ght
members of the Lower House had arrived as yet, and business could not be
commenced with less than fifty.

The river now is broad and rapid, and it is navigated by large steamers;
its banks are low and very fertile, but reputed to be very unhealthy.

General Kirby Smith advised me to go to Munroe, and try to cross the
Mississippi from thence; he was so uncertain as to Alexandria that he
was afraid to send a steamer so far.

I heard much talk at his house about the late Federal raid into
Mississippi,[21] which seems to be a copy of John Morgan's operations,
except that the Federal raid was made in a thinly populated country,
bereft of its male inhabitants.

[19] Called by the Yankees "Bull Run."

[20] I believe this is a mistake of Governor Moore. I have always
understood Cairo was Eden.

[21] Grierson's raid.

* * * * *

_9th May_ (Saturday).--Started again by stage for Munroe at 4.30 A.M. My
companions were, the Mississippi planter, a mad dentist from New Orleans
(called, by courtesy, doctor), an old man from Matagorda, buying slaves
cheap in Louisiana, a wounded officer, and a wounded soldier.

The soldier was a very intelligent young Missourian, who told me (as
others have) that, at the commencement of these troubles, both he and
his family were strong Unionists. But the Lincolnites, by using
coercion, had forced them to take one side or the other--and there are
now no more bitter Secessionists than these people. This soldier (Mr
Douglas) was on his way to rejoin Bragg's army. A Confederate soldier
when wounded is not given his discharge, but is employed at such work as
he is competent to perform. Mr Douglas was quite lame; but will be
employed at mounted duties or at writing.

We passed several large and fertile plantations. The negro quarters
formed little villages, and seemed comfortable: some of them held 150 or
200 hands. We afterwards drove through some beautiful pine forests, and
were ferried across a beautiful shallow lake full of cypresses, but not
the least like European cypress trees.

We met a number more planters driving their families, their slaves, and
furniture, towards Texas--in fact, everything that they could save from
the ruin that had befallen them on the approach of the Federal troops.

At 5 P.M. we reached a charming little town, called Mindon, where I met
an English mechanic who deplored to me that he had been such a fool as
to naturalise himsel