CHAPTER LV. 



Galveston Bay — Notes in Texas — Wbetched Population — ^Killing or 

 A SwoED-FisH — Buffalo Bayou — Pkesident Houston and his 

 House — Texan Capitol and Houses of Congress — Texan Mobs — 

 Reaches New Obleans — Charleston. 



" April 24. Arrived in Galveston Bay this afternoon, having 

 had a fine run from Achafalaga Bay. We were soon boarded 

 by officers from the Texan vessels in the harbour, who informed 

 us that two days before the U. S. sloop of war Natchez fell 

 in with the Mexican squadron off the harbour of Yelasco, cap- 

 tured the brig Urea, and ran two other vessels ashore ; another 

 report says they sunk another ship, and went in the 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 is also 

 a rumour 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 25. A heavy gale blew all night, and this morning the 

 thermometer in the cabin is 63°, and thousands of birds, arrested 

 by the storm in their migration northward, 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. 0. Ehodes Fisher, who breakfasted with us. He ap- 

 peared to be a well-informed man, and talked a great deal about 



z 2 



