Page:John O. Meusebach - Answer to Interragatories.djvu/27

 the new emigrants, producing their little account books wherein orders were written for their deposits, unadvised, uncovered by bank deposits of the Company. In May I started out again, visiting settlements on the Brazos and Colorado rivers, in order to engage corn and teams in quantities and to direct these articles to New Braunfels. Returning to that place, I turned my whole attention to the new settlement, which should be the basis for further operations and advances towards the limits of the colony.

The trifling credits opened in intervals of months disappeared like drops in the ocean, and were hardly sufficient to keep the uppermost settlements in provisions and goods. The situation was better when the first large credit of $60,000 arrived in September, 1846. Most just debts and deposits were paid, and once more order was restored in the financial department for a short time. I requested the district surveyor, John James, to have the colony surveyed as fast as possible, and he replied that none of the deputy surveyors would go there with his outfit, unless I made a treaty with the Comanche Indians, they being in actual possession of the territory.

Without my knowledge and authorization the so-called "Doctor Schubert" had raised a company in the latter months of 1846 at Fredericksburg, and with his men and a cannon! had started out to be the first one inside of the limits of the grant. He never dared to cross the Llano river, and cowardly returned without a shot fired, making now a report to me that it was impossible to get into the colony, because it was full of hostile Indians. That report could not be allowed to go abroad unrebuked. It would have created despondency amongst the emigrants and the Company. Therefore, shortly after Schubert's return, I started with 20 men and three wagons from Fredericksburg in January, 1847, crossed the Llano river at the mouth of Beaver creek, was met by the