BULLETIN 
OF THE 

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS 
1915: No. 64 
NOVEMBER 15 1915 
The Texas History Teachers' Bulletin 
Volume 4, No. 1, November 15, 1915 

Published by the University six times a month and entered as 
second-class matter at the postoffice at 
AUSTIN, TEXAS. 

The Texas History Teachers' Bulletin 

Edited by tlw Ilii'ltory Staff of The l :niwrsity of Texas 
EllOE:-.:E C. BXHKl.:J\ \VlLLL\l\1 R . .:.\1ANNIN<i 
W. R nnNN I•'R.\\:K nrRR. MARSH l•'HEDEHH' DUNt:ALI-' ClL\S. W. RX\JSDELL MTLTO:\ R GTTT8Cll TTL\n W. RIKER 
\-fanaging Bditor 
\1 II.TO\: R. (irTSCH 

Th" 'frxas History T1·;;d1ers · Hnllt'tiJJ i,,: is.sued in November, l•'l'hruary and '.'\fay . Thi· history tl'aehers of Texas are urged to llSl' it as tlw mrdi11111 ,,f t':'\]lr•·ssion for thPir P:"perience and ideals and to lwlp mak<> it as pradi(·able and u;;dnl as possible by eon­trihutin!! ;1rti('lt·.-;. -;1 1c.:·'.!•·'1i"ns. "ritit•ism". •pwstions. personal itPm~. :1 11d \o.,;il Tl•'\'"'-""!~•.,.• nin~ 1•dw-;1tio11;il 111:111i'rs in general. 
.\ddr•·ss 
Tll E TEX AS ll ISTO!ff TE"\Cl!ERS. BULLETIN 
'l'hr. llnivt>rsit;· of Tt>xas..\nstin. Texas 

B164-1015-18h 


The Texas History Teachers' Bulletin 

(Volume 4, No. 1, November 15, 1915) 
This Bulletin ta the organ of expression of the History Teachers of Texas. The editors disclaim responsibility for statements of fact or opinion herein. 
CONTENTS 
THOMAS FLETCHER, The 01•ganizatlon of the High School HJ&tol'f 3 
EUGENE O. BARKER, Source Readings in Texas Wstory, II U5 
FREDERIC DUNCALI', The Texas History Teacher of the Future 3'1 
C. 	G. HAINES, Efforts to Improve the Teaching of Civics in the Public Schoola 40 
PUBLISHED BY 
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS 
AUSTIN, TEXAS 
Entered as second-class mall matter at the poatomce at 
Austin, Texas 

The benefits of education and of useful knowledge, generally diffused through a community, are essential to the preservation of a free gov­ernment. 
Sam Houston. 
Cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy•••. It is the only dictator that freemen acknowl­edge and the only security that free­men desire. 
Mirabeau B. Lamar. 
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY 

COURSE 
In considering a history .course for our high schools it must be kept in mind that the Texas school system is organized on an eleven-year basis, and that the eighth grade is the first year of the high school. Outside of the South the prevailing type of school is organized on a twelve-year basis, and the ninth grade is the first year of the high school. The ninth grade pupil in the twelve-year system has had a year more of training than the Texas pupil when he enters upon his high school work. Conse­quently, the pupils in the twelve-year system are able to do a more vigorous type of work in the first year of the high school than pupils in the eleven-year system. 
History courses that have been worked out by N. E. A. com­mittees and history teachers' associations, have almost invari­ably been designed for the twelve-year schools. It is not sur­prising that such courses have presented difficulties when un­dertaken by high schools that are based upon seven years of elementary school work. 
That the history course in the Texas high schools is not fixed is evident from the variety of arrangements of the history units offered, and from the expressed dissatisfaction of the teachers of the subject with the several plans of organization that have been tried. A few schools offer elementary English history in the eighth grade, ancient history in the ninth, mediaeval-modern history in the tenth, and American history with civics in the eleventh. Other schools off er no history in the eighth grade. In such schools, as a rule, ancient history is placed in the ninth grade, mediaeval-modern in the tenth, and American history and civics in the eleventh. Although there is an evident ten­dency on the part of history teachers to avoid giving ancient history to eighth grade pupils, yet the most common arrange­ment and the one most generally approved by students of high school organization is to place ancient history in the eighth grade, mediaeval-modern history in the ninth, English history in the tenth, and American history and civics in the eleventh. 
Doubtless, we may expect, in the near future, a complete re­organization of the whole history program for secondary schools. 
Many authorities in the field of history have long felt that too little time and emphasis have been given to the modern period of history, more especially nineteenth century history. High school pupils have not been getting a grasp of the essentials of the history that is just subsequent to their own time. Hence, by the failure to bridge the gap between the remote past and the proximate present, historical data most valuable to the pupil, because it is information which is necessary to enable the pupil to knit up the present with the past, are omitted. 
Two text books in which the subject matter of general history is so organized and partitioned as to emphasize the latter part of modern history have recently come from the press. In Part I, which was written by Robinson and Breasted, and which is intended for one year's work in the high school, nearly six thousand years are covered. Ancient, mediaeval and a consid­erable part of modern history is treated in this text. The sec­ond volume, written by Robinson and Baird, covers only the period of time from Louis XIV to the present. Since it is in­tended that a full high school year shall be devoted to the sec­ond volume it is evident that a much more intensive study will be made of that period of history than has been the practice heretofore. 
A committee from the NaJional Education Association has been working for several years collecting data on the subject of high school history. The report of this committee will have tre­mendous influence in determining the content and the organiza­tion of the history course for secondary schools. Text books are being published that ignore the traditional divisions of general history. It is possible that high school pupils of the futur.e may study great movements and work out significant problems of history rather than attack the subject by arbitrary divisions. 
However, at the present time, for the four-unit history course, practice decidedly favors English history in the tenth grade. Such an arrangement is chronological and enables the pupil to follow movements and to appreciate the cause and effect rela­tions of events. The more vital essentials of English history are its institutional phases. To comprehend and organize the ac­count of the development of institutions and the great social movements of English history, the pupil should have ancient and mediaeval-modern history as a background. Also, the pupil 
The 1'exas History Teachers' Bulletin 
must have some maturity of thought and some knowledge as to the method of attacking the subject. 
It seems to the writer that there is a decided advantage in having the English history immediately precede the American history which is uniformly placed in the eleventh grade in our schools. The English history affords an excellent preparation for the American history. 'l'he pupil comes to understand the origin and development of English institutions which were transplanted in America and which he meets in the study of American history. 
Notwithstanding the fact that the commonly accepted ar­rangement of the history course is open to objections, when the course is given in the eleventh-grade school, yet the writer is decidedly of the opinion that when a four-unit history course is offered the order should be : 
1st year-ancient history. 
2d year-mediaeval-modern history. 
3d year-English history. 
4th year-American history and civics. 
It is believed that the pupil who pursues his history subjects 
in this order will, until the whole history course is re-organized 
and adapted to secondary pupils, get greater returns for his 
time and effort that if he completed a course arranged in some 
other order. 
The chief objection urged by Texas history teachers to the 
order suggested is that ancient history is too difficult for eighth 
grade pupils. It is pointed out that the transition from the 
study of a simple, elementary text on United States history to 
the study of the adopted text in ancient history, represents too 
great a gap for the average beginner in the high school. It is 
insisted that pupils cannot successfully pass from the study of 
a simple narrative in which the names of many of the places and 
the characters were familiar before the text was read to the 
study of strange peoples, unfamiliar settings, incomprehensible 
systems of government and unpronounceable names. It is ar­
gued that the pupil has no basis for apperceiving this new data 
and that, as a consequence, the subject proves uninteresting and 
the pupil derives little benefit from the study of it. It is for 
these reasons that some schools place elementary E'nglish his­tory in the eighth grade, and quite a few schools offer no history at all in this grade. 
In the writer's judgment, the diffi'Culties enumerated may be eliminated without disturbing the chronological order of the his­tory units, or postponing the ancient history until the ninth grade. Since ancient history presents these obstacles because it is not adapted to the eighth grade pupil's capacity, why not so trim, abridge, and modify this division of history as to render it both comprehensible and interesting to the pupil who is just entering the high school Y 
Mr. Muzzey, in the N. E. A. proceedings for 1905, discusses the kind of material from ancient history that should be taught to the youth in order that he may better understand the world in which he lives. He concludes that the following facts should be presented to the pupil: 
1. 
Facts closely related to bis material environment. 

2. 
Facts related to the social phenomena that are compre­hensible to the youth. 

3. 
Facts that can be related to the spiritual phenomena which surround the youth and with which he is conversant. 


In the Report of the Committee of Five the .following recom­mendations are made relative to the teaching of ancient history: 
1. 
Keep to the simple and concrete and avoid abstractions and vague generalizations. 

2. 
Devote more time to the study of the occupations, arts, and habits of the people. 

3. 
Emphasize the study of the great characters of the time. 

4. 
Devote considerable time to familiar talks and lessons about things that are within the grasp of the pupil. 

5. 
Do not emphasize the history of institutions. 

6. 
Omit the consideration of meaningless wars. 

7. 
Omit constitutional details. 

8. 
Make much use of the stories of great deeds and achieve­ments. 

9. 
Use pictures and concrete illustrative material whenever possible. It might he added that the memorizing of unimportant dates should be omitted. 


It will be observed that the foregoing recommendations and suggestions are general and not specific. They merely furnish a 
The 1'exas History Teache1·s' Bulletin 
guide for pruning the subject of its superfluous and indigestible parts. It is not possible in a short paper to consider the whole history course. Hence, ancient history is taken to illustrate the method of adapting history to the needs and capacity of the pupil because this period seems to present the most serious difficulties. The "Eastern Nations" will be especially consid­ered, since, in the judgment of the writer, this period of history, as usually presented, is the most confusing and profitless phase· of ancient history. 
Reference has been made to a text by Robinson and Breasted in which the essentials of the history of six thousand years are included. This is intended as one high school unit. It is not believed that our eighth grade pupils would be able to do this text in a year; but, in the judgment of the writer, the authors have presented ancient history in a remarkably sane manner,.. especially the division commonly denominated the Bastern Na­tions. The first period of ancient history is considerably abridged. Little attempt is made to develop the political narra­tive, but much emphasis is given to the achievements of these early nations. Many pictures illustrating the life and activities of the people are used and carefully explained. The simple lan­guage is intelligible to the young pupil and the matters dis­cussed appeal to his interest. This text is recommended to the· teacher who desires to work out a new plan of presenting this period of history. 
The political narratives of the peoples of the Nile Valley and of the peoples of the Tigris-Euphrates Valley are so condensed and so lacking in interesting detail that it seems a waste of time for the pupil to attempt to master the story in chronological order. Hence, little or no time should be devoted to a consid­eration of the political history of the "Eastern Nations." 
Omitting the narrative of the Egyptians, for example, the pupil should start the work with a careful study of the geog­raphy of Egypt. Relative position, climate, soil, etc., should be studied and discussed. Then would come a consideration of the people. This would lead to a discussion of the great divi­sions of the human race and the peoples to whom we are debtors for our conditions of well-being. 
Indefinite, intangible generalities give the young pupil noth­ing to tie to. The pupil is more interested in objects than in 
facts, hence, the tools and weapons of the ancients make a greater appeal to his mind than do data relative to constitu­tional development. 
The pupil must not be led to form the notion that the achieve­ments of the past were wholly in the field of fine arts. Too much emphasis is given to this aspect of ancient history and not enough to the industrial arts, and the commercial and scientific accomplishments. Pupils master a few phrases which they use glibly in discussing the art of the past. Often the "pat" phrases obscure for the pupil any real appreciation of the subject under consideration. It would be well to spend much time in listing and discussing the ''know hows'' of the early races. 
The following partial lists of contributions are given for the purpose of suggesting the line of attack for our eighth grade beginners in general history. 'fhe teacher should encourage free discussion and insist upon a thorough st'1dy of these achieve­ments. Ideas represent the only heritage that has a permanent value. Other facts of history are important only in so far as they bear a causal relation to ideas that tend to improve con­ditions, both material and spiritual, under which man lives. 
I. 	Knowledge possessed by the late stone-age man: He knew how to make and use stone tools and weapons. He knew how to make and use crude agricultural implements, wheeled carts, clothing from skins and flax, furniture, rude huts and pot­tery. He knew how to use fire and to cook his food, how to barter with neighboring tribes, how to culti­vate some domesticated plants, and how to raise such domesticated animals as cattle, sheep, goats, and dogs. He had learned to construct tombs wherein he buried his dead. He had made a begin­ning in art in that he had learned to engrave the :figures of animals upon ivory tusks. 
These achievements of pre-historic man should be discussed at length and should be related to the achievements of man of the present day. 
II. 	Knowledge possessed by the early Egyptians: The Egyptians learned how to build dried-brick houses, to make glazed brick, to make pottery, using 
the potter's wheel and the furnace, to make and use ink, paper and pens, to make glass, furniture, linen, clothing, shoes, tombs, temples, pyramids, and ships. These people learned how to irrigate their crops, how to raise wheat, barley, millet, and a variety of vege­tables. They developed and made use of an alpha­bet and a calendar; made books and collected libraries. By 3000 B. C. the Egyptians were making tools of metal and had mastered enough o.f me­chanics to handle the great blocks of stone that were used in building the pyramids. They knew how to use the column for decoration and for support. They also knew how to use the arch. They knew how to raise and make use of cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, etc. In the fine arts the. Egyptians knew how to paint, sculpture and make jewelry. They knew how to embalm and they knew something of algebra, geometry, and astronomy. With the intro­duction of the horse they learned how to make and use the war chariot. The Nile Valley people de­veloped an extensive international trade and worked out some commercial devices. The Egyptians developed a social system consisting of several dis­tinct classes and a religious system which embodied a belief in a future life. These people also founded a great empire. 
Enough time should be devoted to the achievements of the Egyptians to give the pupil a vivid picture of the Egyptian in his material environment, and the accomplishments discussed should be interpreted in terms of the pupil's environment. 
III. Knowledge possessed by the Tigris-Euphrates Valley 
people: These people learned independently and through contact with other peoples how to carry on trade,-in fact, they developed extensive machinery for facili­tating the exchange of commodities. They made use of boats and caravans for carrying on commerce. They knew how to build mud-brick huts, to build dikes, to irrigate, to make agricultural implements,­as the plow, wheeled-cart, hoe, etc. They knew how to raise and use such domesticated animals as cattle, sheep, and goats. They knew how to write and keep records. They collected libraries and worked out a calendar of twelve lunar months, developed a system of religion, a caste system of society, and the city state form of political organization. Through Hammurabi the Babylonians worked out a most re­markably comprehensive code of civil and criminal law. The Babylonian civilization was highly com­mercial. 
The Assyrians, who, at a later period dominated the Tigris-Euphrates Valley, represent a vigorous, con­quering, military civilization. These people learned to make weapons of iron, to use the war chariot, to organize and govern an empire. They were skillful in the portrayal of animals in stone. They bor­rowed their Jecorative art from the Egyptians, but they knew how to make glazed brick. They col­lected plants from the whole empire and established a kind of botanical garden. It is probable that they learned how to grow cotton. They established a great library in which was accumulated the rec­ords of the past. In studying the foregoing list of achievements constant refer­
ence should be made to the achievements of the Egyptians and the 
pupil should be led to make comparisons. The Tigris-Euphrates 
civilization should be related to that of the Nile Valley and to the 
civilization of the pre.sent. .All the illustrative material avail­
able should be used to make real for the pupil the "Know hows" 
of these ancient people. 
IV. 	The part played by the Phoenicians in promoting civili­zation: These people adapted, improved, and distributed the achievements of the two great valley civilizations. 
[The part played by the Cretans as distributors should be called to the attention of pupils.] 
V. 	The function of the Hebrews: Much should be made of the fact that the Hebrews de­
Tli.e Texas History Teachers' Bulletin 
veloped a permanent monotheistic religion and es­tablished a universal moral code. 
The other Asiatic peoples should receive little attention from the eighth grade pupil. They story of the Persians and their significant accomplishments can, perhaps, be most effectively pre­sented when the pupil comes to the study of the Graeco-Persian wars. 
It is of prime importance that the pupil should learn what is meant by the terms, progress of civilization. The past must not only be related to the present, but it must be related to the present of the pupil's comprehension. In order that the pupil may ap­preciate man's transition from the primitive conditions in which we find him at the dawn of history to his present state of comfort and well-being, the pupil must consider the multitude of things that are conducive to man's welfare and enjoyment in this good year of 1915. The forms of wealth, both public and private, activities, both social and political, should be brought to the at­tention of the pupil by concrete illustration. When this has been done the pupil will be able to comprehend the hard conditions of primitive man and to evaluate his achievements by relating them to the utilities of the present. In this way the pupil becomes actively conscious of the meaning of the terms, progress of civili­zation. 
Because great men and their deeds appeal to the interest of young pupils, attention should be given to some of the important characters in the history of the Ancient East. Such names as Rameses II, Tiglath-Pileser, Moses, David, Darius, etc., are worthy of consideration. 
It will also be worth while for the pupils to understand that great empires were developed and were succeeded by other great empires. But it is rather fruitless to endeavor to teach eighth grade pupils the details involved in the establishment of these empires, or to have children attempt to learn the names of rulers, their dates and the events that occurred under each particular king. 
Teachers, as a rule, find that pupils master without difficulty the rather simple narrative involved in Greek and Roman history. There is enough of interesting, uncomplicated detail to hold the attention, and there is much vigorous action which is thrilling to the young mind. The writer does not undertake to point out the f act,s and details that should be omitted. Certainly, little emphasis should be given to the minutiae of constitutional de­velopment. The pupil does not know much concerning his own government. It cannot be expected that he will comprehend all the steps in the development of the governments of the Greeks and the Romans. 
Professor Muzzey thinks that the following topics cover the vital fact,s of Greek history: (1) Homeric society, (2) the Greek colonies, (3) the rise and fall of tyrants, (4) the Persian wars, (5) the Periclean Age, (6) the conquests of Macedon, (7) Hellenistic culture, and ( 8) the conquest of Greece by Rome. 
In the case of Rome, the same authority thinks that the history is the story of an empire grown stable where others were ephemeral, because of a slow, assimilative, cooperative, elastic, tolerant, rational development which was the supreme end of social and political equilibration. 
It is pointed out that muah should be omitted from both Greek and Roman history. Constitutional details, insignifiaant wars, and tedious facts of political and military history should be eliminated. 
It bas always seemed to the writer that the high school text books devote too much space to the consideration of Alexander's Empire. The results that flow from the establishment of this empire are significant and should receive emphasis; but the at­tempt to trace the divisions of this empire to their final disposi­tion presents too many threads too briefly treated to form any lasting impression upon the eighth grade pupil's mind. 
In Roman history, the Samnite wars are usually over-empha­sized. The crmrs-section treatment of Roman political institu­tions that occurs at intervals through the story is neither calcu­lated to intere.st the pupil nor to give him any organized notion of Roman constitutional development. 
With thirty-six weeks available for the study of ancient history, some three or four weeks should be abundant time for the Ancient East. Certainly, more time should be given to Roman than to Greek history. By confining the work on the Ancient East to a consideration of the lasting achievements of the people and the way in which the contributions were passed on, and by eliminating 
TM Texas History Teachers' Bulletin 
from the Greek and Roman periods meaningless wars, incompre­hensible constitutional details, complicated institutional history, and useless minutiae, ancient history can be taught to eighth grade children with both pleasure and profit to the pupils. 
To teach successfully ancient history, abridged along the lines suggested in this article, will require, on the part of the instructor, familiarity with the subject and resourcefulness in the collection and use of illustrative material. The teacher who is without con­structive imagination and whose method of presentation consists in having the pupils reproduce the literal facts of the text will not get very satisfactory results. However, such a teacher does not get very satisfactory results with any kind of text, or any kind of organization of subject matter. It is possible that the poorly trained teacher would not do much worse with the abridged treatment than with the ordinary text book. 
Information that is to be retained must be vivid and should be organized. Much of the difficulty of ancient history is its vague­ness and unreality to the child's mind. The pupil must be led to take an active part in the recitation; he should project himself into the environment of the early peoples and should compare their activities and utilities with the activities and utilities of his own envronment, if the ancient period of history is to mean any­thing to him. Too often the eighth grade pupil does not see, with any conviction, that the prtaaent is indebted to the remote past for its conditions of well-being. It is obvious to the pupil that we do not use the Egyptian system of writing; our homes are distinctly different; our art, science, commerce, and religion seem to have little in common with that of the Egyptians or Babylonians. Our whole material civilization is, as a rule, totally unrelated in the pupil's mind to the material civilization of the ancient period of history. 
In order that the pupil may couple up the past with the present, 
it must be pointed out at length what is meant when it is asserted 
that we inherited the achievements of the past,-the knowledge 
of how to do and how to make. By simple explanation and much 
illustration the pupil can be led to understand that there had to 
be a beginning, that a crude form of writing, primitive buildings 
and tools, simple laws, immature systems of religion and society 
had to precede and form the basis for our present-day civilization. 
The teacher can afford to devote considerable time to making clear the relation of the past to the present. 
A vivid picture of man in the early stage of racial development with his primitive tools and lack of conveniences and com.forts, contrasted with man in his present environment with all the com­plicated utilities at his service will impress upon the mind of the pupil the fact that human progress has been slow, and that each advanced stage of human well-being is dependent upon the ac­cumulated knowledge of previous stages. There had to be an OX· cart before there could be an automobile. There was a time when man did not know how to make a fire. Once this art was discov­ered it became a permanent part of the race's heritage. All the inventions for making and controlling heat have followed. 
The foregoing suggestions present only a rough outline of the possibilities of adapting ancient history to eighth grade pupils. Teachers who are actively engaged in history work will, doubt­lessly, be able to offer many practical suggestions for abridging ancient history. The History Teachers' Bulletin will gladly re­ceive contributions bearing on the problem. 
THos. FLETCHER, Visitor of SchooLo;,,, 
University of Texas. 
SOURCE READINGS IN TEXAS HISTORY1 
11. 	LIFE IN THE EARLY COLONIES: DANGERS OF TRAVEL; CONDITIONS AROUND GALVESTON BAY 
[The selections below are taken from A Visit to Texas [1831], second edltlon, 1836, pp. 116-150. They cast light on the hazards en­countered by early immigrants to Texas; upon the conditions of trade between the United States and Texas; and upon the character of the immigrants and their occupations; as well as upon the primeval con­dition of the Texas coast-which, indeed, may impress children as being not materially different from that of Robinson Crusoe's Island. For some account of the circumstances which gave rise to this book see this Bulletin for May, 1915, page 65.] 
CHAPTER XV 
Point Bolivar. Arrival of the Cull. Her dangerous situation. Exer­
tions for her relief. Build a hut. Our guests. Their departure. 
A schooner wrecked. Labors for the safety of the crews and 
passengers. 
On the fourth of April, after spending three more days at Anahuac, I set out again for the coast, in the same manner2 and with the same company as before. We reached South Bay that evening, and encamped again on the shore. Our only design was now to await the arrival of the Climax from New York, which was reported to have been seen below; and as it was to bring out settlers for the Company,8 would doubtless bring out letters also, with instructions. 
From the point where we were, we were not able in the morning to ascertain our position so exactly as to decide how far we were 
1Thls department Is added to the Bulletin for the use of teachers of Texas history in the grades. Teachers who wish extra copies for tnetr pupils should write to the History Department of the University or Texas. Teachers will find In the lists of "additional reading" at the end of each chapter of the State text further references to supple· mentary reading for children. 
2That Is, by sailing down Galveston Bay. The writer has just de­scribed an earlier excursion, pp. 91-98. 
The Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company. David G. Burnet, Joseph Vehlein, and Lorenzo de Zavala had formed with certain capi­talists in New York and Boston a stock company under this name, for the purpose of settling the large colonization grants In East Texas which they had obtained from the government. 
from the shore of the Gulf: for the prairie which stretched away to the south appeared to us to meet the sky. We therefore sailed along the shore towards Point Bolivar, but bad not proceeded far, when we perceived something beyond the land in that direction, which we were confident must be the masts of a vessel; and draw­ing up our "boat where it would be out of the reach of the water, we set off on foot across the prairie, to ascertain more about it. We found several marshes, and ponds or creeks, which intercepted our course, and, in seeking to get around them, we at length got separated from each other about a mile. We bad not very .far to go, however, before we discovered the Gulf of Mexico, full before us, and ascertained that we had walked across Point Bolivar, the eastern cape of Galveston Bay. Galveston Island, which lies just off its mouth, stretched along on our right, and nearly in front of us, and just within its eastern point, we saw a schooner which appeared to lie upon a shoal. On the beach we perceived a gentle­man and lady, with no attendant and no boat, and were at a loss to imagine bow they came there. 
One of my companions joined them before I came up, and when I approached introduced them as Mr. and Mrs. Burnet,' from New Jersey, who, having come out to settle on the San Jacinto, in the schooner Cull, had run on the bar the preceding night, and had just been landed by the Captain, who had gone back to the vessel for more of the passengers. From the account they gave us of the situation of the vessel, we were filled with the greatest anxiety for the persons still on board, who were apprehensive that she would go to pieces in half an hour, and long before they could be got on shore, as they bad lo.st their oars, and the boat could not land more than two at a time. When Mr. Burnet came off, the people were throwing everything overboard they could lay their hands on, and considered themselves in a most desperate situation. We now felt that our presence at that place with our boat was most for­tunate; and without delay made our way back again across the point, launched her, and rowed with all speed two or three miles to the end of Point Bolivar. 
'David G. Burnet, mentioned in the previous note. He bad settled in Austin's Colony in 1826. In December, 1826, he made a contract wltb the State of Coabulla· and Texas to settle three hundred families ln the territory around Nacogdoches. He later served the Republic and State of Texas in many important positions, being provlstona1 president from March to October, 1836, and vice-president, 1838-1841. 
We had supposed that we might be able, with due exertion, to reach the vessel in an hour's time; but as soon as we turned the point, we found the force of the wind against us so great that we could not make any considerable progress, until two of us took the painter and dragged it by walking in the surf, leaving one of our number to steer. This was severe and unpleasant labor, and we made far less speed than we wished; as we feared that delay might be death to those in the schooner. The beach is smooth and uniform, and not encumbered with rocks : for the whole southern region of Texas is entirely destitute of stones-even of pebbles; but yet the incessant rolling in of the swell from the gulf rendered our progress very difficult, and we were unable to go out beyond the breaking of the surf, on account of the greater depth of water. The news we had come so far to obtain now appeared of no moment, compared with the safety of so many of our fellow­creatures; and though Mr. B. had informed us that there were letters for us in the Cull, we had lost all our impatience to obtain them. We saw articles of different descriptions floating here and there, which had been thrown overboard fro:rn the schooner, and particularly two large things like hogsheads, driving before the wind abreast of us up between Point Bolivar and the Island. 
We thus labored two hours, when having got off against the schooner, we rowed out to her, and found that four or five of the passengers had already been landed by the Captain, but those remaining were still engaged in throwing overboard bricks, plank, etc. They soon desisted, however; and the wind and sea having somewhat subsided, the danger appeared less threatening. We refreshed ourselves on board; and having remained an hour or two, returned to the shore, landing not far from the Point. We ebose a spot where most of the things thrown from the sehooner had been driven on the beach; and immediately began to raise a shelter under which we might sleep in comfort. This was neces­sary, as on the wide prairie and the long sand beach there was nothing to be seen. We first drove a plank obliquely into the sand, with some nails which had been brought from the Cull, fastened a number of boards to it side by side in an upright posi­tion. Then, by laying other boards from the tops of these to the ground, and boarding up the end towards the wind, we soon had a good shelter prepared against the night air, the sun, and the rain. 
Few articles of convenience had been brought on shore, either in the boats or by the waves. We had to content ourselves with laying boards on the sand to sleep upon (which one of our number jocosely named New York feather beds), and had nothing to spread upon them but a blanket for each person. Having com­pleted our house, and arranged the furniture, we observed some­thing singular :floating near us in the water, and found to our satisfaction that it was a tin coffee cup; and soon after found several tin cups, kettles, etc., which had also been thrown over­board. Making a fire upon the beach, we invited our new friends to partake of our poor hospitality, and soon formed a supper party, and highly relished our coffee. It was surprising to us all that we were able to sleep soundly on such hard couches, and that we felt greatly refreshed from all our fatigue when we woke in the morning. What was particularly gratifying, was that a lady [Mrs. Burnet], totally unaccustomed to hardships, and thrown thus suddenly upon an inhospitable, and but for us an uninhabited shore, in a country which she had never before seen, should so soon recover her strength after the indifferent accom• modations afforded by a mere hut upon the beach. 
We had received our letters in the meantime, and in one of mine I found one of the most beautiful little pieces of scripG ever purchased. The design and execution showed the skill of an artist; and I could not but compare its value with that of twenty thousand acres of land. 
By the first light of the morning we discovered with joy that the schooner had got afloat in the night, and was now sailing pros­perously along abreast of us towards the entrance of Galveston Bay. Our companions, therefore, bidding us a hasty adieu, put off to her in the boat, and left us to occupy ourselves as we might in that lonely spot. It was a calm and pleasant day, and we sauntered about, wishing for the arrival of the Climax, a vessel preparing to sail for Galveston from New York, when I left there. The wind was so light during the day, that the Cull re• mained in sight till near night. Among the few incidents of the 
•A certificate issued by the land company, authorizing the holder to settle on the land controlled by the company. Purchasers frequently misunderstood the significance of the scrip, as did this wi:'lter, and thought that it entitled them to the land. In reality it was merely a permit to settle, and dues for the land had still to be paid to the State. 
day, I may mention the appearance of a hog on the prairie, to which we gave chase, hoping to obtain a supply of pork for our larder: but though we did our best to drive him towards the Point with the hopes of getting a shot at him, after many races and doublings he got off and we lost him. We at first supposed the animal must have strayed from some farm at no great distance, as we still could not divest ourselves of the idea that such a coun­try must be inhabited; but we afterwards found, that there was not a human being in any part of that region nearer than about eight miles; and the hog had probably been long running wild . 
.As evening approached we prepared our supper, and were seated at it when we were surprised at the re-appearance of one of the passengers of the Cull, who informed us that the schooner had again grounded, and lay in a dangerous situation a little way up Galveston Bay. The two agents of the Land Company im­mediately took the boat, and proceeded again to the aid of the vessel, leaving us to reflect on the singular circumstances in which we were. The passengers of the Cull evidently placed great re­liance upon us, not only for assistance, but for advice, and were as ready to be guided by our opinions as if we bad been pilots on that coast for years, while we were almost entirely ignorant of the sea, and had been thrown seasonably in their way only through our ignorance of the place. In the morning the Cull was again afloat, and making sail, proceeded up the bay towards the San Jacinto river, where, as I have before mentioned, Mr. Burnet bad prepared to erect a steam saw-mill. 
I forgot to mention that the objects which we had seen floating up the bay, and had mistaken for hogsheads, were the boilers in­tended for the mill. It was a little remarkable, that the manu­facturer in New York had declared, that, in case of shipwreck, they would be safe, as he had stopped and caulked them with care. Such an opportunity was now offered for an experiment. We afterwards learnt, that these great boilers, which were thrown overboard only to lighten the vessel, were driven by the wind along the coast up the entrance of the bay, and finally to its western shore, where they were afterwards found uninjured, after a chance voyage of about ten miles. They are now [1834] in Mr. Burnet 's saw-mill on the San Jacinto river. 
The next day an event occurred which afforded us new occupa­tion, and banished the recollection of the Cull and her concerns. We had observed a little pilot-boat built schooner making towards the bay from the eastward, and after she had got within the shelter of the island, we had a visit from the Captain, who had discovered our habitation, and came on shore to spend the night. We invited him into our dwelling, and learnt that he had char­tered his vessel in New Orleans, for two hundred dollars, to two Frenchmen, who were passengers on board, and were going to Anahuac with a load of coffee, whiskey, and claret. Just off the island they had fallen in with a clumsy boat belonging to Col-Onel Bradburn,6 which he had sent, with a captain and four Mexican soldiers, to Brazos river, to see about cutting timber. As their boat was a dull sailor, they had got on board the schooner. 
I awoke in the night quite indisposed, and heard the wind blowing violently, and the roar of the sea. When the light per­mitted, we discovered the masts of the schooner only above the water, which was very rough, with a signal of.distress flying at half-mast, and nothing of the hull visible except a mere corner of the deck. Our apprehensions were naturally excited for those on board; but it was evidently impossible to afford them any relief in so high a sea. We were therefore obliged to content ourselves with looking on; and thus we sperit several hours gazing at the vessel in her forlorn condition, being just able now and then to perceive some of the men, apparently engaged at work. 
It was perfectly evident that there was no possibility of render­ing any assistance to the vessel under present circumstances, or even of obtaining any information concerning the condition Gf the crew beyond what we possessed. My companions therefore sought occupation by a walk into the interior, while I remained in the hut, suffering under the symptoms of fever. I betook myself to my hard bed, and after listening awhile to the incessant roar of the winds and waves, fell asleep. After some time I started from sleep with a belief that the building was on fire, and felt much of the wild agitation of a feverish dream, it being some time before I could convince myself that everything was safe, and realize with distinctness recent events which had occurred in that solitary place, on the margin of the Gulf of Mexico, which was still 
"Commander of the Mexican garrison at Anahuac. See Barker, Potts, and Ramsdell, ..4. School Histor11 of Texas, 90-91. 
rQ&ring as before, and dashing against the shores and the feeble little ve.ssel, which appeared to retain its former position. The idea of fire, which at first so strongly impressed me, I think may h&ve arisen from the flapping of a corner of my red silk handker­chief in the air, as it blew near my face as I lay; for it fluttered about like flames blown by the wind. 
Feeling revived by the air, I sought my friends, whom I found catching crabs in a bayou not far off; and having a keen appetite, I joined them in eating a large quantity. Kindling a fire, and putting them into a boiling pot, we had a highly relished feast; which seemed to restore me to health, as my unfavorable symptoms 
gradually disappeared. The wind and waves having somewhat subsided about two o'clock, the Captain, accompanied by one of our companions, in our boat, visited the vessel ; but they found those on board so anxious to land, that they kept at a distance awhile, deliberating what to do. The situation of the schooner was worse than we had apprehended. She had sprung a leak in the night and sunk on the bar as low as she could go down, leaving only a corner of her quarter-deck above board; and the boat had been stove, so that the men had now been for many hours in the water up to their middles, and were much exhausted. As the boat could hold but four, the Captain insisted that the crew should promise to place in it only the two weakest. This was agreed to ; and they selected the two Frenchmen, owners of the cargo, one of whom was helpless, and had to be lifted in. We were anxiously waiting for them on their arrival, and much commiserated the unfortunate strangers, who were consigned to our care under such painful circumstances. One of them could but just utter a few words, while the other was so far exhausted, that he could neither speak nor stand. The boat immediately returned to the vessel, while the three of us who remained took the poor men up to our habita­tion, wrapped them in blankets, administered a little whiskey, laid them down near the fire, and rubbed them briskly to quicken the circulation. They soon began to feel better, and in two hours were nearly restored. It was affecting to see their expressions of gratitude, which they made by all the means in their power; our ignorance of their language not allowing much intelligible con­versation. 
Before they were quite well, the boat came ashore again, rowed by the mate of the schooner, who appeared strong and active and brought two or three persons with him. After standing a little while by our fire, however, much to our surprise, he began to lose his strength, and was unable to make any exertion, though not at first conscious of it himself. He wished to return with the boat, to aid those still remaining on board, but found himself unable to hold an oar. In a short time his condition gave us serious alarm, and we tried to keep him up by exercise, taking turns with each other in running with him by holding him up, for about an hour. We had learnt that soon after the accident, the crew, having got at a demijohn of whiskey, made such free use of it that it was exhausted in the course of the forenoon. To this and the want of food we attributed their extreme exhaustion since the supply had failed. 
The boats brought on shore two at a time until all were landed. The Captain of the Mexicans, and one of his soldiers, were so far gone when they landed, that they were quite speechless; but under our treatment they were gradually restored to strength. We had now a large family to provide for; and though it was a light task to feed four, our number being now :fifteen, it required forethought. Happily we were well supplied with several kinds of food in considerable quantities, viz. : flour, pork, and coffee, and could obtain oysters and crabs to any amount by a little labor, while the birds on the prairie might be had for the shooting. We set the Mexicans to making bread, to see how we'll they under­stood it, that we might learn something from them; but found that the method I had proposed, though I had never tried it, would prove more to our taste. They made very thin cakes of flour and water, and laid them among the coals without regard to cleanliness; and these, with claret and whiskey for some, and coffee for others, formed our supper. 
In the morning we found that the schooner retained her posi· tion. I undertook to make bread, and by getting some fat from a bit of pork, which I melted in the frying-pan, mixing it with flour and water, and baking rolls in the same utensil, succeeded to my wishes. The sea being now calm, four Ol' five of us rowed off in one of the boats to the vessel; and after opening the hatches, got out as much of the cargo as we could take to the land. We got out fifteen or twenty casks of whiskey, which we towed ashore, and took in the boat about the same number of bags of damaged coffee, hooked up from the cabin some of the Frenchmen's clothes, and took off the sails and rigging, and a few other articles of different descriptions. At the close of the day we had done a good deal of work, and provided ourselves with a considerable amount of goods, such as they were. 
CHAPTER XVI 
Visit to the coast (continued.) Singularity of our position. Raise 
a flagstaff. Our resources. Snipe, plover, ducks, deer. Pelicans, 
gulls. Optical defect in gulls. 
We could now reflect at our leisure upon the unexpected cir­cumstances in which we were placed. We had engaged but a few days before in an excursion of pleasure, after very little deliberation, taking a scanty supply of provisions, and thinking it very probable that we might meet no one before our return to Anahuac, or see any thing of particular interest. The most interesting occurrence we had anticipated, was the safe arrival of one of the expected vessels, with letters from our corre­spondents. Now, we had already passed through several trying scenes, had contributed to the preservation of several lives, had the care of a large number of strangers thrown upon us, and had obtained possession of a quantity of goods, most of which we might have claimed as our own for salvage. Indeed, we were like the lords of the territory, might exercise the rights of prop­erty over the land and its productions, and demand tribute of the sea; for there was no previous competitor, and our companions were so grateful for our services, as to yield to our wishes in everything. 
The next day, having little to occupy us, and wishing to keei> our hands busy, we undertook to raise a flagstaff, to attract the­attention of the Climax, or any other vessels which might arrive, and enable them to discover the entrance of the bay so difficult to recognize from sea. We had found a spar forty feet in length, which had been driven on shore; and, having drawn it up near our hut, nailed a board on to lengthen it, and decorated this with a piece of white cloth taken from the vessel, and several red hand­kerchiefs so arranged as to bear some resemblance to a flag. 
Having attached to it a lanyard, with some difficulty we raised it, and planted it firmly in the ground. We subsequently pa.id several visits to the !essel, whence we brought a small Ame!"ican flag, which was afterwards substituted for the former. 
The snipe, plover, and ducks, which abounded near us, afforded 
a. considerable article of food; and birds of several other species were sometimes added to the number. One day we were supplied with a large addition by a high tide, which rose over a small hollow, and on retiring left a great many little fish, about eight inches in length, which were well flavored. 
We had thus abundance of game on different sides of us. AB for deer, although we .often saw them on the prairie, and though they sometimes started from the grass and ran off as we passed along without our guns, we knew too well their piercing sight and rapid movements to pursue them. It would be difficult for a person who has never seen a great abundance of water fowl, to imagine how innumerable they appeared to us at this place. Immense flocks were ever to be seen floating on the bayous and filling the air above them ; and so unaccustomed were they to the interference of men, that we easily shot a plenty of them every day. Gulls in great multitudes were perpetually to be seen. 
But what peculiarly attracted my attention, and often excited my astonishment, were the flocks of pelicans which abounded along the shores. Such novelties to a Northerner do not soon lose their singularity in his eyes. These fowl are very gregarious, always assembling together, and generally were to be seen iD great numbers. There are two species, which kept almost entirely separate, the white and the gray. The spot on which we had built our hut was a few yards from a part of the shore, which I concluded had been their favorite resort. There they assembled in great numbers for several days after our arrival, and seemed to leave it with reluctance. Each flook appeared to have a. lee.d­ing bird, to which the rest paid voluntary respect, so far as to follow him wherever he chose to lead, walking in a single file like .a flock of geese. I presume I have seen a thousand together ranged for half a mile along the beach. Being by no means a very timid fowl, and quite heavy in flying, it was not difficult to get a fair shot at them; but it was long before either of us was able to bring one down, and we never killed a second. We prob­
ably had fired nea.rly a hundred times without effect; the shot, as I suppose, glancing from the strong feathers, for all our guns were for small shot, except one rifle. The pelican which was killed, was shot through the head, and had a large quantity of fish in his pouch, which would hold, I suppose, about a gallon. These birds also abound on Pelican Island, which lies a little up Gal­veston Bay. 
I was roaming one morning without my fowling-piece along the beach, wh~ there was quite a thick fog; and after passing a large quantity of the dry drift wood which was scattered along the sand, being brought from the Mississippi by the waves, I found myself near a multitude of birds of different kinds, chiefly gulls. To my surprise they did not fly; and though I approached to within a very short distance of them, perhaps three or four yards, they did not appear to see me, and continued to feed with the greatest unconcern. From the observations I then had an oppor­tunity to make, I argued that their vision was inferior to my own under those circumstances. Whether it was owing to the fog or not I can only conjecture. . . . 
Being as yet ignorant of the fate of Mr. Burnet's large steam 
boilers, since they had floated by us on the first day of our arrival, 
we paid a visit to Pelican Island, to see whether they had gone 
on shore there or not. It is two or three miles long, and abounds 
in birds, particularly pelicans; but we found no traces of what 
we were in search of, and returned. 
We had hoped our flagstaff might serve as a landmark to the 
Climax in case she should again appear off the coast; for having 
sailed by, as was reported, without discovering the passage, we 
had reason to expect her soon back again. The low and uniform 
appearance of .the whole coast, including that of Galveston Island, 
renders it almost impossible to ascertain the position of a vessel 
a.t any considerable distance from the land. A day or two after our flag had been raised, the expected vessel reappeared. Dis­covering that she was off an inlet, though without perceiving our signal, she sent her boat with five men to examine the shore, who, observing our flag after they had gone some distance, steered for it, and landed about an hour before sunset on the beach near our hut. We made them welcome, and learnt from them with greater certainty everything concerning the vessel. As we knew the 
entrance into the bay, one of our party set off to board her, after a little delay, with the sailors in their boat; but this was a very imprudent step, as what took place might have been foreseen. The Climax, not seeing the boat, and for fear of the close neigh­borhood of the land, stood off a little; and it was not long before it became so dark, that we lost sight of both boat and vessel. It seemed inevitable that the six men must spend the night on the water, and this gave us much concern, as we knew they were unprovided, having nothing to eat, and only a jug of whiskey to drink. During the night the wind rose, and soon increased in violence till we had a gale, though much less severe than what we had witnessed on the coast. 
It was not, however, until about three o'clock the next day, that we obtained any information of their fate. We then dis­covered our companion walking up the shore from the eastward, and learnt from him that he had been exposed in the open boat all night on the water, had had nothing to eat, had just finished a fatiguing walk of three hours on the level beach, having landed, as he supposed, about fifteen miles from us. After losing sight of the vessel the evening before, the men had headed the boat, as they supposed, for the land, drank whiskey, and lay down; but in the morning could see neither vessel nor land. At length, some hours after, they discovered the shore, and on reaching it were entirely at a loss to determine whether they were on the mainland or on Galveston Island, which excited their lively anxiety, because on the latter they feared no food could be obtained. Not long afterwards, however, the vessel appeared in sight, and he thought he could recognize some of the logs of drift wood on the beach, though in this he must have been mistaken. He therefore pro­ceeded for home on foot, while the sailors remained by the boa.t. 
Having furnished him with necessary refreshments, on looking to sea about an hour afterwards the vessel was discovered again. We then launched our boats and proceeded some distance towards her with our sail, when seeing her tack to stand off, and knowing we should have but little time to sail before it would be dark, we reflected on the warnings we had had against pursuing ships at night, and put back. We then perceived that the Climax had come to anchor. 
That night the wind began to blow with violence, and we soon had a far more severe gale than any we had before experienced on the coast. We awoke occasionally during the night, sufficiently to realize that the storm was terrible and the sea most violently agitated; but knowing that we had nothing to do, and thinking that we had nothing to fear, it did not long interrupt our slumbers. In the morning, however, on leaving our hut, we found the sea had risen above the highest tides we had witnessed, by three or four feet, and almost reached our door. The sandy beach was in some places covered by the waves, which rolled and dashed violently quite up into the green grass around us, which formed the margin of the beautiful prairie. At the same time the rain was falling copiously, and everything seemed ready to melt into the one great fluid element. The wind had been thus blowing directly on shore for several hours; and we naturally concluded, when we contemplated the scene, and considered the force of the storm, that the ship must have been inevitably wrecked. 
CHAPTER XVII 
Point Bollvar (continued). Search for the Climax along the coast'. Articles drifted on shore. The wreck. Apprehensions of the crew. Exertions for their relief. Landing passengers. Erection of a hut. The Carpenters. General Midnight. 
Fully impressed with the idea that the brig must have been wrecked, and wishing to afford aid to any of the crew, as well as to relieve our own lively anxiety, without waiting to take food, in a heavy rain, we set off about break of day on an excursion along the coast to the eastward, presuming, from the direction of the wind, that if anything-had been driven on shore from the vessel, we should find it. We walked fast, and before we slack­ened our pace, must have got a considerable distance from home, but yet found nothing. We began at length to think our fears might perhaps prove groundless, when we discovered a barrel on the beach before us, and within a short distance a box of bottled cider and two strings of onions. The barrel, we found, was filled with vinegar; and the box we soon found means to open, being quite thirsty with our rapid march. I can say, that few draughts I ever took proved more grateful, than such a fine beverage under those circumstances. The idea of the vessel's loss, made us press on again with renewed vigor; and as we pro­
ceeded we found several other light articles on the shore, such as tables, chairs, etc., which had evidently been thrown overboard. The thickness of the air, however, did not permit us to see far before us. At length, when we had walked about four miles from our hut, and it had become broad daylight, we perceived the vessel very near us, at first hardly discernible through the mist, sitting upright upon the beach, and driven almost up to the grass of the prairie; her masts gone, but her hull apparently safe and sound. The sea was still very rough, and she was surrounded by water, as the waves ran up a little beyond her; but we concluded at once that she was too high to be in any manner affected by them, as we had walked dry-shod, the day before, along the beach, exactly where she lay. We soon perceived the men on board, actively engaged in throwing articles of different kinds into the water ; and their consternation appeared to us so unreasonable, that there was something almost ludicrous in it. On discovering us, they expressed great surprise and gratification; but the tumult of the water made it very difficult to hear each other's voices. They could not at first be convinced by our signs that they were in a state of perfect safety. We called to them that they were on the mainland, on the borders of a rich country, and not very far from our temporary habitation, hoping they would take a little courage ; but they could not distinctly hear us. We proposed to them to launch their boat, which we saw had been preserved; but found they were afraid to trust it in the waves, which were indeed rnshing up and down around the vessel with considerable force. 
To show them how shallow the water was, I walked into it, intending to wade up to the vessel, which was not now more than ten rods from us. After a few steps, what was my surprise to find I had no footing! I sunk in an instant into deep water, head and ears, and had to swim for my life ; and though I was soon safely back again on the sand, was wetter than before. The beach being a quicksand, the currents caused by the obstruction presented by the hull bad cut a deep channel on each side of her, and the vessel's weight had been gradually crowding out the sand from beneath her, till she had sunk, and imbedded herself to a considerable depth. This operation, so familiarly known to sea­men under similar circumstances, I was ignorant of before; but though unfavorable to a vessel's getting off again when thrown 
upon the sand, it often secures the lives of crews and passengers. At length they were prevailed upon to launch their boat ; and when they were informed of their situation they became quite calm, and began to land their passengers, of whom there were thirty or forty, who had come to settle in Texas. 
From the darkness, the thickness of the weather, and their ignorance of the coast, the Captain had been under an appre­hension that he was on a shoal (for he had not been able to see the land distinctly), and had been throwing things overboard for three or four hours. We did what we could to aid the landing of the passengers, taking the women and children first ; and worked in the water for a full hour. Having at length seen them all on shore, and finding we could be of no further service imme­diately, we proposed to return home to breakfast. The Captain had informed us that his vessel had sprung a leak, and the water was in the cabin. This, added to her position, convinced us that she was lost, and therefore there remained but one course to be pursued, which we told them they must adopt without delay. This was to build a large hut on the land, make themselves as com­fortable as possible, and take such measures as they could to get to Anahuac, whither they were bound. 
We returned home tired and hungry, taking in our way the remains <>f the cider, the onions, and a bottle of vinegar, which, added to our breakfast (or rather dinner), of raw salt pork, were highly relished on arriving at our hut, about noon, after fasting all the morning. In a short time we set off again for the wreck, leaving the Mexicans and Frenchmen, as we thought they could do no good, and they were obedient to all our directions. 
Happily there were among the passengers in the vessel two very good carpenters, whose services proved highly important in con­structing a habitation, while materials were obtained in abundance from those brought out for the ereetion of buildings. We rend­ered them what assistanee we could; and they soon had pitched .se"O"eral tents, made of sails; and producing such provisions, utensils, etc., as they could conveniently come at, began to find themselves in a situation comparatively comfortable. The ship's cook, a large negro, was particularly active during the day, for abstinence and fatigue had rendered his vocation doubly im­portant. This fellow, who was strong and quite skillful in his profession, bore the name of General Midnight, and sometimes rendered us also obliging services. On our return home at night, we took with us several men who had no accommodations as yet provided for them ; and in the morning, according to arrange­ments made with the Captain, furnished several barrels of flour and some other articles which we had saved from the New Orleans vessel, in exchange for objects more in demand with us. 
The poor Frenchmen, whose property they had been, seemed rather sorrowful as we rolled the barrels to the boat, but I must do them justice to say, that they offered no objection. They must have realized the circumstances in which we were placed. In the first place, they doubtless owed us their lives; then, it was to be recollected, we had a legal claim to most of the property for salvage; and, thirdly, after having done all in our power for their comfort, by sharing house and food with them, necessity required a sacrifice of some of the remaining goods for things of which we all stood in equal need. 
Things went on well at the wreck, and every visit we paid to the spot, we found some new improvement. All were anxious to remove as soon as possible; but as yet it was difficult to fix un any plan likely to be soon carried into effect. Finding how skillful the carpenters were, and having ascertained that they were boat builders also, I recommended to them the construction of a boat to transport themselves to Anahuac, with their tools, which were very valuable. I was confident that no other means could be obtained without expense, and that the boat would command a good price at any time. Among these unfortunate people, thus cast on shore in a strange land, I had every day occasion to reflect on the advantages of a practical education. Here was a body of men almost entirely dependent for their comfort on two of their number, though some of them perhaps had been trained in early life in a more expensive manner, and with superior expectations. Actively engaged, and sensible of rendering themselves useful, these two were among the happiest of the entire company, while they enjoyed the gratification of knowing, that they should find abundant and profitable employment at the first settlement t'hey might reach. 
CHAPTER XVIII 

Point Bolivar (continued). Messengers from Anahuac to learn our 
fate. Return thither. A night on Bird Island. Singular shrubs. 
Birds, nests, eggs, a random shot. Point Bolivar. 
We had now been a fortnight on the coast, during which we had such constant and varied occupation as scarcely to think of Anahuac, or of what conclusions our friends there would be likely to form concerning the cause of our absence. We had pro­posed but a short excursion of two or three days at the utmost, and they knew that our provision was small and our boat frail. If we had reflected, we might have presumed that their anxiety would be highly excited. But we did not reflect on the subject; and were at first much surprised when we saw, three or four days after the wreck of the Climax, two boats arrive at our habitation, with several men from Anahuac, who had come with long faces to inq11ire after us, well persuaded that we had perished in the Bay of Galveston, or the Gulf of Mexico, where they supposed we had been exposed in sounding the channel. They met us with joy, and we received them with astonishment, until we began to reflect, when their anxiety appeared both natural and friendly. One of the boats belonged to the Land Company, and the other to Colonel Bradburn-a flat vessel, which he had built in the province, and sent down under command of one of Lafitte's old pirates. 
The appearance of the boats from the interior was gratifying to the colony on the coast below us; but they soon realized that they would have to pay a high price for a conveyance to Anahuac: Colonel Bradburn proposing to charge for the freight of articles from the wreC'k twice as much as they paid for bringing them from New York. The carpenters found that the advice they had followed was very good ; for they had beinm to build a boat of materials partly picked up on the beach, and partly taken from the vessel. They had shown every disposition to be guided by my opinion: for they had brought out letters to me, and knew that I had some knowledge of the country, while they had none. 
That day we were served with a feast of peculiar delicacy: for having been out with our guns, we had obtained a great number of birds and water fowl, and committing them to the care of General 
Midnight, they made a fine addition to the simple food which the stores afforded. The people around us, newly arrived in that fertile country, viewed the abundant game on the prairies with as much surprise as we had done, and considered it a great feat to kill two -0r three brace of ducks in the course of a morning ramble, while to us it was rather a piece of condescension to spend our powder on them. The colonists, who during the storm had re­garded the coast on which they were thrown with so much appre­hension had been so much struck with admiration at the appear­ance of fertility and beauty in the landscape around them, that they had contemplated making a settlement somewhere near the spot where they had pitched their tents; but the account they now heard from our visitors made them relinquish this idea, and turned all their attention to other subjects. 
Thinking we were in some measure bound to relieve the anxiety of our friends at Anahuac, I set off the next morning with the Captain of the Cl'imax, in his boat, as he was going to make ar­rangements for the sale of the wreck and cargo, being uncertain whether they were insured or not. We were accompanied by one of the boats which had come down, and had a prosperous passage of sixty rp.iles to Anahuac. There I met with Mr. Heyne (whose house I had visited before, as the reader '"ill recollect) ; and as he wished to purchase a sail for his boat which he had brought with him from Old River, he invited me to return with him to Point Bolivar, which I cheerfully acceded to. 
On our way down Galveston Bay, as night approached, we found ourselves near a small island which I had noticed on the passage up, on account of the remarkable number of birds which were constantly flying over it. Mr. Heyne, who was well ac­quainted with every spot in this region, proposed to spend the night on the little island. The moon was shining bright when we approached it, and I observed that it was overgrown with shrub­bery, intermingled with prickly pears, about six feet high. The croaking and other notes of birds convinced me that the island was no less a roosting place by night than a resort by day. My older companion, with all the familiarity of experience, imme­diately began to prepare for supper, assisted by his son, about nineteen years of age, whom I did not mention before; while I took the old man's gun, which was very long, and walked roun.i 
to the opposite side of the land. There I was astonished to find a multitude of fowl, generally white, roosting on the shrubbery, so thickly standing side by side, that it seemed almost like a bank of snow. After observing them for a time as closely as the moon• light would allow, I discharged my heavy loaded old gun into the midst of them, thinking I might thus easily secure an abundant breakfast for our little party. But the confusion with which I thus surrounded myself perfectly dismayed me. Hun­dreds, indeed, I think I might say thousands of birds, instantly flew up, with such a fluttering and screaming, and yelling, that no scene of noise and hubbub I ever witnessed could be at all compared with it. I was now in the very midst of such a crowd of fowls as I had before only seen from a distance; and they must have their organs of hearing very differently hung or regulated from mine, or they never could put up with the company of each other. After I had recovered from the :first stunning caused by their unspeakable din and confusion, I began to leave the spot, and was glad to find myself soon in the company I had left, and to hear their voices at some distance, as they gradually ceased their various notes, and began to settle again upon their roosts. 
Our supper was already on the highway of preparation, under the care of Mr. Heyne, who was making the best use of the materials at his command, and soon presented me with one of those fine cups of coffee which I almost invariably met with in Texas. Drawing up and turning over our boat, spreading our blankets upon the ground, and wrapping ourselves in our cloaks, we then lay down; and the birds and ourselves, I believe, were silenced by a sound sleep in as short a time as I have taken to tell of it. As usual in those times, I scarcely waked at all until early morning, and then rose refreshed and in :fine spirits. Not doubting that the old gun had done some execution on the pre­ced\ng evening, I determined to pay a visit to the spot; but I found objects of wonder before I arrived at it. 
I now perceived on looking more closely around me that the little island, which bad a loose, stony, sandy soil, was almost cov­ered with bushes, about six feet in height, which grew so thick as to be often impenetrable by man, though abounding with birds of different kinds, which traversed the ground beneath with great freedom. The most animated scene surrounded me: for 
wherever I went, and on whatever side I looked, every bush and almost every twig seemed to be occupied by feathered tenants of some size and description or other. On reaching the spot where I had fired into the bushes the evening previous, I was not suJ"­prised to find that my shot had taken effect; but I was astonished to see about twenty water fowl lying dead upon the ground. These were generally birds of considerable size, though some of them possessed only superior longitude; for among those I picked up were bodies no bigger than a small duck's, mounted on legs measuring a foot and a half below the knee. Almost all of them had plumage abundant and white, or bordering on pink, and neck long enough to keep up a connection with the earth. I showed my prizes to my experienced companion, who immediat.,Jy condemned the whole 1-0t as good for absolutely nothing; and they were, of course, rejected. 
We proceeded a little further among the bushes, when we found the birds multiplied beyond anything I had ever imagined. Their nests were placed so near as almost to touch each other, the ground was half covered with eggs of different colors and sizes, which had fallen out; and the chattering everywhere was almost deafening. There was something peculiar in the growth of the bushes, which were generally of an uniform height, and at once so fiat on the top and so strong, that after getting up I could walk upon them for several rods, six feet from the ground. ']'here were multitudes more of nests to be seen, built side by side, while on the interior and lower boughs every spot seemed occupied which was capable of sustaining the habitation of a large bird or a small one. Notwithstanding the confusion of sounds, of arrange­ments and of occupations among those busy creatures, no collision seemed to take place in business, and no jealousies were betrayed l>y neighbors. My comrade explained the reason for so many eggs being found on the sand, by telling me that the season of hatching had been for some time past. This was confirmed by the abundance of young fowl everywhere to be seen on the ground, and in many of the nests, as well as by the worthlessness of the few first eggs which we gathered and broke. The variety of appearance among the birds was increased by the number o.f young ones, some of which were very unlike the parents, and others seemed to be of double their size. In some instances a chick or two would be seen, too young or too lazy to take care of themselves, yet filling alone brimfull a nest as large as a crow's, before they had ever left home. 
Mr. Heyne began to collect some of the eggs, saying he could distinguish the good ones, and had soon gathered several hatfulls, which we took to the boat. Most of these were of good size, but those we saw varied from the size of a robin's egg to that of a duck's. 
On arriving at Point Bolivar we found all well; and on pro­ceeding to the wreck, learnt that arrangements were nearly made for selling the vessel and cargo at auction. The various articles of merchandise, sails, rigging, furniture, etc., were collected in lots; and the sale at length commenced, several persons from Anahuac, and some of the passengers, appearing as purchasers. The prices were, on the whole, about as favorable as could have been expected under such circumstances. 
Here we now found ourselves, surrounded by more companions in misfortune. The emigrants in the Climax, whose arrival had been apprehended rather than desired under existing circum­stances, had now come to experience the overthrow of all their hopes, and to add to the inconveniences and trials of "those who had preceded them. It was painful to witness their disappoint­ment in learning the state of things, now so familiar to ourselves, and to anticipate what lay before them. The general agent of the Land Company had come in the Climax; and on learning the facts,7 made up his mind to return to the United States. This object he effected in a vessel which offered him a passage a few days after his arrival, while the other agents were left to render the new emigrants as comfortable as they could. 
The carpenters now found their prospects among the brightest of all the passengers. They had completed their boat in two days, but it was so strong and large that they transported several passengers to Anahuac in it, besides carrying all their own prop· erty. On our arrival there, they applied to me to find them a purchaser for it; and my old comrade, l\lr. Heyne, was glad to 
'The Mexican Congress had passed a law April 6, 1830, forbidding the further settlement of colonists from the United States In Texas. These immigrants now saw themselves In a very unfortunate condition. Ir.. 1834 the government repealed this law and granted titles to these colonists. 
get it for fifty dollars. Their skill was soon in high demand, for in that country, where land is so cheap and productive, the climate so favorable, and game so abundant, men soon lose the dis· position for labor, and workmen of all kinds are generally very scarce. The agents of the Land Company now needed temporary accommodations for the settlers who had come in the Climax; and the carpenters were soon at work, building shanties on con­tract, and in as good spirits as any men I ever saw. And so suc­cessful were they, with other jobs also, that in two months they made about six hundred dollars. 
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS 
1. 
Point out on the map the region described in these ad­ventures. 

2. 
From what parts of the United States did the vessels men­tioned in these extracts come? Make a list of the articles men­tioned in their cargoes. 


4. 
What was the occupation of most of the immigrants 7 Of the early settlers of Texas? Why? 

5. 
How did Pelican Island get its name? Compare the pres­ent condition of the Texas coast, as to game, with that of 1831. What has produced the change? 


EUGENE c. BARKER, University of Texas. 
THE TEXAS HISTORY TEACHER OF THE FUTURE 
How many history teachers in Texas are thinking of the de­mands that may be made upon them in the future Y Surely, this is a question that is practical enough to receive their careful con­sideration. Furthermore, it is not so difficult to foresee the trend of the times, and to make a fairly safe prophesy. If we look back into the immediate past, we find that Texas schools have shown remarkable progress during the last ten years. It is safe to pre• diet that the next decade will show a similar development. Just what lines this advance will follow may be foretold to some extent by examining the more adva.nced school systems of other states, and by considering the standards and ideals of education throughout the country. 
What can we learn about the qualifications of the teacher Y It is generally true that as schools improve the demand for better qualifications in the instructional force becomes marked. Sal­aries are raised to obtain such teachers. This tendency is already very noticeable in Texas. High schools seeking affiliation or mem­bership in the Southern Association, find it necessary to obtain teachers with more preparation. Just now the opening of new schools, and the expansion of others create a demand that is greater than the supply of well trained teachers. This condition cannot be expected to continue indefinitely. In fact the situation is already changing, as is indicated by the increasing demand for better trained teachers. 
There is another phase of the question of future certification of teachers that deserves consideration. What is to be understood by this term "qualifications" f Perhaps it will mean, as it al­ready does in many states, that the high school teacher shall have completed four years of college or university work. But that will not be all. The teacher will undoubtedly be expected to have obtained a particular training from this work, which will furnish preparation to teach a special subject or two subjects. Today many principals believe that a college graduate can certainly tea.ch any subject in the high school curriculum. A little ''brush· ing up'' perhaps, but after all, it is certainly to be expected of a good teacher. Let us consider this practice, for such universality 
of knowledge cannot produce the best results. No teacher can treat all subjects equally well. Every teacher is bound to be more interested in some subjects than in others. It follows that better results will be obtained by allowing the teacher to teach in the field of greatest interest. Again, every teacher has a wider knowledge, and a better understanding of some subject than of others. This is likely to be the subject of greatest interest. It is apt to be the subject in which the teacher has received the best preparation in his college course. Students planning to teach, usually prepare themselves to teach one subject or a combination of subjects. Why should they be forced to teach other subjects in which they will be less successful ? The practice of shifting teach­ers around from one subject to another is a custom that is bound to disappear in Texas high schools. In seeking to obtain the best results, principals will secure the best teachers available, and these will be those specially prepared to teach one or two subjects. 
How does this affect teachers of history? Clearly it means that they must have the training that their subject requires. No subject requires more training than history. The old humdrum textbook process that is the result of turning the subject over to untrained teachers, will, it is hoped, pass away. To teach history the teacher must know history, must have a broad view of the subject and its possibilities for high school students. The best way to acquire this qualification is to study history. This is becoming recognized elewhere and will be expected in Texas. 
The question of the qualification of history teachers is receiv­ing the attention of committees appointed by the American His­torical Association, and the Mississippi Valley Historical Associa­tion. The :findings of these committees may be regarded as an indication of the handwriting on the wall. Perhaps it will be of interest to Texas teachers to know what the committees of the latter association has recommended. (This report may be found in the History Teacher's Magazine, June, 1913, p. 169.) 
The report says: 
(
1) That the training of the high school teacher of history should be directed by the college of liberal arts, and that the mastery of his subject is the prime necessity of the prospective teacher. 

(2) 
That specific training for teaching should be confined to the later years of the college course. 

(3) 
That the courses for this training should include work in psychology, and in the history and theory of school administra­tion and education. 


From one-fourth to one-third of the work required for a degree should be devoted to genuine history courses, and more time is to be spent on advanced courses than on general survey courses. 
Lastly, the committee recommends that the training of the history teacher should include a short course in the special prob­lems presented by the teaching of history in the high schools. A second committee report last year outlined what this course should be. 
Today we are far from demanding such qualifications in Texas. However, it is a standard that is set for the schools of the Middle West and the Southwest, and it points the line of future progress. Surely history teachers will do well to consider the significance of this standard. 
It may be of interest to announce that the School of History in the University of Texas is prepared to offer precisely the course recommended by the committee of the Mississippi Valley His­torical Association. It can offer the required number of history courses and with a very considerable opportunity for selection. It also offers the course on history teaching, which conforms to the recommendation of the committee. The School of History, realizing the coming demand for trained teachers in history, is making every effort to meet the needs of history teaching in Texas. FREDERIC DuNcALF, 
University of Texas. 
EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE TEACHING OF CIVICS IN 

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
The attention of educators has recently been directed to the unsatisfactory conditions prevailing relative to the teaching of Civics in the public schools, and a movement is now participated in by many national organizations to revise the content, improve the methods and increase the time that is given to the instruc­tion in this subject in the schools. Among the associations which have been actively engaged in the effort to improve the teaching of Civics must be mentioned the National Education .Association, the American Historical Association and the National Municipal League. In addition to these organizations and others such as the National Civic Federation and the American Civic Associa­tion, the society which has given special time and attention to the teaching of Civics in the American Political Science Associa­tion. At the Baltimore meeting of the association in 1903 a section was de'loted to instruction in government and a paper and report was presented by William A. Schaper of the University of Minnesota, on the subject, What Do Our Students Know About American Government Before Taking College Courses in Political Science f The interest created by this report and the discussion thereupon resulted in the formation of a Committee of Five, which was appointed at the meeting of the association in Provi­dence in the following year. A very thorough investigation of the entire field of secondary schools was made by the committee, and the report of the committee marks one of the greatest steps for­ward in the way of bringing to the attention of teachers the neces­sity of more time and better instruction in the field of Civics. 
Five years after the appearance of this report, it seemed advis­able to the officers of the American Political Science Association to constitute a new committee of seven members to investigate and report upon changes in the secondary school field, as well as to make further inquiries along lines not comprehended within the scope of the Committee of Five. 
The activities of the committee have been directed along three lines: (1) an investigation of courses in political science offered in colleges and universities; (2) an investigation of the status of civic instruction in elementary and secondary schools; and (3) an inquiry regarding the aid and encouragement given to instruc­tion in Civics by state departments of education. 
The Committee of Seven prepared a questionaire for sec­-0ndary schools which was distributed by the Bureau of Educa­tion and the results of this inquiry are now in. Every effort has been put forth to secure information as to the courses of study and methods of instruction now in use in the various states. In order to secure a more effective survey of conditions in each state and to carry out the recommendations and suggestions of the committee, state committees have been formed in each of the states and through these committees thorough reports are being prepared, and the data secured by the committees as well as the concrete suggestions offered are to be embodied as a part of the final report of the Committee of Seven which will be presented in December and later issued in book form. The re­port of the committee aims to deal with civic instruction from el1'mentary school to university and to embody concrete sug­gestions to teachers in the several grades of institutions. 
The plan of work of the Committee of Seven and the scope of its investigation comprises the most comprehensive and thor­ough investigation yet made relative to the teaching of Civics and Government. The report will aim to offer a continuous and unified plan of work through all the grades of the public schools leading up to colleges and universities. It is hoped that the conclusions of the committee, as well as the data presented, will be of service to teachers and administrators in the develop­ment of a better type of course along the line of the training for citizenship in the public schools. The next step in the training of teachers for this type of course is just beginning to receive attention on the part of universities and administrators in our educational system. The Universities of Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois, and those of other states are now offering courses which are particularly designed to train teachers for the new type of civic instruction stressed in the recent national com­mittee reports and publications. 
The members of the Committee of Seven of the American Political Science Association are: Professor J . Lynn Barnard of the School of Pedagogy, Phila­delphia, recognized as one of the most competent authorities 
relative to the revision of courses in elementary and secondary schools. In addition to the authorship of numerous articles on The New Civics, Dr. Barnard has prepared in cooperation with a committee of the National Education Association the bulletin entitled "The Teaching of Community Civics," issued by the Bureau of Education. He is also preparing in cooperation with Miss Jessie Evans of the William Penn High School of Phila­delphia, a revised course in Civics for the Philadelphia schools to include an outline of studies from the :first grade to the fourth year high school. 
Professor Edgar Dawson, Hunter College, New York City, a widely known teacher of Government. He is President of the Association of History and Civics Teachers for the Middle States and Maryland and is an advisor of a committee which is recognizing the course of study for the city and state of New York. 
Professor W. L. Fleming of Louisiana State University, one of the best known educators of the South, an authority in the teaching of History and Political Science. 
Miss Mabel Hill of the Dana Hall School, Wellesley, Mass., author of a pamphlet in the Riverside Educational Monograph Series entitled ''The Teaching of Civics,'' also a volume for elementary Civics entitled "Lessons for Junior Citizens," and co-author of a series of volumes outlining courses and methods of study for the teaching of Civics in the elementary schools. 
Professor F. E. Horack of the University of Iowa, Professor of Political Science in that institution and an authority on state government affairs. 
Professor J. A. James of Northwestern University, chairman of the Committee of Eight of the American Political Science Association, author of various texts on Civics, notably the vol­ume by James and Sanford; a leader in the progressive organi­zation of courses in connection with the American Historical Association as well as with the American Political Science Asso­ciation. 
Professor Chas. G. Haines, chairman; Professor of Govern­ment in the University of Texas.