Year: 1859

A trip TO Goliad.


While remaining in San Antonio,
was informed that small party were
preparing to make an excursion to Co.
Iiad IIasi...s -lAo~sd = Z Ic~S-d dcni esiu
praise of that part of the country, l
concluded to go, and accordingly made
application which resulted in an invita-,
ton TO join them. Our company con
sisted of three besides myself, and pro-
viding ourselves with the necessary
provender and other indispensable
equipments for camping, the next morn
ing we harnessed up and drove down the
long, narrow street out into the open
country on our way to Goliad. This
City is situated on the San Antonio river
about one hundred miles south it is
the County Seat of the county Of the
same name. We found our road the
largest and best in Texas, being the
great thoroughfare to and from Mexico,
in fact | think that no road in the
United States can vie with this in the
amount of travel.


In travelling the eye is OCCASION
ally arrested by the appearance of a rude,
wooden cross. along the road !; these
crosses mark the spot where stranger
was ruthlessly murdered years ago by
some bandit Mexican. and it is custom
of the Mexicans of this country even at
this late date as they pass by, to cross
themselves and mutter prayer for the
repose Of those who lie beneath in their
long, dreamless slumber. Learned that
the road some years ago, was lined with
many of these wooden crosses, but time
and the hand of hatred to the Mexican
race. have demolished almost entirely
these monuments of humanity.


A few hours ride brought us to
sparkling little stream of mill-power
size, called Rio Salido, and while water
ing our horses Mexican rode up. He
seemed very talkative and greeted us
with the appellation of "El Americanos"
and in bad American, gave us to un-
derstand that we might save several
miles travel by taking a by-road which
he pointed out, assuring US at the same
time it was equally as good. After hesi-
tating some time and being re-assured
again by the Mexican, we unluckily con-
cluded to try it; the Mexican accom-
panied us some distance, when sudden
ly he wheeled his horse and waved an
adieu with his somdrero, and soon dis
appeared from our sight over the bound
less prairie. We followed this road
some miles until it finally lost itself into
only an untraveled by-path. which the
gathering shadows of evening rendered
more indistinct as we journeyed on
AS night fairly set in we became con-
WINGED of two things; first, that we
were lost on Texas prairie, second, that
the sooner we made camp the better, as
the animals and ourselves were both
tired and hungry. We made for dark
looking object ahead and coming up to
lit, were agreeably surprised to find
small grove of bushes surrounding fine
spring.


We embarrassed our horses and stalk
ed them out en- the prairie to eat grass,
then built fire and cooked our proven
der. While our supper was preparing.
the moon rose in all its brilliancy-snd
your moonlight in Iowa is nothing in
comparison to the moonlight nights in
Texas, where you can read letter or
newspaper with very little difficulty
Our supper being ready, we all set down
on the ground and ate with an appetite
that city-bred people scarcely ever re-
alize. Supper being over we spread
down our blankets, and after Illuminating
while on the course we should take in
the morning to extricate ourselves from
this predicament, fell into sound slum-
ber. which lasted till about midnight,
when we were awakened by the dolelul
howlings OF cdyotas small, reddish
brown. rOlrraI wolyao Wa nnuA ,n,