262 FIELD-NOTES FOR THE YEAR. CH. XVIII. 



took us on board, and by dint of skilful and strong 

 rowing, and help from the rope held by those on 

 shore, we were at length landed in a field, not across 

 the real channel of the river, but across the flooded 

 land on the other side of us, where the force of the 

 water was less violent. Although I have been in 

 a good many situations of danger by water, I never 

 felt so helpless as whilst we were dashing about at 

 the mercy of the torrents, over bushes, banks, and 

 stranded trees ; had we come hi contact with any 

 one of which our small boat must have been upset, 

 and then all chance of escape would have been out 

 of the question. However, we landed safely, and 

 although we were not above a quarter of a mile 

 from my house, we had to walk round by the chain 

 bridge, a distance of five miles. We got home soon 

 after dark, and before our absence had caused any 

 alarm. With us the rain did not begin till the 

 evening, but we afterwards heard that, farther to 

 the west, it had rained in torrents for many hours 

 during the morning, accompanied by a most terrific 

 thunderstorm, and that a great deal of damage had 

 been clone by the overflowing of different streams, 

 which had broken up several bridges, and injured 

 a great extent of land. A poor woman who hap- 

 pened to be wading the river a mile above us, at 

 a place where it is divided into several streams, 



