The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-07-31

gentleman, who has just returned from this in
teresting region, has been obligng enough To give
us the following description;
i For the Union.
/ This magnificent country, which has of late at
tacted SO large share Of public attention through
out the civilized world, not only on account OF ue
richness of It's soil and favored climate, but because
OF the novelty of it's political condltlon and the ex-
traordinary working of revolution which has
merged nationality INTO lederatlye power and State
sovereignty, as mere guarantee of the free exer-
else of republican principles, has it's boundary de-
fined by an act of Congress, approved in December,
\ 1886, as follows; "Beginning AT the mouth OF the
Sabine river, and running west along the Gulf of
\ Mexico, three leagues from land 70 the mouth Of
the Rio Grande; thence up the principal stream OF
said river it's source; thence due north TO the
forty-second degree of north latitude; thence along
! the boundary line, defined in the treaty between
the United States and Spain, to the begnning" Its
area comprises nearly -four hundred thousand square
| miles
This country presents every variety of surface,
! from the extended PLAIN to the lofty mountain.
| At the south, level region, varying in width
I from twenty to seventy miles, extends along
the coast from the Sabine 20 the Rio Grande.
This level section is broadcast near the Brasos,
and nartowost near the San Ant MO river.
1t is furrowed by many deep ravines, which
form the channels OF the numerous streams that inter-
sect this part of the country. These streams are
bordered by dense forests, varying from half
mile to six miles in width, The intervening ooun-
try is mostly open prairie. The forests, however,
do not extend quite to the coast but terminate with
! in distance of about five miles from the shore,
thence the country Is so entirely open, that from the
beach, most places, not tree can be seen, and
the eye rests upon wide grassy plain, diversified
| only by few stunted bushes Above this level re-
gion the country becomes gradually undulaung, pre-
senting continued series Of broad swelling knobs,
aud wide shallow valleys. The pralries and wood
land in this region alternate IN the most picturesque
manner, forming some Of the most beautiful scene-
ry nature The prairles are generally small, and
iDterspersed with groves resembling islets IN a
grassy lake. The forest trees attain larger size
here than those in the level region, and the forests
are more widely difiused the surface. Springs
not unfrequent in this section; and the country
! is irrigated by numerous streams of pure, whole
some water, flowing over pebbly beds. Above this,
| you pass through billy country, extending inland
about one hundred miles. Few of these hills at
tain elevation exceeding i've hundred feet Their
SUBMITS are generally fiat, and tufted with dense
thickets of cedar. Beyond this billy country, an
other level or gently undulatng region extends
northward towards the Red river. This section is
about one hundred miles broad, on the meridian of
Austin, and gradually widens eastward, and contracts
westward of this line. 1t encloses the Great Salt
Lake of the Brasos. tbs bounded ON the northwest
by range of mountains which furnish the sources
OF the Red river, the Brasos, Colorado and other
streams on the east and the Rio Puerco and other
tributaries of the Rio Grande the west.
The prairies of Texas form an important feature
of its surface They comprise about four-hftls of
the level, and nearly one-half Of the unduating
gon. They vary IN dimensions from five miles to
one hundred in length--breadh about onefourth
the length. The size is proportioned to the dis
tances between the principal streams In the west
counties, the praries are beautifully diversified
with small groves of timber; those Of the level re-
gion, however, are entirely open. The soil of The
prairies is remarkably uniform in ito character
throughout the whole country, consisting generally Of
| black vegetable mould, varying from four inches
four feet in depth, resting upon beds of sandy or
cayey loan. This soil differs but little in fertility
from that of the bottom lands-it is covered with ain
abundance of nutritious grass, aBording ain mex
haustible supply Of pastuage. There is, probably,
no class of men upon the globe whc can live more
INDEPENDENTS or .~rrn less care and labor than the
..ercsmen of Texas. The cattle feed out upon the
pruiries or in the wooded bottoms the whole year.
and require almost as little attention as the wild deer
or the bounding buffalo,
The scenery of the prairies which lie east of the
Colorado valley is too monotonous to be agreeable
The larger praires may, from their immensely, as
tonsh and surprise the beholder, like the broad UNI
varied cxpanse of the ocean. The smaller ones,
with their even, uniform carpet of verdure, walled
in with tall forest trees on every side, must please
the eye, and wrap the for moment; but they
fail to enchan attention, to command admiration TO
excite wonder, and make lasting impressions upon
the mind. They possess none Of that constantly
varying charm of novelty, peculiar to billy or noun
famous scenery; and the tourist becomes ia
tigued in noting the remarkable uniformity and re-
sembance of feature that characterize them. The
landscapes are but continued series of prairies
skired by forests, from the banks Of the San Jacno
to the Colorado
This country, as its surface indicates affords al
most every variety of soil In the level and undu- |
ating regions it is exceedingly fertile, consisting, id
many places, of u rich, deep, calcafeous loan, in
which sandy and cayey particles are intimately
combined with carbonaceons vegetable mould. |
On the banks of several of the streams the soil as
sumes reddish-yellow color, from the abundance
of ferrugnous earth mingled with it, This is pec,,-
ary characteristic of the soils in the vicinity Of the
Red river, and the level country the Brasos, the
Caney, and the Colorado On these streams the soils
seem to contain all the elements of fertility, and are
probably unsurpassed by any on the globe. Those /
of the level and undulang regions differ but little in
their chemical constituents, and eyince that they have
been formed from common sedimentary deposite.
The undulating sections are generally regarded as
more fertile than the level country. This may be
owing to the fact that the constituents of the soil
are there more intimately blended than in the level
country; consequently, the fertilzing influence is
more generally difiused. The soil Of the hilly re- |
gion differs widely. 10 the valleys the auvial ac-
cumuations are generally very Deep and the soil is
similar to that Of the undulating region: il consists
chiefly OF a friable, sandy, calcareous loan, re-
markaby fertile. Near the Colorado, il encioses
many fnty, rolled pebbles, which are gradually
decomposing and impartng siceous character.
The hills have generally very light thin SOIL con-
slsting chiefly of e layer OF vegetable mould only
few inches deep, resting upon horizontal strata of
limestone. The productions of Texas are similar
to those Of the middle and southern States of the
Union with the addition of tropical fruits-every-
thing yielding immensely abundant returns for tie
little labor bestowed. The forests furnish vast
quantities of valuable timber consisting of live oak
pine, cedar, mesquit, (Which nearly resembles ma
hogany) bos dare, and other timber highly priced
for cabinet furniture. 1t has been estimated tina,
the forests of Texas would alone furnish supply
Of live oak sufficient for all the naves of the world
The mesqult grass, which carpets the prairies and
forests of western Texas is as valuable as grain for
stock, being exceedingly nutritious, even when APP
parenty dcadened by age, and withcred by the rays
of the sun.
The sections Of Texas, which, by their geologic
cal features, Indicate that they contain the largest
Quantities of valuable minerals, have been but little