410 BREAKING UP OF THE ICE. 



water had suddenly risen from an overflow of the Ohio, the two streams 

 seemed to rush against each other with violence, in consequence of which 

 the congealed mass was broken into large fragments, some of which rose 

 nearly erect here and there, and again fell with thundering crash, as the 

 wounded whale, when in the agonies of death, springs up with furious 

 force, and again plunges into the foaming waters. To our surprise, the 

 weather, which in the evening had been calm and frosty, had become wet 

 and blowy. The water gushed from the fissures formed in the ice, and 

 the prospect was extremely dismal. When day dawned, a spectacle 

 strange and fearful presented itself : the whole mass of water was violent- 

 ly agitated, its covering was broken into small fragments, and although 

 not a foot of space was without ice, not a step could the most daring have 

 ventured to make upon it. Our boat was in imminent danger, for the trees 

 which had been placed to guard it from the ice were cut or broken into 

 pieces, and were thrust against her. It was impossible to move her ; but 

 our pilot ordered every man to bring down great bunches of cane, which 

 were lashed along her sides ; and before these were destroyed by the ice, 

 she was afloat and riding above it. While we were gazing on the scene, 

 a tremendous crash was heard, which seemed to have taken place about 

 a mile below, when suddenly the great dam of ice gave way. The cur- 

 rent of the Mississippi had forced its way against that of the Ohio ; and 

 in less than four hours, we witnessed the complete breaking up of the ice. 

 During that winter, the ice was so thick on the Mississippi, that op- 

 posite St Louis, horses and heavy waggons crossed the river. Many 

 boats had been detained in the same manner as our own, so that provi- 

 sions and other necessary articles had become very scarce, and sold at a 

 high price. This happened about twenty-eight years ago. 



