AUDUBON AND BOONE. 155 



drawn onwards by some mysterious power. They even floated 

 in the air for some hours after, as if supported by the thick 

 mass of dust that rose high above the ground. The sky had 

 now a greenish lurid hue, and an extremely disagreeable sul- 

 phureous odor was diffused in the atmosphere. I waited in 

 amazement, having sustained no material injury, until nature 

 at length resumed her wonted aspect. For some moments, I 

 felt undetermined whether I should return to Morgantown, 

 or attempt to force my way through the wrecks of the tem- 

 pest. My business, however, being of an urgent nature, I 

 ventured into the path of the storm, and after encountering 

 innumerable difficulties, succeeded in crossing it. I was 

 obliged to lead my horse by the bridle, to enable him to leap 

 over the fallen trees, whilst I scrambled over or under them 

 in the best way I could, at times so hemmed in by the broken 

 tops and tangled branches, as almost to become desperate. 

 On arriving at my house, I gave an account of what I had 

 seen, when, to my surprise, I was told that there had been 

 very little wind in the neighborhood, although in the streets 

 and gardens many branches and twigs had fallen in a manner 

 which excited, great surprise. 



Many wondrous accounts of the devastating effects of this 

 hurricane were circulated in the country, after its occurrence. 

 Some log houses, we were told, had been overturned, and 

 their inmates destroyed. One person informed me that a 

 wire-sifter had been conveyed by the gust to a distance of 

 many miles. Another had found a cow lodged in the fork of 

 a large half-broken tree. But, as I am disposed to relate 

 only what I have myself seen, I shall not lead you into the 

 region of romance, but shall content myself with saying that 

 much damage was done by this awful visitation. The valley 

 is yet a desolate place, overgrown with briars and bushes, 

 thickly entangled amidst the tops and trunks of the fallen 

 trees, and is the resort of ravenous animals, to which they 

 betake themselves when pursued by man, or after they have 



