M I S 



585 



M I S 



'' MISSISSIPPI, one of the United States of North 

 ' America, was admitted into the Union on the 1 st of 

 March 1817. It is situated between 30 and 35 of 

 North Lat. and 11 and 14 30' West Long. It is 

 about 340 miles long from north to south, and 150 

 broad, and contains nearly 45,000 square miles, or 

 30,000,000 acres. 



The soil and appearance of the country are in gene, 

 ral uninviting. Beyond the 31st degree of latitude, 

 the soil along the Pearl and Pascagoula rivers, called 

 the Swamp, and from one to three miles broad, is rich 

 and productive. In the middle parts of the state, above 

 the region of the long-leafed pine, there are extensive 

 and rich prairies, one of winch is 40 miles long. The 

 country bordering on the Tenessee River for 100 miles 

 above and below the Mussel shoals, and for 40 north 

 and south, has been considered as the garden of North 

 America. The country is in general very healthy. 



The River Mississippi runs along the western fron- 

 tier of tliis eute for 572 miles, every part of which is 

 navigable. The Tenessee is navigable for 20 miles in 

 the state; the Ya/oo and its branches 270 miles; the 

 Big Black river 150 ; the Homochitto, Amite, &c. 170; 

 the Pearl river, which separates this slate from Louisi- 

 ana, and its branches, 250; Pascagoula and its branches 

 250 ; the Bayous, and bys St. Loirs, Biloxi, Pines, 

 &c. 100; Gulf Coast, l.'O; the Tombigbte and western 

 bnnrhe-, 600 the total number of miles which are 

 navigable being 2472. 



The arvmaU in this state are, congouars, wolves, 

 and wild cats, which are destructive to ijonif-tic ani- 

 mals ; and bears, which are injurious to the fruit and 

 grain. Alligator*, some of which are 15 feet long, are 

 found to the south of 32 of latitude. The salamander, 

 the muraena siren, and the gnuffre, are also found here. 

 Besides these, there are parroquets, wild turkies, and 

 pigwxu. 



The Misiippi territory is divided into 12 counties 

 whoe population in 18)6 was M follows: 



The two great article* of culture in this state, are 

 cotton and I ndian corn. The average produce per acre 

 of cotton 1000 pounds in the seed. Maize is of a fine 

 quality, the lui-lu I weighing 70 Ibs. in many parts. 

 Rice is raised in the southern parts ; and the sugar cane 

 is profitably cultivated along the river Mississippi. 

 Horned cattle are so numerous, that some farmers have 

 from 500 to 1000 head. Horse and sheep are not nu- 

 merous. 



The following was the state of the majiufacturei in 

 1810: 

 vou Xir. PAT II. 



Woollen, cotton, flaxen, and hempen cloths 



or mixtures, to the value of 

 Looms . . . 1330 



Carding machine . 1 



Spindles for cotton . 807 



Tin-plate work . . . 



Tanneries . . .10 



Distilleries . 6 



Dollars. 



liiver. 



267, 3 io "V 



7.200 

 39,590 



Natchez is the only place where there is consider- 

 able commerce. Through the channel of the Tom- 

 bigbee, beef, pork, and corn are sent to Mobile and 

 Pensacola. The surplus productions of the western 

 parts pass through the Mississippi. A steam-boat plies 

 between New Orleans and Natchez, a distance of 300 

 miles. 



Natchez, the capital of the state, is pleasantly situ- 

 ated on a considerable eminence on the east bank of 

 the Mississippi. It contains 1511 inhabitants, of whom 

 459 are slaves. Washington feas 534 inhabitants, of 

 whom 182 are slaves. See Barnaul's Travels through, 

 \orlh and fiuth Carolina, &c. Philad. 1791 ; Brown's 

 n Gazetteer, 1817; Morse's Geography, p. 258; 

 anil Warden's Account of the United S:ates, vol. iii. p. 

 121. 



MISSISSIPPI RIVER, is a very large river in North 

 America. It rises in North Lat. 47 38', and West 

 Long. 95 6', and pursues a south-easterly course to 

 the fall-, of St. Anthony, for about 600 mile. From 

 these falls, this river is navigable by boaU to it-, junc- 

 tion with the Missouri, a distance of 1030 miles, in 

 which it has nearly a southern course. It is neither 

 so long, deep, or rapid, as the Missouri branch. In 

 !827', and Long. 89 36', the Mississippi re- 

 ceives the waters of the Missouri. From thence to 

 the Red River, a distance of nearly 1008 miles, it 

 runs nearly south by west; and from fled River to 

 the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of 327 miles, it has a 

 south-easterly direction, the whole distance being 1395 

 miles. 



The following distances of places in this river, is 

 given in Schultx's Travelt. 



Miles. Whole distance. 



From the Missouri to St. Louis 14 14 



St. Genevieve ... 73 87 



Kaskaskias River ... 16 103 



Grand Chain o' Rocks . . 75 178 



Mouth of Ohio ... 15 193 



New Madrid . . . 75 268 



St. Francis River . . . 240 508 



Arkansas . . . 107 615 



Yazoo .... 241 856 



Natchez .... 142 998 



Loftus Heights ... 55 1053 



Red River . . . 15 1068 



Baton Rouge . . . 104 1172 



New Orleans . . . 1 ii i;)8 



Fort Balize ... 87 1395 



The Mississippi has many islands, some of which 

 are five and six miles long, but they are low, and con- 

 stantly changing their situation and aspect. 



Fogs are very frequent on the river. They rise only 

 to the height of 30 or 40 feet. The usual current of 

 the river is about three miles an hour. Boat- descend 

 from Natchez to New Orleans in one week, but they 

 take about three weeks in returning. See Morse a Ame- 

 rican Geography, p. 65. 



4 c 



