Matagorda Friday March 12 1830
Dr Sir
I have been here and at the old landing opposite this, since last
Monday week, and am compelled to leave for Brazoria without
seeing you, which is a very serious disappointment.
It was my original intention that you should have the surveying
of all the vacant lands on this river below H. H. League and Betts,
and all Trespalacios, Prairie, and Cany Creek below Curtis, and I
fully expected you at San Felipe when the Commissioner was there.
But you did not come, and I heard you had engaged in a school
which I of course supposed would occupy all your time and as
I heard nothing from you, was left to conclude that you did not
wish for any surveying. Notwithstanding this, however, when
Selkerk came over I wrote you, and stated that this job had been
intended for you, and if you wished it, to go on with it, or if not to let
Selkerk have your compass so that he might do it, or for you
and him to do it jointly, or make any arrangement with him on the
subject you thought proper and could make. My object was to get
the work done without delay. About 18 days after Selkerk left
me to come over here, I went to the mouth of Karankaway on the
east side and along the bay in sight of the timber of Trespalacios,
and thence up that Creek on the west side in search of you or Selkerk,
but seeing no smokes in that direction, I could not but conclude from
the time that had elapsed, that something had prevented either of
you from starting, and that you had abandoned the job, I was alone
and on a borrowed mule, and thought it very doubtfull wheither I
could get over at this place, and therefore struck a north course for
Alleys. On my arrival there I met Burnham, who informed me
you was to start from here in a few days. I only remained three
days at home, and then proceeded to the head of Trespalacios send
followed it down untill I found Selkerk and Cook and directed them
to stop at the west point of Trespalacios Bay, for I had left orders
for Ingram to finish the east side of Karankaway. I expected to
find you here, and that the whole meandering could be ploted in
two or three days and the tracts all laid off on the map, after which
they could have been run, but your absence has totally deranged all
my calculations, and compelled me to make new arrangements, for
I must be at Brazoria on Sunday or Monday next
I wish you to make a connected plot of all the meanderings on
a scale of 2000 varas to the inch, which is the scale used in all the
work, and I will try and return here sometime in May or June, or
if you can send the plot up to the office I can there lay oil the
tracts as they are taken, for there is to be some quarters and some
Leagues intermixed, I shall be at Brazoria about 10 days, from
there to Galveston bay, by way of San Felipe, and thence up the
Colorado above the San Antonio road, so that you see I have work
chalked for myself until June at least, and it is in fact quite
doubtful whether I can be here again before next fall or winter.
Another matter The families who came with you to the country
have never been to the office. I know not where they all want
their land, ever since the 20 of Novr last they were informed by
my advertisement what they ought to do. they have neglected their
own affairs and if they suffer for so doing, they can blame no one
buf themselves. I wrote you that all their business should be done
without advancing one cent except the stamp paper which is fifty
cents for each, so that they have no excuse,
I will once more inform what they must do. They must each of
them, (that is the heads of families) go in person to the office and
there enter their names and a list of their families and each one
must take the oath prescribed by law and procure a certificate of
reception as settlers in my colony, and they must each of them state
where they want their land and have an entry made of it. When
this is done it can be surveyed and not before. This is too important
a matter to be neglected any longer. If they take money to pay
the stamp paper they can have their petitions made out in Spanish
by Williams and sign it, and then they need not return to San
Felipe any more untill they go after their titles. Will you do those
families the favor to attend to this matter and inform them what
they must do. Williams will be at the office if I am not and can do all that is necessary.
The object of the certificate of reception is to place a legal
document in the hands of each one, that he was recd, as a settler by me
under my contract with gvt. and as such is entitled in virtue of my
contracts and the law to a certain portion of land. I have adopted
this plan for the safety of the emigrants in case of my death before
they get their titles in full, for should I die at this time what legal
proof have any of the families who came with you that they form a
part of my settlers ? they have none for there can be no legal register
of their names untill they have taken the oath. I wish this matter
attended to, for it is becoming rather dangerous to calculate too much
on my life. My health is greatly impaired and is getting worse, and
I have reason to fear that in case of my death, the emigrants would
have to wait a long time before they get their titles. I therefore
again repeat: neglect this matter no longer.
It was my wish to come to some final plan as to this place—but
your absence has defeated that, and it must be defered to some other
period. There is in human affairs a certain time, a point when the
iron is hot, which ought never to be neglected—that point in your
affairs was when the commissioner was at my house. You could then
have had all your affairs arranged, and now I fear there will be some
difficulty to get a tract for you as the heirs of your deed, father, but
all that can be done by me shall he done. A petition in Spanish must
be drawn up on stamp paper and signed by you and the other heirs,
and I will then manage it to the best advantage for you, but untill I
get that petition with the signatures to it I can do nothing for you.
S. F. Austin [Rubric]