The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-11-27


sedsous Of floods the, are fall. and oaln o'er
flown at Which time the Trinity Is Dasieabe
for boats of considerable burden I'D mites o
more from lis inoutlI. Seventy miles ",st Of IN
lnnhF5 y ihe rt'er Bruzos, a stream 100 o. -V'
yards 8 ide from bunk To bank his rirer Is
miniature picture Of Red river in Louisiana, 81
fnuea does II resemble thai stream in the appear
auce Of is water, lis bed and It's banks. Iilk'
Inc Trinity, rises ~ the high lands near lied ii
ser, thong much farther to the west than tn'
sU'nces ot That stream and after d south cas-
course ofabpm lDo0 miles, discharges itselt into
the tinlf of Mexico, about Is miles west OF 49,
western end Of Galveston island Ih,s river ma,
40 hny a. It's mouth. but canal OF few mite
would complete an inland navigation from rs
mouth 10 Galveston bay The depth Of satel
over the ban al the mouth OF the BRACES, varies
| rom 10 10 feet, u being at times Increased ~
ifc Hoods Of Tie river, and agaIn lessenCd by
dcposit 81 sand from the Bcean The tide flow
up tbe Brazos about - mics, aud thus lar II !,
al all seasons nayieable aud when the riyer Is
| swollen, II q nasigable lor keel boats and smal
| sieaih boats or 500 miles from rs mouth. The
san Jacinto and Buffalo Bayou rise IN tue coun
Try between the lower Trinity and Brazos and
after snort course unite at the distance Of y
miles from the head Of the bay OF Galveston, INTO
which they are discharged. The iide flows up
| The Buffalo Bay Uu 40 miles above the junction oi
the creeks, a1oidng good navigation ior YES
sels oil SIX feel draft, To point but - miles rom
| the brazOs and not more than 10 miles distant
| from the town Of st Felipe &c Austin. All the
| rivers and creeks ia the province abound IN fish.
| The cal aud the buffalo are the most numerous
| species The coast also affords au abundant
supply ot red fish, sheep head, trout, DC. II Bd
fowl in the season, cover al the bays which put
| M from the ocean. IN the interior OF the ebun-
| Try they are moi numerous, there being neither
| lakes nor iagunes to which they can resort Tor
fowl. Game Is abundant in Icxns. But bears
! are Numerous N all the river and creek bottoms
bastnmlhers Of them are killed by the inhabi-
| tant, for their oil which is superior To latd ard
ior thsir flesh, which, cured Us bacon is not iu-
leIiof 10 the flesh Of inc. Deer abound IN all
parts Of the province. In the early settlement
Of this country by Americans, yenisan was the
principal food OF The inhabitants, and their cloth
ing was made most entirely OF dressed SKINS.
At this time, however, they are possessed Of
large herds Of cattle aud swine spinning wheels
ana looms hn.e been introduced, and CONNER
clal intercourse with New Orleans mas been o.
pcned, tlIat the inhabitants Of Texas are no
longer dependant on the chase for then supplies
either OF food or clothing. Builnlo roam in
large herds over the the northern and middle
sections Of the province. They do uot approach
.
country between Their range and the ocean con
tnns a large population of Americans aud II is
Hcll known that this animal always rctiIes on
the approach Of civilized man. The buffalo is
we'll known to naturalsts and TO them | refer
for correct description Oft. | will only OBJ
serve that it i5more ca,ily approached and kill
ed than the common red deer its flesh is SOME
what darker than that OF our domestic cattle,
but in sweetness and dclcacy of flavor il sur
passes that, or the flesh of any other animals. |
ought perhaps, TO euumerate among the beasts
al the chase, the wild cattle, which roam in I'M
mcnse herds in the bottoms OF the Brazos aud
Colorado, and in the adjoining prairlcs-lihe
Spaniards at times make a business Of catching
them. Being prepared with fleet horse, and
with strong rope having moose on one end OF
IT, they 60 into their range and watch until the
cattle come into the pfailcs to feed, which is H.
sudIly IN the morning and evening They then
rush upon them, and seldom fail in running
from 3nO to 500 yards, to throwa rope over the
horns OF the particular animal to which they
give ellasc. These cattle are of the Spanish
breed and remarkably large. They are easily
domesticatcd after which they become as useful
! and valuable as those which have been raised
ON Our farms. The jaycliueis AN animal pccu-
liar, 50 far rs know, to Spanish America il at
tdins to the size of half grown hog, which ami
NAL II greatly resembles IN shape and general
| appeafnce--but it differs from the hog aud
believe from all other animals in this cireum-
stance, il Eas ON its back a cavity somewhat re-
semblmg naval, which name has indeed been
applied To IL out of this cavity eXudes species
| of wax highiy offensive 10 the smell, which
serves IN some measure as defence to the ami
| mai. The beast d prey known in the pro
vince, are the panther, leopard, leopard cat
and wolf The panther and wolf are well
! known il the United States OF North America
and need not a particular description. The
! leopard has close resemblance in shape to the
| domestic cat IN size IT surpasSes the largest
! Newfoundland dog, is remarkably strong and
| actiye--Ibc ground color Of its skin is a yellow
| ish white, beautifully spotted with black The
description given of the leopard IS equally ap-
plieable to the leopard cat except in this, the
leopard cat does not excel in size the red fox othe
United States.
The province of Texas has been too little cx-
! plored, to enable us to speak with certainty on
! the subject OF its mincralogy. 1t is however
known thatth are silver mines in the noun
tains of the Colorado. They are not at pre-
sent wrought; and l am not informed whether
or not thcy'promiSe to become valuable. Ores of
copper aud IRON have also been found in the noun
tains but the country being without inhabitants
these mines have consequently been neglected.
| Every section OF the country Is abundantly sup
! piled by nature with salt. The most important
salt licks which have yet been discovered are
/ those on the Noches, the Bra2oS, The Nayaso-
| taand Little river, both of which latter rivers
are tributary to the Btazos.
| The population ofTcyas consists of three class
cs MISUNDERSTANDING Indians and Amer
| leans. The principal tribes of Indians are the
Cherokees, Comanehes, paWnese Ligans and
| Tmkaways. The Cherokecs, TO the number Of
| about 100 warriors located about 60 miles
north OF Nacogdoches. Like the parent tribe OF
that name IN the United States, they have made
considerable advances in civilization The men
are devoted 10 agricultural pursuits, and the wo-
men 10 domestic occupations. This tribe differs
| little indeed in dress, and mode of life, from the
| frontier inhabitants of the United states The
| Conanchcs the most numerous tribe in the
province Of Texas. They subsist entirely on
the products of the chase: and their clothing,
tents, &c. are made entirely Of the skins OF deer
and buffalo
This tribe is divided into numerous bands, of
! nt.s