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THE HURRICANE. 



Various portions of our country have at different periods suffered 

 severely from the influence of violent storms of wind, some of which have 

 been known to traverse nearly the whole extent of the United States, and 

 to leave such deep impressions in their wake as will not easily be forgot- 

 ten. Having witnessed one of these awful phenomena, in all its grandeur, 

 I shall attempt to describe it for your sake, kind reader, and for your 

 sake only, the recollection of that astonishing revolution of the etherial 

 element even now bringing with it so disagreeable a sensation, that I feel 

 as if about to be affected by a sudden stoppage of the circulation of my 

 blood. 



I had left the village of Shawaney, situated on the banks of the Ohio, 

 on my return from Henderson, which is also sitviated 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 specvilations. I had forded Highland Creek, and 

 was on the eve of entering a tract of bottom land or valley that lay be- 

 tween it and Canoe Creek, when on a sudden I remarked a great differ- 

 ence in the aspect of the heavens. A hazy thickness had overspread the 

 covmtry, and I for some time expected an earthquake, but my horse ex- 

 hibited 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 toward the south-west, 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 falUng in a slanting direction to- 

 wards 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 



