Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-07-15

WILD coUNTRy--THE TExAs vARMISr''-
CROPS, ETC., ETC.
ENCHANTED Rock. Liam CouNTy }

/ chofs, EIC., EIC.
ENCHANTED Rock, LLANo County,
| TEXAS, June 9th, 1863 !
MEssRs. EDIToRs IL am at this moment seatet
ON the Enchanted Rock, vast mass of granite
located near the southern border of Llano coun
~. Around me on every side extends an undu
lating country covered with huge granite ruck.
aud stunted live and post-oak trees. The wdes
iancies of disordered imagination would fail tc
conjure up vision SO utterly internal as the
scene uron which for TN hour have been gazing
Grand, gloomy and PECULIAR" is the best def.
nition can fluid for this ultra savage region. All
that Is w1erd and terrible is combiued, and ovcI
I'll hovers strange, paiufpl. sa6hce, which il
were relief to hear brolSeh;cven though 1t were
accomplished by the deud-like yell of Ca.
nanche.
Here, thirty years since, Jack Hays, The daring
frontiersman, with companion equally daring,
fought large war party Of Indians, killing with
slx-shooters, then new weapon, tweuty-hine OF
their dusky themselves escaliDg almost un-
scathed. am in the land of legend-of wild
romantic story. Tradition tells Of hidden gold
aud silver mines es-mlues worked in the dim, ,mys
erious past, by the followers Of Cortez and his
descendants. Aud score of miles away, near
Packsaddle mountain, are the ruins ui ancient
furnaces. with moss-grown piles Of cudcrs to at
test the accuracy of oft told tales But the mines?
years oil patieut research have led 10 no discov-
cry OF them. aud records clunot be found. Tri-
iition says the miners were all destroyed for
hundred miles about generations since-. de-
stroyed by the vengeance Of the oppressed Indian,
aud 50 complete was the destruction that naught
save disconnected tales of ancient bordurers re-
wives their fading memory.
Gold. thou iynis jifuis who leadeth men on TO
toll aud sorrow and DEATH hast thou hiding
place in this land Of endless mountain and rock?
Shall future generation discover here aurilerous
deposits to lure from every cline greedy alvcu-
turcrs who will awake this vast solitude life
and turmoil? As yet only triling amounts Of
the "dust" have been found, and these miles
away In the bed OF Sandy Creek yet quartz
abounds, aud copper and lead in limited quin,i-
ties have been found.
This morning while crossing Willow creek ten
miles away in company with my Two cuinradvs
had the good fortune To bring dUwb Two deer
Win my Winchester rifle, aud, as write faint
curling column OF shuke ut the base ut lh1 rock
oelOw indicates that " Droil' is goiug On. There
afe but three OF us here and huuses or
ranches urc miles away. More than This, the
"luJuns are about hyar, us Reese. que o my
lneu, says, "buL tho dogourd varnints won't
ight-thcy only want to steal hosscs." Then wc
uave iurty-tighl shots aud could make somehiup
ol fsut in case LU should wish To lay us low
Inc SUI shines So holly up on this Uaic rock
,hat must seek the shade below to finish this
letter, 81 here goes fol The lower regions
AL hour has passed and am now seated on a
nuge boulder beucath a post-ouk engaged ia iu-
nplshlns this crude cpistle. hays Just lust 4
favenous appetite, havisg put away most
Incredible quantity OF venisou and drank n ycrv
sinall quantity OF exceedingly large coffee, bott
prepared by Brown who dues up things in this
hue quite brown. BY the way, he Gays a,n re-
lated to him, being so broun myself but con-
sid.r Ills pun as having becu brought around by
lhe effect oi sun-stroke; the sun has, in fct |
Drowned me more'n u considerable
For several days past we have been wandering |
about THIS mountainous cnantry sleeping at mighl
meath The starry expanse OF tue spanglcd sky with
an occasional sprinkle OF rain ut nght from the
courtcUue clerk OF the weather, and most inter-
nnlly hot days at intervals u fill up the measure
of liinc. An interloping tarantuu or snake hls
several times caused us to "up men and al |
lhem, aud this with long aud seemingly endless |
rides has served to "klil time" siuce tho eirb- |
teenth. Yesterday we came across u stock |
herder In Legend valley, AID he informed us that
the night before he had seen about twenty Iu-
uians at the upper end of the valley and that We
had better look Wild or we would lose our
craninl adoruments. We thanked min and have
been looking " wild" ever since.
nave several times in my letters TO the TRI-
IUAE spoken OF various creatures peculiar 10
lexas, ana as II description might not prove un-
interesting 10 your readers l will proceed to de-
serbs some OF them. First, we have several va
rletirs oi rattlesnakes, quite plentiful i. some
localities. vekilled atieast twenty this spring.
! hen there IL the taruntula (cmphaszc the syl,-
PIC us) specie OF spider, frequently 50 large us
to cover space Of five inches in diameter with
their extended legs Their color is dark nearly
black, and they bite savagey-are in fact, us
much dreaded as iattiesnakes In the great
prairie, southeast OF Austin, have secn after a
rain, scores OF them In an evenings ride. A sure
protection to those camping on the prairie is u
lair rope which must BIZ stretched around the
place occupied and pressed CLOSE to the ground
NJ yenourous snake or insect will cross the rope
Inc centlpede lives about rocks und dvcayrd
nss anu sometimes attains length Of seven in-
hes. Their sting is severe, sometimes fatal
! hey have been known tu get Into beds and siny
heir occupants. They are the most horrible il
appearances Of all Texas pests, being nearly OF the
,olor OF ones inger-naii und armed with long
vicious claws each OF which is popularity suppu-
'td 70 bear poisoned sliug. The sting exists,
,ut doubt its poisonous qualities-lhe iangs al
he head however iuilict poisonous wounds which
'alses the fesh to slough off Us have known in
wO instances.
There is fly called the serenity which is ter
IDLY destructive TO young cattle and colts, as il
WI seek the slightest wound aud deposit its eggs
snicn 10 few hours become live worms that
iteruiiy eat Inc creature up. have seen the
sorms an Inch in length aud in few days Is sur
ieient ior Them to destroy young creature, and
nany iuil grown horses aud cutte die literally
itvoured by them. Dogs and sheep are most
'aected by them, but they have in several ill.,
lanccs penetrated the nostris OF men and caused
lieir death.
The stioging-lizard, so called,is scorpion that
hilicts painful but not dangerous wounds. They
rc not plentiful. Fleas abound everywhere, aud
icks also. The hitter are infinite in number and
nnoy stock terribly. have seen horses neatly
ulned by them. The rcd-bug is minute insect
carceiy pcrceptible 10 the sight. but they make
themselves felt soon after alightipg upon II per-
on, us they give. rise to small painful lnmurs.
Ih' are fuund in the weeds and b,i.hrs from
tcd River to the Rio Grande.
Having now shown up the miserable character
u inc "varmint'' Of feXas, will brig my letter
close by stating that crops are IN HE finest
'ossine condiii,n, corn being past the 'builing
'ont III many localities, and cotton iiv waist
igll on the lower Colorado and Quad .lupr
remain y0nr own
IL, |