SOLON ROBINSON, 1845 481 



of visitors "just what might be expected in Mississippi," 

 and thereupon we proposed to withdraw, and not add 

 what seems to us at the north would be a burden. But 

 we were too late. We had told who we were, and we were 

 known by name, and to such a Mississippian's house is 

 never full, and Mr. Gibson is a true one, born upon the 

 soil, now near fifty years old, and as stout and robust as 

 one of the Green Mountain boys of Vermont. Mrs. Gib- 

 son is also one of the finest specimens of a healthy woman 

 that I ever saw. To them at least the climate is salubri- 

 ous. By the bye, I saw at Raymond, a hale and hearty 

 old man of 72, who was born in what is now Mississippi, 

 though then under a foreign government. This man told 

 me he had lived upon the same soil under three govern- 

 ments, English, Spanish, and American. I have no doubt 

 but what it is more the fault of the people than the 

 climate that they suffer with sickness. 



Mr. Gibson lives upon a very good plantation, and has, 

 the Lord knows, how many negroes around him, but, 

 as is the fashion, lives in a log cabin, and what appeared 

 a little unfashionable, the owner takes the papers. But, 

 as is also the fashion, our lodging room was in "a sepa- 

 rate establishment," across the yard from the main 

 centre of the small village that it takes to make up a 

 dwelling place "in these diggings." Another fashion we 

 find here, as is often found hereabouts, and that is the 

 capacity of a Mississippi stable, which is known as "the 

 lot" and is surrounded with a fence sixteen rails high, 

 with a gate of corresponding height, into which said lot 

 are turned all manner of horse flesh, to eat corn out of a 

 capacious trough in the centre, and do their own fighting 

 on their own hook for a position. Corn is the only grain, 

 and corn blades, called "fodder," the only other kind of 

 feed ever given, for which the same trough answers. 



Now this is certainly a very primitive kind of stable, 

 and possesses this advantage that it can be enlarged 

 very easily to accommodate the increase of stock. It is 

 also said to be healthy on account of its airyness. 



