The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-20 00:00:00

THE COAST OF TEXAS.

The annexation of Texas extends our maritime
frontier about three hundred and fifty miles south•
west from the mouth of the Sabine. The pass over
the Sabine Bar is nine feet deep ; but, about fifty-
five miles south-westerly from this bar is the entrance
to Galveston bay, over the bar of which twelve feet
can be carried. There is another entrance to this
bay about thirty miles further, at the south-western
end of Galveston island, called the San Luis or west-
ern pass, over which ten feet of water can be carried.
These passes constitute the connexion with the gulf
of several small rivers, the largest of vi hich is the
Trinity, which enters into the upper end of Galveston
bay, at a place called Anahuac. The next bar of
consequence upon this coast is the pass of Caballo, over
which eleven feet of water can be carried. This
pass opens a communication between the gulf and
Espiritu Santa and Matagorda bays. Into these bays
many rivers enter from the interior of the country,
the principal of which are the Colorado, the Guade-
loupe, and the Sas Antonio. The Nueces enters the
gulf at the south-western extremity of Espiritu Santa
bay ; but its connexion with the gulf is obstructed by
a bar, over which not more than four feet of water
can be carried. Should, however, future investigations
exhibit a good connexion, inland, between the Nueces
and Espiritu Santa Bay, then the trade of that river can
avail itself of the deeper water of the Caballo pass.
From the mouth of the Nueces, called Corpus Christi
pass, there is a long bay parallel to the coast, extending
dueo uthsouthabout
extremity, one hundred
to miles, approaching, at its
within ten miles of the mouth of
southern
the Rio del Norte. The Rio del Norte is the great river
of Texas, forming its western boundary, and extending
through 14 deg. of latitude. Its course is north-westerly
from its mouth, making the longitude of its head waters
about 12 degrees west of that of its connexion with the
gulf of Mexico. Its total length is about 1,200
alreadyconnectsnavigated by steam
itself with the gulf
bmoialetss,asanhdighitash
La so
r beenedo. It
by a bold current, and without the intervention of a bay ;
but the connexion is not deep. The bay, however,
which we have just described as approaching within ten
miles of the mouth of the
i Rio del Norte, is spoken of
as having a deep bar at its southern. extremity, called
the Brasos Santiago. Should this be the case, there
would probably be no great difficulty in turning the
Rio del Norte into this bay, and thus, by the aid of
its waters, forming one of the best entrances from the
gulf upon that coast, through the pass of Brasos San-
tiago. These views of the coast of Texas present three
important points—the Galveston pass, the Caballo pass,
and the pass of Brasos Santiago, which will probably
have to be fortified.— Washznpion Union.

NEGLECT of a VALUABLE ENDOW

-• - -
MENT.
A correspondent of the Perthshire Adve?ti,,er gives the
following curious history regarding an endowment left
for the maintenance of a school and library at Inner-
paffay, near Crieff, and whichhas now been alienated
from its original destination :—" This ancient mortifica-
tion was founded by David, Lord Madderty, sometime
prior to 1680. His Lordship, who died in 1681, left a
testament, whereby he mortified the sum of five thousand
merks, owing to him on heritable bonds by John Haldane,
of Gleneagles, to maintain and support an institution
for the benefit and encouragement of young students,
and the education of youth, in all time to come.
His Lordship was succeeded in the Barony of Inner-
paffray by his nephew, William, Viscount 01 Strathallan,
who most generously fulfilled his intention of n3ortif)ing
the 5,000 merks for the maintenance of the library and
school for ever. The trustees then appointed for the
mortification were—lst, Lord Strathallan and his
heirs ; -2d, Lord John Carmichael and his heirs ; and
3d, John Haldane and his heirs. Lord Strathallan
died in 1748, and was succeeded in his lands and
Barony of Innerpaffray by his great-grandson,
Robert Henry Drummond, Ara bishop of York. In
1787 his son succeeded to the said lands and barony,
and to the title and estates of the Earldom of Kin-
noul. He died in 1804, and was succeeded by his son,
the present Earl, who is thus sole patron, and one of
the trustees of the mortification. The other trustees are
Sir Wyndham Carmichael Anstruther, Baronet, the
descendant of John Lord Carmichael ; and the Earl of
Camperdown, the representative of John Haldane, of
Gleneagles. During the lifetime of the arch-
bishop, it is understood that the affairs of the in-
stitution were administered with much care ; he
made large donations of books in the library,
and he and his co-trustees interpreted and re-
corded their meaning of the term country,'
in the deed of mortification, to be the dis-
trict comprehended by the Presbytery of Auchterar-
der, and the library was accordingly thrown open to all
persons, irrespective of rank, age, or sex, living within
the bounds of that territory. It is from the period of
his death, in 1789, that the decadence of the institution
may be reckoned. About this time a subscription was
set on foot for purposes connected with the library, with
the precise object and result of which we are unacquainted.
Shortly afterwards a sum Of 2221.45. sd. sterling appears
at credit in the hands of the patron beyond the amount
of the money secured by the heritable bond. But this
sum, which arose in the course of the management,
was not applied to the ordinary purposes of the mor-
tification. It was lent to Lord Kinnoul, who granted his
bill for the amount, bearing interest from December,
1789. It is on the accumulations of this sum and that
originally mortified that 8,000/., now at the credit of the
institution, has arisen. At the present time, and for
many years back, the institution has not been in a state
to answer any of the purposes of its noble founder.
The interest—nay, the right—of the inhabitants, and
the interest and honour of the noble patron, combine
not merely to bring back the institution to its ancient
efficiency, but to give it that greatly enlarged scope of
usefulness which its increased means will afford. How
this is to be accomplished it is not for us to say. That
the noble patron is the debtor in the sum mortified, and
the holder of the accumulated produce of the en-
dowment, can make no difference in his views
on this important matter. Were we to advise,
therefore, we should say to the inhabitants,
wait on his lordship, recall to his memory the insti-
tution, and respectfully solicit his co-operation in reviving
may
anripddsihmproving it.' We have no doubt that the result
will be everything that the people can wish. If his
lo
patronage desire
andto divide
trusteeship,the responsibility
mixed
u p,
as t
hesattend-
antthese
on his
certainly are with the possession of the funds, Sir Wynd-
ham Carmichael Anstruther and Lord Camperdown may
be induced to diminish that responsibility by sharing it
with him."

Brentwood fair, on Wednesday, was well supplied
with cattle, and a large number were sold at rather high
prices. Scotch beasts were not so numerous as usual, nor was
the horse fair so largely supplied as in frmer years.— Chelms-
ford Chronicle.