whitening lie, Sad relics of mortality, Strew'd on the flow'ring herb, or prest By heedless feet ? a heartless jest To some ! — I look upon the sea ! Its waves are dancing in their glee And sporting bright and merrily. 250 TEXAS AND THE But mark ! whose is the brainless skull, That, like the wreck'd and useless hull Of some once stately ship, floats on Buoyant in its emptiness ? None, None answer, and the lightsome wave Sports with the outcast of the grave. Now on the crescent foam it rides. Now 'neath the dasliing- wave it hides : And now it slowly onward glides ; Say, busy man ! Is this the end Of all thy labour ? To descend Into a nameless grave ; no tear Shed on th)?^ poor and lonely bier. Forgotten in the busy strife Of those w^ho were thy friends in life. What now thy country's cause to thee ? Thou reck'st not that she now is free. Boldly thou strove in freedom's cause ; High (at the murmuring applause Of wondering nations,) beat thy heart ; Now low, and hush'd, and still, and part Of that dear earth thou bled'st to free — A lesson to posterity I Our last act and deed before we left Galveston, was watering and victualling the Dolphin. A large supply of salted beef was taken in, which I should not have mentioned, but for an accident which occurred in conse- quence, and which gave us a good deal of uneasiness. During the process of stowing tlie meat, it was necessary to remove some of the iron ballast, and for this purpose, an instrument of the same metal is made use of, about a yard long, with a handle at one end, and a hook at the other. One of the men was tugging away at the handle of the rod, and another was lying down in the act of assisting him, when unhappily the iron bent slightly : the iron ballast immediately slipped ofli", and the man who held it fell backwards. The consequence was, that GULF OF MEXICO. 251 the iron hook entered the eye of the unfortunate man. By ill luck, our doctor was on shore at the time, and did not return to the yacht for some hours afterwards, when he did not at all approve of the treatment practised by the Texan surgeon, who had been summoned when the accident happened. The agony the poor man suffered must have been very great ; he fainted away almost im- mediately, and soon became delirious. He was a long time on the sick list, and eventually lost the sight of his injured eye. I confess, I should not much like to trust a serious case in the hands of the Texan doctors. Some of them may be clever and well educated, but the medicines in general I believe to be bad, in spite of their frequent announce- ment as cargo, and the words, " drugs" and " chemicals" appended to so many of the stores. A death by violence had lately taken place in this country ; and, as the circumstances under which it oc- curred caused a considerable excitement, I think them worthy of narration, and the more so as they throw some light on the reputed frequency of violent deaths in Texas. A Colonel H , a mild and benevolent man, had a quarrel (as even the mildest men will sometimes have) with one of his neighbours. There was no means of ad- justing their differences ; and, accordingly. Colonel H was informed by his adversary, in the usual terms, that he should take an early opportunity of shooting him dead. Colonel H was not a particularly nervous man, and for some time after this pleasant announcement had been made, he went about, perfectly convinced, from the character of his foe, that he would not fail to keep it to the letter. After a while, however, the suspense and anxiety became too much for his spirits, and he resolved to put an end to the affair. Acting upon this resolution, he watched his opportunity, waylaid his adversary, and — mild man as he was — put a period to his existence. This affair, which would have been called a murder by 252 TEXAS AND THE prejudiced and ill-informed historians, is after all but the' Texan mode of managing^ a duel ; it certainly differs from our way of settling a quarrel, but when all is said, I do not know that it is a much worse form of man- slaughter. I have omitted to mention the extreme ease with which divorces are obtained in Texas. During our residence of only a few months in the country, no less than forty couple were disunited, and this merely by taking an oath on both sides of mutual incompatibility of temper. This circumstance ought to be generally known ; as it may be of service to those similarly situated, to learn that by a six months' residence in Texas, they may enjoy the benefit of this liberating system. I received a present on this my last day in the repub- lic, which, though of little value, I prized as a proof of kindness of heart and good feeling. Mrs. Kelsey, the wife of the captain of the little Houston steamer, sent me a cap of her own knitting ; I had particularly ad- mired it when on board, and it was worked with great labour and skill. She looked for no return ; and the cir- cumstance was the more gratifying, because I had seen her but once, and did not expect to renew my acquaint- ance with her. Such things are not common in the " old country." If we set off such instances of good will as these (and I could mention many others) against the trifling annoy- ance occasioned by the apparent familiarity and w^ant of refinement, on the part of these young settlers, we shall be more satisfied with the real good we find among them. I one day heard a rough Texan, dressed like a plough- man, ask one of our English friends for the loan of his gun for a few days ; and another, trusting (and not too much) to his good nature, said, on another occasion, " well, now. Commodore, I want you to lend me your bedroom for a short time, if you please." It is the con- sciousness of their own extreme willingness to confer GULF OF MEXICO. 253 similar obligations, wliich renders these people so little scrupulous in making somewhat exorbitant demands of others. But I must draw my Texan annals to a conclusion. We were, as the Yankees say, " bound to go," and to leave this land of free hearts and untrammelled actions, for one which owns a despot's sway — and for a colony where the broad hand of authority presses down the en- ergies of the people. Let me, before I bid adieu to the shores where we had so long ridden at anchor, waft good wishes to the land, and to its inhabitants. May the country " go ahead," and prosper — may wise men lead her counsels and brave men direct her arms — above all, may her financial and commercial character be unsullied ; then will her word be good in the Great Ex- change-House of Nations, and she may hope to stand alone* — an independent republic — a great people among the powers that are. * The opinion that Texas is incapable of standing without the assistance of some establislied power, is very prevalent, and her possible annexation to the United States is exciting much interest. It is to be hoped, for many reasons, that she may never become a portion of the Union ; but that event appears now to be not far off. 22 254 TEXAS AND THE CHAPTER XXVIII. Departure from Galveston for the Havanna — Severe gale — Appearance of the sea under its influence — Dangerous navi- gation of the Gulf of Florida — Incidents on board the yacht — Arrival at the Havanna — Moro Castle — The bay — Visit of the Spanish authorities — Dinner on shore at the Consul- General's — Heat of the climate — Manners, habits and amusements of the ladies — Visit to the Captain-General Valdez. Hail to thy face and odours, glorious sea I 'Twere thanklessness in me to bless thee not. How welcomer Thy murmurs than the murmurs of the world ! Though like ihe world thou fluctuatest, ihy din To me is peace, ihy restlessness repose. Campbell. March 31st. — We took our pilot, Simptom, again on board and made sail. The men, as before, were busily employed in shifting' ballast. A north wind had been blowing for some days, but the weather was calm and fine ; after crossing the bar, the pilot was discharged, and I then really felt that I had bidden adieu to Texas. Gradually the low shores of Galveston receded from our view ; I stood on deck as long as I could catch a glimpse of the land, and continued my speculative reveries on her present and future fate, till other objects arrested my attention, and till the horizon was bounded only by the wide and quiet ocean. I entertained such disagreeable recollections of the September gales, that I rather dreaded putting to sea in March, but our master assured me that the vernal equinox was not at all to be dreaded, and I felt my courage strengthened. All this day, and the beginning of the next, I had reason to be satisfied with the weather GULF OF MEXICO. 255 and reposed in confident belief of a pleasant and quiet voyage to Havanna. Alas ! for the short-sighted anticipa- tions of a woman I — in the afternoon of the 1st of April, as I was quietl}'^ eating my luncheon in the cabin, I heard distinct preparations for a gale, darkness crept over the sky, and I heard the voice of the mate, " Take in a reef in the fore stay-sail ;" I never liked the sound of the reefing process ; we always carried a great deal of sail, and I knew it was never reduced without absolute necessity. Soon after, it was " Take in another reef in the foresail, look alive !" the lowering of the mainsail soon followed, and by this time it was blowing a violent gale of wind. The sea, in an incredibly short space of time, had risen to a great height, and instead of enjoying the placid motion of the waves, reposing on my couch on the deck, I had to hold on and devote all my energies to prevent myself rolling about in all directions. There is certainly something very laughable in the efforts made by lands- men and women to keep themselves steady on the deck during a gale of wind. Our present storm, indeed, was really no laughing matter ; at a late hour I retired to rest, and continued putting up my head out of my cabin every five minutes to inquire how the wind was, and whether tliere was any chance of its abating. On such occasions as these, the appearance of daylight was always hailed by me with unwonted satisfaction ; I liked to see my situa- tion with my own eyes, and to have the power, at any moment, of applying for information to one or other of the crew ; of course they always comforted me with assu- rances that it was nothing ; — it was only blowing fresh ; this always reassured me, but more than all the rest, I rejoiced to see their cheerful faces, and to hear that they could joke. On the morning of the 2d of April I went on deck early ; it was not seven o'clock, but I had had a sleepless night, so I wrapped a large cloak about me, and staggered up to see the aspect of affairs ; and a scene of blank desolation it was ! The decks were wet and slippery with the spray ; every thing looked out of order 256 TEXAS AND THE and forlorn ; the watch on deck had on their rough pilot- coats and southwcsters well secured under their chins, and were crouching' under the bulwark, to leeward, to avoid the constant showers of spray. The sea was of one dull heavy leaden hue, except where the summits of the huge tumbling waves were crested with a snow-white foam. It is one of the most fearful effects of the tremen- dous waves in a heavy head-sea, that your \-iew is bounded only by high walls of inky-looking water. Around and ahead the prospect is circumscribed by these tremendous bulwarks of the raging element, which seem ever on the point of engulfing you in their descent. As I stood on the poop, and the bowsprit pitched into the hollow pit of waters, it seemed almost like a perpendicular descent, and I closed my eyes for a moment as though all was over. Before eight o'clock, a second reef was taken in the fore-topsail ; there was no break in the clouds till about noon, wlien the sun for a moment appeared through a thin veil of gray. In the afternoon the weather became much more moderate, reefs were shaken out, and I began once more to feel happy and at ease. The swell, however, was still very heavy, and we were told was likely to continue so, the Gulf of Florida not being notorious for the quiet of its seas. We saw a great deal of the gulf-weed, which floated past us in large quantities. This sea-weed is very light and pretty when first taken out of the water, but it soon becomes shapeless, and will not bear drying. I believe a vast number of shipwrecks have occurred in the Gulf stream ; there are fearful currents and eddies, and ships are frequently driven out of their course. From the nar- rowness of the channel the sea is always in a state of commotion, and after the violence of the late gale, the waves were more fearful than ever. We were all, I mean the " idlers," more or less prostrated, either by internal or external malaise. Poor Monsieur de C was quite liors de combat, witli the best intentions of making a good GULF OF MEXICO. 257 fight against the enemy. He never tasted food for five days, and to this moment I am at a loss to understand how he contrived to exist through such a period of inani- tion. As usual, we went through the ceremony of every meal, as regularly as if we weie on land. The cook was never put out by weather, and let the ship roll about as she would, he never made any alteration, and his entrees were as good and as numerous as ever. The table, which was a swinging one, sometimes caused a little delay in the consumption of the viands ; often, when on the point of securing a mouthful on our forks, the well-spread board would mount up towards the ceiling on one side, and we were forced to wait its pleasure before we resumed our meal. This was amusing enough to me, and as no one was very hungry at such a time, the delay did not so much signify ; but the noise is not to be described. I be- lieve the Dolphin to be (without partiality) as quiet as a ship can well be, but the masts and bulkheads began, after their long rest, like giants refreshed, to labour out their peculiar noises with a spirit unknown before. I was told it was nothing, and certainly, after the first night or two, I slept soundly and heard it no more. How we were flung about ! my swinging cot rocked to and fro like an insane thing, whilst I felt myself a passive victim to its sport. One night I found myself, with a sudden shock, prostrated on the deck : I had been sleeping soundly, and at first could not make out in the least what had happened. I soon, however, ascertained that the lashings of my cot had given way, from the constant strain upon them : luckily for me the bump upon the deck was not felt by my head, as it was the lashing at the feet that had given way. It was not pleasant, however, to find oneself, in the dead of the night, in an angle of forty-five. The occurrence re- called to my mind some descriptions of practical jokes, related by Captain Marryatt, and I thought how hard it was for unwary midshipmen, to be cut down at the head, when they least expected it ; the escape from concussion 22* 258 TEXAS AND THE of the brain must be narrow. It is to be inferred, from its unfrequent occurrence, that the young gentlemen in the navy, half a century ago, were not very susceptible in that organ. April the 3d, was rather squally, but it was only single- reef weather, and I did not mind it. 4th, light breezes, " out all reefs," delightful sound ! but it was not to last, and during the three following days it blew hard enough : the current was running very strong, and we were driven forty miles out of our course. I believe that nothing but the violence of the gale would have induced our poor pas- senger to come on deck ; I had not seen him for four days, when on a sudden he made his appearance on the com- panion ladder ; sickness and suffering had made sad havoc with his outward man, as indeed they had with most of us. The weather on the 8th was more moderate, and in the morning several sail were in sight. It was delight- ful to watch them, — to speculate on what they might be, and to feel that this stormy stage of our aquatic journey was so nearly at an end. At eleven o'clock a. m. the man at the masthead sung out " land ahead." The wind was S. E. half east ; the current was driving us to the east- ward. We gradually neared the land, and at five o'clock p. M. I heard tlie welcome order to clear anchors. Soon after we sighted Moro Castle ; the higli lands were beau- tiful ; once more we rejoiced in the sight of the waving tops of the cocoanut trees, and felt the hot sun of the tropics. But Ave had no time for admiration, the British ensign was hoisted and flowing gaily aft — the little schooner had passed the Moro Castle, and was sailing up between the closely-packed shipping in such a perfect manner ! She certainly excited great admiration, if we could judge by the faces and marked attention of those on board the ships through which she passed. I was prepared by description for the striking appearance of the harbour, particularly of its entrance. The Moro Castle is on the left, a high imposing building. On the right is the fort of Punteo, and the prisons built by Tacon, when GULF OF MEXICO. 259 he was Captain-General of Cuba. The bay, in which more than one thousand ships may anclior with safety, opens out beyond this narrow ejitrance. Our master almost always made a point of taking a pilot, and this was one of the {ew occasions on which ho deviated from his rule. The yacht, after threading the mazes of this difficult navigation, brought up at six o'clock p, m. in seven fathoms water; decks were immediately cleared; and sails furled, and we prepared once more for a quiet life. There was so much to interest, and to attract attention, that I stood on deck absolutely staring at all the interest- ing objects I saw. There were ships of every nation, and we were soon boarded by a number of dingy-look- ing men from a wn'ctched-looking boat bearing the Spa- nish flag. The deck of the schooner was soon crowded by these officials, for such I supposed they were, while some rushed below, examining her in all directions ; an order was given at last tliat no more should come on board. They could not all have a right to board us, and civility evidently was not the object of their visit. I had been so long in democratic countries that I was quite rejoiced at the sight of some faint symbols of royal- ty. And, (I confess my weakness) the dirty crown, on the still more discoloured flag, was quite refi'eshing to my feelings. To be sure, it was but the crown of degraded Spain, the lowest of the monarchies of the earth, but I respected it nevertheless. I began almost to despair of being ever lefl; to ourselves. No sooner was the curiosity of one party satisfied than another boat-load made its appearance. They dispersed themselves over every part of the vessel, and poked their black and tanned faces into every hole and corner, filling our eyes and noses with tobacco smoke, and defiling the white decks of the Dol- phin with the odious consequences of their national habit. The fact was, tliat they could not be made to comprehend the nature of our craft. She was armed — tJiat was suspicious — but then we were evidently not a belligerent set — were we traders ? No — they concluded that there 260 TEXAS AND THE must be concealed cargo somewhere, and consequently hunted about in all possible and impossible places for our supposed merchandise. Monsieur de C , with the dismal recollections of his late sufferings fresh upon him, remarked " I think it very natural, — of course they find it impossible to comprehend how any rational beings can be sea-sick for pleasure I" The Spaniards evidently could not understand it ; they shrugged their shoulders, looked puzzled, and with most dissatisfied faces returned to their boats. Then came the sharks in the shape of bum- boat-women, entreating and coaxing the sailors to buy of them ; jokes were cut as they leant over the ship's side, and every now and then, when some adventurous individual completed his purchase, it was handed up in triumph, and the fortunate possessor began to discuss its real value coolly and at leisure. My attention was di- verted from tliis rather amusing scene by perceiving an English man-of-war's boat pulling towards us. She contained, besides the rowers, only a midshipman, a small boy, who if only as a clean countryman of our own, we were delighted to see. He had been despatched from the Thunder surveying-ship. Captain Barnett, which was lying near, to make inquiries, and to ask if, we were the " Charlotte" yacht ? Having replied in the negative, (and it seemed that our advent had caused much speculation among our countrymen,) we thanked Captain Barnett through his envoy for some kind and civil offers he had made us, and our new acquaintance took his leave. Except the Romney, receiving-ship, the Thunder was the only English man-of-war then at Ha- vanna. After dinner, a very polite aidecamp, attended by a Yankee interpreter, (very boastful and very loqua- cious,) came to make inquiries after the health of the crew. The surgeon made out his statement that we were all tolerably well and that no immediate anxiety need be felt on our account ; a clean bill of health was therefore given us, and we were graciously allowed the liberty of going on shore. Early tlie next morning Mr. GULF OF MEXICO. 261 Houstoun took advantag-e of the permission and called on Mr. Crawford, Her Britannic Majesty's Consul-General, to wliom he had letters to deliver, and we had the pleasure of dining at his house the same afternoon. This was called the cool season at Havanna ; no one complained of heat, indeed some of the old inhabitants pronounced it quite temperate. I could not understand this, for to me it was most oppressive. We had again recourse to our awning, and as one proof among many, that our sensations did not deceive us, the fish that was bought alive in the market, at ten in the morning, was in an luieatable state at four o'clock on the same day. How fearful must be the heat during tlie reign of the yellow fever ! The healthy season is said to commence in November, and to last till February, so tliat I fear we had slightly encroached upon the limits of the yellow fever dominions. The dews here are remarkably heavy ; the deck early in the evening being quite wet, as though heavy rain had fallen during the day, and drops fell heavily from the masts and rigging. These dews are sup- posed to be particularly injurious to Europeans, and the latter should be particularly careful not to expose them- selves to their influence. It is the custom at Havanna to dine early, and a very sensible custom it is. The ladies remain at home during the heat of the day, lounging over their chocolate and ci- gars, or taking their accustomed siesta. When the sun has nearly set, their life of movement (if such it can be called) begins. Then it is that they enjoy their drives, and pay their visits of ceremony or affection. After dining with the Consul, Mrs. Crawford's carriages con- veyed the whole party to drive on the Passeo, the fashion- able promenade of the city. Almost the only carriage in use is the volante. It is a description of vehicle peculiar, I believe, to Cuba ; and I must, therefore, attempt a de- scription of it, for the benefit of those who have not had an opportunity of seeing it. It is in shape not unlike a cabriolet on extremely high wheels ; it is six or seven feet 269 TEXAS AND THE in height, and the wheels are above the head of the occu- pant. The shafts are extremely long, and the effect is very light and graceful. The volante is driven by a pos- tilion, almost always a black, and his dress is the gayest that can be imagined ; gold and silver are spread with a lavish hand on his person, and red and blue, and every gay and gaudy colour is chosen for his adornment : the famed Postilion de Longjumeau would sink into obscurity and shabbiness by the side of these black performers. Sometimes a second horse is attached as an outrigger, and has a pretty effect ; this, however, is not allowed within the precincts of the city. Gentlemen are not oflen seen with ladies in the volante ; two of the latter gene- rally occupying the only seat, which is extremely wide. The rate at which the postilions drive, considering the narrowness of the streets, is surprising. The mules here are more esteemed than the horses ; they are many of them beautiful animals ; and I saw some of a cream co- lour, which I admired extremely. I believe very high prices are given for them ; as much as from sixty to two hundred pounds. I was delighted with the appearance both of the ladies and their showy equipages, as they as- sembled on the Passeo. The volante itself is much orna- mented with silver, and the harness is always plated, wherever plating can, by any possibility, be applied. The ladies wear the mantilla, and their costume, in their vo- lantes, consists (as it appeared to me almost de rigueur,) of white muslin decollete, with short sleeves, and neither gloves nor mittens. Their dark hair is always beauti- fully shining and well dressed ; their heads are well set on, and at the back hang the elegant folds of the lace mantilla. Every one has something to say of the surpass- ing beauty of the Spanish women, — their eyes ! their figures ! their walk I are all described as something so exquisite, that no women, of more northern climes, can venture to compete with them. I confess I was terribly disappointed by these far-famed beauties. One volante after another rolled by, and not GULF OF MEXICO. 263 one tolerable face, take it altogether, had I seen. I have no doubt that the extreme heat of the climate, to a certain degree, increases the natural duskiness of their complex- ions ; certainly, in daylight, they were, I thought, much too yellow to be pleasing. By daylight, liowever, they are rarely to be seen ; it is at night that they are viewed to advantage. They all use rouge, I was told, from early childhood — but their black eyes, which are magnificent, do not require this foreign aid to make them sparkle. I saw some reputed beauties in the morning, and thought them plain ; while at night, I could not believe them to be the same persons, and felt inclined almost to change my opinion I had formed in the morning. The walk of the Spanish women, which is described as being so peculiarly graceful, I had little opportunity of seeing. No lady walks at Havanna : nor do they even descend from their volantes when on shopping expedi- tions : naturally indolent, this relaxing climate seems to deprive them of the little degree of energy which nature bestows on them. Their accomplishments are as limited as their sphere of action. They whisk about their large fans with surprising dexterity, and this seems to be one of the principal employments of their lives. They speak a little bad French, do a little indifferent religion, get through a considerable amount of flirtation, and not a little scandal. The evening drive on the Passeo is the grand event of every day ; gossip then goes on at a great rate ; every passer-by is scanned and scrutinized ; ap- pointments are made, and reputations are sneered away. Great care is taken during the drive, that the long white drapery should hang out over the step of the volante ; it not being etiquette for the floimcings and embroideries to be gathered within the carriage. I was warned of this by a young lady with whom I was driving, and who was shocked at seeing me endeavouring to save my gown from dust, and the contact of passing wheels. The Passeo de Tacon was constructed by the governor of that name,, and is really a most striking promenade ; there being. 264 TEXAS AND THE fountains, and statues, and every thing requisite to make a delightful city drive : on Sundays it is crowded by volantes, both private and hired. Tacon made many improvements in Havanna and its neighbourhood. It is a pity that this fine colony should not oflener have wiser heads to direct it, and that a government better qualified, should not exist in the Mother Country, to choose its viceroy. In the Plaza des Armas, which is a large handsome square opposite the palace of the viceroy, a band of music plays almost nightly. The performance struck me as good ; but the choice of music was not made with good taste, at least the fancy of the captain-general, who selects the airs, must be a lugubrious one, to judge of the dismal sounds that saluted our ears. The preponderance of brass instruments is much too great, and I was soon glad to escape from the uproar, and refresh myself with an ice at a cafe near the Plaza. This custom of eating ices, which are brought to them in their volantes, is a favourite diversion of the Havanna ladies ; the gentlemen, mean- v^^hile, offer their assistance, and are rewarded with smiles, and meaning flicks with the ever-ready fan. On Thursday, Monsieur de C and Mr. Houstoun dined with the Captain-General Valdez, by whom they were received with the greatest kindness and hospitality. It is not etiquette for the Viceroy to receive ladies at dinner, nor is he himself allowed to dine with any indi- vidual, let his rank be what it may. I was told that the Viceroy did not at all enjoy the forced monotony of his existence ; he is unmarried, but Madame Olivar, the wife of the Spanish minister at Mexico, is residing with him, and assists in doing the honours of ffie palace. Though not permitted to invite ladies to dine with him, this pro- hibition does not extend to evening parties, and I at- tended several soirees there, and was glad to make the acquaintance of Madame Olivar, who is a delightful person. During some of these visits, I learned a good deal of the present state of Cuba — its products, and the GULF OF MEXICO. 265 policy of Spain with regard to the colony. My principal informant was a grave, sensible old Spaniard, whose name, however, I have totally forgotten. He took com- passion on my evident want of information on the subject, and I felt much obliged to him. CHAPTER XXIX. Historical notice of Cuba — Commerce — Cruel treatment of slaves — Creoles — Revolt of the Matanzas — Anticipated re- volt of the black population — Exclusive state of society — " Sugar Counts" — Animals, birds, noxious insects, and rep- tiles — Railroad — Copper, silver, and coal mines — Splendid scenery — Cuba indebted for its prosperity to Viceroy Tacon — Plaza de Toros — The cathedral. Never may from our souls one truth depart, That an accursed thing it is to gaze On prosperous tyrants with a dazzled eye ; Nor, touched with due abhorrence of their guilt. For whose dire ends tears flow, and blood is spilt. And justice labours in extremity. Forget thy weakness, upon which is built, O wretched man, the throne of tyranny! Wordsworth. Since its discovery by Christopher Columbus, Cuba has frequently been a contested possession between Eng- land and Spain. In the year 1760, the island was con- firmed as a dependency of the Spanish government, and the Floridas were ceded to Great Britain in exchange. It is a rich and most valuable island ; the soil is very pro- ductive, and yields two and sometimes three crops of corn a year. Of the extreme fertility of the island, no one can form an idea, till, from some lofty eminence, he casts 23 266 TEXAS AND THE his eye over the beautiful aspect of its fertile plains and wooded hills. Though early in the year when I was there, the country was covered with sweet-smelling and beautiful plants, while already the shrubs and trees were filling the air with the perfume of their fragrant blossoms. The following are some of the principal articles of export. Sugar, rum, tobacco, cocoa, coffee, molasses, &lc. A great quantity of salted meat, and fish, as well as grain of many kinds, are imported. The slave-trade, as is well known, flourishes in this country, and to its existence may, I think, be attributed many of the degrading vices, and peculiar defects which debase the general character of the white inhabitants of Cuba. The Spaniards have the reputation of showing more kindness to their slaves than the white masters in other slave countries. This may be the case with the domestic slaves, as the black population certainly look particularly fat, sleek, and well fed. It was at Havanna, however, that I first saw the marks of stripes on the shoulders of a woman, and I cannot describe the effect that the sight produced upon me, and the horror against the unmanly wretches who could tlius punish a woman. I once witnessed in the neighbourhood of Havanna, the degradation of a negro slave preparatory to receiving punishment : he was being dragged along with a rope round his neck, like some refractory criminal. Similar, and I fear much worse instances of cruelty are, alas ! too frequently occurring in the plantations. The proportion of negroes to white men is greatly in favour of the former. The policy adopted in regard to both Creoles and negroes, is injudicious; no attempts being made to conciliate the good will of either. Tlie iron hand of military and despotic power is the only rule ; and were it not for that, there is no doubt but that this fine colony Avould soon pass from the hands of its present masters. No Creoles are ever employed in any high or honourable offices, nor are they allowed any re- GULF OF MEXICO. 267 sponsibility or share in the aiFairs of government ; thus this numerous class of the inhabitants are rendered dis- affected, and ready to join in any scheme of revolt ; and, moreover, the Creoles are many of them possessed of great wealth, which causes them to be infinitely dan- gerous as enemies. It is said that the negro population are constantly on the eve of revolt, and the consciousness of this being probably the case, keeps the government in perpetual hot water. The regular troops consist of only ten thousand men, while there are six hundred thousand blacks, rendered desperate by oppression, and ready at any moment to turn upon their rulers. The Spanish government in Europe seems but little aware of the volcano, which is so near bursting beneath their over- strained and injudicious rule. Not long ago there was a well-ordered and nearly suc- cessful insurrection of the Matanzas negroes. They be- haved with great courage and resolution, and having obtained some slight advantages, they secured themselves in a strong position, from which they did not emerge till they had obtained conditions extremely favourable to them- selves. The authorities of Havanna are now evidently roused to a sense of danger, for even the word freedom is suppressed, and the fine national air of " Libertad," is not allowed to be sung. It is vain, however, to suppose that such precautions will prevent the silent longing for freedom from finding a voice among a people goaded to desperation by a sense of their wrongs. The coloured population of Cuba may be subdued and crushed for a time, but the smouldering fire will some day burst forth from the trampled ashes, and not all the power of Spain will be able to stay its fury. There are a great many natives of the Canary Islands here : they are said to be good, well-disposed people ; and, as servants, they are valued as I'aithfiil and intel- ligent. The different classes of society at Havanna, are kept, from all I could learn, strictly apart. There are a few 268 TEXAS AND THE still remaining of the real old grandees of Spain ; indeed, I have heard persons well acquainted with the manners and habits of good old Spanish families declare, that such are to be found now only at Havanna. In Spain, (though the Mother Country,) the race is said to be ex- tinct. Great and unqualified contempt is felt and ex- pressed by these aristocratic families for the " nouveaux riches,''^ who, swelling with pomp and pride, lord it over their humbler neighbours. Many of the latter, however, are great landed proprietors, and slave-owners. " Sugar Counts" they are called ; and the epithet is remarkably well-chosen, as it tells, in many instances, the tale of their increase of fortune, and at the same time conveys an idea of the possibility of their titles and riches melting away as speedily as they have arisen. One of these " sugar noblemen," (his name I have for- gotten, but he is said to be the richest man in the island,) made his fortune by the importation of slaves — a licensed dealer in human flesh. I looked at him as a sort of mon- ster, when I reflected upon the vast amount of human suffering of which he had been the acting cause. The alligator, the sea-cow, and the turtle, are all found in the island of Cuba. The latter, however, are not nu- merous ; and the supply for consumption at Havanna is brought fi-om the island of Nassau. I saw birds in endless variety ; canaries, cardinals, nightingales, linnets, parroquets ; in short, every thing that can be imagined as most gay and harmonious. I could scarcely help fancying it the pleasant month of June, the air was so sweet and soft ; while the song of the birds filled my imagination with memories of past spring-times. " Now each creature joyes the other Passing happy dayes and howers. One birde reports unto another In the fall of silver showers ; Whilst the earth (our common mother) Hath her bosome deckt with flowers." GULF OF MEXICO. 269 A great drawback to these spring delights, were the fearful number of noxious insects and reptiles ; snakes of the worst kind, scorpions, centipedes, and I cannot tell what besides. The persevering bloodthirsty musquitoes were already rife, but happily they did not venture much on board the yacht. A railroad has been in existence for some time in Cuba ; extending to a distance of fifty miles between Havanna and Guines. It traverses a not very level line of country, and there are several considerable cuts through hills, and also a tunnel of tolerable length. These things speak well for the industry and resources of the Cuba people ; for even a little appearance of energy shows well among the enervated denizens of the West Indies. Extensive and valuable coal mines, as well as those containing cop- per and silver, have been discovered in Cuba : these must be a source of immense wealth, and there is no want of ready money to work them. The railroad traverses a beautiful line of country, diversified with cocoa-trees, and innumerable other plants, unknown except within the tropics. We passed in our railroad-excursion through ex- tensive coffee and other plantations of tobacco, sugar, &c. The coffee-shrubs grow very prettily, and the green of the leaves is rich and varied. There is great charm to a stranger in seeing the wild growth of the pine-apple, the plantain, the custard-apple, and the cocoa-tree. The fruit hung on the dark boughs of the orange trees like " golden lamps in a green night." There were many other trees, of which I do not know the names, some of which were literally loaded with green fruit. The forests are very thick, and clear rills of water trickle down the mountain sides, refreshing one by the very sight of their coolness. The climate in the mountains is, I am told, healthy enough ; but near the coast we heard enough of its bane- ful effects. We were warned not to expose ourselves to 23* 270 TEXAS AND THH the influence of the moon's rays ; the influence of the gentle planet being supposed to be particularly dangerous, and to bring on attacks of the fell disease. The principal cities in Cuba are Havanna, St. Jago de Cuba, Principe, and Santa Maria de Punto. There are several safe ports, and good anchorages, but from the vast extent of rocks and shoals, the navigation outside is difli- cult, and often dangerous. The forts above the city are covered with palm-trees ; the citadel itself is very strongly armed, as vi^ell as the heights above the town, which are bristling with arms. No stranger is allowed to visit the arsenal, or to enter the fortifications ; admittance I be- lieve, being limited to the government authorities, and the garrison. I heard of a poor artist from a foreign land, who, not being aware of the prohibition, strayed with his colours and brushes within the works. He was not even challenged by the sentinel, who, without any other notice, fired his musquet at the poor man. Fortunately, the wound was not a severe one. Ofiicersof the British navy are especially excluded, not only from visiting the forts, but also from entering the ships of war. I have already mentioned Tacon, the governor, as one to whom Havanna, and indeed the island of Cuba gene- rally, are indebted for much of their present peace and prosperity. This clever and enterprising viceroy was sent from Spain some years since. He found the colony in a miserable condition; there being but few public works and national buildings, and those in existence being neglected and abused. Robbery and murder were com- mitted with impunity, and there were neither guardians of the public peace, in the shape of police, nor any laws by which justice could be effectually administered. All these evils, and many others, Tacon took upon himself to redress; he established an efficient police, by which of- fenders were kept in awe, and quiet was restored to the capital ; he enforced obedience to the laws, protected trade, and hunted out and punished the bands of robbers which before infested the country ; he also built large prisons GULF OP MEXICO. 271 and enacted useful laws for their government and regula- tion. I have before said that the planting and arrange- ment of the public promenades was his work, but the most conspicuous of the adornments, to which Ilavanna is indebted to this indefatigable governor, is the Campo Militar, which is called the Square of Tacon ; it has four gates, one on each side of the square, to which he gave the name of Columbus, Cortes, Pizarro and Tacon. El Teatro de Tacon, as its name implies, was likewise erected under the late governor's auspices. It is remarka- bly handsome ; I should say about the size of our Hay- market ; and the ornamental part is in very good taste. The pit seats, which are usually occupied solely by gen- tlemen, are comfortably fitted up with arm-chairs, each one having a number appended to it. There is a good Plaza de Toros, and the bull-fights of Havanna used to be celebrated, though at present great complaints are made of the scarcity of good bulls for the arena : — the ladies are in despair, "the stupid beasts are so tame." The cathedral is well worth seeing, particularly during the Holy Week, when black kneeling figures are sprinkled over its wide pavement in all directions. The pictures it contains are scarcely tolerable, but there is an urn shown you, which contains, it is said, the remains of Columbus. I looked at the latter with great interest and respect, as the only mortal part of the great voyager, ordained by providence to bring into light and truth so large a portion of the globe. 272 TEXAS AND THE CHAPTER XXX. Magnificence of private houses — Ceremonies of the Holy Week — Entrance of H. M. ship the Illustrious, Admiral Sir Charles Adam — High price of provisions — Fruits — High rents — Good Friday — Race-course — Theatre of Tacon — Dance on board the flag-ship — Our last evening at Havanna. La faiblesse est le seul defaut que Ton ne saurait corriger. La Rochefoucauld. The private houses at Havanna, at least a great many of them, are magnificent. It is the custom here to leave all the windov^^s to the street open at night ; the living rooms are most commonly on the ground-floor, and the passer-by is of course at liberty to enjoy the sight of many a gay soiree and tertullia. In other towns, where such things and sights are unknown, a crowd would speedily be collected, but here the practice is so universal, that no one thinks, from mere motives of idle curiosity, of stopping to look in. Acquaintances of the house, or of some of the guests may occasionally peep in at the win- dows, in order to ascertain if any of those they would wish to meet are within, and if the result of the survey prove satisfactory, they enter without ceremony. This seems to me a very agreeable style of society, there are no formal reunions, and no person need enter a room with the chance of meeting a disagreeable or obnoxious per- son; it is, in my opinion, another great advantage, at- tending this easy mode of visiting, that you are not com- pelled to remain a moment longer in any house than you find it agreeable. Great preparations were being made for the ceremonies of the Holy Week ; the gaiety of the previous days being GULF OF MEXICO, 273 to be replaced by the strictest mourning and gloom. Flags of every nation were floating in the harbour ; the gaudy red and yellow of the Spaniard, the French tricolour, the ensigns of Hamburg, Prussia, and Belgium, to say nothing of our own national colours, which, in true loyalty to my country, I ought to have placed first in the list. All these brilliant national colours, if belonging to catholic coun- tries, are, on Good Friday, lowered half-mast high ; the yards are canted, and the efligy of Judas Iscariot, after having been hung at the yard-arm, is, with every mark of ignominy and detestation, thrown headforemost into the sea. A few days after our arrival, our kind friends Mr. and Mrs. Crawford and their party, besides Captain Barnett of the Thunder, and a Spaniard or two, dined on board the yacht. Our table was spread (as usual with us in hot weather) on deck, under the shade of the awning. The Illustrious, seventy-two, bearing the flag of the Admiral of the station. Sir Charles Adam, was hourly expected ; indeed, to my great satisfaction, as I had had very little experience in naval matters, and looked forward quite as a treat to seeing a vessel of so large a size mancEuvring her way through the narrow channel. The approach of the expected ship was telegraphed during dinner, and shortly afterwards we saw her tall masts rounding the Moro Castle. The entrance to the harbour is not more than about three hundred yards ; and there being hardly any wind, the entrance of such a ship, her tacking, &,c. did not seem by any means an easy affair. Every thing else was forgotten in the interest of the sight, and in the anticipated pleasure of seeing more English faces in a fo- reign land. In spite of difficulties, the flag-ship came in beautifully, and came to an anchor close to the yacht. After dinner we went on shore to drive, and to shop. I went in quest of sweetmeats, which are excellent here, but expensive, as all articles of food are. To us, so lately ac- customed to the cheapness of living in Texas, the high prices of necessaries seemed still more remarkable. The 274 TEXAS AND THE price of a very small fowl was half a dollar, and beef was tenpence a pound ; the mutton was better flavoured than the beef, which was dry and tasteless ; the vegetables were excellent, and in great variety. We had young potatoes, French beans, peas, asparagus, cauliflower, in short every summer vegetable which Europe produces, besides others peculiar to the country. The oranges and pines were de- licious, and the watermelons were not to be despised. The Zapote Mamme I did not think a bad fruit, but the natives eat some kinds which are really detestable. The guava, which makes so good a preserve, is, I think, quite unpleasant in a raw state, both as to taste and smell ; and I am far from approving the mango, though it looks so tempting ; there is also a purple fruit, the name of which I forgot, but it is any thing but delicious, and another equally bad, of an ugly brown colour, resembling in ap- pearance a potato half-baked, with its skin on. In my opinion, none of the fruits here are to be compared to those we eat in England, as I confess I prefer an apricot greatly to a banana, and a good pear to a custard-apple ; indeed, many of the fruits which are considered good in Havanna, would be given only to the pigs in our country. Wearing apparel costs more here than it does in any place I ever was in ; the price of long white kid gloves are two dollars, more than eight shillings a pair. It will be seen that the expenses of living in this city are not small, and I must wind up my items with mentioning the rent of houses — one of even tolerable size cannot be hired at less than from four to five hundred pounds a year. The washing of clothes costs three dollars a dozen. The following day we paid a visit to the Admiral on board the Illustrious. I was conducted over the ship ; and it being my first time of undergoing the like ceremony, I was much surprised at all I saw. I thought the heat, when I arrived at the midshipmen's quarters, something fearful ; but I suppose they soon become accustomed to it. We dined on board the flag-ship, and afterwards accom- panied the Admiral on shore to a soiree at the Captain- GULF OF MEXICO. 275 General's. From the morning of the Thursday before Good Friday, till the evening of the Saturday following, the most perfect stillness reigned in the streets ; not a car- riage was allowed to pass through any part of the town, and we were consequently obliged to go on foot to the vice-regal residence. The distance from the landing is not considerable ; but in this climate all exertion is dis- agreeable, and I felt inclined to quarrel with any thing that forced me to take exercise, let it be in what shape it would. The military band was playing in the square, and mournful and tiresome airs seemed the order of the day. The square was crowded with people, but princi- pally by negroes, to whom it appeared a kind of fete day. They were all dressed in white, and the contrast it afforded to their black hands and faces was very striking. The Spanish ladies, however, are dressed in the gayest colours, as if they wished to make themselves amends for the deep mourning in w^hich it was de rigueur to clothe themselves on the morrow. As we left the palace, the city watch- men, who are reckoned particularly good and efficient, told the hour from time to time ; but with the exception of their warning voices, not a sound was heard to break the stillness of the night. During all this time, I spent my mornings on deck under the awning ; my sofa being spread where I could obtain the most of the refreshing breezes, of w^hicli, how- ever, you feel but little in the harbour. I occasionally, in the course of the day, received visits from my neighbours, and thus, in a most indolent, enervating mode of life, the scorching hours passed by. Good Friday arrived ; the guns were fired, with a dull heavy sound, and muffled drums with all sorts and signs of gloom and lamentation, were in full display. Every one was in black, and the churches were thronged by peniten- tial visitants. About midday, Sir Charles Adam gave us much plea- sure by paying the Dolphin a visit, and I greatly re- gretted, that owing to its being Good Friday, we were 276 TEXAS AND THE prevented from receiving him with a salute and all due honours. Many strict rules, in regard to the regulation of moral conduct, are laid down by society here, and a great out- cry is raised if any unfortunate individual is so rash or so misguided as to break through them. As an instance of this — no lady is permitted by the rules of decorum to drive in her volante on the Passeo, without being pro- tected cither by a female companion, or by her own hus- band, and even her brother is not considered a proper chaperon. I suspect that there is more of outward show, than of real decorum, in all this vigorous straining after gnatlike trivialities, and I have often heard it remarked that neither the education of the young Spanish women, nor their habitual conversation, were in keeping with this overstrained prudery. Mothers and elder sisters are, it is said, in the habit of paying far too little attention to the moral education of the more juvenile, and female branches of their families ; and it not unfrequently happens, that topics of scandal are discussed, and reputations canvassed before them, the details of which are sufficient to blunt their moral perceptions. When it is remembered that in this country, girls becoine wives, and the mothers of families at an age when in England they would be still in the schoolroom, the evil of this fatal system of educa- tion will be seen in all its magnitude. Saturday. We took a drive on the railroad through shrubberies of coffee bushes. The rate at which we travelled, was not greater than ten miles an hour, and I could not help rejoicing that we went no faster, as other- wise we should have seen much less of the country, which is extremely picturesque. There is a height above the town, which it is well worth taking the trouble to ascend. The hill, which is very steep, is crowned by a fort, and the view from it, looking down on the city, and the surrounding country, is pano- ramic, and very striking. The race-course is within a couple of miles of tlie town ; in the course of our late drive GULP OF MEXICO. 277 we paid a visit to this spot, dedicated to the gambling pro- pensities of the " gentlemen sportsmen" of Havanna. It is a good and convenient course, and we saw several fine- looking American horses in training. The Bishop's garden, which we next visited, is well worth seeing. It is crowded with oleanders, roses, verbenas, convolvuluses, and every sort of beautifiil flowers, growing in wild and tangled disorder, and all in full and luxuriant blossom ; the fire-flies at night were brilliant. The road to this paradise of flowers is thickly planted on both sides with guava and sour-sop trees, besides cocoanut trees, and palms, many of them loaded with green fruit. In addition to the trees I have mentioned, there are ebony, cedar, mahogany, and lignum vitee ; Indian corn too is much cultivated, and adds not a little to the beauty of the country. In the evening we dined with the British Consul, and met the Admiral, and a large party of naval officers. I ought not to omit to mention that the individual of the party who made the greatest impression on me, was one of the prettiest English girls I ever saw ; her roses had not yet paled under the influence of a tropical sun, and she was a pleasing contrast to the sallow beauties of the island. We remained late on shore. The following day being Sunday, we had hoped to have heard divine service performed on board the flag- ship, and most of the English and Protestant inhabitants of Havanna had assembled on board with the same ex- pectation ; the chaplain, however, was too unwell to officiate. Most of the party remained on board till the evening, when we again paid the Passeo a moonlight visit. This was the grand night for theatrical perform- ances at Havanna, and we went with a large party to the pretty theatre at Tacon. The house was crowded, and the performance, which, however, I thought tedious enough, was much applauded. There was a great deal of panto- mimic acting, and the scenery was remarkably good. The two boxes which had been secured for us would 24 278 TEXAS AND THE scarcely hold our party, and we should have been re- joiced, and I doubt not would many others of his ac- quaintance, to have taken possession of the Captain- General's empty box. It is not etiquette for ladies to be seen in it, wliich seemed to me very strange, nor do I understand the motives for keeping- this poor man so apart from the common enjoyments of life. There exists here a great jealousy of the English, among naval men, and as I have before remarked, none of our officers are allowed on board Spanish ships, which are certainly too ill-equipped, dirty, and ill-conditioned to bear inspection. On the evening of this day we had a delightful dance on board the flag-ship. There was a great deal of beauty present, particularly among the English. The Misses M , who are half Spanish, unite in their own persons the charms of both countries, the dark brilliant eyes, betraying their Spanish descent, while the soft, clear complexion reminds us of our coun- trywomen. It seems a strange thing to assert, that cigars are as difficult to procure, really good, in Havanna, as in any part of the world. The state of the case is this, — it is impossible to have good cigars unless you order them, and that also at a considerable period of time before they are required for use. It is well known how much time improves the flavour, and no smoker here uses them as fresh as they do in Europe. It is notorious, also, that the slaves steal the best tobacco, and make it into cigars, unknown to their employers ; the cigars, thus manufac- tured, are excellent, but high-priced and extremely diffi- cult to procure. On the Wednesday previous to our departure we ac- cepted an invitation to the house of the " belles of Ha- vanna," whom I have before mentioned ; it was a pleasant " tertullia ;" the windows opening into a delightfnl garden full of jessamine and the perfumed dhatura. Dancing was going on for those Avho liked it, while others, who in this fervid climate, preferred a state of quiescence, GULF OF MEXICO. 279 were at liberty to enjoy sweet sounds and perhaps sweeter thoughts, in indolent repose. It was our last evening at Havanna, and a last evening- is always more or less painful and trying to one's feelings. We had to bid adieu to friends most kind, though lately foimd, and to leave a happy spot, which it is more than probable, we should never see again ; I do not like saying " good bye ;" it " sets me on end-like," as Sam Slick says. On our return from this scene of brilliant gaiety, I noticed, as our volante drove slowly through the suburbs, a house, the front of which was brightly lighted up ; the lower windows, which were so large that they in point of fact formed the front of the house, were wide open, and afforded a perfect and distinct view of the objects within. My curiosity was excited by seeing a raised platform within the room, at the lower end of which sat two men, in mute silence. To my surprise, for who would have supposed that the remains of the dead would be thus exposed to view, I saw on the platform the pale face of a corpse ; the stiffened limbs were stretched beneath a thin white covering, and in the next hour, the form, which in the morning was endued with life, was to be lowered into the earth. I cannot describe the effect that this spectacle had upon me, and how much I was struck by the contrast it afforded to the scene of dancing and merriment I had so lately quitted ; verily in the midst of life we are in death ! I went on board, and tried to forget it all, — the whirling dance and the blank face of the dead ! — but they hamited me all night, and I Avas glad when the morning came, when I was to change this place of varied recollections for our own wild changing element once more. 280 TEXAS AND THE CHAPTER XXXI. Departure from Havanna— Bermuda— St. George's Harbour- Hamilton— Bermudian Population — Whale-fishing — De- lightful gardens— Visit to the Bishop of Newfoundland— The Sea Grape—" The Pride of India"— Ireland Harbour- Departure for England. But bless the little fairy isle! How sweetly, after all our ills, We saw the sunny morning smile Serenely o'er its fragrant hills. Moore. Friday, 20th April ; light breeze from the eastward. We left Havanna harbour, and passed Moro Castle at nine o'clock in the morning ; the flag-ship weighed anchor at the same time, and we promised ourselves her company on the voyage. The sea-breeze at Havanna begins about ten in the morning, and dies away about three or four p. M. ; it is, therefore, impossible for vessels to leave the harbour in the intermediate time. For two days and a night we went on well together, though in order to do so, we were frequently obliged to shorten sail. We amused ourselves during these two days by talking, unintelligibly enough, I must confess, by signals, and we frequently found ourselves within hailing distance. On the third morning I looked in vain for our " tall friend ;" we had burnt a blue-light, during the night, which had been duly answered ; but now, not a vestige of her towering masts were to be seen, and we had to go on our way alone. April 28th. We had some " strong breezes," — reefing, especially during the afternoon, when the whirling and tumultuous state of the sea gave us some idea of the dan- gers of the coast. 29th. Sighted Bermuda, and " vexed" enough was the GULF OF MEXICO. 281 sea that surrounds her hundreds of islands. After making pilot-signals for a long time, a black man at length put off from the shore in one of the beautiful 'Mudian boats, and told us he was a Queen's pilot. It was, however, so late in the afternoon, that he refused to take us into the liarbour till next morning ; and accordingly, we kept him on board, tacking about all night. At five o'clock the next morning he took us in, and we anchored off the ad- miral's house ; our first inquiry was for the flag-ship ; she had not arrived, and I rather triumphed, I acknowledge, at our having won the race, particularly in the stormy weather we had encountered, and having latterly been running before the wind. We found ourselves very much exposed, in St. George's Harbour, to the force of the wind ; and, as we intended to remain some days at the Bermu- das, we shifted our quarters, almost immediately, to Ha- milton, the principal town. The navigation, through hundreds of rocks and islands, is difficult, but very beau- tiful ; it really seemed like some dream of beauty, the water being so clear that you could see the pebbly bot- tom : and then the coral rocks and the cedar groves ! it was, indeed, a bright and fairy scene ; and when I think of it now, in this cold climate, and matter-of-fact country, how I long to be tliere with those I love about me, again to realize the visions of the past, and spend my existence in that bright land of poetry and romance. Hamilton is a pretty, clean town, situated close to the w^ater ; the houses are all white, and there are hills rising behind them, dotted with villas, and interspersed with ce- dar trees. We went on shore almost immediately after our arri- val, and hired a carriage to take us up to the admiral's house, in order to acquaint Lady Adam of our having so recently parted company with the flag-ship. There is a very pretty view from the house ; and the garden, which is kept with great care, is fiill of flowers. During our visit, the Illustrious came in sight. It was 24* 282 TEXAS AND THE Sunday ; and, in the course of our drive, we had a good opportunity of forming- our opinion of the appearance of the Bermudian population. Tlie churches were very nu- merous, and every one we met was on his or her way to some place of worship. The blacks are, in general, quite as well-dressed as the whites, and are particularly civil and well-conducted, touching their hats in a courteous way, which reminded one of old England. The supply of fresh water is very limited, and I was told that the rea- son for painting the houses white was that the rain-water, of which every drop is of value, may not, in its descent from the roofs, come in contact with any dirty or disco- louring substance. The roads are excellent, and well- kept ; being made chiefly of granite, taken from the many picturesque rocks which are interspersed among the cedar woods. I should say that the inhabitants of Bermuda were in- veterately idle ; by far the greater proportion are very poor and live mostly on fish. Boat-building is the most common trade, and that seems very much overstocked. A great many whales are taken at Bermuda during the season, and several were caught during our stay. On Monday we took a pleasant drive about the island, during which I saw, among other curious things, a large natural tank, hollowed out in the granite rocks, and filled with salt water; it was full of fish of diiferent kinds, some of a very large size. The fish called groupers were the most numerous ; there were others of brilliant and beautiful colours, particularly the "angel-fish," co- vered with blue and silver ; we saw them fed, and it was wonderfiil to mark so closely the habits of these monsters of the deep ; they came up to the surface of the water, opening their enormous jaws, and then rolled over again, making room for some huge companion to take his turn. Tuesday ; this morning we went on shore to pay a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy is the government secretary, and his house and gardens would really, in any country, be a model of good taste, comfort, GULF OF MEXICO. 283 and beauty. Such a profusion of flowers I never saw, — gorgeous flowers from between the tropics, roses from France, all Knight's and Colville's choicest houses ran- sacked for sweets and beauty. I know little about flowers, their scientific names or their natures, but I do know that none ever seemed to me so beautiful as those I saAv in Mrs. Kennedy's exquisite garden. Imagine hedges of the rich double pomegranate ; roses, in whose thick foliage and glowing blossoms you might lose yoiir- self; and such geraniums ! The sweet-rose, the scarlet intermingled with heliotropes and verbenas, and all wild and uncultured. The kitchen-gardens are no less worthy of notice ; every sort of vegetable, growing to a perfection I rarely have seen before ; and though so early in the year, there were beans, peas, cauliflowers, and young potatoes. All these things are pleasant, but a kind welcome is pleasanter far, and that is a luxury one is sure to meet with at Rose Bank. We took a long drive to-day, first to the house of the Bishop of Newfoundland, who had previously honoured the Dolphin with a visit, and who promised to show me the view from his house, as well as the famed sea-grape which flourishes near it. The day was hot, but not so much so as to be disagreeable ; and though the carriage indeed was rough and the horse stumbled, I nevertheless enjoyed the excursion, for it was a new country, and novelty has always its charm. There is a very steep ascent before arriving at the residence of the bishop, but the prospect from it amply repays one for the toil. After a walk of about half a mile from the house to the sea-beach, we seated ourselves beneath the shade of one of those peculiar trees, the sea-grape. In growth they resemble ancient fig-trees ; having the same rough, bold branches and broad-Ieaves, far apart from each other; when I visited the spot, the leaves, which are very thick, large, and broad, were shaded into red of different hues, and the remains only of the berries were hanging from 284 TEXAS AND THE the branches. I sat down beneath them with my agree- able companion, and our imaginations naturally wan- dered to the magical creation of nature's " favourite son." We made up our minds that it was at this particular spot that Prospero sojourned, and Miranda first saw the "brave form," she thought a spirit. We fixed upon the place where " quaint Ariel" gently did his " spiriting," and even discovered the tree from which his master freed him. It was but the imagination of an idea, yet still it seemed tangible and clear. I never felt any climate so enjoyable as that of these lovely islands, at the period of our visit. There were many beautiful plants and shrubs which I have seen nowhere else. The inhabitants, however, seem, most of them, to be too indolent and too tasteless to care much about these sweet favourites of nature. The time had now arrived when we were to leave these wooded islands. Enchanting indeed were the days we spent among their " sunny waves," and " bowers," and " breezy hills," and now we are afloat again on the " old majestic sea." On the occasion of our coming to Hamilton, I had seen nothing of the scenery through which the schooner had passed, it being so early in the morning ; but now, to make me amends, I saw it all in perfection. Winding through the narrow channels, formed by coral rocks and cedar-wooded banks, through water so clear and so shallow, that you could distinctly make out the shells and shining gravel at the bottom, the yacht glided on towards Ireland harbour ; and now " The noontide sun a splendour pours, And lights up all these leafy shores." And after a voyage far too short, we found ourselves at Ireland island. It is very pretty here; and as we in- tended to remain a day, the gig was ordered to be manned, and we set out on a long cruising expedition about the islands. Somerset was our first point, and there we landed, and roamed about the rocks, picking up GULF OF MEXICO. 285 shells and coral. We passed the " Haunted Island," which no 'Mudian will go within sight of, after dark, and then paid a visit to the dockyard, which did not seem to me much worth seeing. There were a great many convicts, several of whom, I was told, were com- paratively rich men ; indeed they can all earn a com- fortable existence by the manufacture of pretty little toys and ornaments of coral. The Electra, man-of-war corvette, had arrived at Ire- land Island the day before, and we went on board. It was impossible for even a landswoman not to be struck by her extreme beauty, and the care and evident atten- tion which were paid to the most trifling minutias of her personal appearance. The Dolphin was lying alongside the flag-ship, and was kindly permitted to take in a supply of water from the latter ; a long operation, which was performed during our absence, for we did not return till after dusk. Some of the officers of the flag-ship dined with us on board — a parting visit, for we intended to sail at day- break. The evening was enlivened by cheerful music from our giant neighbour, and we separated at a late hour. A pilot was taken on board, and I was awoke at five o'clock in the morning by the sounds attendant on de- parture. I rose, and dressed immediately ; and having in my mind the many wonderful anecdotes I had heard of Bermudian pilots, and of their taking ships through aarrow rocky channels, I was eager to have my curiosity ^ratified. The wind was directly ahead, and it was conse- -]uently necessary to beat out of the narrow channel. The 3ilot said he had never taken a vessel, any thing like the ;ize of the yacht, out of the harbour with a head wind, and she had thus an opportunity of displaying some of her good jualities. It frequently occurred, that when the forepart )f the schooner was almost touching a buoy, her stern vas within a foot of one of the myriads of rocks which nark the channel. The difficulty of surmounting all 286 TEXAS AND THE these dangers must be very great, and the power of doing- so only to be acquired by long practice and experience. Soon after we had discharged our pilot, we saw a whale at some distance from us. On looking towards the shore, we perceived that the presence of one of these monsters of the deep was known there also, for a whale- boat was putting off with all despatch. On rolled the creature, his great black sides turning up and over, in his awkward disportings, while every now and then he rose up in the air, and a spout of water darted up from his nose. I was, I confess, anxious to witness a strife between the whalers and their prey, but I was destined to be disappointed. The whale got into deep water, too far off for the whalers, who never go to any distance to sea to overtake them. The weather was fine and moderate, and once out of the harbour, the wind was tolerably favourable. And now, we were fairly off for England ! yes, " Homeward now the boundiug vessel flies." CHAPTER XXXIL The Azores — Terceira — Appearance of Fayal from the sea — Scilly Islands — Eddystone lighthouse — Portland — The North Foreland — Conclusion. A various scene the wide-spread landscape yields O'er rich enclosures, and luxuriant fields. TiCKELL. May, 17th. Sighted the Azores; — the island of Pico on the leeward bow, and in the afternoon we passed close to Terceira. The coast seemed pretty, I thought, the most distinguishiiig feature being an immense conical-shaped mountain. The hills are in very picturesque arrange- ment, and are ornamented with many white, and good- GULF OF MEXICO. 287 sized houses. We were becalmed for some time off these islands, and had thus an opportunity of seeing as much of Fayal as could be seen from the sea. With the help of a good glass we could make out both animate and inani- mate objects very distinctly. After this calm, we had some rather strong winds, but they were in our favour, and we dashed home at the rate of nine and ten knots an hour. On the 24th of May, after a wonderfully-short passage from Bermuda, we sighted that Scilly Islands, and greeted a misty view of English land. There was a very heavy swell, and a cold drizzling rain falling. The next day in the forenoon, we passed the Eddy- stone lighthouse, and fell in with many " outward bound- ers." Ungraceful merchant ships, laden doubtless with rich stores for all parts of the known world, were to be seen in all directions ; and more than once we were hailed ; to know our name, and whence we came. The weather was essentially English, — an English May ! The sea, cold and dark, reflected the cheerless clouds ; and through the tliick, wet air, dismal-looking gulls were flying heavily. It was a discouraging pros- pect, and nothing but the thoughts of home could prevent one continually drawing comparisons very unfavourable to our country's chmate. In the afternoon we passed Portland Lighthouse, and saw green fields and pleasant hedge-rows. Here we met the " lone fisher on the lonely sea, who, in the wild waters had been labouring, far from home, for some bleak pittance." For a dollar, the only species of coin we possessed, we purchased as much fish as would have supplied a meal to a ship's company, and greatly did we enjoy it. Soon after this we passed a fleet of fishing-boats, and sent letters on shore, too happy in the thought that we were sparing a few hours of anxiety to those who had so long been looking out for us. 25th. We passed the North Foreland, and felt that we were at home. The little schooner, after her long and distant career, had returned in safety ; and though we had 288 TEXAS AND THE GULF OF MEXICO. encountered more than our due share of severe gales and stormy weather, scarcely a sail or a spar had been carried away, and not a single sea had been shipped. That this had been so, may be attributed as much to the excellent seaworthy qualities of the yacht, as to the skill and un- wearying attention of her officers and crew. But now how quietly we glided up the river I Our troubled, but joyous course over the wild waves was over, and the dull stream bore us on its sullen waters I I could have grieved for the blue seas and the bluer skies that we had left behind us, but that I looked forward to happy meetings with long-parted friends, and thought, with still deeper gratitude, on the Power which had pre- served us through the many dangers which threaten those " that go down to the sea in ships, and occupy their business in great waters." But our voyage up the river is ended, and preparations are making for leaving the yacht. I look romid upon the hardy crew, who have shared our dangers ; and foolish as it may seem, feel something very like a heaviness of heart, when I remember that I shall never see the ship- mates of so many months collected together on that deck again. But still more do I regret to part from my home upon the waters — from the gallant vessel that has borne us in triumph through so many storms and dangers. THE END. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 645 489 6