The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume V

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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY

other Country the whole is a body of Alluvial Soil Generally of a Mulatto. Color. the Growth upon the Bottom Land is Live Oak Pecon ash Hackbery. Red oak Cotton Wood and in Many places- Sycemore. Under Growth Wild Peach and Cane the bottom Lands are vary Wide Measureing. from six to Ten- .Miles the timber in the Lower Country which is the Country now under description is Confined to the Water Corses the upland are vary little above the levell of the bottom. they are Perarie perfectly levell without tembr. this is the situation of all the Land part of the Country from East to West. altho in passing over the Count[r]y you Meet with Numerous Streams. and the bot- toms are va[r]y Wide yet the proportion of Paririe. Land is much greater than the timbered upon all the water corses the soil is alluvial. and Rich. there is no springs. found in this Levell Regin of Country. and indeed Water is scar[c] e to be found. at some seasons ; except in the Rivers or Large Creeks the smaller streams all go dry. in passing how[ev]er. to the North and North West and particularly between the River Brazos & Colerado about One hundred & 20 nliles from the Gulph the Country sunddenly changes. into a gradual undulating Country. With pleasant Groves of Timber and beautifull Streams of Running Water. Many fine springs are found in this region, the Country is here well divided, into wood Land and Piraria and is a fine farming Country. I am off the opinion that. we now enter the best Contton region, for the Reasons that the Country below. or such of it as can be Cultivated are two rich for the Growth of Cotton the plant Grows two large and it is subject. to Disease Rot &C which is unknown in the upper Country the Country ,vbich I am now describeing is Ex- tensive and through the Whole Extent there is a greateal of Sameness. I am at my place about one hundred & thirty Miles Northwest from the mouth of the Brazos and five Miles West from it the bottom Lands here upon the River is not inferiour to the lands below. Neither in quality nor Extent. the Country here is peraria and timber Well Divided With fine Water, (Springs) and running streams. of Clear Water the Conton plant. upon those. Peraria land, Grow from 4 to 8 Feet. high. the Country-is undulating the timber upon the upland is poast oak, this seems to be the General Growth, over all Texas the Soil upon the poastoak Lands is Generally of a gray Color mixed with sand vays [varies] from 8 to 18 lnchs deep the Dt!bth of soil upon the Paria. (upland) is from 2. to 4 feet those Gray sandy-Lands. upon- Cultivation change ther Colore to a dark brown and indeed I may say blacke this is owing to the fact. that the Sand which is upon the surface is not Composd. of round particles. but flat. and somewhat Resemble~ lsin Glass and upon Cultivation. it sinks. and a Black soil rises, it is quick sand this Description will answer for a vary Large portion of the lands of Texas in passing West from here we fintl a scarsity of timber and-particularly west of the Colerado San antouia or Bexar. is 150 miles west of my Settlement, upon the Bank of the Snn antonia. Rivn. in a Rich Pan~ria- Country almoast tlestitutr. or 'l'imlier. this is the ancient. Capitol of the Province of Tr.ras. it Contain~ a population- moastly ~lcxic:ans, of about F!ve Thom:and souls. this Town was fountlccl about the year 1705. Goliad is an ancient. Town upon the same Rh·er ahout one hundred l\Iil~s below. and ahout thirty miles from the mouth of the Hi\'er where 1t

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