296 Br Clinton on cei'tain phetiomena of 



ed violently up the channel, drove a schooner of thirty-five 

 tons burden from her moorings, threw her upon high ground, 

 and rolled over the ordinary beach into the woods, completely 

 inundating all the adjacent flats. This was followed by two 

 others of equal height, which caused the Creek to retrograde 

 a mile and a half, and to overflow its banks, where water was 

 never before seen, by seven or eight feet. The noise occa- 

 sioned by its rushing with such rapidity along the winding 

 channel was truly astonishing. It was witnessed by a number 

 of persons. 



" At Kettle Creek several men were drawing a fish net in 

 the lake, when suddenly they saw the water coming upon 

 them in the manner above-mentioned ; and, letting go their 

 net, they ran for their lives. The swell overtook them before 

 they could reach the high bank, and swept them forward with 

 great force; but, being expert swimmers, they escaped un- 

 hurt. The man who was in the skiff" pulling in the sea line 

 was drove with it a considerable distance over the flat, and 

 grounded upon a small eminence until the water subsided. 

 There were three successive swells, as at Otter Creek, and the 

 effects up the creek were the same, with this difference, the 

 water only rose seven feet. In both cases, the lake, after the 

 three swells had spent their force, gradually subsided, and in 

 about twenty minutes was at its usual height and tranquillity. 

 It was observed at other places along the shore, but the high 

 steep banks did not admit of the same observation. In all, 

 however, there was a general correspondence as to the height 

 of the rise 



" Conjecture will doubtless be awake as to the cause of this 

 most remarkable phenomenon ; but it must only be conjec- 

 tured, for it was unattended with any circumstance that could 

 remotely hint at a probable cause. But such v/as the fact, 

 and it must furnish its own comment.'V 



Some have supposed thlit the occasional rise of Lake Erie 

 is owing to the strong south winds in Lake Michigan ; but 

 this hypothesis cannot account satisfactorily for this appear- 

 ance. Volney supposes that Lake Ontario is the crater of a 

 volcano. Mackenzie says, that many of the islands of Lake 

 Superior display a conformation of lava, intermixed with 



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