THE HEN FEVER. 269 



quote the particular details of this circumstance, except in 

 so far as refers directly to my own relatives. I may here 

 add, however, that subsequent accounts inform me that 

 everything of any particular value was totally destroyed. 

 A private letter from Ham, dated at the time, declares that 

 ' there wasn't a peg left to hang his hat on.' 



" Old Noah found it was ' gittin' werry wet under foot' 

 (to use a familiar expression of his), and he wisely built a 

 canal-boat (of very generous dimensions) for the safety of 

 himself and family. Finding that the rain continued, he 

 enlarged his boat, so that he could carry a very consider- 



c 



able amount of luggage, in case of accident. This fore- 

 , sight in the old gentleman proved most fortunate, and only 

 confirms the established opinion, that the family is ' smart ; ' 

 for the ' storm continued unabated for forty days and forty 

 nights ' (so say the accounts), until every species of animal 

 and vegetable matter had been ' used up, ' always excepting 

 the old gentleman's canal-boat and cargo. 



" Now, Noah was a great lover of animals. ' Of every 

 kind, a male and female,' did he take into his boat with him, 

 and ' a nice time ' they must have had of it for six weeks ! 

 Notwithstanding the fact (which I find recorded in one of 

 the journals of the day), that ' a gentleman, who was swim- 

 ming about, and who requested the old man to let him in, 

 upon being refused, declared that he might go to grass 

 with his old f anoe, for he did n't think it would be much of 

 23* 



