n 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.

It appears very evident that storms of this description have not been
unfrequent in the wooded regions of Canada; and it becomes a matter of
interesting consideration, whether the clearing of our immense forests
will not, in a great measure, remove the cause of these phenomena.

Dark, heavy clouds were gathering in the west,
Wrapping the forest in funereal gloom;
Onward they roll'd and rear'd each livid crest,
Like death's murk shadows frowning o'er earth's tomb:
From out the inky womb of that deep night
Burst livid flashes of electric flame:
Whirling and circling with terrific might,
In wild confusion on the tempest came.
Nature, awakening from her still repose,
Shudders responsive to the whirlwind's shock
Feels at her mighty heart convulsive throes;
Her groaning forests to earth's bosom rock.

But, hark! what means that hollow rushing sound,
That breaks the sudden stillness of the morn?
Red forked lightnings fiercely glare around:
What crashing thunders on the winds are borne!
And see yon spiral column, black as night,
Rearing triumphantly its wreathing form;
Ruin's abroad, and through the murky light,
Drear desolation marks the spirit of the storm.
* * * * * *
How changed the scene; the awful tempest's o'er;
From dread array and elemental war
The lightning's flash hath