﻿128 
  AGRICULTURE. 
  

  

  colonists 
  at 
  established 
  and 
  moderate 
  rates, 
  payable 
  in 
  

   annual 
  instalments 
  in 
  the 
  products 
  of 
  the 
  soil. 
  

  

  These 
  products 
  were 
  naturally 
  confined, 
  for 
  a 
  con- 
  

   siderable 
  period, 
  to 
  articles 
  of 
  necessity 
  for 
  home 
  con- 
  

   sumption, 
  and 
  notwithstanding 
  some 
  large 
  grants 
  were 
  

   made 
  near 
  Natchez, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  Yazoo, 
  ostensibly 
  for 
  the 
  

   cultivation 
  of 
  tobacco 
  and 
  indigo 
  ; 
  and, 
  although 
  some 
  

   " 
  large 
  plantations, 
  with 
  extensive 
  improvements," 
  were 
  

   established 
  near 
  the 
  former 
  place, 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  aj)pear 
  

   that 
  anything 
  beyond 
  the 
  spoils 
  of 
  the 
  chase, 
  or 
  the 
  

   peltries 
  procured 
  by 
  traffic 
  with 
  the 
  Indian 
  tribes, 
  was 
  

   exported 
  from 
  the 
  country. 
  

  

  By 
  the 
  massacre 
  of 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  by 
  the 
  Natchez, 
  in 
  

   1729 
  and 
  1730, 
  these 
  establishments 
  were 
  broken 
  up, 
  

   and 
  from 
  this 
  period 
  the 
  French 
  were 
  too 
  much 
  engaged 
  

   in 
  exterminating 
  the 
  Natchez, 
  and 
  in 
  hostile 
  incursions 
  

   among 
  the 
  Chickasaws, 
  to 
  reoccupy 
  and 
  cultivate, 
  ad- 
  

   vantageously, 
  their 
  regained 
  possessions. 
  

  

  It 
  was, 
  therefore, 
  under 
  the 
  occupancy 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  

   by 
  the 
  English 
  that 
  we 
  trace 
  the 
  first 
  germ 
  of 
  successful 
  

   and 
  systematic 
  agriculture 
  in 
  Mississippi. 
  

  

  The 
  emigration 
  which 
  ensued, 
  on 
  the 
  change 
  of 
  rulers, 
  

   being 
  chiefly 
  from 
  the 
  Carolinas, 
  Virginia, 
  Jersey, 
  and 
  

   New 
  England, 
  was 
  from 
  a 
  class 
  differing 
  essentially 
  in 
  

   habits 
  from 
  their 
  more 
  volatile 
  and 
  restless 
  predecessors, 
  

   the 
  French, 
  who 
  were 
  more 
  addicted 
  to 
  the 
  chase 
  and 
  

   to 
  trafficking 
  with 
  their 
  Indian 
  neighbors, 
  than 
  to 
  more 
  

   laborious 
  and 
  settled 
  pursuits. 
  

  

  Many 
  of 
  these 
  settlers 
  were 
  accustomed 
  to 
  agriculture, 
  

   and 
  being 
  generally 
  accompanied 
  by 
  their 
  families, 
  re- 
  

   sorted 
  at 
  once 
  to 
  the 
  tillage 
  of 
  the 
  earth 
  as 
  a 
  means 
  of 
  

   support. 
  

  

  Their 
  cultivation 
  was 
  necessarily 
  rude, 
  and 
  their 
  im- 
  

   plements 
  few 
  and 
  imperfect; 
  yet 
  their 
  products 
  were 
  

  

  