The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-05-20
Gle Groucllcr.
For The Cecil Wing
SKETCHES OF TEXAS;
70. v.

like timber which covers that fertile bottom,
into the sunlight ola warm and beautiful day.
not unlike one of our most lovely April days
opposite the town of Nashville, Il town con-
tanning but one habiable house.
Nashville was formerly the scat Of the cir
cult court, but is now in a dilapidatcd state,
having sunk initS glory and deayed in its
worth"
lIallooing the fyrry,mn out Of his smoky
dom;cil. | descended the steep, bluff bank of
the stream, and was pushed across its smooth
canal like surface, BY a stalwart daricy. The
Brazos, like most Of the rivers IN Texas, is not
navigable, except in seasons of high water,
and then by very sSiall boats, and for COM
parativcly short distance. The rivers CT Tex
as are very small, ranging from perhaps thir-
ty to a hundred yards in width, seldom more.
In point of navigation the Trinity is the most
important river in the State.
Leaving the Brazos behind me, rolling its
green brackiSh current onward to the gulf,
without murmur. spur,d my seed across
little prairie, about three fOurths of II mile
in width and again found myself surrounded
by my old friends, the black jacks. Be-
tween Nashville and the settlements near the
mouth of Little River, is the most wild and
picturesque portion Of country lad yet seen
in the State. For distance of seven miles.
af CT leaving the Braz IS. no trace Of human
habitation occurs to mar Tie wild grandeur of
the scene. The road winds through desc
late, barren, region, over an un,lula!ing coun-
try, for several miles, when inclinng to Tie
right, the traveller finds himself entering
rough mountainous territory, through which
lie {, lis, the greater portion of the way along
road of white sand, into which his horse
sinks mid-lcg deep, while on either hand rise.
frowning above him, wild rugged hills and
mountain peaks but half clothed with YER
durc: from which bursts clear, sparkling ioun-
tans that mcanIcring through the valies,
flow in sweet, crystal streams. over smooth
pebbly demonstrating their way to the
BrazoS-a luxury indeed, to tic palate after
drinking the slough water of the prairics.
pccping between those hills, Little River is
seen, small but beautiful, mirror-like stream
winding its way to the B!azos where ii emp
ties short distance above Nashville. This
wild region was formerly the scene of an In
dian massacre
When the court held its sessions at Nash
vile the people from the settlement near the
mouth of Little River were compelled to pass
along tlis wild and lonesome read, to attend
to the diSl cnSaton Of justice, and also to wit
ness the horse racing and rifle shooting which
helped to keep up the excitement while JUS
ticc was being mctcd out to the dcnizcns of
the forest and prarics.
One Of the most respectable citizens of the
settlement, and an cXpcl icnccd "backwoods-
man" too leaving home one morning about
day-brcak, set out on foot for town, alone.
His ncighbors, who were on court business
also, following him on horseback a few hours
after, found him in the widest part of the
road, lying on his face, his body shot full of
balls and arrows, his scalp torn off, and one
of his arms cut from the mutilatod body and
hung upon thorn bush over its lifrlcss trunk
The savagcs, in their pcregrinations through
the country. made crossing place Of the
mouth Of Little River, and travcrSing the
ridges of these bleak and desolatc hills, were
enabled to command a view of the surround
ing country, and if an opportunity offered of
way-laying, and bouncing upon some unsus-
pected Traveller, they never failed to CRAFTY
their blood-thirsty cruelty.
Every road has halting place upon it, be
it ever so wild, or long, or tedious, and leav-
ing the sand hills behind me at length. came
into pleasant, rolling country, where the
zigzag fences, seen in the distance, as ! ap-
preached, and blue wrcaths of smoke curling
above the trcc-tops, warned me that was
again approaching the habitation of man.
The great depot for travellers of this settle
mcnt was certain antique specimen of a
Texan fronticrman, whom it seemed being
learned in the law, had attached to his cogno-
men the distinguished title of judge. | had
been directed to inquire for certain lawyer
White who, it was said, kept kind of Tex
an carapanSGJy for the accommodation of tray
clers. Arriving at Mr.. Whites | onquircd
for that distinguished parsonage, Of fellow
who was acting the part of a carpenter on an
old gate Or fence, and receiving a negative an
swcr, | next asked if the aror, said gentleman
accommodated travellers, and was referred to
the ladies for a solution of the question The
ladies were seated on the porch, and from
their rig appeared to have been making a
cruise among the hauns of civilization, at
some past era in their lives. didn't at all
relish their starchy looks, as they sat, like
the statues of dignity, on the ponchcon floor
of their cabin veranda, beneath the shadow of
its clapboard caves, but hailed them to as
certain whether they accommodated travellers,
and was answered negatively. l glanced
across the way at the stable and concluded
fom the squalid appearance of things that
had the best answer that could have been
given, and that the extraordinarily dgnifed
port OF the ladies, was naught but masoucr-