26 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPOET. 



that there was barely standing-room. I was able to 

 grope my way to the steamer, and when on board I 

 found that the captain, Mr Gerster, and several of the 

 volunteers, had at once started with boats on a life- 

 saving expedition. There was already water enough 

 in the town to float the boats. 



The day never dawned upon a sadder scene than 

 that which met our eyes when the light revealed to 

 us in its full extent the calamity that had overtaken 

 the city. Houses were falling in every direction, 

 the rising waters seemed to saw the foundations from 

 under them ; and they melted away in the flood, or 

 toppled over with a crash. When it was sufficiently 

 light, I set off for the telegraph-office to report events 

 to London. Fortunately the telegraphic wires were 

 in working order ; indeed through the whole week 

 there was only one day of interruption, thanks to the 

 energy of the officials. The office is situated rather 

 higher than most of the town, and when I entered, 

 the flood had not yet reached this level. I went 

 to an upper room to write my telegram, which 

 occupied some time, owing to irregularities caused by 

 .the general confusion of everything. "When I came 

 down -stairs, with the intention of finding my way 

 back to the steamer, I discovered that the flood had 

 overtaken me, even in that short time, and there was 

 already a depth of three feet of water in the street. I 

 saw clearly that there was no time to be lost, so I 

 plunged in ; but just at that moment a country cart 



