'!•' 



238 



AUDUBON 



I had left the village of Shawanee, situated on the banks 

 of the Ohio, on my return from Henderson, which is also 

 situated on the banks of the same beautiful stream. The 

 weather was pleasant, and I thought not warmer than 

 usual at that season. My horse was jogging quietly along, 

 and my thoughts were, for once at least in the course of 

 my life, entirely engaged in commercial speculations. I 

 had forded Highland Creek, and was on the eve of enter- 

 ing a tract of bottom land or valley that lay between it 

 and Canoe Creek, when on a sudden I remarked a great 

 difference in the aspect of the heavens. A hazy thickness 

 had overspread the country, and I for some time expected 

 an earthquake ; but my horse exhibited no propensity to 

 stop and prepare for such an occurrence. I had nearly 

 arrived at the verge of the valley, when I thought fit to 

 stop near a brook, and dismounted to quench the thirst 

 which had come upon me. 



I was leaning on my knees, with my lips about to touch 

 the water, when, from my proximity to the earth, I heard 

 a distant murmuring sound of an extraordinary nature. I 

 drank, however, and as I rose on my feet, looked towards 

 the southwest, where I observed a yellowish oval spot, 

 the appearance of which was quite new to me. Little 

 time was left me for consideration, as the next moment a 

 smart breeze began to agitate the taller trees. It increased 

 to an unexpected height, and already the smaller branches 

 and twigs were seen falling in a slanting direction towards 

 the ground. Two minutes had scarcely elapsed, when 

 the whole forest before me was in fearful motion. Here 

 and there, where one tree pressed against another, a 

 creaking noise was produced, similar to that occasioned 

 by the violent gusts which sometimes 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 



