Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 8).djvu/64

 the ice, several of us observing that we should soon be on our way; went to bed. Next morning at daylight found the river nearly clear, and at eight o'clock it was completely so. The place now presented a curious sight; the men conveying their goods on board the boats and rafts, the women scolding, and children crying, some clothed, and some half clothed, all in haste, filled with anxiety, as if a few minutes were lost their passage would be lost also. By ten o'clock the whole river for one mile appeared to be one solid body of boats and rafts. What, but just before, appeared a considerable village, now remained but a few solitary huts with their occupants. Myself with the adventurers now drifted on rapidly with the current, and in six days we were in the Ohio river, and should have been much sooner had it been safe to have run in {34} the night. We found this river had risen in the same proportion as the Alleghany; and several houses at which I had stopped the July before, and which then stood thirty or forty feet above the surface of the water, were now so completely surrounded with water that we could float up to the doors; and on my arrival at Cincinnati I was told that the water had risen sixty feet above low water mark. Small boats would run just below the city, and come up in back water into the streets. Much damage was done in many places by this extraordinary freshet.

In this part of the country I remained for a considerable time, part of which I spent in this state, and part in Kentucky; but was soon attacked with fever and ague again. This complaint seemed to be quite attached to me, and no effort which I could make was sufficient to remove it while I remained on the banks of this river. I imputed the severity of this complaint to the heavy fogs which were experienced at this place; and determined to leave it, and go either to the North or South.