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75

20th I accompanied two persons by land to Matagorda - words crossed out ^ Vide Appendix to ( ). An excellent ferry boat took our Buggy & horses over to the island of St. Luis, then by a smaller ferry to the Mainland; about dusk we arrived at Velasco, here is an hotel with good accommodation. One of my Companions had assisted under John Austin June 26th 1832 to take the Fort of Velasco. The Texans had 11 killed & 52 wounded. 173 Mexicans formed the garreson - one half of them were killed. 21. Ferried across the River Brazos, the River is deep inside, but the Bar bears a bad name sailing Vessels have been occasionally lost here. Swam our Horses over the San Bernard River, but got the Buggy & ourselves paddled over a "dug out" or canoe. When one gets to a Stream & there be no ferry boat or canoe, the general plan is to put ones habilments into ones saddle-bags, sling these across the Shoulder, dash into the stream 'a' lo Indio' and swim across. On a hot day this is very refreshing, but during the winter months & should it be blowing a 'Norther' why then a ferry-boat is preferable. We slept within 15 miles of the town of Matagorda at Major S_