Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1838-11-21
From the N. Y. Bah. Register.
DANGEROUS ADVENTURE.


per in BlackwooPs Edinburgh Magazine,
entitled Adventure IN the Northwest Ter
ritory.' 1t is graphic description Of
most thrilling scene:
After residing nearly year in one of
the most distant posts Of the Northwest
Company, and conducting the fur trade
there, began TOO look forward to my re-
,urn to Montreal. waited with The great.
est in,pa encc for the arrival of that period
which was to terminate banishment anu re-.
store me to society. | was nearly three
thousand miles distant from any settlements.
and nv only companions were but two
vouog men, clerks in the establishment.
whose characters and llmi:eI requirements
rendered them vcrv unintcresting associates.
This lake discharged itself by means of n
river. into another of much greater dimeu-
s;ons, and thick forests covered every par:
of the neishboring country.
One afternoon took my gun and strolIed
out in search OF game. Though it was
now the beginning Of spring, the lake was
completely frozen ross, The cold Of The
prscediug winter having been very intense.
I soon fell in with flock of wild ducks, bu,
before go: a shot at them they began to
fly towards the middle Of tho lake however,
I followed them fearlcssfully over the ice,
in the expectation that they weu.a soon
aligbt. The weather was mild though
rather b'owy. Detached black clouds meY.
ell rapidly along the face Of heaven in in..
mense masses, and the sun blazed forth in
unobscured splendcr, at one moment, and
was completely shrouded from view in The
nex.. was so intent on the pursuit Of my
game, that hastened forward almost un.
consciously, my progress being much facil.
itated by thin layer of snow which COW
cred the ice and rendered the fooiing toler.
ably secure. At last | fired at the ducks,
and killed one and wounded uno her.
Immediately picked up the frs, but lis COM
panion having only been winged, bcgan to
leap away before | caught hold of it. ifol-
lowed, but ha hot advanced more than
twenty yards when, to my as.onishmea'.I
found that The ice was ia many places coz
cred with the water TO the depth Of sever.
al inches. stopped short, full Of alarm
and rrcsolute what 10 do. 1t was evident
tha. ihaw had already commenced, ande
as I well knew with sha. rupidity the ice,
broke up when once affected by change
of temperature, | became alive to the dan.
gers ofmy situation, and almost lost though:
Of moving from the spot on whica stood.
The weather had grown calm and hazy,
and the sky was very black and lowering.
Large fixes of snow soon began. to fall
! languidly aud perpendicularly through tho
air and after little time these were ac-
companiad by thick shower of slcety rain,
which gradually became so dense that !
! coulI not discern the shor,. strained
my eyes 10 catch glance Of some living
object, bat dreary and n,otioaless expanse
stretched on every side, and the appalling
silence that prevailed was sometimes inter.
rupted by the receding cries Of the woun-
ded bird. AlInature seemed 20 be fear
I! fully awaiting some terrible event. ! lis.
tened in fearful suspense TO hear. soon
Distinguished distant Numbering noise,
which gradually became stronger, and ap-
pearcd to approach the place where ! stood.
Repea;ej explosions and hollow murmurs
Of irregular loudness were succeeded by a
tremendous sound like that Of rocks burst.
ting asunIer. The ice frcmbled beneath
nv feet. and the next moment it was disu.
niteI by vast chasm, Which opened itself
within few yards ofmc. The water of
the lake rushed upwards through the gap
viii. loaming fury, and began TO flood the
surface al! round.
started backwards, and ran, as con.
caived, towards the shore: bit my progress
was soon stopped by. one of those weak
parts Of the ice callcdalr holes
While walking cautiously around i, my
mind grew somewl,a, composed, and Ire.
solved NOT to advance my farther, until
had fixed upon some way OF ofresulating my
course, but found this to be impossible.
vainly cndeaYorsd 20 discern land, and >
The moaning OF the wind among the ds,on.
forests alone indicated that there was not
any n. all near me. S:rong and irregular
has s. loaded with snow and slec', swcrs
wildly along, involving every thing in Oh.
scuri;y, and bcwildcring my steps with ma-
Iignant influence. sometimes fanciel
saw the spot where our post was situated,
and even The hecs and houses upon it /; but
the next moment gust Of wind would
whrl away tn: fantastic. shaped fogs that
had produced the agreeable Illusion, and
reduced me to aclionless despair. fired
my gun rcpcatcdIy,i in hope that The rcpor.
w9u bring some one 10 my assistance
however,, t C shore acknowledged by feeble
echoes, that the sound hal reached them.
The storm increased in violence, and at
intervals the sound Of the ice hreaking up