The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-06-17

n great measure mo lilies the intense hca t
of the sun. l crost manly dry, winding gul
lies during this days ride, incan,irrili.
through the prairic' evidently the beds o
creeks id Seasons of much rhin; hut ut th
present time, naueht but dusty ravihcs, will
here and there water holes or ponds in them
Which arc rcsortcd to by the thirsty Traveller
| rs well as animals that roam the praries, il
quest of water.
In the low, marshy part of the prairie, o.
savailnas, immense quantities of pricbly pcal
grow, which, when in bloom must add mucl
of beauty to the Towering landscape Tho
diminutiye, mean looking, thorny cactus cul
tivated in this region by flower fancicrs, bear
bat pig,ny resemblance to the large ant
IL Die species, which covers the sayannas d
Texas. This plant is sometimes used al
food for stock, and is prepared by THROWN
it on blazing fire which destroys the vor
acute and sting. like thorn that makes it tc,
r,r to anything that comes i'll contact with i
When re- AIRED in tlis way cattle are said
be very fond of, and cat it with ari,i.y.
East Of Anstin some twenty ti,c miles
. o 'crtook, i'll the midst o. the prairie an EN-
grant family, thai had Leon on the trail {
for several days. They Were from Shrcv,
port, La, bound for the lie ;ghborh, 0 {,
Austil. Far in the distance, AS they rose Q
the swrlls. could see their white toppt
wagons like small SNOW clouds, not largo
than Il mans lat, apparently, lowering
Ii distant horizon, while the read Lttwi,'
nc and them, stretching its scrpcntnc length
| over the un'l,llaing plain, was made vit;hi
for miles by the blackcncd syard on o,
$ lie, and on the other the yellow grass, WI
wing i'll the breeze, stretched sway, till lost (
Yicw b hind the distant swcIlS.
The head Of this patriarclial fumily was :.
musine himself BY beating about the prair.
and ronting up the long, or m0l"-co,nd raj
bit. as the Texans term ii, very b aulif
aimal, that can run with such speed a.
d fy any dog savca greyhound.
The prircs in this part Of the country at
pear broken and billy when seen i'll the Ii
lance, but in passing over those apparel
hills. the assent AID d. scent are 50 long al
gradual, as to be scarcely pcrccptihc. !
Austin is ntartl, however, the rolls in IL
| surface become more sudden and abrupt, &
within twelve miles Of the city, creeks Of clca
sparkling water, flowing over white sand /
limestone beds, with shrublcry and trees u
on their banks, mcandcr through the brokd'
and billy prairie. On those creeks, plant
tons are opened, and the blue thread Of moA
| curls from the cabin chimney, giving TO IL
changing sccnsry more-lilc-likc and chcd
ing aspect after having SO Suddenly past ros
;hc lontly d,solation of the praircS.
THIS day raSt owe. large tracts of rraiis
covered with pebbles, and afterwards sd
hundreds of miles of the same description
country. Those pebbles are frequently mil
glcd with sea shells, giving unmsakcalt
cvidcn3c, of Tie whole country having
some past era, been the bed of the Nigh
deep.
|
nj hborhood of the scat of government, "
point | had been heading toward so Ion
As.cuding an abrupt hill to the capitol, I'll
chy of Austin, the T'mbuctOo Of Texas, MAXI
its appearance, commonplace village seal
tered over the plain below, with piles ofh;iI9
ing materials scattered through the intcrs1
| thn To Of Il
beautiful one for large city, being ,plaI
on the cast bank of the Colorado, Of abe
| three fourths ola mile in width, tcrnnatlt
at the foot of II hill which rises gradually
the capitol. The new capitol isquitc an I'll
CANT building of its kiud--or rather will Y
when completed. 1t is built of species
soft, white limestone, peculiar to that part
the country. This stone is so soft, when I
ken from the quaries, as to admit Of bciI
easily drcst with edge tools, and receives
polish almost equal to marble. After bci4
exposed to the air few months it harJcis
and makes very durable and handsome Il
| iiicc.
III Wv" ltphl tiiS St'N1S ii'u"'S - WI '
commanding the whole town, the surrouns
ing country, and the rising ground beyond 4
Colorado. When | arrived in Austin, II
lcgislaturc-thc assembled wisdom of TcxR
was about bringing its deliberations toS
close. All the railroad charters had bel
past, together with their accompaniment
land-which by the by, is sufficient to ma
quite extensive farms for any northern cal
talists who have desire to embark in thcd
tcrprisc of railroad building in Texas.
The price of almost every thing is vd
high in Texas; live stock perhaps will ram
among the lowest priced articles. Cor
when was in the interior was selling at 81 T.
per bushel flour was scarcely come-0t-ableI
all, while clothing of every description VI
enormously high. Texas prices was pro
erb. The markets for grain arc very iluctJ
ting, the general price of corn being flf
twenty five cents to thirty seven, but the
mense emigration from the southern Stat
during the past fall and winter had create'
scarcity of grain, and enhanced the val
rrarding is enormously high i'll Austin.
of very inferior quality.