TRAVELS IN’ 
50 
cries of the whip-poor-will; the moon about an 
hour above the horizon; lo! a dark eclipfe* of her 
glorious brightnefs came flowly on ; at length, a 
filver thread alone encircled her temples : at this 
boding change, an univerfal filence prevailed. 
Nature now weary, I refigned myfelf to reft; 
the night palled over ; the cool dews of the morn- 
ins: awoke me ; my fire burnt low ; the blue fmoke 
CD J 
fcaree rofe above the moiftened embers ; all was 
gloomy : the late ftarry ikies, now overcaft by thick 
clouds, warned me to rife and be going. The 
livid purple clouds thickened on the frowning brows 
of the morning; the tumultuous winds from the 
eaft now exerted their power. O peaceful Alatama- 
ha ! gentle by nature ! how thou wert ruffled ! thy 
wavy furface disfigured every object, prefenting 
them obfcurelv to the fight, and they at length to- 
tally difappeared, whilft the furious winds and 1 weep- 
ing rains bent the lofty groves, and proftrated the 
quaking grafs, driving the affrighted creatures to 
their dens and caverns. 
The tempeft now relaxed, its impetus being fpent, 
and a calm ferenky gradually took place ; by noon the 
clouds broke away, the blue iky appeared, the fulgid 
fun-beams fpread abroad their animating light, and 
the fteady weftern wind refumed his peaceful reign. 
The waters were purified, the waves fublided, and the 
beautiful river regained its native calmnefs. So it is 
with the varied and mutable fcenes of human events 
on the ftream of life. The higher powers and af- 
fections of the foul are fo blended and connected 
with the inferior paffions, that the moil painful feel- 
ings are excited in the mind when the latter are 
crofted : thus in the moral fyftem, which we have 
* The air at this time being ferene, and not a cloud to be feen, I faw this 
annual almoit total autumnal eclipfe in its higheft degree of perfection. 
