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AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
sary to penetrate deserts and brave the clangers and hardships-inci- dent to the beaver trappers life- As regards lands for future benefit, I am decidedly of opinion that one league of land well situated in Texas will be worth more than ten on the rio Grande- The Sun and moon are not more dissimilar than the two countries in point of soil, productiveness, timber, water etc- Our climate it is true will not admit of tropical productions to any valuable extent- The population of the two sec- tions will cause a difference in the value of land even were there no other reason for it- I have not examined the country on rio Grande below Laredo and am therefore perhaps not a competent judge above that place I know of no land that is worth having except for pasture, and that is common to the whole country from there to Sabine- The Gen. 1 land commissioner will be on here next month, and the most val- uable part of the lands remaining vacant round Galveston and Mata- gorda bays will probably be disposed of during the winter and spring- If you could pay me a visit and take a look at this country I think you might see some openings-tho by the laws of this state no land can be granted except to actual settlers on an actual removal to the country- I have had it in contemplation to try and form a company for the purpose of manufacturing cotton. I think a charter could be obtained with the privilege of holding real estate-in that way foreigners by becoming stockholders might get a landed interest, the business if properly managed would be profitable- Should your affairs lead you into the state of Coahuila and Texas and you should have any occasion to apply to Govt. I may perhaps be of assistance to you- This Govt. has placed considerable confidence in me and I believe my standing with them is good- Let me know without re- serve how I can serve you and I will do it if in my power- If you come here you will find me living in a log cabbin-a bachellors life- poor as to active means-no comforts around me-rather soured with the world-laboriou[s]ly engaged to serve my settlers who do not thank me for the co.re and labor they cost me- when I began this enterprize my ambition was to succeed in forming a flourishing set- tlement of North Americans, and I sacrificed pecuniary considera- tions to that object- I shall succeed fully a~ to the main object and benefit a great many, but no great pecuniary benefit will result to me: I shall not live long enough to enjoy it- My brother lives on this river at Brazoria 60 miles by land below this place and 30 miles by water from the mouth of the river-<>n tide water-the bar is variable from 5 to 9 feet-his partner John .Austin will probably be in Matamoras soon with a load of produce. Brother is married and has a son about 8 months old-he is now in N. Orleans with his schooner tp.e Eclipse-
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