THE EAGLE OF EAGLE LAKE. EAGLE LAKE is situated in the wild northern section of the state of New York. It is of small extent, not varying essentially from eighty chains* in length and forty in breadth. This lake was discovered under circumstances somewhat amusing, and in a manner that presented its features in a bold and impressive aspect... Two gentlemen, with their packs on their backs, left in search of a lake recently discovered, lying in that vicinity †, but, as afterwards appeared, to the south of the one in question. After rowing some four or five hours, and surmounting several high ridges, crossing valleys, climbing over windfalls, and tearing their way through the thick under-brush, they came to the summit of a still higher ridge, thickly covered with sprucetrees, so dense and dark as to obstruct the view in every direction...Here they seated themselves upon a log to rest, and while calculating upon the probable nearness to the object of their search, they were startled by the cracking of the brushwood under the footsteps of some heavy animal... They had left their trusty rifle behind them to lighten their burden, and their only means of defence consisted in an antiquated pistol, a family relic, that had seen much service, but which in this age of revolvers and improvements was, to say the least, of doubtful character... They, however, placed themselves in a posture of defence-the knight of the pistol holding on to his anchorage on the log, while his defenceless companion veered round and took up his position in the rear. This last move to ment must doubtless have been made not so much with a view to personal protection as to form a reserve, fall upon the foe in the heat of the conflict...The heavy footsteps of the beast drew near, but the thicket still concealed him from their view. This suspense, however, did not continue long; for, in due time, old Bruin presented his black visage ‡, raised himself erect upon his haunches, *Chains, a "chain is 66 feet linear measure. Visage, face, countenance. bared his teeth, uttered his hideous growl, and viewed the strangers with his keen black eye...After exchanging glances for a short time, however, Bruin came to the conclusion "that discretion was the better part of valor," and with manifest symptoms of alarm turned and fled, with the bullet from the old pistol whistling through the thicket in pursuit. Thus ended the fright and the bloodless contest, probably to the entire satisfaction of all parties concerned. But this adventure was followed by another, if not so dangerous, yet somewhat more amusing, which gave the name to the lake in question. Our travellers, having been relieved from their unwelcome visitor, resolved, before proceeding on their journey, to take an observation from the high grounds where they were, with a view to examine the country to the south and east, and discover, if possible, the position of the lake which was the object of their search... To accomplish this purpose, the knight of the pistol volunteered his services to climb a tall spruce that stood hard by, and accordingly flung aside his pack, pulled off his boots, and depositing them at the foot of the tree, commenced the ascent. After climbing some fifty or sixty feet, his ears were suddenly pierced by the screams of a huge eagle, and his face at the same time assailed by her wings and torn by her claws...As the enraged bird passed round her airy circuit, repeating her sharp and threatening notes, the eye of the adventurer fell upon a deep black lake below him, and he for the first time discovered that the tree he had ascended stood upon the brink of a precipice of fearful height, overhanging the dark abyss, where the jealous bird of liberty had planted her nest and secured her young!... By this time the gathering foe had again made her circle, and, coming like an arrow through the air, pounced upon his head, and, striking her talons through his cap and wig, tore them from his naked scalp and hurled them to the ground...Not exactly a back-out, but a back-down, was the immediate result, and the vanquished knight, as he landed upon the ground, remarked to his companion that his satisfaction was unbounded, seeing that the matter had ended no worse. On examining the lake, it was found that it was nearly surrounded by rocks, for the most part of perpendicular ascent, rising, like a wall of masonry, with its face to the lake, and from two to three hundred feet above the surface of the water...It was of oval form, and gave the appearance of an immense reservoir prepared by art; a section of its western wall, however, overhung the water, forming a high arched cavern beneath...No streams were discovered falling into the lake, but an outlet, running constantly from it, was noticed at the extreme south end, where the heights became depressed, and fell to a level with the surface of this secluded yet interesting object of nature. Boys' Magazine. A FLOOD IN THE PROVINCE OF MORAY. IN August, 1829, the river Spey, in the north of Scotland, swollen by the mountain torrents of a frightful season, overflowed its banks. Steadily the flood increased, overwhelming farms and villages, to the consternation of their peaceful inhabitants, and carrying devastation and disaster over its extensive course... Among the poor people, who were for a long time in danger, was a man of the name of Sandy Smith, whose cottage stood upon a piece of low furzy pasture, not far from one of the rivers which had overflowed its banks. On looking in the direction of his cottage, those who were safe on the hills were very glad to see a distant gleam of light, which came from a candle placed in his cottage window. A dismal night had Sandy Smith in his cottage, in the midst of the waters. At break of day the kind people, who were looking out for him and his family, saw all the country laid under water, including many fields which had the day before been beautiful with yellow wheat, green tops of turnips, and other crops; and the surface of the flood was strewed with trees and every kind of wreck from farms, and barns, and houses... The heavy rain and the raging wind were yet continuing; the cattle were wandering about, and lowing for want of their usual food, and crowds of distressed families were crying and bewailing themselves...Afar off was seen the cottage of Sandy Smith, its roof like a speck above water; and it was seen that the gable end had given way. With the help of a good telescope, the family were perceived to have got out of the cottage, and to be all huddled together on a small spot of ground not more than a few feet square, and forty or fifty yards distant from their ruined dwelling... Sandy himself was seen, sometimes standing up and sometimes sitting on a small cask; he seemed to be watching the large trees that swept past him and his wife and children, and which threatened to sweep them away. His wife was sitting on a bit of a log covered with a blanket, having one child on her knee, and two leaning by her side. Close to them were about a score of sheep, a small horse, and three cows, all glad, like themselves, to stand on that little spot of dry land. The greatest fear which those who saw these poor people from distant houses had, was that the waters would gain upon them before any boat could be procured to go and fetch them away. A lady in the neighbourhood had, however, ordered her horses to be put to a boat, to drag it down to a convenient spot for being launched, and three bold men got into it, determined to save the lives of the poor people if possible. But to reach the house, and then to get on to where Sandy Smith and his family were waiting, was a task of no small labor and difficulty; for as the boat seemed to be going on fairly and well, it was more than once carried away by the currents that were to be crossed, and carried away with such violence, that those on shore thought the people in the boat would be lost... The activity of the men in the boat was their only safety; and one of them, whose name was Donald Munro, but who, on account of his dress, was that day called Straw Hat and Yellow Waistcoat, gained much honor for his wonderful exertions... Sometimes he was at the head of the boat, and sometimes at the stern, not unfrequently in the water up to the neck, and then again rowing with all his strength... Before they reached the spot where Sandy Smith and his family were standing in a cluster on their little spot of land, there were five raging currents to be passed. The moment the boat came to one of these it was whirled away far down the stream, and when one current was passed the men had to pull the boat up again all the way before they ventured to cross another... The last current which they had to cross was the worst; but Smith was so delighted to see the boat approaching, that he ran into the water to meet it, and helped to drag it towards the spot whereon his wife and children were yet remaining. They were all then safely placed in the boat and carried back, with many difficulties, across all the currents to the shore. It appeared that these poor people had been driven out of their house at about eight o'clock on the Monday evening, and had fled to the only dry place they could reach. They had but just time to throw blankets over them, and Smith himself had fortunately presence of mind enough to take with him a small bag of meal. His cows, and his pony, and his sheep, being let out, wandered to the same spot... As the water gained upon the little space of ground they had, the poor beasts, feeling chilled with the cold, pressed also inwards upon the family. Smith caught a log which was floating past, and made it a seat for his companions; an old chest served the same purpose: and a little meal and a little whisky was all their nourishment... There they remained all that dismal night—all dark around them; the noise of the waters roaring in their ears, great trees going crashing past them every minute, as if they would sweep them all into eternity, and all the time the wind and rain beating upon them so fiercely that it seemed as if it would be impossible for them to live long under it...Nothing was to be seen but the far-off candle, placed in the house which has already been mentioned, and the light of which, as had been intended, was still some comfort to them in their desolate situation...When the light of morning broke upon them, Sandy Smith saw the little hamlet of Stripeside, where he had lived, a heap of ruins, besides all the neighbouring hamlets; and, far above them, the bridge broken by the violence of the stream...He had the attention to hide these sorrowful sights from his wife by wrapping her head more closely from the cold, until the waters began to fall a little, in consequence of the giving way of some embank |