THIS state is bounded north by Tennessee, east by Alabama, south by the gulf of Mexico and Louisiana, and west by Louisiana and Arkansas, from which it is separated by the Mississippi river. It lies between 30° 8' and 35° north latitude, and 10° 12′ and 12° 42' west longitude, from Washington. Its entire outline measures 1,203 miles, of which large portions lie along the Mississippi and the Tennessee. Extreme length from north to south, 337 miles; mean breadth, 135 miles ; area, 45,760 square miles. There is a gentle declivity in the east part of the state toward the Tombigbee river; but the grand general slope is toward the Mississippi, having abrupt bluffs at a considerable distance from the bank, and leaving a wide, low tract of land between them, which is subject to inundations. That part of the state is crossed by the following streams, which are small tributaries of the great river of North America, viz.: Yazoo, Big Black, Bayou, Pierre, and Homochitto. Pearl river, a considerable stream, has its source in the central part of the state; and flowing south-southwest, nearly parallel with the Big Black, for a distance of eighty miles, then turns south-southeast, runs one hundred and fifty miles, and empties into the Rigolets between Lake Pontchartrain and Boyne. The soil of the state is generally thin, but in some places very rich, especially on the narrow border of lowlands along the bank of the Mississippi, above mentioned. Cotton, indigo, and tobacco, flourish so well, that they have been, in turns, the staple productions. Indian corn, potatoes, and various other useful plants, are also cultivated with great success. Among fruits, peaches and figs are the most abundant; but the climate is favorable to almost every kind except those confined to the tropics. The indigenous trees most abundant are the pine, oak of different varieties and species, hickory, sweetgum, liriodendron, tulip-tree, beech, persimmon, blackwalnut, blacklocust, honeylocust, redmaple, dogwood, chinquipin, spicewood, papau, &c. The great reedcane (arundo gigantea) formerly abounded in the low grounds; but it has been nearly rooted out. The temperature at Natchez is variable, and, although usually mild in winter, has sometimes been as cold as twelve degrees, Fahrenheit, above zero. Frost is always experienced there, in some degree, in the course of the cold season, and snow is occasionally seen; so that it is not surprising that neither sugarcane nor orange-trees are to be found above thirty-one degrees of latitude. The climate is about two degrees colder than on the Atlantic. In summer, heats and drought are often unintermitted for a long period. The state is generally healthy, although intermittent fevers are common along the banks of some of the streams. The prevailing winds, as in the southwestern states generally, are westerly, and chiefly from the north west. The first settlement made in this state by Europeans was by the French at Natchez in 1716, when a fort was built by permission of the Indians, a powerful tribe, who inhabited the bluff. In 1723 the foreigners were involved in a war with the natives, which was terminated by a body of French troops marched from New Orleans by Governor Bienville, who were too powerful to be resisted by the savages, and they submitted. by the fear of their powerful enemies; and as the French made no further attempt to occupy the place, it was left desolate until the year 1763, when it was ceded to Great Britain. From that time a few respectable settlers arrived from Europe, New England, and elsewhere; but the events which took place for some years subsequently were very unfavorable to the populating of the country. The fort at Natchez was taken several times by the Spaniards, English, and Americans. In 1781, Governor Galvey, of Louisiana, conquered Florida, and by the treaty of Paris it was ceded to the United States. On the 7th of April, 1798, congress, by an act, authorized the president of the United States to appoint commissioners to adjust the claims between Florida, Louisiana, and the acquired territory north of latitude thirty-one degrees and west of Chatahoochee river; and on the 10th of that month made provision for a territorial government. A territory was therefore formed, and named Mississippi territory, which included, not only the present state of Mississippi, but also that of Alabama. An act of congress was passed on the 9th of July, 1808, admitting a delegate from Mississippi; and on the 17th of June the assent of Georgia was demanded to the formation of two states out of Mississippi territory. But, although the demand was acceded to, it was not until December, 1817, that any change was made. A petition had been presented on the 21st of January, 1815, from the Mississippi legislature, praying that a state might be constituted. A favorable report on this petition was made in December, 1816; and by an act passed March 1st, 1817, the people were authorized to hold a convention, which assembled in July following. A constitution having been drawn up, it was adopted August 15th, and was confirmed by congress in December following. In 1729, the French having become very numerous at Natchez, the commandant (Choteau), by ill-treating the Indians, excited them to revenge; and by a sudden attack, while the garrison were secure and unprepared, they cut The government consists of a govoff about seven hundred persons, of ernor, and a general assembly of two th sexes, leaving alive scarcely enough houses (a senate and a house of reprecarry the news. The Indians, how-sentatives). To be a candidate for the ver, were soon driven from their homes senate, a man must be twenty-six years of age, a citizen of the United States, for four years previously an inhabitant of the state, and one year an inhabitant of his district; he must hold, in his own right, three hundred acres of land in Mississippi, or an interest in real estate of one thousand dollars' value, at the time of election and for six months previously. Senators are elected for three years. To be candidate for a seat as a representative, citizenship of the United States is required; two years' residence in the state, and one year's residence in the county, city, or town of which he is candidate; an age of twenty-one years; and the ownership of one hundred and fifty acres of land, or five hundred dollars in real estate for six months. Voters must be free white citizens of the United States; twenty-one years of age; residents of the state for the last year, and of their district for the last six months; enrolled in the militia, or exempts; or have paid a state or county tax. The governor is elected by electors, and holds his office two years, and until his successor shall be duly qualified. He must be thirty years of age; twenty years a citizen of the United States; a resident of the state five years; and the owner of two thousand dollars for the past year. There is a supreme court, and from four to eight judges of the supreme and superior courts, who hold office during good behavior, but may be removed by address to the governor of two thirds of both houses of the legislature, or by impeachment by the house before the senate. The age of sixty-five limits the term of judgeship. The sixth article of the seventh section of the constitution forbids any minister of the gospel or priest to hold the offices of governor, lieutenant-governor, or a place in the legislature. No officers of the United States, except postmasters, are admitted to offices in the state. The geology of the western border of Mississippi has some most remarkable features. The land on the bank of the great river appears to have undergone wonderful revolutions; and recent investigations in the vicinity of Natchez have brought to light curiosities of the most interesting nature. On the shore, at the foot of the bluff, are strewn great numbers of tubes, resembling, at first sight, the bodies of old trees, formed of iron ore, and filled with earth, and which appear to have fallen from the bank. The remains of numerous kinds of extinct animals are contained in the ground at different depths; while on the present surface a mound has been opened, which contains bones and implements of men of a race anterior to the present red men; and trees of great age were growing over the spot. POPULATION.-According to the census of 1850 the population of Mississippi was 605,488, by counties, as follows: Northern District.-Attila, 10,999; Bolivar, 2,577; Carroll, 18,485; Chickasaw, 16,368; Choctaw, 11,403; Coahoma, 2,780; De Soto, 18,052; Itawamba, 13,311; La Fayette, 14,069; Lowndes, 19,547; Marshall, 29,690; Monroe, 21,131; Noxubee, 16,257; Oktibbeha, 9,171; Panola, 11,459; Pontotoc, 17,112; Sunflower, 1,060; Tallahatchee, 4,643; Tippah, 20,740; Tishomingo, 15,148; Tunica, 1,314; Winston, 7,986; Yallabusha, 17,260. Total, 300,561; of which number 133,672 were slaves. Southern District.-Adams, 18,621; Amite, 9,624; Claiborne, 14,903; Clarke, 5,477; Copiah, 11,710; Covington, 3,348, Franklin, 5,904; Green, 2,018; Hancock, 3,672; Harrison, 4,875; Hinds, 25,310; Holmes, 13,930; Issaquena, 4,478; Jackson, 3,196; Jasper, 6,174; Jefferson, 13,393; Jones, 2,135; Kemper, 12,517; Lauderdale, 8,708; Lawrence, 6,485; Leake, 5,535; Madison, 18,173; Marion, 4,410; Neshoba, 4,560; Newton, 4,466; Perry, 2,438; Pike, 7,357; Rankin, 7,227; Scott, 3,979; Simpson, 4,735; Smith, 4,071; Warren, 19,998; Washington, 8,389; Wayne, 2,892; Wilkinson, 16,638; Yazoo, 13,582. Total, 304,927, of which 174,495 were slaves. NATCHEZ, the principal town, is advantageously situated on the summit a side of a high bluff, on the eastern bai of Mississippi river, three hundred an |