NATCHEZ, capital and chief toisn of the state of ;Mississippi, stands on the left bank of the 'Mississippi river, at North Lat. 31° 33', and 91° 30' West of Green wich, or 14° 30' West Flom Washington city.
Natchez is formed by the lower and upper towns; the former situated on the margin of the Mississinni river.
and the latter upon the high country formed by the bluffs. It is, compared with its population, one of the most com mercial towns in the United States, with a very fertile and well cultivated country in its vicinity. The city is laid out in form of a parallelogram, the streets crossing each nther at right angles. The ground upon which the town is huilt is rolling, without the admixture of a stone, and scarcely a pebble. The inhabitants are supplied with water from wells, or from the AEssissippi river. Natchez contains one hank, a state house, court house, a Roman Catholic chapel, and some other places of pub lic worship, with a few schools.
The population, in 1820, stood as follows: free males 900, free females 548 ; male slaves 298, female slaves 356 ; free blacks and people of colour, males 130, fe males 42, and strangers not naturalized, 42 : total popu lation, 2185.
This city is governed by a mayor, aldermen, and city council, with the county magistrates, who have concur rent jurisdiction within the incorporated limits with the aldermen.
Natchez stands 322 miles above New Orleans, by thc windings of the AIississippi river, and 427 above the mouth of that stream. By the road from Natchez to New Orleans, by the route of lake Pontchartrain, the distance between the two cities is only 156 miles.
Natchez is 669 miles below the mouth of the Ohio, 846 below St. Louis, and 1613 below Pittsburgh.
The site of the upper and main part of Natchez is about 100 feet above the level of high water mark in the Alississippi river. ThiG city rose upon the ruins of olcl fort Rosalie. The adjacent country was settled as a part of Louisiana, by the French, in 1718, and, in a few years, upwards of one hundred families had been induced, from the healthy nature of the country, fertility of the soil, and mild character of the natives, to establish themselves in the neighbourhood. Provoked by the insults and ex actions of the French commandant, the Indians, in 1729, formed a plot for the purpose, and falling upon the whites by surprise, a general massacre ensiled; only owe> or three persons found means to escape. The coun try continued again unsettled by the whites about thirty years, and indeed no considerable attempts were made to re-establish the place until after the beginning of the revolutionary war. Since that period Natchez has gra dually rose into a very prosperous though small city. In 1800, the first legislative assembly for the then Missis sippi territory, met at Natchez. Since the latter epoch, it has been alternately the seat of government for the territory, and, since the formation of the state of 'Missis sippi, of that commonwealth. It is now the scat of go vernment ; but, by a recent law of the state, the capital is to be permanently fixed upon the Pearl river.