“Never deceive yourselves, Texans.  I fight with you against the Mexicans, because betwixt them and me there is an irreconcilable hatred.  Do not then flatter yourselves that it is through friendship towards you.  I can give my friendship only to those who are honourable both in peace and in war; you are all of you liars, and many of you thieves, scoundrels, and base murderers.  Yes, dogs, I say true; yelp not, bark not, for you know you dare not bite, now that my two hundred warriors are surrounding this building:  be silent, I say.”

Castro was going in the same direction as ourselves to join his band, which was at that moment buffalo-hunting, a few journeys northward.  He had promised his company and protection to two foreign gentlemen, who were desirous of beholding the huge tenant of the prairies.  We all started together, and we enjoyed very much this addition to our company.

The first day we travelled over an old Spanish military road, crossing rich rolling prairies, here and there watered by clear streams, the banks of which are sheltered by magnificent oaks.  Fifteen miles from Austin there is a remarkable spot, upon which a visionary speculator had a short time before attempted to found a city.  He purchased an immense tract of ground, had beautiful plans drawn and painted, and very soon there appeared, upon paper, one of the largest and handsomest cities in the world.  There were colleges and public squares, penitentiaries, banks, taverns, whisky-shops, and fine walks.  I hardly need say, that this town-manufacturer was a Yankee, who intended to realize a million by selling town-lots.  The city (in prospective) was called Athens, and the silly fellow had so much confidence in his own speculation, that he actually built upon the ground a very large and expensive house.  One day, as he, with three or four negroes, were occupied in digging a well, he was attacked by a party of Yankee thieves, who thought he had a great deal of money.  The poor devil ran away from his beloved city and returned no more.  The house stands as it was left.  I even saw near the well the spades and pickaxes with which they had been working at the time of the attack.  Thus modern Athens was cut off in the bud, which was a great pity, as a few Athenian sages and legislators are sadly wanted in Texas.

Early one morning we were awakened by loud roars in the prairie.  Castro started on his feet, and soon gave the welcome news, “The Buffaloes.”  On the plain were hundreds of dark moving spots, which increased in size as we came nearer; and before long we could clearly see the shaggy brutes galloping across the prairie, and extending their dark, compact phalanxes even to the line of the horizon.  Then followed a scene of excitement The buffaloes, scared by the continual reports of our rifles, broke their ranks and scattered themselves in every direction.

The two foreigners were both British, the youngest being a young Irishman of a good family, and of the name of Fitzgerald.  We had been quite captivated by his constant good humour and vivacity of spirits; he was the life of our little evening encampments, and, as he had travelled on the other side of the Pacific, we would remain till late at night listening to his interesting and beautiful narratives of his adventures in Asiatic countries.