found South of Corpus Christi. After proceeding through the desert about one hundred miles, he met " small armed parties of Mexicans who seemed disposed to avoid us."
On approaching Point Isabel, a Mexican settlement, and the site of a Mexican Custom House, he found the build- ings in flames. At the same time he received a protest from the " Prefect of the Northern District of Tamaulipas'' against his invasion of a territory " which had never be- longed to the Colony seized uijon'' (Texas), an invasion of which no notice had been given to the Government of Mexico, and for which no reason had been assigned. The protest concluded with assuring Taylor that, so long as his army " shall remain in the terrritory of Tamaulipas, the inhabitants must, whatever professions of peace you may employ, regard you as openly committing hostilities, and for the melancholy consequences of these they who have been the invaders must be answerable in the view of the whole world." The inhabitants of Point Isabel fled before the invaders, and sought refuge in Metamoras.