A negro, who had been prowling about us for some time, sud

"Well, I lef my axe right here day afore yesterday, in de holler of a log. Yes, sar, dis am de very spot. Dat ar's whar I was cutting."

Sure enough, on poking in our ashes, we found something like an axe, which we offered him. As it was red hot, he declined taking it, and commenced, in a whining tone, to describe how new it was, how he had put it all sharp in our big log, and how he should have to pay for it, cause his massa never would believe that it had done gone got burned up.

As we had, in fact, had the use of the wooden helve, we determined that we were bound in equity to pay for it, and sent him off with the cooled axe, a box of Borden's biscuit, and a dollar, laughing on the other side of his mouth.

A WINDFALL.

Not long after this, while strolling with the gun, I came upon traces of fresh blood, and following them, found a fine fat wild turkey upon the ground. It had evidently been shot within an hour or two, and had had time to fly and run thus far from the sportsman before dropping.

This was a waif at any time not to be despised, and in the actual state of our larder, a real piece of good fortune. Keeping for awhile my own counsel, I carried it proudly into camp, where its arrival was welcomed with profuse congratulations.

Two hours thereafter, we were feeling decidedly happier

men.

A FAMILY SERVANT.

At the cabin where our hoe-cake was purchased, a negro man was the sole servant. He had been away, he said, all night, to see his wife, and came home at four o'clock to grind the corn, and bake it for the family's breakfast. The women of the family did no house work. The planter raised only corn and hogs. These were the hogs whose acquaintance we had made. Life there was certainly cheap. This one negro, supposing them to be squatters, was the only investiment, except a few days' work once in a lifetime, in cutting and piling together the logs that composed their residence. A little corn and bacon, sold now and then to travelers, furnished the necessary coffee and tobacco; nature and the negro did all the rest.

THE DAY OF REST.

An emigrant party from Alabama passed, having fifty negroes, and 100 head of cattle, sheep, etc., going to the Brazos, to settle. Oh, my God! How tired I am," I heard an old negro woman exclaim. A man of powerful frame answered, "I feel like as tho' I couldn't lift my legs much longer." This was about twelve o'clock.

Near us, within sound, were two negroes all day splitting rails -Sunday and New Year's day.

POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

At evening F. rode into town to mail our letters.

package of notes, on letter sheets, in a large envelope. Wishing

One was a

to

prepay it he asked, "What is the postage on this, sir?"

"How many sheets are there?"

“Oh, twelve or fourteen." The postmaster commenced tearing off one end of the envelope.

"Stop. Don't open it."

"It'll save putting it in a way-bill. I suppose I've no right to charge only one cent?"

"Yes, three cents per half ounce. It must be weighed."

His scales were "broke down," but it was finally weighed after a fashion, paid roundly, and put in a bag, unmarked.

THE FIRST PRAIRIE.

Jan. 2.-We came to-day upon the first prairie of any extent, and shortly after crossed Trinity River. After having been shut in during so many days by dreary winter forests, we were quite exhilarated at coming out upon an open country and a distant view. During the whole day's ride the soil improved, and the country grew more attractive. Small prairies alternated agreeably with post-oak woods. The post-oak (quercus obtusiloba) forms a very prominent feature in Texas scenery and impressions. It is a somewhat small broad-leaved oak of symmetrical shape, and appears wherever the soil is light and sandy, in a very regular open forest growth. It stands in islands in the large prairies or frequently borders on open prairie through a large tract. The roads, where practicable, prefer the post-oak, for summer shade and dry and uniform footing. It is seldom cleared for cultivating the soil; but in the West, where timber is scarce, an island of post-oak adds very much to the value of a tract for sale, furnishing materials for cabin and fences.

TRINITY RIVER NAVIGATION.

Wo came upon the Trinity at a bluff, and found the ferryman absent. His wife and a little son attempted to ferry us over, but the boat was unprovided with oars, and though we all helped as well as we could, with poles and bits of board, we were several times swept down the river, and obliged to drag the boat back to the point of starting. After long labor we succeeded in reaching the opposite bank.

The Trinity here is, at this low water stage, about three rods wide, muddy, and running with some rapidity.

It is considered the best navigable stream of Texas; but this winter there had been no rise, and no navigation for six months. It was still at low water when we crossed it on our return, four months later. At high water it is navigable as high as the Three Forks above, or some 300 miles from its mouth. But none of the Texan rivers can be said to be permanently navigable, as is evident, when this is called the best of them. The Brazos is broader, but more rapid and dangerous. In good seasons, boats reach points from one to two hundred miles from its mouth. The Colorado is said to be navigable for 200 miles, or as far as Austin; but is so only for the smallest class of boats, and that so seldom, and with so much danger, that, practically, all freight is hauled to and from the coast by mules and oxen: in fact, cotton is hauled on wagons, from all parts of the state, to Houston, Indianola, or Red River, unless its owners are content to leave it an indefinite period upon the nearest river-bank, subject to the vague chances of a rise.

TRINITY BOTTOM LANDS.

On landing on the west side of the Trinity, we entered a rich bottom, even in winter, of an almost tropical aspect. The road had been cut through a cane-brake, itself a sort of Brobdignag grass. Immense trees, of a great variety of kinds, interlaced their branches and reeled with their own rank growth. Many vines, especially huge grape-vines, ran hanging from tree to tree, adding to the luxuriant confusion. Spanish moss clung thick everywhere, supplying the shadows of a winter foli

age.

These bottom lands bordering the Trinity are among the richest of rich Texas. They are not considered equal, in degree of fatness, to some parts of the Brazos, Colorado, and Guadalupe bottoms, but are thought to have compensation in reliability for steady cropping. The open coast-prairie grazing districts extend to within a short distance of where we crossed. Above are some fine planting counties, and high up, in the region of the Forks of the Trinity, are lands equally suitable to cotton, wheat, and corn, which were universally described to us as, for Southern settlers, the most promising part of the state.

We made our camp on the edge of the bottom, and for safety against our dirty persecutors, the hogs, pitched our tent within a large hog-yard, putting up the bars to exclude them. The trees within had been sparingly cut, and we easily found tentpoles and fuel at hand.

SALE OF LANDS AND HANDS.

The plantation on which we were intruding had just been sold, we learned, at two dollars per acre. There were seven hundred acres, and the buildings, with a new gin-house, worth near