_August 1._--Up to this date my personal luggage had not reached me from the coast, partly owing to my haste in leaving San Antonio, and partly to its not having been sent forward from Lavacca as speedily as it might have been after I had left it. Up to this date I have only seen my baggage once since leaving it at Lavacca the 9th of last July. It met me at El Paso, where I was compelled to leave it for want of room in my coach. To-day I left in the Santa Fé mail coach to overtake the train I sent out yesterday. We would travel together for several hundred miles. Before I left San Antonio I completed the outfit for the up mail of August 9, in which mail Mr. Giddings was to come to El Paso, and the arrival of which I was to await there before proceeding westward on my journey. The conductor of our train was compelled to remain all night in Castroville. This detention was in consequence of the herder having got intoxicated, and permitted six of our mules to stray. It was not prudent to go on and leave them behind in this condition, so we remained, in the hope of finding them in the morning by daylight. Castroville is a very pretty town picturesquely situated on the west bank of the Medina river. We found our road thus far to be an excellent one, though dusty at this time. The country through which we passed was parched and the grass dry, yielding but little nutriment to animals. It must be taken into consideration that southwestern Texas has had a partial drought for three successive seasons; this last year was the worst of all. Corn in San Antonio, and in the surrounding country, is now brought from New Orleans and from Mexico. We pay two dollars per bushel for all we consume. In seasons of good crops corn sells in and about San Antonio at fifty cents per bushel. Made 25 miles to-day. [When I came back over this road in January the whole country was full of water; the river was barely passable, the roads were muddy and tedious all the way from Fort Clarke to San Antonio, and the prospects of a crop were excellent.]