510 PHILOSOPHY OF STORMS. 



He is a man of truth, and his statement may be relied on 

 implicitly. 



I deemed this a case proving your theory so triumphant- 

 ly, I have been induced to give you the facts as I received 

 them. Yours, truly, JAMES A. LEWIS. 



P. S. I am well known to many of your merchants in 

 Market Street ; Thomas Shewell, Field Fobes, Richard Ash- 

 trast, William Wilson, &c. 



The author waited on some of these gentlemen, and satis- 

 fied himself that Mr. Lewis was known to them. 



Facts for Mr. Espy. 



213. The following facts are distinctly recollected as gen- 

 erally admitted, observed and spoken of by my fellow citi- 

 zens, inhabitants of the counties of Delaware and Otsego, 

 in the state of New York, while I resided in those counties, 

 from A. D. 1819 to A. D. 1827. 



These counties are situated on the eastern branch of the 

 Snsquehannah river, by which they are separated from 

 each other. 



The face of the country is broken, hilly, mountainous, 

 and diversified; hills rising on hills, on either side of the 

 river, till they assume decided claims to the character of 

 mountains. This being an outline of the prevailing face of 

 the country, it will be manifest that extensive prospects 

 and landscapes will be commanded by the eye from many 

 locations. At the time referred to, many of the inhabitants 

 were engaged in clearing their land of the incumbering 

 timber. Extensive fallows, as they were called, were, 

 every year prepared for the redeeming fire, by the indus- 

 trious woodman's axe, and were accordingly burnt over at 

 suitable times and seasons. Or, in other words, when the 

 timber, brush and combustibles were dry, and favorable to 

 the operation. 



