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Friday 10th - Misty & cool - Cotton is not grown about here - for want of hands, but plenty farming. We hear that Rock island ferry is washed away & recommended to go by Washington - Bonnet or Destray gourd - the gourd outside is green - grows to 2 ft when stript up full of black seeds & a mucilaginous matter; when this matter is washed away it becomes fibrous & whitish, which when bleached becomes perfectly white, & made sometimes into bonnets - ? for coffee & tea-pots, & lastly dish-rags & cap cloths - 10 miles brought us to Washington the seat of Govt about 125 miles from the coast X gl Houston & cabinet down at Houston & Galveston - A. Jones has a p. son in Mexico, at an anniversary of Santana's at Tampico a Metal Jack was placed as a trophy - this Doyle has ? & they are on discussions about it - Gl Murphy gone to Mexico, there