The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1874-06-24

magnolia and pecan trees and here in the black
ness and storm of that long-to-beremembered
morning the big levee broke The house fell in
twenty minutes, the family barely escaping with
their lives, while drowning mules. horses, sheep,
and poultry were borne with cabins, fences, sta
bles and furniture by the merciless torrent to
the woods.
Rapidly came the water over our fields, sweep
ing everything before it, filling the bayou and
bitches to the sugar-house; quickly it rushed to
the quarters from which the negroes fed to the
sugar-hOuse, and huddled high up among the ma
chinery, saving nothing but their babies. The
overseer, with his numerous family, sought refuge
in neighboring store; mules and cattle scam-
pered braying and snortng in terror around the
house dogs howled ia every direction, while
ducks, geese, tree-toads and frogs were noisy and
jubant at the prospect.
All that terrible day the rain fell in torrents,
and still came the river on, until noon, when it
crept more slowly to the garden-fence and stop
ped, the waters having made a current parallel
with the river, and flowing in that direction. All
night the rain fell, aud the wind blowing against
the bank before, threatened to burst the levee-
soft and soaked by the heavy rain-and rush to
meet the river behind US We laid rubber-coaks
and blankets handy, ready to fee any moment
out in the tempest, We knew not whittier, moor
ed two skfs under the rose bush by the gallery,
built roaring fires Of cypress-wood in ire-places
to keep up our spirits, while old black Charlotte,
in a very tight basque, ornate with brass buttons
and glass buttons OF every size and description,
her good old face surrounded by the gayest ban
danna, poked the fire at intervals all around, fall
ing on her knees to pray at the slightest provoca-
ton, or in dismal minor key keeping time with
the bowling wind through the cotton trees. as
she swayed 10 and fro in the freight. singing,
Oh! Lord come along, come along, trouble done
bore me down"
Day came with no cessation of the storm, but
before night the river in front had fallen twenty
eight inches. From this fact we we're assured
the levee must have broken in many places.
All the following day the tempest Of wind and
rain continued, and until noon on Sunday, when,
the blessed sun shone gIittering on a
waste Of water, bordered by green ridge where
on our little white house stands peacefully.
1t was perilous time to the people of her
vile parish, perilous experience to all the
jewellers on the lowlands of Louisiana, which
hope never again to witness on record.
Now where three weeks ago green, thrifty
cane-ields bespoke the abundant sugar harvest,
the Mississippi River flows six, eight and ten
eet deep; where We galloped on horseback we
now row in skfs or sail in pleasure boats IN the
cabins, where at night the tired men, after hard
lays toiling in the field told their droll stories
md watched the hoe-cake baking, and in the lit /
lie garden-patches where the women planted scar
ct beans and sweet potatoes together. aud guard. .
ID with simple pleasure their young chickens and
lives of bees, now the blind buffalo, and gar.fsh,
With the pink shrimp, and poisonous scorpion,
Iisport sole possessors.