477
PAPERS OF Irn.ABE.rn BuoN,\PAB.TE LAMAR
Comanches-The Oawronkawas another tribe are cannibals few in no. The general course of the coast from J\fatagorda to the Aransas-bay is about S. S. W.-from thence to 'l'ampico a south direction-The enterance into the bay of J\fatagorda (pas o de caballo) affords from 7 to 9 feet of ·water, but any vessel drawing 6 feet cannot get nearer that 10 or 15 miles of the landing at the La Vaca (Demitts) di em- barcation necessarily effected by means of lighters-'l'he entera:1ce into the Bay of Aran asa; lies S6uth East of Live Oak point al,on1 20 miles the bar affords about 9 feet of water and vessels can safely pro- ceed to and d1scharge their ca1go at the pumt, and be supplied i.litre amply with fref:h w::iter, ther ~ j~ a c-ommum,·ation internally b~tweeri this bay and that of '',Corpus Christi'' affording from 5½ to 6½ feet of water, this i a spacious bay the handsomest on the gulf of 1\Iexico is about 20 miles in.length and nearly as many in breadth- the enterance thereinto from the Gulf is about 40 miles S. E. of the Nueces River-the bar affords about from 7 to 9 feet water, the bay at the N. Western extremity contains ome few triffling oyester bars that offer an impediment tq__ large vessels arriving at the mouth of the R.iver Nueces-these obstacles can ·be removed at very little trouble and expense when a safe navigation will be afforded capable of ad- mitting every vessel that can cross the Bar-at the mouth_of the River, there is a bar affording very little water but can be easily re- moved thereby navigation by steam Boats can be effected to about 30 miles at all seasons and at those when the river is high may be con- ducted a considerable distance The Country east of the Colorado River has already acquired a name famous for the richness of its soil, but the ·unhealthiness of the clime has become famous also-Up the Colorado River about 60 miles from the coast the Country is tolerably healthy water good -and the soil well adapted for the purposes of agricu]ture, from this point to the coast although the soil is perhaps inferior to none in Texas, yet the health of the inhabitants suffer very Consid- erably from the fevers common to that section of Com1try east C'f this River-The country between this River and the Navidad below the La Bahia old road (Tascosito) to the coast is fiat prairies generally therefore somewhat marshy, and not well fitted for a,,,uriculture, but above this road the country is very healthy and the soil is admirable with a sufficiency of wood for all the purposes of husbandry-The creeks of Navidad and la Baca unite about 10.miles above Demitts landing, from the junction of these streams to the lancling a good navigation is afforded The la_nd on the Lavaca its adjacent and trib- utary stream is highly adapted for the culture of Cotton, sugar, corn, &c. &c. as is likewise nearly all the Country west and south to the River ueces The prairies of the Guadalupe, San Antonio and Nu- eces Rivers, and of their tributary and intermecliate creeks and rivu- lets are inferior to no oil in Texas the depth of the loam varing from 16 feet to 6 inches-There is no country under heaven better calcula- ted for the cultivation Sugarcane, Cotton Grape, Corn &c. &c. nor will remumerate the farmer better or with less labour-'fhe coast in this section of Country contains several excellent harbours capable of ad- mitting vessels of considerable burthen, sufficient to transport the uperabundant produce.of every Kind that the ·western part of Texas is so evidently capable of yielding In addition to the superior quality
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