The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-07-01
Che Grauellcr.
IFor The Cecil Wing.
SKETCHES OF TEXAS;
No. XI.

plies, is a small tract OF cane. at the mead u
Buffalo Bayou. This island Of cane in the
prairie, has given name to the tract of land
on which it Is situated, and the locality of
this prairie island being on the most direct
route between La Grange and Houston, it is
a favorite stopping place for travellers.
Mr.. S., our lady friends better, or rather,
other half, was formerly the proprietor of the
s.Cane ISLANDS plantation, but Mrs. S. being
a :'gay little Lady," as she very significantly
expressed it, could net support the loneliness
of a country life; so Mr.. S. was induced to
dispose of this beautiful site and fertile plan
tation of six hundred acres for mere song.
I said s.Cane Island" is beautiful situa-
ton, and indeed it is. Surrounded by prai-
ries, almost perfectly level, twenty miles in
extent, its white mansion is seen looming up
proach, from distance ofeight or ten miles.
And tho within thirty miles of Houston, and
within the limits of an old settled portion of
the State, these prairies are so extensive,
that herds Of wild horses feed upon them at
the present day.
Buffalo Bayou; and tho the Bayou is the most
navigable stream in Texas, as far up as lIous-
ton, which is forty miles from its mouth
when crossed it at s'Cane Island" there
was nothing but dry gutter in the prairie to
mark the bed of the stream. During seasons
of much rain, Mrs. S. assured me that she
had seen wagons detained on the bank Of the
Bayou, for week or ten days, prevented
from crossing, by the angry floods that pass
ed down the, now dry, bed of the stream.
And tho Texas is building more railroads,
legislativcly, than all the States ofthc Union,
vet she never thinks of building bridge fifty
feet in length over a-halfravinc, half creek
that interrupts travel on one of the most pub
lie thoroughtares in the State.
Leaving "Csne Island'' at two O'Clock l..
M.-havng procured fresh drlver.-we
started for Houston, which was thirty miles
distant. The whipping now commenced IN
real earnest. A dark night and dangerous
road. near Houston, were before us, and our
driver seemed to feel all the weight OF his
responsiblc situation bearing down hard upon
him. to Judge from the manner he hallooed
and shouted. sworc and whipped his team
along. We amused ourselves as we'll as we
Notwithstanding dull care aside-by looking
out Of orr little wagon at the sleety showers
which were spotted by few white fakes that
appcared, in this southern latitude, like very
distinguished strangers as they settled down
ON the level, spread prairie, that reach
ed away, away, till ,hc eye tired, wandering
over this sea of yellow grass. Herds of cat
tie and deer, and flocks Of geese and cranes
were moving about over the plain, feeding
upon the young and tender grass that was be-
ginning 10 shoot up on the burnt parts OF the
prairie.
The deer on the prairirs are very tame; so
tame, that you may easily approach within
sixty or seventy yards Of Il gang ere they VIII
retreat. The most successful mode Of hunt
ing deer is that known as :stlre hunting
Fire hunters generally prefer double barrel
shot guns, but the rifle is often used. The
hunter proceeds, after night-fall to place
trcuuentcd by deer, taking with him cargo
of pine knots. When he arrives on the hunt
ing ground, the pine knots are gnited, and
generally carried by an attendant, while the
hunter passes through the darkness, in order
to detect the .sshine" Of a dcer's eye. Inc
deer. when approached with blazing torch,
is not apt to fee, but will stand, as tho trans
fixed, and gaze at the fire. The light reflect
cd from the animals eye discovers it to its
enemy, who can readily approach near enough
to make dead shot. This mode Of deer
hunting is very successful, and have heard
Of as high as twenty deer being killed by a
single fire hunter in the course Of night.
1t requires a quick aim to kill panther at
night This animal fears the fire and will
keep long distance away from it. Nor will
he gaze steadily at the torch as a deer, but
merely glance at it, so that, he who can kill
panther by ssshining its eyes" is considered
n "crack slOt.''
There once lived an amateur fire hunter in
the town ofCrockct, who averred that he had
reduced his favorite art to a science. lie de-
clarcd that he could not only tell the sslinc"
Of dccr's eye from that Off any other animal,
but that he could discriminate between buck
4 and a doe by the "shine' Of the eye. How
: -"arrect this hair-drawn theory was, the fol-
-accdotc will fully illustrate.
swn one evening, and taking with
y and pony, our amateur hun
q the Trinity bottoms, about
Crockett, for the purpose of
The deer on that par.
sbe very shy, and MINI