Excepts from the 1844 diary of Henry Castro:

September 4. Constructed a shed and store-room with the lumber and materials I had brought for that purpose. With union and good will they worked. It was finished during the day. They also began spontaneously to rebuild my cabin. Every one wished to work at it. They gathered bunches of willow branches to make it fresher, the leaves embalmed the air. Trout and catfish were abundant. The hunter brought in several deer. Arrival of the surveyor John James.

September 5. Quarrel between the Germans and French. Energetic intervention on my part.

September 6. Began to regulate the work.

September 7. Cupples and Montel go to escort Monsieur Odin.

September 8. Storm in the night which wet everybody. I stayed in my coat and was damp all night. Drank twice of brandy against my habit and smoked my pipe.

September 9. Arrival of the colonists Menetrier, Macles and Boileau from Antwerp. Warning by two scouts who had seen a trail of fifty Comanches. Information transmitted to Captain Hays. Precautions taken in case of an emergency, the guard doubled. Placed mounted sentinels at each extremity of the camp. Constructed a guard house.

September 10. Cut wood to construct a communal shelter. Disocvered a reed suitable for making roofs. Arrival of Bishop Odin, the Abbe Oge, Cupples, Hays and Chevalier.

September 11. Departure of Captain Hays and Chevalier. Visit of the Bishop and the Abbe. Hunted five deer, turkeys and partridges in abundance, and caught a quantity of trout. My table placed under the leafy trees on the banks of the Medina. It was always occupied by Messrs. Goubaud, Bourgeois, Fretelliere, Gentil, Huth, Haass and Montel (paid guides) and Dr. Cupplies. Today I had in addition Monseigneur and the Abbe. I was able to offer to my guests, to the great astonishment of Monseigneur, vermicelli soup made with the bones of deer (nothing can be more delicate), fried trout, roasted turkey and partridges, filets of deer fricasseed. For desert a cream made with eggs and milk produced in the colony. Pecans gathered at the door of the dining-room, medlars and wild pomegranates. Red wine made by a German of wild grapes. His vintage had produced two casks of wine which he sold for twelve and one-quarter cents the bottle. I attach importance to these details because they indicate the resources of which we could make use. At Paris one could find nothing more rare or more delicate, though he paid a great price. Is is not worthy of notice that we had in the middle of the dsert, without expense, all the delicacies of a table recherché? That, nevertheless, is what is at the door of every colonist.

September 12. Election by order of the authorities of Bexar County of two Justices of the Peace and of a Constable. I, as President of the Election, opened the session at eleven o'clock and closed it at six. Louis Huth and Bourgeois elected Judges. L. Haass constable. The same day proceeded to the religious ceremony of laying the first stone of the church under the invocation of St. Louis on a spot chosen by the Bishop. General procession, …fires of joy and discharge of musketry. Libations which I offered completed the day.

September 13. Departure of Monseigneur, whom I myself accompanied in my carriage, with an escort. Complete satisfaction with all that he had seen. Promise of concurrence.

September 17. Pouring rain during twenty-four hours. I myself was wet.

September 19. A convoy of delayed colonists was announced. The twenty-first was fixed as the last delay to be granted the refractory colonists. The delay on their part occasioned by the vain promises of the prince advised by Rump.

September 20. Arrival of a convoy from San Antonio. Confusion of tongues, four camps, German, French, American and Spanish. Work not going well, no regularity, difficulty in maintaining discipline because of the abuse that people are disposed to make of liberty. Arrival of Judge Morgan, visit of courtesy. Also of Rump, who came without doubt to spy.

September 22. Mercier, who had been lost three days, arrives. He had lived on muskrat. Several of Hays' volunteers, who are visiting, dispense whisky. Drawing of lots to the great contentment of everyone.

September 23. Arrival of a third convoy from San Antonio. Cordial visit of folunteers. Libations.

September 25. Insubordiantion of the French on the subject of mounting guard. Order restored through my discretion, but always by the invariable principle of justness and inflexible firmness. Rain without interruption.

September 26. Continuation of the rain. Distressed about the cabins. I set an example of patience surpassing that of any colonist.

September 27-28. Rain deluvienne.

September 29. Rain and general distress. The malcontents kept in bounds by my example of resignation to suffering.

September 30. Magnificent weather. Work. The bad days forgotten.

October 2, 3 and 4. Energetic work.

October 5. Departed for San Antonio escorted by Huth and Haass.

October 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Sojourned at San Antonio to lead into the fold the colonists made refractory by the promises of the prince M. Marquis Bourgeois determined to lift twenty of my colonists for a man named Gasiana on the Cibilo. He had the day set and carriages engaged, by at the moment of departure no one came. I arrived triumphant at the colony, then as always, in the flush of complete victory. On this occasion I could repeat to Monseigneur Odin who believed my hypocrite Marquis would prove to be a saint: Honey on the lips, fire in the heart!

October 11. The French encounter a crocodile fifteen feet long. A formidable monster.

October 12. Beautiful weather. General satisfaction.

October 13. Excursion on the Quihi with twelve armed horsemen. A distance of ten miles. Laid out the place with the aid of a surveyor.

October 14. Menetrier remained behind because of his horse. Made return trip alone. Stopped by four Mexicans, well mounted and armed. After having led him a distance of seven or eight miles they left him in the woods, ordering him on pain of death not to follow them. He had nothing stealable.

October 15. At four o'clock in the morning six men, mounted to follow the tracks of the Mexicans. But without success. List of men employed daily: L. Haass, paid; a quarter master, Montel (D); an overseer, L. Huth; a hunter, a milkman, a fisherman.

October 16. Routine work persevered in.

October 17, 18, and 19. A north wind exceedingly cold. A variation of thirty degrees in two hours. Huge fires all through the camps.

October 20 to 30. Energetic work on the building, general satisfaction.

November 1, 7. Usual occupations well accomplished. Each one does his part according to the direction he receives.

November 8, 9, 10. Permanent revolt against mounting guard. Appeal to the will of the majority. General assembly for that purpose. Vigorous action on my part in chasing from the colongy the man called Roelot (?).

November 11. Visit of a convoy of people from San Antonio, accompanied by the Sheriff and County Judge. Astonished at my progress. Entertainment during two days. I attribute the fact that we had not been molested by Indians to the absence of horses. Informed that the excursions of the Indians had no other end than the stealing of animals.

November 13. Departure of visitors. Two of them applied for lots to build houses - a request which I granted with pleasure.

November 14. Inauguration of my two houses, one built of briquets, the other of stone. Banquet and libations. Installed Bourgeois in this house while waiting for his to be built. Had my three-acre lot, on which my stone house stands, prepared for planting with the view of making a small garden in order to try out the culture of cotton, tobacco, sugar-cane and the cereals of Europe as well as the vine and fruit trees. Vegetables flourish in the little garden that I have planted. We get already radishes, salads and onions.

November 21. Farewell discourse to the entire colony assembled. Libations, crack of guns. Discharge of musketry. Cannon three times fired by the artillery-men (we have several colonists who served in France in that branch of the service)

Reference: Castroville and Henry Castro Empresario, by Julia Nott Waugh

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