GALVESTON ISLAND. 341 



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, ahd 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 .or two cabins occupied by Texan oflScers 

 and soldiers. A dozen or more long guns lay about on the sand, 

 and one of about the same calibre was mounted. There was a 

 look-out house fronting and commanding the entrance to the 

 harbour, and at the point where the three channels meet there 

 were four guns mounted of smaller calibre. We readily observed 

 that not much nicety prevailed among the Mexican prisoners, 

 and we learned that their habits were as filthy as their persons. 

 We also found a few beautiful flowers, and among them one 

 which Harris and I at once nicknamed the Texan daisy ; and 

 we gathered a number of their seeds, hoping to make them 

 flourish elsewhere. On the top of one of the huts we saw a 

 badly-stuffed skin of a grey or black wolf, of the same species 

 as I have seen on the Missouri. When we were returning to 

 the vessel we discovered a large sword-fish grounded on one of 

 the sandbanks, and after a sharp contest killed, her with our 

 guns. In what we took to be a continuation of the stomach of 

 this fish, we found four young ones, and in another part re- 

 sembling the stomach six more were packed, all of them alive 

 and wriggling about as soon as they were thrown on the sand." 

 It would be a fact worth solving to know if these fish carry their 

 young like viviparous reptiles. The young were about thirty 

 inches in length, and minute sharp teeth were already formed. 



" May 8. To-day we hoisted anchor, bound to Houston : after 

 grounding a few times, we reached Bad Fish Bar, distant 

 twelve miles, where we found several American schooners and 

 one brig. It blew hard all night, and we were uncomfortable. 



« May 9. We left Ked Fish Bar with the Crusader and the 

 gig, and with a fair wind proceeded rapidly, and soon came up 

 to the new-born town of New Washington, owned mostly by 

 Mr. Swartout the collector of customs of New York. We passed 

 several plantations ; and the general appearance of the country 



