cutter, at 10
A.M., and crossed the bar in fine style. The cutter was steered by Mr
Johnston, the master, and having a fair wind, we passed in like a flash
of lightning, and landed at the miserable village of Bagdad, on the
Mexican bank of the Rio Grande.

The bar was luckily in capital order--3-1/2 feet of water, and smooth.
It is often impassable for ten or twelve days together: the depth of
water varying from 2 to 5 feet. It is very dangerous, from the heavy
surf and under-current; sharks also abound. Boats are frequently
capsized in crossing it, and the Orlando lost a man on it about a month
ago.

Seventy vessels are constantly at anchor outside the bar; their cotton
cargoes being brought to them, with very great delays, by two small
steamers from Bagdad. These steamers draw only 3 feet of water, and
realise an enormous profit.

Bagdad consists of a few miserable wooden shanties, which have sprung
into existence since the war began. For an immense distance endless
bales of cotton are to be seen.

Immediately we landed, M'Carthy was greeted by his brother merchants. He
introduced me to Mr Ituria, a Mexican, who promised to take me in his
buggy to Brownsville, on the Texan bank of the river opposite Matamoros.
M'Carthy was to follow in the evening to Matamoros.

The Rio Grande is very tortuous and shallow; the distance by river to
Matamoros is sixty-five miles, and it is navigated by steamers, which
sometimes perform the trip in twelve hours, but more often take
twenty-four, so constantly do they get aground.

The distance from Bagdad to Matamoros by land is thirty-five miles; on
the Texan side to Brownsville, twenty-six miles.

I crossed the river from Bagdad with Mr Ituria, at 11 o'clock; and as I
had no pass, I was taken before half-a-dozen Confederate officers, who
were seated round a fire contemplating a tin of potatoes. These officers
belonged to Duff's cavalry (Duff being my Texan's partner). Their dress
consisted simply of flannel shirts, very ancient trousers, jack-boots
with enormous spurs, and black felt hats, ornamented with the "lone star
of Texas." They looked rough and dirty, but were extremely civil to me.

The captain was rather a boaster, and kept on remarking, "We've given
'em h----ll on the Mississippi, h----ll on the Sabine" (pronounced
Sabeen), "and h----ll in various other places."

He explained to me that he couldn't cross the river to see M'Carthy, as
he with some of his men had mad