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& Jim & Bernard Morgan & Mabel & Alice
go home in skiff and nearly get swamped.
With great anxiety I await Volties return.
About daylight he comes thank God.
Wet, cold and hungry: none of the
party having had a morsel to eat since
leaving home last night. Grace & Florence
devoured a loaf of bread, 1/2 lb butter and
an apple pie. No female women to greet
them on their arrival at the grand ball
only male men Rick's body guard.
But Oh it was providential and I am
thankful. At half past 5 wind changed
to South and tore things right and left.
Such a gale of wind seldom calls
here, the river white and flying spray,
unroofing barns, demolishing others,
uprooting trees, taking every apple from
trees, weakening ever obstacle in the
way, waves on river running 20
feet high and dashing on the rocks
shore with such tremendous force, the
water was thrown above the tall cedars