THE 05L0GIST. 



363 



Bar, on the 9th of May, Edward Harris, 

 Captain Coste and Ave sailors took the 

 giff, while the crusader (the tender) 

 took the Secretai'y of the Texan Navy, 

 M. Fisher, Esq., a Mr. Ward and Au- 

 dubon and his son. Thej' crossed a 

 large but shallow bay with a fair wind, 

 and sailing rapidly, passed the town of 

 New Washington, and soon afterwards 

 several plantations, which formed a 

 pleasant contrast to the bari'en salt- 

 marshes and sandy shores of the gulf. 



About noon they entered Bulfalo 

 Bayou. Ducks of various species, Wild 

 Turkeys, Isbises aud many other birds 

 were seen in great numbers. The two 

 vesselsglided swiftly over the tui'bid wat- 

 ers Bayou until theyreachedacomforta- 

 Ijle house, where, after a hasty examina- 

 tion of the surrounding country, they 

 pas.sed the night. It had commenced rain- 

 ing inthe night and in the morning it was 

 falling in toireuts, but the Secretary of 

 the Texan Navy being anxious to reach 

 the seat of Goverment, they started in 

 the Campbell's gig. Houston was reach- 

 ed early the next afternoon, and the 

 city was a welcome sight, for they were 

 all drenched to the skin. Immediately 

 after their arrival they were presented 

 to General Houston, who i-eceived them 

 verv kindly. The town was crowded 

 with drunken Indians, while the beau- 

 tiful plain, on the margin of which 

 Houston is situated, was covei'ed with 

 water ankle deep. 



Having seen all that was interesting 

 in the city, and offered the pre.sident as 

 well as the oflicers of the statY their best 

 thanks, Audubon aud his party return- 

 ed to their boat, and soon were Hying 

 swiftly with the strong current down 

 stream. Several days were spent in 

 searching the counti'y around, and 

 among the interesting places visited 

 was the battlefield of San Jancinto, 

 where Santa Anna with his Mexican 

 forces was defeated by the Texans un- 

 der Gen. Houston. 



On their way to Red-Fish-Bar they 



stopped two days at the hospitable 

 mansion of Col. James Morgan, by 

 whom they were received in a most de- 

 lightful manner. Here among other 

 rarities, they i^rocured a fine specimen 

 of the ("^limbing Rattlesnake, with ?"e- 

 curved fangs. 



On the 18th of May Audubon and his 

 friends bade adieu to Texas, amid the 

 salutes of the several armed Texan ves- 

 sels at Galveston, and were soon sail- 

 iag along rapidly on the broad waters 

 of the gulf of Mexico. Six days later 

 they auchored in the southvvest Pass 

 of the Mississippi. After making a 

 short stay with Captain Taylor and his 

 wife at the Balize. they were taken in 

 tow by a steamer, and reached New Or- 

 leans on the '<J7th. Here Audubon had 

 the pleasure of meeting his youngest 

 brother-in-law, William G.Bakewell, of 

 Louisville, Ky., with his wife, neither of 

 whom had he seen for several years. 

 The commercial revolution which had 

 taken place during their absence 

 prompted them to proceed at once east- 

 ward; and bidding their friends fare- 

 well. Audubon and his son set out for 

 Charleston by way of Mobile, whence 

 they crossed the country with the 

 United States' mail bags, whereon, in 

 lieu of downy beds and pillows, their 

 weary bones rested in cramped posi- 

 tions at night, while by day they had am- 

 ple opportunity of walking over miser- 

 able roads, through an almost uncultivat- 

 ed country, and with very indifferent 

 fare. On reaching Montgomery, how- 

 ever, they met with a good coach, and 

 moved at a moi'e rapid rate towards 

 their destination. Mr. Harris had 

 parted from Audubon at New Orleans, 

 and gone up the Mississippi to secure 

 for him a collection of preserved Rep- 

 tiles aud other objects, and after a 

 much more pleasant journey than be- 

 fell Audubon and his son, joined them 

 in Charleston at the house of the Rev. 

 John Bachman. At Charleston the 

 friendshiij which had so long existed 



