890 WILD SPOUTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



abode of man, but only for mosquitoes, bullfrogs, and 

 alligators, and certainly here there seemed to be reason 

 in liis Avords, for how a human being could be induced 

 to settle in such a place is still a mystery to me. The 

 inhabitants catch oysters at no great distance from 

 their houses, sell some of them to the ships, and carry 

 the rest in their boats to Xew Orleans, to exchange 

 them for provisions and necessaries for their families, 

 yes, families, — for women and children were there too. 

 When we arrived, there was not an oyster left in the 

 place, nor any thing else eatable to be had, and they 

 told us that they were anxiously looking out for a boat 

 with provisions. A glass of brandy adulterated with 

 a little vitriol was all that we procured, and we returned 

 on board, rejoicing to escape the frantic mosquitoes of 

 the little settlement. 



At nine the next morning we weighed anchor, and 

 the "Porpoise," which, meantime, had taken some 

 smaller vessels over the bar, now took us in tow, and 

 with some trouble, dragged us over, the keel scraping 

 occasionally. She carried us several miles out into the 

 gulf, and then left us to make our way alone as well as 

 we could, which, as there was very little wind, was 

 slow work enough ; and at length we were quite 

 becalmed. 



My fellow-passengers were, a Hamburgh merchant, 

 an American landholder, who possessed thousands of 

 acres in Texas, which he wished to dispose of, (I never 

 knew^ any one from Texas, Avho did not possess at least 

 ten thousand acres of good land ;) and a citizen of Liibeck, 

 who had married in America, and who was taking his 

 wife and liis two children to live in his native country. 



