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Show 32 APPENDIX TO PART III. should they be suffered to omc ncar your horses and mules which you drive with you, by theit· snortin~, neighing, &c. they wouhl :1lann them, and frequently the domestic animals would j oin them. and go orr, notwithstanding all the exertion~ of the dragoons to pt·e· ' 'Ciltthcm. A ~entlcman told me he saw 700 beasts canicd off at one time, not one of which was ever recovered. They also in the ni g·ht frcqncntly carry off the droves of travellers' horses, ~md even come within a few miles of St. Antonio, and take off the hor~es in the vicinity. The method pmsucd by the Spaniards in taking them is as follows : They take a few fleet horses and pt·oceed into the country where the wild horses arc ntlmct·ous. They then build a large strong Cll closure, with a doot· which cntct·s a smaller enclosmc: 1'rom the entrance of the large pen they project wing-s out into the prairie a g 1·eat di-;tance, and then set up bushes, &c. to induce the hor..,cs, when put·sued, to C'llter into these wings. Aftet· these prcp: nations arc made they keep a look out fot· a small dt·ove, fo1·, if they unfortunately should sta l't too laq;e a one, they either burst open the pen Ol' fill it up witl1 dead bodies, and the others run over them ~mel escape ; in which case the party urc obliged to k<1ve the place, as the stench arising- fl'om the pull·id carcuscs would be insuppot·tablc; and, in addition to this, the pen would not receive others. Should they1 howcvet·, succeed in driving- in a few, say two o1· three hundred, they select the handsomest and youngest, noose them, and take them into the small enclosure, then tum out the remainder, after which, by starring, preventing them t<~king any repose, and continually keeping them in motion, they muke them gtntlc hy degrees, and finally bt·cak them to submit to the saddle and bridle. For this business I presume there is nu nation in the world superior to the Spaniat·ds of Texas. P ojmlation and Chi~( T orzuns.--St. Antonio, the capital of the pt·o,·incc, lies in 29° su' N. lati tude and 101 ° \V. long-itude, and is si tu .:\lcd on the head waters of the river of thut nan1e and, pe rhaps, contains 2,000 soul.,, the most of whom reside in miserable mudwall huu,es, covered with thatched grass roofs. The town is laid out on a very gTancl plan. To the cast of it, on the other side of the river, is the station of the troops. About two, three, and fout· miles ft·om St. Antonio arc tlH'ce mis::.ions, formerly ilouri~hin g and prospct·ous. Those buildings for solidity, accommodation, and even m aj esty, were surpassed by few that I saw in New Sp..tin. The t·c::sident I)J'icst treated us with he greatest hospit~lity, and was rcsp eclcd nnd beloved by all wh!i APPENDIX TO PART III. 33 knew him. He made a singular observation relative to the aborigines, who had formerly formed the population of those establish~ mcnts undet· charge of the monks. I asked him "vVhat had be. come of the natives ?" He replied "That it appeared to him that they could not exist under the shadow of the whites, as the mltions who formed those missions had been nurtut·cd and taken all the care of that it was po~sihle, and put on the same footing ~s the Spaniards, yet, notwithstanding, they had dwindled away until the other tw<> missions had become entirely dcpopulatecl, and the one where he resided had not then more than suflicicnt to perform his household labot· ; from this he had formed an idea that God never intended them to form one p cople, but that they should always remain distinct and separate.'' N acogdochcs is merely a station for troops, and contains ncal'ly 500 souls. It is sitnated on a small stream of the river Toyac. The population of Texas may be estimated at 7000. These arc principally Spanish, Creoles, some French, some America11s, and a few civilized Indians and half breeds. Tradt• and Commrrce.--This J)l'OYince trades with l\1exico by Mont El Hey and Montclovcz, fot· merchandise, and with New Or· leans by Nuchitochcs; but the latter, being contraband, is Jiuble to great damage und risk<;. They g iv e, in return, specie, horses, aud mules. ~1gricultu rc .--Th e American emigrants arc introducing son1c litllc spirit of agriculture neat· to Nacogdoches and the Tt·inity; but the oppt·cssions and ~;uspicions they labour und e r, prevents their proceeding with that spirit whic ll is qcccssary to !jive success to the establi1:ihment of a new country. .!lbo1·iginrs.--The Tancards arc a nation of India11S who rove on the banks of Hed river, and arc 600 men strong. They follow the l>ufhllo and \vild h o1·scs, and carry on a trade v .. ·ith the Spaniards. fl1ey arc armed with the bow, arrow, and lance. They arc erratic :mel confined to no panicular di~trict: arc a tall, h•mdsumc people, iu conversation have a peculiar clucking, and express mot·c by signs than any S<\vagcs I ever visited : and in fact, lang uage appears to have made less pt·ogt·css. They complained mucl1 of their ::;ituation and the treatment of the Spaniards ; arc cxu·cmcly po01·, and, except the Appuchcs, were the most independent Indians we cnco\ mterccl in the Spanish territories. They possess hu·gc droves of horses. There arc a number of other nations now nearly extinct, some of which arc mcntiouecl by Dr. Sibley, in a report he made to th~ ~0 ., |