gi6 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [December 



had not been vain, though they faw him for feveral weeks walking 

 about with the fpear unmoved, even after fuppuration had taken 

 place; but they at la ft heard, that his wife had fixed her teeth in the 

 wound and drawn it out : after which he recovered, and was able 

 again to go into the field. During his illnefs, his wife War-re-weer 

 fnewed by an uncommon attention that her attachment was fuperior 

 to that of many a more polifhed female. Collins's recovery gave ge- 

 neral fatisfaclion, as he was much efteemed by every white man who 

 knew him, as well for his perfonal bravery, of which they had wit- 

 nefTed many diftinguifhing proofs, as on account of a geiitlenefs of 

 manners that ftrongly marked his difpofition, and fhaded off the harm, 

 lines which his uncivilized life now and then forced into the fore 

 ground. 



At the Hawkefbury, in the beginning of the month, an extraordi- 

 nary meteorological phcenomenon occurred. Four farms on the creek 

 were totally cut up by a fall, not of hail or of fnow, but of large flakes 

 of ice, It was ftated by the officer who had the command of the 

 military there, that the mower paffed in a direction N.W. taking fuch 

 farms as fell within its courfe. The effecT was extraordinary ; the 

 wheat then tending was beaten dowm, the ears cut off, and the grain 

 perfectly thrafhed out. Of the Indian corn the large thick ftalks were 

 broken, and the cobs found lying at the roots. A man who was too 

 far diftant from a houfe to enter it in time, was glad to take fhelter in 

 the hollow of a tree. The fides of the trees which were oppofed to 

 its fury, appeared as if large fhot had been difcharged againfl: them, 

 and the ground was covered with fmall twigs from the branches. On 

 that part of the race-ground which it croffied, the ftronger Ihrubs were 

 found cut to pieces, while the weaker, by yielding to the florin, were 

 only beaten down. The two fucceeding days were remarkably mild ; 

 notwithftanding which, the ice remained on the ground nearly as 

 large as when it fell. Some flakes of it were brought to the officer on 

 the fecond day, which meafured from fix to eight inches long, and at 



1 2 that 



