408 Life of Audubon. 



sunk another ship, and went in pursuit of the squadron. 

 These vessels were taken as pirates the fleet having 

 sailed from Vera Cruz without being provisioned, had 

 been plundering American vessels on the coast. There 

 ts also a rumor that the Texan schooner Independence 

 has been captured by a Mexican cruiser. The American 

 schooner Flash was driven ashore a few days since by a 

 Mexican cruiser, and now lies on the beach at the lower 

 end of the island. 



" April 2$. A heavy gale blew all night, and this morn- 

 ing the thermometer in the cabin is 63, and thousands 

 of birds, arrested by the storm in their migration north- 

 ward, are seen hovering around our vessels, and hiding 

 in the grass, and some struggling in the water, completely 

 exhausted. 



" We had a visit this morning from the Secretary of 

 the Texan navy, Mr. C. Rhodes Fisher, who breakfasted 

 with us. He appeared to be a well-informed man, and 

 talked a great deal about the infant republic, and then 

 left us for the seat of government at Houston, seventy 

 miles distant, on the steamer Yellow Stone, accompanied 

 by Captains Casto and Taylor, taking the Crusader in tow. 



" April 26. Went ashore at Galveston. The only ob- 

 jects we saw of interest were the Mexican prisoners ; they 

 are used as slaves ; made to carry wood and water, and 

 cut grass for the horses, and such work ; it is said that 

 some are made to draw the plow. They all appear to be of 

 delicate frame and constitution, but are not dejected in 

 appearance. 



" April 27. We were off at an early hour for the island, 

 two miles distant ; we waded nearly all the distance, so 

 very shallow and filled with sandbanks is this famous Bay. 

 The men made a large fire to keep off the mosquitoes, 

 which were annoying enough for even me. Besides 

 many interesting birds, we found a new species of rat- 



