FINAL RETREAT OF THE ICE 
And swoll'n by melting floods of ice and snow, 
From upland scenes, terrific is her flow. 175 
The Mississippi, with re-doubled force, 
From melted flood, rolls on a widening course. 
And countless streams and rills that frozen lay 
From east to west are making holiday. 
More warm and steady here is climate growing, 1 80 
And banished life comes on as sea o'erflowing 
Old barrier shores. Re-clothed are lands in green 
As plant and shrub and tree invade the scene. 
Forests again are spreading far and wide, 
And steppe-like wastes are slow revivified. 185 
Right to the skirts of ice press hardy plants, 
And animals, inured to cold, advance 
From scenes become too mild ; and in their place 
The life more south is pressing on apace. 
Columbia, famous in the days of old 1 90 
For champion reptile life, comes now to hold 
Huge statured beasts. Indeed such giant bears, 
Lions and horses, as those that now are hers, 
(Surpassing all such forms to-day in size), 
Have up till now not elsewhere met our eyes. 195 
Truly the land is good, or whilst the ice 
Held fast these scenes, these beasts had found some paradise. 
Gigantic sloths have come to look around, 
Though none are here of such proportions found 
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