THE OHIO DISTRICT 229 



tural purposes the trees are always cut down previously 

 to burning. I discovered afterwards that the calcined 

 trunks of burned trees will stand for many years. The 

 burning off of land is supposed to add greatly to its pro- 

 ductive qualities : I doubt if it does anything of the kind. 

 My opinion of the proceeding has already been given. 



I afterwards became more familiar with these burn- 

 ings off, and also with those forest conflagrations which 

 are the result of accident or mischievous design. The 

 fierceness with which the fires rage is almost incredible. 

 If there is a wind blowing at the time the rush of flame 

 completely stops it, and the roar resembles in sound a 

 continuous deep roll of thunder. It is so loud that the 

 voice cannot be heard unless one shouts. The flames 

 shoot up perpendicularly, and great sheets of fire seem 

 to be flung off in a kind of explosion. Masses of glowing 

 branches fly about, evidently driven by the combustion 

 of gases ; and are sometimes projected nearly a hundred 

 yards. So the danger to houses or stock in the neigh- 

 bourhood may be conceived. There are nearly always 

 wild animals in the burning patch, and these and the 

 birds seem to completely lose their heads with terror. 

 Hundreds perish which ought to escape ; the birds 

 especially, wheeling round and round, and finally drop- 

 ping, suffocated, into the black smoke, which hangs 

 heavily around the base of the burning mass. 



Such animals as foxes and raccoons will appear at 

 the edge of the fiery area, and then, appearing to fear 

 some new danger ahead, crouch paralysed until they are 

 literally roasted alive. Not one in ten escapes, and of 

 those which I have picked up under such circumstances 

 several afterwards died of fright. Few, however, can be 

 approached on account of the intense heat, which no 

 doubt is one of the bewildering causes. I have never 

 seen deer driven from the forests by fire, but on the 

 prairies they run before it until its near approach causes 

 them to become paralysed. 



