Geography of Mississippi--Ridges and bottoms--The Mississippi
at its efflux--Pine and table lands--General features of the
state--Bayous--Back-water of rivers--Springs--St. Catharine's
harp--Bankston springs--Mineral waters of this state--
Petrifactions--Quartz crystals--"Thunderbolts"--Rivers--The
Yazoo and Pearl.
Though not much given to theorising, I have been drawn into some
undigested remarks in my last letter, upon a theory, which is beginning
to command the attention of scientific men, to which the result of
geological researches daily adds weight, and to which time, with correct
observations and farther discoveries, must add the truth of
demonstration.
This letter I will devote to a subject, naturally arising from the
preceding, perhaps not entirely without interest--I mean the physical
geography and geology of this state. In the limits of a letter it is
impossible to treat this subject as the nature of it demands, yet I will
endeavour to go so far into its detail, as to give you a tolerable idea
of the general features of the region.
Besides the cliffs, or great head-lands, alluded to in my last letter,
frowning, at long intervals, over the Mississippi, serrated ridges,
formed of continuous hills projecting from these points, extend in
various directions over the state. These again branch into lower ridges,
which often terminate near the river, between the great bluffs, leaving
a flat space from their base to the water, from a third of a mile to a
league in breadth. These flats, or "bottoms," as they are termed in
western phraseology, are inundated at the periodical floods, increasing,
at those places, the breadth of the river to the dimensions of a lake.
The forest-covered savana, nearly forty miles across, through which the
Mississippi flows, and which is bordered by the mural high lands or
cliffs alluded to in my last letter, is also overflowed at such seasons;
so that the river then becomes, in reality, the breadth of its valley.
The grandeur of such a spectacle as a river, forty miles in breadth,
descending to the ocean between banks of lofty cliffs, too far distant
to be within each other's horizon, challenges a parallel. But, as this
vast plain is covered with a forest, the lower half of which only is
inundated, the width of the river remains as usual to the eye of the
spectator on the cliffs, who will have to call in the aid of his
imagination to realize, that in the bosom of the vast forest outspread
beneath him rolls a river, to which, in breadth, the noble stream before
him is but a rivulet. The interior hills, or ridges, mentioned above,
are usually covered with pine; which is found only on such eminences,
and in no other section of the south or west, except an isolated wood
in Missouri, for more than fifteen hundred miles. The surface of the
whole state is thus diversified with hills, with the exception of an
occasional interval on the borders of a stream, or a few leagues of
prairie in the north part of the state, covered with thin forests of
stunted oaks. These hills rise and fall in regular undulations, clothed
with forests of inconceivable majesty, springing from a rich, black
loam, peculiarly fitted to the production of cotton; though, according
to a late writer on this plant, "it flourishes with equal luxuriance in
the black alluvial soil of Alatamaha and in the glowing sands of St.
Simon's."[10]
The general features of this state have suggested the idea of an immense
ploughed field, whose gigantic furrows intersect each other at various
angles.--Imagine the hills, formed by these intersections, clothed with
verdure, whitened with cotton fields, or covered with noble woods, with
streams winding along in the deep ravines, repeatedly turning back upon
their course, in their serpentine windings, before they disembogue into
the Mississippi on the west, or the Pearl on the east, and you will have
a rude though generally correct idea of the bolder features of this
state.
A "plain," or extensive level expanse, which is not a marsh, forms,
consequently, no part of its scenery, hill and hollow being its stronger
characteristics. For a hilly country it presents one striking
peculiarity. The surface of the forests, viewed from the bluffs, or
from some superior elevation in the interior, presents one uniform
horizontal level, with scarcely an undulation in the line to break the
perspective. Particularly is this observable about a mile from Natchez,
from the summit of a hill on the road to the village of Washington. Here
an extensive forest scene lies east of the observer, to appearance a
perfect level. But as he travels over hill and through ravine,
anticipating a delightful prairie to lie before him, over which he may
pace, (or _canter_, if he be a northerner) at his ease, he will find
that the promised plain, like the _mirage_ before the fainting Arabian,
for ever eludes his path.
There is another remarkable feature in this country, peculiar to the
whole region through which the lower Mississippi flows which I can
illustrate no better than by resorting to the idea of a ploughed field.
As many of these intersecting furrows, or ravines, terminate with the
ridges that confine them, near the river, with whose medium tides they
are nearly level, they are inundated by the periodical effluxes, which,
flowing up into the land, find a passage through other furrows, and
discharge into some stream, that suddenly overflows its banks; or
winding sluggishly through the glens, cut deep channels for themselves
in the argillaceous soil, and through a chain of ravines again unite
with the Mississippi, after having created, by their surplus waters,
numerous marshes along their borders, and leaving around their course
innumerable pools of stagnant water, which become the home of the lazy
alligator,[11] and the countless water-fowls which inhabit these
regions. These inlets are properly bayous. They radiate from the
Mississippi, in the state of Louisiana, in countless numbers, forming a
net-work of inlets along its banks for fifty miles on either side,
increasing in numbers and size near its mouth; so that, for many leagues
above it, an inextricable tissue of lakes and inlets, or bayous, form
communications and passes from the river to the Gulf,[12] "accessible,"
says Flint, "by small vessels and bay-craft, and impossible to be
navigated, except by pilots perfectly acquainted with the waters." The
entrance of some of these bayous, which are in the vicinity of Natchez,
is fortified against the effluxes of the river by _levees_, constructed
from one highland to another; and by this means the bottom lands in the
rear are protected from the overflow, and, when cultivated, produce fine
crops of cotton. Inundations are also caused when the Mississippi is
high, by its waters flowing up into the small rivers and creeks, whose
natural level is many feet below the high water mark, till they find a
level.--The water of these streams is consequently forced back upon
itself, and, rising above its banks, overflows all the adjacent country.
This "back-water," as it is termed, is more difficult to be resisted by
levees than the effluxes of the bayous; and for the want of some
successful means of opposing its force, some of the finest "bottom
lands" in the state remain uncultivated, and covered with water and
forest.
The smaller rivers and streams in this state are wild and narrow
torrents, wholly unlike those placid streams which flow through
New-England, lined with grassy or rocky banks, and rolling over a stony
bottom, which can be discerned from many feet above it, through the
transparent fluid. Here the banks of the streams are precipices, and
entirely of clay or sand, and cave in after every rain, which suddenly
raises these torrents many feet in a few minutes; and such often is
their impetuosity, that if their banks are too high to be inundated,
they cut out new channels for themselves; and a planter may, not
improbably, in the morning after a heavy rain, find an acre or more
added to his fields from an adjoining estate; to be repaid, in kind,
after another rain. In the dry season the water of these streams--which,
with the exception of three or four of the large ones, are more properly
conduits for the rain water that falls upon the hills, than permanent
streams--is tolerably clear, though a transparent sheet of water larger
than a spring, whether in motion or at rest, I have not seen in this
state. After a rain they become turbid, like the Mississippi, impetuous
in their course, and dangerous to travellers. Few of these streams are
covered with bridges, as their banks dissolve, during a rain, almost as
rapidly as banks of snow--so light is the earth of which they are
composed--and the points from which bridges would spring are soon washed
away. The streams are therefore usually forded; and as their beds are of
the finest sand, and abound in quicksands, carriages and horses are
often swallowed up in fording them, and lives are not unfrequently lost.
The roads throughout the state, with the exception of these fords, are
very good, winding through fine natural scenery, past cultivated fields,
and pleasant villages.
In the neighbourhood of these streams, on the hills, and in the vales
throughout the state, springs of clear cold water abound. There is a
deep spring on the grounds attached to Jefferson College in this state,
whose water is so transparent, that to the eye, the bottom appears to be
reflected through no other medium than the air. The water is of a very
mild temperature in the winter, and of an icy coolness in the summer.
The spring is in a deep glen, surrounded by lofty trees, one of which,
from its shape, branching from the root into two trunks, and uniting
again in an extraordinary manner by a transverse limb, thirty feet from
the ground, is called "St. Catharine's Harp," and is one among the
natural curiosities of that vicinity. In the interior of the state are
several mineral springs, which of late years have become very
fashionable resorts for those who do not choose, like the majority of
Mississippians, to spend their summers and money at the Kentucky,
Virginian, or New-York springs. The waters of most of these springs are
chalybeate, with a large proportion of sulphuric acid combined with the
iron. The most celebrated are the Brandywine, romantically situated in a
deep glen in the interior of the state, and the Bankston springs, two
hour's ride from the capital. The constituent qualities of the waters,
as ascertained by a recent chemical analysis, are sulphate of magnesia,
sulphate of soda and sulphur, which exist in such a state of combination
as to render the waters not disagreeable to the taste, yet sufficiently
beneficial to the patient. They are said to act favourably upon most of
the diseases of the climate, such as affections of the liver, bowels,
cutaneous and chronic diseases, congestive and bilious fevers, debility,
and numerous other ills "that flesh is heir to." The location is highly
romantic and healthy. In the words of another--"the circumjacent country
is for several miles covered with forests, of which pine is the
principal growth; its surface is elevated and undulating, entirely free
from stagnant waters, and other local causes of disease. The site of the
springs is not inferior in beauty to any spot in the southern country.
They are situated in a narrow plane, surrounded, on one side by an
almost perpendicular bluff from which they flow, on the other, by a
gentle declivity, dividing itself into two twin ridges; which, after
describing a graceful curve, unite again at a point on which stands the
principal building, one hundred feet in length, and on either of these
ridges, is built a row of new and comfortable apartments. Through the
centre of the grove, a path leads from the principal building to the
spring, forming at all hours of the day, a delightful promenade. The
water at the fountain, is exceedingly cool and exhilarating. A dome
supported by neat columns, rises above the fountain, which, with the aid
of the surrounding hills and overhanging forest, renders it at all times
impervious to the sun. The roads, which during the summer season are
always good, communicate in various directions with Port Gibson,
Vicksburg, Jackson, Clinton, and Raymond, affording at all times good
society. The forest abounds with deer and other game, the chase of which
will afford a healthy amusement to those who may be tempted to join in
it."
The mineral waters in the state are chiefly sulphurous and chalybeate,
with the exception, I believe, of one or two of the saline class.
In the vicinity of these springs, and also on most of the water courses
in the state, and, with but an exception or two, in these places alone,
are found the only stones in the state. Rock is almost unknown. I have
not seen even a stone, within fifteen miles of Natchez, larger than the
third part of a brick, and those that I have seen were found in the
pebbly bed of some stream. There is a stratum of pebbles from one to
three feet thick extending through this state. It is variously waved,
sometimes in a plane, and at others forming various angles of
inclination, and at an irregular depth from the surface, according to
the thickness of the superimposed masses of earth which are composed of
clay, loam, and sand. This stratum is penetrated and torn up by the
torrents, which strew their beds with the pebbles. There is no rock
except a species of soft sand-stone south of latitude 32 deg. north, in this
state, except in Bayou Pierre, (the stony bayou) and a cliff at Grand
Gulf, forty miles above Natchez. This last is composed of common
carbonate of lime and silex, but the quantity of each has not been
accurately determined.
The sand-stone alluded to above, is in the intermediate state between
clay and stone, in which the process of petrifaction is still in
progress. In the north-east portion of the state, this species of stone,
whose basis is clay, is found in a more matured state of petrifaction.
Perfect gravel is seldom met with here, even in the stratum of pebbles
before mentioned. These resemble in properties and colour, the clay so
abundant in this region; a great proportion of the gravel is composed of
a petrifaction of clay and minute shells, of the mollusca tribe. I have
found in the dry bed of the St. Catharine's, pebbles, entirely composed
of thousands of the most delicately formed shells, some of which, of
singularly beautiful figures, I have not before met with. Concave spiral
cones, the regular discoid volute, cylinders, a circular shell, a tenth
of an inch in diameter, formed by several concentric circles, and a
delicate shell formed by spiral whorls, with fragments of various other
minute shells, principally compose them. The variety of shells in this
state is very limited. All that have been found here have their surfaces
covered with the smooth olive-green epidermis, characteristic of fresh
water shells, and are all very much eroded. Agates of singular beauty
have also been discovered, and minute quartz crystals are found imbedded
in the cavities of pebbles composed of alumina and grains of quartz.
Mica and feldspar I have not met with. About two years ago, on the
plantation of Robert Field, Esq. in the vicinity of the white cliffs, a
gentleman picked up from the ground a large colourless rock crystal,
with six sided prisms and a pyramidal termination of three faces.
Curiosity led him to examine the spot, and after digging a few minutes
beneath the surface, he found three more, of different sizes, two of
them nearly perfect crystals, but the third was an irregular mass of
colourless transparent quartz. This is the only instance of the
discovery of this mineral in the state, and how these came to be on that
spot, which is entirely argillaceous and at a great distance from any
rocks or pebbles, is a problem. Pure flint is not found in this state,
yet the plough-share turns up on some plantations, numerous
arrow-heads, formed of this material, and there is also a species of
stone, artificially formed, in size and shape precisely resembling the
common wedge for cleaving wood, with the angles smoothly rounded. They
are found all over the south-western country, and the negroes term them
"thunder bolts;" but wiser heads have sagely determined their origin
from the moon. Planters call them spear-heads, for which they were
probably constructed by the aborigines. The stone of which they are made
is not found in this country. Some of them I believe are composed of
mica and quartz. Many of them are a variety of the mica and of a brown
colour, sometimes inclining to green, and highly polished. I have seen
some on a plantation near Natchez, of an iron black colour resembling
polished pieces of black marble.
The several strata which compose this state are an upper layer of rich
black loam from one to three feet thick, the accumulation of centuries,
and a second stratum of clay several feet in thickness, beneath which
are various substrata of loam and sand, similar to that which
constitutes the islands and "bottoms" of the Mississippi. With the
exception of the Yazoo, which flows through a delightful country rich in
soil and magnificent with forests, along whose banks the Mississippians
are opening a new theatre for the accumulation of wealth, and where
villages spring up annually with the yearly harvest--and the Pearl--a
turbid and rapid torrent whose banks are lined with fine plantations and
beautiful villages--this state boasts no rivers of any magnitude; and
these, when compared with the great Mississippi, are but streams; and in
their chief characteristics they nearly resemble it.
But I have gone as far into geology as the limits of a letter writer
will permit. A volume might be written upon the physical features of
this country, without exhausting a subject prolific in uncommon
interest, or half surveying a field, scarcely yet examined by the
geologist.[13]