Matagorda 12th June 1831

Dear Sir

I feel to Congratulate you on Your return, and have much to say and inquire when your business which (now necessarily presses on your first arrival) shall give you leisure. But Relative to my Surveys and returns It must be remembered that Coast Surveys require four times the work in Surveying as well as plotting to what just square Leagues do, and great time is Spent in hunting land, to suit people such was the fact on, and about, Spring Creek, Mr Hubert Said he believed he could explore and find land that would be taken and If I would let him Survey it he would take the trouble to explore, While I was there; had I known; where, was any land I could soon survey, ec. but no one knew of any; but it seems he has found some and surveyed—which would otherwise been unknown, I have myself been exploring a good deal over this section and I run back and forwards to Spring Creek for notes which I am now blamed for I could do little else and my services would be lost to the office.

You know I am industrious: But I shall obey every order, and be there, for whatever I may be wanted; and I am expense to myself of paying for the surveying of the land I did not know was found. Some mistakes, I am sorry for; that any should occur, But believe me ever the same

E. R. Wightman [Rubric]

Col. S. F. Austin

Hubert is not much of a Surveyor I did think as he had been out with me and carried the Compass some that he could run Cor- rectly all he would find on and adjacent to Spring Creek and if his minutes had not been sent to all the Surveyors to be Condensced I Could understood them but this was his fault he should have sent them enclosed to me, for it is not to be expected that other Surveyors would take the trouble if they could understand them neither Jones nor Cook's minutes could be understood by those unaquainted with their notes

ERW