Matamoros May 27th 1830
Col S F Austin
My dear Sir I have had the pleasure to see here Capt J Austin
and avail myself of his return to aprise you of my present situation
and future views—
I am still obliged to continue here to close the operation I have
in hand, not being willing to abandon the enterprise I have embarked
in whilst there is a hope of bringing it to a benificial result—
I shall however close it as soon as practicable and have some
prospect of effecting a Sale of the Steamboat to a Company here which
would put me at liberty at once.
The Boat has more than paid her expences the last three months
and the Merchants are now convinced that a Steamboat to facilitate
the transportation of goods is all important to the prosperity of the
place this will I hope enable me to make some arrangement with
them which will permit me to quit with credit, nothing but my
pride and the censure to which I should expose myself by
abandoing a project of my own proposing has induced me to continue here
so long-— At all events I shall extricate myself within a few
months—and my intention is then to visit your colony. Where
should there be an opening for any pursuit to which I am competent
I will make another effort to retrieve the losses of the past years—
Captn A can tell you how I am situated here and how anxious I
am to get away his acct of the state of the colony leads me to the
conclusion that there are many objects there to which my attention
might benificially be directed, and my knowledge of the language of
the country and of the character and disposition of the Mexicans
might enable me to be of service to you in various ways I have
not as yet recd an answer from the Govt respecting the grant of land,
but my agent to whom I wrote to pay the fees of office informs me
that one of the papers had been sent to Texas for your signature
and when returned the Solicitation would be granted—
Genl Teran sends you a message by Captn Austin expressing his
desire to have an interview with you either by meeting you at St
Antonio or by your coming here. Should circumstances permit you
to leave I should be extremely rejoiced to have the interview take
place here as it would give me the pleasure of seeing you sooner than
can otherwise take place, and the voyage might be of benefit to your
health which I regret to learn is not good-— do me the favor to
write to me when your leisure permits
Henry Austin [Rubric]