stage journey between this
and Utica.

The boat for a few hours went on merrily; the eternal forest closed
about us, and the sound of our horses' feet alone broke upon its
silence. Towards evening the heat became great, and after sunset the
southern sky began to give forth continuous sheets of flame, along whose
pale surface would occasionally dart lines of red forked lightning,
whilst the breeze gradually died away. My first idea was, that we were
about to be favoured with a refreshing storm of rain and thunder; but
vain were my hopes: I watched and listened, but no drop fell, no sound
was heard.

Meantime, the heat increased as the night closed in: the little cots,
however, were duly hung one below another along the sides of the cabin.
I had procured an upper berth, with a window by my side; and having
exhausted my patience, and wearied my sight watching the fiery sky, I at
last ventured to creep below. Although a hotter atmosphere can hardly be
imagined, I slept tolerably sound; but, on waking, found myself anything
but refreshed. The sun was not yet above the horizon when I crept forth
on to the deck: it was that hour of morning which, of all others, one
expects to be invigorating and cool, as indeed it usually is in all
climates; but here, enclosed within the banks of the canal, and
surrounded by swamp and forest, there was no morning air for us. My mind
was made up to leave the boat at the first place where a stage might be
procured.

All this day the air absolutely stood still. At our places of halt we
were joined by men who had left the stages in consequence of those
vehicles not being able to travel. Our pace was reduced considerably;
and the cattle, although in excellent condition, were terribly
distressed. At Lockport we found business nearly at a stand-still; the
thermometer was at 110 degrees of Fahrenheit. We passed several horses
dead upon the banks of the canal, and were compelled to leave one or two
of our own in a dying state. Here more persons joined than we could well
accommodate, and I found positively that all movement by the stage route
was at an end, forty horses having fallen on the line the day previous.
To attempt abiding in any of the places along the canal, I was assured
would be an exchange for the worse; so the only course was to endure the
"ills we had," and certainly these did not become the lighter through
practice. Towards the second night our progress became tediously slow,
for i