Indigo, and the chili, or cayenne pepper, are indigenous almost throughout the state.
All kinds of fruit ripen well. The vine grows luxuriantly, and It appears probable that Texas will become a wine-growing country. The orange, lemon, fig, peach, nectarine, pine-apple, olive, paw-paw, plum, apple, gooseberry, and many other fruits of both southern and northern climes ripen here side by side; while indigenous fruits are very numerous. Garden vegetables of almost every kind thrive remarkably here. Among the indigenous plants are the yaupan, or Texan tea-tree, the leaves of which yield an infusion which serves as an agreeable and cheap substitute for the tea of China ; and the nopal, which is n favourite food of the cochineal insect, while cattle and horses feed on its fruit and leaves, and its wood is used for making fences, and for fuel. The native wild flowers include many of the choicest favonrites of the European garden and conservatory; among others are the dahlia, stellaria of every variety, geraniums, passion-flowers, trumpet-flowers, perpetual roses, mimosas, and an endless variety more of the most brilliant hues.
The forests of live oak and cedar surpass those of any other state in the Union. The entire coast, the river bottoms, and the chief part of the eastern section of the state, are heavily timbered with pine, oak, ash, hickory, walnut, cedar, cypress, and other forest trees, often of noble dimensions; and forest islands occur all over the prairie country.
Horses and cattle form an important portion of the wealth of Texas, the rich prairies affording unlimited pasture-grounds. Swine are also raised in vast numbers. The wild animals, once so numerous, are rapidly diminishing in numbers. Buffaloes however yet roam the wilds in herds of many thousands; as do also deer. Wolves and foxes are still numerous, and the black bear abounds among the cane brakes of the coast. The peccari and the wild-hog are numerous in the woods. Mustangs are found in droves in the west and north ; when domesticated, they are much prized for their fleet ness. Moose-deer, antelopes, mountain-goats, racoons, opossums, rabbits, squirrels. and numerous smaller animals abound in the forests and about the hills. Wild-foal, in almost interminable numbers and
of the most various kinds, afford ample supplies of came to the sports man ; and there are numerous singing-birds, paroquets, mocking-birds, ice. All the rivers abound in fish, both of the ordinary kinds, as cod, mullet, pike, &c., and of species not usually met with, as the ret rial, (which gives its name to fled-Fish River, where it abounds), n fish of delicious flavour and large size, sometimes weighing 50Ibe.; the gar-fish, remarkable for the length of its snout ; the alligator-ger, which is said to measure several yards in length, and to resemble the alligator in shape, &c. The common alligator is met with of very large dimensions, in the lagunes and the lower course of several rivers. Oysters, lobsters, crabs, and other shell-fish are taken all along the coast. Turtles abound in the bays and harbours.
Nonufactures, Commerce, etc.—The manufacturing industry is chiefly that incidental to an agricultural state, the bulk of the capital being invested in grist- and saw-mills, tanneries, implement-manufactories, tec. There are somewhat cousidereble iron-works, machine-shops, and carriage and harness factories.
Tho direct foreign commerce, though steadily increasing, is not very great, most of the exports being made coastwise to New York, New Orleans, 3,:c. The exports during the year ending June 30, 1853, amounted to 1,029,681 dollars, of which 569,918 dollars were of domestic produce. The imports during the same period amounted to 291,459 dollars, of which 156,144 dollars were carried in American, and 125,315 dollars in foreign vessels. The total shipping owned iu the state in 1850 was 3897 tons, of which 3309 tons belonged to the district of Galveston.
Divisions, Towns, &c.—Texas is divided into 77 counties. Austin City is the political capital, but Galveston is the chief commercial emporium, and the most populous town in the state. The following are the more important towns : the population is that of 1850: Austin City, the capital, is situated on the left bank of the ltio Colorado, in 30* 29' N. 1st, 97° 45' W. long.: population 629. It is merely a village, but it contains the state buildings, and supports two weekly newspapers.