one of the largest of the southern states of the North American Union, is bounded,—N. by Tennessee, W. by the Mississippi River, which separates it from Arkansas and Louisiana, S.W. by the Pearl River, S. by Louisiana and the Mexican Gulf, and E. by Alabama. It lies between N. Lat. 30° 10' and 35°, and W. Long. 88° 12' and 91° 36'. It extends for about 330 miles from N. to S., with a mean breadth of 120 miles, and contains an area of 47,156 square miles, or 156 square miles more than that of New York. The state, in its physical aspect, presents no prominent hill-ranges, but abounds in rivers. The Mississippi with its tributaries on the west, the Tombigbee and Pascagoula on the east, Pearl River in the central section, and the Tennessee skirting the north-east corner, drain the entire territory. Among the tributaries of the Mississippi the principal are,—the Yazoo, which flows from N.E. to S.W., almost parallel with the main stream, and joins it near Vicksburg; and the Big Black, a smaller tributary, which joins the Mississippi some forty miles lower down. All of these rivers are navigable for steamers. A chain of lagoons and bays form the southern or gulf coast of Mississippi, among which are Pascagoula Inlet, Biloxi Bay, St Louis Bay, &c. The upper portion of the state, which has been in cultivation for about twenty years, possesses an undulating surface heavily wooded with oak, hickory, &c.; it is, however, but scantily watered. The uplands produce abundantly, but only for a short time; while the soil of the valley lands is much firmer, though liable to be submerged by quantities of sand brought down from the higher grounds during the heavy floods. The prairie or Tombigbee country covers the north-eastern section of the state. Its surface is uniformly level, presenting an almost unbroken flat, with scarcely a tree, covered with rank grass, and dotted with pools and marshes. The soil, formed of a dark heavy loam, has, however, surprising strength and fertility. East Mississippi, along with the southern and south-eastern sections, is the healthiest part of the state: the air is pure and the water good. Its soil varies very much in quality, in some quarters being deep and rich, while in others exceedingly poor. It is generally well adapted for pasturage; and indeed the rearing of cattle forms the chief employment of the inhabitants. The section of the state washed by the Gulf of Mexico is well known for its healthy watering-places, which are frequented during the hot season by the wealthier classes of the entire southern country. The interior of this portion of the territory between Pascagoula and Pearl Rivers is occupied by a sandy, broken tract, covered with pines, which have been recently used for the production of turpentine. The most fertile soil of the whole state, however, is to be found in the valley of the Mississippi, where it possesses all the strength without the adhesive and corrosive nature of the prairie land. The climate of this region is likewise not insalubrious. A great drawback, however, exists here in the frequent occurrence of inundations, which have as yet not been wholly prevented by the construction of dykes sufficiently strong and elevated.
In such portions of the state as are removed from stagnant waters, which in this climate must always be deleteri- ous to health; and where access to pure spring water is to be had there is perhaps no part of the Union where the inhabitants enjoy better health. Though bilious attacks are generally prevalent, the people are exempt from pulmonary and catarrhal affections, so fatal in the more northern states. The central and southern sections have a climate similar to that of South Alabama, Georgia, and the northern portions of Louisiana and Florida.
Every product of the South may be grown in Mississippi, including the sugar-cane,—which, however, is but little cultivated,—tobacco, corn, rice, cotton, potatoes, indigo, grapes, oranges, figs, peaches, &c. Cotton, the grand staple of the state, comes to perfection in every part of it, and is almost the exclusive object of attention with agriculturists. In 1850 there were 15,110 cotton plantations, producing annually more than five bales each, being a larger number than in any other state except Alabama. The cotton crop of Mississippi is one-fifth of the whole North American growth, and is almost exclusively the product of slave labour. The number of slave-holders at the last census was 23,116; and of these 3640 possessed only one slave, 6228 held from one to five slaves, 5143 from five to ten, 4015 from ten to twenty, 2964 from twenty to fifty, 910 from fifty to a hundred, and 216 from one hundred to five hundred. In 1850 the state contained 33,960 farms, comprising 3,444,358 acres of improved land, whose cash value amounted to L1,190,609. The number of horses, asses, and mules, at the same date, was 170,007; of neat cattle, 733,970; sheep, 304,929; and swine, 1,582,734. There were also 137,990 bushels of wheat produced, 22,446,552 bushels of Indian corn, 5,003,277 of Irish and sweet potatoes, 193,401,577 lb. of cotton, 2,719,889 lb. of rice (rough), 49,960 lb. of tobacco, and 559,619 lb. of wool. The above are the leading agricultural products. Besides these there are rye, oats, barley, buckwheat, hay, hops, seeds, butter and cheese, pease and beans, fruit, honey, wax, poultry, wood, molasses, sugar, silk, wine, &c.
Manufactures are in their infancy in Mississippi, and do not seem likely to make any early advances. The capital invested at last account was but L361,962; the production about L625,000; and the hands employed, 3178. Of this capital L7916 was employed upon cotton manufactures, and L30,883 upon iron castings.
Commerce is confined almost entirely to the operations connected with cotton, and to the retail trade; and although there are several towns of considerable population, nearly the whole foreign commerce of Mississippi is conducted through the cities of New Orleans and Mobile.
Within the last two years much spirit for internal improvements has been evinced in Mississippi. The Southern Railroad extends from Vicksburg to Brandon, 60 miles, and it is intended to connect it with the railway system of Alabama. The New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Railroad will traverse the entire state in the direction of Nashville; and some portion of the work is already completed. The Central Railroad is also being constructed with vigour, and is intended to connect the capital with Holly Springs, and, pursuing a northerly direction, with the mouth of the Ohio River. The Charleston and Memphis Railroad passes through a small part of the northern portion of Mississippi. From the facilities of construction, it may be asserted that the railway system of Mississippi will soon exceed that of any other south-western state. In 1855, 239 miles of railroad were completed, and 755 were in progress.
The state constitution of Mississippi was adopted in 1817, and revised in 1832. Suffrage is free. The legislature consists of a Senate and House of Representatives, and meets biennially. The governor is elected for two years, and receives a salary of L800 per annum. The judiciary consists of a high court of errors and appeal, circuit courts, a superior court of chancery, district courts of chancery, and a probate court in each county. All the judges are elected by the people, this being one of the earliest states to adopt that system, the bitter fruits of which are beginning to show themselves in many quarters.
In 1855 the expenditure of the state government was L65,260, the principal items of which were—Executive department, L2900; judiciary, L21,500; university, L3280; internal improvements, L20,600. The net revenue amounted to L100,775, the sources of which were—Taxes, L68,970; internal improvement fund, L13,200; school land fund, L12,400. In 1856 there were 15,913,532 acres of land subject to tax.
On the 1st of January 1856 the Northern Bank of Mississippi had a capital of L50,000; loans and discounts of L101,750; specie, L1619; circulation, L67,516; deposits, L7000.
An asylum for the blind, one for the deaf-and-dumb, and Education, a lunatic asylum, are in operation, under the support of the state, at Jackson, where the penitentiary is also located. There is no uniform common school system for the whole of the counties; each county has its school lands, allotted by government and leased for long periods, the money being invested for the benefit of the schools. There is also a fund made up in the several counties; but the whole is very inadequate to the wants of the state. In 1850 there were 11 collegiate institutions in the state, with 862 students; 782 public schools, with 18,746 pupils, and L53,000 income; and 171 academies or other schools, with 6628 students; total number attending school, 48,803. There were at the same time 1016 churches, of which 385 were Baptist, 454 Methodist, 13 Episcopalian, 143 Presbyterian. Four tri-weekly papers were published, 46 weekly, and several daily. The public libraries of schools, colleges, &c., contained 22,000 volumes.
The settlement of Fort Rosalie near Natchez was the first permanent one made in Mississippi by the French, under Bienville; but a general massacre of the whites soon followed, which left the country again in the hands of the savages. A series of conflicts ensued, terminating generally in favour of the whites; and at the peace of Paris 1763 Mississippi became a part of the English territory. Settlers from Nova Scotia and the eastern states soon followed fast upon each other. The district was surrendered to the United States after the peace of 1783; and in 1804 the Mississippi territory comprised the whole of the present state of Alabama, from the 31st to the 35th degree of north latitude. This territory was organized under that name in 1798; but in 1818 the eastern portion was separated, and the remainder was admitted into the Union as the state of Mississippi.
The following statistics will show the progress of Mississippi in population from the earliest records:
| Year | Whites | Free coloured | Slaves | Total | |------|--------|---------------|--------|-------| | 1800 | 5179 | 182 | 3439 | 8850 | | 1810 | 23,024 | 240 | 17,088 | 40,352| | 1820 | 42,176 | 458 | 32,814 | 75,448| | 1830 | 70,448 | 519 | 65,658 | 136,621| | 1840 | 179,074| 1,356 | 195,211| 375,651| | 1850 | 295,718| 930 | 209,878| 606,526|
The following are the principal towns of Mississippi, with their population at the last census:—Vicksburg, 3678; Natchez, 4334; Columbus, 2611; Jackson, 1872; Yazoo City, 1910.
Mississippi (Miss Sip), "The Great Water"), the most important river in North America, and, with the Missouri, its principal affluent, or more properly its main branch, the longest river in the world. In N. Lat. 47° 10', W. Long. 94° 54', and at a height of 1680 feet, on the summit of the Hauteurs de Terre, a dividing ridge from the Red River basin of the north, are the sources of this great river. At first, a little rivulet, it pursues its timid course over sand and pebble, ever and anon blending with kindred streams, and at length forming a small lake. Another rivulet issues thence with increased velocity, giving rise to more decided bends, and emptying at last into the Itasca Lake. There, beyond the haunts of civilized man, the "father of waters" takes his course through glades, over crags and precipices,—now a broad stream, and now a confined impetuous torrent,—gradually gaining in strength and vigour as kindred waters meet and sweep on together, leaving the savage intractable forest, and the creatures which inhabit it, to be cheered by sounds of industry and toil as it nears the ocean.
After flowing in a very tortuous course through various climates and eighteen degrees of latitude, and washing the shores of many populous states, the Mississippi empties itself through several mouths into the Gulf of Mexico, in Lat. 29° N., Long. 89° W.
The following table is made up on the authority of the engineer Nicollet, who in the service of the American government explored this region:
### Distances on the Mississippi
| From Gulf of Mexico | Altitude | |---------------------|----------| | New Orleans cathedral | 104 | | Mouth of Red River | 340 | | Natchez | 408 | | Mouth of Yazoo | 534 | | New Madrid, Missouri | 1115 | | Mouth of the Ohio, north side | 1216 | | St Louis cathedral | 1390 | | Mouth of Illinois River | 1425 | | Prairie du Chien | 1932 | | Upper Iowa River | 1978 | | Mouth of St Peter's River | 2192 | | Falls of St Anthony | 2200 | | Lake Cass | 2775 | | Itasca Lake | 2890 | | Utmost sources of the Mississippi | 2895 |
If the Missouri be considered as a continuation of the Mississippi, the length of the entire river will be 4350 miles.
The following table, prepared for his Geographical Dictionary by Mr Darby, gives the area of the Mississippi valley, or the region drained by that river and its tributaries:
| Area | Miles | |--------------------|-------| | Valley of the Ohio | 200,000| | Mississippi proper | 180,000| | Missouri | 500,000| | Lower Mississippi | 330,000|
The valley of the Mississippi comprises nearly one-half of the territory of the American states.
Professor Riddell of Louisiana estimates the true superficial area of the delta of the Mississippi, or that portion of its basin below Baton Rouge, where the last bluffs show themselves, at 15,000 square miles—the alluvial mass being 200 miles in length, 75 miles in width, and 4th of a mile in depth. The rise of the basin of the river is only 9 feet before reaching New Orleans, and beyond that not more than an average of 6 inches in the mile. The delta gains upon the sea not more than a mile in 100 years; and Professor Lyell estimates that 100,000 years were required in its formation.
Large sums are continually appropriated by the government for deepening the channels, but hitherto without permanent effect. In the early part of 1857 a fleet of vessels were aground in these passes at the same time. Old channels are continually being filled up, and new ones formed.
As indicative of the vast growth of the Mississippi valley, it may be stated, that in 1790 the whole population of the valley amounted to 205,280; in 1800 to 582,619; in 1810, 1,337,946; in 1820, 2,419,369; in 1830, 3,794,477; in 1840, 5,983,707; in 1850, 8,641,754; and in 1857, may be safely set down at between 10 and 11 millions. Even this is but a density of about 7 persons to the square mile, while the average density of the Atlantic states is 1998 to the square mile, and of the middle states 6779: that of England is 332 to the square mile. With this last density, the valley of the Mississippi could accommodate more than 400,000,000 persons, or about one-half of the present population of the earth.
The inauguration of steam on the western waters in 1811 was the first step in the enormous progress of this valley, and without which it must have remained a wilderness, notwithstanding the great lines of communication that have been opened to the Atlantic coast. In 1815, 14 steamers were employed; in 1829, 230; in 1843, 600; and in 1856, 1500. The total commerce afloat in 1852 was estimated by the secretary of the Treasury, Mr Corwin, at L70,729,738, or, with the great lakes, L136,245,042, nearly equal to double the foreign imports and exports together of the entire Union at that time.
Steamers of magnificent size and accommodation ply on this river, and make the trip from New Orleans to St Louis in five days, to Louisville in about the same time, to Cincinnati in six or seven days, and to Pittsburgh (2175 miles) in ten days, at a charge for passengers of the first class ranging from L3 to L5. In no part of the world can such economy in travelling be found.
Below the mouth of the Ohio the depth of the Mississippi varies from 90 to 120 feet, and its breadth from 600 to 1200 yards. At New Orleans the width is 4th of a mile, and the depth 100 feet. The lower river is restrained within its channel by embankments thrown up with great labour and expense. The average height of the flood of the river below the Missouri is 15 feet; at the mouth of that river, 25 feet. Below the Ohio the rise is often 50 feet; at Natchez it seldom exceeds 30 feet; and at New Orleans 12 feet. Large ships have seldom ascended the river higher than Natchez.
The Mississippi had been casually visited in 1542 by De Soto, but not in any proper sense discovered. He saw but a few leagues of its course, from which no idea was obtained of its rise, direction, extent, or relations with the continent. It is mentioned in Coxe's Carolana, that in 1678 a number of persons went from New England to Mexico, in which expedition they crossed the Mississippi, and on their return gave an account of their discovery to the governor at Boston. During the missionary labours of the Jesuits in Canada, two fathers, Joliet and Marquette, having heard vague rumours of the existence of the "Great River" left Mackinac in 1673, ascended the Fox River from Green Bay in canoes, passed to the Wisconsin, and down that river to the vast waters of the Mississippi, which they navigated for 1100 miles. Some years afterwards La Salle reached the Mississippi from Canada, and, returning to France, fitted out an expedition to explore the river from the gulf. The expedition made land on the 1st January 1685, 100 miles westward of the mouth of the river, which but a small portion of the party succeeded in reaching, and returned thence to Canada. In 1700 M. Iberville colonized the country; in 1769 it was ceded to Spain; in 1800 was retroceded to France; and in 1803 passed into the possession of the United States.
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1 Schoolcraft makes the distance 3160 miles.