The Homochitto river rises about 50 miles north-east from Natchez ; flows south-west about 100 miles ; en ters the Mississippi at N. Lat. 31° 12'.
The Buffaloe is rather a creek than a river, not having a course of more than 25 or 30 miles. This stream rises in Amite, and flows west through Wilkinson county, and falls into the Mississippi two miles above Loftus Heights.
The Tennessee river forms a part of the boundary of the state of Mississippi, from the mouth of Bear creek to the Tennessee line, at N. Lat. about 20 miles, and ought consequently to be classed as one of the rivers of the state.
We have already observed, that the sources of the Tombigbee were in the state of Mississippi. The sources of Tombigbee rise near the Tennessee line, flow to the south-east, and enter the state of Alabama at about N. Lat. 33° 30'.
The state of Mississippi has a very confined and in commodious sea-coast, of 80 miles in extent. In this distance, the Pascagoula is the only inlet by which ves sels of the smallest size can enter, and in that only schooners of small draught, at high water, can reach the junction of Chickisawhay and Leaf rivers. The Pearl admits no navigation worth mention ; and the bay of St. Louis is a mere indentation of the coast, of no practical use in a commercial point of view.
The Mississippi river is the great harbour and outlet of the state.
The state of Mississippi is naturally divided into four grand divisions of soil. The islands in Lake Borgne, and the Gulf of 'Mexico; Pine Forest ; Mississippi, and other river alluvion; and the Mississippi Bluffs.
Advancing from south to north, first occurs a chain of low sandy islands, lying about six or seven miles from the main shore ; their names arc, ranging from west to cast, the group of the Malheureux (unfortunate) Islands; Mary Anne, Cat, Ship, Dog, Horn, and Petite Bois Islands.
The opposing shore, once a pal t of West Florida, is a level pine forest to the water edge ; constituting the second, and by far most extensive superficies of soil in the state. Receding from the shores of the Gulf inland, the face of the country imperceptibly swells into hills , and though no part of the state rises into elevations that can be designated mountains, much of its surface is ex tremely broken.
Next in extent to the Pine Forest land, is the range called the Mississippi Bluffs; and last!), the more con fined, but greatly most valuable land, where found above annual overflow river alluvion. Of these three latter
divisions of soil in order.
As we have already observed, the Pine Forests reach the waters of the Gulf of Mexico ; and, we may add, extend in the intervals between the streams, to the northern extre mity of the state. This species of soil, deriving its title from the principal timber it produces, in most places gradually mingles with the river alluvion, or Mississippi Bluffs, and produces an intermediate soil partaking of the qualities of both ; and on which oak, ash, hickory, dogwood, sweet gum, and other trees, intermingle with the pine. This mixed soil and timber is known in the country by the name of interval land, and is often found very productive. The pine lands have hitherto been considered extremely sterile; how far future modes of culture, or artificial means, may tend to meliorate this species of soil, remains an undecided problem.
In the northern parts of the state of Mississippi, to wards Tennessee, the pine woods are frequently inter rupted by a species of prairie, or rather barrens, on which grow shrub oak, and other dwarf bushes ; but the soil continues to exhibit the unproductive character of that of the pine woods.
It would not be hazarding much, to estimate the ex tent of these barren tracts at two-thirds of the entire area of the state.
In all the length of the state of Mississippi, from N. Lat. 31° to a range of bluffs extend. These bluffs reach, and are washed by the Mississippi in a few places only. Immediately above N. Lat. 31°, rises the highest of these bluffs, known by the name of Loftus Heights, which skirt the river four or five miles. A very large curve of the Mississippi, to the west, leaves an ex tensive overflown tract along the right hank, as high as Ellis's Cliffs, where, by an eastern curve of the tiver, the bluffs are again washed by the stream ; which is also the case at the city of Natchez. Above the latter place, the bluffs and river do not again come in contact below the Grand Gulf at the mouth of the Big Black river. The bluffs again reach the stream at Walnut Hills, below the mouth of the Yazoo, and at the Chicki saw Bluffs, immediately at the north-west angle of the state.