Texas: the rise, progress, and prospects of the Republic of Texas, Vol.1 Page: 372 of 432

                                
318

TEXAS.

[BOOK II.

destroyed by the Spaniards in 1819. Robbed and
deserted by his fellow-travellers, Austin was left
alone on the prairies, nearly two hundred miles
from any habitation, destitute of provisionls and the
means of procuring them. In this wretched situation,
with nothing to subsist upon but acorns and
pecan nuts, he journeyed onwards for eight days,
constantly exposed to the weatlier, at the most inclement
season, swimming and rafting rivers and
"creeks," until he reached the hospitable roof of
an American settler, twenty miles from the Sabine.
Worn down with hunoger and fatigue, lie was unable
to proceed fiurther.  His constitution lia( received
a shock, from  which it never recovered.
After recruiting his strength, he resumed his course,
and arriving in Missouri in spring, commenced
preparations for removal to Texas, but a cold
which had settled on his lungs, produced an inflammation
that teirminated his existence, a few days
after the gratifying intelligence was commiunicated
to him of the approval of his petition by the Spanish
authorities at Monterey. He died on the 10th
of June, 18:21, in his fifty-seventh year, leaving as
a last injunction to his son Stephen, to prosecute
his plan of Texan colonization.  During a life of
vicissitude and activity, Moses Austin maintained
a reputation free from the suspicion of dishonour.
His energy disappointment could not damp, nor
misfortune subdue.*
The permission prayed for in Austin's memorial
was granted by the supreme government of the

* Biographical Notice of Moses Austin, by Mirabeau B. Lamar.