other in dreadful commotion.  The forked lightning was incessant, accompanied by heavy thunder.  In a short space the clouds seemed to converge to a point, which approached very near the earth, still whirling with great rapidity directly under this point; and apparently from the midst of the woods arose a black column in the shape of a cone, which instantly joined itself to the depending cloud:  the sight was now grand and awful in the extreme.

Let any one picture to the imagination a vast column of smoke of inky blackness reaching from earth to heaven, gyrating with fearful velocity; bright lightnings issuing from the vortex—­the roar of the thunder—­the rushing of the blast—­the crashing of timber—­the limbs of trees, leaves and rubbish, mingled with clouds of dust, whirling through the air—­a faint idea is then given of the scene.

“Through all the sky arise outrageous storms,
 And death stands threatening in a thousand forms;
 Clouds charged with loud destruction drown the day,
 And airy demons in wild whirlwinds play;
 Thick thunder-claps, and lightnings’ vivid glare
 Disturb the sky, and trouble all the air.”

I had ample time for observation as the hurricane commenced its desolating course about two miles from the town, through the centre of which it took its way, passing within fifty yards of the spot where a number of persons and myself were standing watching its fearful progress.  As the tornado approached, the trees seemed to fall like a pack of cards before its irresistible current.  After passing through the clearing made around the town, the force of the wind gradually abated, and in a few minutes died away entirely.

As soon as the storm was over, I went to see what damage it had done.  From the point where I first observed the black column to rise from the woods and join the cloud, the trees were twisted in every direction.  A belt of timber had been levelled to the ground about two miles in length, and about one hundred yards in breadth:  at the entrance of the town it crossed the river Speed, and up-rooted about six acres of wood which had been thinned out and left by Mr. Galt as an ornament to his house.

The Eremosa road was completely blocked up for nearly half a mile, in the wildest confusion possible.  In its progress through the town, it unroofed several houses, levelled the fences to the ground, and entirely demolished a frame-barn:  windows were dashed in, and in one instance the floor of a log-house was carried up through the roof.  Some hair-breadth escapes occurred, but, luckily, no lives were lost.

About twelve years since, a storm of this kind occurred in the north part of the township of Douro, though of less magnitude.  I heard an intelligent settler who resided some years in the township of Madoc state that, during his residence there, a similar hurricane to the one I have described, but of a more awful character, passed through a part of Marmora and Madoc, which had been traced in a north-easterly direction upwards of forty miles into the unsurveyed lands, the uniform width of which appeared to be upwards of three quarters of a mile.