42 
parently of Amaryllis, from which I anti- 
cipate a curious inflorescence ; and in the 
packets of seeds, are several very choice 
. plants, not excelled in beauty byany species 
now in cultivation. The intention of pursu- 
ing my way westwardly, which I mentioned 
in my last, was carried into effect, and I 
returned here about ten days ago. The jour- 
ney has produced about one hundred and 
fifty species of plants, bringing up my Texas 
list to nearly five hundred; and I have sent 
numerous samples of almost every kind. 
This collection may give you some idea of 
what might be expected, if I could reach the 
mountains; my prospect of effecting this 
would be, however, very precarious, even 
if ample means were within my reach, as 
the Indians have been very troublesome 
on the frontiers, and have killed several 
Americans on the Colorado river this au- 
tumn. During the approaching winter, I 
think of visiting the sea-coast: probably 
Harrisburg, near Galveston Bay, whence 
I may forward such things as I can collect, 
to New Orleans. I do not expect to make 
a very great addition to my number of 
plants, but rather anticipate that they will 
be of a different class; for instance, the 
Cacti, of which I have got but three, are 
said to be numerous. After spending next 
summer in Texas, I should wish, before 
returning to Scotland, to visit the extreme 
western parts of Florida. There are no 
shells in the Brazos—it is always muddy, 
like the Rio Colorado. Since commencing 
this letter, two or three nights of frost have 
destroyed every vestige of vegetation. 
There are a great many Graminee in this 
collection, and you may, perhaps, find it 
difficult to assign g charac 
for them ; still, I can assure you, once for 
all, that I have not marked any as distinct 
except I am perfectly convinced that they 
are so." 
San Felipe de Austin, Apr. 24, 1834. 
“Tn my last letter, written in October, 
I mentioned my plan of wintering on the 
Sea-coast, which I accordingly did, in Gal- 
veston Bay; but, I am sorry to state that 
: my principal object has, to a great degree, 
MR. DRUMMOND'S COLLECTIONS, 
been defeated. I was in hopes of being 
able to collect a goodly number of birds 
there; but, from some unknown cause, 
there were scarcely any birds in the bay 
during the past winter. I spent the month 
of January in Galveston Island, said to be 
the greatest resort of sea-fowl on the whole 
coast, and with difficulty could procure 
enough to eat—the island being uninha- 
bited, and the weather so bad that it rained 
incessantly for three months, accompanied 
by adense fog. After remaining in the bay 
till the 10th instant, expecting the arrival of 
the migratory birds, I returned hither with 
one hundred and eighty! specimens; fifty 
kinds of them had not been sent before— 
theyare in better order than any I had previ- 
ously procured. It is my desire this summer, . 
to advance as far into the interior as pos- 
sible; but several difficulties lie in the way. 
The Indians are becoming very dangerous, 
and news has just arrived ofthe murder of a 
surveying party, consisting of Capt. John- 
ston and nine men, at one hundred and fifty 
miles above this place. This is another in- 
stance ofthe mercy of Providence in sparing 
my life, as I had designed to join this very 
party, if I could have arrived from the coast 
in time. The necessity of having all the lug- 
gage carried, is another great hindrance to 
my movements; I may state that I had to 
navigate an old canoe from Galveston Bay 
to Harrisburg, a distance of from eighty to 
one hnndred miles, all by myself, and with 
hardly any provision; for, owing to the fail- 
ure of last year's crops, famine is threaten- 
> + e ee PTS t fbi diit uh A hen 
ing 
arrived there, I was obliged to hire a cart 
and oxen to come to this place, for which I 
ters paid sixteen dollars. But amidst all these 
difficulties, there is one blessing, for which 
I cannot be too thankful—I enjoy excel- 
lent health; and, I can assure you, that it 
has been tried with such fatigue as would 
have broken down thousands. 
“I have added a few plants, lately, to 
my stores, some of them very handsome; 
especially four or five species of Phacelia, 
and two of Coreopsis, with a bulbous- 
1 This 
Earl of Derby. 
is now in the possession of the 
d 
——M€ 
Teal eV ENDE dic 
TER 
