160 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA: 
negligence of people ,who are burning brush¬ 
wood-to clear the lands; and considering- how 
often they happen, it is wonderful that they 
are not attended with more serious conse¬ 
quences than commonly follow. ■ I was a wit¬ 
ness myself to one of these fires, that hap¬ 
pened in the Northern Neck. The day had 
been remarkably serene, and appearing fa¬ 
vourable for the purpose, large quantities of 
brushwood had been fired at different places > 
in the afternoon, however, it became sultry, 
* 
and streams of hot ail* were perceptible, now 
and then, the usual tokens of a gust. About 
five . o’clock, the horizon towards the north 
became dark, and a terrible whirlwind arose. 
I was standing with some gentlemen on an 
eminence at the time, and perceived it gra¬ 
dually advancing. It carried with it a cloud 
of dust, dried leaves, and pieces of rotten 
wood, and in many places, as it came along, it 
levelled the fence rails, and unroofed the sheds 
for the cattle. We made every endeavour, 
but in vain, to get to a place of shelter; in 
the course of two minutes the whirlwind 
overtook us; the shock was violent; it was 
hardly possible to stand, and difficult to 
breathe ; the whirlwind passed over in about 
three minutes, but a storm, accompanied by 
heavy thunder and lightning, succeeded, which 
lasted for more than half an hour. On look- 
