6Z OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



same continent. But my opinion is, -that these 

 vast inundations proceed from the great and re- 

 peated quantities of snow that falls upon the 

 mountains, which lie at so great a distance from 

 the sea, therefore they have no help of being dis- 

 solved by those saline, piercing particles as other 

 adjacent parts near the ocean receive, and there- 

 fore lies and increases to a vast bulk, until some 

 mild southerly breeze coming on a sudden, con- 

 tinues to unlock these frozen bodies, congealed 

 by the north-west wind, dissipating them in li- 

 quids, and coming down with impetuosity, fill 

 those branches that feed these rivers and causes 

 this strange deluge, which oft times lays under 

 water the adjacent parts on both sides this cur- 

 rent, for several miles distant from her banks ; 

 though the French and Indians affirmed to me, 

 they never knew such an extraordinary flood there 

 before. 



We all, by God's blessing and the endeavors 

 of our Indian pilot, passed safe over the river, but 

 was lost in the woods, which seemed like some 

 great lake, except here and there a knowl of high 

 land which appeared above water. 



"We intended for Mons. Gallian's jun., but was 

 lost, none of us knowing the way at that time, al- 

 though the Indian was born in that country, it 

 having received so strange a metamorphasis. We 

 were in several opinions concerning the right way, 

 the Indian and myself suppossed the house to 

 boar one way, the rest thought to the contrary ; 



