TRIP TO THE WEST AND TEXAS. COMPRISING A JOURNEY OF EIGHT THOUSAND MILES, THROUGH NEW-YORK, MICHIGAN, ILLINOIS, MISSOURI, LOUISIANA AND TEXAS, IN THE AUTUMN AND WINTER OF 1834-5. INTERSPERSED WITH ANECDOTES, INCIDENTS AND OBSERVATIONS. WITH A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE TEXIAN WAR. BY A.A. PARKER, ESQ. Second Edition. CONCORD, N.H.: PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM WHITE. BOSTON: BENJAMIN B. MUSSEY. 1836. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1835, BY WHITE & FISHER, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of New-Hampshire. PREFACE. The author of this work, unknown to fame, and unacquainted with the art of book-making, has endeavored, in the following pages, to give some account of the great WESTERN AND SOUTHERN COUNTRY. In performing this task, he has not attempted the regions of fancy and fiction; but has told his own story--"a plain unvarnished tale," in his own way. And although it may not indicate much depth of research, or possess all the graces of polished diction and charms of novelty, yet he hopes it may be found to contain information sufficient to repay a perusal. He spent five months on his journey, and examined the country through which he passed, as much as time would permit:--Its soil, climate and productions--the manners, customs and health of the inhabitants--the animals, reptiles and insects--in short, all things favorable and unfavorable in the NEW WORLD. He has freely spoken of the country just as it appeared to him; and he believes the information this work purports to give, may be safely relied upon. But if it should be found to contain errors of fact, or of opinion, he is confident they will be deemed unintentional. It would have been quite easy to make a much larger book of the author's travels; and had he followed the example set him by some of the journalists of the day, he should have done so. But his object was not to make a large and expensive volume. He has given in a concise form, such descriptions, incidents and anecdotes only, as he believes may instruct and amuse, and enable the public to form a correct opinion of the country. How he has succeeded in his undertaking, others, of course, will judge for themselves; he hopes this little work may be found not entirely destitute of useful and entertaining matter, and prove an acceptable offering to his friends and fellow-citizens. In the appendix, will be found a particular description of MICHIGAN, and a BRIEF SKETCH of the TEXIAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR. In this sketch, the author has consulted all the accounts given of this sanguinary war, and he believes it will be found correct in all its essential particulars: but he does not wish to conceal the fact, that amidst the hurry and bustle of a Revolution perfect accuracy is hardly attainable. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I.