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Austin, on the Fredericksburg road, where there are three or four ancient sea beaches from near the base of the hills, upwards to near their summits, along one of which the road winds for miles.

The views obtained from the summits of the mountains of Llano, are rarely excelled for bold scenery and beauty of landscape. One or more of the sides of many of them are nearly perpendicular or jagged and rough with huge rocks.

The Paliozoic and Cretaceous hills which surround the valley, also often present high and irregular walls of sand stones and lime stones. Rivers and streams wind among the mountains here and there amid woodland and prairie. Those who ascend the highest mountains east of the Mississippi river, after toiling for hours upward, finally arrive, weary, at the top, amid cold winds and misty clouds, which hide both mountains and valleys from view. Such is the fate of most of those mountain climbers; for seldom are those mountain tops, at mid day, uncovered with clouds. Under the clear skies of Western Texas, those who visit these delightful mountains cannot fail to be pleased. There are also many other attractions here. The falls of Falls Creek, in the north eastern part of the valley a few rods from the Colorado river, are about one hundred and five feet perpendicular height. The stream is about sixty feet wide at the top of the fall and descends into a basin of about half an acre in extent, of deep clear water, fine for both bathing and fishing. Ferns, mosses and climbing plants hang in green festoons from the high rocky precipices which are on each side of the sheet of falling water. Cedars and other evergreens grow on the surrounding rocky cliffs, and both cedars and live oaks abound on the broad plateau at the foot of the falls from which the ascent is by three or four terraces of a few feet each, into the Llano valley. We were told that there is a fine sulphur spring on the Colorado river, not far above these falls, which our limited time did not permit us to visit. These things have an economic vague to the people of the State, affording advantages for summer resort which are rarely equalled ; such as a pure, healthy atmosphere, mountains, springs, water falls, bathing, fishing, hunting, fine drives, and horse back rides over the plain, fine climbs up the hills to enjoy charming views of varied scenery from their tops. It is just the place for invalids to get strong, and for the healthy to become more robust. Much money is spent annually in visiting places abroad far less attractive. Suitable buildings here and at Lampasas Springs, in the adjoining county, will, in due time, draw crowds ; for surely there are no mineral springs, watering places or other places of resort in the Atlantic States,