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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
The policy of his friends, however, as we have already stated, pre-~ vailed over his own. It was decided that he should limit his opera- tions to Bolivar Point and wait the influx of emigrants. This neces- sarily left Genl. Long little else to do, than to superintend the loca-1 affairs of his Liliputian Republic. To financier for subsistence; to keep the garrison in subordination and to establish appropriate and wholesome regulations· for the government of the little community, were the chief objects of his ca-re and attention. . . A full and connected account of the transactions at Bolivar Point, it is now possible to give. It is forbid by the lapse of time, the loss of. documents and the death of almost all the actors in the scene. If such a sketch were practica-ble, it w9uld form a very vivid and interesting picture, full of life, animation and character; and could not fail to present our hero in a variety. of pleasing and very favornble aspects. Enough, however, has been preserved to manifest the general char- acter of his administration, and the formidable obsta-cles which he had to encounter.-To present in chronological order the occurrences which are still of rec9rd, together with such minor details as have been snatched. from the hand of oblivion is all tha-t we can now do. In the performance of this duty, we aspire to nothing but simplicity and accuracy.-Our materials are too desultory to be wo;ven into a regular story, and we ha-ve no disposition to wander in the forbidden regions of fiction for dramatic effect. Leaving the reader to his own estimate of our homely commodities, we shall resume our narrative with the Karankaway fight.- The Ka-rankaway Indians of Texas, have been generally regarded as the most brutal and disgusting of all the sava-ge races. They are believed by many to be cannibals; and we are told by tradicion, tha-t the numerous human skulls which, it is said, were found at an early period upon Galveston, where those of unfortunate mariners, who had been lured to the Island, murdered and banqueted upon by these foul and loathsome monsters. They were once a strong and war-like tribe, occupying the coast, and subsisting chiefly by fishing. They are now reduced to a mere hand-ful; and in few years there will be no further traces of them. At the period, however, of which we are writing, they were sufficiently numerous and formidable to be troublesome to the occupants of Bolivar Point. The disposition to molest was never wanting. Indeed, it is impossible for a savage and civilized people to occupy the same country in pea-ce and harmony. ,vars must inevitably ensue; and nothing short of extermination wi!J bring tranquility or safety. General Long very early perceived the impossibility of avoiding a collision with these Indans • and after re- ceiving many unequivocal indications of their hostility, he resolved to anticipate their movements against him, by a prompt, vigorous and unexpected attack upon them. An opportunity of doing so occurred very soon; and a blow was accordingly dealt them from ~hich they did not speedily recover.- On the 30th of July the Karnnkaways, about one hundred strong made their appearance upon Galveston. They were holding their war-dance.-General Long crossed over to the Island with twenty-
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