_The History of Texas: or the Emigrant's, Farmer's, and Politician's
Guide to the Character, Climate, Soil, and Productions of that
Country; Geographically Arranged from Personal Observation and
Experience. By David B. Edward, formerly Principal of the Academy,
Alexandria, Louisiana; Late Preceptor of Gonzales Seminary, Texas.
Cincinnati: J. A. James & Co._
This should be classed among useful oddities. Its style is somewhat
_over-abundant_—but we believe the book a valuable addition to our
very small amount of accurate knowledge in regard to Texas. The
author, who is one of the Society of Friends, assures us that he has
no lands in Texas to sell, although he has lived three years in the
country, and that, too, on the frontiers—that he made one of a party
of four who explored the province in 1830, from side to side, and from
settlement to settlement, during the space of six months,—and that, in
1835, he had the curiosity to spend six months more in examining the
improvements made throughout every locality, “in order that none
should be able to detect a falsehood, or prove a material error which
could either mislead, or seriously injure those who may put confidence
in this work.” For ourselves we are inclined to place great faith in
the statements of Mr. Edward, and regard his book with a most
favorable eye. It is an octavo of 336 pages, embracing, in detail,
highly interesting accounts of the People, the Geographical Features,
the Climate, the Savages, the Timber, the Water, &c. of Texas. Much
information in regard to Mexico, is included in the body of the work,
and, in an Appendix, we have a copy of the Mexican Constitution. We
give, by way of extract, a flattering little picture of Texian comfort
and abundance.
The people _en masse_ can have a living, and that plentifully too, of
animal food, both of beef and pork, of venison and bear meat, besides
a variety of fish and fowl, upon easier terms at present, especially
the wild game, than any other people, in any other district of North
America; which must continue to be the case, for one of the best
reasons in the world—at least in Texas: as the wild animals decrease,
the domesticated ones will increase!
And, as they have not commenced, except in a few cases (comparatively
speaking) upon the border lands of the Gulf, to export corn, they have
by just dropping the seed and afterwards stowing away the increase,
more bread stuff than they well know sometimes what to do with, it
being out of the question to feed their hogs on it, except they were
to raise them on such food altogether, which would be a pity, while
they have so much mast in the woods, and so many roots in the
prairies.
And, as their milch cattle increase in numbers, and that very
frequently too faster than they can attend to their milking, they have
more, as to family use, much more milk, than they know how to dispose
of, except they are well stocked with farrow sows, or have around them
pet mustang colts.
With these three main stays of a farmer's life, come, by very little
more exertion than just the picking and gathering in, those condiments
and relishes, which not only garnish the table, but replenish the
appetite, from a source of such plentiful variegation, as the gardens
and the fields, the woods and the waters, of a Texas country!