230 HISTORY OP SOUTHEAST MISSOURI The tributaries of Little river on the west were principally those that it received from the St. Francois river and will be mentioned in connection with the St. Francois. The St. Francois, for the most of its course within the low lands, made its way east of Crowley's ridge ; it entered the low lands from the hills of Upper Louisiana, coming into this section further west and south than Little river. It received many tributaries from the west, but sent out many outlets from its western side to Little river. The fii'st of these western out- lets was ill the early times called Laque Ter- ouly person who would consent to return and see whether she still survived. Receiving a description of the locality of the place I started, and foiuid the poor girl upon a bed, as she had been left, with some water and corn bread within her reach. I cooked up some food for her and made her condition as com- fortable as circum.stauees would allow, and returned the same day to the grand encamp- ment. Miss blasters eventually recovered. "In abandoning their homes on this emer- gency the people only stopped long enough to get their teams and hurry in their families and some provisions. It was a matter of doubt among them whether water or fire would be most likely to burst forth and cover all the country. The timber land aroimd New Mad- rid sunk five or six feet, so that the lakes and lagoons, which seemed to have their beds pushed up, discharged their waters over the sunken lands. Through the fissures caused by the earthquake were forced up vast quanti- ties of a hard, jet black substance which ap- peared very smooth, as though worn by fric- tion. It seemed a verj^ different substance from either anthracite or bituminous coal. ' ' This hegira, with all its attendant appall- ing circumstances, was a most heartrending rible; it is now called Taylor's slough. It left the St. Francois. river four miles south of Chalk bluff, then continued southeast and con- nected with Little river near the mouth of New river. From Taylor's slough, or Laque Terrible, as it was formerly called, two branches made out on the west side ; the first of these was called New river, and the second Old river. Varner's river, which was for- merly called Chillitecaux, makes out from the St. Francois, runs to the east, then south and then west, and joins with the St. Francois again. The island thus formed was the last scene and had the effect to constrain the most wicked and profane earnestly to plead to God in prayer for mercy. In less than three months most of these people returned to their homes and though the earthquakes continued occasionally with less destructive effects, they became so accustomed to the recurring vibra- tions that they paid little or no regard to them, not even interrupting or checking their dances, frolics and vices." A correspondent of the Louisiana Gazette, whose name is not known, wrote from Cape Girardeau on February 15, 1812, the follow- ing letter : ' ' The concussions of the earth- quake still continue, the shock on the 23rd ult. was more severe and longer than that of December 16th, and the shock of the 7th inst. was still more violent than any preceding and lasted longer perhaps than any on record (from 10 to 15 minutes) — the earth was not at rest for an hour ; the ravages of this ter- rible convulsion having nearly depopulated the district of new ^Madrid, but few remain to tell the sad tale. The inhabitants have fled in every direction. It has done consid- erable damage in this place by demolishing chimneys and cracking cellar walls : some have been driven from their houses and a
