tNUSBAflON. 
159 
to, was coasting along in this manner, wlieo 
a "violent storm sudden!y arose. The bateau was 
instantaneously turned towards the shore ; un¬ 
fortunately, however, in running her upon the 
beach some mismanagement took place, and 
she overset. The waves had already begun to 
break in on the shore with prodigious impe¬ 
tuosity ; each one of them rolled farther in than 
the preceding one; the party took alarm, and 
instead of making as strenuous exertions as it 
was supposed they might have made, to right 
the bateau, they took a few necessaries out of 
her, and attempted to save themselves by flight; 
but so rapidly did the water flow after them, 
in consequence of the increasing storm, that 
before they could proceed far enough up the 
country to gain a place of safety, they were all 
.overwhelmed by it, two alone excepted, who 
had the presence of mind and ability to climb 
a lofty tree. To the very great irregularity of 
the height of the lands on both sides of it, is 
attributed the frequency of storms on Lake 
* Erie. The shores of Lake Ontario are lower 
and more uniform than those of any of the 
other lakes ; and that lake is the most tranquil 
of any, as has already been noticed. 
There is a great deficiency of .good har¬ 
bours along the" shores of this Lake. On its 
northern side there are but two places which 
afford shelter to vessels drawing more thaa 
