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MEXICAN GULf COAST ILLUSTRATED.
MISSISSIPPI CITY.
Midway between New Orleans and Mobile on the railroad is Mississippi City, the capital of Harrison county. The town has a sea-frontage of about two miles. Its resident population is about twelve hundred. In the Summer its large hotel is liberally patronized, and the transient residents considerably augment the number of its inhabitants. Situated on a peninsula formed by the Sound and Bayou Bernard, Mississippi City is no exception to nearly all of the Coast resorts. Its location is one of the finest on the Sound. Many years ago—as long ago as the 30’s—a city was laid out upon a grand scale; A vast project having for its object a great deep harbor and railway communication northward was the one theme that was on everybody’s tongue. It did not materialize, and although efforts have been made at various times to revive it or to accomplish the end sought, they have not been successful. Some of the younger men of the Coast are still working, and have the co-operation and support of other business men. The Mississippi Sound and National Waterways Improvement Association is the name of their organization, of which A. M. Dahlgren, of Biloxi, is the President, and J. B. Leger, Esq., of Handsboro, is the Secretary. That Mississippi City should have a deep water harbor on her gulf front hardly admits of question. The problem is one merely of sufficient aid from the general government to enable her to possess it.
The view of the Sound and of the islands from Mississippi City is exceedingly fine. A wide gate-way of water extends far out into the gulf. Cat Island lies a little to the west of a straight south line from the shore, and Ship Island is seen, except in cloudy weather, a point or two east of south'. Looking at Cat Island one sees an immense line of piled-up white sand, one great dune overtoppfft» all the rest. The minute maps of the U. S. Coast Survey show that a deep and wide channel between these two islands leads from the Gulf into the Sound, and affords an anchorage for large sea-going vessels. Another channel is just in the rear of Ship Island. To these anchorages come ships from, home and foreign seaports for car-goes of timber and lumber..	'
HANDSBORO.
One mile back from Mississippi City is the town of Handsboro, a wide-awake thriving business town of over 1,200 inhabitants. It is situated on high, dry land, on the banks of Bavou Bernard, a navigable tide water stream 300 to 400 feet wide and 20 to 30 feet deep, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico.
The principal business consists of three saw mills with an annual