Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-02-19
From fslaeLwood'' Magazine.
ADVENTURES IN TEXAS.
No. l.-(Continued.l


A scamper in the Prairie of Jaointo.
passed several beautiful islands Of pecan. plum,
and peach trees. II is a peculiarly worthy Of
remark, that these islands are nearly always Of
one sort Of trees. 1t is very to meet with one
Of more than one sort. Like the beasts Of the
forest that herd together according to their kind,
so does this wild vegetation preserve itself distinct
in lis different species One island will be entirely
composed Of live oaks, another Of plum, and third
pecan trees the vine Is only common to them all,
and embraces them all alike with its slender yet
tenacious branches. | rode through several of
these islands They were perfectly clear from
bushes and brnsh-wood, and carpeted with the
most beautiful verdure il is possible to behold. |
gazed at them in establishment. Il seemed incredi-
BILE that nature, abandoned 20 herself should pre-
serve herself so beautifully clean and pure, and
invouniariy looked around me for some trace Of
the hand Of man. But none were there. i saw
nothing but herds Of deers that gazed wondering
ly at me with their large clear eyes, and when l
approached too near, galloped OF in alarm. What
would not have given for an ounce Of lead.
charge ofpowder, and Kentucky rife Neverthe-
less. tho mere sigh, Of the beasts gladdened me-
and raised my spirits. They we're sort Of soci-
ely. Something of the same feeling seemed to be
impaired to my horse, who bounded under me,
anu ueigueu meIfHyt Us NC Cantetcu along W tne
fresh spring morning.
| was now skir,ina the side Of an island Of trees
Of greater extent than most Of those had hitherto
seen. On reaching The end Of it. suddenly came
in sight Of an object presenting so extraordinary
appearance as far TO surpass any Of the natural
wonders had as yet behed, either in Texas or the
United States.
At the distance Of about two miles rose colossal
mass in shape somewhat like monumental mound
or tnmuus, aud apparently Of the brightest silver
As came in view oft, the sun Just covered
by passing cloud from the lower edge of il the
bright rays sho, down obqueIy upon this exiraor-
binary phenomenon, lighting it up in the most
brilliant manner. AT one moment il looked like
huge silver cone then took the appearance Of an
illuminated castle with pinnaces and towers. or
the dome Of some great cathedral then Of a
gigantic elephant covered with trappings but always
Of solid silver, and indescrbably magnificent
Had all the treasures of,he earth been offered me
10 say what il was, should have been unable to
answer. Bewudered by my inlefnnabie wunderings
in the prairie, and weakened by fatigue and hun
ger, superstiiious feeling for a moment came
over me, and | half asked myself whether had not
reached some enchanted region. into which the
evil spirit Of the prairie was leading me TO desruc-
ton by appearances Of supernatural stangeness and
beauty.
Banishing these wild imaginings, ] rode on in the
utfccilou OF tllts strange ouject out u was outy
when came within a very short distance that was
able to distinguish lis nature. Il was live oak Of
most stupendous dimensions, the very patriurch Of
The prairle grown grey in the lapse Of ages. It's
lower limbs bad shot out in horizontal or rather
a MISUNDERSTANDING direction aud reaching nearly
TO the ground, formed vast dome several hundred
feet in diameter and full hundred aud thirty feet
high. II had no appearance Of tree, for neither
trunk nor branches were visible, Ii seemed a
mountain Of wh,ish-green scales fringed with long
silyery moss, that hung like innumersble boards
from every bough and iwig. Nothing could better
convey the idea of immense and incaculable age
than the hoary beard and venerable appearance Of
this monarch OF the woods Spanish moss Of a
silyery gray covered the whole mass Of wood and
foliage, from the topmost bough down 10 the very
ground short near the top OF the tree but gradual
! " increasing in length as il descended, until il
hung like deep fringe from the lower branches
u =, vrpetnhiH curtain with my hands
and entered this august temple with feelings Of
involuntary awe. The change from the bright
sunlight TO the comparative darkness beneath the
leas vault was so great that al first could scarcely
Distinguish anything When my eyes got ac-
customed to The gloom however, nothing could be
more beautiful than the effect Of the suns rays,
which in forcing their way through the silvered
leaves and MOSES, took many varieties Of color
as ifthey had passed through window Of painted
| Of some old cathedral
The trunk Of the tree rose clear from all branches,
full forty feet from the ground rough and knotted,
aud Of such enormous size, that i might have been
taken for mass of rock, covered with moss and
llichens while many Of its boughs were nearly as
thick as the trunk Of any tree had previously
seen.
i was so absorbed in the contemplation Of the
vegetable giant, that for short time almost for
1 aot nv troubles but as | rode away from the tree
they returned 10 me in full force and my reflections
4 were certainly Of no very cheering or consoaiory
nature. | rode on, however, most perseyeringly.
The morning slipped away il was noon. the sun
stood high iuthe coudiess heavens My hunger
had now increased TO ain insupporablc degree. and
i I fell as if something were gnawing Within ME,
something like a crab logging and irving at my
stomach with his sharp claws, This feeling leh
ME alter time, and was replaced by sort Of
squealnshness. faint sicAly sensation But if hun
\ ger was bad, thirst was worse For some hours
suffered martyrdom. At length like the hunger
il died awny and was succeeded by feeling ofsick
ness The thirty hours fatigue and fasting had
endured were beginning to tell upon my naturally
strong nerves; leltmy reasoning powers growing
weaker, and my presence Of mind leaving me. A
feeling Of dependency came over me--a thousand
wild iancies passed through my bewildered brain
while at times my head grew dizzy. and reeIed ia
my saddle like drunken man These weak hts
as may call them, did moi last long and each
time that recovered spurred my mustang on
wards but twas all in vainride as far and as ias
as would. nothing was visible but boundess se'
Iof grass
Al length gave up oil hope. except 10 that Cos
whose almighty hand was manifest in the beau
4 icons works around me- let the bride fall on m,
horses neck, clusped my hands together, and pray