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THE SQUATTERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 



Although every European traveller who has ghded clown the Mis- 

 sissippi, at the rate of ten miles an hour, has told his tale of the Squatters, 

 yet none has given any other account of them than that they are " a sal- 

 low, sickly-looking sort of miserable beings," Hving in swamps, and sub- 

 sisting on pig-nuts, Indian corn, and bear's flesh. It is obvious, however, 

 that none but a person acquainted with their history, manners, and con- 

 dition, can give any real information respecting them. 



The individuals who become squatters, choose that sort of life of their 

 own free will. They mostly remove from other parts of the United 

 States, after finding that land has become too high in price, and they are 

 persons who, having a family of strong and hardy children, are anxious 

 to enable them to provide for themselves. They have heard from good 

 authorities, that the country extending along the great streams of the 

 West, is of all parts of the Union the richest in its soil, the growth of its 

 timber, and the abundance of its game ; that, besides, the Mississippi is 

 the great road to and from all the markets in the world ; and that every 

 vessel borne by its waters, affords to settlers some chance of selling their 

 commodities, or of exchanging them for others. To these recommenda- 

 tions is added another, of even greater weight with persons of the above 

 denomination, namely, the prospect of being able to settle on land, and 

 perhaps to hold it for a number of years, without purchase, rent or tax 

 of any kind. How many thousands of individuals in all parts of the 

 globe would gladly try their fortune with such prospects, I leave to you, 

 reader, to determine. 



As I am not disposed too highly to colour the picture which I am 

 about to submit to your inspection, instead of pitching on individuals 

 who have removed from our eastern boundaries, and of whom certainly 

 there are a good number, I shall introduce to you the members of a family 

 from Virginia, first giving you an idea of their condition in that country, 

 previous to their migration to the west. The land which they and their 

 ancestors have possessed for a hundred years, having been constantly 

 forced to produce crops of one kind or other, is now completely worn out. 

 It exhibits only a superficial layer of red clay, cut up by deep ravines, 

 through which much of the soil has been conveyed to some more fortunate 

 neighbour, residing in a yet rich and beautiful valley. Their strenuous 



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