448 FKAGMENT OF Book III. 
January 1st, 1854. — Night very cold, — day warm. 
Cross the Manahuia ; a bed of quicksand, like that of the 
Coleto. Encamp for the night near Goliad. 
2nd. — Frost during the night. Proceed from Goliad to 
"Water Holes," where there is standing water in the 
prairie. 
3rd. — Warm night. The mild temperature has brought 
a few rattlesnakes out of their holes in the earth. 
4th. — Continued warm weather. We proceed nearly 
as far as Helena, a small new town on the river San 
Antonio. 
5th. — A very warm night. The mosquitoes disturb 
our rest. Old Lopez is stung (?) in the face by a poi- 
sonous creature — scorpion or millipede. The place is 
somewhat inflamed and swollen. The man turns giddy, 
falls down, cannot rise again, and his tongue is speechless. 
The universal remedy, brandy, is resorted to ; but we 
have only half a pint left. The day is very close. To- 
wards evening the most fearful storm suddenly comes on 
from the north that I have ever seen in Texas. From a 
temperature like that of a pleasant summer-day (certainly 
not under 75° to 80° Fahrenheit), the air falls in less than 
ten minutes to freezing point; or, more correctly, ice is 
formed upon the wet surfaces which are exposed to the 
wind. I was on horseback, without coat or neckcloth, when 
I saw a thick mist approaching us, whilst the air began to 
show currents of unequal temperature. I had scarcely 
time to put on my coat, and tie a kerchief round my neck, 
when the icy storm burst on us with great violence. We 
happily succeeded in reaching the valley of the Cibulo, 
but after unharnessing several mules again perished with 
cold. 
6th. — Stopped by the violent storm. Sleet (candelilla) 
