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tender alluvial soil, the river is generally making
inroads upon its banks on the bend side. Oppo-
site the bend there is always a sandbar, matched,
in the convexity of its conformation, to the con-
cavity of the bend. Here it is, that the appear-
ance of the young cotton wood groves have their
most striking aspect. The trees rise from the
shore, showing first the vigorous saplings of the
present year; and then those of a date of two and
three years ; and trees rising in regular gradation
to the most ancient and lofty point of the forest.
These curves are so regular on this, and all the
rivers of the lower country, that the boatmen and
Indians calculate distances by them; and instead
of the number of miles or leagues, they estimate
their progress by the number of bends they have
oassed
The navigation upon this river is very great.
Ships seldom ascend higher than Natchez. The
number of steam-boats upon the Mississippi and
its tributaries is about 300. Their size is from
540 tons downward. The passage from Cincinna-
ti to New Orleans and back, has been made in 19
days. From New Orleans to Louisville the
shortest passage has been 8 days and 2 hours, the
distance being 1,650 m. and against the current.
The steam-boats have generally high-pressure
power, and many fatal explosions have happened
upon these waters. The first steam-vessel here was
built in 1810. New Orleans is the outport of this
river, and the largest city on its banks. ' Its waters
pass into the Gulf by several channels which in-
tersect a flat marshy tract. The main entrance
is at the Balize.
Mississippi, one of the United States, bounded
N. bv Tennessee. E. by Alabama, S. by Louisia-
na and W. by Louisiana and Arkansas. It ex-
tends fr- r. ?ji) I to 35. >'. lat. and from 80.30. to
81. 35. W. 1 jn-y. 335 m. in length from N. to S. and
150 in breidtn. :xe2x80xa2 infaining 45,760 sq. in. It is wa-
ter-! bv *.h- M s-issippi on the western boundary,
the Y.z : and Bg Black rivers, branches of the
Mississipf-:. fke Pascagoula and Pearl which flow
into the Off:' -fi Mexico, and the head streams of
the ToniSerkbee rise in the N. part and pass into
Alabama. Tt-re is a small extent of coast lying
upon Lake B rgre at its outlet into the Gulf,
along which are sratiered a few low sandy islands
but there Is &xe2x80xa2: sea-port of consequence in the
state. Nearly the n tie country is an alluvial
flat, and the shine c-ftne Mississippi in the north
is an immense swurp 70 m in width. In the N.
E. part are some h-lly. broken tracts. A great part
of the soil is a pinxc2xae barren, but the river intervals
are rich and productive. S agar-cane is raised in
the south. The middle parts produce figs, grapes,
tobacco, maize, sweet potatoes, rice, and indigo.
Cotton is raised in all parts, and is the staple ar-
ticle of cultivation. The climate is hot. moist and
64
in the level country is insalubrious. Stagnant wa-
ters are abundant, and the intense heat of the
summer engenders bilious diseases. In the eleva-
ted parts the climate is healthy and pleasant. |
The northern and central portions of this state
are occupied by the Choctaw and Chickasaw
Indians; the former tribe number about 21,000
souls and the latter 3,600; civilization and useful
arts have made considerable progress among
them; their agriculture is in a thriving state, and
they have commodious houses, shops, schools and
churches, and support a missionary. They occu-
py some of the best land in the state
Mississippi is divided into 26 counties and has
a population excluding Indians, of 136,806. The
slaves are 65,659. Jackson, on Pearl river, is the
seat of government. Natchez is the only con-
siderable town. The legislature is styled the
General Assembly, and consists of a Senate and
House of Representatives. The senators are
elected for 3years and one third of the number are
renewed each year. The representatives are
chosen yearly. All residents of one year are vo-
ters ; clergymen are excluded from office. The
Baptists are the largest religious sect, they haye
58 churches; the Vltth-dists have 23 preachers;
the Presbyterians 25;. the Episcopalians 4, and
there are some Catholics. Education is provided
for by a literary fund; public schools are main-
tained in some of the large towns, and there is a
college at Washington near Natchez. The com-
merce of the state is directed to the outports of
Louisiana and Alabama. Mississippi was erected
’ iflto a territorial government in 1798. It was ad-
mitted into the Union in 1817.
Mississippi, towns in Phillips and Arkansas Cos.
Arkansas Ter.
Missionary Stations. Sep Appendix.
Missisagaigon, one of the head streams of the
Mississippi rising near the W. end of Lake Su
perior.
Missiscoui, a river of Vermont flowing into the
N. part of L. Champlain.
Missolonghi, a town of Independent Greece, on
the N.side ofthe Gulf of Lepanto,opposite Patras.
It has a shallow harbour, and is surrounded by
marshes. It was taken and retaken.several times
by the Turks and Greeks during the war of the
revolution. Here Lord Byron died in 1824
There is another town of this name in the Morea.
Missouri, a river of the United States, which,
taken in connexion with the Mississippi, into
which it flows, is the longest river on the globe ;
its length from the highest navigable stream to
the gulf of Mexico being 4,491 m., its length to
the junction with the Mississippi is 3,096 m. It
rises in the Rocky Mountains, nearly in the same
parallel with the Mississippi. The most authen-
tic information we have yet had of the sources
of this mighty river, is from its first intrepid
American discoverers, Lewis and Clarke. What
may properly be called the Missouri seems to be
formed by three considerable branches, which
unite not far from the bases of the principal ran
ges ofthe mountains. To the northern they gave
the name of Jefferson, to the middle, Gallatin,ami
to the southern, Madison.xe2x80x94Each of these branches
forks again into a number of small mountain
streams. It is but a short distance from some of
these to the head waters ofthe Oregon, on the
other side of the mountains. A person may drink
from the spring sources of each, without travelling
more than a mile. After this junction, the river
continues a considerable distance to be still a foam
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