TEXAS IN 184 0 This volutue appears to he a species

of prospectus of' the advan- tages that Will follow an emigration to Texas ; addressed primarily Ii, the people of' the United States, and seeniiiigly compiled from varioos sources, aml pos,ibly by several halals. It begies with it ge- neral introductioe, rhetorical, historical, and religious ; the author laying it down that the establislimeut of Texian independence IS " to Christian Protestants an itelieation of Providence in relation

to the propagation of divine truths in other parts of the Mexican dominions." This is followed by the journal of a traveller—pro- bably the" Emigrant " of he tidepage—t 'trough part of the country. The third and last division consists of an elaborate picture of the land of promise ; describing its geographical features, its climate, Its soil, productions, capacities, improvements, population, and so forth,—which are all painted what the limners call " a flattering likeness."

The journal is the most racy part of the book ; and some of its touches indicate the manners of the people, and the new state of the country, well enough: but as a whole, the traveller is too super- ficial an observer, and his writing partakes too much of the wordy style of American eloquence to exhibit the essential characteristics ofthings. Possibly, being himself from some of the New States, the points that would have struck an European as strange were matters of course to him. The most interesting parts are those which re- late to Indian warfare and the hunter character ; though neither of the points are such as would be likely to attract peaceable settlers to grapple with the Red man as a foe or the White man as a friend. Rae is an extract embracing both TEXIAN IIVNTERS AND INDIAN WAR.

As the sun was about to set, we were apprized of being jim the neighbourhood

of company by startling and sharp cracks of rides at no great distance. For a short time we were tillable to determine from whence the sounds came; bat on passing a projecting point of the forest, we found ourselves close upon an un- finished house. At a little distance in the woods stood two young men, loading their rides, to make further trial of their skill in the use of that deadly weapon. One of these was a small man and apparently quite young, the ,ot lier remarkably lar;.;e, athletic, and powerful. Their appearance was sufficiently rmtic for every lbrest or hunting purpose, and their language and conversation smacked

strongly of the spirit of border lighting mid hatred to the They had learned' but a few hours beffire, from a traveller, that Indians had been kevn thriller tip the country, (whether friendly or not they seemed not disposed to inquire,) and hence they were thus preparing for such emergencies as they sup- posed might likely transpire. " Having obtained permission to put up with them for the night, and been ushered into the only habitable apartment in the house, we discovered that the inmates consisted of the elder of thee young men and his wife ; the young Blau, his mother, and three other younger children. All these resided in the same little apartment ; which constituted their parlour, bedroom, and kitchen. " Soon after we were seated, the elder young man joked his wife about her fear of the savages, asking if she would not dream of Indians for the whole night. Iler answer was low and indistinct ; but appeared to imply quite as mach tear of him as any thing else. In answer to a suggestion that the Indians mentioned by the traveller might be a company of friendly Indians, ttnd not disposed to do mischief, the young, husband, with a mingled frown, sneer, and angry laugh, answered, Fri malty! yes, they will all be friendly enough if once they come in the range of my rifle.' Ihis remark was received by the junior members of the family iithm a laugh of pleasure. It required but Intl? penetration to discover that our hosts were accustomed to t he vicissitudes 2tteudant upon settlers in the borders of the la.„..tt, ofstivtg, , that to them sporting and the killing of Indians were merely ..ynonitnous terms. " A large wood tire, tlw only light to he obtained, threw its imperfect glare upon time countenances of the circle, and prodaeed au appearance 01 ghastliness, which was any ,hing but plcmunit. This, added to the evident roughness and recklessness of character exhibited in the husband, rendyryd mm mr abode here less desirable than some other plates we have seen elsewhere. iimiii, however, the bacon mi as fried, the hominy prepared, and supper, consisting of Ii ti more than these, announced. The elder lady then directed her little girl to ImId up the lighted pine-knot over the table, and by this light we partook of our simple hut abundant repast. " Alluding to what had before been said, our hostess, whose thin and pale countenance, her shining and unsteady dark eyes, grizzled and dishevelled hair,

rendered her appearance almost haggard, remarked with great bitterness, am afraid these cursed Indians will never give me peace more. I was in hopes I had heard the last of them. My tinnily has been butchered; and I have been driven about by them till my soul is sick of life.' " Being asked if her family had suffered much from the savages, she replied, Owning her wild and piercing eyes upon mite,) ' Have they ! yes, all may family have been murdered by them, except these children. That boy; pointing to the younger of the men we found practising with their rides, ' had three halls planted within an inch of his lith. One of my sous, my two sisters, and my old father and mother were all cut to pieces on New Year's night a year ago, January 1st 18392

0 After supper, front conversations with the tinnily, c ietly front a lad of about twelve years old, we obtained a narrative of the farts 'eluded to, of which the following is the substance. The parents of the old lady, at the close of the year 1S3S, resided near the flak of the Brazos. On the night of the following hew Year's day, her father, mother, two sisters, and two sons, with a ■ ming lady front a neighbouring settlement, who was on a visit to the Coldly, were sitting before a large tire round the table, listening to the eldest son, who V. as reading to the company from it song-book ; when a sudden rush w,n; made upon the door by party of Indians. The youth who was reading um imumedi.imly shot through the head, time young laity who sat next to him 0 as rot throu,,,h the skall with a tomahawk. and time rest of time family eut to piem.s in an instant. The younger brother, who has been frequently mentioned, -,,rang through the midst of the enemy, gained the door, and tied, quiekly followed by a number or httilet:<, none ot' mind], however, took effect upon his per=oim, though three piererd his vlothim.

"Ile escapA with all speed to the nearest ,et dement, about six miles, aim lug notice of the attack, and especially intbrining the lather of the young lady of the murder of his daughter. A 'only of ten or a dozen mon. of it Ilion the escaped young man was one, immediately thrilled to pursue time murderers. Allothout an hour's delay they started, anti followed tlw enemy most of the algid. At length tiley lost the trail, and were rt !instantly returning to their

homes in despair of meeting, and ehastisiog these midi, nsyassim. Sud- denly, however, thee tame upon their liws near the lionw of one of OHM. own number, neve iii iinniediate and terrilde onset was made upon the syva.s,•., which resulted in tlw death of several I odiansand tole White man, the remnaft of the Bed muen escaping only by the rapidity of their night."

Tho Arnow ing is an 1:x:tw1lit" a the

USES Or COOLNESS.

" An of Oeneral Burleson, with Iwo of his sons, being on a huntitw:- esent.i„o, halt dismounted from their horses to allow them to Wed upon The horse of On. liiiber had !Amami some little dist mee front Ow Dille's, when 1m large body of contanehes on horselowk adyamwd upon them. RIIIToundell by the savages. By the direction of the father, the horses were so placed as to form a three-square space, with their riders in the centre. Giving strict charge to the young men not to tire till the enemy should come to the muzzles of their guns, they presented their weapons over the necks of their horses, and awaited the attack of the assailants.

"Finding them thus intrenched, the Indians, without venturing nearer than a long ride-shot distance, retreated some ways, and approached in a direction which they seemed to consider less guarded; hut meeting again the open mouth of the fearful weapon, they again fell back, and again advanced in a still ditkrent directio», lint with like results. Thus they continued their approached till their horses became wearied, when, on their again retiring, the beleagurea trio mounted their horses, and soon left their enemies far behind."

For the hostile feeling of individuals towards the Indians some rea-

son may be assigned. The injury which the Red man has received by the forcible invasion of his hunting-grounds, or by a fraudulent purchase ill understood in its terms, is never thought of by the igno- rant and rugged adventurer who settles on the frontier land, and who is himself innocent of any direct injury to the Indians. But warfare knows no distinction of persons ; and new comers may have their property destroyed, their families massacred, and themselves hunted for their lives, whilst dwelling in a state of fancied security and peace. That men, inflamed by such injuries inflicted on them- selves, or their neighbours, should push the lex Idiom's to the ex- treme, or even wantonly exert superior power, is natural enough ; but it is somewhat strange to find a General of the Republic (page 73) detaining a flag of truce, and pushing on to attack and slaughter the Indian army whilst they were expecting a reply to their proposals, on the excuse that the flag was a rase. Notwith- standing the brags of the Texians, they scent to be ignorant of the first principles of public morality.

The grardiloquence occasionally visible in the journal of the in- tending settler, is more conspicuous in the general description of the country and its colonial capabilities, aud creates two draw- backs. The materials being compiled, not gathered by observation, all their distinctive traits vanish in this flood of sounding common- place, which smack strongly of the style of ROBINS the auctioneer ; while the mind continually suspects the truth of every thing, and looks upon the whole as a speculator's puff. At the same time, admissions are made, and advantages mentioned, which a mere jobber would never have allowed to appear.

Although of limited extent, and having existed several years as an independent state, Texas has never yet been surveyed ; Si) that the character of the country is not thoroughly: known. It appears, however, to comprise three regions : the first, along the coast, con- sists of a level but seaward sloping alluvial soil, favourable for the growth of sugar, cotton, and other tropical productions ; the second consists of undulating prairies, occasionally intersected with forest or " timber land," but neither of great extent ; the third stretches away into the frontier mountains. Although just without the Tropics, the elitnate is said to be cooler and pleasanter than some adjacent countries lying further North ; the sea-breezes from the Gulf of Mexico, and ocutuionally a cold, dry wind from a part of the Rocky Mountains, agitating and refreshing the air. The climate is described z.s being very healthy ; and as the land gradually slopes from the highlands towards the sea, and the rivers for the most part run through deeply-channelled banks, it "cry probably is so : but we hear of fevers along such rivers as overdow during the rains and form marshes along their course. Worse than the plagues of Egypt are rife in the land, from invisible blood-suckers and poisonous snakes up to alligators; the latter not only tilling the rivers and poink, but passing by laud from one to the other. For example—

AN ALLIGATOR ON LAND.

A gentleman. while passing throng% his plantation, found an alligator of a large si;!o, apparently p.issing from a pond towards a neiehhouring stream. At the approach of the mau . he t-,tts.,o. his head and hissed badly like a vase. With a heavy handspike the :*entletnan struck him just where the head unites with the body, and timshrmetu,'ml the spine.

FISHING roa ALLIGATORS.

Findinf, several ponds upon his plantation iafested by alligators, and that they seemed likely to destroy all his swine, he commenced watching for and :hem ing them. Though he thus killed large numl.ers, no seasible diminution of them or their depredations was ol userved. lie then went to a :101;111.ot:ring blacksmith, and ordered several it of large size, in the form of tisim-books, to he made with a c:lain a foot and a half long attached. To the.e chains he tied ropes thr his Usti lines. Baitim, eavh of his hooks With it bird. squirrel. or other flesh, lw phteed it on a 1.110ie of bark. 4hwoki it out front the shore, and

tied his ropes to m vice, 1:ortly after iii Iva; stili, a lar;e allig.ttor show,:a himself a!tove the 11 itt r, Nal SIlle,'1111g Thu halt, 11111110•IIMely S‘■ allowed one of.

the hooksli (l

iv' Lk, pc.nt .4 the hook in his t1c511, e

he sought the boti,on of ti.' water. 0 hen II: ',OIL drowned. and wa:,;rawn

asdiore dead. In t%s o days the pond was elear,.‘1. :Lod rendered t SA Vt.',Lt for donsstis mulimitmls from the of the sun. Tho like coarse sooa retnot ed zttI di:health, of thi: sort from the plantation. and no..ded not to by. renom ct ,ttu liii' vu! or two y, ixtIts turn to the smaller plaglICS.

RI:11 'i't \ S.

A VCI'.1 minute little anim.:1, called the vial and nio-t of the Sont11,-..o soath,,,,t,,ra

never m till, lm-ulmgi, mu ith bleed, NO. :1 arpOaralICO a ,er■ .d red sFek.1.,,

lire or mo;;,,, i.t

animals are very numerous, inhabit eu which it is removed. The least touch of spirits, however, will make them let go their hold, and then the effect of their bite is trifling.

THE TEXAS SPIDER.

One of the most singular, and to many, alarming insects of this country, is a large, hairy, and ill-looking spider. His colour is nearly black, his hairs or bristles cover his whole body and legs; his legs are long, and, when he walks, frequently expand to a width of five or six inches. Like all other spiders, he feeds upon small animals, which he takes by surprise or stratagem. Many stories have been told of the fierceness and venom of this insect, but from no person could any direct evidence be found that he is apt to bite even when assailed, or that the wound he inflicts is either dangerous or more painful than the sting of the large white-tailed hornet. There is much probability in the opinion, that the fears of persons have magnified the danger of this creature, from the offeusive and disgusting appearance it makes.

The country seems likely to afford a rich field for the botanist, if a botanist would travel in Texas. Besides many plants rare and curious, grapes, peaches, and other common fruits are indigenous, and said to attain an excellent flavour. Rye also, it is asserted, grows spontaneously ; and here is the account of a valuable grass.

CAMA. GRASS

Is an interesting production indigenous in Texas. In the Southern parts of the country, between the Guadalupe and the San Jacinto, it frequently occurs in great abundance. Perhaps no variety of all the family of grasses grows more luxuriously or produces a greater amount of pasture in a given space than this. It has been known within four hours after being molest to throw out shoots the eighth of an inch long. It is evidently a rich and agree- able pasture for horses and all ruminating animals. They eat it with greedi- ness, and where it is plenty, fatten freely upon it. his declared that it retains its freshness and sweetneFs throughout the winter season, and that in regions . where it grows no want is felt by any domestic cattle of succulent limit. 'Thus the interior is favoured with the ever-verdant and rich musquit, and the coast with the no less durable and nourishing pasture of gama grass.

That Texas will attain a respectable footing in the New World, there is little doubt : whether it will ever rise to much power or dis- tinction, at all events without extending its territory, is a question ; for few of its rivers seem navigable for vessels of any burden, and they have mostly bars at their mouth. The bays, with which the coast is indented, also appear to be not very accessible, from sand- bars and other obstacles. Even Galveston, the first port of the re- public, will only, it slips out, " admit the entrance of ships of the middle class": and without harbours, the products of a country very materially diminish in value, unless they consist of jewels and precious metals.