Gulf Coast, Bays, at the out let of Sabine lake, the coast of Texas assumes a direction towards the southwest, which it follows to Galveston bay, a distance of fifty miles. Gal veston bay is formed by Point Bolivar, Pelican and Galveston islands, and is the most extensive open ing in this part of the Gulf of Mexico. It affords a good harbour and safe entrance, having always twelve, and sometimes fifteen feet water on the bars. This bay extends about 35 miles in a northwest di rection from Galveston island, by which and Point Bolivar it is completely land-locked ; its mean breadth is fifteen miles, and covers an area of 525 square miles. From the eastern point of Galveston island, the coast extends in the same direction to wards the southwest, for SO miles, to the west pass or entrance of Galveston island sound. From the west pass the same course is maintained for nearly 85 miles, without any material variation, to Passo Cavallo, or entrance of Matagorda bay. About 20 miles southwest of Galveston inlet, the great river Brazos enters the Gulf of Mexico, and at a further distance of 12 miles, that of St. Bernard discharges itself into the sante gulf. Matagorda bay is nearly equal in dimensions to Galveston bay, but is of an irregular form. The observations respecting the latter apply with equal force to Matagorda bay.
From Passo Cavallo, the coast still continues its direction towards the southwest, to Aransaso inlet, a distance of 60 miles. Midway between Passo Cavallo and Aransaso inlet, the Bay of Espiritu Santo approaches within two miles of the gulf, with which it often communicates during the pre valence of high easterly winds. This bay, with Aransaso, and a small bayou, which connects the former with Matagorda bay, detach a considerable portion of the soil from the main land, and form the Island of Espiritu Santo. The bay of the same name lies nearly parallel with the coast, and is dis tinguished only as the recipient of the rivers San Antonio and Guadalupe, which unite ten miles above the bay.
Due west of Espiritu Santo bay, and northwest of the island, lies the Bay of Aransaso, extending westward 30 miles, and of the mean breadth of about five miles. At Aransaso inlet the coast turns, and pursues a course due south 25 miles, to Copano, the outlet of Nueces river, and termination on the southwest, of the coast of Texas. About 30 miles from its outlet, the Nueces expands into a spacious hay, which is joined by another from the north, of nearly equal extent, and similar in form ; the latter is called Papelote bay, from a small stream of that name which enters its western margin. Texas has a front on the Gulf of Mexico, of two hondred and sixty miles in extent, which, like most other parts of the gulf, is almost entirely destitute of good har bours. Its bays, with some exceptions, are gene rally shallow, and their navigation much impeded by sandbars and shoals, which are suddenly formed and as suddenly disappear. The bars at the river mouths are equally variable, and seldom afford more than from four to twelve feet water.
Rivrits AND LAKES.—Red River, which forms the entire northern boundary of the province, as well as that between Mexico and the United States, agreeably to the treaty of 1819, rises in the plains at the eastern base of the mountains of Anahuac, and after intersecting the western boundary a Texas in north Lat. 35° and west Long. 25°, pursues a
course nearly east, until it is joined by the Kia meche ; at its junction with the Kiameche, the Red river curves towards the southeast, and passes into and through the southwest quarter of Arkansas territory, thence into the state of Louisiana, and joins the Mississippi, near the 31° of north Lat. Very little is known respecting the sources of Red river, beyond Cantonment Towson, and indeed the section occupied by that establishment, is repre sented by all published maps several minutes fur ther south than recent observations for latitude have placed it. The Baron Humboldt, in his account of New Spain, describes the rivers Rajo and Mora, the former rising 25 miles northeast of Tous in New Alexico, and the latter about the same distance east of the town of Santa Fe, as the sources of Red river. The hypothesis of Major Long, that the rivers in question are the head branches of the.Ca nadian fork of Arkansas river, is more plausible, and will no doubt be verified when the country through which those streams flow shall have been subjected to an actual survey. The length of Red river, from its intersection with the western boun dary of Texas, to that of Arkansas territory, is 560 miles, and its general course eastsoutheast. It drains an area in Texas of 18,000 square miles.
Sabine river, which forms a part of the eastern boundary of the province, emerges from a dense forest, in N. Lat. 45', and W. Long. 18° 30', pursues a southeast course one hundred miles to the point where it is joined by Cherokee creek from the right. At a distance of 30 miles from the mouth of Cherokee creek, the Sabine is intersected by the boundary line between Texas and Louisiana, in N. Lat. 32° and IV. Long. 17°. From this point the Sabine curves towards the east, and forms a section of an ellipse, again cuts the meridian of 17° west from Washington, and alter a further course of 220 miles, enters the Gulf of Mexico through Sa bine lake, in north Lat. 29° 30'. Sabine lake, a mere expansion of the Sabine river, is not more than five or six feet in depth, about twenty miles in length from north to south, and of the mean breadth of four or five miles. Its channel is found with diffi culty among the innumerable sand-bars that presenr themselves, and serve to embarrass and perplex the navigator. A few miles from the discharge of Sa bine lake, it becomes contracted, and enters the Gulf of Mexico by a pass scarcely half a mile in width. river," says Darby, " affords no navigable facilities worthy of notice. In ordinary tides, it has not more than three feet water on its bar, nor has the lake above five feet, and near its shore still less." Entire length of Sabine river, from its source to the Gulf of Mexico, 350 miles. General course south-southeast. Area of that part of Texas which is drained by the Sabine and its branches, 18,750 square miles.