an, in
rusty black clothes and a broken-down "stove-pipe" hat. This was Judge
Stockdale, who will probably be the next governor of Texas. He is an
agreeable man, and his conversation is far superior to his clothing. The
rival candidate is General Chambers (I think), who has become very
popular by the following sentence in his manifesto:--"I am of opinion
that married soldiers should be given the opportunity of embracing their
families at least once a-year, their places in the ranks being taken by
unmarried men. The population must not be allowed to suffer."

Richmond is on the Brazos river, which is crossed in a peculiar manner.
A steep inclined plane leads to a low, rickety, trestle bridge, and a
similar inclined plane is cut in the opposite bank. The engine cracks on
all steam, and gets sufficient impetus in going down the first incline
to shoot across the bridge and up the second incline. But even in Texas
this method of crossing a river is considered rather unsafe.

After crossing the river in this manner, the rail traverses some very
fertile land, part of which forms the estate of the late Colonel Terry.
There are more than two hundred negroes on the plantation. Some of the
fields were planted with cotton and Indian corn mixed, three rows of the
former between two of the latter. I saw also fields with cotton and
sugar mixed.

We changed carriages at Harrisburg, and I completed my journey to
Houston on a cotton truck.

The country near Houston is very pretty, and is studded with white
wooden villas, which are raised off the ground on blocks like haystacks.
I reached Houston at 4.30 P.M., and drove to the Fannin House hotel.

Houston is a much better place than I expected. The main street can
boast of many well-built brick and iron houses. It was very full, as it
now contained all the refugees from the deserted town of Galveston.

After an extremely mild supper, I was introduced to Lieutenant Lee, a
wounded hero, who lost his leg at Shiloh; also to Colonel Pyron, a
distinguished officer, who commands the regiment named after him.

The fat German, Mr Lee, and myself, went to the theatre afterwards.

As a great favour, my British prejudices were respected, and I was
allowed a bed to myself; but the four other beds in the room had two
occupants each. A captain, whose acquaintance I had made in the cars,
slept in the next bed to me. Directly after we had got into bed a negro
came in, who, squatting down between o