Galveston Island. 



409 



tlesnake, with a double row of fangs on each. side of its 

 jaws. 



'■'■April -28. We went on a deer hunt on Galveston 

 Island, where these animals are abundant ; we saw about 

 twenty-five, and killed four. 



'■'■ April 2(^. John took a view of the rough village of 

 Galveston, with the Lucida. We found much company 

 on board on our return to the vessel, among whom was 

 a contractor for beef for the army ; he was from Connecti- 

 cut, and has a family residing near the famous battle- 

 ground of San Jacinto. He promised me some skulls 

 of Mexicans, and some plants, for he is bumped with 

 botanical bumps somewhere. 



" Galveston Bay, May i, 1837. I was much fatigued 

 this morning, and the muscles of my legs were swelled 

 until they were purple, so that I could not go on shore. 

 The musk-rat is the only small quadruped found here, 

 and the common house-rat has not yet reached this part 

 of the world. 



""'May 2. Went ashore on Galveston Island, and landed 

 on a point where the Texan garrison is quartered. We 

 passed through the troops, and observed the miserable 

 condition of the whole concern ; huts made of grass, and 

 a few sticks or Sods cut into square pieces composed the 

 buildings of the poor Mexican prisoners, wliich, half clad, 

 and half naked, strolled about in a state of apparent inac- 

 tivity'. We passed two sentinels under arms, very unlike 

 soldiers in appearance. The whole population seemed 

 both indolent and reckless. We saw a few fowls, one 

 pig, and a dog, which appeared to be all the domestic 

 animals in the encampment. We saw only three women, 

 who were Mexican prisoners. The soldiers' huts are 

 placed in irregular rows, and at unequal distances; a 

 dirty blanket or coarse rag hangs over the entrance in 

 place of a door. No windows were seen, except in one 

 18 



