One night, a good many years ago, I ascended Vesuvius at such a time, and I remember well a talk I had with a man who gave me wine and sausage in his house, far up on the mountain side, at about two o’clock that morning.

Seventeen streams of lava were already flowing down, and signs of imminent disaster were at hand.

“Aren’t you afraid to stay here with your family?” I asked the man.

“No,” he replied.  “Three times I have seen it worse than this.  I have lived here always, and”—­with a good Italian smile—­“it is evident, signore, that I am still alive.”

Less than a week later I read in a newspaper that this man’s house, which was known as Casa Bianca, together with his vineyards and his precious wine cellars, tunneled into the mountain side, had been obliterated by a stream of lava.

Precisely as he went about his affairs when destruction threatened, so do the planters along the Mississippi.  But there is this difference:  against Vesuvius no precaution can avail; whereas, in the case of a Mississippi flood, foresight may save life and property.  For instance, many planters build mounds large enough to accommodate their barns, and all their live stock.  Likewise, when floods are coming, they construct false floors in their houses, elevating their furniture above high-water mark, so that, if the whole house is not carried away, they may return to something less than utter ruin.  It is the custom, also, to place ladders against trees, in the branches of which provisions are kept in time of danger, and to have skiffs, containing food and water, ready on the galleries of the houses.

CHAPTER XLVIII

OLD RIVER DAYS

Among the honored citizens of Vicksburg, at the time of our visit, were a number of old steamboat men who knew the river in its golden days; among them, Captain “Mose” Smith, Captain Tom Young, Captain W.S.  ("Billy”) Jones, and Captain S.H.  Parisot—­the latter probably the oldest surviving Mississippi River captain.

We were sent to see Captain Parisot at his house, where he received us kindly, entertained us for an hour or more with reminiscences, and showed us a most interesting collection of souvenirs of the river, including photographs of famous boats, famous deck loads of cotton, and famous characters:  among the latter the celebrated rivals, Captain John W. Cannon of the Robert E. Lee and Captain Thomas P. Leathers of the Natchez.  Captain Parisot knew both these men well, and was himself aboard the Lee at the time of her famous race with the Natchez from New Orleans to St. Louis.

“We left New Orleans 31/2 minutes ahead of the Natchez,” said Captain Parisot, “made the run to Vicksburg in 24 hours and 28 minutes, beat her to Cairo by 1 hour and 12 minutes, and to St. Louis by more than 3 hours.”

Captain Parisot’s father was a soldier under Napoleon I, and moved to Warren County, Mississippi, after having been wounded at Moscow.  He built, at the foot of Main Street, Vicksburg, the first brick house that city had.