Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-03-12

Teras, Natural Cultsres--lSoii. Riees. Har.
| bors-Sugw C'dtsae--4anerasion 7rou4e,
Collision ruth Esnopeasa Potcers. sc. 81

HousToN. TExAs, FER. 4, 1876
4 Horace Grceleg--As this country forms ibs
burlhen Of much speculation IN The llnteJ
States, do not know that could "a III,
ter, or cater more agreeahly 10 the taste Of your
readers. than By giving byieF outline q tbe
Iominercial and Agricultural prospects az
Texas; 50 far At leaSs, as these things depona
upon her Soil, and iarhors and Rivers. nv
Gliii coast Of Texas presents a singular and
rather iorbldding aspect 10 stranger. From
the mouth ef theSablne to themouth the Rio
del Aorte, the beach exhibits an irregular cras-
cent, curving gently, until yen pass the mouth
OF the Nucces, when il suddenly drops down
due South, and al the mouth OF the Rio al
Norte il has turned slightly East again. This
entire coast is indented BY number Of beB,
+ broken and rapid rivers. They traverse an
immense region ofeountry. and all, without
an exception, discharge themselves in the Gulf
From their heads 10 their mouths they inter.
sect region every where heavily internixed
with sand Hence the large aud irregular
sand-bars that block up the mouths Of all the
rivers. For the eternal streams Of sand
which are rolled down by the waters. are me,
by the restless seTf of the Gulf. and amid tho
contending waters, this sand is universally de.
posted at the mouths Of the rivers. The
Trinity, which is the largest river in Texas
and which, BY the fabulous writers and men.
dieant orators of this country, has been reure.
scented as navigable for 800 and even 500 miles
has bat scant three feet water at the mouth
Beside this, the whole length Of the river I
from time 10 time beset with these shifting bars
The Brassos, the Colorado, the Neuces. and
I the Rio del Norte, present no greater adyan.
/ tages for navigation. The best--indeed, liz
only harbor on this entire coast, is al Galveston.
I into which YOU enter over a bar with only -
/ feet water. Even this depth ofwater is known
/ TO be diminished. aud the entire harbor is grad
ually filling up with the sand which is yearly
emptyng into II from the Trinity and the san
| Jacinto
| Near Galveston resides a gentleman BY the
name of Campbell, quondam Lieutenant IN
4 der LATTE what time he made his bone on
Galveston Island. He states thar when BE- Grst
knew this harbor, there were "a feet Of water
on the bar, and that it has been gradually filing
| up ever since. Ne know that now there &
scant IL feet of water There IS not now. and
never has been, boat running upon any one
/ of the rivers of Texas. The only inland nayi.
CATION used is between this place. (iIouston.
and Galveston, by means of the Buffalo Bavou.
and rash indeed would be that boat which
would ventured drawing rnorethan three feet Of
water. The entir coast of Texas presents the
most uniform, and tame, and barren appear
ance that human eye ever rested upon There
is neither hill, nor bluff, nor highland, nor
woodland, any where to be seen along the en-.
tire reach Of the coast BY slow and iInpercep.
tlble degrees, the land rises from the water, fat,
level and timberless. The outline between the
land and water is faint and indistinct ; and long
after the boat has struck the sand, you are
wading through sea weed and water, to find a
dry place upon which to stand. After leaving
the Gulf as much as fifty miles, YOU have at.
tanned no greater elevation than thirty feet
above the level off the Sea; and the unduations
OF the sandy prairies, together with the album
dance OF sea-shells admonish you, that the day
has not been far distant, when all this plain was
slowly formed by the gradual accumulation Of
| the sand brought down by the rivers, and
| thrown up by the Gulf.
The tides along the coast are almost inner
ceptble, unless moved by South or South
east wind. which not only brings up a food of
water, but also the sands of the Gulf; which
being deposited by the breakers on the shore,
and left by the Gibbs, gradually forms the earth,
Of which the entire plains Of Texas bear eyi-
dence that they are composed The valleys
along the rivers, and streams alone rejoice in
the shades Of pleasant groves, and alluvialsoil
All the rivers of Texas except the Sabine and
Trinity, rise in the Guadaloupe Mountains
and during the rainy season, when the waters
descend from all the heavens, and THOUSAND
| hills, they rise to the enormous height Of ~
and 80 feet, bursting out of their banks, and
deluging the valleys. And if they sometimes
carry destruction TO the crops and fencing Of
the planter, they leave behind grateful depos-
It which enricheS the land and dImlnishes the
danger of subsequent overflows. The valley
OF the Brassos. which is Of an average widtho
SIX miles, isconsidered the backbone Of Texas.
In the lower valley ofthe Brassos. and on lie
waters Of Caney and Peach Greeks, are to be
found all the sugar plantations. as vet estab
lshed in Texas and the experiment, thus
far, has proved, that the proximity the Rocky
/ Mountains, whose cold breath sometimes scat
I tiers the boar frost to degree unknown in
the same latitude in the United States, renders
/ the crop more uncertain than in Louisiana
There is no greater mistake. than the estimate
which has obtained in the United States as to
the quantity ofsugar lands in Texas. ExpeT.
iment will prove that the entire sugar lands IN
this country are far below the capacity ofIou-
isiana alone. You may think that | write ina
spirit of depreciation, butitis not so. Theiab-
ulous accounts by her orators and writers, and
the clamorous credulity Of political and private
stock obbers in the United States. have thrown
a false coloring over this land, which will DIS
appear before the light Of truth.
I The appointment Of Gov. Runnels to he
! Custom-House at Galveston has created no
little surprise and speculation--not that it's q
bad appointment, but because he is known TO
be an anti Houston man. The other appoint
ments are more agreeable to the dominant fac
ton, though less worthy. Judge John Hemp
hill, who IS appointed to the Federal Bench,s
a petulent, grum aud muddy headed man.
He has never studied the law asa science, as Is
manifest from his written opinions whilst oa
the Supreme Bench of Texas. He IS crus-
ty old bachelor, who, in the midst Of a people
prodigal of life and treasure, has husbandeo
both with solicitude which has often sublec-
ted him TO she sneers and jokes OF his acqualn
lance In these appointments have no doubt
that Polk has been guidedby desire to divide
4 his favors and secure the interests OF both iac
tons. How he viii succeed remains to BE-
seen. | am persuaded, myself, that sooner or
later the complete triumph Of the Houston fac
ton, which is more intoeTant than even The
I Democracy Of the U. States, will drive the an
! lis into the Wing ranks, aud thereby erect that
party into very respectable, if not dangerous
minority.
4 Thepassage Of the act of Congress Of Sla