PEBSIDENT HOUSTON. 343 



of them without roofs, tents, and a liberty pole, with the capitol, 

 were all exhibited to our view at once. We approached the 

 President's mansion, however, wading through water above our 

 ankles. This abode of President Houston is a small log-house, 

 consisting of two rooms, and a passage 'through, after the 

 southern fashion. The moment we stepped over the threshold, 

 on the right hand of the passage we found ourselves ushered 

 into what in other countries would be called the ante-chamber ; 

 the ground-floor however was muddy and filthy, a large fire was 

 burning, a small table covered with paper and writing materials, 

 was in the centre, camp-beds, trunks, and different materials, 

 were strewed around the room. We were at once presented to 

 several members of the cabinet, some of whom bore the stamp 

 of men of intellectual ability, simple, though bold, in their 

 general appearance. Here we were presented to Mr. Crawford, 

 an agent of the British Minister to Mexico, who has come here 

 on some secret mission. 



"The President was engaged in the opposite room on national 

 business, and we could not see him for some time. Meanwhile 

 we amused ourselves by walking to the capitol, which was yet 

 without a roof, and the floors, benches, and tables of both houses 

 of Congress were as well saturated with water as our clothes 

 had been in the morning. Being invited by one of the great 

 men of the place to enter a booth to take a drink of grog with 

 him, we did so ; but 1 was rather surprised that he offered his 

 name, instead of the cash to the bar-keeper. 



" We first caught sight of President Houston as he walked 

 from one of the grog-shops, where he had been to prevent the 

 sale of ardent spirits. He was on his way to his house, and 

 wore a large gray coarse hat ; and the bulk of his figure reminded 

 me of the appearance of General Hopkins of Virginia, for like 

 him he is upwards of six feet high, and strong in proportion. 

 But I observed a scowl in the expression of his eyes, that was 

 forbidding and disagreeable. We reached his abode before him, 

 but he soon came, and we were presented to his excellency. 

 He was dressed in a fancy velvet coat, and trowsers trimmed 

 with broad gold lace j around his neck was tied a cravat some- 

 what in the style of seventy-six. He received us kindly, was 

 desirous of retaining us for a while, and offered us every facility 



