A STORM. 343 



The weather had been variable, and the ther- 

 mometer as high as 68°, in the afternoon ; but 

 the sky suddenly became overcast, and heavy 

 black clouds rolled from the N. W., which, 

 bursting with violent squalls, poured down rat- 

 tling showers of sleet. The storm, however, 

 passed away, and the evening was fine enough 

 to draw out some swarms of mosquitoes, that 

 failed not to " take the goods the gods pro- 

 vided," when we encamped, as we were obliged 

 to do, on the edge of a swamp. From the more 

 hilly character and general trending of the shore, 

 I entertained a hope that we should soon be led 

 to the north ; and most devoutly did I wish to 

 arrive at the gneiss formation, being certain that 

 to reach the sea in the desired direction, the 

 river must cut its way through rocks of some 

 kind, as I had previously observed in the Copper- 

 mine and M c Kenzie. In my desire to gain some 

 further knowledge of the course, I ascended a 

 distant hill, from the summit of which, with the 

 help of my glass, I could discern several exten- 

 sive sheets of water in almost opposite bearings, 

 one of them being due south ; but owing to the 

 intervention of rocks, and uneven ground for 

 about two miles in the line of my view, it was 

 impossible to determine whether they were sepa- 

 rate or formed one continuous water. The doubt, 

 however, was cleared up at an early hour on the 



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