Year: 1859

up with the tub. then put IN the other


half of my load, and succeeded in get


ting the whole across the branch, and


travelled on about three miles and put


up for night. Wet as / was, and at that


season of the year, it is easy to conceive


my uncomfortable situation, for the thaw


was over, and it was chilly and cold. In


the morning l proceeded for hone-came


to the river: not being sensible how


weak the ice was, attempted to cross,


but here a scene ensued that on never


forget. When about halt aaoss the


river, I perceived the ice setting under


my oxen. l jumped on to the tongue of


my sled, and hastened to the Oxen's


heads, and pulled out the pin that held


the yoke. By this time the oxen we're


sunk TO their knees in water. / tsen


sprang to the sled, and drawed it back to


the shore, without the least difficulty, |
Notwithstanding the load, and returned |
to my oxen. By this time they had


broken a considerable path in the Ice,


and were struggling to get out. l couli


do nothing but stand and see them swim
round-sometimes they would be nearly
out of sight, nothing scarcely but their


horns to be seen; they would then rise
and struggle to extrieate themselves
from their perilous situation. called


for help in vain and to fly for assist


ance would have been imprudent and


fatal. Notwithstanding my unhappy ST.


tuation, and the manner by which came


by the oxen, &c, l was not terrified in


the least-I felt calm and composed at
length the oxen swan up to where


stood and laid their heads on the ice at


my feet. l Immediately took the yoke
from off their necks they lay still till


the act was performed, and then return


ed to swimming as before. By this time


they had made an opening in the ice as


much as two rods across. One of them
finally swan to the down stream side.


and in an instant, as if lifted out of the


water, he was on his side on the ice,


and got up and walked off; the other


swan to the same place and was out in


the same way. stood on the opposite


side of the opening, and saw with aston


isnment every movement. l tn n


thought, and the impression is still on


my mind, that they were helped out by


supernatural means; most certainly no


natural cause could produce an effect like


this : that a heavy OK six and half feet


in girth, can of his own natural strength


heave himself out of the water on his


side on the ice, is too extraordinary to
reconcile to a natural cause that in
the course of Divine Providence events


do take place out of the common COURSE


of nature, that our strongest reasoning
cannot comprehend, is impious to deny ::


though we acknowledge the many chi


meras of superstition, ignorance and bar
} barism in the world and when we are
eye witnesses to such events, it is not
! for US to doubt, but to believe and trem-


bic. Others have right to doubt my
: testimony but in this instance, for me
to doubt would be perjury to my own
conscience, and 1 may add ingratitude to
; my Divine Benefactor. In fact signal
) Providence seemed to direct the path
for me to pursue to procure this grain.
| Though | was doomed to encounter
| perils, to suffer fatigue and toll, there
was way provided for me to obtain the
2 object in view. In the first onset ac-
cidentally fell in with the man Of whom ]
7 purchased at the Park. l found he had
] grain to sell. I requested Of him thi:
? small supply on trust: we were stranger:
n to each other-a peculiar friend Of mine
q happening to be by, volunteered BIZ
: word for the pay. knew not where
e nor how to get the money, but necessity
a drove me to make the purchase, and II
/ the course of the winter was so fortu
!, nate as to catch saple enough to pay tbs
}. debt by the time it was due. Though
0 hazarded my word, it was in a goot
d cause-it was for the relief of my fami
,fI y, and so it terminated. But to return
;; 1 had now gone to the extent Of m,
d abilities for bread corn, but was destitut
d of meat and beef and pork were scare
y I.er in those times. Accordingly I had f
; have recourse to wild meat for a substi
b tate, and had the good luck TO purchase
!, moose Of a hunter; and the meat Of tw
Il more brought in on shares-had the On
d for bringing in the other. These tvs
u were uncommonly large-were judge
y to weigh seven hundred weight each
il The meat Of these three moose / bFough
10 IN on my back, together Eith the larg
70 bones and heads. I backed them five G