140 
TRAVELS IN 
tion came, whereby I might have a proper chance 
of taking meafures for fecuring a harbour or running 
from it. The high forefts behind me bent to the 
blaft ; and the fturdy limbs of the trees cracked. I 
had by this time got up abreaft of the grove or horn- 
mock : the hurricane clofe by, purfuing me, I found 
it dangerous and imprudent in the highefl degree to 
put in here, as the groves were already torn up, and 
the fpreading limbs of the ancient live oaks were 
flying over my head, and carried about in the air as 
leaves and ftubble. I ran by and boldly entered the 
lake (being hurried in by a ftrong current, which 
feemed a prodigy, the violent wind driving the flream 
of the creek back again into the lake), and as foon 
as pofiible took fhelter under the high reedy bank 
of the lake, and made fall my bark to the boughs 
of a low fhrubby Hickory, that leaned over the wa- 
ter. Such was the violence of the wind, that it 
railed the waters on the oppofite fhores of the lake 
feveral feet perpendicular, and there was a rapid flow 
of water from the creek into it, which was contrary 
to its natural courfe. Such floods of rain fell during 
the fpace of half or three quarters of an hour, that 
my boat was filled, and 1 expected every moment 
when I fhould fee her flnk to the bottom of the lake ; 
and the violence of the wind kept the cable fo con- 
ftantly extended, that it was beyond my ability to 
get to her. My box, which contained my books of 
fpecimens and other collections, was floating about 
in her, and for a great part of the time the rain came 
down with fuch rapidity, and fell in fuch quantities, 
that every object was totally obfeured, excepting the 
continual ftreams or rivers of lightning, pouring 
from the clouds. All feemed a frightful chaos. 
When the wind and rain abated, I was overjoyed to 
fee the face of nature again appear. 
It 
