MISSISSIPPI
TERRITORY
Situation
and Extent
By Elijah Parish
D D
Minister of Byfield
Massachusetts
Published at
Newburyport
By Thomas &
Whipple
1808
Source:
A Compendious System
of Univerfal Geography
Designed for Schools
Compiled
From the Latest and
Most Distinguished
European an American
Travelers, Voyagers
and Geographers
Transcribed and submitted
by
Jim Egger
Length 350 Miles
Breadth 276 Miles
Between 31 [degrees] & 35 [degrees]
N. latitude
Between 7 [degrees] 30' & 13 [degrees]
30' W. longitude
Boundaries. - THIS reagion is bounded
on the north by Tenneffee, weft by the Miffiffippi, fouth by Weft-Florida
and eaft by the Appalachicola river.
Soil. - The lands toward the mouth of
the Mobil are low and fuitable for rice. The northerly and wefterly parts
of the territory are excellent land.
Rivers. - The Yazoo at the mouth, lat
32? 37', is 100 yards wide. Pearl river rifes in the Chactaw Country, and
is navigable for more than 150 miles. Pafcagouli has feven
mouths. The Mobil is the principle river of this territory; on the bar
are 15 or 16 feet of water. The Tanfa and Alibama are branches. Above
the laft the Mobile is called Tombeckbee. The Efcambia falls into the bay
of Penfacola, and is navigable fot boats more than 80 miles.
Population.- In 1800 the inhabitants
were 8850 ; of whom 3489 were flaves
Indians. - The greater part of this
territory is the property of feveral Indian tribes, and inhabited
by them . Thefe tribes are the Creeks, the Chactaws, Chickafaws, and Cherokees.
The Chactaws inhabit a fine country between Alibama and Miffiffippi.
A few years fince they had 43 towns and villages, containing 12,123 fouls.
The Chickafaws are fettled on the head waters of the Tombeckbee, Mobile,
and Yazoo rivers. They have 7 towns and 1725 fouls. The CENTER town is
in Lat. 34? 23', Long. 14? 30' W. The language of the Creeks is evidently
of Afiatic origin , containing many Japanefe and Tartar words; they have
alfo many Japanefe customs*
*Barton
.