132 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



dicular feet, and rushing back with great velocity above the common 

 mark. It continued thus rising and falling for several hours, gradually 

 decreasing, until it slopped at its usual height.' 



" Governor Clinton relates the following incident, which happened 

 to Colonel Bradstreet, who commanded an expedition against the West- 

 ern Indians in 1764 : — 'In returning by way of Lake Erie, when about 

 to land the troops one evening, a sudden swell of the lake, without any 

 visible cause, destroyed several of his boats, but no lives were lost. 

 This extraordinary event was looked upon as the precursor of a storm, 

 and accordingly one soon occurred, which lasted several days.' The 

 following occurrence, also related by him, took place on the British 

 side of Lake Erie, on the 30th of May, 1823: —' A little after sunset. 

 Lake Erie was observed to take a sudden and extraordinary rise, the 

 weather being fine and clear, and the lake calm and smooth. It was 

 principally observed at the mouths of Otter and Kettle Creeks, which 

 are about twenty miles apart. At Otter Creek, it came in, without the 

 least previous intimation, in a swell of nine feet perpendicular height, 

 as was afterwards ascertained, rushed 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 be- 

 fore seen, by seven or eight feet. The noise occasioned 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 

 persons were engaged drawing a fish-net in the lake, when suddenly 

 they saw the water coming upon them in the manner above described, 

 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 unhurt. 

 The man who was in the skifl", pulling in the sea-line, was driven a 

 considerable distance over the flat, and grounded upon a small em- 

 inence, where he remained until the water subsided. There were 

 three successive swells, as at Otter Creek, and the efl^ects were the 

 same, with this difference, — the water rose only seven feet. In both 

 cases, the lake, after the swells had spent their force, gradually sub- 

 sided, and in about twenty minutes was at its usual height and tran- 

 quillity.' 



