Braunfels, with the intention of leasing a few acres of land somewhere in the region in order to put myself. by the planting of the same, in a position to supply myself in the coming year. In Victoria we could obtain 50 acres under the condition to deliver 1/3 of the crop production to the owner as rent share. But since I did not like the sandy land in Victoria, I renounced my intention, returned back to mine in Indianpoint late the night of the 17th of February, 1846, accompanied by a big storm and rain and surrendered myself with patience to further inactivity. On this trip, however, I was convinced that it was impossible to bring a loaded wagon through the swamps in the prairie; for longer than 7 German miles the road was almost constantly muddy, so that one had to continuously wade in the muck, mud and water to above the ankles, yes, at times up to the knees. The remaining part of the trip to Victoria, 3 German miles, was significantly better; here the flat and low grass wastes of the prairies ceased and changed into wavelike hills upon which the nicest settlements of farms presented themselves and were covered with the most marvelous black, fertile, levee land, which was tilled by the farmers and begun to be sown with corn and cotton. On the whole, who begins this trip tn New Braunfels and first, has reached Victoria, he has already won, because from here on the road varies through highland and prairie, since generally from here on the prairies are no longer so extended as here on the seacoast. At present, I am thinking of buying a team for my wagon which I took along and fortunately brought along here, and transport myself upon it. For this purpose, I want to buy 2 yokes or 2 pair of oxen, for one drives everything with oxen here. A yoke of oxen costs 30 to 35, even 40 to 50 dollars, that is 57 to 71 Prussian Thalers(12), according to how the oxen are. With this, I hope to begin the trip to the Pedernales at the end of this, the month of March, or the beginning of April. So much about the conditions and now something about the quality of the land. The land on the coast is purely deposited