154 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



pressed against another, a creaking noise was produced, 

 similar to that occasioned by the violent gusts which some- 

 times sweep over the country. Turning instinctively towards 

 the direction from which the wind blew, I saw to my great 

 astonishment, that the noblest trees of the forest bent their 

 lofty heads for a while, and unable to stand against the blast, 

 were falling into pieces. First, the branches were broken 

 off with a crackling noise ; then went the upper part of the 

 massy trunks ; and in many places whole trees of gigantic 

 size were falling entire to the ground. So rapid was the pro- 

 gress of the storm, that before I could think of taking mea- 

 sures to insure my safety, the hurricane was passing opposite 

 the place where I stood. Never can I forget the scene which 

 at that moment presented itself. The tops of the trees were 

 seen moving in the strangest manner, in the central current 

 of the tempest, which carried along with it a mingled mass 

 of twigs and foliage, that completely obscured the view. 

 Some of the largest trees were seen bending and writhing 

 under the gale ; others suddenly snapped across ; and many, 

 after a momentary resistance, fell uprooted to the earth. 

 The mass of branches, twigs, foliage and dust that moved 

 through the air, was whirled onwards like a cloud of feathers, 

 and on passing, disclosed a wide space filled with fallen trees, 

 naked stumps and heaps of shapeless ruins, which marked 

 the path of the tempest. This space was about a fourth of a 

 mile in breadth, and to my imagination resembled the dried- 

 up bed of the Mississippi, with its thousands of planters and 

 sawyers, strewed in the sand, and inclined in various degrees. 

 The horrible noise resembled that of the great cataracts of 

 Niagara, and as it howled along in the track of the desolating 

 tempest, produced a feeling in my mind which it were im- 

 possible to describe. 



The principal force of the hurricane was now over, although 

 millions of twigs and small branches, that had been brought 

 from a great distance, were seen following the blast, as if 



