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Show I 11G EMIGRANT'S GU(OE. neral aspect of the country, and natural production~, <.liffer little OI.L the lands watcreu by Buff;.\lo, from tho ·e of Homochitto. Below the mouth of Buffalo, the streams assume a south course. A divioing ridge, of which Loftus' hei~hts is the s?uthwestern prolengation, exteuds it!lelf fi·01n t_be .cle~atwn from which ~ows _theY~zoo and Pearl rivers, and contmumg m a south\~est~rn direction, d1· vides the waters of the Bouge Chitto aml Ami.te . from those of the Homochitto and Buffalo rivers, and finally t-ermmates abruptly at Loftus' heights. . . . This ridge is, in all it's length. th~ separati?g. h~e ?etween thenvers and creeks that lose themselves m the MisstsstpfH.' and those of 'Ve t Florida. It is also a limit of climate; a senstbl~ change of temperature is perceivable on passin~ this disti&;~guish~ng, though not very elevated chain of l~ills. s.now IS .more f~equent m Ada.~s th.at~ in Amite county, notw1thstandmg their proxm11ty, and theu occu pying nearly the same latitude. . : Al Loftus' heinhts i:s seen the last stone or rock restmg m strata, th:.Jt has been yet discovercu in descending _the Mississippi riv~r. The rock is a breccia, or puduit-lg stone of ev1dent recent formatiOn ~ and only visible when the river is extremely Jow. The same spectcs of fos il forms the base of the blufts from the mouth of Ohio to Loftu?' heights. The cement is nrgillaceous, very much impregnated w~th iron ore. The most limpid water gushes over this mass of brecc1a, but is considered unwhole~ome by the inhabitants, who Jive in the vicinity. The most curif)US and singular petrifactions ar~ admixed with the rock, having a perfect resemblance to those found m the sta_te of Louisiana, in the neighbourhood of Lake Bistineau. Near the BJ.S· tineau these petrifactions form a superstratu-m upon horizontal sand stone, or the secondary iloetz of Werner: there is no reasonable uoubt but that the breccia of the state of Mississippi reposes also upon a similar base. After leaving the banks of the Mississippi, and proceedin0 .eastward along the ::noN. Ia~. the first river of note that occurs is the Amite. Amite river rises in the N. E. extremi.ty of th~ country of that name; and by two nearly equal streams tra\'erses the country in a southern cour~e, enters the state of Louisiana, ami unites about two miles . outh of the line of demarkation between the two states. The lands upon the Amite are of three ':ery distinct qualities ; alluvion near the ~treams ; that species of slopes called hammock, and the open pine h ·us. Like a1Juvion, wherever it occurs, it is bere extremely fertile, timbered with liquid amber styraciflua c~weet gum,) quercus tincto· ria (black oak,) ti!ia pubescens (linden, or Jime tree ;) and many other srecies of wood, indicative of fertile soil. Hammocks are generally the s,lopes of bills, where are pi.ne, sweet gum, dogwood, and other trees that designate a mixed soiL The pine forests have nothing remarkable to distinguish them from those of Louisiana ; to whicb, in every respect, they have a perfect resemblance. The country on the head waters of Amite river is hiiiy and healthy, a.nd well timbereu and watered. It is a pleasant, airy, aJ1d agreeabJe EMIGRANT'S GUIDE. Jl7 region, having aJI the natural advantages that can-render it a des ira~ ble and profitable residence to an industrious people. Bougue Chitto and PcarJ rivers have been noticed, and their wa~ ters draining a country perfectly similar to that of the Amite, it would be useless to enlarge upon them in this place. Pascagoula river, a beautiful and important stream, rises in Choctaw country, a11d drains the space b~tween the Pearl, Tombigbee1 and Mobile rivers. The constituent branches of tbe Pascagoula arc the Leaf, Chichisaw, and Dog rivers. The westeq1 branch of Leaf river rises in VVayne county, and pur ~ suing a S. E. course, enters Greene county, and unites with another and larger branch from the north: the uuited 51tream continues S. E. crosses the 31° N. Jat., about eight miles south of which comes in, from the northeast, the Chickisawhay. The Chickisawhay river rises in the Choctaw country; runs south, and enters Wayne and ~reene counties, until near the S. E. angle of the latter, where the nver turns S. W. passes tile 31° N. etnu joins, as has been seen, the Leaf rivers. The united streams now take the namQ of Pa~cagoula, and flowS. E. by S. forty miles ~nd fall into the gulf of Mexico. - ' Dog river rises in the Alabama territory, and flowina- south throu(Tb Washington and Baldwin counties, crosses the 31° N~ lat., ~ontin:es sout~, a.nd is. J~st in the estuary of the Pascagoula. Only tbe mouth of th1s nver Is m the state of Missis~ippi. ' Though not so long in its cou:se, ther>e flow~ in the Pascagoula asl much or more water than does m the I earl nver; and as nad!!, ble ~ treams, the preference is greatly in favour of the former. The bar at the. mouth of the P~arl admits vessels of six feet drau·~~ht ; ~nd when 111 the bay and rn·er, that depth continue:-3 to the junction of the Leaf and Chickisawh~y rivers. ' J_'he generaJ aspect of !he soil, on the waters of PascagetiJa is stenle; b~t upon the_ marg!~ of ~he waters a considerable s~rt.J ce o( good farmmg land exr.:;ts. I he pme forests reach the cruJf of IYi ex · on both sides ?f the ~ascagoula bay. The bay is rep~eseuted in ~:· map, filled wrth low rslands, which are void of timber. Thick woods approach to the sea-shore, however, on leavincr the bay either east or west. ~ The border of the gulf, ne.ar th~ mouth of the Pascagoula river, is esteemed amongst the most salubnous places jn that c irnate. From o~:r; own perso?al o?serv~t~on and inquiry on the spot, we are incl~ ned to sa~ctwn thrs opm10n. \Ve coulu percei e no causes of pu~ tnd exhalatiOn. With the exception of the bay, the country is biah dr!' and .well supplied witb refreshing bre(~Zes from the sea. Th~ :sorl_of th~s coast i~ sterile, but its unfruitfulness is counterbalanced to the mhabrtants, by the health they enjoy. Here mal)y persons retire fnnn New Orleans in the summer months In the progress of improvem~nt, when New Orleans be ames mor~ and mor~ crowded and extensive, and when suitable accommodations are provrded on the bays of St. Louis, Biloxi, and Pascaaoula an' :agreeable retreat will be open to those who desire to avoid the dan- |