HEAVY STORMS. 315 



It really looked as if that watery saint, old 

 Swithin, had taken it into his head to leave his 

 favourite abode in England, just to travel north 

 a little, and was then on his passage hereabout. 

 However this may be, the rain poured, and the 

 wind blew, first in hollow gusts, then in loud 

 squalls, and last of all in a downright heavy 

 gale sufficient to have laid low the pride of the 

 tallest and stoutest pine in the forest : as it was, 

 its fury was thrown away, the only trophy of its 

 prowess being the upsetting of our tent, though 

 secured with a rampart of heavy stones, and the 

 carrying off of one of my moccassins. Not the less, 

 however, did it continue to rage, and throughout 

 the whole of July 5th the boat was untouched ; 

 nor was there the least abatement on the follow- 

 ing day, which, being Sunday, was devoted to 

 the exercise of our religious duties, during the 

 whole performance of which I observed with 

 great pleasure that the men paid the most de- 

 corous attention. This state of weather could 

 not last much longer without deluging the 

 country; and on the 7th the storm gradually 

 moderated, got drizzly, and finally spit only at 

 intervals, still loth, as it seemed, to leave off. At 

 last the sun peeped faintly through the grey 

 clouds, and at his setting lit up a hope of better 

 times. The boat was finished, and the carpenters, 

 with an Iroquois, who had been purposely kept 



