328 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



a deep, roaring noife, like that of a catarad. I 

 imprudently rofe up to fee what it could be. I 

 perceived, (10) by the whitenefs of it's foam, a 

 mountain of water, which approached us from the 

 Sea, rolling itfelf over and over. It occupied the 

 whole breadth of the river, and, rufhing above it's 

 banks, to the right-hand, and to the left, broke, 

 with a horrible cradi, among the trunks of the 

 trees of the foreft. In the fame inftant, it came 

 upon our vefTel, and taking her fide- ways, fairly 

 overfet her. This movement tofled me into the 

 water. A moment afterwards, a fécond furge, flill 

 more elevated than the former, turned the veflel 

 keel upward. I recollecl that I then heard ilTue 

 from the inverted wreck, a multitude of hollow 

 and flifled fcreamings ; but, being deiirous of cal- 

 ling my friend to my affidance. my mouth filled 

 w'nh Lit water; I felt a murmuring noife in my 

 ears ; I found myfelf carried away with inconceiv- 

 able rapidity, and foon after I loft all recolleâ;ion, 



I am not fenfible how long I might have re- 

 mained in the water, but when I recovered my 

 fenfes, I perceived, toward the Weft, the bow of 

 Iris in the Heavens, and to the Eaft, the firft fires 

 OÏ Aurora, which tinged the clouds with filver and 

 Vermillion. A company of young girls, extremely 

 fair, half clad in fkins, furrounded me : fome oi 

 them prefented me with liquors in fliells, others 



wiped 



