The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-22 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

A JOURNEY THROUGH TEXAS'. By
Edward Smith M D., LL.B., 6-c
The atten•i al of emigrants ha% log been recently
directed to the North Awe:wan Province of rexas as
a suitable, acts indeet I.eirable, place for location,
the app, arance of ti_is Fula vo'uine is singalarly
appropriate, and assumes to some extent a certain
degree of iuep rtarsse. Ev. n from the wording of the
title page it would appear that the writer adventured
upon his very agreeable journey across the north-
eastern portion of the province during this present
year, with the express intention of furniAting a report
calculated to aid the purposes of tmigration.
However that may have been, it is certain that
the narrative of 1)r. E. Smith will afford
an ample store of information to those
who are at all solicitous to acquire some knowledge
of the resources of the country tcfore actually pro-
c : thither with the view of a final settlement
within-its boundaries. And considering the immense
number of the isdividuals at the present moment
prepared to forsake their mother country for the
Purpose of seeking. some better fortune elsewhere, the
utility of the descriptions here given by our traveller
is obviously entitled to all consideration ; for as
nothing is more disastrous to the would•be settler
than to attempt to cross the Atlantic without some
Previous consciousness of the difficulties to be
encountered and the exertions required on the oppo-
site shores, so nothing can possibly tend so materially
to secure the prosperous termination of such enter-
Prizes as a capability of making all necessary cal-
cattiona, and of adopting all raquisite precautions
beforehand. Such a capacity is only obtainable
through the assistance of some trustworthy depicter
of the characteristics of the western continent, and
such a man Dr. E. Smith appears unquestionably to
be from his very able, lucid, and impartial delinea-
tion of North-Eastern Texas. The extremely com-
prehensive nature of his report leaves scarcely
Anything in the way of intelligence to be
desired. Besides giving a minute and exten-
sive picture of the condition, the position, and the
advantages of that province of the United
States, the report likewise furnishes a copy of the
Constitation of Texas, a list of articles, tables of
temperature, and other useful particles sof information,
tacit as the subjoined relating to the relative value of
the English and American currency :
" Tile American dollar is worth 4s. 2d ; the cent id.;
the New York shilling, sixpence, and penny, are respec-
tively worth one-half of the like English coins, and the
lit of the Southern and Western States is equal in Talus
to the Now York shilling."
addition to the particulars collected together by
' writer, it would moreover appear that his report
was accompanied to this country by specimens of the
PO and black soils; of iron ore and other minerals ;
of bois d'Arc and other kinds of timber; and also of
articles of native manufacture. All these things were
submitted, in the first instance,to the body of gentle •
Men at whose instance the journey was orginally
Undertaken—a body presided over by Mr. Henry
Frearson—and the report is now opened to more
general scrutiny in its present form of publication.
those who refer to its pages for instruction will not
fail to be arrested by the admirable maps prefixed to
the volume, in illustration of the geographical position
of Texas. What we have now, however, more
Particularly to refer to is the amount of practical in-
formation condensed into the report by our North
American traveller, specimens of which must, even
when separated from the context, prove sufficiently
Interesting to justify our subsequent quotations.
his
opened the narrative by a rapid account of
15 progress to the country he has now undertaken to
delineate, the writer proceeds at once very explicitly
to describe the different kind of mineral, animal, and
vegetable productions of the province, prefacing that
account with an analysis of the various kinds of soil
'black, red, grey, ash, and mulatto—all of these
kinds being alluvial in character. Of the Texas
timber he speaks as follows :
, " Cass, Titus, Smith, Van Zampt, Upshur, and liar-
futon counties, are exclusively covered by wood; whilst
in Kaufman, Hopkins, Red River, Lamar, Fannin,
Collins, Grayson, Cooke, and Dallas, both prairie and
hO 411 and are found, with the former usually prepon-
derating. The varieties of wood aro the black oak,
White oak, red oak, post oak, and black jack, which
exist universally ; with pine, live oak, ash,
elan. sycamore, hickory, walnut, sweet gum,
cotton wood, wild plumb, cherry, and blackberry,
Wry commonly ; and the beautiful bois d'Arc, the
Fedar; and the cypress, in isolated localities. The pine
it very much esteemed, and we met with it in certain
Arts • of Cass and Titus counties, and en Upper Red
River, also at the heads of the Trinity, and on the
13sbine, and in all the parts west of Marshall, in
Yarrition county. It is found but sparingly
In Hopkins county, and not at all on the
northern prairies. It is yellow, and of fine
Quality, being excedingly full of resinous matter.
43 three feet from the ground it is usually from two to
three feet in diameter, and in common with the sweet
Pin, cotton wood, white oak ash, and sycamore, grows,
especially in the vallies) to the height of 100 or 120
feet. Tne varieties of oak are not (Teal to the Et.glish
°lke but the live oak is highly esteemed in ship. building.
The white and red osk grow to a large size, whilst the
P°at oak and black jack is a scrubby wood. The Ash,
Plnie and Le-ech, are excellent. The bois d'Arc, is a
t)autiful yellow hard wood, very enduring, from which
are Wade exc-Ilent waggery, and articles of furniture.
The French use the ye 1 ow as a dye, and beautiful
"raleing sticks a e made from the tee igs. The hickory
is a heavy dark celoured wood, very suit able fur tool
handles and fuel for domestic purposes, and vast herds
°r Pigs ed upon its nuts. The red cedar splits readily,
find Is very enduring when used us fencing, being even
superior to the bl.eck locust tree of the Western States.
C) press is used most commonly in the manufacture of
Water butts and troughs, and is the best fuel fur steam-
engines."
Most of the principal roads are enumerated, and
among the rivers of Texas especial mention is made
Shreeveport, Jefferson, Sulphur Fork of Red
Itiver, Upper Red River, the Sabine, and the Trinity.
After referring to the capabilities afforded by Texas
for railway enterprise, Dr. E. Smith expatiates upon
the price, the quality, and the quantity of the divers
Products pouring annually from the bosom of the
Province—cotton, corn, wheat, oats, rye, grass, wire
Riess, calamus grass, the musquite, vines, tobacco,
fill; wool, cattle, horses, mules, pigs, salted meats,
l 'motley, %sax, game, figs, peaches, apples, nuts, olives,
ails, and vegetables ; the salt springs, sulphur springs,
tnineral springs, iron, coal, clay, limestone, soap stone,
tend stone, &c., &c. Here is his account of the
capabilities opened in Texas in the way of
" MANUFACTURES.
"Perhaps no country offers so many advantages to
manufacturers as does Texas. There the great staple
articles, cotton, wool, silk, and flax, grow iu perfection;
Whilst the meckanic would be surrounded with the ne-
cessaries amid comforts of life at a very small coat.
Water power is met with en the Cypress Creek,
Creek, the Sulphurs, Sabine, Bois d'Arc, Sister
Grove Creek, East Furk, and other heads of the
Trinity ; but it cannot be said to be plentiful, and
there fore steam power must supply its place. The
fuel for this purpose is purchased a& half-a-dollar per
acre, and the only expense would be fur cutting and
carrying it.
," Cleaning and carding of cotton and wool; tanning ;
shoe and harness making; tobacco manufacturing; wine,
brandies, and spirit making; wood sawing and grain
Grinding; iron smelting, casting, and working; the
manufacture of agricultural implements, a: d all kinds of
Wood-work, with a thousand other occupations, could be
most profitably established. Those who are acquainted
with Texas believe that it will place itself in the first
• tank as a manu acturing as well as producing country.
At present the length and breadth of the country is open
to the manufacturer, and be would be welcomed with
°Pen arms by every settler."
As to the security afforded to human life and pro-
Perty in that province, he says—
, " The most perfect security to life and property re gas
toroughout N. E. Texas, far m .re perfect than can be
found in the Eastern States or in Europe, or indeed in
a°Y well peopled country. We travelled alone by day
and night, and never received incivility or injury; and the
"IY attempt to impose upon us was by one of our own
noUntrymen. The inhabitants behaved very kindly to us,
And on several occasions would not be paid for our board
and lodging. They are exceedingly desirous to receive
'lv settlers, knowing that the resources of their coun-
try will thus become developed, and their own property
increased in value; and tLerefore they era not likely to
' °tfr injury to those whom they desire to receive amongst
th' in. They are too rich to render theft worthy of their
attention. Unprotected loaded waggons, which have
broken down on the high road, have been known to re-
main unmolested for many days. They boast of their
admitted honesty in paying their debts, and in a legal
telgard fOr the rights and prosperity of others."
In illustration of the foregoing, he gives an
Interesting anecdote, which may be found at
Page 41. Another subject of immense im-
Portance to all emigrants is treated upon with
With a remarkable degree of particularity, we mean
the dangers and annoyances likely to befal the settler
In consequence of the various kinds of beasts, insects,
and reptiles—for example, bears, panthers, wolves,
Wild cats, racoons, alligators, alligator-gars, rattle-
snakes, moccasin-snakes, tarantulas, centipedes,
prairie flies, and musquitoes. With reference to the
lust mentioned, namely, the musquitoes, he speaks
thus emphatically :
" At Jefferson we were much annoyed with them; but
with this exception, and that of portions of the river
bottoms and hog-wallow plume, we never saw them in
br=as. N.B. Texas, as a whole, is free from them ; and
e settlers do not use musquitoe bars. Trees may be
anted around the dwellings in dry places, without
fearing to harbour these creatures; but in wet localities it
j
W,ll to live away from the wood. They are of a very
light frame, and a light breeze blows them away."
All the foregoing advantages above enumerated are
singularly enhanced by the extraordinary salubrity of
the
province, as described by the writer, himself a
Phatsician, and consequently well calculated to pro-
nounce an opinion upon the subject. Dr. Smith not
V3' eulogises the healthfulness of that particular
tvi`tion of the American continent, but enumerates
the following as among the principal causes of its
salubrity
:Ist, The 010Tai911 of the country, or of parts of the