wood, most of which was mezquite and black ebony. During the whole day we saw six steamboats; in the night we laid by again.
On June 5, about noon, we reached Matamoros. As the city is half a mile from the river, and we staid but half an hour, I could get only a glimpse of it. It is built on the plain, at a trifling elevation; the houses are either of stone or adobes; the plaza and the principal streets were occupied by Americans, and the rest of the city seemed rather deserted. As to beauty of situation or imposing buildings, it cannot compare with any of the larger cities we have met with on this route.
From Matamoros we passed by Fort Brown, where the star-spangled banner was flying, and the battle-fields of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma were pointed out to us in the distant chaparráls towards the north. The river was here in a very navigable state, but continued to be as crooked as ever. I saw many palm trees of small size; more settlements along the banks; sugar and cotton plantations among them, but chaparrál always in the back ground. We laid by in the night, but after midnight we started again with the rising of the moon, and arrived in the morning of
June 6 at the "mouth of Rio Grande," and encamped on the left bank of the river. About one mile from our camp was the high sea and the embouchure of the river. On the left side of the mouth were some commissaries' and private stores established, and the place is known as "Mouth of Rio Grande." Opposite, on the right side, stands another small village, called "Bagdad." In the river lay some smaller steamboats and schooners, but no larger crafts, which have a better anchorage nine miles from here, in Brazos Santiago. An express was sent there to engage vessels for our regiment as soon as possible: we staid here in the mean-while, because it is a decidedly better camping ground.
We had to wait for three days, which I spent mostly on the seashore. The long-missed sight of the ocean, the salt plants and fine shells on the beach, and the refreshing sea bath, called many old recollections to my mind; and the fine oysters, sea-fish, crabs, and other delicacies, to be got in the modern Bagdad, left the body not without its share of "creature comforts."
During our stay here I tried, too, for the last time in Mexico, my faithful barometer, which I had brought with me from St. Louis, Missouri, and after daily use upon this long trip, had carried safely to the seashore. Often had I taken this delicate instrument on my back, and treated it like a spoiled child; but my parental cares should be repaid. These last observations on the seashore proved it, to my gratification, to be yet in good order, and a further comparison in St. Louis showed that during the whole time it had changed but a trifle. I was in hopes to find on the sea-shore some meteorological tables for comparison and calculation of my barometrical observations, but in that I was disappointed. In the quartermaster's office, at Mouth of Rio Grande, was indeed a very good barometer hanging up, but no regular observations were made; it was used only for the "northers." On the 8th we were informed that ships were ready for us in Brazos. We left, therefore, on
June 9, our camp on the Rio Grande, and travelled by land to Brazos Santiago, (nine miles.) The cannon were carried there by water, the baggage in wagons, and the men went on foot. The road goes over deep sand, and for the greater part along the beach. A wooden bridge leads over the arm of the sea that forms the small island known as Brazos San-
