The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 53, July 1949 - April, 1950 Page: 181

Notes and Documents

The Lincecum Journal gives a picture of Anglo-American
Texas as it appeared to an observant, land-hunting traveler from
Mississippi in the year 1835. It contains a wealth of factual in-
formation. It gives brief descriptions of the major terrain fea-
tures over which the exploring party traveled-the streams, the
forests, and the prairies. It contains data on soils, their color,
texture, and thickness, as well as data on the crops observed
growing on each type of soil. It also contains abundant informa-
tion on range conditions and prospects for a livestock industry.
There are observations on local water and wood supplies, on
the navigability of the larger Texas rivers, and on the shipping
potentialities of the Gulf coast. There are notes on weather, on
flora and fauna, including a good description of the Texas horned
frog. Incidentally, these notes reflect the curiosity and wonder
of a man who has just entered a new type of natural environment.
Of special interest are passages which throw light on the condi-
tion of the Texas frontier in 1835. Lincecum comments on such
things as Indian troubles, the quantity of land taken up by set-
tlers, confusion over land titles, land prices, the founding of new
towns, and plans for removing the great log rafts which blocked
navigation on the Red and Colorado rivers. He briefly describes
the Anglo-American colonies and points out that the chief draw-
backs to future development are political instability and pressure
from nomadic Indians. He predicts the coming Texas Revolution
as well as the eventual complete occupation of Texas. For these
reasons the Lincecum Journal is a document having both scien-
tific and historical value.
A large part of the Journal is dull and matter-of-fact, but here
and there one finds bright passages which reveal something of
the character and personality of the man Lincecum. His descrip-
tions of the vast Texas prairies indicate poetic sensibility. His
personal integrity is shown by strong reactions to evidences of
cowardice, dishonesty, and land greed among the Texas colonists.
Once he bursts into invective which betrays a violent prejudice
against the Irish colonists on the Gulf coast. But he is usually
a careful, conscientious observer, distinguishing between hearsay
and fact, and refusing to accept opinions which he cannot verify.

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