The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 70, July 1966 - April, 1967 Page: 165
728 p. : maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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British Impressions of Texas and the Texans
other members, was captured by the Mexicans, but, through the
interposition of the British charge in Mexico City, was soon freed.
As he lost some of his papers and specimens he made no claim for
the scientific accuracy of his published "Notes" and in general
they were confined to the characteristics and conditions of the
country traversed.7 Soon after his release, Falconer returned to
England and resumed his law practice. But he continued to take
a lively interest in American affairs, remained in close contact
with Texan officials, and took up his pen in defense of British
claims to the Oregon country.
William Bollaert's article described the geographical forma-
tion of Texas, the currents and the coastline, estimated the pop-
ulation at 152,000, including 80,00o Indians and 2,00o Negroes,
and made a few remarks on the value of the cotton crop and the
cost of keeping slaves. He believed that white men could not be
employed to grow and pick cotton in the river bottom lands and
that Negroes must be depended upon for that sort of labor. "Farms
or grazing establishments," Bollaert wrote, "may be set on foot
here by the European emigrant; but Eastern and Western Texas
are the lands of the foreign settler-either for stock raising or farm-
ing-thus leaving the low coast-lands to the cotton planters and
their Negroes."8
Bollaert was in a position to know The capable Britisher, al-
though somewhat of a rolling stone,9 had come to Texas in 1842
'Walter P. Webb and H. Bailey Carroll (eds.), The Handbook of Texas (2 vols.;
Austin, 1952), I, 580-581; Falconer, "Texas and New Mexico," Journal of the Royal
Geographical Society, XIII, 206; Thomas Falconer (F. W. Hodge, ed.), Letters and
Notes on the Texan Santa Fd Expedition, z841-z842 (New York, 1930), 7-9, 11.
"Bollaert, "Notes on the Texas Coast," Journal of the Royal Geographical Society,
XIII, 238.
'William Bollaert (1807-1876) displayed an early interest in scientific research
and became a youthful chemical assistant to such notables as William T. Brande,
Michael Faraday, and Sir Humphrey Davy. At the age of eighteen he went to Peru
as an assayer and chemist at the famous silver mines of Guantajaya in Tarapacd.
While there he studied the geography, geology, and natural history of Peru, and
at the request of Indendente Castilla made a survey of the province of Tarapaci.
Various factors put an end to mining operations in 183o and Bollaert returned
home, but soon left again to seek adventure and fortune in the civil wars in
Portugal and Spain. From these experiences he later wrote a two-volume history
of The Wars of Succession of Portugal and Spain, from 1826-z84o (London, 1870).
By 184o he was back in London with his fortune still unmade. The next year
William Kennedy's book on Texas caught the attention of Bollaert. At this time
he probably met William Pringle, who suggested the possibility of going to Texas165
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 70, July 1966 - April, 1967, periodical, 1967; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101199/m1/183/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.