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24
The Journal of Mississippi History
about to abandon the business .... Miserable fare at Gainesville. Remained all night with Dr. Montgomery ....
Sunday 15 August 1852. Walked with Dr. Montgomery to the River Bluff, the site of the village of Napoleon, within the same section on wThich the Dr. Resides. Several attempts have been made in the last thirty years to build up a town here, first under the name of Pearltgwn & more recently under the former name. The last attempt at first promised success, and several families settled there, some buildings were erected, and a distillery of Spirits of Turpentine & Camphine was established. This has, however, been abandoned and dismantled, the stills removed to Florida, & most of the families have removed, and the buildings [are] fast going to decay and are unoccupied. There are the traces of extensive brick yards, the brick for the construction of Fort Pike, many years since, having been made here. The Scite1 [sic], like that of Gainesville, is a very hand- . some one, being a perfectly level one on a bluff bank of East Pearl River with a number of handsome live oaks. At Gainesville there is a lapge Steam Saw Mill. It is the County Seat, the Court house [is] a very poor frame building, & the place [is] quite a small one, & the site [is] not as handsome as that at Napoleon, three miles below. It is about the head of tidewater ....
Stopped a short time at Pearlington, a scat[t]ering and dingy french-looking village on another bluff within eight miles of the mouth of the river, with the Salt marsh on the opposite side, & extending down to the lake. This is said to be the best and most acassible [sic] harbor in the State with a fair depth of water.
Continued on my rout[e] to Major Samuel White?s, and [sic] old Colletalgue of mine in the Legislature in 1825.12 Was hospitably received, and derived much valuable information from him .... Mr. Asa Russ, I learn, is making some experiments in reclaiming and cultivating the Sea Marsh .... The roads are very hard & dry in this region at this time, & the weather [is] moderate & pleasant. Found the musquetoes [sic] a little troublesome to the horses in travelling through some of the wet flat places today ....
12	Samuel White was the representative from Hancock County in 1825 at the same time that Wailes was representing Adams County in the state legislature.