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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
myself arrived at this place on Monday the 14th. inst. but, in conse- quence of the mouth of the Sabine being inaccessible by land, and our inability to procure a conveyance by water, we were compelled to re- main here until the morning of the 10th. when we procured a boat and made the passage, on that day, to the "City of Sabine," which is within sight of the bar and "the mouth of the Sabine in the sea," the place designated in the treaty of limits as the point of beginning in running the Boundary line between the U. States and Texas. We were surprised [to heJar that not one of the Commission [onJ the part of the U. S. had yet arrived; and we were unable to learn any- thing from them. The Col. and myself were joined a few days after- wards by Mr. Smith, the Surveyor on the part of Texas; we patiently awaited the arrival of the U. [S.J Com. until the 26th when the [Sebo] oner-"Yew-Tree," (chartered for the purpose by Bryan, Austin and Co. of New-Orleans, the agents for the joint Commission,) came into the Pass laden with the out-fit for the Commission, viz:- four months provision for thirty men, with tents, camp equippage, &c, &c and accompanied by Col. J. R. Conway, the Surveyor on the part of the U. States, and Mr. Bee, the Sec. on the part of Texas, beside ten or twelve men (chain carriers, markers, &c.) for the joint Commis- sion. The arrival of Mr. Bee made the Commission complete on the part of Texas. Up to this date, there are none of the officers of the Commission on the part of the U. States on the ground except Mr. Conway. Mr. C. heard from Judge Overton before leaving New- Orleans; the Judge comes by land and will be here shortly, and the arrival of the bala:r;J.ce of the Commission on the part of the U. States is hourly expected. Your Excellency will learn from Col. Dexter that the three thou- sand dollar appropriation for which your Excellency had the goodness to order a draft, has been nearly exhausted in supplying the outfit f[or] the Commission,-chartering the vessel,----------P.on [-----]49 &c, so that I have not a dollar with which to com- mence operations on the line. The men attached to the Commission are generally destitute of clothing suitable for the approaching season of rain and cold; some have intimated that advances should be made them, to enable them to supply themselves, but that being impossible, having no funds from which to advance, they will content themselves until the expiration of the first month, when, in all probability, their wages being due, they may demand them as a sine quo non to 'their remaining with us longer. To guard against any interruption or delay in the prosecution of work, for want of operatives, I deem it necessary that we should have another draft for $3000 in good money, or its equivalent in Texas money. Many reasons not herein enumer- ated render it expedient, and last, though not least, the fact that the realising, or rendering available to the Com. of small drafts, at inter- vals, will be attended with much expense and troul;lle that ma:v be dispensed with by getting a sufficient draft in the outset. Every draft that we may be compelled to call for wi[ll] necessarily require a trip by [ ] 49 of the Commission, to Austin, and perhaps to New-
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